John Basilone
Parade Day

Each year in September we here at Uncle Vinnie’s look forward to cheering on the annual John Basilone Parade. Situated right on the parade route, our friends and patrons are able to enjoy a great view of the festivities (and some awesome food too!). This is what small-town America is all about!

This year’s Parade will be held on Sunday, September 20, 2026 @ 1pm.

Our Hometown Hero:
Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone

(Nov.14,1916 - Feb. 19, 1945)

Awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal, he was the only enlisted Marine during WWII to receive both the Medal of Honor & the Navy Cross.

Jon Seda Visits Vinnie's

Uncle Vinnie’s Clam Bar was recently honored to play host to a very special guest. After appearing in the John Basilone parade, actor Jon Seda stopped in for dinner and some local hospitality. Credited with portraying Raritan’s own hometown hero Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone in HBO’s Emmy Award winning miniseries “The Pacific”, Seda is a star on the rise. Recently interviewed by the Chicago Tribune, Seda sites Uncle Vinnie’s Clam Bar as one of his favorite restaurants saying: “Uncle Vinnie’s Clam Bar… is Italian cuisine the way it was meant to be. The seafood and pasta are unbelievable and the mussels are awesome!”
-Chicago Tribune, Nov. 9, 2010

About our Town

Raritan is really a great little town, to learn more about us, check out http://www.raritan-online.com/

Industry Trends

This year Uncle Vinnie’s took a road trip up to Boston, MA to attend the Boston International Seafood Show. We sampled a lot of clam “chowdah”, viewed thousands of vendors and made a lot of new contacts. Outings like this are a great way for us to stay hip to what’s going on in the ever-changing seafood industry.