Get to know Chef Robbie Felice, the culinary force behind some of New Jersey’s most celebrated restaurants—including Montclair’s ultra-popular pastaRAMEN. From Michelin-starred kitchens in Europe to secret omakase pop-ups and now a growing empire of bold, chef-driven concepts, Felice is redefining Italian dining with passion and precision.
Felice honed his craft in Europe, training at top Michelin-starred restaurants like Pure C in the Netherlands, The Jane in Belgium and The Modern in NYC. He opened Viaggio in Wayne in 2017—an Italian-inspired, farm-to-table fine dining spot that quickly landed on New Jersey’s Top 30 Restaurants list. Just two years later, he launched Osteria Crescendo in Westwood, which earned similar acclaim.
Craving a new challenge, Felice fell in love with Wafu Italian—a fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisine. He began hosting secret omakase pop-ups during the pandemic, which evolved into pastaRAMEN in Montclair—one of the toughest reservations to score in the state.
Never one to slow down, Felice is expanding the pastaRAMEN brand to NYC, recently added a speakeasy-style private dining room in Montclair, and just opened Bar Mutz, a classic Italian trattoria and mozzarella bar in Westwood, NJ.
1. What’s your favorite local spot to eat — and what keeps you going back?
One spot that just can’t seem to get rid of me is Obaltan in Fort Lee. I love Korean BBQ. It’s definitely one of my favorite cuisines to go out for, and Obaltan just does it right. I also love Kim’s Sushi in West Orange. I ate at the new MM by Morimoto, and it was fantastic. I could definitely see it becoming one of my new favorites!
2. What’s your favorite ingredient to cook with — and how does it shine in each season?
I just opened a restaurant called Bar Mutz, and during the opening and recipe testing, I think I fell in love with olive oil all over again. I had forgotten how different extra virgin olive oils can taste and truly bring out different flavor profiles in ingredients. Since the opening, I feel myself always grabbing a different bottle to use with different dishes. Olio Verde will always be a favorite of mine, but lately I’ve been going for a bottle called Frantoia.
3. What’s one ingredient you secretly (or not-so-secretly) can’t stand?
Honestly, I can’t think of one. When an ingredient pops up that I “can’t stand” at the time, I love the challenge of trying to use it. I also love when someone tells me they don’t like an ingredient because that’s my cue to get them to fall in love with it. I guess to better answer the question, I could say it’s all of the garbage that’s put into processed foods in America.
4. Tell us about a meal you’ll never forget.
Eating a bowl of ramen in Japan is pretty life-changing. I think it’s nearly impossible to have a bad bowl. The last time I was there, we took a ramen tour, and I literally felt like each bowl was better than the last. I was like a kid in a candy store!
5. When you’re off the clock — not in the kitchen — how do you like to spend your time?
The gym for me has always been my escape for as long as I can remember.
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Dining and Cooking