NORTH JERSEY — "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Gia Giudice and her mother Teresa celebrated their new restaurant in Westwood on Saturday night, and it was a family affair.
The pair, along with Il Vero co-owner Maria Sausa, held a party in advance of the restaurant's opening, which is scheduled for Tuesday.
Teresa and husband Luis Ruelas were there, along with Gia's boyfriend Christian Carmichael, and Teresa's brother and sister-in-law Joe and Melissa Gorga.
Reality stars, family, and staff packed both floors and the roof deck, enjoying hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and even cigars. From pear martinis to shrimp, scallops, caviar, crab cakes, and steak items, the refreshments and hugs were plentiful.
"Il Vero," means truth in Italian. In a recent interview with Patch, Gia said she chose the location in Westwood because the venue's owner, Sausa, was running a popular restaurant called Prohibition, but was looking for a change post-pandemic.
Prohibition had a lot to offer: two floors, a lounge, and a rooftop.
"It's a different way of clean eating with Italian food that a lot of people are not used to," Gia said. "So that you don't have to leave the restaurant feeling so stuffed ... we'll have crab pasta with lemon sauce, lobster dishes, meat dishes, lamb chops."
Il Vero is located at 170 Center Ave. It's scheduled to open to the public on Tuesday. READ MORE: Gia Giudice Talks About New Restaurant In Interview
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