Best Bet is housed on Washington Blvd in the former AFrame location. I didn’t realize the new restaurant was opening until the weekend prior when I was heading to Handy J for a car wash and I tried for nearly a week to get a dinner reservation. Luckily, the reservation gods deemed me worthy enough to get a spot, and the plan was hatched to try out Bet Bet for our Friday dinner. I dropped off my husband prior to looking for parking as I knew it would take a while but upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately seated, and shortly thereafter, our orders were taken.

Our drinks arrived first followed shortly by the dishes.

The fried chicken was served lukewarm, was incredibly juicy and cheesy with a bit of sweetness which was a bit surprising.

The garlic knots were served piping hot and had a crispy garlicky exterior. Its accompanying tomato sauce dip was a bit chunky and tart.

The meatballs were fire, literally mouth on fire from the temperature. The herbaceous tender morsels of meat were served in a bed of cheesy sauce which my husband commented was similar to a fondue.

The cacio e peppe had a bit of a salty bite from the pink peppercorn and was served al dente.

The Godzilla pizza was perfect, hit all the right notes, smoky, savory, meaty and silky.

The enigma, to be honest, was not our favorite. It was missing a crucial ingredient, like perhaps bits of garlic shrimp in the interior as it was just a calzone with pesto filling which oozed out as soon the crispy exterior was pulled apart. The crust had a dense black sesame and white rock salt exterior which made it a bit more interesting but otherwise, the dish was a miss. Bellies full, we passed on dessert.

What made our dining experience exemplary was the attentiveness and response time of the staff. Although they had been open only a few days, they worked seamlessly and in unison with each other, from the two hostesses, our server and the two restaurant managers helping clear tables. It felt like a well-oiled machine rather than a newbie to the neighborhood. All in all, we thought the restaurant was a hit and would happily return with friends.

So glad we were able to visit during its opening week as we met Chef Jason Neroni and his wife who shared that they only allow reservations for half the restaurant and left the other half for walk-ins from people in the neighborhood. Truly a Best Bet for the city!