Rosie will be on vacation until mid-February—guest blogger Melody Kettle will post in her place.
Nicoletta Pizzeria Open in Bernardsville, New Jersey
Nicoletta Pizzeria in Bernardsville is officially open. It’s serving pizza and casual Italian dishes by chef Michael White and the Altamarea Group. The new restaurant adjoins Altamarea Group’s Osteria Morini with a new, shared private dining space at 107 Morristown Road next to the new CVS store. An exposed brick oven centers the large open kitchen for diners to enjoy the theater of food preparation, as pizzaiolos stretch and top the dough.
Kitchen operations at Nicoletta Bernardsville are led by executive chef Bill Dorrler, who also oversees the kitchens at Altamarea Group’s Osteria Morini (locations in NY, NJ & Washington D.C.) in addition to Nicoletta NYC and The Butterfly in Tribeca. Chef Dorrler will work alongside Nicoletta NYC’s chef di cucina Michael Cariglio and chef Kevin Knevals of Osteria Morini to oversee the consistency of Nicoletta Bernardsville on a daily basis. Nicoletta will be open seven days a week, Sunday through Thursday, 11 AM to 9 PM, and Friday and Saturday, 11 AM to 10PM. Menu offerings are also available for takeout.
The menu at Nicoletta features the same high quality, artisanal ingredients served at the original outpost of Nicoletta pizzeria in Manhattan’s East Village. Snacks and appetizers include meatballs, spicy chicken wings, and salads, chef Michael White’s world-renowned, house-made pasta. Nicoletta Bernardsville offers innovative artisanal cocktails, as well as a variety of local beer and wine selections.
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Little Town to Reopen as The Ainsworth in Spring
On January 12, the popular neighborhood bar, restaurant and brewhouse, Little Town New Jersey in Hoboken, closed its doors for renovation. Little Town will move to another location a few blocks away and the current waterfront space will reopen as an upscale steak, burger and sports gastropub, the Ainsworth. Restauranteurs and stars of Bravo’s Manzo’d with Children, Albie and Chris Manzo along with Michael Sinensky (Little Town, Hudson Terrace, Sidebar, Village Pourhouse) have partnered with Paige Hospitality Group (Ainsworth, The Chester, 121 Fulton Street) to open Ainsworth Hoboken in early March. The Ainsworth prides itself on being a one-stop shop for brunch, lunch, dinner, cocktails and sports viewing. The Ainsworth Hoboken will be the fourth location of the brand, with others in Manhattan (Chelsea and Gramercy) and Las Vegas. 310 Sinatra Drive, Hoboken.
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Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten is scheduled to open on February 7
The Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten with executive chef, James Avery, will serve Biergarten staples like schnitzel and wursts, and modern interpretations, like "oysters braten" —a biergarten version of oysters Rockefeller. The Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten will have 29 taps/60-plus bottles, including local beers like Kane and Carton. The design will be similar in concept to the Pilsener Haus (it’s sister restaurant located in Hoboken), with old-school signage, ironwork and period details, but will capitalize on and incorporate the shore location with bright windows facing the water between Asbury and Ocean Grove. The Festhalle will also feature a large rooftop deck with a view of that water and the ocean to the east. 527 Lake Ave, Asbury Park.
Orama has opened with executive chef John Piliouras at 595 River Rd, Edgewater, 201-945-2020.
Poached, 6 South Dean St, Englewood, 201-731-3797.