By Peter Genovese
N.J. Advance Media for NJ.com

Bergen: Paisano’s, Rutherford

There are plenty of elegant, white-tablecloth Italian restaurants in New Jersey; several appear on this list. Paisano’s is not one of them. Casual, convivial – call it the Italian restaurant version of a Jersey diner –  Paisano’s offers northern and southern Italian dishes, like pappardelle rustica and short rib with gnocchi. Don’t you dare leave without ordering the semifreddo, a marvelous mousse-like dessert made with eggs, sugar and cream.