Mezza Luna Owners Open Second Estrella Azul Location In Manalapan

MANALAPAN, NJ — Anthony Imperiale, 35, has come full circle, opening Estrella Azul next to Italian restaurant Mezza Luna, where he started working at the young age of eight and which he later bought from his dad.

The Mexican restaurant opened at the end of October only a few doors down from Mezza Luna, at 357 Route 9.

"We are very passionate about food and wanted to bring our Mexican concept to Manalapan, where it all started," Imperiale told Patch.

The menu is made up mainly of tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Everything is made from scratch, including all the salsas, sauces and guacamole.

"We use a very unique style of cooking called 'sous vide' to cook most of our meats, including our pork, which we cook for 16 hours overnight to ensure extra tenderness," Imperiale said. "We designed the menu based off our experiences in food and our desire to combine unique flavors and spices."

The pork (or carnitas) is the owner's favorite and is cooked with ingredients such as cinnamon sticks, oranges, pure cane sugar coca cola and fresh vegetables for a "unique flavor," he also explained.

"My second favorite is definitely the pescado taco which consists of cod, fried to order, topped with our house-made spicy cabbage slaw and chile lime mayo," he said.

Imperiale runs the restaurant together with his wife, Melissa Imperiale, 30. They also own the first Estrella Azul location and another Mezza Luna, both located at Bell Works, in Holmdel.

The Holmdel Estrella Azul is temporarily closed and Imperiale anticipates reopening at the beginning of 2022.

"The goal is to open more locations in the future, however many we can open while keeping our high quality consistent. Franchising is definitely a thought," he said.

The couple worked together at the original Manalapan Mezza Luna almost a decade and a half ago and started dating five years later.

She graduated from Rutgers. He got a bachelor's and a master's in Software Engineering and worked as a software engineer for five years (while working weekends at the restaurant) before purchasing Mezza Luna from his dad.

"All members on both sides of my family-owned pizzerias growing up so it was something that I was very familiar with," Imperiale said. "I knew that food was my passion."

To see the full menu and contact information, visit Estrella Azul's website.

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