A seafood market and Italian eatery that has been working out of a narrow building for several years will be moving to a bigger facility set to include two floors of space plus a rear patio area.
As the COVID-19 pandemic struck New Jersey, Tutta Pesca at 155 Third Street shuttered both their market and restaurant space in a move somewhat surprising to locals. The business opened in 2016 and quickly became a huge success, but the restaurant area had just 32 seats and lines outside the building became commonplace due to the limitations.
The Third Street building that housed Tutta Pesca has been listed for sale since the closing, but ownership behind the endeavor has been planning their move to a larger space for some time. Last May, an entity called 557 First Street LLC purchased a building at that same address and ownership of that company can be traced to Tutta Pesca owner Michael Caracappa.
Plans have officially been submitted to revamp the former home of Northern Soul, which looks to expand the current three-story building vertically by one floor. Designed by Nastasi Architects, the business envisions setting up shop on the first two floors of the building and wishes to renovate a rear patio at the property.
The first floor of the restaurant would feature mostly table service and plans show a 625-square foot service and retail area near the front, perhaps an indicator that the seafood market component could return in the new digs. The eatery’s second story would have a separate event space in the front and an additional general dining area in the back, where the restaurant’s rear patio would be accessed.
The plans indicate that the restaurant would be called Tutta Pasta, a name that has some local history. A restaurant on Washington Street operated under the moniker for many years and was a frequent hangout of Oscar-nominated actor Danny Aiello, who owned a comedy club above the eatery. The restaurant closed in 2013 and has since been replaced by a realtor office.
The remainder of the plans at 557 First Street call for two apartments above the restaurant. The third-floor space would feature three bedrooms and the fourth-floor unit, which would be built as an addition, would sport two bedrooms plus a roof deck. An underground water detention system designed to mitigate flooding in the neighborhood is included in the plans.
Tutta Pesca’s new facility would allow the business to seat about 92 diners in over 3,000-square feet not counting the back patio and will be requesting several variances from current zoning to move forward. They include deviations for floor to ceiling height, rear yard depth, use of non-masonry materials on the exterior, and off-street parking requirements.
An inquiry placed to ownership behind Tutta Pesca regarding the plans has not yet been returned. Some clarity could emerge later this month, as Hoboken’s planning board is scheduled to hear the restaurant’s application during their Subdivision and Site Plan meeting on July 14.
