Back in the day, Frank Fioreâ€s family emigrated from Southern Italy to the Bronx and after years of big family dinners made from Grandma Fioreâ€s recipes, Frank, his brother Raymond, his father, Ruggero and his mother Maria, extended their family table to Newark Avenue in Downtown Jersey City and opened Roman Nose–Authentic Italian Kitchen.

Located next to The Word Bookstore right off Grove Street, Roman Nose landed one of the best locations in town: the Pedestrian Mall that extends west from Grove, Roman Nose offers guests a  hearty taste of Southern Italy and a casual dining experience with white wainscoting on the walls and vintage-style tin ceilings.  It has two areas for seating and a small bar with a big wine and cocktails list.  Intimate and friendly with black & white family photos on the walls, Roman Noseâ€s atmosphere is like one big family reunion with guests drinking, dining and enjoying the themselves. 

“I moved to Jersey City 12 years ago,” Frank Fiore says, sitting at one of his larger tables during a busy dinner service. “I felt we needed a good Italian restaurant downtown. I spent every summer in Italy with my grandparents. For me the story wrote itself. We didnâ€t try to be Italian. We cook traditional Italian food as we always do and people appreciate it. We were artisanal.      I grew up curing sausages in our garage,” Fiore says. “We pickle, we jar. We made our own wine.”

Roman Nose – Authentic Italian Kitchen – is just that. The cooks were all trained to cook the recipes that Fioreâ€s grandmothers cooked back in Italy. And the menu is an homage to Fioreâ€s Italian roots. Antipasti dishes feature Olive Miste, Italian olives served in house marinade of lemon,  thyme, rosemary, garlic, and fennel seed; and Crostini di Casa homemade mozzarella, prosciutto, tomato, oregano melted on grilled filone bread.

Bruschette: (3 for $5; 6for $9) Pomodoro, Pesto, Ricotta, Miele, e Noci, Pomodori Secchi e Pecorino, Crema Di Carciofi, and Tapenade di Olive.

Formaggi e Salumi: ($15; choice of three) Served with Tuscan chestnut honey, roasted almonds, fresh bread; a selection of premium Italian cheeses including Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano Pepato and Fontina.

Insalate: ($8-$12) Insalata Caprese, homemade mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil with extra virgin olive oil and aceto balsamico; Insalata di Finnocchio, Indivia, Radicchio e Arance Fennel, endive, radicchio, orange, toasted walnuts, and parmigiano shavings, with citrus vinaigrette; Insalata di Pollo, house salad with sliced grilled chicken breast, red onion, and parmigiano; and, Insalata di Tonno, house salad with Sicilian tuna in olive oil, red onion, and homemade mozzarella.

Polpette:  Family meatballs made with beef, pork, veal and amore, topped with Sunday Sauce and parmiagiano ($5-$10) include:  Meatball Sangweech, four meatballs stuffed into a fresh ciabatta; Meatball Bowl and Meatball Side.

Pizze:  Homemade mozzarella and pizza dough are made from scratch ($9-$30) and include Margherita, Saracena, Zucchine, Pesto, and Crudo with Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano shavings, arugula,  mozzarella and tomato sauce.

Zuppe:  Mama Mariaâ€s made-from-scratch soups ($6-$8) feature Lenticchie, classic lentil soup; Pastina and Minestrone.

Primi:  All pasta is made from scratch ($11-$18) and includes:  Spaghetti al Pomodoro; Fusilli al Pesto, and Tagliatelle con Gamberetti e Pomodorini, sautéed shrimp with cherry tomatoes, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil.

Secondi: Entrees include Parmigiana di Melanzane, classic parmigiana, pan-fried and breaded eggplant oven-baked with layers of homemade mozzarella; and Pollo al Marsala e Funghi, tender chicken filets cooked in Marsala wine sauce ($16-$18).

Roman Nose serves kid-friendly portions for children under 12 ($6-$7); side dishes ($5-$7) and guests can substitute gluten-free Quinoa-Corn Penne Pasta for their pasta dishes ($2 additional).

If you go

Roman Nose, Authentic Italian Kitchen

124 Newark Ave, JC

(201) 360-2176

www.romannosejc.com

Hours: Tues-Fri 12-10 pm

Sat-Sun 11-10 pm

Closed Mondays

The post Mom’s Family Recipes with a Dash of Heart- Roman Nose brings Flavors of Southern Italy to Downtown JC first appeared on River View Observer.

