Scene Around: Butler’s & Umberto’s; a Conscious Iconic Coupling

Just in case you’re having a hankering for a bite from an iconic eatery with a side of icon to serve it up, the folks at Butler’s in Rumson say that this very thing is on the menu now.

“We have teamed up with Umberto’s Pizzeria staff,” a Facebook post from Butler’s said. “Do you miss them? So did we. Tony will deliver your order! Call and Ask for Tony or Mary at 732-842-8745 or stop in say hello.”

Butler’s has been around seemingly forever. It’s an iconic Rumson staple. And there was a time, not too long ago, when the name and ownership changed and Butler’s, like Umberto’s, was missed. Not that there was anything wrong with the place that took its place, Locals. It’s just that old iconic eatery habits die hard in the Rumson-Fair Haven area.

Butler’s loyalists had to “hanga loose,” as Umberto’s icon Silvio Fabbri would say. Before long, the icon demand was met, Butler’s Paul Stout came out of a retirement he thought he wanted and the little sandwich shop long frequented by an adoring local public returned. When Stout actually did retire, Greg Bartz, also a longtime Rumson-Fair Havenite, took over in 2018 as owner. He made the iconic coupling happen.

The fans wanted their encore and they got one — two in one.

With Butler’s back and Umberto’s gone, it made sense to Bartz. There had to be some sort of iconic rebirth. There’s just been a hankering by too many lately to go back home to the crew that called Fair Haven home for decades.

So, from one icon to another, the new team was formed. Two of the Umberto’s icons in our pics are back home, so to speak. Well, they’re next door at the neighbors’ house. And the invite has been extended to knock on their door, because they’ve been waiting for you, too.

How’s that for neighborhood icon service? Put the coffee on, R-FH Retro’s stopping by! And, no, Matt from Acme, Umberto’s first customer, does not come with this deal. However, another Fabbri is cooking something up.

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