OT: NB restaurant, Due Mari, to close up

[KevH]

I was walking in New Brunswick one afternoon in 1995 and went into Panicos to make a reservation for that same evening. They weren’t serving yet, and I chatted with a friendly guy setting up tables. Nothing unusual about him. I went back for the dinner that night with a larger group and the very same guy was our waiter, but there was one big difference. He had an Italian accent.

:Laughing

 

[Ronnie_B]

Change it back to a Pizza Hut, the one there in the 1990's had a bar and $1 drafts, when I worked nights at the Hyatt I would sneak over for a couple cold ones.

 

[ElmiraExpress]

https://www.nj.com/business/2019/12/fine-dining-italian-restaurant-due-mari-to-close.html

Combining price, good food, atmosphere, I thought Due Mari was the best or among the best restaurants in New Brunswick, I had dinners there many times, so I will be disappointed

 

[RU-ROCS]

Salt is amazing. Had my birthday dinner there in September, highly recommend.

Agreed. I’ve had some very good meals at Salt. Like the atmosphere too.

 

[bob-loblaw]

I miss that place.

The original owners still have the one in Red Bank. I believe they opened a ton of them and franchised them out. The one in Red Bank still churns out some of my favorite pies anywhere.

 

[gmst]

I went to Due Mari on Thursday for dinner before it closed. The waitress said that a Cousins seafood was going to open there in the spring

 

[Zak57]

I went to Due Mari on Thursday for dinner before it closed. The waitress said that a Cousins seafood was going to open there in the spring

The one from Marlboro? Interesting.

 

[RM60]

Due Mari is/was part of the Altamarea group, run by Michael White (Marea in NYC and others such as a few Morini's. Back when it opened ten years ago, and for about the first 4-5 years it was probably the best restaurant in New Brunswick IMO, and had a wonderful warm vibe. They remodeled it about that time, changed management team and it's never been quite as good but still very pricey. I've never been a Catherine Lombardi fan at all, no comparison between the two for Italian food.

 

[RUSK97]

The original owners still have the one in Red Bank. I believe they opened a ton of them and franchised them out. The one in Red Bank still churns out some of my favorite pies anywhere.

I believe they had the South Street Trattoria in Morristown as well. Or they offered it up for franchise as you say. But that one's gone as well.

 

[Leonard23]

Steakhouse 85 isn't in the old Panico's location. Salt is. Address is 103 Church.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

To me food is food, but a couple years back, I stopped in at the place to the right looking out from the rear entrance of College Avenue Gym. I used to stop there years ago before weekend basketball games, but hadn’t been there in probably 15 to 20 years. I like it back then. Anyway, now the food is terrible. Possibly the worst hamburger I have ever had. Half of it tasted like ground in onions I guess to save some money. It made Burger King and Wendy’s taste like fine dining. And it took forever even though there were about two people in the whole place. Will never ever go back.