New Jersey doesn’t lack for great food towns. Montclair, Asbury Park and Jersey City have all built stellar culinary reputations.
Morristown is frequently included in this tier, but not without some debate. While the Morris County cultural hub is filled with many restaurants — including several from big names — it’s easy to conflate quality and quantity. Morristown Green is lined with Irish pubs and New American eateries, but the town is lacking in elite dining options.
But a restaurant group that knows the area well is looking to change that.
Modern Italian restaurant Cotto opened in Morristown this past December. The eatery is from Stirling Restaurant Group, led by husband and wife John and Christy Baldassare who also own Stirling Tavern and Dublin Pub in town.
“I think there was a need in New Jersey and in Morristown particularly that wasn’t being met — a fresh mind, a scratch kitchen,” Christy Baldassare told NJ.com. “There’s a lot of Italian in New Jersey but this is Italian through a completely different lens that is innovative and fresh that no one else is doing.”
To do achieve that vision, they hired a chef with quite the pedigree. Cotto executive chef Jordan Petriello worked his way up from dishwasher at Bedminster’s Trump National Golf Club to stints at Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Morristown and Michelin-starred French-Mediterranean restaurant Benno in New York City. He then worked at Michelin-starred Italian eatery Rezdôra in New York before returning to New Jersey as the executive chef of Il Nido.
The Dry-aged Porterhouse for two ready to be served at Cotto, a new elevated Italian restaurant in Morristown, New Jersey on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.Ian Peters | For NJ.com
The Baldasseres’ favorite restaurant in the city happened to be Rezdôra and their current landlord told them about Petriello. The couple knew they had to meet him.
“I feel like the stars completely aligned,” Christy Baldassare said.
Petriello is an inspired choice for a lofty goal, helping Morristown justify its culinary reputation with the Garden State’s favorite cuisine.
Unfortunately, Cotto is only great by Morristown standards.
Let’s dig in.
The good
Cotto’s menu is geared toward modern Italian cooking versus what is considered Italian food in the United States, according to Petriello.
“It’s focused on current trends that you see in Italy,” Petriello said. “But also using modern techniques.”
That means dishes are more ingredient-driven and based on the seasons. The menu also borrows from gastronomy influences, incorporating refined techniques and contemporary twists that give familiar flavors a fresh perspective.
The Charred Clams ready to be served at Cotto, a new elevated Italian restaurant in Morristown, New Jersey on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.Ian Peters | For NJ.com
But even so, the menu is more approachable than intimidating. You won’t need Google Translate to feel comfortable ordering linguine with seafood Amatriciana ($32) and spicy rigatoni ($34). Though if you’re looking for chicken parm or spaghetti and meatballs, you might be out of your depth.
The restaurant is open everyday for lunch, except for Mondays. The selection for lunch is condensed with options like soups, salads, small desserts and their standout item — schiaccata. They use this Tuscan flatbread to make different sandwiches.
The dinner menu is more expansive, diving deeper into Italian cuisine with small bites like burrata imported from Puglia potato leek croquettes and grilled octopus. Pasta dishes and other entrees including baked shells, branzino, tortellini and roasted chicken.
Baked oysters at Cotto in Morristown, NJ (Lauren Musni |
NJ.com)Lauren Musni
I visited during dinner service for a deeper look into Petriello’s vision.
The baked oysters ($21) started out the meal, topped with a spoonful of green asparagus crema and a small piece of asparagus, finished with a tiny sprinkle of bottarga (dried, salt-cured fish roe). The briny taste of the oyster was balanced by the creamy brightness of the sauce and complemented by the nuttiness of the bottarga. The only downside of the dish was that it only came with four oysters and I craved more — and that’s pretty pricy for a small serving.
Beef carpaccio at Cotto in Morristown, NJ (Lauren Musni |
NJ.com)Lauren Musni
Beef Carpaccio ($24) is a little overdone in restaurants across New Jersey, but it’s most welcome here. The thinly sliced raw beef was tender and buttery, practically melting on the tongue. It was presented beautifully on the plate lined with bagna cauda sauce (an Italian sauce blending olive oil, garlic and anchovies), dehydrated olives, pickled white beech mushroom, pickled pearl onions and finished with grated Parmigiano Reggiano. A side of gnocco fritto (fried Italian bread) came with the dish to pair with the beef, adding a crispy texture on the outside with a pillowy center inside.
Pork chop at Cotto in Morristown, NJ (Lauren Musni |
NJ.com)Lauren Musni
Cotto’s pork chop ($49) was a hefty dish topped with an apple mostarda (an Italian condiment combining apples and mustard) and cubed honey crisp apples while a celery root puree and cubed pieces of roasted celery root held the bottom. The thick cut of pork was juicy and cooked to medium well with the essence of apple adding a slight tartness to the whole protein while the celery root provided warm nuttiness. The kitchen only cooks this to medium, which felt a bit overdone to me. Semolina in Red Bank, home my favorite pork chop in New Jersey, cooks to medium rare.
