By Sally Deering

 Nestled among the storefronts on Avenue “C” between 25^th and 26^th Streets in Bayonne is Carmelaâ€s Piccola Cucina, a cozy little Italian restaurant that serves hearty, home-style dishes from Northern and Southern Italy.

In Italian, Carmela’s Piccola Cucina means “tiny kitchen” but thatâ€s the only thing small about the place. Owner and Chef Carmela Suppa cooks serves up hearty portions of homestyle dishes that are delicious and seasoned just right.

“You know when you do something you enjoy, you donâ€t think about anything else,” Suppa says, taking a break from her work at the stove. “Everything I make is cooked to order.”

 Carmela’s Piccola Cucinaâ€s menu includes Antipasti like the tasty Calamari served tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside and with a choice of mild or hot sauce; Caprese Stacks, which is Roasted Eggplant, Fresh Mozzarella and Tomatoes; Stuffed Mushrooms with Roasted Peppers; and Antipasto Rustico, a Selection of Dry Meats and Sharp Provolone cheese. ($6.50-$8.95)

Soups include Chicken and Minestrone and daily soup specials like Potato-Leek; and Lentil. ($350-$4.95) Pasta dishes include Pasta with Ham & Mushrooms; and Pasta al Filetto di Pomodoro. ($10.95-$11.95) Fish dishes feature Flounder Marechiara; Shrimp Parmigiana; and Involtini di Flounder made with Pancetta and Spinach. ($13.95-$14.95)

Chicken dishes include Chicken Rustica, which is Chicken Breast with Mushrooms, Peppers, Sausage and Potatoes; and Lemon Chicken, Boneless Chicken Thighs in a Lemon Sauce. ($11.95-$12.95)

Suppa serves specials, too, like Fettuccine with Ricotta cheese and Asparagus. Suppa sautés the asparagus stems in garlic and olive oil and then adds them to the ricotta cheese which has been blended with the flowers of the asparagus. ($12.95)

“I call it traditional American,” Suppa says. “I try all the dishes myself before I put them on the menu or make them specials. I like to try new things.”

Coming in the fall, Suppa plans to add a Braciola dish, which is meat seasoned with garlic, parsley, cheese, rolled, and cooked in a red sauce; and Chicken Rollatini with a ham, rice and Ricotta cheese filing served in a white wine mushroom sauce. ($14.95)

For dessert, Suppa serves Cream Puffs and Cannolis with home-made fillings; and Truffles ice cream in several flavors including Pistachio, Amaretto, and Chocolate Chip Mint. ($4.50)

Since Carmela’s  Piccola Cucina opened two years ago, Suppa has lots of regulars who come back again and again for her homestyle cooking. The Chicken, Minestrone, Lentil and Potato-Leek soups are very popular, Suppa says. So are the Chicken Parmagiana, Lemon Chicken and Involtini di Flounder. Pasta Primavera is also a favorite.

Although this is Suppaâ€s first time as a restaurateur, she is no stranger to the kitchen. Suppa grew up in Naples, Italy, and she was 15 when her family came to the U.S. and settled in Bayonne.

She watched her mother and older sister cook and Suppa herself worked as a banquet chef for the Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange.

“It was my internship,” Suppa says. “They have a restaurant and a banquet hall where they do weddings and parties.”

 Carmela’s Piccola Cucinaâ€s dining room is painted a warm yellow and seats 40. Thereâ€s a large flat-screen TV for customers who like a little news while they dine, and dinner guests are treated to white linen tablecloths that dress up the tables and warm the room so that it almost feels like youâ€re dining in Suppaâ€s home. Suppa says that traditionally Italian families like to entertain and feed their guests.

“When somebody comes in we cook something and we all eat together or we offer coffee and cake,” Suppa says. “You sit around the table with the family and thereâ€s a little bit of food and a little bit of red wine. Thatâ€s how we are.”

 Carmela’s Piccola Cucina is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner and brunch is served on weekends. Suppa says the restaurant also delivers to local businesses and caters to customers who have to spend their lunch hours behind a desk or in a classroom.

“This is fulfilling a dream I always had,” Suppa says. “Having a restaurant is something Iâ€ve always wanted.”

