Eating out in Chester: Thai Kitchen

(Image taken from: thewanderingpalate.com)

If Thai Kitchen in Chester were “just” a Thai place, then that in itself would actually be a pretty good reason to come here as you don’t exactly see Chester’s streets lined with good Thai restaurants.

“There's no Thai restaurant in this location — Mendham, Chester, Long Valley," says manager, Oscar Chia, "There's only one: us."

But here’s the beauty of it. Thai Kitchen isn’t just a Thai restaurant, but actually a sort of marriage between Thai food and French cuisine. It’s an experience that has to be tasted to be believed.

“We’re fusion,” Chia says, “We’re [actually] getting more customers now.”
It wasn’t always this way, though, as the location isn’t exactly out in the open .
Nestled into the Streets of Chester mall on Route 206, Thai Kitchen might be passed over if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

“There's a lot of people around here, but they don't realize there's a restaurant here in this mall," Chia says.

And that’s a shame, because the menu here is to die for.

On their lunch menu, they have such items as the classic Thai dish, Pad Thai, which is stir fried rice noodle, crushed peanut, scallions, tofu, bean sprouts and egg, as well as a choice chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, or squid. Or how about their Gang Kiew Wan, which has green curry with coconut milk, Thai basil, eggplants, bamboo shoots, onions and bell peppers. Quite different from burgers, pizza, or Chinese food, wouldn’t you say?

They also have exquisite dinners, such as wild boar, which is sautéed boar with onions, bell peppers, green pepper corn, lime leave, and Thai basil in spicy sauce. Their Sear Tuna is also quite popular. It’s Pan seared tuna served with yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant with creamy green curry. It’s a favorite here.

To add to their already diverse menu, they also have specials.

“We do have a dish called Volcano fish,” Chia says, “It is a white meat fish with fresh cabbage in special curry sauce. It’s very good. A lot of people love it.”
The biggest challenge with the restaurant though was to integrate French and Thai food in a way that melds many of the cultures' greatest features together.

"Many people order the lamb chops or the tuna,” Chia says. "But the tuna is a little different. It comes with a creamy green curry sauce, so it's a mix of French and Thai."

Sounds good to me. So what are you waiting for? Thai Kitchen offers an experience like nothing else in the area.

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THAI KITCHEN CHESTER
WHERE: 320 State Route 206 South
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-9800
HOURS: Lunch hours: Mon-Sat 11:AM-3:00PM, Dinner hours, Mon-Thu 5:00PM-9:30PM, Fri & Sat: 5:00PM-10:30PM, Sun 4:00PM-9:30PM
CUISINE: Thai Cuisine
PAYMENT: Cash, checks, and all major credit cards except Discover
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: Though it might be hard to find, this eclectic restaurant has a wide assortment to eat once you get here
ATMOSPHERE: A beautiful restaurant with sculptures of elephants all around the place
PARKING: In the lot
Website: http://www.thaikitchenchester.com/

Eating out in Chester: Taylor’s Ice Cream Parlor

(Image taken from: randomoverload.com)

Spring is here and the summer’s fast approaching. Let’s go get some ice cream. Or maybe you want some yogurt. Do you want it be gluten free? Non-fat? Okay, wait, now you say you want an Italian Ice? Man, you’re picky. But picky is what you can be here at Taylor’s Ice Cream Parlor in Chester. They have something here for all of your picky needs.

“We have a flavor for pretty much everyone,” co-owner Ron Klein says, who runs the shop along with his wife, Margaret, “Anyone that’s allergic to anything, we can always accommodate everyone.”

“We have the ices, which are dairy free, [so] there’s no dairy products [in them],” Klein continues, “We have gluten free ice cream, we have sugar free, we have non-fat yogurt, so we can pretty much accommodate anyone.”

And how! With 48 flavors of homemade ice cream to choose from, you’ll definitely find a taste that suits your character. And they even have some new flavors this year.

“We have a special rich chocolate that’s very rich and very chocolatey,” Klein says, “We have a Chips Ahoy ice cream that has the Chips Ahoy cookies in them. And we have a Pineapple Orange ice cream, which is really good and refreshing.”

“A lot of times, I will just create them [these different flavors] in my own mind and see what works, see what doesn’t work,” Klein continues, “ I try it out, my wife tastes it, some of the kids will check it out. And if we have a fair approval, we’ll make it and put it in the store.”

Everyone here has a say, including his ample supply of young employees.
“We still employ a lot of local kids,” Klein says, “We probably have more employees here than most businesses in town.”

They also help out those in need, from donating money to revealing the craft of how to make the ice cream itself.

“I give free demonstrations on how the ice cream is being made,” Klein says, “We generally have a dozen boy scouts, girl scout troops come in during the year, and we’re always helping the local charities, and still giving good service. We have a great product.”

One of those great products is their famous ice cream cakes, which can be ready for you in very short notice and can also come in a wide assortment of flavors.
“We can make them out of any of our 48 flavors, which a lot of places won’t do,” Klein says, “And a lot of places will need a week’s notice. We can get a cake together within the day, sometimes less.”

“We’ll help out as much as possible, and our cakes are popular, they’re good,” Klein continues, “They’re with our homemade ice cream.”

And we already know how good their ice cream is. So come on by some time and say hello to Ron or his wife or the many employees who you may already know already working here. It’s nice outside now, and you deserve a treat.

###

TAYLOR’S ICE CREAM PARLOR
WHERE: 18 Main Street, Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-5363
HOURS: Seven days a week, 10:30AM-9:00PM, though, during the summer, the time becomes 10:30AM-10:30PM
CUISINE: Ice Cream, yogurt, the good stuff
PAYMENT: Cash
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: A pleasant shop with seats inside. Dig in.
ATMOSPHERE: Ron, his wife, and his young employees are always cheerful here, and wouldn’t you be? Serving ice cream all day to happy customers? It’s a swell job
PARKING: In the lot around back
OWNER: Ron and Margaret Klein

Eating Out in Chester: Sub Pub

(Image taken from: connect.rhodes.edu)

Finding a good Chinese place in any given town? That’s not so hard, as there’s usually at least one dependable Chinese restaurant no matter where you go. Same with pizza joints. But sandwich shops? Not so much. Luckily for Chester residents, they do have a terrific sandwich place, and it goes by the name of Sub Pub. Hey, 38 years in the business has to stand for something, right?

“We haven’t changed anything as far as the quality of the product and the amount that we put on a sandwich,” says shop owner, Karen Wolfe, who has worked in the shop in some capacity since 1975, “Even though times have been tough, we haven’t changed anything. Prices go up, obviously, but we still maintain the same,” she thinks about it for a second before she says, “the only word I can use is quality.”

And that quality has been enjoyed by residents and out-of-towners for quite some time now. Even after other sandwich places have set up shop over the years.

“You know, sometimes, competition is good,” Wolfe says, “the customer gets a chance to see if they can get the same thing for less or better, but usually, they can’t, so it increases our following. It brings them back plus more.”

With more than 40 sandwiches to choose from, it might be hard to pick out a favorite from their delectable menu, but there are two that sit at the top of their list that customers can’t seem to get enough of.

“Your basic Italian sub is the most popular,” Wolfe says, “And [there’s also] the Long Valley, which is Swiss cheese, roast beef, turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, spices and Russian dressing.”

They also have party platters just in case one of their regular sized sandwiches is just not enough for you.

