RAISING THE BAR

A SEASONED MIXOLOGIST SHAKES THINGS UP WITH AN EXCITING MENU AT HER NEW HOME IN MARLBORO

BY ERIK SCHONING PHOTOS BY ALEX BARRETO

Mixology has a way of drawing people in. For Michelle Wilson, mixologist at Osteria Cucina Rustica in Marlboro, working behind the bar has become more than a career; it’s a medium for creativity and self-expression, a playground to experiment with ingredients and flavors, and, most importantly, a way to connect with other people.

Osteria Cucina Rustica is the flagship restaurant of Steven Botta and Angelo Bongiovanni, whose restaurant portfolio includes Brando’s, Beach Tavern, Feast, and the soon-to-open Osteria Molo. (In fact, Wilson came to Osteria Cucina Rustica ten months ago from Feast.) For Wilson, Osteria is in many ways the perfect next chapter in a long and storied career in the service industry that began when she was just sixteen years old.

“I’ve left the industry a couple times and I always found myself going right back, because it’s what I love to do,” Wilson said. “I love meeting new people. I love the creativity behind mixology. I’ve found that being behind the bar is really where I enjoy putting in my time at the restaurant. It allows me to be creative, to shine in what I love doing.”

Wilson has done it all over the course of her career; for many years she worked in management roles. Eventually, though, in order to spend more time with her young children, she pivoted back to mixology, a move that has allowed her to focus on her favorite aspects of the job.

Wilson is one of two full-time bartenders at Osteria, so chances are you can walk into the restau – rant any day of the week and find her behind the bar, experimenting with a new ingredient or technique. She prides herself on her creativity and innovation; in fact, she is in the process of overhauling the entire cocktail menu at Osteria, an exciting new development that will allow her to put her stamp on her new professional home. As an industry veteran, she understands the importance of pushing the envelope on her menus.

Wilson’s take on the Old Fashioned is a perfect example of creativity at work. Years ago, Wilson came across the technique of fat washing bourbon in a book, a process of infusing the spirit with a melted fat – bacon fat, for example. Once the fat cools and solidifies, it is removed. Wilson’s take on fatwashed bourbon involves duck fat, the end result of a long testing process that involved multiple different types of fats and bourbons until Wilson got the flavor she was after.

“People find it strange, but intriguing,” Wilson said. “But when they try it, they are blown away by how amazing it tastes. It really does something surprising to the spirit.”

Another signature cocktail is Wilson’s Lavender Haze, a stellar summer sipper that pairs a lavender tea with freshsqueezed lemonade and gin. As with the Old Fashioned, the combination of flavors is beguiling, bringing together the floral notes of lavender with the piney juniper flavor of gin, then finishing with a pop of bright lemon. Wilson tops off the cocktail with a sparkled lemon. (She loves adding sparkles to cocktails for a fun, eye-catching twist.)

Across the menu, Wilson’s cocktails thread the needle between the classic and the unexpected: there is a watermelon martini, owner Steven Botta’s personal favorite, which leans into the timeless pairing of watermelon and mint. (See above for the full recipe.) Then there are exciting spins on margaritas, bringing together homemade flavored agaves with underutilized fruits, as in the passionfruit margarita. One of Wilson’s favorite techniques is the incorporation of spice into cocktails, especially a hint of hot honey.

Wilson is a Monmouth County industry veteran, having put in stints at local staples like the Colts Neck Inn. Her relationships with customers are important to her, relationships she has been able to further deepen at Osteria.

“Seeing a lot of familiar faces at Osteria is really comforting to me,” Wilson said. “I’m very big on service. This is a place of comfort for them, to sit at the bar and know that they’re going to get good service every time. Even when I’m busy, I’m always focusing on the customer’s experience. I always try to make them feel important.”

And if a regular doesn’t know what to order on any given night? Well, they can simply leave it to Wilson, who will more often than not whip them up a drink that keeps them coming back and saying those magical words mixologists love to hear: “I want what you made me last time.”

Wilson may be new to Osteria, but as her new menu rolls out in the coming months, one thing is clear: she’s made herself a new home, one cocktail at a time.

Osteria Cucina Rustica

91 S Main Street, Marlboro Township

732.577.8288 / osterianj.com