And here is another Real Housewives business to add to the ever-growing list. Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa Guidice and Joe Gorga opened up a restaurant in East Hanover, New Jersey on Friday called Gorga's Homemade Pasta & Pizza. Obviously, it is a family restaurant, with Joe at the forefront of the project as operator and owner. Giudice and her sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga, also help out their respective brother and husband.
What makes the restaurant so special is that it's a tribute to Joe and Giudice's late mother, Antonia Gorga. She died at the age of 66 from natural causes in March. "My mother loved to cook; it was like her drug,” Joe told People Thursday at the restaurant's opening party. "I always told her I was gonna open up a restaurant for her. Then I got busy. While I signed a contract on this place we lost her. So this is for her."
The menu features, of course, homemade Italian dishes. Some of the items are even featured in Giudice's cookbook, Fabulicious. To keep with the family theme, several of the plates are named after family members, like "Audriana's Rock Shrimp Arrabiata," "Antonia's Chicken Francese," and "Gia's Chicken Milanese."
If you want to try the food, obviously you can go eat at the actual restaurant. Or, you can even purchase jars of pasta sauce (marinara, vodka, and garlic oil) at Gorga's Homemade Pasta & Pizza's official website.
Giudice couldn't be more thrilled to have her family's name on a restaurant, especially since her mother and the food she cooked meant so much to others. "We wanted to share her recipes with the world," Giudice said. "I always would say, 'Mom, everyone has to try your food!' because that’s how I learned to cook."
The Turning the Tables author also took to Instagram, where she posted a photo of herself and her dad at the restaurant. Next to it, she wrote, "So happy to announce our new business venture — Gorga's Homemade Pasta & Pizza in East Hanover NJ! @gorgaspasta Two things I'm so passionate about — family & good home cooked Italian food! Hope you can stop by!!"
As for Melissa, she's just happy that everyone is continuing to get along right now. She said, "I think any time you’re working with family, you spend so much more time together — sometimes that can be good or bad, but thank God we’re doing good."
It's great to see the Giudices and the Gorgas are sticking together as a family. I think it's also safe to say that their mom would be super proud of her kids for coming together and honoring her in the process.
