After a three year sabbatical, the renown Red Bank restaurateur has returned to his Broad Street roots with the grand opening of Torcello (91 Broad Street, just to the left of Tiffany & Co.), the newest of Mike Bitici’s celebrated eating establishments that included Grand Ticino, the Greenwich Village fixture that was used as a setting for the archetypal New York movie “Moonstruck.”

Like its namesake (Torcello is a small island nestled in the lagoon of Venice, Italy), the restaurant is a cozy, classy, comfortable haven “dedicated to the art of eating;” a welcoming, family-oriented place where a passion for the best of authentic regional Italian food reigns supreme.

Chef Mario Spar, former owner and chef of La Traviata in Chelsea, commands the kitchen and is responsible for the preparation of every delicious morsel, but it is Mike’s love of food and family and community that gives Torcello a special glow and graciousness. Lunch and dinner are served Tuesday through Sunday, with a three-course $25 prix fixe menu available Tuesday through Friday and Sunday, 5-7pm. The lunch menu ranges from pizza ($10-13), sandwiches ($8-10) and homemade pasta ($9-12) to dishes of the day such as veal Milanese with green salad ($14) or grilled filet of salmon over cannelloni beans ($12). The dinner menu is a taste-tour of Italy with a choice selections of regional cuisines. Antipasti, zuppa, pasta e risotto, pesce, piatti del giorno… everything is made-to-order and fresh daily. Cod fish, clams, and mussels with mareciara sauce and mashed potato ($25). Calamari Luciano topped with arugula ($22). Tortellaci, homade pasta with ricotta and spinach ($17). There are vegetarian dishes and specialty pizzas and a menu for children designed to please the youngest taste buds and bring the whole family to Torcello for less than it costs to get a baby-sitter.

Whether you show up in jeans, business attire or a tuxedo, alone or with cousins-by-the-dozens, Mike Bitici is there to make you feel at home at his restaurant where there’s always great food being cooked up in his kitchen that he can’t wait for you to try.

TORCELLO • 91 BROAD STREET • 732.530.0602
torcellorestaurant.com