 By Sally Deering   

Jersey Cityâ€s “Restaurant Row” starts at Grove Street and moves west along Newark Avenue where bistros offer foods of many cultures. Now, thereâ€s a new kid on the block – Raval Tapas Bar & Cocktail Lounge – where guests are invited to enjoy flavors of Spain.

Raval Tapas Bar & Cocktail Lounge recently opened on Newark Avenue with Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop cutting the ribbon at a Grand Opening ceremony and friends gathering for champagne and finger foods to welcome Raval to the neighborhood. Cuisine from Spain is the latest concept from the owners, the Restaurant Development Group (RDG), which also owns the Lucky 7 Tavern, and Satis Bistro in Jersey City.

The Raval team includes Executive Chef Michael Fiorianti, Chef de Cuisine Ed Radich, General Manager Oz Kolar, Assistant Manager, Ryan McEnerney and RDG Partners, Michael Garcia, Geza Gulas and Andrew Siegel. The team named Raval as an homage to the trendy Barcelona neighborhood that is its namesake, and the restaurant/lounge invites guests to enjoy stylish cocktails and tapas in an ambience of hip urban design laid out on two floors.

The menu by Chef Fiorianti features modern Spanish cuisine inspired by his trip to Barcelona this past fall where he immersed himself in the food and culture. The origin of Tapas, Chef Fiorianti says, goes back to when people ordered small plates of food to go with their drinks and the waiters put the plates right on top of the drink glasses.

“Here at Raval, we try to create a Tapas experience: a lot of the classics with a twist,” Chef Fiorianti says. “We make it our own.”

The menu features Tapas in a variety of ways: Pan con Tomate, Toasted Stirato Bread, Fresh Tomato and Garlic; Boquerones, White and Red Anchovies, Pickled Shallots and Mangalitsa Lardo; Tortilla Española, Omelette of Onion, Garlic and Chorizo with Pan Tomate; Patatas Bravas, Crisp Potatoes, Spicy Bravas Sauce and Roasted Garlic Aioli; Espinaca, Sautéed Spinach, Dried Figs and Toasted Almonds; Albóndigas, Lamb Meatballs, Toasted Pine Nuts with Saffron Tomato Sauce; Padron Fritos, Fried Padron Peppers with Maldon Sea Salt; Almendras , Warm Spiced Marcona Almonds and Chipped Manchego; Espárrago, Grilled Asparagus, Preserved Lemon and Piquillo Peppers, Aceitunas Citrus And Chili Marinated Olives; Plato De Queso, Chef Selection of Cheeses; Plato De Embutidos, Chef Selection Of Traditional Spanish Sausages and Jamón, Bellota Spainâ€s Famed Fermin Iberico Ham.

Media Raciones on the menu include Salpicón, Seafood Salad of Octopus, Prawns, Mussels and Citrus Olive Vinaigrette; Gambas, Head On Prawns Cooked A La Plancha with Garlic Saffron Vinaigrette; Escalivada, Crisp Cana De Cabra Goat Cheese, Roasted Eggplant, Grilled Onions and Peppers; Croquetas De Bacalao, Salt Cod Fritters with Spicy Pepper Jelly; Croquetas Cremosa De Setas, Porcini Béchamel Croquettes and Wild Mushroom; Rabo De Toro, Madeira Braised Oxtail and Parsnip; and Costillas Ala Miel, Sherry and Honey Glazed Berkshire Pork Belly, Pickled Chiles and Marcona Almonds.

Raciones include Fabada, Braised Pork Cheek, Asturian Beans, Chorizo and Morcilla Stew; Bellota Con Vieiras, Seared Sea Scallop, Grilled Bellota Pork, Cauliflower and Cured Tuna with Salsa Verde; Pescado a la Plancha, Seared Market Fish, Hazelnut Romesco, Radish and Snap Pea Slaw; and Secreto Iberico de Bellota, famous Bellota Pork Secret Steak a la Plancha with Salsa Verde.

Raval has two full bars where bartenders serve more than 80 Spanish wines covering over 20 regions of Spain; hand-crafted signature cocktails developed by mixologist Joe Donohue (Kolo Klub), and house-made Sangrias.

