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

Bayonne has its share of Italian restaurants and Bella Sorrellas on the corner of 50^th Street and Broadway, stands out from the crowd with a menu of classic Italian dishes served with a home-style flair. Owner David Rivera opened Bella Sorrellas three years ago where the old Welcome Inn used to be. The son of Ana and Demetrio “Lumen” Rivera, David grew up watching his father run his Jersey City restaurants: The Seagulls Bar & Grill on Communipaw Ave; The Old San Juan on Jersey Ave; and The Fan Bar on Grove – and he knew early on he wanted to be a restaurateur like his dad.

“I was about 5 and my father picked me up at school and took me to his restaurant, The Seagulls,” Rivera recalls. “I went behind the bar and started cleaning the glasses. He asked me what I was doing and I said, ‘I want to be like you†and he hugged me and said ‘One day you will.†Since I was 16 I worked with him after school and through college.”

Rivera worked ten years as transportation supervisor for Christ Hospital in Jersey City and decided he wanted to go back to the restaurant business.

            “There was something empty in my heart,” he says. “My fatherâ€s philosophy was ‘make sure the customer is fed well and feels at homeâ€. He was in the business over 30 years. Everybody loved my father and I wanted to be like that. ”

            Rivera followed in fatherâ€s footsteps and Bella Sorrellas (which is Italian for “beautiful sisters” and named for his daughters Analexa, 18, and Isabel, 5) is a cozy corner bistro with an extensive Italian menu. The star of the show – as always – is the food and Rivera works closely with Chef Leo Compi (formerly of Just Sonnyâ€s) a friend for more than 10 years.

            “We always wanted to work together,” Rivera says. “I always liked the way Leo cooked at Just Sonnyâ€s and when they closed (the owner, Fortunato retired,) Leo came here. We have the same passion about food. He loves what he does the way I do.”

            Bella Sorrellas serves Soups, Appetizers, Salads, Pastas, Chicken, Veal, Steaks and Seafood dishes and the menu features a delicious Pasta Fagioli soup ($5.95); a Crispy Fried Calamari appetizer served with a hearty, perfectly seasoned red sauce ($10.95); and a very tasty Chicken Scarpariello entrée served with sausage, mushrooms and garlic in a lemon white wine sauce ($17.95).

            Appetizers also include Stuffed Mushrooms, Mussels, Shrimp Cocktail and Hot Antipasto ($8.95-$14.95); and Pasta dishes feature Linguini with Clams, Ravioli a la Bella, Baked Ziti a la Bella and Fettuccini or Tortellini Alfredo ($10.95-$14.95). Steak dishes include Filet Mignon, New York Strip and Steak Pizzaiola with Mushrooms in Marinara ($23.95-$24.95); and Seafood dishes feature Shrimp Scampi, Filet of Sole Francese, Zuppa Di Pesce,  and a Broiled Seafood Platter ($17.95-$25.95).

            “We serve only fresh ingredients,” Rivera says. “The produce is fresh. The meat is fresh. I refuse to serve anything frozen.”

            During a busy afternoon, Rivera greeted every customer who walked through the door with a smile After three years in the restaurant business his passion for his restaurant has not waned.

            “I love this business,” Rivera says. “I saw how hard my parents worked to make their businesses successful and I know I wanted to do exactly what they did. Interacting with the customers and seeing how much they enjoy the food – I love it all.”

 

If you go:

Bella Sorrellas

1020 Broadway

(Corner of 50^th St)

Bayonne

201-455-8844

Hours:

Tues – Fri, 11 am – Midnight

Sat, 2 pm – 1 am

Sun, 1 pm – Midnight

 

 

 

 

The post Bayonne’s Bella Sorrellas, a Fine Italian Restaurant first appeared on River View Observer.

