Next Gen NYC personality Gia Giudice is bringing a taste of her family’s Italian traditions to her restaurant, Il Vero.
Teresa Giudice‘s oldest dorter is honoring the Real Housewives of New Jersey OG with a new venture that puts their family recipes front and center at her NJ eatery.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Gia explained that her family’s strong Italian values inspired the restaurant. She also credited Teresa’s success as a cookbook author, noting that her mother has multiple cookbooks land on the New York Times bestseller list.
“When this opportunity came about, I was like, ‘What better way than to carry on my family’s legacy?’” Gia shared. “The turnaround has been incredible, and I just can’t wait for more people to experience Il Vero.”
Naturally, Gia turned to her mom for advice on the menu. She wanted to make sure the dishes lived up to the meals Teresa prepared for her growing up. One family favorite that made the cut? Teresa’s famous meatballs!
“Teresa’s meatballs are on the menu, and everyone is going crazy for them,” Gia revealed. “We sell so many meatballs a night, it’s actually crazy!”
Gia explained that the restaurant incorporates traditional family ingredients(es) into the dish, with customers loving both the meatballs and the sauce.
The recipe has a familiar Bravo connection, too. Teresa previously featured the dish as “Joe’s Juicy Meatballs” in her cookbook Fabulicious!: Teresa’s Italian Family Cookbook, naming the recipe after her ex-husband, Joe Giudice.
Unfortunately for the budding restaurant owner, some diners have already criticized Gia’s new establishment. They shared complaints about the food, prices, service, and its reported no-children policy.
