Tre Amici

New Jersey restaurant scene. Celebrated chef Matthew Zappoli, brother Paul Zappoli, and lifelong friend Michael Cacciuttolo have opened Tre Amici, or "Three Friends," on Ocean Avenue in Long Branch. The family-style Italian restaurant follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, Piccolo Forno, a beloved family-owned restaurant built by Angelo Maglione and Stephanie Oriolo, which has closed shop after 16 successful years. Though he had many choices, Maglione decided to turn over the reins to the Tre Amici, after falling in love with their plan to create New Jersey's best new Italian restaurant, with fresh, local ingredients, homemade pastas and pizzas, and a lot of fun.