LA ROSA’S Continues to Serve the Community for 40 Years

BY JENNIFER AMATO

Luigi and Adreanna Gerardi emigrated from Naples, Italy, to the United States in 1956. Four years later, they opened a pizzeria in Somerville, which they owned for 16 years.

One night in 1977, Luigi happened to stumble upon La Rosa’s Pizzeria on Lake Avenue in Metuchen.

After a couple of months of “observation and many long conversations,” Luigi and his nephew Carmen Troia purchased the restaurant in January 1978 from the two Italian brothers who had founded the business.

For the pizzeria’s regulars, they are thankful for that “stumble.”

In 1993, Luigi’s daughter Filomena Inghilterra began managing La Rosa Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant, which is still located on Lake Avenue. In November 1998, Luigi’s other daughter Olympia Keane joined the family business and has been managing the popular eatery ever since.

The menu includes everything from appetizers, soups and salads to burgers, subs, calzones, meat and seafood entrees, pasta, pizza, and dessert.

“Some of our favorite dishes are penne vodka, eggplant parm, and another widely ordered dish is chicken francese,” said Olympia’s husband Jim Keane.

Some of the more unique pizzas are topped with Italian hot dog, peppers, onions and potatoes; ground beef taco please see BITES, page 13

08840 meat, peppers, onions, tomatoes, olives and cheddar cheese; white clams; or chicken Caesar salad. And for those who need a glutenfree option, they offer a gluten-free crust, deep dish or Sicilian style, too.

There is a separate kids’ menu, plus a special menu for Lent when Roman Catholics don’t eat meat on Fridays.

There are daily lunch specials offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pasta Night is dinein only. On Wednesdays, sit down for an all-you-can eat buffet with selections such as chicken parmigiana, pasta Bolognese or baked ziti.

There is a complete catering menu if you’re hosting a party off premise, or pizza parties are held in house for your guests. Their down-to-earth staff and relaxed atmosphere – plus great food – are reasons why customers return week after week, year after year.

“We are a family-oriented business and have been serving generations of customers for over 40 years,” Keane said. “Hopefully the legacy will carry on with our children or grandchildren. We shall see. Metuchen has been a great place to run a business and it has been an honor to serve our customers and future customers. We do our best in supporting the community.” young children and their classmates to enjoy.

La Rosa Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant is located at 335 Lake Ave. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, and 1-9 p.m. Sundays. To view the menu, visit larosametuchen.com. To make a reservation or place an order for takeout, call 732-549-6505 or 732-549-6510.

La Rosa’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant has served the community for 40 years.

She said with the festivities of the lion dance, fireworks and variety of food, people were able to learn something new about the Asian culture “to share with their friends and family members.”

Organizer Jacqueline Ho and her family moved to Metuchen in 2020 and heard about the inclusive downtown events hosted by the MDA and felt like it was something she wanted to support.

“I was a newbie in town, looking to get involved and the Lunar New Year Festival evokes fond memories of attending the New York Chinatown Lunar New Year events with my father, who was one of the co-founders of the United East Athletic Association in Chinatown,” Ho said.

“I have enjoyed being around Chinese culture and the Lion Dance for a long time; in fact, I started playing the cymbals for it when I was 12, and the costume was much bigger than my head back then,” Ho explained. “With all of my experiences, it just makes sense for Metuchen to continue this tradition.”

Not only was Ho excited about the parade and the various performances, her mother, Frances Ho, was back at it again for the second-year teaching how to make Origami rabbits at Genus Boni, a children’s toy store on Main Street.

“I love the Year of the Rabbit because this is my zodiac symbol,” said Ho.

Along with the festivities downtown, the Metuchen Public Library held a Lunar New Year celebration with various music and dance performances by Edison Metro Lions Music Group and Mandarin Academy of Metuchen, First Generation Korean Academy and Gayageum play by Sara Song Suarez, Zumba by Joe Yung and Dream Cat Dance Group, arts and crafts for the children and Chinese painting on a silk fan by artist Yu-Chen Chen.

For more information about additional MDA events visit https://www.downtownmetuchen.org/