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DINING

Yankee Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera lunches in East Rutherford

Esther Davidowitz
NorthJersey.com

Bartender Katie Kripsgans did not believe the man on the other end of the phone line.

After securing a table for five for lunch at Vesta Wood Fired, a casual Italian spot in East Rutherford known for its brick-oven pizza and hearty Italian dishes, the man said that he would be bringing along Yankee Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, considered to be the best relief pitcher of all time.

Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera with Vesta Wood Fire sous chef Juan Villa

"I really didn't buy it," Kripsgans said.

Fifteen minutes later, in walks the 6-foot-2 Rivera, a three-time All-Star and five-time World Series winner, who pitched for the Yankees for 19 seasons.

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The staff was all abuzz, but tried not to show it. "He is a legend," said Juan Villa, sous chef. "I'm such a big fan, but I didn't want to bother him." Executive chef Christine Nunn, on the other hand, wasn't as impressed.

"I didn't know who he was," she said. 

Rivera said he had heard good things about the restaurant, which sits a four-minute drive from MetLife Stadium — and asked Kripsgans for recommendations. 

He began his meal with a prosciutto arugula pizza.

Vesta Wood Fired Pizza & Bar in East Rutherford. A Prosciutto Arugula pizza.

"You can't go wrong with that," said Villa.

And for his entree he asked for chicken parm with a vodka sauce instead of marinara. When however he saw how good the linguine with clams dish his companion ordered looked and smelled its intoxicating aroma, he ordered that too.

Did he eat both entrees?

"Yes," Villa said. "Well, most of the parm. He took the rest home."

He's not the first sport celebrity to dine at Vesta. Due to its proximity to the stadium, many Jets and Giants players have enjoyed meals there as well.

Villa recalls when Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Jason Pierre-Paul, once a Giant, came in. JPP's hand, he said, was still bandaged from a well-publicized fireworks accident.  

Mariano Rivera signed  Vesta Wood Fired sous chef Juan Villa's white coat

But Rivera, Villa said, is the greatest athlete to ever appear in the dining room. But you wouldn't know it from his demeanor. "He was so humble, so sweet," said Kripsgans, posing for selfies and giving out his autograph.

He even autographed Villa's white chef's coat, a coat he will never wear again.

"I'm going to frame it," he said. 

Esther Davidowitz is the food editor for NorthJersey.com. For more on where to dine and drink, please subscribe today and sign up for our North Jersey Eats newsletter.

Email: davidowitz@northjersey.com 

Twitter: @estherdavido