Albivi serving a slice of tradition in Millstone

PHOTOSBY MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Vincenzo Castronovo, owner of Albivi restaurant in Millstone Township, tosses a pizza in front of a brick oven in the kitchen on Nov. 9. The newly renovated restaurant in the Perrineville section of Millstone, once called Vinnie's Lakeside Gourmet, now bears the name Albivi.

Lakeside deli reinvents itself as a Tuscany-style Italian restaurant

BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP

Staff Writer

The lakeside restaurant in the Perrineville section of Millstone Township always had sandwiches and pizza at the ready, but its owners had long wished to serve up even more for the community.

After owning the restaurant for four years, the Castronovo family, of Millstone, finally had the opportunity to make change happen there and see their dreams come true this year. The result is a new restaurant that surpasses all the businesses that previously existed in the lakeside building.

Prior to closing for renovation on March 6, customers of Vinnie's Lakeside Gourmet were accustomed to the green-and-white-floored, cafeteria-style deli with limited seating that predominantly served up sandwiches, pizza, candy, lottery and cigarettes. However, after a complete overhaul of the original structure - which dates back to the early 1900s - the deli never resurrected, but in its place now gleams a Tuscany-style, sit-down Italian restaurant donning the name Albivi.

The family's patrons are now greeted by gourmet pizza, covered granite countertops, and smells of fresh baked bread wafting from the new and ever-going brick oven in addition to decor reminiscent of the old country in a high-ceiling dining room.

The overall renovations took the Castronovo family four months. While local contractors helped with some of the work, Vincenzo Castronovo, the owner of Albivi, said his family did most of the work themselves.

What initially started out as a two-month renovation project turned into a four-month closing when a wall in the old deli collapsed after the family began repairing the roof.

Once one wall fell down, the family decided it would be best to completely knock down the former deli. The Castronovos did keep the existing house part of the structure, but had to lift the home to repair the bad footings underneath it.

This wasn't the first transformation the building has undergone. Dating back to the early 1900s, the structure originally housed a general store. In 1925, it was the Swartz General Store. Castronovo met Mary Swartz, who lived in the attached house, in 1977.

"Her father ran the store until the '60s," he said. "It sold clothing and other goods to farmers in town and in the area. It had a little butcher shop and a section of canned goods."

In the '60s, the Surranos bought the general store and turned it into more of a deli. The Surranos operated the Lakeside Gourmet until 2002, when the Castronovos bought the establishment.

"We bought it as a deli and ran it that way for a couple of years," Castronovo said. "We used to do breakfast, and it had more of a general-store atmosphere."

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Above: Daniela Castronovo shows off some of the bangles and baubles available in the Albivi gift shop, located behind the Millstone restaurant on Perrineville Road. Top: Vincent, Alessandra and Bianca Castronovo get ready to have lunch in Albivi, a restaurant in Millstone that their father, Vincenzo, named after the first couple of letters in their first names.

Castronovo said it was his goal to make the deli more of a restaurant, as he grew up in the restaurant business and has 20-plus years' experience in it. His family owned restaurants all over New Jersey, and prior to opening up in Millstone, he worked in many of them with his brother, Frank.

Keeping the Millstone restaurant a family affair, Castronovo named it after his children, Alessandra, Bianca and Vincent. By using the first two letters of each child's name, he came up with Albivi.

Albivi offers a causal dining atmosphere. Along with brick-oven pizza, the restaurant also offers panini sandwiches for lunch and homemade pasta dishes and other fare for dinner. The menu offers a variety of appetizers, salads, chicken, veal, beef, seafood and pasta entrees as well.

Being in the restaurant business for years helped Castronovo compile a list of many different dishes that he turned into the Albivi menu.

One of his favorite dishes is the Pappardella alla Boscaiola, which is made with sautéed garlic, sweet onions, diced plum tomatoes and sliced Portobello mushrooms in a light broth finished with chopped arugula and tossed with homemade pasta ribbons. Castronovo also raved about the fried calamari, saying it is "exquisite" and "tender."

One of the brick-oven pizzas Castronovo finds himself turning out for customers again and again is the Margherita Classico. With fresh mozzarella, plum tomato sauce and fresh basil drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, the pie quickly became "our most popular," he said.

The Brooklyn pie has also been a hit with locals, according to Castronovo. The 12-slice, thin-crust square contains provolone, mozzarella, homemade tomato sauce and fresh herbs.

Whereas a traditional pizza oven is metal framed with a brick deck, a brick oven is completely brick-lined, which reduces moisture and makes for a more crispy crust, Castronovo said.

The focaccia and pancetta bread served is made fresh on the premises each day, as is most of the pasta and the tomato sauce, according to Castronovo.

Although Castronovo enjoys cooking, he said he dislikes that it takes time away from him getting to talk to his customers. Castronovo said he enjoys the business he's in because he likes people.

His wife, Daniela, works in the back of the building in her gift shop, where she sells unique jewelry, elegant evening bags and other custom-made accessories.

Albivi, which also provides off-premise catering, is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant offers gift cards but does not take reservations. Patrons can bring their own liquor to the premises. Those with questions or orders can call (732) 446-1085 for more information.