In 1998, Pasquale Camporeale moved La Mia Cucina Trattoria from the north end of town to the Plaza Center. He had only just purchased Anna’s Pizza, one of the institutions of the north end, when he discovered that costs to upgrade the place were high and he would never get the room he wanted. Changing the name and making it a more modern Italian Restaurant was not enough. Camporeale needed to move his business where it could have more frequent contact with the hustle and bustle of people’s lives, drawing them in for lunch and then – if he was lucky – later for dinner as well. So he sold Anna’s and moved to the center of town. But this proved a little tricky, since he had to take over a former deli and convert it the kind of place he wanted. He had always envisioned a mid-priced kind of Italian restaurant for the area, something that was halfway between the fancy linen eateries and the numerous take-out places that served Secaucus residents. Yet even after he made the move in late 1998, Camporeale wound up with an elaborate pizza parlor. It took him time to realize that in a town that already had a good pizza parlor at its center, many people wanted take-out plus a place where they could come in and sit down. Indeed, over the last year, Camporeale has discovered that many of the people who come into La Mia Cucina get a quick lunch at noon also come back later, bringing their families in for dinner. “We’re getting good business,” he said. “We manage to pack the place for lunchtime.” Bottle of wine Located at 1259 Paterson Plank Road, La Mia Cucina Trattoria Italiana & Cafe offers everything from antipasto to mussels marinara as appetizers, as well as traditional and alternative pasta dishes, specialty ravioli, veal, poultry and seafood dishes, egg plant, and hot and cold sandwiches. Over the last few months, Camporeale has made alterations to the place, trying to adapt to the wishes of his clientele, although he did get some grumbling when he removed the pizza oven in an effort to turn the place more into a restaurant people would sit down in and enjoy. “While we still deliver, we’re also having many more people coming in and bringing their families,” he said. “Many bring bottles of wine.” Although the bistro opened its doors to the residents in late 1998, Camporeale has been in the business for years, working as manager for various pizza establishments before getting the idea that he could run a place of his own – not just selling pizza, but reviving some of the dishes his mother had brought over from Italy. While he said he is open to fresh ideas from his customers, he likes the idea of establishing his own identity as a restaurant. “We offer a lot on the menu, but if people want something they don’t see, we’ll try and make it for them,” he said. “We aim to please, not tease.”
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