Umberto Turelli -- Chef & Owner of Nuova Luna in Toms River

On 8/13/10, I was photographing a party at the Beach Bar in Asbury Park. Party over and pictures posted for the guests, I didn’t give much more thought to the event. Flash forward nearly 2 years later, and I’m enjoying a fabulous meal with my friend Lori Draz at Nuova Luna in Toms River. Singer Joey B. is crooning in the background and it’s a great evening all around. Lori introduced me to Chef Umberto Turelli and we engaged in conversation about all sorts of things, including the fact that we knew several people in common and he was at the Beach Bar for the party I shot on 8/13/10. Small world!

But lets get down to the food. Umberto is a master chef after all, and his latest restaurant, Nuova Luna, specializes in Italian comfort food. He has owned several Italian restaurants in NJ  and has taken part in demonstrations with various major chefs across the country. He's been on News12-CN8 and on “EveryonesItalian.com" as their national chef. Umberto has served for five years as the statewide chairman of Star Chefs for the March of Dimes and was co-host of his own reality show “What’s Cookin.” Rumor has it that Chef Umberto is going to be opening a new restaurant in Ocean Township, so we’ll look forward to that. Like most creative people, Umberto is multi dimensional and always had a special admiration for the film industry. His path ultimately crossed with producer/director Frank Calo of FMC Films, and he’s been involved with various film projects. Umberto is not your average chef by any means, so we’ll have lots to talk about. After the interview, please check out After Hours at Jersey Coastal Live for additional info.