Farm-to-Table Restaurant Sprouts in Union County

Union, NJ -- Enoteca Ursino is bringing Union County locals back to their roots, literally.

Picking organic produce straight from a farm at Kean University, the new farm-to-table restaurant incorporates the fresh ingredients into its dishes.

Terra Momo Restaurant Group will open its fourth New Jersey restaurant, Enoteca Ursino, in Kean University’s STEM building on Morris Avenue on May 25.

“I truly fell in love with the space up here,” said Carmine DePasquale, Manager of Enoteca Ursino. “It follows all of Terra Momo’s farm-to-table and wine driven concept restaurants by having a farm directly on Kean University.”

The Liberty Hall Farm is located right next to the restaurant at Kean University.

“When you think of Union and surrounding towns, farms don’t come to mind,” DePasquale said. “To have this 11 acre farm of which four acres are farmed, right in the urban area of Union, New Jersey is kind of a beautiful oasis.”

The Italian-inspired menu will offer pizzas, house-made pastas and shareable plates prepared in seasonal style.

“We are trying to create a blue print model for New Jersey farm to table dining,” DePasquale said.

That idea is symbolic to the inside of the restaurant which portrays a wall with a blueprint of Liberty Hall.

Along with the food, Enoteca Ursino offers an extensive wine list that will be unique, regional and terroir-driven, reflecting the distinctive practices and qualities of each vineyard.

“We will have a global wine list featuring 120 labels from Italy, Spain, France, California, Germany, South America,” DePasquale said.

The restaurant plans to have wine tasting, wine pairing and wine events in the future.

Terra Momo Restaurant Group will manage the restaurant under an agreement with the Kean University Foundation. And it is open to the public.

In New Jersey, Terra Momo Restaurant Group also operates Mediterra in Princeton Township, Eno Terra in Kingston, and Teresa Caffe in Princeton.

For further information regarding opening day and the restaurant’s upcoming summer celebration events, visit www.enotecaursino.com.

(Photo provided, Pictured from left: Enoteca Ursino chef Scott Tolhurst; Carla Willis, vice president, Institutional Advancement, Kean University and president, Kean University Foundation; and Carmine DePasquale,Enoteca Ursino general manager.)