After 5 years of construction, Lamberti’s on Amherst to open ‘soon’

NanetteG

Lamberti's to open soon on Amherst Avenue. By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY MARGATE – It’s been more than five years since construction started on a block-long restaurant on Amherst Avenue, but the end is finally near. Luciano Lamberti’s Restaurant and Sunset Marina is nearing completion and will open “soon,” his son Joe Lamberti said Wednesday. He was reluctant to commit to an exact date but said the restaurant would be undergoing health inspections and liquor license renewal in the next two weeks. “I offer no commitment, but soon,” he said, “definitely this summer.” Joe Lamberti, 38, the restaurant’s general manager, has been working with his dad since before he was legally allowed to work, he said. On Wednesday, he was working with contractors on the finishing touches to the facility, which will be a showplace, he said. The restaurant has been under construction since 2019. “We had so many delays, including the pandemic, supply chain issues, and then, my dad got real sick, which slowed him down for a while,” he said. “It was one of those things that forces you to take a seat for a while.” Luciano Lamberti operated the Amherst Avenue restaurant and Sunset Marina starting in 2000, but the building needed repair and couldn’t sustain the demand for seating. “We had 2- to 3-hour waits and lost customers because we couldn’t get them seated fast enough,” Joe Lamberti said. “Plus, the building was really old, and the bulkhead needed to be replaced.”

Demolition at Lamberti's Restaurant and Sunset Marina There were 18 years left on a long-term, $500-per-year lease held by the city and Lamberti was able to work out a deal to obtain title to the property in exchange for replacing 588 linear feet of bulkhead. He also agreed to provide 24 daytime public parking spaces for boaters at his 64-space parking lot a block away on Monroe Avenue. At the time, the lease required Lamberti to maintain 231 feet of the bulkhead under the building, but he agreed to replace the remaining portion of the bulkhead that fronts the marina, bringing it up to FEMA standards and enhancing resiliency against storms. The elevated restaurant, which boasts high-end materials such as Italian stone flooring and marble bar tops, will span two floors and be serviced by ADA-compliant ramps and an elevator. The first level has a massive open kitchen, 30-seat bar, a 30-table seating area and a smaller 10-table dining area, and an outdoor deck overlooking the water. There is a counter along the entire length of the bayside that provides added seating for snacking and drinking. Wall-to-wall Polarized windows provide a fantastic view of colorful sunsets and a skyline view of the Margate Bridge and Mainland area.

The second level has a similar configuration and will be used for overflow dining, weddings, private parties, and late night entertainment. At the end of the building on the Longport side is a luxurious bridal suite with a full bath. “This place took years to develop and provides Luciano’s vision of what this place could be,” plumbing contractor and Margate resident Steve Woerner said. “It’s not like the average place you can find at the shore. There’s nowhere like this anywhere.” Woerner said it was one of the more challenging projects he has worked on during his career. “There were a lot of changes needed to the original plans,” he said. The kitchens, there are two, boast flat tops, grills, char-broilers, convection ovens, 30-burner stoves, spacious hot and cold stations, walk-in refrigeration, and plenty of room for chef and cook staff.

The kitchen will be open for lunch and dinner 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The second level will be open until “last call” on weekends. “We will have a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights, a dance floor, lighting and sound system,” Joe Lamberti said. Diners can expect Lamberti’s traditional Italian offerings for dinner, such as pasta, steaks and seafood dishes, with the addition of brick oven pizza, and possibly, sushi. Small plates will be available during happy hour. Joe Lamberti said the team will consider having Sunday brunch, “but the focus will be on what we know. We’ll wait until things are going smoothly before we open for brunch.” He was reluctant to have our photographer take pictures until the place is fully decorated. Still under wrappings and leaning against the wall were the art pieces that will grace the walls of the block-long building. “They are photos from Monti di Procida, where our family is from in Italy,” Joe Lamberti said. “They belonged to my grandfather, Giuseppe Lamberti.” Luciano Lamberti has operated restaurants for many years, and currently has Pasta Vino in Berlin, Luce in Medford and Maxie’s on the Temple University campus in Philadelphia. He previously operated Café Luciano on Longport Boulevard, but that place has been sold to LaBarca. Lamberti will continue to operate the Sunset Marina, which boasts 100 boat slips and 100 more jet ski slips. Boats can dock seasonally or dock for a few hours to have lunch or dinner. “We have some transient slips and dock hands will help them tie up at the ends of the piers,” Joe Lamberti said. By the Numbers: