Brothers Lou and Chris Denis opened the Garden Café on Henley Avenue, nestled behind their successful flower shop and liquor store back in 2006. Since then, their goal has been making it a gathering place for patrons, friends and family. Chris said, “It’s here where friends become family.” The Garden Café has a beautiful garden and patio where customers come to sit and relax. I think that food always tastes better when dining al fresco. This cozy café is open for breakfast and lunch with choices that include sandwiches, omelets, baked goods, and paninis like their famed Lou-da-Chris and Baba-…
Patch food writer Donna Colucci visited the Glen Rock Inn to speak with owner Victor Quinn and Chef Dave to learn how to make an amazing chicken cutlet dish. Donna then sat down with Glen Rock Patch Editor Joseph M. Gerace and sampled the chicken cutlet breaded in panko sauteed in olive oil and served on a bed of spring greens showered with tomato basil salsa and mozzarella. Keep an eye out for Donna at a restaurant near you.
Bufflalo’s Chicken Shack, located on Hackensack Street in Wood Ridge directly across the street from the high school, has been serving up the best wings and BBQ in town for that last year and half. Chef and owners Darrin and Tiffany Miles started their first restaurant venture after Darrin perfected his mother’s special BBQ sauce recipe. Noticing a lack of good wings and BBQ in the area the Miles’, who hail from Clifton, took a chance and opened their full service, BYOB chicken shack in Wood Ridge. The Miles’ have enjoyed an early success due to their amazing food. Their signature item, the …
If it weren’t so well executed, one might be put off by the mix of eclectic, whimsical and rustic at the new Park West Tavern, which opened last week at the site of the former Winberrie’s restaurant. The initial entrance into the Chestnut Street tavern invites a certain formality. The ceilings are tall, the seating a clever mix of old English pub flanked by plush red chairs beside the bar. A fire burns at the dual stone fireplace while the aroma of slow-smoked meat breezes by. Patrons chat about the girl’s lacrosse victory near the amid the sound of clanking glasses, while businessmen nearby …
Fairmount Eats, located at the intersection of Terrace Place, Main Street and Poplar Avenue in Hackensack, open its doors four years ago. Restaurateur Nick and his friendly staff prepare fresh and delicious meals for their customers day after day beginning with breakfast. Their lunch and dinner specials have a variety of flavors from many cuisines; American, Italian, Mexican and Mediterranean. Upon entering this eatery, you can’t help but notice the beautiful murals that are hand painted on the walls, its quaint décor and homey feel. Take a seat by the window and you’re bound to catch a …
The “B.V.” in B.V. Tuscany Italian Restaurant aptly comes from the first initials of the first names of owners Benny and Vicky Balidemaj, who opened their dream eatery in 2008. It’s quaint and Tuscan-like in appearance, and is perfect for a romantic duo date or family dinner. Two separate dining rooms are adorned with paintings of the Italian Tuscan countryside, and a huge, fully stocked wine rack dominates the back wall of the left dining room. The eatery is located on Cedar Lane in Teaneck with ample street parking and nearby free lots. The prime entrees that most customers order are the …
After talking to Max Viola, the owner of the newPearl Restaurant on Broad Street, you understand what it means to be a restaurateur by birth. “I love to welcome people, to see them happy, to give them a great experience, and to have them enjoy their meal,” he said. It's as if he'd be having you over his house for dinner. Massimiliano, his name too long to fit on his ID, was born for this. His dad affectionately describes his son as an avid foodie, who loves to eat, and who could fairly critique a restaurant by age 12. Having been around the restaurant business his whole life because of his …
Apparently size doesn’t matter. Chef’s Table, located in Franklin Square shopping center, is case and point. Though the French eatery can seat less than 50 people, it is one of the best in the area, as the dishes are well-prepared, well-presented and contain fresh ingredients. And Chef’s Table is a break from your go-to restaurants. French restaurants are a dying breed these days. There are only a few in Bergen County, and they’re truly diamonds in the rough, with all of the pizzerias, diners and Chinese joints in the area. On their lunch menu, Chef’s Table offers specialty salads like a …
Bagels weren’t enough for Andrew Cohen, Eliot Cohen and Scott Handler. The owners of Ridgewood’s Wide World of Bagels and several other bagels shops for three decades, in December of 2009 unveiled a surprise on Hoboken’s trendy, downtown Washington Street: Stacks Pancake House & Cafe, where 22 varieties of pancakes, as well as omelets, burgers, salads, sandwiches, milkshakes, coffees and other sorts of drink concoctions were served. And now, the trio has opened a second Stacks at the old Pizza Hut location on Route 17 in Paramus. The week of May 23, Stacks will open its doors for the first …
For a restaurant that opened without fanfare in late April, St. Eve’s appears to be doing just fine, the phone ringing off the wall in late morning with people seeking dinner reservations. Steve and Judi Christianson, who lost their lease at the Citrus Grille in Airmont, N.Y., waited 14 months to get into their space on Maple Avenue in a new building near the Ho-Ho-Kus-Ridgewood border. The building is owned by a couple who used to dine at Citrus Grille and invited the Christiansons to “come on down” when they found out they had to move. “We were originally looking for a place with a …
