Wildwood favorite Napolinos has spent the past decade carving out its own identity after parting ways with the Chefs of Napoli group. Host Tony Pesci reimagined the restaurant with his welcoming spirit and vision, and though his passing left a deep void, the community continues to embrace the place he helped shape.
The milestone also comes with new leadership and a refreshed look, setting the stage for the restaurant’s next chapter. The philosophy remains simple: keep the favorites that locals love while listening to regulars and adding new dishes by request.
General Manager Madison Raber, recently promoted to her role, says she is eager for high season and the return of snowbirds.
“We’re testing out dishes for our daily specials now so they’ll be ready for season,” she explains. “Of course, we’ll still have all the classics like grouper Francese, veal Marsala and spaghetti Bolognese.”
Scratch-made dishes remain the restaurant’s calling card. The calamari are butchered fresh then dredged and fried to order. The creamy garlic dressing and herb dipping oil are made in-house daily and the bread is baked fresh every morning, courtesy of pizza maker “Papi,” who has been with Napolinos since day one. Papi’s pies are legendary and are ordered weeks before the Super Bowl every year.
Specialty pizzas include the Meatzza, veggie, crudaiola and house. The legendary garlic knots are some of the best in the area because they are knotted by hand, then baked and smothered in fresh minced garlic…