Branzino at Cotto in Morristown, NJ (Lauren Musni |
NJ.com)Lauren Musni
The presentation of the branzino ($40) was impressive. The crispy, golden skin and flaky white meat were separated with broccoli rabe tucked in between. The fish was brightened by an aromatic fennel tapenade, while a shellfish brodo (an Italian seafood soup) was poured over the fish and added a savory depth that coated each bite with a silky finish.
Olive oil cake at Cotto in Morristown, NJ (Lauren Musni |
NJ.com)Lauren Musni
The dessert menu at Cotto is small and leans on classics like homemade gelato.
Their olive oil cake ($14) was soaked in an orange consommé, topped with fresh orange and piped fennel mousseline (an airy pastry cream similar to whipped cream). Steeping the cake was a smart choice, assuring it was moist while infusing a gentle, fragrant citrus that didn’t overpower anything. The anise-like taste of the fennel in the mousseline added an unexpected vibrancy with the mousseline’s velvet texture that cut through the cake’s rich sponge.
Bombolini at Cotto in Morristown, NJ (Lauren Musni |
NJ.com)Lauren Musni
A plate of Cotto’s bomboloni ($14) comes with two smaller stuffed Italian doughnuts. Each pastry was glazed with a glossy chocolate hazelnut sauce and filled with a ricotta cream. The sauce was decadent matched with the smooth and subtly sweet filling that added a creamy contrast to the airy dough.
The bad
Cacio e pepe salad at Cotto in Morristown, NJ (Lauren Musni |
NJ.com)Lauren Musni
I was excited for the cacio e pepe salad ($17), a play on one of my favorite pasta dishes. The salad piled high baby romaine sprinkled with pecorino and toasted breadcrumbs. This didn’t remind me of the pasta dish at all and it didn’t even taste like it was dressed, resulting in a dry salad. If the lettuce was tossed more generously with the cacio e pepe dressing it supposedly came with, it would’ve been a lot better. Considering how impressed I was with the rest of the dishes, the execution felt incomplete.
The Spicy Rigatoni at Cotto in Morristown, New Jersey on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.Ian Peters | For NJ.com
Spicy rigatoni ($34) is still having a moment in the culinary world, and New Jersey has plenty renditions to try. Cotto’s version came with beef brisket and garlic breadcrumbs plus an option to add stracciatella for an extra $8 — which I recommend for a more cheesy experience. The flavor here was amazing, but there was very little spice. If spicy is in the name, there has to have a little bit of heat. Having a spicy rig on the menu, even a tasty one, flies in the face of Cotto’s stated modern Italian mission.
Cotto is a new Italian restaurant in Morristown, New Jersey on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.Ian Peters | For NJ.comThe vibes
The space was originally intended to be a pizzeria, but John Baldassere and his wife Christy transformed it into a fine-dining experience.
Christy designed the dining room with a sophisticated yet inviting palette. The walls are green, one adorned with tree-patterned wallpaper, paired with black chairs, brown booths, and marbled white-cloth tables.
Black and white floors add a timeless touch, while the open kitchen at the back reinforces the modern, approachable elegance of the restaurant.
The result is a space that feels both roomy and comfortable with a hint of luxury. The thoughtful details match the restaurant’s elevated Italian menu.
Cotto is suitable for a memorable date night out, a fancy dinner or a celebration.
Cotto is a new Italian restaurant in Morristown, New Jersey on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.Ian Peters | For NJ.comThe bottom line
Given the overflowing amount of Italian restaurants in New Jersey, it’s challenging for a new Italian restaurant to find its place in it all.
Opening in Morristown was strategic — not only because the hospitality group’s restaurants are within walking distance of each other, but because the owners know this town well and saw a missing piece.
Cotto has been able to fill that gap in Morristown with some fantastic Italian food featuring a modern take. Cotto is immediately one of the best restaurants in Morristown.
But statewide? Cotto’s execution simply isn’t yet on the level of Cafe 2825 in Atlantic City, 15 Fox Place in Jersey City or even The Pasta Shop in Denville. Even newcomer Casa Ragazzi in New Brunswick is more impressive.
Cotto is a new Italian restaurant in Morristown, New Jersey on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.Ian Peters | For NJ.com
While Cotto’s menu is tasty and shows flashes of creativity, it doesn’t consistently push beyond the expected or establish a clear point of view. This may be enough to stand out in Morristown, but in a state as competitive as New Jersey, it leaves the restaurant feeling less essential.
The restaurant is less than six months old — there’s plenty of time to cultivate its approach further and impress diners beyond the dining hub.
But for now, Cotto almost makes an overrated food town almost live up to the hype.
Almost.
Dining and Cooking