The Hoboken Girl Team 
After several months of sitting vacant at 125 Newark Avenue, we now know what will fill the former space of Roman Nose in Downtown Jersey City. Local Italian spot Alessio’s has opened a new location on the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza, just steps from the Grove Street PATH Station, with a soft opening on May 19th, 2026. Read on for more about Alessio’s new location in Jersey City.
About Roman Nose
Roman Nose closed in November 2025, after 13 years in business. This authentic Italian spot was known for its relaxed atmosphere and delicious food. Roman Nose was known for its fresh, made-from-scratch pasta and signature dishes like Tagliatelle al Ragù, Cassarecce alla Norma, and Chicken Parmigiana. The restaurant’s meatballs, often described as tasting “straight from Nonna’s kitchen” and its indulgent desserts, from tiramisu to house-made gelato by Jersey City’s Milk Sugar Love, kept customers coming back for more. Brunch was also a highlight at Roman Nose, featuring Italian twists on classics such as lemon-ricotta pancakes, frittatas, and the fan-favorite Pizza All’Uovo.
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The team shared that the decision to close was made so that the founders of the restaurant could enjoy their retirement. Many residents shared their fond memories of meals and celebrations at the restaurant, and its final service was on November 2nd, 2025.
Alessio’s
Luca Infantino, a native Italian and a New Jerseyan by choice, opened his first restaurant in Hoboken in 2020. Alessio’s, located at 539 Park Avenue, quickly became known for its signature scooter parked outside, incredible baked goods, freshly baked pizzas, high-quality coffee drinks, delicious sandwiches, and general good vibes. Alessio is the name of his young son, and in 2020, Luca told HG, “Having a restaurant is challenging and you need to treat it like a baby. That’s why having the name of my baby on the door gives me the motivation and the responsibility of always trying and doing my best for the restaurant.”
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Since then, Luca has opened a handful of other restaurants throughout Hoboken and Jersey City. There is another Alessio’s location at 99 Franklin Street in Jersey City, and a seasonal kiosk at Pier A Park in Hoboken. An all-day cafe at the Northwest Resiliency Park, Terrace by Alessio’s, opened in uptown Hoboken in spring 2024. Casa Italia, an Italian market, opened in spring 2025 at 600 Park Avenue in Hoboken. There’s also an Alessio’s at 1525 Harbor Boulevard in Weehawken, which opened in fall 2025.
A post shared by the Historic Downtown Special Improvement District announced Alessio’s move to downtown Jersey City. Luca tells HG that the space will open in Spring 2026. “This location will allow us to bring the very best of our brand and services to one of the region’s most dynamic and vibrant communities,” he said. He described this space as being the flagship location for the brand. “The menu will be the same as Hoboken and Weehawken, with the extensive assortment of coffee, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, pasta, panini and pizza,” he said.
No HG article about Luca or Alessio’s would be complete without mentioning the Hoboken Girl Breakfast Sandwich. The little sandwich that could started as a temporary partnership and fundraiser for local charities in spring 2024, when the HG team work with Luca to come up with a special breakfast sandwich. The sandwich itself was popular, and the fundraising effort was so successful that it became a permanent menu item. It also won the reader-nominated Hoboken Girl Best Of Hoboken Best Breakfast Sandwich. And, over $10K has been raised from sandwich purchases, all of which has been donated to local nonprofit organizations.
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