In 1999, Trattoria Saporito (later Cucina Saporito) opened its doors on 328 Washington Street — and for the 22 years that followed, this unassuming Italian restaurant became a fixture in The Mile Square, dubbed by many locals as Hoboken’s best-kept secret. This past January, however, the long-standing bistro closed its doors for good, citing the pandemic and financial struggles as reasons for closure. In August, the Washington Street storefront was taken over by “a new generation cafe” called Toast x Bowl. We recently checked out this Asian-owned eatery, which serves sandwiches + health bowls. Read on to learn more about Cucina Saporito’s closing and Toast x Bowl, the new business that took over the 328 Washington Street space in Hoboken.
Cucina Saporito Closes Its Doors
Open since 1999, Trattoria Saporito was a classic Italian restaurant in the Mile Square for the last 22 years. Gastone Alvarao, the original owner opened the restaurant with family recipes from Italy in mind. Along the way, Trattoria became Cucina, but the Italian gem kept true to its roots, serving up a menu that set it apart from other Italian restaurants in the area.
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This January, however, the restaurant took to Instagram to share news of its closure. The post read: “Cucina Saporito would like to thank all of our wonderful customers and staff for all the great memories we’ve shared over the past few years.” The team said, “We hope to have left a mark on our loyal customers and the City of Hoboken. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts and we leave you with a quote from one of our regular customers. ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” See the post below.
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About Toast x Bowl
In Cucina Saporito’s place comes a departure from the beloved Italian restaurant — Toast Bowl, a new spot specializing in Asian-inspired bowls + sandwiches. The menu boasts six “Chef’s Special” sandwiches, each of which take a classic American sandwich and flip it on its head. If this sounds confusing, an example: on our recent visit, we ordered the Sweet and Spicy chicken sandwich featuring fried chicken, red onion, jalapeno, mozzarella, parsley, scrambled egg, and Thai chili mayo, all tucked into two fluffy and toasted pieces of brioche bread. Some other notable sandwiches include the Tuna Melt (toasted brioche, lettuce, tuna salad, cheddar, red onion, scrambled egg, + brown mustard mayo) and the Hamazing Sunrise Melt (toasted brioche, lettuce, red cabbage, ham, cheddar, parsley, scrambled egg, + sexy mayo).
In addition to the sandwiches, there are five rice bowl options, each a more wellness-based approach than their sandwich counterparts. A self-proclaimed new-gen cafe, Toast x Bowl also has an array of coffees, teas, smoothies, and hot drinks to pair any menu indulgence with.
Aside from the eats, Toast x Bowl also has a great work-from-home vibe, with plenty of outlets and tables to choose from. This new spot has a pretty serious lunch rush (which can be explained by the eats), but the staff is friendly and the atmosphere is still generally relaxing.
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Toast x Bowl soft-opened on August 5th, 2023, and is open every day from 11AM-9PM. We know what you coffee campers are thinking: a coffee spot open past 5PM, and you’d be right. We’ve got a list of local places to get your late-night caffeine fix here.