Located at 2410 Hamburg Turnpike in Wayne, Novelli’s is easy to pass by on the busy street, but don't let that steer you away — it's a real gem when you walk in. The inviting ambience allows you to enjoy an evening out with wonderful northern Italian cuisine and a bar. Novelli’s is celebrating its seventh year. The owners previously owned Barelli’s in Secaucus and Spiro’s in Clifton and their previous patrons throughout the years have followed them to their Wayne location. The owners have been in business more than 35 years, serving fine Northern Italian and continental dishes. Novelli’s is a…
Pompilio’s Pizzeria & Restaurant in Westwood offers a culinary trifecta. Owner John Sambogna bustles back and forth from pizzeria to restaurant serving as John-of-all-trades; his son-in-law, Johnny, helps out with management, while Sambogna’s daughter, Blair, serves as the restaurant’s in-house pastry chef extraordinaire. Together they help make Pompilio’s a go-to destination when local families want a friendly, economical dining option with a diverse menu that’s sure to offer something for everyone. A recent extension to the existing original pizzeria business, the family restaurant offers …
If you’re searching for a party spot, family get together location, or just an overall fun dining experience that’s affordable, there's an ideal place right off the Garden State Parkway and Route 80. Family-run and casual, Carucci’s Restaurant & Pub has always been the popular spot in Saddle Brook for great Italian cuisine and pub favorites. Whether you're seated in the bar area with big screen televisions and pinball machines, or a spacious dining room with front and side window views, gracious service and equally great food are yours. Lunch and dinner is served at Carucci’s, and there is a …
Hani Ghobrial and his brother Sam are go-getters in the “clean” restaurant realm. When you first enter Mangiamo! Pizza & Restaurant, you notice the cleanliness, a Ghobrial staple. “The first 10 points is cleanliness,” claims Hani. “Once people first walk in, before ordering food, and asking ‘Do you guys do parties?’ or ‘Do you deliver?’ the place gives you the feeling. We spent a lot of money to put the place together. We’re not a franchise; we're little guys.” The Ghobrials own three Bergen County eateries, and their latest, as of June 10, 2010 is Mangiamo. “Really nice, very nice,” said …
One of Mahwah’s great pleasures sits right off the junction of Route 17 North and South on Route 202 South, having served the town of Mahwah with great food since 1977: The Mason Jar. Located at 219 Ramapo Valley Road, less than a mile from the rolling campus of Ramapo College of New Jersey, the Mason Jar is a popular dining spot for both the college scene, as well as locals, set in a comfortable American pub setting. The Mason Jar is co-owned by Ira Kaplin and Joel Weiss. Kaplin, who was born in Suffern and now resides in Warwick, and Weiss, who is from Woodcliff Lake, bought the popular …
Santorini Taverna is a relative newcomer to the Fort Lee area, having opened scarcely two years ago, but its combination of authentic, interesting food and warm, attentive service should make it a favorite in the future. During its short run I've already heard tell of people walking across the George Washington Bridge from Washington Heights to eat here. I first came to Santorini Taverna when the weather was warmer and found its owner entertaining outside on the restaurant's porch. Though I was there just to take a couple of photos and survey the place, Angelo sat me down and served me some …
Andreas Ristorante Italiano, tucked away in a strip mall in Waldwick, has been called one of Bergen County’s best kept dining secrets. But judging by the couples and families streaming in on a Friday night, a lot of people know the secret. “We don’t advertise,” owner Ben Mansueto admits. “My dad named the restaurant after himself and opened in one store front in 1984. The response was overwhelming and we took over the store next door six months later.” Mansueto describes himself as a third generation chef, crediting his late grandmother Anna, who immigrated from Sicily, with starting the …
How many times do we drive down River Road in Hackensack, pass Harley’s Irish Pub and say, “I have to try that place!” Well I did and might I add this is the place for wonderful traditional Irish food and imported lagers. Patrick Harley, owner of Harley’s Irish Pub which opened in 1977, does more than cook fantastic Irish standards. For the past 15 years Harley has been giving back to the community. He closes his restaurant to the public every Thanksgiving and invites the homeless to dine with him. They leave with a warm meal in their stomach and a coat and blanket to take with them. Join …
Janice, a small bistro on Sheridan Avenue in neighboring Ho Ho Kus, has a relatively short menu with a wide range of foods –from a hamburger and fries to sesame-crusted yellow fin tuna. But what you want to check out are the daily specials. Chef Janice Tinari offers whatever dishes strike her fancy, and she ventures far beyond traditional bistro food. She started out as an adventurous cook turned caterer who walked by a closed luncheonette one day in 2001and saw a for sale sign. “I knew it was now or never,” said the mother of four. Husband John Tinari, a commercial real estate executive in …
With all the standard appeal of other pizzerias apparent from the outside it's not until you taste a few items from their unique menu that you can appreciate what makes Francesca Pizza stand out from many other Italian restaurants. Brothers Salvatore and Gino Reina opened Francesca Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta in 2008. Their pizza pies, rolls and pasta dishes brim with fresh ingredients and the prices are right for families looking for a great meal. The Margherita pizza, the slice that their employees call their "most popular," is a thin slice with crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, pecorino romano …