“We do 6 footers, and 3 footers,” Wolfe says, “We do cold cut platters, submarine sandwich platters, and we do Sloppy Joe platters.”

They even cater other items if you’re looking for a bit more.

“We also do some hot catering like baked ziti, and lasagna, and chicken parmesan,” Wolfe says, “Some hot dish catering.”

But they typically just stick to what their bests at—their subs.

“We’ll do it [cater items outside of subs] occasionally, like, someone will ask us and it’s always available,” Wolfe says, “but it’s mainly the sandwiches that we do.”
So, what don’t they do then? Well, alcohol, for one thing, even though it’s called a Pub.

“No, there's no alcohol,'' Wolfe says, "We have root beer and birch beer. If that floats your boat, no problem,'' she says with a laugh.

So, why the name then?

“The name was there for so long that we didn't want to change it,'' Wolfe says, "People had associated the business with the name, so we just kept it and continued to run with it."

Well, whatever the name, a sub is still a sub, no matter what you call it. And these subs just happen to be delicious. Chester, you never had it so good. Well, except for maybe the past 38 years.

###
SUB PUB
WHERE: 35 Perry Street, Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-5334
HOURS: Tuesday-Friday, 10:00AM-6:00PM, Saturday, 10:30AM-6:00PM, Sunday, 10:30AM-5:00PM, Closed MOnday
CUISINE: Subs
PAYMENT: Cash, credit, Visa and Mastercard
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: An pleasant sandwich shop has some seats to eat inside. It’s a quaint little place.
ATMOSPHERE: Just down the street from two ice cream parlors, this is the perfect place to scarf down a sandwich before satisfying your sweet tooth up the street.
CATERING: Yes
DELIVERY: No
PARKING: In the lot nearby
OWNER: Karen Wolfe

Eating Out in Chester: Bagel Cafe

(Image taken from: thisweekfordinner.com)

There are plenty of bagel shops where you can get other items besides bagels from the menu. But how many of those same bagel shops can you also get a falafel?

“It’s freshly made here,” owner Abby Hassan says, “We have chick peas, and the fresh Tahini sauce, and the fresh pita bread.”

“A lot of customers asked for it,” Hassan continues, “It’s really fresh.”

Expect to hear that word “fresh” a lot here when talking to Mr. Hassan about his shop, as everything here is made fresh on the premises; Especially the bagels.

“Our bagel recipe is unique,” Hassan says, “It’s a very expensive recipe, and we use brown sugar and bake it with whole grain flour right in the bagels.”

One of the most famous of their bagels is the harvest grain, which has some interesting ingredients in it.

“It has whole grain flour with carrots and raisins,” Hassan says.

They also have the pumpernickel, which is made with real pumpernickel flour, and the whole wheat, which is made with real honey.

But as mentioned earlier, bagels aren’t all they sell here. Along with the falafels, they also have a full case of deli meats if you’re hankering for a sandwich.

“We use Boar’s Head meat,” Hassan says, “It practically sells itself.”

They also make great wraps with these meats, such as the California wrap or their balsamic chicken wrap with fresh mozzarella, tomato, lettuce, avocado and grilled balsamic chicken.

And let’s not forget their stellar soups.

“Our famous soups are the lentil soup and the chicken noodle,” Hassan says, “And as for our cream soups, we have the cream of tomato and the cream of tomato leeks.”

Also on hand are their cheeseburgers, mozzarella sticks, and chicken fingers, which they slap right down on their fryers.

“A lot of it is for the kids,” Hassan says.

Also nice is that you don’t even have to come down here if you’re in the area and want to get a lot of different items for groups. They’ll actually come to you.

“We do a lot of catering for offices around us, and we do a lot of churches for bagels on Sundays,” Hassan says, “A lot of offices request us for catering, and if it’s for breakfast, it’s usually bagels with cream cheese. And if it’s lunch, people usually prefer wraps.”

Or falafels, if that’s your sort of thing. At the Bagel Café, you have options. And what could be better than that?

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BAGEL CAFE
WHERE: 233 US Highway, 206 N, Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-8988
HOURS: 5:30AM-4:00PM, Monday-Friday, 5:30AM-3:00PM, Saturday and Sunday
CUISINE: Bagels and Deli
PAYMENT: Cash and all major credit cards except Discover
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: This bagel shop and deli has nothing but fresh food, and even some falafels, which are hard to come by in the area
ATMOSPHERE: With great bagels, comfortable seating, and a friendly atmosphere, you can’t go wrong with the Bagel Cafe
CATERING: Yes
PARKING: Large lot
OWNER: Abby Hassan

Eating Out in Chester: The Black River Candy Shoppe

(Image taken from: Candyfavorites.com)

Steve Jones, owner of The Black River Candy Shoppe in Chester, has the lucky circumstance to have a job where he gets to see people smiling all day. And since his shop is the only one for miles on end, he gets to see people all over the place smiling, and not just from Chester.

“I think we’re unique in that there’s nothing like us anywhere close by,” Jones says, “so we have people coming up from Staten Island, and down around Montclair and Hoboken, and New York City on a regular basis, because we’re unique.”

Unique doesn’t even begin to describe it. Pez dispensers line the walls, old candies from your childhood like wax bottles and Gold Mine Bubble Gum sit with newer brands, and barrels literally are stocked with sweets. You might not find anything else like this for the rest of your life.

“We’re always getting new candies,” Jones says, “I mean, candies come and go almost on a weekly basis.”

Of those candies, they have a wide assortment that is all over the board from soft, to hard, to chewy, to sour. If you like it and it’s modern and popular, most likely, they probably have it.

“We have over 900 items that people can choose from,” Jones says.

Jones is originally from the pharmaceutical industry, but felt that he wanted a change.

“I had some acquaintances in North Carolina that had very similar stores going back 25 years ago,” Jones says, “and I just kind of liked the idea and always thought it would be a good fit for Chester.”

And it’s been a great fit for Chester. For the past 12 years now, Jones has been in the area and keeping track of some of the most popular candies on the market that the kids are into these days. So along with the nostalgic candies that you can pick up, you can pick up what your kids crave as well.

“Gummies are still real big for kids,” Jones says, “Sour candies are [also] still going extremely well.”

“Another thing that’s coming on now is that folks are doing a lot with chocolate that they didn’t use to do,” Jones continues, “They have chocolate with wine, chocolate with chilies, all that kind of crazy stuff that you didn’t see years ago, so that’s something that’s certainly new and becoming more popular all the time.”

Along with the website for the shop, he also assists those who are looking to put together a candy bar for special occasions.

“I don’t cater, but people come in and say, ‘We’re doing a candy bar for a wedding reception, and we’re probably going to have 10 candies,’” Jones says, “They usually have a color theme or a flavor theme, and I work with folks, and a lot of times, they’ll bring in their containers, and we’ll fill some and find out how many quantities they need.”

And seriously, how sweet is that?

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BLACK RIVER CANDY SHOPPE
WHERE: 44 Main Street, Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: (908) 879-1233
HOURS: Tuesday-Saturday: 10AM-5:00PM, Sunday: 11AM-5:00PM
CUISINE: Candy, Chocolate
PAYMENT: Cash, all major credit cards
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: This fun shoppe has barrels with candy and Pez dispensers on the wall. It’s a sight!
ATMOSPHERE: A friendly staff will happily help you want candy you’re looking for
PARKING: In the lot
OWNER: Steve Jones

Eating Out in Chester: Benito's Trattoria

(Image taken from: Benitostrattoria.com)

If you’re an American, then you’ve eaten Italian food before. There are no if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. Italian food is probably one of the most popular varieties of food in this country, but did you know that there’s a difference between food from Northern Italy and Southern Italy?
“North Italian cuisine is a little lighter,” says Benito’s Trattoria owner, John Vucetaj, who runs the popular restaurant in Chester, “In south Italy, they have heavier sauces.”

