Chef Marco DeCotiis and his wife Donnamarie, the team behind Noir at 1909 E. Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, have recently taken over Speranza Wood-Fired Italian Kitchen at 158 Broadway in Westville, New Jersey, following the purchase and complete renovation of the Italian restaurant, which originally opened in 2012. The couple have renamed the business Speranza Ristorante.
Earlier this year, Marco and Donnamarie fell in love with the Speranza space, and were seduced by the prospect of serving freshly made pastas, pizzas and composed Italian dishes to South Jersey Italian cuisine lovers. The two decided to purchase Speranza, which means “hope” in Italian, acquiring the space in late April. For the next five months, extensive renovations were done after hours to create an entire new look and feel for the restaurant. They completely gutted the business, expanded the bar, and acquired a liquor license. They brightened the space, added warm lighting, and replaced the art on the walls with images showcasing a variety of photos from throughout Italy. They placed three TVs above the bar, which now features a dozen seats, and the new renovated dining room now accommodates 72 guests, which is ideal for large party dining.
“When we first walked into Speranza and saw the space, we both had this ‘aha moment’ that we could do something really special here,” said Marco. “We thought it was perfect for us, and we immediately discussed bringing new life to a space in a community that we believe contains endless possibilities. It’s been a long five months of renovating while keeping the restaurant open, but we are so thrilled with what it has become, and we’re excited for South Jersey-area foodies to come see and taste what Speranza is now all about.”
The menu features a wide variety of house-made pastas, including lobster ravioli, spinach gnocchi, Johanna clams spaghetti, tagliatelle Bolognese, spaghetti with crab gravy, tonnarelli raffaela, ricotta cavatelli decio, rigatoni a la vodka, tonnarelli cacio e pepe and risotto panni. Menu highlights also include a dozen 12-inch pizzas, spicy garlic mussels, an oversized chicken parmesan, as well as a double cut porkchop. The full menu, which features many Southern Italian favorites, can be found here.
Marco and Donnamarie are also launching a house-made dessert program and have just introduced tiramisu and cannoli-flavored milkshakes to the menu for $10 each, which are available spiked with a variety of distilled spirits options for guests 21+.
The DeCotiis’ are excited to build their bar business, and will keep the kitchen open late nightly for guests who’d like to eat and drink at the bar. They’ve launched a Happy Hour program that features $3 off all appetizers and $8 well drinks at the bar between 4 and 6 p.m. daily. On Sundays throughout the fall and winter, they offer complimentary wood-fired pizzas at the bar during NFL football games.
Marco grew up in Montreal and moved to the U.S. in 1999 at the age of 21 for what was supposed to be a summer cooking gig. He soon met Donnamarie, and decided to continue living his life in America. When they met, Donnamarie was working the front of house at the restaurant Marco was cooking in. The two fell in love, opened Noir in Philadelphia’s East Passyunk neighborhood in 2012, and eventually wed in 2017. They pair have fallen for Westville, and are both really excited about “bringing the flavors of South Philly to South Jersey.”
Speranza is open everyday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
You can keep this website going by making a donation below:
SJFS is dedicated to food, dining, restaurants, and drinking in South Jersey. Got a news tip? Email southjerseyfoodscene@gmail.com.