Like What You See?
If you are an advertiser,
you can contact a Sales Representative To Be Part Of Our Online Business Profile Directory.
732-657-7344.
Call Today!
Why Should You Have An Online Profile?
Increase Your Online Presence.
Attract Customers To Your Business.
Il Giardinello
TOMS RIVER TRADITION IN ITALIAN HOME COOKING
By Sandy Potts
Joe Pisacreta had a job in fiber optics waiting for him when he graduated college. Before starting that job, however, Joe paused to take in his future. That’s when he realized he didn’t want the career he had waiting for him; he wanted to pursue his passion. As a 13-year-old boy, Joe had begun his journey in the restaurant industry as a bus boy and it was that path he chose to pursue as a vocation. Instead of starting that job in fiber optics, Joe returned to the work he loved.
Joe and his wife, Colleen, also a veteran of the restaurant business, decided to open their own Italian restaurant. Paterson natives, the couple would often visit the Jersey Shore and found it difficult to find a place to eat similar to the restaurants they enjoyed in North Jersey – places that spilled over from Manhattan’s bustling market of eateries. With this in mind, the couple began their search for the right location to open their own restaurant in the shore area. In 1987, the right place presented itself in the form of an eatery up for sale. The Pisacretas and a partner purchased the property and, on July 1 of that year, opened Il Giardinello. Located at 1232 Route 166 in Toms River, Il Giardinello has been a fixture in the area since.
After 8 ½ years in business together, the Pisacretas bought out their partner and maintain the family owned establishment at the same location today. Today, just as when it opened, Il Giardinello emphasizes two things: food and service. Those two priorities go hand and hand.
“It’s a competitive business. You’re always on stage,” explains Joe. “You’re only as good as your last performance. You can go to a place 10 times and love it. The 11th time, though, you don’t like it and based on that one visit you may not go back. We’re aware of that. People will find other places to go so we’re always working to please our customers. It doesn’t matter what is said in ads. The biggest thing is when people eat with you and then talk about their experiences with others.”
To achieve the goal of maintaining happy customers, Il Giardinello uses only the best ingredients such as olive oils from Italy, as well as fresh vegetables and fish. Food is made to order; it is not precooked and reheated. Everything is made individually which allows the chef to customize dinners to individual dietary needs or palates. Meticulous timing means meals are cooked once – not reheated. Il Giardinello cooks old-style Italian, and as such, each meal is prepared in its own single pan. “We do the little things that our customers may not even realize we’re doing,” says Joe.
“I like to see the place functioning well. The whole product comes out – service, food, timely, spontaneous - everything is done and if it’s correctly done it’s a great business,” continues Joe. “Getting the restaurant working on all cylinders is the challenge. Getting everything functioning as controlled mayhem is what happens in the kitchen – 25 different tables with different orders that need to come out together, timed to come out all together without being over-cooked. The challenge is what we like.”
The “little things” also go beyond what happens in the kitchen. Being in business at the same location for 23 years means having the opportunity to develop personal relationships with regulars. Many such customers even have Joe’s personal cell phone number now. “They’ll sometimes call up at the last minute asking us to cater something,” says Joe, who is happy to pull something fantastic together for them.
Il Giardinello serves classical Italian cuisine, although the menu does offer additional dishes relating to various regions in Italy. Several chef specials are offered each night and tend to include a more diverse and upscale list of items such as Chilean sea bass or stuffed veal chop. Diners can finish off their meals with homemade desserts. Guests are invited to bring their own beer or wine. Main course selections range in price from $14 - $28.
Catering menus are also available. The restaurant can accommodate private parties up to 90 people on-site. Groups up to 400 people can be accommodated at an outside location. Catering services range in price from $12 - $26 per head. Arrangements for delivery and servers can be made upon requests.
The restaurant is open seven days a week. Lunch is available Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sundays. The restaurant closes at 10 p.m. Parties of six or more require a reservation and guests are advised to make reservations for holiday dining.
In addition to the primary location at 1232 Rt. 166, Il Giardinello has a second, seasonal location located at 3626 Rte 35 N. This location is open mid-April through mid-October. Gift certificates for use at either location are available in any amount.
For more information, to make reservations or to schedule a catered event, call Il Giardinello at 732-286-9111.
