Johnny Pepp’s Classics Now Served at City Bistro in Hoboken

For years, Fridays meant one thing for a certain kind of Hoboken family: walking into Johnny Pepperoni’s uptown, settling into a booth, and knowing the square pie would be there — twice-baked, with that blistered crust and just the right hit of pecorino. When the BYOB Italian spot closed recently, it felt like losing an old friend. But here’s the thing about John Avoletta, the man behind both restaurants: he doesn’t let good food disappear quietly.

Avoletta, who’s owned and run City Bistro for over 25 years, has quietly started serving some of Johnny Pepp’s most-loved dishes at his 14th Street mainstay. That means the mussels with chorizo, the tricolor salad, the shrimp scampi — they’re not gone. They’ve just moved a few blocks south.

What’s actually happening

City Bistro, at 56 14th Street, has always been known for its Italian-American menu, rooftop seating, and weekend brunch crowds. Now, the kitchen is also turning out Johnny Pepp’s classics. You can order the square pie — a twice-baked pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, olive oil, and pecorino romano — alongside the restaurant’s regular flatbreads and pastas. The roasted chicken Marsala comes with potato gnocchi, and the salmon piccata is served over potato puree with lemon, capers, and artichokes.

Avoletta told Hoboken Girl that while Johnny Pepperoni’s may be missed, it “isn’t completely gone.” The chef at City Bistro has been trained on the old recipes, and the plan is to keep those dishes alive for the regulars who made Johnny Pepp’s a neighborhood staple for years.

How we got here

Johnny Pepperoni’s, which sat on the uptown end of Washington Street, was more than a restaurant — it was the kind of place where you’d run into your kid’s soccer coach and your landlord in the same night. BYOB meant you could bring a bottle of something special from home, and the kitchen’s no-frills Italian cooking made it a dependable choice for birthdays, date nights, and “I don’t want to cook” Tuesdays.

So when news of its closure spread, the reaction was genuine grief. People don’t usually get broken-hearted over a restaurant closing, but this one felt different. Avoletta, who’s been a fixture in Hoboken’s dining scene for decades, clearly heard that. Rather than letting the recipes retire with the sign, he’s folded the best of Johnny Pepp’s into City Bistro’s menu.

What it means for Hudson County

For Hoboken residents, this is more than a menu update — it’s a small piece of continuity in a city that keeps changing. New luxury towers and shiny chains can make the Mile Square feel unfamiliar sometimes. But knowing you can still get a square pie on a cold night, or that the shrimp scampi your grandmother loved is being made a few blocks away — that anchors you in a way that little else does.

And for those who’ve never tried Johnny Pepp’s, this is your chance to see what the fuss was about. City Bistro is a little more polished than the old BYOB spot, but the food is the same. Plus, with the NFL season underway, there are game-day specials — half-price cheese pizzas, half-price bistro burgers, and $5 Miller Lites — and Saturday DJ sets on the rooftop, which is covered in flowers and has become one of the nicer outdoor spots in town.

What people are saying

Avoletta hasn’t made a big public statement about the transition — that’s just not his style. But he did share the news through Hoboken Girl, letting locals know that “Johnny Pepp’s classics” are now on the City Bistro menu. The response on social media has been a mix of relief and curiosity. Some longtime fans are planning trips to City Bistro to taste old favorites; others are just glad the Marsala didn’t disappear forever.

City Bistro has also long been a spot for private events, and the addition of these dishes makes it an even easier place to host a family gathering or work party. The dining room can accommodate up to 70 guests, the lounge up to 40, and the rooftop up to 150 for cocktail parties.

What comes next

Avoletta isn’t slowing down. He’s set to break ground on a new steakhouse concept later this month — an announcement that suggests he’s betting on Hoboken’s appetite for quality, chef-driven food. While that takes shape, the Johnny Pepp’s dishes will sit alongside City Bistro’s regular menu, and the rooftop will remain first-come, first-served. If you want to be sure of a table, especially on weekends, calling ahead is a good idea.

Change is constant in this city. But with the square pie still in rotation and a new project on the horizon, Hoboken’s dining scene is holding onto its past while keeping an eye on the future.