Opening Raval on Jersey Cityâ€s “Restaurant Row” seems to be the right decision at the right time, RDG partner Michael Garcia says. Newark Avenue is experiencing a restaurant boon that has made downtown Jersey City a popular dining destination

“The energy on this street is powerful,” Garcia says. “And with so many more to come, weâ€ve only just scratched the surface. Weâ€re happy to be a part of it.”

The RDG partners decided to open a tapas restaurant because they saw a niche, Garcia says.   “We were thinking Italian, but there are a lot of Italian places in Jersey City,” Garcia says.

“We felt Tapas was underserved, and itâ€s hip. Tapas is a culture. In Spain, everything is meant to be shared.”

If you go Raval Tapas & Cocktail Lounge 136 Newark Ave, JC (201) 209-1099 www.ravaljc.com Hours: Mon-Thurs, 3 pm-2 am Fri, 3 pm-3 am; Sat, 11 am-3 am & Sun, 11 am-2 am

The post A TASTE OF SPAIN IN JERSEY CITY- Raval Tapas Bar & Cocktail Lounge first appeared on River View Observer.

Area Street Closures Take Effect Tuesday, August 19th

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop and the Municipal Council announced today that street closures as part of the plan to convert a portion of Newark Avenue into a pedestrian plaza to enhance the Cityâ€s vibrant downtown commercial and cultural district will go into effect next week.

Beginning Tuesday, August 19, 2014, Newark Avenue from Grove Street to Barrow Street and Erie Street from Newark Avenue to Bay Street will be closed from 3 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday and between 12 a.m. and midnight, Saturday and Sunday for the preservation of the publicâ€s safety and welfare at the newly created pedestrian plaza.

“We are excited for the creation of the new pedestrian plaza at Newark Avenue as this will provide our residents more opportunities to enjoy the great restaurants and cafes in the area and take in music and culture, while contributing to a sense of community,” said Mayor Fulop. “The City has worked with the businesses in the area on the street closures and we will continue to monitor the pilot program to measure the impacts and benefits, but we view this is a largely positive addition to the area.”

With tens of thousands of people passing through the adjacent Grove Street PATH plaza daily, dozens of restaurants and shops in the downtown Newark Avenue area and a thriving arts and cultural scene, Mayor Fulop wanted to expand the districtâ€s useable area by closing the roadways to vehicular traffic and designing a pedestrian plaza. Specifically, Newark Avenue between Grove Street and Barrow Street and Erie Street from Newark Avenue to Bay Street would be closed to vehicular traffic allowing restaurants to set up outdoor dining and create additional performance spaces.

The area hosts more than a dozen outdoor concerts and performances annually through the Historic Downtown Special Improvement Districtâ€s ‘Groove on Grove†concert series, JC Fridays and the Creative Grove Arts Market. These are all expected to grow with the creation of the new pedestrian plaza on Newark Avenue.

“We are exploring the concept of pedestrian plazas at Newark Avenue first, due to the high volume of residents who pass through this area and the already vibrant outdoor scene due to Restaurant Row and markets at Grove PATH plaza,” said Mayor Fulop. “If successful, we will consider implementing in other areas of the City as we work to enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors.”

“It’s always good for cities to try out new ideas,” said Ward E Councilwoman Candice Osborne. “I think the Newark Avenue pilot will prove itself a win-win for small businesses, a win for pedestrians, and a win for the neighborhood.”

The ordinance establishing the Pedestrian Plaza on Newark Avenue was authorized by the City Council on July 16, 2014.

Beginning Tuesday, August 19, 2014, the following changes in traffic patterns and parking restrictions will take effect on the streets in the downtown neighborhood:

Barrow Street from Newark Avenue to Christopher Columbus Drive will change from a two-way street to a “one way” street, traveling south and Bay Street from Newark Avenue to Erie Street will be reversed from a “one way west” to a “one way east.”

To accommodate the disabled, a reserved parking space has been designated on the southeast corner of Barrow Street at Newark Avenue and at 333 Grove Street. The reserved parking spaces will be open to any disabled person with the proper Disabled ID from the Motor Vehicle Commission displayed on their vehicle. The parking restriction will be in effect daily, 10 a.m. to midnight.

To accommodate deliveries to and from Newark Avenue, a loading zone has been designated on the east side of Barrow Street, south of Newark Avenue, and at 339-341 Grove Street. Both loading zones will be in effect daily, 10 a.m. to midnight.

The post Jersey City’s First Pedestrian Plaza at Newark Avenue Opens Next Week first appeared on River View Observer.