Picture yourself sitting in an Italian cafe on a warm, sunny morning, drinking espresso and eating the freshest avocado toast you’ve ever had. D’Amore’s Caffe and Toast in Wall may not transport you to Europe, but it certainly emulates the feeling of being there.
Sam Bergeron and her husband, Travis Bergeron, along with her father, Russell Grabow, and Jasmine D’Amore Grasso and her husband, Jeffrey Bell, opened D’Amore’s in November. (Grasso and Bell also own La Valette’s seasonal D’Amore’s Her Toast, which opened in 2022.)
The inspiration for the menu came from Grasso’s trip to Florence, Italy, where he discovered “large, thick cuts of freshly baked bread topped with smashed avocado, poached eggs, shaved palm oil, olive oil, and basil.” That’s what I got when I tried it.
It made her think, “Why don’t I make food like this at home?”
So she did.
This dish is listed as “D’Amore’s Toast” on the menu at both locations.
But Grasso’s love for Italy and fresh ingredients runs deeper than travel: it runs in her blood. Countless menu items are named after Grasso’s Italian family.
“My grandparents and my mother, we all always had gardens,” she said.
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As a child, her late mother, Faith Liguori, cooked with fresh ingredients like tomato salad, fig-crusted toast, and homemade fig balsamic made from heirloom fig trees her father brought back from Italy. was making.
These recipes can also be found on the menu.
Faith Dear’s Italian Toast is available with your choice of buttered toast and topped with house-made arugula salad, fresh mozzarella, house-made tomato salad drizzled with olive oil, rich balsamic glaze, and fresh basil.
A special end-of-summer menu, Faith Dear’s Fig Toast is made with figs from Faith’s own fig trees (now grown by Grasso), whipped ricotta, arugula salad, and homemade fig balsamic jam. Masu.
A popular year-round menu item is also named after Grasso’s family: the Architectural Toast, which includes all the seasoning on a bagel topped with smashed avocado, homemade arugula salad, bacon, egg and shaved Parmesan. (Mr. Bell is an architect).
“A lot of people come to us during the summer because they don’t want to eat heavy fried food like Jersey Shore,” Grasso said. “And the people who came to visit us in the summer are now visiting us at Wall.”
Travis and Sam Bergeron, owners of several Joe’s Bagels and Grill locations around the Shore, will run the new year-round store, and Grasso teaches at Pine Beach Elementary School in Toms River.
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“When you walk in, everything is fresh and homely,” Travis Bergeron said. “I want people to feel like they’re in Nonna’s house and like these recipes have been around forever.”
The new space is flooded with sunlight and features homey decor, including rustic table fixtures and exposed brick. It’s also larger than the original His D’Amore’s, adding an espresso machine and panini press.
Espresso beans are ground to order for all drinks, including the pistachio latte, which is made with espresso, steamed milk and pistachio syrup and topped with crushed pistachios. Nutella latte with espresso, steamed milk, hazelnut syrup and chocolate sauce.
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There are also smoothies like the Vanilla Strawberry Protein Shake with vanilla protein, fresh strawberries and flaxseed, and sandwiches like the Italian Panini with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, salami, sun-dried tomatoes and shaved Parmesan.
“It’s so nice to see people eating prosciutto for breakfast, as if they were in Europe,” Grasso said. “…They really understand the concept.”
Grasso hopes to make not only his mother proud, but also his late grandparents, Elizabeth D’Amore Liguori and Aniello Liguori, former owners of the former Nick’s Spaghetti House in Seaside Heights.
You can see pictures of them cooking together on the wall places.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to be able to bring this experience to you.” [our customers]” Grasso said.
go: 1861 Route 35 (former Circus Drive-In location). 732-561-0114, damorescaffeandtoast.com.
Gabriela L. Larracca joined the USA Today Network in New Jersey in 2021 and is passionate about sharing her passion for food and culture with readers. Send your restaurant tips to her at glaracca@gannett.com.