“North Italian cuisine is more modern,” Vucetaj continues, “Italy still has that old time fashion to it. [It can be] very heavy stuff.”

But even if you like the thick and heavier sauces of the old world, you should still definitely come and check out what Benito’s has to offer, as this place has been Zagat rated for over a decade now for a reason.

“We do have a very good reputation,” Vucetaj says, “we’ve been Zagat rated for the past 14 years.”

It might be because of their stellar lunch and dinner menus. Come in for lunch, and you can get anything from linguine with proscuitto, onions, and tomato sauce, to veal scallopini with shitaki mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, shrimp, garlic, basil, and white wine.

Stop in for dinner, and you can have items like veal scallopini topped with sliced tomatoes, salami, artichoke hearts and mozzarella cheese in a white wine and garlic sauce. Every item on the menu is sure to get vivid images in your head of a delectable meal, and they have other courses that are not on their menu, too.

“We have about 6 or 7 different specials every night,” Vucetaj says, “Like chicken, pasta, fish, steak, appetizers, different kinds. It is a different special every day.”

They also do catering for special occasions, so you don’t just have to come into the restaurant to have their excellent food.

“We do cater for special occasions,” Vucetaj says, “starting in April, May, June, and July, we have [catering for] special events like Holy Communion, birthdays, and graduations.”
And if you’re on a diet and are shying away from the excessive carbs, they still have you covered.

“We’ll have like a whole wheat pasta, and a little more healthy food,” Vucetaj says, “We’re trying to get something different for people who are health conscious.”
Whatever kind of food they serve, it’s sure to be incredible here. The restaurant hasn’t lasted so long for nothing.

“We’ve been here for a very long time, and I think we have very good food, good staff, and nice service,” Vucetaj says.
###
BENITO’S TRATTORIA
WHERE: 44 Main Street, Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-1887
HOURS: Closed Monday, Tues-Friday: 11:30AM-10:00PM, Sat: 5:00PM-10:00PM, Sun: 1:00PM-9:00PM
CUISINE: Italian
PAYMENT: Cash, checks, and all major credit cards
PRICE RANGE: Appetizers, $5.95-$10.95, pasta, $9.95-$18.95, meats, $9.95-$19.95, Fish, $13.95-$22.95
DRESS: Business Casual
RESERVATIONS: Yes, for Fridays and Saturdays
THE SCENE: This quaint place has enough room to enjoy your meal with a loved one or alone.
ATMOSPHERE: This comely spot is going to be getting new wallpaper in the next few weeks, so look for that
PARKING: In the lot
OWNERS: John Vucetaj

Eating Out in Chester: Maria's Artisan Bread, Pastries, and Imported Specialties

(Image taken from: find.myrecipes.com)

Anyone will tell you that food tastes differently outside of America. It’s one of the things that makes traveling outside of the country so interesting . Italian food, especially, has a certain flair and flavor of its own, and many people will go to Italy just for that. But if you’re pining for their bread or their pastries, or their olive oil, you can save the money on the plane ticket and drive over to Chester, where Maria’s Artisan Bread, Pastries, and Imported Specialties has you covered.

“A lot of stuff, like the extra Virgin olive oil, gets shipped to Sicily, and goes to the importer,” says shop owner, Maria Solano, “and then, I pick it up.”

It’s a process of delivery that provides a unique flavor to the community, one that many Chester residents are saying you can only find in New York.

We’ve heard from a number of customers that you can only find [the things we’re selling] on Arthur Avenue,” says Solano.

Along with the olive oil, Solano also prides herself on having a shop that has jams, cookies, and even bread that is so back to the basics and absent of preservatives that you might not even know what you’re biting into when you taste it.

“Salt, water, yeast, and flour,” Solano says of the ingredients in most of the bread that she sells in her shop, “That’s it.”

Along with the bread and olive oil, they also have éclairs, homemade pasta, cream puffs, and other great items, as well as more on the way.

“We’re going to try to introduce some different cheeses,” Solano says, “We’re having like, dipping oils coming in on a weekly base. I introduce a new item every week.”

But the food is not all this small shop has to offer. Solano, born and raised in Rome, wants to provide her customers with an experience when they come into her shop, even if they’re just picking up a loaf of bread.

“We have Italian music playing in the store,” Solano says, “and it brings you back to the old world.”

“People are literally dancing into the store,” Solano continues, “It’s nice when you put a smile on a person’s face just to get a loaf of bread.”

One group in particular that she’s been putting a smile on their faces is the people who don’t have much, as Solano believes in giving to the needy anything that she doesn’t sell. The Market Street Mission in Morristown, a senior center, and The Hermits of Bethlehem, all get items from her store if they haven’t sold.

“We donate a lot of stuff,” Solano says, “At the end of the day, giving it away puts a smile on my face.”

But Solano won’t just give away anything. She’s always making certain that anything that leaves her shelves is of the highest quality.
“I wouldn’t sell it if I wouldn’t eat it,” Solano says, “I’m very picky about the way the bread looks, the way the cookies look.”

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MARIA’S ARTISAN BREAD, PASTRIES, AND IMPORTED SPECIALTIES
WHERE: 56 Main Street, Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-1123
HOURS: Closed Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday-Friday: 10AM-5:00PM, Saturday and Sunday: 8:00AM-3:00PM
CUISINE: Breads, pastries
PAYMENT: Cash, all major credit cards
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: A small shop that’s reminiscent of the small shops in Rome
ATMOSPHERE: Maria and her daughters who might be seen on weekends, are a friendly group happy to chit-chat and say hello to you, even if you’re just picking up a loaf of bread. The customer is highly regarded here.
OWNER: Maria Solano

Eating Out in Chester: Village Pizza

Do you like pizza? Well, yeah, of course you do.

Aside from hamburgers and apple pie, pizza is probably the food that best typifies "America." And if you live in Mendham and you want a nice, triangular slice, you have many places to choose from. But did you know two of them are owned by the same family?

"They have a slightly different recipe than us," says Guy Poggi, owner of Village Pizza in the King's Shopping Center. He's talking about Sorrento's, which is owned by his brother, Jarrod. "They have the original recipe my father started, and then, when I took over Village Pizza, I slightly tweaked it, but it comes from the same recipe."

That same recipe was the brainchild of Robert Poggi, Guy and Jarrod's father.

"Before Village Pizza was here, my pop started Sorrento's," Guy says.

You might think two brothers owning different pizza shops might spur sibling rivalry, but it doesn't — for the most part.

"I'd like to think of it as friendly competition, you know?" Guy says. "We help each other out all the time. If I run out of a certain supply, I can go up there and get it, and if he runs out of a certain supply, he can come down and get it. Sometimes, we'll do deliveries for them, and vice versa. We always help each other out. If I'm running a special on a pizza, then he's running a special on a pizza. We don't outsell one another. We work together."

