Cotto | Our Story
Rooted in tradition, driven by craft
Our approach is grounded in the traditions of Italian cooking and shaped by a modern kitchen: fresh pasta made in-house, bread baked daily, carefully sourced ingredients, and dishes built around seasonality, technique, and restraint.
The name and the idea
Cotto means “cooked” in Italian — a simple word that captures what we believe matters most. Start with exceptional ingredients, prepare them with skill and intention, and know when to let them speak for themselves. Cotto was built around that philosophy: deeply rooted in Italian tradition, driven by technique, and never complicated for the sake of being complicated.
The menu
At Cotto, scratch means made here. Our pastas are shaped in-house, our breads are baked fresh daily, and our sauces, stocks, brodos, and accompaniments begin in our kitchen — not a package. We source exceptional ingredients and let them guide a menu that changes with the seasons.
The meal follows a traditional Italian progression — first bites, pasta, entrées, then dessert — with house-made pasta at its heart. It’s a more demanding way to cook, but we believe you can taste the difference.
Chef Jordan Petriello
Executive Chef Jordan Petriello trained in Michelin-starred kitchens in New York — including Rezdôra — before joining Cotto. His cooking is refined, contemporary, and deeply rooted in Italian tradition.
Bring your own bottle
Cotto is BYO — bring the bottle you've been saving, the one that fits your budget, or whatever pairs with where you are in life.
The team behind the table
Cotto is the latest concept from Stirling Restaurant Group, led by owners John and Christy Baldassarre alongside Director of Operations Altin Zhuleku and Culinary Director Brandon Campney — a team known across New Jersey for community-rooted hospitality.
