When Pasquale Parascandolo came to America in 1985. He came to find work and support his family back home in Naples, Italy. Three years later, he opened his first restaurant called Attilio’s Pizza & Restaurant in Jackson.
Attilio’s was known for its fresh ingredients and Pasquale’s personal attention to every detail. After Attilio’s, Pasquale opened Dusal’s in Milltown, where one lucky day, a pretty blond walked into his restaurant looking for a job after college. That pretty blond would one day become his wife and business partner. Trish is Pasquale’s right hand woman and does a little bit of everything, Manager, Maitre’d, Marketing and even bartender or server when needed.
On my first visit to Casa Giuseppe, I decided to try one of their specials, the Three Cheese Risotto with Grilled Salmon. (The Salmon cancels out the three cheeses, right?) It was the perfect balance of creamy with the proper bite of good risotto. You’ll find that fish plays a big part in Casa Guiseppe’s menu.
His fish is fresh, never frozen and Pasquale made it a point of saying that he has been using the same supplier for 19 years. Some of Casa Giuseppe’s signature dishes include Stuffed Calamari, Lemon Sole encrusted with pignoli nuts, and Osso Buco. They usually have several daily specials, one sounding better than the next. When the seasons allow, he visits a farm in Monroe Township to personally pick up tomatoes, cherry peppers, zucchini, squash, peppers, fresh herbs, corn and more. “This is how we cook in Italy. Farm to Table is nothing new to us.” Pasquale commented in his captivating Italian accent.
One of the little secrets about Casa Giuseppe is that there is a special “insiders” email list for patrons who prefer truly traditional Italian cuisine, dishes you won’t typically find on the regular menu but the restaurant will prepare from time to time. So, if you are a Tripe fan, or have a hankering for Rabbit Cacciatore or Alici get on their email list. Although not typical Italian fare, they are also known for ther amazing Rib Eye Steak which is aged 21 Days. I am told when the steaks are in the house they have a long list of customers that they actually call and they sell out every time.
One of the “to die for” bites at Casa Giuseppe is their homemade pancetta. You’ll find it in a lot of their dishes and it is lovingly made by Pasquale himself.
A real testament to how the Parascandolo’s run their restaurant is in how long their Chefs and Servers have been with them. Several of their staff have been with them for over 15 years. There is a real family atmosphere among the employees and owners which I witnessed when I visited them and was invited into the kitchen for pictures. (They’re pretty camera shy, don’t you think.) On my last visit to Casa Giuseppe, I was surprised to find crepes on the menu. I devoured the crab stuffed crepes and my companion enjoyed the Crepe Suzette.
For 16 years Casa Giuseppe has been serving up fresh, authentic Italian and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. Be sure to call for a reservation on Friday and Saturday nights and Like them on Facebook for daily specials, events and to get on that VIP email list.
487 Route 27
Iselin, N.J.
(732) 283-9111
Monday – Friday: Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Dinner 5:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Saturday: Dinner 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Closed Sundays.
Deborah Smith , Founder and Executive Editor of jerseybites.com. Launched in 2007 as a home for her growing collection of recipes, Jersey Bites soon grew into a hub for all things edible in the Garden State. In her spare time, (Ha) she works as a Social Media consultant and speaker. You can learn more about her services and marketing through social media on her blog www.DeborahLSmith.com
Did you ever have one of those days when you just didn’t feel like cooking? (Maybe for some of you that’s every day.) Normally, I like to cook. I have cooked every type of meat and pasta and rice and veggie dish known to man but the other day I was plumb out of ideas and food and I really didn’t want to go shopping. You know what I’m talkin’ about? Did you say that with your best Italian mob movie accent? I thought so. Since we hadn’t been to the White House Sub Shop in AC since the summer and I know it’s always a big hit, there were no complaints from my crew.
The White House Sub Shop, “Home of the Submarines” as it reads on the sign outside the building has been serving up their World Famous Subs on the corner of Mississippi and Arctic Avenues for over 65 years. The White House is a landmark in Atlantic City. Opened in 1946 by Anthony Basile, Aunt Basilia and Uncle Fritz Sacco it has stood the test of time as some of the best Subs around. The walls of the restaurant are filled with pictures of all the movie stars, politicians and anybody who was anybody that came to Atlantic City over the years. Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Tommy Lasorda and many many more. They have old timey booths covered in orange naugahyde if you want to eat in, but most order and pick up their famous sandwiches, which is exactly what I did.