If you go:

Carmelaâ€s Piccola Cucina

578 Avenue “C”

(Across from the Shop Rite)

Bayonne

(201) 243-6855

Open 7 days

The post Cooking with Heart at Carmela’s Piccola Cucina in Bayonne first appeared on River View Observer.

   By Sally Deering

Jean and Charles Stewart first met at a bar; she was serving drinks at an establishment in the East Village and he was a member of the Coast Guard stationed in Bayonne out for a night on the town. The two fell in love, married and started a family and now theyâ€re raising a son and building a new career as restaurateurs and owners of Lot 13 in Bayonne.

Lot 13 opened in 2011 and both husband and wife share all the responsibilities of running a restaurant and busy bar.

“We do everything,” Jean says, taking a break after cooking dinner for five hungry patrons. “We manage the restaurant, we bartend and cook. We have 18 taps and a great whiskey collection – whiskey and craft beer we were originally going for. The kitchen is getting rolling and weâ€re getting more business. Itâ€s all baby steps.”

Jean describes the menu as upscale comfort food.

“My husband is from Georgia, so we have a secret recipe for the rub for the pulled pork,” Jean says. “We have a smoker, too. We have fish and chips. Everything we do is fresh, not frozen or pre-prepared.”

Indeed, the reviews from patrons have been great. Nicole O. who lives on the waterfront posted this review on Yelp.com: “AWESOME place. I had the Lot 13 burger and it was the best burger ever. The beer list is great, something for everyone. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a good beer and burger.”

Tom W. of Bayonne also wrote on Yelp.com: “I glanced at the tap options, not noticing the chalk board beer menu to the left of bar, with somewhere between 10 and 14 draft selections, 6-10 can selections, and 15-20 bottle selections.  I ordered a beer from the tap closest to me, a Goose Island IPA.  The tap consisted of two Goose Islands, Allagash White, Dogfish Head 60, and another one or two decent crafts.  Guinness, Stella, and Miller High Life rounded out the choices.  The can and bottle options did include Budweiser and Coors Light, several Weyerbachers, some seasonal imports (Hofbrau Oktoberfest among them), and other flavorful favorites among beerheads.”

Sang B. of Jersey City posted: “I have only been here once but so far so good. I came here a Saturday afternoon – just passing by and hoping that it was not closed. I was really glad to see the open sign. Initially I was drawn to this bar because of the tap list. I had the Winter Solace on draft which was very good. My husband picked a few others and he said they were very good as well. Their menu was pretty good as well. I tried the wings, grass-fed burger, chicken nuggets (special) and lots and lots of fries. Wings were on the larger side, grass-fed burger was very moist, and everything had enough salt to allow the beer to taste extra refreshing. We saw some people try the chicken cutlet sandwich also, which looked delicious.”

“We have our neighborhood regulars, which is the backbone of our business and we have some bands and shows we put on that attract people further out,” Jean says. “Jersey City is close and the Light Rail is close to us. Weâ€re on the corner of 18^th and “E” and the Light Rail stops at 22^nd, just a few blocks away.”

Building a business while raising a new family can be tough and there are still details that need to be taken care of like a website for the business and business cards, too. In the meantime, Jean and Charles – everybody knows him as Chuck – are planning to add a brunch on weekends and their growing hops for beer in their outdoor garden.

“We could look into a brewerâ€s license, but we can also sell the hops,” Jean says.

She could sell them to the NJ Beer Company, a local brewer whose beer flows from one of the Lot 13 taps.

“We try to do a lot of New Jersey local stuff,” Jean says. “Our beef comes from a New Jersey farm.”

And even though Chuck is from Georgia and Jean is from Natick, MA, she says they made the right move opening their business and starting a family in Bayonne.

“We love it,” Jean says. “Itâ€s nice to run your own show. Itâ€s rewarding and challenging. I like the cooking end of it. I like to see people enjoying it. Chuck and I are both petty outward and social.”

If you go:

 Lot 13

169 Ave “E”

Bayonne

(201) 535-5066

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 4 pm-2 am

Fri, Sat, 11am – 3 am

Sun, 11 am – 2 am

Kitchen serves food until closing

The post Lot 13 Gives Bayonne New Hip first appeared on River View Observer.

