A Journey Among Friends

When 26-year-old Chef Robbie Felice was presented the opportunity to open a restaurant in a Wayne, N.J. strip mall by his father, he turned to co-worker and friend Jin Lee to go along this journey with him and Viaggio was born.

 

 

The wunderkind chef and his team are coming up with unique takes on tradition including Fazzoletti with Herbs and Preserved Meyer Lemon.Butter. A centerpiece of the Viaggio experience is a selection of salumi, most house-cured and the rest, imported from Italy.

 

“In order to be truly authentic, I knew I had to make my own. I’m bringing in whole Berkshire pigs that I butcher here, and I use it all to make everything from pork chops and prosciutto to porchetta de testa to mortadella,” Chef Felice said. “I’m working 18-hour days, but it’s worth it.”

 

In this MRM News clip, Felice and Lee discuss how they balance their front and back of the house roles with their friendship.