But pizza is an interesting beast. While both shops may use essentially the same recipe, one slightly modified, both places have their separate fan bases, with people usually choosing one over the other more frequently.

"Absolutely," Guy says in reference to people having a favorite. "You have people who love Sorrento's and have been going to it for years and years and years. They were the original.

"And then you have the new business," Guy continues. "People would shop at King's and then they come into Village, so we get the best of both worlds. We get a little bit of everybody."

And while they may not have an online menu, they have everything you'd expect a pizza parlor to have, with many of the items favored by the public.

"Barbecue chicken pizza is very popular," Guy says. "What we call Bianca is also very popular. It's a white pizza. We have Rustica, which is like roasted peppers and sausage. And our Sicilian. Everybody loves our Sicilian pie."

VILLAGE PIZZA
WHERE: Route 24 North, Mendham
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 973-543-5411
HOURS: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week
CUISINE: Pizza, Italian
LIQUOR: BYOB
PAYMENT: Cash
RESERVATIONS: No
DRESS: Casual
ATMOSPHERE: Traditional strip mall pizzeria with counter service and booths in back. The warm yellow and red decor and Italian signs and scenes on the walls make it a cheerful place to stay for lunch or dinner
VIBE: Guy and his staff are as nice as can be. Stop by and get a slice if you're in the King's Shopping Center
DELIVERY: Yes
CATERING: Yes
TAKEOUT: Yes
PARKING: In the shopping center lot
OWNERS: Guy Poggi

Know of a restaurant you'd like to read about in MCW This Week? E-mail us at contact@mcwtw.com.

Eating Out in Chester: Sally Lunn's

(Image taken by Dawn Benko of the Daily Record)

If you prefer tea to coffee and scones to doughnuts, then Sally Lunn's Restaurant & Tea Room in Chester will fill all of your English-tinged wants and desires.

"We sell a lot of quiche and a lot of afternoon teas," says owner Theresa Gaffney, "and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of scones.

"We're famous for our scones in Chester," Gaffney says. "That's probably the item we sell the most of."

It might be the item Sally Lunn's sells the most of, but the teas are nothing to sneeze at, either. With a ridiculous amount of different varieties to choose from, Sally Lunn's has the largest selection in the United States and, as the website claims, possibly the world.

"They're all loose teas," Gaffney says. "We don't sell tea bags, so everything's loose. It's served in a tea pot with a strainer."

As to the types of available tea, the question should really be, "What kind of tea do you want?"

"We have white teas, green, black, Rooibos, herbal, flower tea, smoked gunpowder tea," Gaffney says.

Smoked gunpowder?

"Gunpowder tea is a smoked tea, like the Russian gunpowder," Gaffney says. "They have a heavy smoked flavor, (and) it's not a common tea. It's a rare tea and it's a very acquired taste. It's one of those things you have to really like to enjoy it. Some people love it."

Being an English tea room and restaurant, Sally Lunn's offers menu items that might convince you to cancel your flight to England — assuming you're going there just for the food. Cornish pastie, which is fresh-ground lamb, turnips, potatoes and leeks wrapped in homemade pastry, is among the offerings, as is Tiddy Oggi, which is ground sirloin, carrots, turnips, potatoes and leeks wrapped in homemade pastry. In fact, the menu is so diverse and popular Gaffney has been able to open up another shop in Chatham. She's even had the Food Network come by to film at the shop. The show will be on in March.

"It's going to be huge for us," Gaffney says. "They wanted typically English stuff, so I made the Cornish patsie, which is very English, a rhubarb-apple cobbler and scones. It's exciting."

Also exciting are the shop's Valentine's Day plans.

"In Chester, we do a Valentine's Victorian dinner," Gaffney says. "It's a seven-course dinner."

SALLY LUNN'S
TEA ROOM & RESTAURANT
WHERE: 15 Perry St., Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-7731
WEBSITE: http://www.sallylunns.com
HOURS: 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
CUISINE: English cuisine, teas
PAYMENT: Cash, checks and all major credit cards
PRICE RANGE: Soups, $5.95; salads, $8.55 to $9.50; sandwiches (served with salad or potato salad), $9.50 to $13.50; oven food, $9.75 to $13.50; deserts, $6.25; teas, $3.95 to $6
RESERVATIONS: Not necessary
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: A beautifully decorated spot with lace table clothes and antique pictures
ATMOSPHERE: Cozy" would be the best word to describe it.
PARKING: Nearby
OWNER: Theresa Gaffney

Eating Out in Chester: Publick House Tavern and Inn

(Image taken by Dawn Benko from The Daily Record)

If you've driven down Main Street in Chester, there's no doubt you've noticed the Publick House Tavern & Inn. With its old-timey brick exterior, it's probably the most recognizable spot in town. But it's not just appearance that makes this 1810 structure unique. The food is just as special.

"We have the best crab cake in the area," says the general manager, Abraham Ghebreal. "Not to mention the short ribs."

At the Publick House Tavern & Inn, which hopes to have the inn portion of the establishment ready in February, the experience of being there is a treat in itself. Live bands make appearances Wednesdays and Fridays.

And there's another treat unique to the area: "We throw a murder-mystery show once a month," Ghebreal says. "The actors and actresses come and act in front of people, and you have a full-course meal while you eat and watch the show.

"We've been doing that now about four months. It's very successful."

There's a banquet room that can hold up to 120 people — definitely enough space if you're looking to host a big event.

"It's in the back of the building," Ghebreal says. "We have a lot of parties there."

But what would the live music, murder mysteries and banquets be if the Publick House didn't have great food to back it up? Luckily, it does.

"We try to keep the old, traditional menu, but we updated it with an Italian influence," Ghebreal says, "like the pastas, the chicken and the pizzas. We have a lot of pizzas, such as from Naples, Florence and Sorrento."

So, basically, the Publick House has pizzas from all over Italy. That said, it also has a variety of steaks, an Angus burger and fish items, so it really lives up to the standard of being an American restaurant with an Italian influence.

"Our prices are reasonable," Ghebreal says. "And we also have a lot of vegetarian items."

Also on the first floor is the tavern portion of the Publick House, which offers a fully stocked bar.

"It's a full bar, it has all the hard liquors, and we have mostly California wine because I believe in California wine more than anything else," Ghebreal says. "Our wine list is not expensive, so people can come buy it for an affordable price."

In addition to the building, one of the things Ghebreal loves most about working here is the town of Chester: "It's fun, and the way we communicate with the public is nice. People like us here."

PUBLICK HOUSE TAVERN & INN
WHERE: 111 Main St., Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-6878
WEBSITE: http://www.chesterpublickhouse.com
HOURS: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week
CUISINE: American and Italian
LIQUOR: Full bar
PAYMENT: Major credit cards, checks accepted
PRICE RANGE: Appetizers, $9 to $13; salads, $6.95 to $13; pasta, $14.95 to $19.95; dinner, $17.95 to $25.95; children's menu, $8
RESERVATIONS: Yes
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: Downtown shoppers are drawn like magnets. Local families, too, include this as one of their regular neighborhood spots for a diverse menu that hits all the high notes. Live music Wednesdays and Fridays
ATMOSPHERE: The Federalist style building went up in 1810 as an overnight inn and tavern for stage coach travelers between New York and Pennsylvania. Three-story house is an excellent place for a casual meal with a friend or a big party with all your co-workers
PARKING: Large lot
MANAGER: Abraham Ghebreal

Eating out in Chester: Lamplighter Restaurant and Pub

Some restaurants are known for one specific item that people flock to, and that's where most of their business comes from. But the Lamplighter Restaurant and Pub in Chester has so many great items on its menu that floor manager and owner's son Bob Brady can't pick out one particular item that makes the restaurant so popular.