We decided on one whole White House Special, which measures about 20 inches, and has extra salami, provolone, ham and cappicola. A must! one turkey sub, one pepper and egg with provolone, and one cheesesteak (91.1% lean top round steak cut fresh every day) with provolone and fried onions, hot peppers on the side for all. We cut them up and everyone had a piece of everything. Sub Heaven. The meats are so fresh and the local rolls are perfect. No clean up neccessary. Delicious as usual. Next time you are in Atlantic City you have to get a sandwich and check out the celebrity photos, a trip to AC is not complete without it! Take them home with your casino winnings.
April 8th: 2nd Annual Taste of Montclair, at The Conference Center, University Hall at Montclair State University. Enjoy the culinary delights of more than 30 chefs who will serve up tastes in an eclectic array of food to the approximately 500 people who will once again enjoy The Taste of Montclair. Freshly shucked oysters, Italian, Spanish, American, Fusion, barbecued chicken and ribs, French, Southern, and even good old fashioned American ice cream are some of the expected treats.
April 11th: Oyster Point Hotel’s “All Hands On Deck” Re-Opening in Red Bank, New Jersey from 6:00-9:00 PM. The opening will support The Boondock’s Fishery in Red Bank. The Navesink Business Group and Red Bank Flavour Restaurants have joined forces with The Oyster Point to help Boondocks’ owner Kelly Ryan rebuild her business.
The other favorite of the day was the perfectly sweet and spicy Pineapple Jalapeno pie from the American Favorites menu. Layering the toppings between the sauce and cheese rather than laying them on the very top of the pizza allows the cheese to brown to a nice crispiness.
Old man winter has been keeping his chilly grip on things for quite a while now it seems. This kind of cold makes me think about making a hearty soup to make me feel all warm inside. There is something about soup that makes me feel loved and comforted. It’s not just the eating of it, it’s the process of shopping for all the ingredients, carefully picking out all the perfect vegetables, herbs and spices and gathering and chopping them into the proper size chunks. And let’s not forget to pick up a crusty “gum scraping” Italian bread (my personal favorite is the whole grain Italian from Calandra’s Bakery in Newark). Add some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rinds (Whole Foods has them) and it all adds up to one of my family favorites, Ribollita. Ribollita in Italian means reheated, but that definition translated into English just doesn’t do it any justice. The word dances trippingly off the tongue in Italian “Rib-o-llita”, almost like calling a beautiful womans’ name. OK, maybe I am getting a little carried away, I was in Italy last year and yearn to return. But once you prepare this wonderful soup for your family and taste it for yourself, well…you’ll see, you might book a trip to Italy yourself, but don’t blame me. You could have just made the soup, come on!
After we wet our whistle with some of the best 2oz samples of beer that I have ever had the pleasure of tasting, we decided to visit the hors d’oeuvre table. The Morris Tap and Grill offered an array of appetizers that left me asking myself, why the hell I had not heard about this place sooner? (Seriously, my so called Facebook “friends,” you are all at fault here, and I am not sure that I can forgive you.)
After we ate, it was once again time for us to venture into the beer-laden abyss and imbibe some more mouthwatering offerings. We sipped, gulped, swigged, sniffed, and tasted our way through a myriad of vendors and appreciated every second of it while we waxed poetically about the barrage of flavors that engulfed our taste buds. Some of the highlights of this second wave of tastings were: Hop’solutely by Fegley’s Brew Works, 
After a round of tasting like that, we decided it was a good time to refuel at the 
On the day of the party, there was chili and a whole lot more. We had nine savory varieties of chili, including several chicken chili choices. Rich Kentucky Spoon Bread also made an appearance, together with corn bread, honey corn muffins and broccoli salad (among the many food options). Delectable fresh fruit kept us somewhat healthy, while a yummy and enormous chocolate and peanut butter frosted cake sated the sweet tooth lovers among us.
