OpeningsCotto, Morristown
Cotto, an elevated modern Italian restaurant, will open in Morristown in December in the space formerly occupied by Guerriero’s, which closed this summer after 20 years. It’s the latest concept from Stirling Restaurant Group, which also owns Morristown’s Stirling Tavern and Dublin Pub, as well as the iconic Stirling Hotel in Stirling.
At the helm of Cotto’s kitchen is executive chef Jordan Petriello, who brings a contemporary approach to Italian cuisine. Most recently the executive chef at Il Nido in Marlboro, Petriello has also worked in several Michelin-starred NYC restaurants, including Rezdôra.
Cotto’s culinary identity will be grounded in high-quality ingredients, regional specialties, and creative pairings that depart from traditional dishes while maintaining a foundation in classic Italian principles.
Aubrey’s Corner, Summit
This new family-run, chef-driven restaurant—serving New American and French comfort foods, smart wines and bold cocktails—is coming to a beautifully reimagined space in Summit. Expect a comforting menu of classics by chef Michael Feinberg (of R Bar in Asbury Park and Gurney’s Beach Club in Montauk, New York). Owner and operator Jes Taylor—an alum of Major Food Group, Manhattan’s Bar Boulud and more—is opening Aubrey’s Corner alongside his wife, Lauren, and his sister, Emma Radest.
ClosingsCanal House Station, Milford
Canal House Station, owned by two acclaimed New Jersey chefs, will close permanently on Sunday, December 21. The popular farm-to-table restaurant, located near the Delaware River, opened in 2019. New Jersey Monthly named it a best new restaurant the same year and reviewed it in September 2022, awarding it three stars.
Rare Company Seafood and Steakhouse, Ship Bottom
The owners have announced that Rare Company is closing permanently after six years in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island. They cited their growing family as the primary reason for the closure. “We’ve decided to shift our focus toward this new and beautiful chapter, raising our babies,” they shared on social media.
Dining newsMarcus Samuelsson teams up with CookUnity
Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, the eight-time James Beard Award winner behind Marcus Live! Bar & Grille at American Dream mall, is now bringing his globally inspired cooking directly to home diners across New Jersey through a new collaboration with CookUnity, a subscription service that delivers weekly cooked meals.
This chef-to-consumer model provides chef-curated, restaurant-quality dishes that are delivered directly to your door. Samuelsson’s dishes reflect his lifetime of influences—from Ethiopia and Sweden to Japan and Harlem—including chicken and waffles with miso hot honey and masala-spiced shrimp with coconut turmeric rice.
Marcus Live! opened in 2024. Samuelsson, born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, now has 15 restaurants worldwide—including his landmark Red Rooster Harlem. In an interview with New Jersey Monthly last year, the chef spoke about his cooking influences and the vibrant Garden State dining scene.
NJ native competing on Hell’s Kitchen
Competing on this season of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, chef Chris Faison is representing New Jersey in the Battle of the States. A Rahway native, Faison currently works in Boston as a culinary instructor.
Last season’s winner, Kyle Timpson, was also from New Jersey. Timpson won the cash prize and is now executive chef at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut.
For this season, Ramsay tested chefs from all 50 states, narrowing the contestants down to a top 20. In last week’s episode, Faison participated in the Cook for Your Life Challenge, where he faced elimination. Despite the pressure, his beautifully cooked halibut saved him, making him the final chef of the challenge to be spared.
This season’s contestants are competing for the head-chef position at Foxwoods Resort Casino, along with a cash prize of $250,000. Currently, Faison is on the blue team and has successfully made it into the top 10. New episodes air on Thursdays at 8 pm on Fox and can also be streamed the next day on Hulu. —Jessica Hammer
Joanne Canady-Brown, founder of the beloved Gingered Peach bakery, has expanded into ice cream, coffee and other ventures.
The Scarlet Sunrise is a sweet grape tomato variety, developed over a decade of crossbreeding.
The Jersey Shore star opened Archangel Centers in Tinton Falls and hopes to expand across the country.
Crystal Springs Resort COO Robby Younes chats with us about rising through the hospitality world and being “driven by passion.”
Dining and Cooking