Kathryn Budinich Transforms her Jersey City One-Family into Supper Club

By Sally Deering

 Like many other houses in the Marion Section of Jersey City (west of Journal Square) Kathryn Budinichâ€s humble little home has a screen door, cozy rooms and a backyard – and thatâ€s about all it has in common with the other houses on the block.

 In 1999, Budinich, her husband Richie and son Mark transformed the familyâ€s modest one-family into an exclusive dining club where Budinich and her staff, including her long-time friend Mary Lou Roche serve guests in two floors of rooms decorated in Victoriana frills, figurines and frou-frou and formal table-settings in crystal and porcelain. The lighting is low, intimate and perfect for the six-course dinner Budinich serves over the course of three luxurious hours.

 A self-taught chef, Budinich learned to make Italian dishes and desserts listening to her mother, aunts and neighbors who brought in suppers when Budinich and her family worked the feasts sponsored by Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church and school their children attended. Years later, Budinich opened Word of Mouth caterers and in 1999 she turned her 15 Fox Place home into a supper club. Fourteen years later, business is so good customers have to make reservations two months in advance and Budinich only opens Friday, Saturday and one other night during the week. She also had to move out of her home to accommodate the demand for reservations. 

 “One Valentineâ€s Day I needed the seating, so. I took everything out of my office and put a table and tchotchkes in there. We now called it the Library,” Budinich says. “I live in Nutley now.”

 Reservations are necessary because Budinich only opens for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights and then either Thursday or Sunday nights – depending on her schedule. She also doesnâ€t give her guests a menu with lists of dishes to choose from. Instead, Budinich and her son, Chef Mark Budinich design a seasonal menu and everyone is served the same dishes. (If youâ€re allergic to something, Budinich will accommodate your dietary needs if you contact her in advance.)

 And what a menu it is. Six courses of homemade Italian dishes that make you feel youâ€re vacationing in Naples. Yes, that good!  On a recent visit, I tasted a few dishes like Pizza Frittes, little pizzas made with lightly fried dough stuffed with cheese and topped with her sweet, delicious tomato sauce. I ate four of them and could have eaten four more. I also tried Budinichâ€s Eggplant Rollatine and it was out of his world. The eggplant was thinly sliced and light as a feather. I also tried her Meatballs with Peas. Budinichâ€s meatballs are light and tasty in her signature red sauce with plump peas a yummy addition. She stuffed Cubanelle Peppers with her own tasty bread crumb mixture and her Baked Manicotti overflowed with cheese smothered in her sweet red sauce. Everything was really delicious.

 Other classic Budinich dishes include Polenta Arrabiatta, polenta served with a hot and spicy sausage sauce; Shrimp in White Wine Sauce; Baked Mussels; Chicken Saltimbocca; Baked Homemade Manicotti with Budinichâ€s “Sunday” Gravy and Asparagus and Cream Pasta.

Budinich serves guests who travel from all over the world including Australia, Italy and Hawaii to eat her cuisine; 15 Fox Place has a mailing list of 9,000. Itâ€s also a terrific venue for weddings and private parties and thereâ€s an outdoor patio for guests who prefer dining under the stars in summer.

 15 Fox Place has been favorably reviewed by Zagat and Yelp customers who have given the dining club a five-star rating. The New York Times also favorably reviewed 15 Fox Place and Budinich and her restaurant were just featured in a segment on TVâ€s Pix 11.  All this attention is great for business, Budinich says, but she doesnâ€t do it for the reviews, she cooks because she loves what she does.

 “Every day is a party and every day Iâ€m making people happy,” Budinich says. “When people come here, they have a different attitude than when they go to a restaurant. Theyâ€re coming for the experience. Itâ€s a happy place.”

 If you go:

15 Fox Place

Jersey City

Fri, Sat nights; and, either Thurs. or Sun. nights

Reservations Required

 (201) 333-1476

www.womcatering.com

For info, email: staff@womcatering.com

 

The post 15 Fox Place in Jersey City Puts the Home in Home Cooking first appeared on River View Observer.