Food Network “Chopped” champion Joseph Gramaglia is betting on that simple concept at his new Montclair restaurant, where there won’t be steak, chicken, or seafood among the main courses.
“The name says it all: entrees will be focused on pasta only,” said Gramaglia, who already owns Saly G’s Restaurant and Tavern in Warren. “We’re sticking to one concept and we’re going to perfect it.”
Basta Alla Pasta, which translates to “enough with the pasta,” will take over part of the former Urban Natural space at 5 Willow St., with seating for around 50 guests. Construction is expected to begin in mid-October, with Gramaglia hoping to open by mid-February 2027.
The North Caldwell resident will offer a wide variety of house-made pasta dishes, to be served alongside salads, appetizers and desserts. Everything will be made from scratch using high-quality ingredients, he said.
And he has no plans to stray from that concept. Gramaglia said the pasta selection will continue to evolve, but adding other types of entrées would defeat the purpose of the restaurant.
“Not to be cocky, but I plan to do it better than everyone else,” he said. “I want to have the best pasta around, not just in Montclair, everywhere. That’s what I’m building. I have it in my brain that I want to perfect my craft.”
Gramaglia is a self-taught chef who grew up cooking alongside his Italian parents and comes from a family with deep roots in New Jersey’s restaurant industry, according to his bio on the Saly G’s website. His family has been behind A&G Italian Fine Foods and Verdis Ristorante, which was later renamed Zio Ristorante.
His cooking gained national attention in 2020 when he competed on Food Network’s “Chopped.” Gramaglia won the “Pickle Panic” episode, which challenged chefs with ingredients including beer-battered seafood, pickles, a pungent surprise and powdered candy.
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