Tre Amici

More than 20 years ago, three Italian boys from the Jersey Shore met on the baseball diamond, intent on dominating their local little league division. Now, they are returning to their roots, intent on dominating the 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 three graduates of Middletown High School North, after making their careers elsewhere, have come home to Monmouth County. Executive Chef Matthew Zappoli, a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, hails from the kitchens of some of America's most celebrated restaurateurs – including Charlie Palmer and Sami Ledeki. Zappoli's innovative menus have pleased the palates of audiences in Manhattan, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Sonoma wine country.