Joe Scotto cherishes the classics, but thrills in reinventing traditional Italian dishes at Illiano’s Eatontown Café

by Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos by Doug Polle

When Joe Scotto was just 16, he moved to the U.S. from Naples, Italy. Starting his career as a dishwasher, he worked his way up the culinary ladder in several kitchens and within six years, had opened up his own café.

“As soon as I started in the restaurant business, I knew this was the path I wanted to take,” Scotto said. “I gradually learned different cooking, prep, and butchering techniques. By the time I was 17, I had learned to split the veal, pulling apart and preparing sections of meat for scaloppini, stews, and cutlets. It was something of which I was very proud, and inspired me to keep learning. When I was 22, I took a chance and opened my own restaurant.”

Illiano’s Café in Eatontown was the result of that vision. Launched in 1991, the BYOB bistro off the beaten path in the area’s Industrial Park built a menu and reputation based on fresh continental
Italian dishes.

“My philosophy is that everything has to be extremely fresh,” Scotto said. “I use only the best tomatoes from Italy and a range of fresh vegetables and meats. My menu is full of basic Italian dishes, but what sets the meals apart is the freshness of the ingredients.”

Scotto’s signature dishes include Chicken Parm, Eggplant with three cheeses, Veal Saltimbocca, and Linguine Carbonara, and is famed for his Francese and buttery pork Osso Bucco, served over risotto, but was quick to add that he is constantly changing the menu to accommodate new tastes and trends.

“My goal is to always try to do something that makes people say ‘Wow!’” the chef said. “I have customers who have been coming here for years…some since we opened in 1991. In addition to making the classic dishes that they love, I’m challenged to make new dishes that are creative and different. Classic food is always great, but you cannot repeat the same menu for 23 years.”

So, he built a menu that also includes items like Chicken Zingara (a sautéed breast with vinegar peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and prosciutto) and Red Snapper Amalfi, served with black olives, roasted red peppers, capers, garlic, and a touch of marinara sauce.

After much success with Illiano Café, Chef Scotto opened up Andy’s Pizzeria 14 years ago in Sea Girt and joined the culinary team at Ciro’s Ristorante in Monroe Township in 2010. He says these alternate locations allow him to explore different dining options and cater to different tastes, and that what really drives his love of cooking is the customer appreciation he consistently receives.

“The reason why I’m in this business to begin with is for the customers,” Scotto said. “When you make a meal that thoroughly pleases someone, there is no greater feeling. I have customers who call in the morning to see if I’m making the Osso Bucco that night. And for me, to have someone request one of my dishes that I’ve worked so hard to perfect…that is the ultimate compliment.”

The chef changes his menu seasonally as well, lightening sauces and searing scallops for summer, making use of fresh tomatoes, asparagus and other vegetables that basically represent the warmer weather—part of the experimental nature of this business that he simply loves.

“In the kitchen, you learn something new every day,” he concluded. “So I’m always experimenting, building on different techniques and constantly creating. Cooking is never boring, and that’s why I love what I do.”

Illiano’s Café
One Corbett Way, Eatontown / 732.542.2520 / illianoscafe.com