Westfield Family's Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Restaurant Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary

WESTFIELD, NJ — Uncle Skippy's Kitchen, a 100 percent gluten-free and nut-free restaurant opened by Westfield locals James Restivo and his family, recently celebrated their one-year anniversary.

"It's been like everything else has been, you know, an adventure," said Restivo to Patch. "We've had some really great feedback from some of our customers, and people have given us the opportunity to show them what we can do. So, yeah, it's been encouraging. It's been fun, but it's been a lot of work. I think that we're really building something here, something that's really good, something that's beneficial to the community, and something that's worthwhile."

It may have only been one year since Uncle Skippy's Kitchen opened at 403 W Broad St. in Westfield on Nov. 1, but the journey to get here really began about 20 years ago when Restivo's wife Jennifer was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

"Her whole world changed because back then, there wasn't a lot available," said Restivo. "So we adapted and we learned. But over the years, we've encountered many more people who either have Celiac Disease, gluten intolerances, wheat allergies, whatever it may be and it's necessary for them to follow a gluten-free diet. And as the person who did all the cooking in the family, I first learned how to just make gluten-free food that was tolerable."

However, Restivo wanted more than "tolerable." He wanted gluten-free food that was desirable.

Over time he learned to make gluten-free food that was "indistinguishable."

"About a decade ago, we batted around the idea of doing a gluten-free bakery, but it just never came to be," said Restivo.

It wasn't until the space at W Broad Street became available last year that they decided "to go for it, and provide gluten-free food to people that's really good."

"For people who are gluten-free, a lot of times, they have to give up foods that they love, whether it's simple things like meatballs or pizza or sandwiches and stuff like that. So what we wanted to do was just bring that food back to people," said Restivo. "But at the same time, make the food good enough that anybody is going to enjoy it."

That's why Uncle Skippy's Kitchen's menu has a wide variety of items from meatballs and chicken to pizzas and flatbreads that are a little bit different.

"We do the menu items with a gluten-free twist so that they appeal to people that don't necessarily need a gluten-free diet. So that it's still desirable to them," said Restivo.

One of their number one sellers is Restivo's famous meatballs.

"I'm not afraid to say, I think I got the best meatballs in town," said Restivo.

Restivo who is half Irish and half Italian grew up with his Italian grandfather cooking every weekend where about 50 family members would gather around for the feast. Restivo's mother also made sure to cook dinner every night for their family of six.

"I come from a family where food was always important in my family, whether it's the holidays, family get-togethers, or even just the family sitting down around the dinner table and eating. And that's why when my wife was diagnosed with Celiac it was kind of a little bit of a gut punch," said Restivo. "We went from a family that would sit down on Christmas Eve for dinner at the six-hour affair with all the food and now here's my wife, who can't eat three-quarters of the food that's on that table."

Restivo wanted Uncle Skippy's Kitchen to offer a safe place for his wife and others who have food allergies to be able to put aside their fears and just eat.

"I grew up, you know, around the table with everybody having a good time, and that's what I want to give back to people who maybe feel like they've lost that," said Restivo.

Since opening Restivo has had customers share their appreciation for his restaurant.

"A mom was just in here a couple of weeks ago telling me that her daughter had tears of joy that she found a place that she can go and eat at and not have to worry if she could order anything off the menu. Like, that's emotional stuff. I mean, that's heavy stuff. And it makes us feel like we did the right thing, and it drives us, it gives us more inspiration to continue doing what we're doing," said Restivo. "It's not easy when you put yourself in this gluten-free box, and we knew that, but we're doing the right thing."

For more information on Uncle Skippy's Kitchen visit uncleskippyskitchen.com or facebook.com or instagram.com/uncleskippyskitchen.

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