Jupiter is where restaurateur Eddie Lubic plans on staying, and with him the New York native also brought his newest concept, Uncle Eddie’s Ristorante.
A trip to Uncle Eddie’s Ristorante promises entertainment. Even if there isn’t an act on the white baby grand piano, Eddie Lubic himself makes sure guests are enthused, spending time at each table and sometimes even taking the mic for an Elvis or Neil Diamond impression of his own. The Italian eatery opened in Jupiter during the summer. It’s Lubic’s last stop after spending 36 years opening restaurants from New York to North Carolina.
Making Jupiter Home
Sepia-filtered photos of Lubic with his family and friends border the walls at Uncle Eddie’s Ristorante. His favorite one is of him and his daughter, Lacy, who is now 8 years old. She lives in North Carolina with Lubic’s wife, Ann-Margaret Wagner, who operates their restaurant along Lake Norman in Mooresville while Lubic focuses on the new restaurant in Florida. The couple met on a double date—only Lubic wasn’t being set up with Wagner. “I was on a blind date with a brunette and a blonde, and I picked the blonde,” Lubic says of his wife who brushes off his comment to explain that she was also versed in the restaurant industry, having worked for casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for 10 years. Uncle Eddie’s is the third restaurant the couple has opened together.
A Good Track Record
Lubic’s restaurant career began in 1979 when he took over his father’s business, Pizza Village, in Westchester County, New York. He later renamed it Eduardo’s, and then opened three other restaurants: Eduardo’s II, Eddie’s and Muscoot Tavern. In 2013 Lubic, who was born in Brooklyn, decided to part ways with New York and move to North Carolina with Wagner and their daughter to open Eddie’s Seafood & Raw Bar. Two years later, Lubic heard about an opportunity in Jupiter and decided he’d head south.
What’s Cookin’
Of course diners don’t just come to see Lubic, although he’ll tell you otherwise. They also come for the menu, which features dishes made from scratch using authentic, original recipes that blend ingredients imported from Italy and local farms. “You aren’t going to see chicken Parmesan on our menu,” Lubic says. Instead he suggests the Beef Brasciole stuffed with prosciutto, provolone, herbs, mushrooms and onions, under a layer of San Marzano pomodoro sauce sitting on top of sweet potato gnocchi ($27); or the Pappardelle Della Foresta, a serving of flat noodles paired with forest mushrooms, crispy pancetta, shallots with Cognac demi glace and truffle essence ($25). Uncle Eddie’s also offers a full bar, where daily happy hour runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the restaurant also offers a prix fixe menu with a three-course meal for $23.95.
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