Mezzogiorno Goes Out of Business

Downtown Scotch Plains has one less restaurant now.

Mezzogiorno, the Italian restaurant located at 45o Park Avenue right next to the municipal building, has gone out of business.

Owner Franscesco Sabetta told Patch that his closure was the result of hardships in this tough economy, citing specifically issues with his landlord.

"Unfortunately, I succumbed to the economic tsunami," he said via e-mail.

A native of Salerno, Italy, Sabetta opened Mezzogiorno a decade ago to do what he enjoys best: cooking authentic Italian food, singing and entertaining patrons with his rich, baritone vocals, and sharing a bit of Italian culture with Scotch Plains residents.

The restaurant, which served homemade pasta and a variety of authentic Italian dishes, was a single dining room filled with tables set with white and pink linen that matched the tile floor. Now, the dining room is almost completely bare, save for a single table still set in the front, a laminated copy of a newspaper restaurant review lying in one of the chairs.

Sabetta held a number of promotions during his time to attract business, including an Italian dinner and movie night during which guests enjoyed a themed menu, an Italian film (with subtitles), and a full discussion after the movie.

With his beloved business gone for now, Sabetta says he'll spend some time taking it easy.

"I will relax for awhile and, if I like it, I will continue to relax," he said.

Patch writer Cindy Loh contributed to this report.