DINING OUT | Laico's

Laico’s

Story by Tara Ryazansky Photos by Max Ryazansky

Jersey City has changed a lot over time, but Laico’s has remained mostly the same for 50 years. The restaurant is a red-sauce joint hidden away in a residential section of Greenville.

Photos by Max Ryazansky

“When you come here, you’ll get about halfway down the block and think there’s no way there’s a restaurant over here. They say, ‘Location, location, location.’ But how did they make it all this time,” wonders thirdgeneration co-owner Adam Laico. “Then you walk in, and you’re in somebody’s house, and you get this outstanding food.”

Photos by Max Ryazansky

The food is made by Adam’s dad, co-owner Louis Laico, and his kitchen team.

Louis shares the Laico’s origin story.

“My father bought this little bar on a side street. There was shuffl eboard right here,” he says, gesturing to the row of tables in the front dining area. “It was just a dive bar. They wanted to be close to the house, which was in Country Village so it was only about half a mile away.”

The family made some repairs and expanded the building by converting the kitchen into a back dining area. They grew the menu, which focused on bar pies and meatball sandwiches at the time.

“They had a chef in the back, and one day he got sick, so I said, ‘Ok, I’ll do it for a while,’ and I’ve been here ever since. I could’ve done two life sentences and be out a free man by now,” Louis laughs.

He says he credits Laico’s success to his parents, Louis Sr. and Felice Laico. “My dad

Photos by Max Ryazansky

Photos by Max Ryazansky

Photos by Max Ryazansky

Photos by Max Ryazansky

was like a promoter. People loved him. He was very personable. He would go into a room, and he would know everybody by the time he left, unlike myself. I was always in the kitchen. I couldn’t be bothered.”

But the kitchen is where the magic happens here at Laico’s

The meal starts with warm bread and salad served family style.

“We make our own bread in-house. It’s a garlic bread,” ning,” he says. “I believe it translates to ‘cooked on a stick,’ or ‘cooked on a skewer,’ because it’s prepared that way, but it comes out looking like a huge mozzarella stick.”

It tastes like an elevated version of my diner favorite, and it’s big enough to share.

Next, we’re served Grilled Octopus, which is fresh and light, over a green salad.

Then, a Margherita Pizza emerges from the kitchen. It’s so good that it can be a whole

Adam and Louis Laico

Photos by Max Ryazansky

Adam explains. “Every table gets that and a salad with homemade dressing. It’s been the same dressing for years.”

Next is Spiedini Alla Romana. It’s a tasty mozzarella appetizer served with a lemon caper sauce that I thought was their own invention. Adam tells me it’s old-school Italian, just like most of the things you’ll find at Laico’s. “That’s been here since the beginmeal, but we haven’t even made it to the entree course.

Louis brings us the Pork Chop, which is my favorite menu item. Louis and Adam aren’t surprised. They tell me it’s a popular dish. It’s gigantic and juicy. It comes with vinegar peppers and mushrooms in a rosemary sauce.

The Linguine with White Clam Sauce is excellent. The pasta portion is generous,

and so is the serving of fresh clams.

Next up is the fantastic Chicken Parm. It was named the best chicken parm in New Jersey by eatthis.com for 2022. It’s easy to see why.

“I’m going to tell you what sets it apart because I make it,” Louis says. “It’s never breaded ahead of time. When you

“They were waiting outside in line,” Louis says.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Adam adds.

Nowadays, they say that on any given day, the dining room is split 50/50 with regulars and the younger crowd. Folks find their way to Laico’s from downtown, Hoboken and New York City.

put the breading on it ahead of time, and you leave it in the refrigerator a day or two, or freeze it, it dries out the chicken. You can cut this chicken with a fork. Every time an order comes in, it’s made fresh to order. We butcher all of our own chicken. It’s not laying in packages.”

They say that after they were ranked No. 1, they had an influx of orders.

For many who call Greenville the old neighborhood, Laico’s is Jersey City. The free valet parking makes it convenient to visit.

“A lot of people who have moved out of the area, when they come back to Jersey City, they pop in,” Adam says. “It’s a neighborhood spot that’s stood the test of time. It’s nostalgic, especially in a city that’s changed so much.” — JCM

Photo by Max Ryazansky

Moudy Razek was schooled in the culinary arts in London, Cairo, and the U.S., and has worked in, managed, and owned some of the nest restaurants across the world - The Rainbow Room in NYC, The Sphinx Grill in Amsterdam, Lantana Restaurant and Doc’s Steakhouse right here in New Jersey. It was in these places that he learned to use the nest, freshest ingredients to create mouth-watering, delicious dishes designed to appeal to everyone from vegetarians to devout carnivores! Moudy’s time spent abroad has infused his culinary creations with a unique European/Mediterranean air that also displays more than a hint of Middle Eastern sensibility. O ering high-quality food at reasonable prices, Gypsy Grill will likely become a favorite with your family or coworkers.