Grandma’s delicious Sicilian recipes are among the mainstays at Cara Mia, a terrific new restaurant that opened in Guttenberg with a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021.

Located at 201 70th Street, the restaurant was opened by brothers Lou and Bsin Kukaj, who completely renovated the building to provide a warm, pleasant dining ambiance. Owners of two highly-rated restaurants in Manhattan, the two New Jersey residents wanted to offer the same quality and experience on this side of the river.

With family throughout southern Europe, the Kukaj brothers came to the U.S. in the 1990s with a rolodex full of family recipes including specialties like the delicious eggplant parmigiana grandma used to serve at her restaurant in the old country. After overseeing the food for numerous NYC hotels including the Mandarin Oriental, they opted to open their own establishment.

Currently they own restaurants in midtown and uptown. Cara Mia replaces another restaurant they closed in Manhattan during the pandemic. Doubling down on Jersey, they plan to open another restaurant on Broadway in North Bergen in the months ahead. Its name: Nonna Pia, after their grandmother.

Cara Mia is open every day except Monday from 4 to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). They expect to open for lunch soon, followed by NY-style brunches complete with mimosas. For reservations call 201-210-4777. Visit www.ilovecaramia.com for more details.

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