Comfort Food With an International Twist is Coming to Princeton

A new family-friendly restaurant is opening on Nassau Street next week, offering comfort food favorites like lobster mac’n’cheese, buttermilk fried chicken and authentic tacos. 

The North End Bistro at 354 Nassau St. will offer a full menu for lunch and dinner inside the 3,000 square foot building located between The Whole Earth Center and Weichert Realors.

The restaurant is the brainchild of brothers John and Tino Procaccini and their business partner, Z. Pappas. The men also own PJ’s Pancake House, The Princeton Sports Bar & Grill and Osteria Procaccini in Kingston and Pennington. 

Stop by The North End Bistro for lunch, dinner, just a glass of wine, or pop in for a fruit filled crepe or homemade cobbler.

“It’s comfort food, with an international twist, a fusion of different types of homey, earthy, family style dishes,” John Procaccini said.

The restaurant will feature a warm, rustic-yet-chic atmosphere, with seating for 70 guests and furniture imported directly from Italy, Procaccini said. Outside is patio seating (and heating) for nearly 30 patrons. 

Procaccini said they’ve had the idea for this restaurant for the last year and a half. The location, which once housed a Japanese, then Thai restaurant, burned down. Now it’s been rebuilt and The North End Bistro is the new tenant.

Renovations began in November and a sign announcing the restaurant went up last week. Although there’s no firm opening date yet, Procaccini plans for a soft opening during the week of May 13, then hopes people will discover the eatery by word of mouth around town.

“My vision is for this to be a neighborhood place, when people come home and kick off their shoes and put on casual clothes, they come over and hang out," he said.

For those who want to enjoy dining in Princeton but avoid the crowds and have parking, there are 88 parking spots behind the restaurant.

The restaurant is a wine outlet for Hopewell Valley Vineyards, so diners can bring BYOB or choose from a full wine list. 

On the menu, food items range from Garlic Root Beer Marinated Kansas City Steak with truffle parm fries to a Nicoise Salad with ahi tuna, haricot vert, red onion, fingerling potato, tomato and red wine vinegrette. There are also pastas soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, tacos and mac'n'cheeses, plus a kids' menu that includes dessert.  

"We all do the same thing in Princeton, we didn’t want to duplicate anything anywhere," Procaccini said. 

He also wanted to offer affordable dining, with appetizer prices ranging from $8-$12 and most entrees under $20.  

"Since the collapse in 2007, all the high end eateries are really struggling, even people who have money are looking for a high value," Procaccini said.

The restaurant was originally slated to open in December, but the municipal consolidation delayed progress for a few months, Procaccini said.

Procaccini and his partners not only own five restaurants, they also manage the Hopewell Valley Country Club restaurant and are in the midst of construction for PJs III on Route 571 in Princeton Junction. Next up? Reviewing a plan for an Osteria concept for the North Brunswick Transit Village. 

The owners make it a point to visit each restaurant at least once a day. 

"In all of our restaurants, we don’t really do management, we make it a point that it should be owner-managed as much as possible," Procaccini said. "We’re at every location every day and I think that makes a lot of difference every time." 

Some customers eat at Procaccini and his partners' restaurants throughout the day, he said. 

"I think our reputation has a lot to do with it, they know what they’re going to get. No frills, no fancy, just value and good service. There’s nothing fancy about us."