For a city that’s just one square mile, Hoboken offers a lot. There are, quite literally, hundreds of food establishments: sit-down restaurants, cafes, quick service and take-out options abound. But with so much choice comes so much competition, and often, the Hoboken food scene can feel like a revolving door — old storefronts becoming new favorites, just to become old again.
Amid the transience, some businesses are able to stand the test of time. These are often family-owned operations, maintained through generations with the understanding that food not only feeds a community, it fuels it.
So when The Hoboken Girl team was tasked with taking Slice of Culture on a food tour through Hoboken as part two of our series, they took us to their local legends. We landed at La Isla, Piccolo’s and Fiores—three restaurants that bring different cuisines to the table, but the love for their city.
La Isla | 104 Washington Street
La Isla serves traditional Cuban food in a friendly and cozy atmosphere. This restaurant is best known for its stuffed french toast, which has been featured on Food Network’s Throwdown with Bobby Flay. It is stuffed with strawberry and guava cream cheese, breaded in an almond corn flake breading, and drizzled with guava sauce. La Isla also serves savory dishes like churrasco (skirt steak) and ropa vieja (shredded flank steak), and appetizers like empanadas, papa rellena (stuffed potato ball) and croquettes.
Piccolo’s | 92 Clinton Street
Piccolo’s is famous for its cheesesteaks in Hoboken. This spot is currently owned by Patleo Spaccavento. His father opened the shop in 1955 at 92 Clinton Street and it has become one of the Mile Square’s most beloved spots for good food and great vibes. We had the opportunity to chat with Patty (known as Pattyboy to his friends) who gave us the rundown on growing up in Hoboken, meeting Frank Sinatra’s family and running a long-time family business. We ordered the Everything Cheesesteak, which is piled high with steak and cheese, onions, cherry peppers and french fries. Aside from cheesesteaks, Piccolo’s also serves up a Soup of the Day, which includes favorites like pasta fagioli, pasta lenticche (lentil soup),
and chicken pastina. The soups are made from his father’s recipes and never miss the mark.
Fiore’s House of Quality | 414 Adams Street
This old-school Italian deli, located at 414 Adams Street, has been serving the Mile Square since 1913. Its hot roast beef with gravy and mutz special is quite famous in Hoboken and draws in locals from all over town every Thursday. Other popular items on the menu include its Italian combo sandwich made with imported prosciutto, soppressata and mozzarella and classics like ham, salami and mozzarella. We ordered an Italian combo sandwich and since it was Thursday, we of course ordered the hot roast beef special. Fiore’s also launched its own homemade sodas early this year. The flavors are: Black Cherry, Blood Orange, Root Beer, Sparkling Lemonade and Vanilla Cream. Pro Tip: Fiore’s is cash only.
With so much that Hudson County has to offer, you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for part 3 of our series.
