A Pizza My NJ Heart

Last year as I was traveling through Italy, I dreamt of beautiful Italian men and pizza, then one day that dream came true. On the first of my five days in Sorrento, Italy I was having a little trouble with the internet at my Airbnb so the young man, Gabriele, asked me if I liked pizza, and if I knew what a margherita pizza was, and of course I did, because what pizza lover doesn’t. So, Gabriele leaves and about 20 minutes later he reappears at my doorway, with his helmet still on his head after riding his vespa, yes, his vespa, over to the pizza place to pick it up for me and my friend. This moment, while he stood in my doorway, was one of the best moments from my two week trip, and I am still not sure if it is because of the pizza or the boy, but that margherita pie rekindled my longing for my favorite kind of pizza: New Jersey pizza. For me, nothing can rival the taste and experience of those small, family owned Italian restaurants that occupy many NJ towns, because it is not just the food that keeps you coming back; it’s the people.

Growing up in New Jersey, pizza can easily become one of your main food groups, and for me, I will travel further than is necessary to get to some of the best places, two of them being Osteria Procaccini and Nunzio’s Kitchen. Both offer a wide variety of options that can satisfy any customer, but it is not just the food that makes these places great.

Osteria Procaccini, nestled outside of Princeton, New Jersey, offers dishes using authentic, organic and locally sourced ingredients, employing the farm to table initiative, while incorporating the tastes from Pettoranello del Molise, Italy, where Tino Procaccini’s family, the owner, comes from.

Nunzio’s Kitchen offers up a wide variety of gourmet pizzas, truly taking a creative route with their recipes which “will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about the plain cheese slice,” according to Lauren Bonilla from Jersey Bites. However, one ingredient is common to both of these Italian eateries: family.

When I talk about family, I do not necessarily mean those related by blood, but rather those who are bonded together by respect, friendship, and joy. This is the basis of both of these small, family owned and operated joints, and they do not plan on leaving that model of business behind. Tino Procaccini grew up around the kitchen table, cooking with his mother which sparked his love of food, and Marco and Michael Colandrea of Nunzio’s Kitchen grew up in the restaurant business, taking over their father’s pizzeria about nine years ago. Both of these businesses thrive not just on food alone, but on the bonds that they create amongst their staff and with their customers.

Tino calls what he does a “labor of love” and tell his employees that if they look at what they do as just a job, then they should probably look elsewhere for employment. Marco encourages individualism among his staff because that is what makes a family unique and allows it to thrive. Marco tells me that “when you surround yourself with passionate and driven people, you yourself become more passionate,” which leads him to look for employees who have that zeal. Nunzio’s exudes this passion and individualism, embodied by Marco and Michael themselves, creating a family feel within their business, as does Tino from the second you walk through the doors or his restaurant.

To small business owners such as the Procaccini family or the Colandreas, you are not just a customer, but you are a friend, which allows these family oriented businesses to succeed. When I spoke with Tino, his words really stuck with me when he said, “people are coming to your restaurant to eat your food, so give them love and make them part of your family.” You can feel these values from the moment you walk into either one of these places. Marco encourages his employees to talk about anything they want with his customers, because he wants his restaurant to be a place for everybody, and this has allowed for some memorable moments in the life of the Colandrea brothers.

When Michael and his wife, Angela, got married they did not anticipate a packed church because most of their family still resides back in Italy. However, when Marco and Michael looked out, they saw a church full of their customers who had come to support Michael and Angela, because of the bonds they formed through business at Nunzio’s. This sense of family has led to the success of these small businesses, and this is something that you will not find in a corporate restaurant. The restaurant has not only expanded their “family” but has also strengthened the bond between Marco and Michael.

When these two tattooed brothers began working together, Marco explains that it was a little rough, but now they trust one another to do what is right for the business, and they complement one another. Each has a role in the restaurant, which has led to its success, and Marco explains their partnership beautifully when he says “when we stress out, we stress together,” Their personalities, translated into their business, have brought them closer together, and Marco applauds his brother for all that he does with their social media as a small business.

In today’s world, small businesses have to work harder to survive this ever changing landscape. Nunzio’s transformed their entire business and are quite active on social media, thanks to the genius vision of Michael Colandrea, and Osteria Procaccini is part of a larger food family, called the Gretalia Hospitality group, whose united hashtag is #GetForky. It is not just about the food anymore, but rather the customer journey and experience, both online and in house, but these two NJ eateries have mastered the recipe for success, by putting their heart into everything that they do.

#pizza #NewJersey