Brothers Tony and Marco Gonzalez of Nova Trattoria in the Ewing Plaza moved to New York from Ecuador in 1990.
A year later they left the hubbub and noise of the Big Apple for the peace of New Jersey where they have been working in local restaurants for over 25 years, and making a name for themselves in the restaurant scene.
They have worked at Villa Rosa’s in Yardley, Pennsylvania, and Capuano Ristorante in West Windsor. Prior to Nova Trattoria, Marco opened Diamonds of Pennington as their chef.
In March 2014, they decided to “give it a try and see if we can make it,” explains Marco. “We decided to come over here and open up the space. We can do our own food. We like to do everything from scratch, fresh.”
The location has undergone a number of changes over the years. “Years ago [prior to becoming Nova Trattoria] it was a Pizza Hut, then a Chinese buffet, and some kind of diner.” Today, the brothers are working hard to make their restaurant a fixture in Ewing.
At Nova Trattoria they buy their food locally from Dutch’s Meats in Trenton, Ferraro Foods, Sysco and Restaurant Depot. They receive their produce from Licciardello Brothers in Trenton.
Marco and Tony create good sized portions and good prices. The restaurant is divided into two distinct sides. When you first walk in the door there is a counter where you can purchase pizza by the slice and a casual dining area with red stucco walls, and terra cotta tiling that seats about 20-24 people. The restaurant is child-friendly and has high chairs.
Pass through that section to their more formal dining room, which is about four times the size. The dining room has wood paneling and carpeting, giving it a more romantic feel.
Their menu is more diverse than the typical pizzeria menu, with something for just about everybody. Aside from pizzas, they also have pasta, sandwiches, salads, burgers, wings, soups and desserts. On weekends they offer a specials menu featuring fresh sea food entrees.
Nova has a wide selection of appetizers, many not typically seen on pizza restaurant menus. Marco said their appetizer of pork tenderloin sautéed with figs and brown sugar is very popular. Another popular appetizer is lobster St. Pietro, a South African cold water lobster tail chopped and sautéed in a cognac cream sauce and served over mashed potatoes.
According to Marco, Nova Trattoria’s fried calamari (calamari and sliced cherry peppers lightly floured, fried and complemented with a spicy marinara sauce) is a also crowd pleaser.
Nova serves Pepsi products, and has recently started to sell Stewart’s root beer. Lunch is served until 3:30 p.m. daily. For a $10 minimum, they deliver for a dollar within a three-mile radius.
Nova Trattoria, 1980 N. Olden Avenue. Phone: (609) 771-6177. Web: novatrattoriaewing.com. Hours: Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, noon to 10 p.m. Delivery available.
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