Jasper Stone Italian Steakhouse, Monroe, NJ:
A Restaurant Review

Opened in the fall of 2022, Jasper Stone Italian Steakhouse is a hidden gem having quickly achieved success as one of the best Italian restaurants in Central Jersey. This is a destination restaurant that is not for just a night out for dinner, it's an ideal spot for a romantic dining experience.

Unlike many old-school traditional, heavy red sauce Italian restaurants in Central Jersey, Jasper Stone Italian Steakhouse sets itself apart by serving an inspirational modern Italian menu with authentic regional specialties. The restaurant also offers a menu with grass-fed aged Wagyu beef and meats with no antibiotics, hormones, or unnatural supplements and wild-caught seafood.

Jasper Stone Italian Steakhouse is owned and operated by Kim and Victoria Aiello, with the kitchen run by Executive Chef Joe Voller.

Chef Voller comes with impressive credentials. He received his formal culinary training at the Art Institute's Culinary Arts School in Philadelphia and later honed his culinary skills under famed Philadelphia chefs, including Guillermo Pernot at the former Nuevo Latino restaurant and Jose Garces at Alma de Cuba. He later became Executive Chef of Eno Terra, a high-end Italian restaurant in Kingston, NJ, run by The Terra Momo Group, and as Executive Chef at both the famed Le Virtu and Brigantessa restaurants in south Philadelphia.

Before coming to the Jasper Stone Italian Steakhouse, Chef Voller served as Executive Chef at the highly rated Il-Nido in Marlboro, NJ.

Chef Voller oversees the kitchen that serves a seasonally changing menu with inspired, artfully presented dishes that are creatively prepared using healthy, high-quality, mostly organic ingredients.

Many of his menu items are inspired dishes from the Abbruzzo/Puglia regions of Italy that are creatively prepared with organic and sustainably raised ingredients from local sources, supplemented by importing dry ingredients from Italy.

To stay abreast of the trends with European cuisine, Chef Voller makes annual visits to Europe to engage with acclaimed chefs.

One of his specialty dishes is Pasta Alla Mugnia, an authentic homemade Italian pasta dish that he learned to prepare during one of his visits to the Abbruzzo region of Italy. The homemade pasta features imported Cruschi pepper and Calabrian chili from Italy. You will not find another Chef in Central Jersey who has been able to duplicate the authenticity, execution, and imported ingredients used in this dish.

This item is not always on the menu. However, when making a reservation, you can request it, and there is a chance your request will be honored.

The seafood is sourced from Local 130 Seafood in Asbury Park, specializing in locally caught, sustainable seafood. There is no farm-raised seafood here. The meat products are sourced from Four Story Hill Farm in Pennsylvania, which raises all-natural, apple-fed pigs, pastured chickens, and veal. No antibiotics, hormones, or unnatural supplements are used on animals. The produce is sourced from Cherry Valley Cooperative in Montgomery, NJ, a collaboration of farmers, chefs, innovators, students, artists, and wellness professionals specializing in growing high-diversity vegetables, berries, fruit, flowers, mushrooms, herbs, and pasture-raised eggs, lamb, and pork.

Some of the menu items tend to be higher priced to offset the cost of using high-quality USDA Prime Naturally Raised Beef, locally caught sustainable seafood, and imported ingredients. Be sure to ask the staff about the prices and the food preparation to ensure that both price and taste meet your expectations.

The decor at Jasper Stone Italian Steakhouse is trendy, and cozy, with a romantic ambiance. The interior consists of two beautiful dining rooms done up with exposed ceilings, and brick walls (one of the dining areas has walls covered with light, rustic wood). Each of the dining areas is centered with a large artificial tree.

The dining areas are dimly lit with candlelit tables and booths for a romantic touch. Small, attractive, battery-lit table lamps are provided on request for diners who prefer a well-lit dining experience. Noise room acoustics and tables spaced comfortably apart allow for quiet conversation.

Service is professional and welcoming. Owners Kim and Victoria Aiello are heavily involved in the dining rooms, and they visit patrons to ensure the dining experience meets their expectations.

Jasper Stone Italian Steakhouse is not recommended for children.

Complimentary valet parking is available.

They are open for dinner 6 days/a week. They are closed on Tuesdays.

Reservations are highly recommended.

(Updated; March 2024)