Katrina Hauser 
Restaurant lovers in Maplewood are finding themselves returning to one corner over and over again. At the intersection of Boyden Avenue and Jacoby Street, four very different restaurants have found themselves in proximity. While they offer a variety of delicious food, atmospheres, and dining experiences, the businesses also work to support each other and engage with the community. Read on to learn more about the eateries that are taking over this Maplewood corner and your next night out – because this area has something for everyone.
Porta Rossa Pasta and Provisions | 160 Jacoby Street
Porta Rossa Pasta and Provisions is an Italian lunch destination helmed by Matt Ruzga and a team of pasta enthusiasts. It’s the only eatery of the group with its entrance on Jacoby Street. With a rotating menu of fresh pasta and sauces, the options at Porta Rossa are always new and exciting. Three sandwiches (Italian, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto & Fig) remain as constants on the menu, as everything here, even the gelato flavors, changes with the season.
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Since the food is fresh and made to order, the restaurant may run out of certain seasonal offerings, and suggests guests call ahead to confirm their desired lunch before making a long trip. However, no matter the drive, the trip to this restaurant is worth it, as the freshness of the ingredients and the carefully crafted recipes are full of flavor and clearly made with love. Guests can also purchase some sauce or pasta to take home with them, and can conveniently find cooking times and instructions on Porta Rossa’s website. The restaurant also boasts a small backyard and a private dining room for lunch or dinner parties.
Perla Oyster Bar | 415 Boyden Avenue
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This oyster and seafood bar is perhaps Maplewood’s most precious hidden gem. Offering fresh and reasonably priced seafood, Perla is the brainchild of Chef Matthew Chappina, whose love of oysters and eagerness to start his own enterprise brought him into the Maplewood food scene.
After coming up with the idea for Perla and purchasing a K Car, a special food truck that allows him to keep oysters fresh, Matthew saw success at events like Maplewood Porchfest. Community support aided in the endeavour’s swift transition into a brick-and-mortar restaurant with an exposed kitchen, high-top tables, and a small seating area for dining. The menu is tapas-style, encouraging guests to order round after round of oysters and other bites like the smoked trout dip, escargots gratines, and scallop crudo.
Wheelhouse Cheese & More | 417 Boyden Avenue
Wheelhouse Cheese & More is a cheese market and specialty cafe that opened in spring 2025 after previously operating in the Co-Lab in South Orange, a non-profit space that supports the growth of local businesses. This spot is the newest addition to the neighborhood and is one of the largest spaces. Co-founders Aaron Kirtz and Leigh Friend both spent their careers serving and sharing their love of cheese, and combined forces in 2019 to conceptualize the Wheelhouse, which offers both a dining and shopping experience.
Well-stocked with artisanal cheeses, cured meats, and other unique delights, the store is the prime destination if you’re building a charcuterie board. The knowledgeable staff on site can help you pick out the perfect options for any occasion. If you’re short on time, you can order a platter for however many people you need to feed; the business just requests 48 hours’ notice.
If you’re looking to take it easy and enjoy a chill night with friends, bring a bottle of your favorite wine and head inside the coziness of the Wheelhouse, where the kitchen serves up made-to-order sandwiches, salads, and other savory shareables and sweet treats. Aaron said the spirit of the Wheelhouse lies in connecting with the community and neighboring businesses. For example, He welcomes Perla, which is a much smaller space and does not take reservations, to tell guests awaiting tables that they can come into the Wheelhouse.
Even if they don’t end up shopping for their kitchen or their closet—as the shop sells cheesy t-shirts and other merchandise—this is the kind of hospitable gesture that sticks in guests’ hearts and minds. This goodwill has returned in spades, as the restaurant’s newly-launched ‘Fondue Fridays’ have steadily been booking up for January, which is notoriously slow in the restaurant industry.
“We’ll keep doing Fondue Fridays as long as it’s cold. We’ll get our live DJ in here, and it’ll be fun,” Aaron said. “We’re also planning to do, for Valentine’s Day, two events. Galentine’s Day on the [night of the] 13th and then on Valentine’s Day, we’ll transform the restaurant into a cozy setting for a proper Valentine’s Day.
Corner Slice | 419 Boyden Avenue
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Past Perla and the Wheelhouse is another Italian option, and probably one of our state’s favorite pleasures: pizza. Corner Slice offers square pies and slices, inspired by the popular New York style, the city in which the business first opened its doors.
The first Corner Slice storefront was at Gotham West Market at 45th Street and 11th Avenue. After moving his family to New Jersey and with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, owner Mike Bergemann decided to move his pizza project to his home state. Now, he serves the Maplewood community with his delicious New York square pies, developing new flavors (like Black Truffle or Garbage Pie, and recently, even a Lobster Pie) and committing to offering a variety of toppings, including garlic confit and shaved red onion. The number of options and unique combinations make this a must-visit destination for any serious pizza lover.
Though Corner Slice does sell brownies as a dessert, you can always finish your night with some ice cream from the fridge at the Wheelhouse. Take it home, or, on warm evenings, enjoy it on the Wheelhouse’s cozy back patio.
All four restaurants are BYOB, but collaborate with the nearby Lum’s Cellars and Pallet Brewery for special events. At Perla, diners can even scan a special QR code and order a can or bottle of wine from Lum’s to be delivered within minutes.
See More: A Guide to Pizza Slices in Hoboken, By Price
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