New look, new treats makes sure Asbury Park's Capitoline is more than a 'bar with food'
ASBURY PARK - Growing up in Trenton, Charlie Interrante loved the restaurant industry and worked in every aspect of it since his teens.
And today, he and business partner Pat Fasano are bringing the best of their vast experience to Capitoline, a rustic Italian restaurant in an industrial setting that’s recently been refreshed to appeal to the changing needs of a post-pandemic market.
“I started working as a dishwasher in a restaurant when I was 14 and fell in love with the hospitality industry,” said Interrante, 42, a Wall resident. “I really enjoyed the hustle-bustle and ever-changing nature of the restaurant environment.”
After earning his associate degree in Hotel Restaurant Management from technical school Baltimore International College in 2001, “I worked as a sous chef at Jericho National Golf Club in New Hope, Pennsylvania for several years and then moved to south Florida to work as a regional training manager for a corporate restaurant company for the next six years,” he said.
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Over his career, “I bartended, cooked, served, bused tables, washed dishes, managed and more," he said. "It’s all relevant and great experience to be involved at every level of the industry.”
After moving to the Shore area in 2012, Interrante started working as a cook and bartender at the then two-year-old Bond Street Bar & Grill in Asbury Park and was invited by owner Pat Fasano to become part-owner in 2015.
“Pat owned property next door to Bond Street Bar and recognized my desire to grow the business,” Interrante said, “so we agreed to extend our liquor license and create a multi-concept establishment under the same roof that offered something for everyone.”
By 2016, that concept featured a trio of eateries known as “The Complex” that includes Bond Street Bar (“a quintessential dive bar offering burgers, sandwiches and salty snacks,” said Interrante), Loteria, a casual Mexican taqueria with colorful cocktails, and Capitoline, which specializes in pizza, rustic Italian fare and inventive cocktails and whose name refers to ancient hills in Rome.
“Because the restaurants are all contiguous, guests can walk from each location with their friends and beverages or choose to have their food and beverages in different locations to experience a different concept,” he explained. “Underneath The Complex and accessible to all locations is a block-long, 6,000-square-foot bar called “The Basement” which becomes a nightclub on Saturdays, hosts special events and a monthly comedy show, and appeals to everyone.”
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'Food-focused destination'
Earlier this month, Interrante, Fasano and their team were excited to unveil the revitalized Capitoline, which underwent a series of renovations that they feel now truly reflect the spirit of the restaurant while meeting the current needs of post-pandemic diners.
“Thanks to the diverse culinary expertise brought by Sergio Casal, who joined us as director of food and beverage in March 2023, Capitoline has been transformed into a food-focused destination that’s heavy on culinary arts — not just ‘a bar with food,’ as we may have been perceived in the past,” Interrante said.
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That elevated cuisine includes such signature dishes as fluke piccata served in a white wine sauce with capers alongside freshly grilled broccolini ($34) “and our braised pork ragu pappardelle ($24), which is second to none,” Interrante said.
Diners will also enjoy a range of 18-inch New York-style pizzas cooked in an open-hearth oven that Interrante and Fasano sourced from a specialty factory in Seattle.
“Some of our biggest sellers include our ‘Fungo,’ a white mushroom pizza served with pesto sauce, and our ‘Zingara,’ a cheeseless pizza layered with vodka sauce, sweet Italian sausage, olives, cherry peppers and basil,” he said of their selection of pies, which range from $18 to $22.
Among appetizers, “we have a baby gem salad with bleu cheese, toasted pistachios, and fresh herbs as well as a dish featuring fresh porchetta, sliced burrata and salsa verde seasoned with fresh herbs and spices that are amazing,” Interrante said. “And for dessert, our chef makes large homemade cinnamon sugar doughnuts with an espresso-orange zest whipped cream that’s incredible,” he said of the three-doughnut treat available for $12.
In terms of beverages, “our head bartender, Jennifer Runfola, created a great cocktail list, which includes our popular Clarified Piña Colada Milk Punch, a decadent and delicious drink that features cream of coconut, two types of rum, and serves up clear and gorgeous,” Interrante said of the $14 cocktail. “We also have a selection of wines that will appeal to everyone, and we update that list constantly based on what’s trending among our guests.”
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As for physical renovations, Interrante and Fasano agree that Capitoline’s space now has a cozier feel that couples, friends and families alike will enjoy.
“We used to have communal-style seating along long, bulky benches, but that format became less appealing during and after the pandemic,” Interrante said.
“We now offer single tables of different sizes as well as furniture, lighting and décor that creates a more intimate environment, though we kept existing nostalgic elements, such as reclaimed wood and stained glass sourced from local buildings in Asbury Park,” he said.
“We’re confident that people will love our fresh new face as a craft casual Italian eatery with great cocktails in an industrial chic setting,” Interrante said.
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Local ingredients
In addition to better reflecting the restaurant’s personality, Interrante and Fasano believe that the newly revitalized Capitoline now also speaks to the trends and behaviors of modern diners.
“Society has become extremely food-oriented and super-casual places that are less food-focused are increasingly closing down, such as chain/corporate restaurants with the same menu, centralized sourcing of ingredients, and things heated up haphazardly without care,” Interrante said.
“People want the most bang for their buck — e.g., to not have to pay $400 for a great meal and a couple of cocktails — and they also love local ingredients, so we take pride in sourcing our sourdough from Benchmark Bread in Little Silver and our gelato from Amici Gelato & Caffé and fish from Local 130 Seafood right here in Asbury Park,” he said.
“Asbury Park is a restaurant town, so we’re all about offering great food that’s approachable and that features simple ingredients people know and love,” he said.
Among challenges, Interrante said that the rising cost of goods and the subsequent need to adjust prices has been a tough pill to swallow for restaurant owners across the board.
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“The recent increase in food costs, insurance, maintenance and other expenses has been tough to manage, but we do everything we can to keep our prices affordable,” he said.
And while finding good workers is always a challenge, “we’re very fortunate as a restaurant group,” he said. “We have 15 team members at Capitoline and over 60 in total at The Complex and we’re so proud of and grateful to them for their hard work and dedication. In addition to being a really nice group of people to work with, they’re true hospitality professionals who go above and beyond every day for a common goal.”
Looking ahead, Interrante and Fasano plan to continue upgrading The Complex — such as with their addition of a sit-down bar at Loteria in the next year — and may look to expand to other locations in Asbury Park in the coming decade. According to Interrante, “you have to continuously adjust in the hospitality industry.”
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the passion Interrante and Fasano have for the restaurant business. For his part, “I love the action, the people and the fluidity of the hospitality industry, which is always moving and shaking,” Interrante said.
As for Capitoline, “we’ve just adjusted the emphasis of what we’ve always been — a food-focused restaurant with great cocktails,” Interrante confirmed. “It’s a delicious craft Italian experience.”
Capitoline
Location: 639 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park
Phone: 732-455-3609
Owners: Charlie Interrante and Pat Fasano
Launched: 2016
Website: capitolineap.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Capitoline restaurant in Asbury Park offers new look, new foods