He thinks it has more to do with how long the community has loved the place.

'It's just the longevity of the place that I think people like," Brady says. "We've been here almost 30 years."

In that time, the Lamplighter has remained a fixture where people can get two distinct styles of food.

"We're Italian-American," Brady says.

The American portion of the menu offers several favorites.

"We have rack of lamb. That's a popular dish," Brady says. "And we have some great steaks."

On the Italian side, there are dishes that may not be so familiar.

"We have chicken Florentine and chicken pepperoncini," Brady says.

But say you just want to kick back, drink some beers and watch a game. Well, in an establishment that sells rack of lamb and chicken pepperoncini, you can do that too.

"We have the pub section, too," Brady says. "And that has the lighter menu. Probably one of the most popular items on that menu would be the Reuben. We also have individual pizzas and burgers."

Any of these items can be ordered and brought to the regular tables, as well as to the special tables up in the private-party room.

"It's in the back," Brady says. "It's called the Fireside room. It can fit about 55 people."

Running a business like this would take a lot of manpower, and luckily for Brady, he has it in his family. Whether it's a large or small contribution, almost every member of his family works to keep the place up and running.

"It's a family business, and my father has always been the owner," says Brady, who works as a floor manager, while his brothers work in a slightly hotter environment. His father is retired.

"My two brothers are in the kitchen," Brady says. "And then we have a lot of other family that share responsibilities. I have a son and a daughter who work here. Everybody works here part time, some more than others. And some are even full time."

The restaurants have additional assets besides great food and service. One of the most noteworthy is the antique vibe of the building. Lining the walls of the restaurant area are pictures of important-looking people with big mustaches. The pub area has more of a sports theme — not current sports heroes, mind you, but older photographs of boxing
and horse racing, which highlight the antique vibe.

The first photo that went onto the walls was of a boxer who was one of the restaurant's early customers, Brady says. He brought in the photo while the building was being renovated, and when the carpenter saw it, he said: " 'That's perfect. We're going to frame it and put it up,' " Brady says.

The boxer had a whole story about the bout that took place the night the photo was taken. There are many other stories in the Lamplighter, as regular customers have been coming here for years, sharing their stories and pictures.

LAMPLIGHTER RESTAURANT & PUB
WHERE: 190 W. Main St. (Route 24), Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-4080
HOURS: 5 to 10 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays to Sundays
CUISINE: American and Italian
LIQUOR: Full bar
PAYMENT: Major credit cards accepted
RESERVATIONS: Yes
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: Regular customers are everywhere, and "consistency" is a key ingredient. There are daily lunch and dinner specials, but the basic menu hasn't changed much in 25 years. No need. The regulars love it and so do the downtown shoppers who travel a half-mile past the main intersection
ATMOSPHERE: Low ceilings and exposed wooden beams make it feel like George or Martha Washington might walk in at any moment. And, since it's located on the site of the original 1750 building, who knows? Formal dining rooms are complemented by a more casual pub.
PARKING: Large lot
OWNER: Robert Brady

Know of a restaurant you'd like to read about in MCW This Week? E-mail us at contact@mcwtw.com.

Eating out in Long Valley: Long Valley Pub and Brewery

You know what goes well with German food? Beer. And if you're looking for some of the best beer (and food) in town, go no farther than the Long Valley Pub & Brewery. It's a great stop if your palate is in the mood for anything Deutschland.

"'The Best of the Wurst' is probably our best seller," says Brad Lowmaster, general manager. He's referring to a knockwurst, bratwurst and weisswurst combo served with sauerkraut, German potato salad and whole-grain mustard. "It's one of the main German entrees that goes well with the restaurant."

The building, which was once a barn, has been in the same spot since 1771, so it's historic. It also happens to serve some excellent burgers.

"We'll have busy Saturdays and Sundays where we'll sell hundreds of burgers to go along with our main German entrees," Lowmaster says.

There are three types of burgers here: regular, Kobe beef and bison, any of which can be used to make the most popular burger here, the Cajun Bleu.

"It's a burger that comes with bleu cheese and chipotle mayo," Lowmaster says. "That one sells very well. Anybody can get any particular burger set up anyway they want it."

And if you're familiar with Long Valley Pub & Brewery, you'll notice a few extras added to the menu.

"We have different salads," Lowmaster says. "We have an orchard salad and a grilled vegetable Focaccia. We brought back a few things that were on an old menu."

The reason for this change is that a chef from the restaurant's past has returned, and with him come some of his specialties.

"He's brought back the Buffalo chicken sandwich, for instance," Lowmaster says. "And he changed up some of the appetizers. We have more choices as far as chili goes. He also put a spinach dip on the menu."

If you're a really big fan of the food here and would like to share it with a large party, that can be arranged as well.

"We have a lot of holiday parties set up for the next couple of weeks," Lowmaster says. "We have a catering menu that gives a few more options than we'd normally have on our regular menu."

Such as?

"There are a lot more pasta dishes," Lowmaster says, "like chicken entrees. They're items that are better for a buffet instead of just ordering individually."

But let us not forget the aforementioned beer: Beer is one of the specialties here, too. This holiday season brings two great beers, both of which are sure to get you salivating.

"We'll have Celebration Ale that will be up for Christmas," Lowmaster says. "And we'll also have an oatmeal stout beer."

LONG VALLEY PUB & BREWERY
WHERE: 1 Fairmount Road, Long Valley
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-876-1122
HOURS: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday (bar closes at midnight); 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday (bar closes 1 a.m.); 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday (bar closes 11 p.m.); happy hour 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
CUISINE: German food, burgers, pasta and great beer. Does life get any better?
LIQUOR: Full bar
PAYMENT: Major credit cards accepted
THE SCENE: This old barn has a lot of new tricks, including a new outside area that will be put to great use when spring returns
ATMOSPHERE: With great beer and local bands playing on Fridays, this is the place to be
DRESS: Casual
PARKING: Large lot
MANAGER: Brad Lowmaster

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Eating out in Long Valley: Valley Restaurant and Pub

Pic by John Bell from the Daily Record

Variety is the spice of life, and if you're looking for great variety at a good price (and some alcohol on the side), you've found the right location in the Valley Restaurant and Pub in Long Valley. It has so many great selections on the menu that multiple trips are warranted to try them all.

"We often thought of taking some items off the menu to kind of shrink it a little bit," says Tim Janiszewski, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Tammy. "But people seem to like the variety and everything on the menu, so there's not one particular item we feel we can take off where somebody wouldn't want it."

Included on this popular menu are a variety of items that fit pretty much every taste.

"Our customers order everything from prime rib to Italian, to seafood over pasta, so it runs the gamut," Janiszewski says. "Beef, chicken and seafood."

Long Valley Restaurant and Pub also has an impressive salad menu, including such favorites as Buffalo chicken salad, chicken fajita salad and grilled shrimp or chicken spinach salad.

The menu changes mid-week, making the restaurant actually two places in one.

"The Mexican menu is offered only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays," Janiszewski says. "It's in addition to our regular menu, so you can still get our regular menu, too (on those nights)."

