Compliments of the Chef

Palate-pleasing eateries have deep roots in North Jersey neighborhoods

By Joseph Ritacco

If you’re planning a move to northern New Jersey, don’t forget to pack your appetite. Known for its beautiful neighborhoods, elite school systems and proximity to New York City, the area is also home to a robust restaurant scene that offers a variety of culinary and cultural experiences.

Within that landscape are a select few establishments so deeply rooted in their communities they become synonymous with them - not just a place to enjoy food and drinks, but to celebrate, mourn and mark life’s milestones. One such place is the Allendale Bar & Grill in Allendale, opened in 1935 by Mike and Maude “Mom” Connelly as a neighborhood tavern in the old Allendale Hotel. Yankees legend Babe Ruth was a frequent visitor in the early days, and Santa Claus has been known to stop in for a drink with patrons at the bar during the town’s annual holiday festivities.

After relocating to its present site on West Allendale Avenue in 1948, the basic menu expanded to include pizza, and the trend toward moderate drinking and more wholesome food continued into the 1970s, prompting a major renovation. “For many years, food was an afterthought,” says fourth-generation owner Chris Kunisch. “By the 1970s, a shot and a beer wasn’t cutting it. Fish, pasta, salads and steak were added to the menu - no longer just burgers.” The transition into a family eatery continued in 1992, when the Kunisch family acquired the Mahwah Bar & Grill, formerly a general store and gin mill, and transformed it into a family-friendly destination complete with an outdoor patio.

Allendale Bar & Grill

“My mom and dad always taught me and my siblings to take care of the community and the community will take care of you,” says Kunisch. “Our neighborhood pub and tavern has evolved into a restaurant, but the warm neighborhood feel will never change."

— CHRIS KUNISCH, OWNER, ALLENDALE BAR & GRILL, MAHWAH BAR & GRILL

The commitment to serving the community hasn’t changed either. Known for her generosity, “Mom” Connelly provided meals to passengers traveling on the freight trains that passed through Allendale in the early days of the tavern and invited residents in for a free corned beef and cabbage dinner every St. Patrick’s Day.

Nowadays, Allendale Bar & Grill and Mahwah Bar & Grill support local education associations, sports teams and Boy Scouts, and rarely turn down requests that come their way for raffles or other fundraisers.

While the menu has expanded, an old favorite has displayed staying power among patrons, says Kunisch. “Our Hotel Pub Burger, with cheddar ale and bacon, is a signature item,” he says. “I can still hear my father saying, "This business was built on a good burger!’” A favorite cocktail, he adds, is Kevin’s Coffee, featuring Grand Marnier, Tia Maria, dark rum, coffee and whipped cream.

A self-proclaimed “small town guy,” Kunisch says he is proud of the roots his family has in Allendale. “It’s a great place to raise a family,” he says. “My kids are fifth-generation Allendale, and there are only a handful of families around that can say they are fifth generation.”

DINING

SADDLE RIVER INN

Allendale’s neighboring town of Saddle River is also home to an historic dining establishment, the Saddle River Inn. As early as 1840, The Inn was operating as a saw mill and basket weaving factory, as Saddle River was once the biggest producers of strawberries in the area.

“They would weave baskets here and collect the strawberries from all over Saddle River and send them on the train to all different locations,” says Jamie Knott, Saddle River Inn owner. “It used to be called the Strawberry Barn.”

Part of the William Packard Estate now known as Barnstable Court, the Saddle River Inn was established in 1981 by Hans and Imelda Egg, who set a standard in fine dining. “It was the first real fine dining restaurant in suburban New Jersey, with white glove service, caviar and lobsters,” says Knott. “It was the highest end restaurant within 50 miles.”

Knott, who purchased the business in 2013 and serves as its chef, says he’s done his best to keep the tradition alive. “You can’t duplicate the barn and the feeling you get,” he says. “Everything is hand cut, the wood inside, the high ceilings, the fact that we’re sitting on a river.”

He kept the charm of the dark wood 19th-century barn that houses the restaurant but brightened it up. He also removed the old chairs, old wallpaper, dry flowers and window treatments, and put his own spin on the menu, highlighted by a new dessert menu that has been a big hit with patrons.

The “new” Saddle River Inn is a fine dining, contemporary French restaurant. Knott uses only prime dry-aged beef, the freshest seafood and local organic produce whenever possible. The menu changes twice seasonally and utilizes ingredients at the peak of their freshness.

“The food is modern French, vegetable-focused but light,” says Knott. “Sauces are very important, as I use a lot of acid in my cooking. There’s an undertone of some Asian flavors and ingredients as well.”

Chef and owner Jamie Knott

Chef and owner Jamie Knott, top, has put his own spin on the menu at the historic Saddle River Inn, but made it a priority to maintain the unique ambiance of the 19th-century barn.

CAFÉ PANACHE

Terrie O'Connor Realtors recently celebrated with some of the 2021 top sales associates over lunch at Café Panache prepared by new executive chef Michael Matonti, pictured fourth from left.

Michael Matonti, who once worked at the Saddle River Inn under its first chef and owner, was recently named executive chef at another local dining landmark, the award-winning Café Panache in Ramsey, which opened its doors in 1985.

It’s a career come full circle for Matonti, who knocked on the door of Café Panache in 1994 at the age of 24 after deciding to pursue a career in the restaurant industry. “I wanted to work at the best restaurant I could find,” he recalls. “I grew up in Mahwah and knew the reputation of Café Panache. I knew it was the one. It was close to my house too, which didn’t hurt.”

He became a protege of the restaurant’s beloved founder, Kevin Kohler, who passed away in early 2021. Matonti spent the next year working his way up the stations at Café Panache before enrolling at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan (now the International Culinary Center). His career path led him to several kitchens, including the MadKat Gourmet in Oradell, River City Grille in Irvington, NY, and the River Vale Country Club. He always conferred with Kohler before accepting any jobs and applied lessons he learned at Café Panache.

“First and foremost, have respect for the ingredients and the people who produce those ingredients - the farmers,” he says. “It’s where everything starts with cooking. The farmers feed us.” He continues, “Everything that comes into my restaurant is top notch or we send it back. Kevin was ahead of his time with the new farm-to-table trend. He was doing it 30 years ago.”

Kohler also stressed the importance of eliminating waste, which led to the creation of the restaurant’s signature dish, the filet mignon ravioli. Kohler was looking for away to utilize the meat he’d end up throwing out while butchering filet mignon. One day he made a Bourguignon sauce with the meat, seasoned with Parmesan cheese and a little truffle oil, and decided to make ravioli with it. It was a big hit and has remained on the menu since 1990. “Most would’ve just thrown that meat away,” says Matonti. “That was his genius.”

Kohler’s children continue to operate Café Panache, and Matonti shares their goal of honoring Kevin’s legacy. “I’m not trying to fill his shoes - that’s impossible,” he says, “but we can keep his memory alive. I hope that is what we’re achieving.”

The efforts of the entire staff, he adds, are needed to meet the high standards set at Café Panache. “At times you see your co-workers more than your family,” he says. “The people you work with and around, from top to bottom, are important. In this industry there’s no distinction between the front of the house and the back of the house - it’s one house and everything has to be great.”

Reflecting on his own path back to Café Panache, Matonti says, “The journey is the most important thing. You can’t come out of culinary school and say, "I’m a chef.’ You have to immerse yourself in it.”

He continues, “If you get into this business because you like cooking, five years from now you’ll hate cooking. But if you love cooking, you’ll always love it. You have to have a certain passion and respect for it.”