By Evelyn Bonilla

The phrase “buon appetito” in Italian means, “enjoy your meal” and at Buon Appetito Restaurant & Salumeria youâ€ll do just that. This appealing restaurant located in Bayonne, NJ is the perfect choice when dining with family and friends. Its atmosphere is “warm and inviting”. Glass covered tables lined with burgundy linen cloths accentuates Buon Appetito classic signature look. As you enter into the restaurant you are confronted by a beautifully placed glass enclosed window drape with burgundy tasseled curtains. The window allows you to view the restaurant when entering. The smell of “fine Italian cuisine” pulls you in and draws you to a wall to wall buffet table. Buon Appetito specializes in a variety of buffet styled meals. With dishes like Lobster Ravioli, Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce, Chicken Monte Blanca and Veal Marsala just to name a few, there is something for everyone. Buon Appetito strives to put its diners first; they are focus on providing the best in “Italian cuisine”.

They offer a variety of specialized accommodations to suit every diner. On Wednesday nights they offer an “all you can eat buffet”. Choices vary and diners are free to enjoy a wide range of delicacies, added to that is rich tasting Italian bread and fresh salad and you have a meal that is sure to put a big smile on your face. Thursdayâ€s night is a pasta loverâ€s dream, in that it offers the pasta lover a wide selection of pasta. Delicious tasting pasta sure to satisfy the pasta lover in your family. Accompany with a nice glass of Merlot or Pinot Grigio from Buon Appetitoâ€s wine list, a great accompaniment to a satisfying meal. Fridayâ€s menu is designed towards the “seafood lover”. Every Friday night is “Lobster Night” and “Seafood Extravaganza”. Lobsters are serve broiled or steamed, 1 ¼ lb lobsters waiting to be sampled, serve with a soup or salad, rice and vegetable. This is something you do not want to miss.

The seafood extravaganza also on Friday nights is a compilation of seafood dishes just waiting to be devoured.

Looking for somewhere to eat on Saturday night, look no further than Buon Appetito. This has got to be one of the “best nights” at the restaurant because it offers a specialized “Family Style” Menu. Buon Appetito is one of the only restaurants to offer this type of menu. All dishes serve 2-3 people, a perfect opportunity to take out family, friends and especially the kids. This menu gives the entire family a chance to sample a variety of dishes. From appetizers to deserts, this night and menu are sure to create a family dining experience you wonâ€t forget. Also located within the restaurant is a fully stocked bar which offers the best in martiniâ€s a variety of wines or a variety of frozen drinks for those hot summer nights when youâ€re hanging out with friends.
Do you love fresh Italian products, cold cuts, ravioli how about desserts? If you do, you most certainly have to stop by Buon Appetitoâ€s Salumeria.This restaurant is so unique in that it offers its diners a wonderful Italian restaurant and an attached fully stocked Salumeria. For those not familiar with a “Salumeria” it is an old-fashioned Italian grocery and deli. Buon Appetitoâ€s offers the best in Italian products and imported Italian cold cuts. Like imported cheeses, try some Aurrichio Provolone, Reggiano Parmiggiano or Homemade Fresh Mozzarella. Love cold cuts try their Mortadella, Sopressata (Hot/Sweet) or the Prosciutto Capicola (Hot or Sweet). The make the finest in Italian Subs serve hot or cold and ready at an instance for a great Italian styled lunch. Or try my personal favorite; take home a quart of Buon Appetitoâ€s Homemade Italian Sauce. A great addition when youâ€re cooking up a homemade Italian-styled meal.
Buon Appetito also offers the best in catering “on or off” the premises. Call today and set-up your next party. They are located at 906-908 Broadway in Bayonne, NJ. Their hours of operation are Monday-Tuesdays 11:00 am-3:00 pm and Wednesday-Sunday 11:00 am-10:00 p.m. interested in booking a party or learning more about the buffet nights offer at Buon Appetitio contact Manager Susan Patterson at (201) 436-0043. You can also visit their website at www.BuonAppetitoItalian.com.  Stop in any night at Buon Appetito either with family or friends and enjoy a unique dining experience you will never forget.

The post Buon Appetito- Their Name Says it All first appeared on River View Observer.