If you're a fan of the food and want to have it delivered, that also can be arranged.

"We do a lot of catering," Janiszewski says. "Catering is a big thing, especially around the holidays. Any kind of a party, banquet, pasta parties can be catered to. We have a lot of that going on."

That being said, you really should take a trip into the Restaurant and Pub. Outside of its extended patio, which will return when the weather gets warm again, there's also a beautiful, luscious mural of a bridge hanging inside that spans almost an entire wall.

"It just naturally goes with Long Valley," Janiszewski says of the massive wall painting facing tables in the back of the building. "I think it kind of depicts the center of Long Valley, so we kind of wanted that bridge. The artists took an angle shot of it and got down there by the river, behind what used to be the old general store, and took the picture for reference."

Other reasons to come to Long Valley Restaurant and Pub include the many events that take place at the end of the week.

"We offer various entertainment on weekends," Janiszewski says. "Bands and karaoke. There's karaoke every Saturday night."

VALLEY RESTAURANT AND PUB
WHERE: 59 E. Mill Road, Long Valley
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-876-0111
HOURS: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday
CUISINE: Italian/Mexican/American
LIQUOR: Full bar
PAYMENT: All major credit cards accepted
PRICE RANGE: Appetizers, $3.29 to $8.99; salad, $5.99 to $9.79; pasta specialties, $7.29 to $13.59; burgers and sandwiches, $6.79 to $10.29
RESERVATIONS: Suggested for weekends
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: A fun environment with a restaurant and bar for meals, plus the occasional sporting event on TV
ATMOSPHERE: A pleasant environment with a huge mural on the inside that pays tribute to the beauty of Long Valley. It's a great find
PARKING: Strip center parking lot shared with a bank and other stores and offices
OWNERS: Tim and Tammy Janiszewski

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Eating out in the Chesters: Grace Cafe and Aztek Nights

For good food, good vibes and a restaurant that transforms when the clock hits 3 p.m., look no further than Mama's Grace Cafe, tucked deep in the heart of Chester at 52 Main St. Rear.

"Like it says on our menu, we're the coolest place in town," says co-owner Steve Berstler, who shares the place with his partner, Sarah Borda.

What makes Mama's Grace so cool is that it's literally two restaurants in one. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Fridays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekends, it's the colorful and good-vibrations-filled Mama's Grace Cafe, which serves great breakfasts and lunches for the health conscious and anyone who just want to forget the calories and enjoy a hearty meal.

"We have 60 items, and it's a healthy or not menu," Berstler says. "Burgers or tofu — and everything in between."

But when that clock hits 3 p.m., it becomes an enticing, Mexican-themed restaurant, Aztek Nights, which — if you count the authentic Mexican and the Tex Mex options — makes this friendly place more like three restaurants in one, instead of two.

"It's a Mexican restaurant, and we serve Mexican food from our native countries," says Alex Mejia, who runs the shop with his wife, Diana. "A lot of our stuff is imported from Mexico that you can't find in the United States, like certain herbs and spices. And we have fresh cactus."

Cactus?

"It's like flaxseed," Mejia says. "That's where flax seed comes from. So instead of getting the flaxseed, you're getting the actual vegetable. That's what it is, a vegetable."

Skeptical, I tried it and found that it's actually very tasty, especially when paired with onions and cheese. Co-owner Steve Berstler agrees.

"I eat that all the time," Berstler says. "When I first started eating, you guys were putting it with my food, and now I want it all the time. And it's very good for digestion. It's a healthy item."

Also worth tasting are the carnitas, which offer a good portion of roasted pork, beans and rice, and some tortillas to wrap them up in — all for a good price.

"We keep our meals under $20 because it's tough out there for people to dine out with a lot of family," Mejia says. "So all our dishes are less than $20."

With enchiladas, tacos and flan, Aztek Nights features many of the items — authentically Mexican and Tex Mex style — you might not find on many other menus. But there's one item in particular that might be hard to find elsewhere.

"We have Mexican soups," Diana Mejia says. "And a lot of people have been asking for something that is called Menudo. It's very famous in Mexico and it's very good for the hangover. So a lot of customers (who) have been to Mexico come in on Saturday and they say, 'Do you have Menudo?' and we were like, no, but now, we're making it."

Co-owner Sarah Borda gets a kick out of this and adds, "It's BYOB here, so you can drink and then have Menudo."

You'll also find "safe" items such as burgers and chicken fingers for the kids in case they aren't up to the many flavorful options offered on the menu.

But as impressive and different as Aztek Nights sounds, let's not forget that Mama's Grace has some interesting items on its menu, too, especially in the soup department.

"We have a variety of soups," Berstler says. "We have our world-famous three bean vegetable chili, chicken tortilla, chicken and rice, chicken and noodle, a very, very veggie, and (even) North African Spice soup.

"The North African Spice soup is a bunch of different vegetables," Berstler says. "Chick peas."

"Carrots," Borda chimes in. "Carrots," Berstler agrees. "Celery, tomatoes, onions, potatoes."

"But what makes it so unique are the spices," Borda says.

"Yeah, the spices," Berslter agrees. "There's saffron, turmeric and cinnamon, all mixed together. It's delicious."

Along with their eclectic and delicious combined menus, the owners are pitching in toward a good cause.

"The Wishing Wall is something special both restaurants are doing right now," Borda says. "This is to benefit the Chester Food Pantry. Every year we do a benefit for them, and this year, everybody gets to buy a wish for a dollar. And you can slap it up on the wall."

"All the money — 100 percent — goes to the Chester Food Pantry," Berstler says.

One of Borda's favorite things about now sharing the restaurant with with the Mejia family is that they're serving the people of Chester as a team.

"We have two families serving the families in the area, and it's nice to mix the cultures," Borda says. "When people find out we have this collaboration going, they're like, 'Wow, what a great idea,' especially in these economic times."

GRACE CAFE AND AZTEK NIGHTS
ADDRESS: 52 Main St. Rear, Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-5044
HOURS: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends
CUISINE: Mama's Grace Cafe: Breakfast burritos, grilled sandwiches, soups, salads; Aztek Nights: Quesadillas, Mexican sandwiches, tacos
PRICE RANGE: Egg platters, $9; daily soups, $5.50; quesadillas, $6.99; carnitas, $16.99
PAYMENT: Cash, Visa, Mastercard
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: Large enough for parties but small enough to be comfy, Mama's Grace has an excellent layout.
ATMOSPHERE: This cheerful restaurant is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the belly, as artwork and an array of colorful tables and chairs fill the nice-sized space.
DELIVERY/CATERING: Yes
PARKING: In the lot
OWNERS: Steve Berstler and Sarah Borda
WEBSITE: http://www.mamasgracecafe.com

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Eating out in the Chesters: Mini Mac Diner

While Mini Mac Diner on Route 206 in Chester may be a diner, as its title suggests, it's so much more than that.

"My mother's European, so we do stuffed cabbage and things like that," says co-owner and chef Teri Petriw, who runs the diner with her mother, Anna Bartek. "We also offer pierogis."

Their soups are nothing to sneeze at, either.

"Everything's made pretty much from scratch," Petriw says. "We have chicken noodle (soup), vegetable and split pea. We do barley, we do black bean, we do like a mix."

"We try to do (more soups) as the weather gets colder," Petriw continues. "At least three a day."

Also topping the bill are a variety of treats that you won't even find on the menu, so it pays to talk to the friendly staffers — who would be happy to strike up a conversation with you.

