New upscale restaurant in Red Bank offers a fresh take on traditional Italian
Italian food is easy to find in New Jersey, where nearly every downtown and strip mall has a place serving pizza, pasta and Parmigiana.
But at the new Catezza Italian Kitchen & Bar in Red Bank, the menu is a contemporary take on traditional dishes: giardiniera with grilled sourdough; spaghetti and clams with roasted garlic and white wine; eggplant caponata with pine nuts on crostini; and a pork chop with warm potato salad ($13 to $40).
They are "homestyle dishes made in an upscale way," said Kyle Richardson, director of guest relations and marketing for Esperto Hospitality Group.
More: 15 can't-miss food and wine fests at the Shore this fall
Led by brothers and owners John and Anthony DiLeo; Anthony Fiorentino, chief operating officer; and Norman Reola, partner and vice president of culinary, the group — known in Red Bank for converting The Downtown restaurant into Centrada Cocina & Cocktails two years ago — spent eight months renovating the former Catch 19 restaurant on Broad Street into Catezza.
Its soft opening begins with dinner service on Friday, Aug. 30
From the artwork — Italian stars and movie scenes — to the music — "60s soul mixed with Amy Winehouse" — to executive chef Dimas Montalvo's dishes, "we really wanted to wow you with the sights, a little bit with sound (and) the taste," Richardson said. "We want to heighten all five senses as much as we can."
Catezza seats 140 diners between two floors of dining rooms and bars, said general manager Alessio Marini, including an elegant chef's table that seats six to 10 and a U-shaped bar arranged around a flat-screen playing Old Hollywood movies.
More: Daddy's Chicken Shack bringing first NJ chain restaurant to Monmouth County
"We're going to really focus a lot on the experience back there," Richardson said of the chef's table, which overlooks the open kitchen at the rear of the dining room and can be reserved.
In contrast to that fine-dining element, Esperto wants Catezza to feel approachable.
"It's going to be very upscale casual" Richardson said. "You can come, bring the kids here, have a pizza."
The 12-inch pizzas are Neapolitan-style, cooked in a wood-fired oven, and come in Margherita, vegetable, white and meat ($21 to $23).
At the bar, a cocktail program developed by mixologist Carlos Ruiz focuses on the Negroni. The menu includes a coffee Negroni made with coffee rum and chocolate mole bitters, a white Negroni made with gin and Lillet, and a California orange Negroni with orange citrus gin, campari and vermouth ($15). There's also an option to build your own gin and tonic with regular, cucumber and elderflower tonics and four types of gin ($15).
More: Plaza Tapatia grew with the rebirth of Asbury Park; now a new generation leads restaurant
Richardson said that with Catezza, the hospitality group hopes to show local diners that something special is available close to home.
"We want to work within the community to drive the whole area as a destination," he said, "so you don't have to drive to Manhattan to get the same experience that's in your hometown."
Go: Opening hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 4 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with lunch service to come; 19 Broad St.; 732-633-0003, catezzarestaurant.com.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected], follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Catezza Kitchen & Bar in Red Bank offers new take on traditional Italian