"We make homemade cookies, pies, muffins and turnovers, so we're trying to do more of that for the holiday," Petriw says. "We've had it before, but I think a lot of people just didn't know it because we don't advertise it."

And to go along with that sweet tooth of yours if that last paragraph got you salivating, they also serve ice cream from one of the most popular companies around.

"We have Hershey's hard ice cream," Petriw says. "I picked (Hershey's) because I like their stuff. I used to have it when I was little."

Mini Mac is the kind of establishment that thrives on the reputation of serving breakfast all day, and one of its most popular sellers is the pancakes, which range from the commonplace such as blueberry and corn, to the not-so-commonplace, such as buckwheat and oatmeal.

"What we do is we make the batter (for the oatmeal pancakes), and then we put uncooked oatmeal into the batter," Petriw says. "I've never seen it anywhere but with us. They're excellent and they're tasty."

Also not seen at any other local diner is the local bands Mini Mac features once a week.

"Tuesdays, we still have live music here," Petriw says. "Which works out fairly well because we were pretty much quiet (on that day)."

Mini Mac actually used to have even more music during the week, but they decided to pull back on that when more people were coming for the bands rather than the meals.

"We were open until 8:30 at the time," Petriw says. "But I think the people maybe associate the music with drinking. That was the case here, but we didn't want to do the whole BYOB because of the young crowd, and I didn't want any kind of problems. That's why I didn't pursue that kind of part of it."

And that's just fine, because Mini Mac is all about the meals, anyway.

"We decided to just focus on the food," Petriw says.

The eatery is open seven days a week, which means Petriw and company don't really get much time to enjoy the scenery in Chester, because they devote themselves to the diner and its customers.

"We are in Chester, so I'm kind of in my own little world here," Petriw says. "I don't really get out. We're open seven days a week."

MINI MAC DINER
WHERE: 158 Route 206, Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-8222
HOURS: 5:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday
CUISINE: Home cooking
PAYMENT: Cash or checks
PRICE RANGE: Soups, $2.25 cup, $2.95 bowl; platters, $5.95 to $6.95; breakfast, $2.75 to $7.05; lunch, $2.70 to $6.85
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: It may have a small interior, but a lot of magic is happening in that kitchen back there
ATMOSPHERE: It's close and comfy, so you really feel like you're a part of the family
PARKING: In the lot
OWNERS: Teri Petriw and Anna Bartek

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Eating out in Long Valley: Cornerstone Tavern and Grill

If you're looking for a big, hearty dinner or a really satisfying lunch, why go to just any pizza parlor when you can go to the Cornerstone Tavern & Grill in Long Valley? It has so much more to offer than just your standard slice of pizza.

"It has an Italian kind of feel to it," says manager Antoinette Ferrantely, who has worked in some form of pizzeria all her life. "We have a fully stocked bar, and we offer burgers, as well as numerous pasta dishes, chicken dishes, appetizers and soups."

Soups, in fact, are among the biggest sellers on the menu, and there is a tasty variety.

"We have baked potato, potato-carrot, which is my personal favorite," Ferrantely says. "We have the standard chicken noodle, pasta e fagioli and minestrone."

The potato-carrot is particularly special since it has a hint of carrot to it, but it's not overpowering like many other carrot soups you might have had in the past. It's a nice mix that offers a pleasant surprise when eaten with hot bread.

"We usually have a soup special almost every week," Ferrantely says. "Like this week, we're doing cream of broccoli, which is also very good. It will definitely take away the chill of the cold weather. That's what I eat when I'm cold."

In addition to the stellar soups, pizza is a mainstay at Cornerstone.

"People like the pizza a lot," Ferrantely says. "We try to make it crispy. I'm not a fan of doughy pizza, and from what I've noticed from working in pizzerias, most people don't tend to like it doughy, either."

Cornerstone, of course, offers the standard favorites, such as cheese and pepperoni, but it also serves also gourmet pizzas, such as BLT and honey-mustard chicken. Ferrantely attributes the variety of the pizza choices to the fact that people want their pizza to be traditional but different at the same time. People seem to like the change.

"My father has owned quite a few pizzerias, and he started in the '50s and '60s," Ferrantely says. "He tells me that when he first started out, there was no Buffalo chicken pizza, there was no baked ziti pizza. But you have to stay on top of it.

"People like to take a classic and make it into something new. Personally, I like the classics, but I have to say I love honey-mustard pizza."

Cornerstone also has a liquor license, which is somewhat unique among pizza places.

"Everybody finds it to be very convenient, especially for dinner," Ferrantely says. "Sometimes, people come in at 9 or 9:30 or so, and you know, liquor stores are closed, so we try to offer a good, fresh hot meal and complement it with a wine or a mixed drink."

And if you can't make it out to the eatery but love their food, they'll be more than happy to cater it for you.

"We've catered a surprise retirement party," Ferrantely says. "We've also done catering for the holidays, because the holidays are very stressful, so people don't want to cook, and I don't blame them."

As to what the Tavern and Grill wishes to offer Long Valley, Ferrantely keeps it simple: "We want to offer something different to Long Valley. We want to add a different flair to it, but it's always a work in progress."

CORNERSTONE TAVERN & GRILL
WHERE: 71 E. Mill Road, Long Valley
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-876-1283
HOURS: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday
CUISINE: Soups, salads, pizza, pastas
PRICE RANGE: Appetizers, $1.95 to $10.50; baked pastas, $11.75; hot subs, $7.50 to $8.75; pizza pies, $11.25 to $20; gourmet pizzas, $15.50 to $20
PAYMENT: All major credit cards, cash, checks
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: This pleasant restaurant has a bar and an outdoor patio for when the weather is nice
ATMOSPHERE: A friendly staff and excellent food make the Cornerstone Tavern & Grill the place to be for lunch or dinner
DELIVERY: Yes, if it's close enough
CATERING: Yes
PARKING: In the lot
MANAGER: Antoinette Ferrantely

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Eating out in the Chesters: Gaggani’s Pizza

Talk about the new kids on the block. Formerly Gianangelo's Pizzeria, Gaggani's Pizza is the new name for the locally famous pizza-delivery spot on Route 24.

"It's under new management now," says Raul Iramain, who once ran a barbecue shop in Argentina before he moved to the United States. As to why he's decided to move from barbecue to pizza, the answer is simple: "It's popular here," Iramain says. "People like pizza."

And while they also enjoy pizza in Argentina, Iramain says the pizza he makes in the here is a little different from what they make back home.

"We have thicker pizza in Argentina," Iramain says. "Here, it's not very thick, but it's very nice. It's very good. I like it."

Iramain has added a bit more to the menu (more on that in a moment), but most of the menu will be quite familiar to those who ate at Gianangelo's in the past.

"We have Philly cheesesteak pizza, we have Margherita pizza, chicken barbecue, chicken Parmesan, vegetable pizza, sausage pizza, the classic pepperoni, plain with mushroom, whatever," Iramain says. "We can also make gourmet pizza with pineapple, sweet pizza or normal pizza — whatever."

Iramain's main goal with the new shop is to keep it familiar but to alter some things — just to make it more interesting to regulars and newcomers.

"We added a little more staff," Iramain says, "We try to keep it the same, but we added a little more. We have a new menu this weekend that's a little different, and we have an agreement with Coke, so we can make a couple of things better, make the restaurant more attractive for people."

As for some of the new items on the menu that Iramain is going to unveil, he wants to keep a few things secret. But he did disclose one tidbit: "I want to make a menu on the Internet because it's so easy for people to search," Iramain says. "Eighty percent of our business is delivery."

Pizza isn't all Gaggani's sells, though. There's also a wide assortment of pasta dishes.

"We have ravioli, ziti, spaghetti with meatball, lasagna, ravioli, a couple of parmesans," Iramain says. "We also have seafood, because we have calamari."

Iramain wants to let it be known though that while they do serve pasta here, Gaggani's isn't a pasta place. It's a pizzeria — and they're proud of it.

"We are not a trattoria restaurant," Iramain says. "We make the best pizza, but we also make Italian dishes."

And even though they left the barbecue in Argentina, they did bring one thing over with them: the name.

"The name we use for the store is our last name," Iramain says. "We have two last names, Iramain and Gaggani, and we use the second last name for the business."

GAGGANI'S PIZZA
WHERE: 324 Route 24, Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-0669
HOURS: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
CUISINE: Pizza, Italian food
PAYMENT: Cash, credit and all major credit cards
PRICE RANGE: Plain pies, $14, any toppings $1.50 extra, pasta with small salad $12, normal pasta $7
DRESS: Casual
DELIVERY: Yes
THE SCENE: This familiar shop has a new look with more lighting to make it feel more open
ATMOSPHERE: It's the same place you know and love with a few extra touches, and the delivery service is still superb
PARKING: In the lot
OWNER: Raul Iramain

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Eating out in the Chesters: Hacklebarney Farm

For a great eating experience that you can smell as soon as you step out of your car, take a trip to Hacklebarney Farm in Chester, where a cider mill pumps out everything from apple doughnuts to hot dogs dipped in cider.

"We've been running the bakery since 2000, but the farm has been here since 1850," says Bob Jacobson, who, along with his partner/baker, Mark Happel, and many others, took over the bakery in 2000 and work at a feverish pace to get everything done. "It's been in the family since my great-great-great grandfather, who built the place. We started out slowly, baking pies and doing a few doughnuts."

But those few doughnuts and pies blossomed into a wide variety, including cheesecake, cider twists, fudge brownies and many other delicious products.

"The cider mill has really been the main thing that started what you see today," says Jacobson, whose father put the mill in around the mid-'70s, and whose family started using it in the early '80s. "Then we started the doughnuts in '83."

The doughnuts are probably the biggest seller right now. The are fried in soy bean oil because it's a healthier alternative to lard. The pies are a very close second.

"We made about 185 apple pies in about three hours the other day," Happel says.

One of their most famous pies is, of course, apple, but they also have a variety that includes Chocolate Walnut and Harvest Crumb, which contains apples, peaches, pears and blueberries. There's even Swedish Apple, which adds an interesting twist to the standard apple pie.

"My dad is Swedish, and there's no crust on the bottom of that pie," Jacobson says. "It's made with mounds of apples and then a batter on the top so it cooks down through it, and there's no bottom crust."

Pumpkin pie also is very popular here, and Happel says they're midway there on their holiday requests.

"I think we're about halfway filled up on our Thanksgiving order already," Happel says. "Because we take about 600, and we're about at 330 pies for Thanksgiving already. We usually end up making about 700 pies for that."

While their pies and doughnuts are heading out the door like hotcakes, there's another item on the list that they just can't seem to keep on the shelves long enough.

"Our apple twists have become extremely popular," Happel says. "So much so that I think we're only going to feature them on the weekends through October. We can't keep up with the demand on the weekdays."

Happel attributes this occasional lack of product to the small work environment.

"It's getting harder and harder because we're little and we can only produce so much," Happel says. "We don't want to get any bigger than we are, because we don't want to sacrifice the quality of what we do. We try not to have left-overs because we don't want to hold it to the next day. We want it to be fresh every day, so that's hard sometimes for the public to understand. But we're only a farm. We're making the best thing that we can make. That's important to us. It's quality."

HACKLEBARNEY FARM
WHERE: 104 State Park Road, Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-6593
HOURS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday
CUISINE: Baked goods, hot dogs
PAYMENT: Visa, Mastercard and cash
PRICE RANGE: All 10-inch pies $17.95 (nut and lattice, $1 extra); Irish soda bread, $5.95; fruit breads, $6.95 and $4.95; sour cream pound cake, $15.95
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: A cider mill that smells of doughnuts and deliciousness, this friendly farm is where it's at if you're a big fan of apples and other baked goods
ATMOSPHERE: The shop, while small, offers room to walk around and pick up a hot cider or other items you might see about the store
PARKING: In the lot
OWNER: Wanda Jacobson

Eating out in the Chesters: Marilyn’s Cafe

If you love great food and reliability, you can count on Marilyn's Cafe in Chester to be open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day of the year. And if you happen to like Marilyn Monroe, that's just an added bonus.

"On Christmas day, every single thing in this town is shut up, even the diner," says owner Marilyn Masaitis. "We're more than happy to stay open for our customers."

Masaitis, a grandmother of eight, may just be the hardest-working woman in town.

"I'm here almost 365 days a year," Masaitis says. "I might get four days off a year with all my grandchildren. I have eight grandchildren, and I spend one week a year with them."

The rest of the year, she's making sure her tiny cafe is pumping out great food that might even put most diners to shame.

"I don't want my girls to give 100 percent," Masaitis says. "I want them to give 110 percent."

And they do, bringing out a diverse menu of things that range everywhere from steak and eggs to fried chicken. The menu even features scrapple.

"Scrapple is every end of every piece of pork that's compressed into a piece of meat," Masaitis says. "It sounds bad, doesn't it?"

But the people here love it, and Masaitis attributes its popularity to the mere fact that most people in the area have never seen it on a menu before.

"People don't sell it," Masaitis says. "It's like a Southern item, and you just don't go to places to get scrapple."

Besides the excellent food, Marilyn's has a very homey feeling everyone can enjoy.

"It's very family-oriented, and everybody knows everybody here," Masaitis says. "The place caters to the people, more than a diner."

It's also dolled up much more than a diner, too, with the walls covered with memorabilia of everybody's favorite blond bombshell, Marilyn Monroe.

"The Marilyn's theme is because I am Marilyn," Masaitis says. "I was born in 1957, and I was named after Marilyn Monroe. I was supposed to be a boy and ended up to be a girl, and that's the reason for the theme."

Masaitis has been in town for more than 20 years and has warm feelings for her customers and Chester in general.

"I just love the people, and I just want to thank each and every one of them for keep coming, even during this bad time," Masaitis says.

Know of a restaurant you'd like to read about in MCW This Week? E-mail us at contact@mcwtw.com.

MARILYN'S CAFE
WHERE: 21 W. Main St., Chester
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-879-4340
HOURS: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day
LIQUOR: No
CUISINE: American
PAYMENT: Cash only
RESERVATIONS: No
DRESS: Casual
THE SCENE: This cozy place has Marilyn Monroe memorabilia up the wazoo, and it's wonderful
ATMOSPHERE: This family-friendly shop is the perfect place to enjoy an excellent breakfast or lunch.
DELIVERY: No
CATERING: Small jobs only, up to 30 people
TAKE-OUT: Yes
PARKING: Plentiful parking in the shopping mall lot
OWNER: Marilyn Masaitis

Eating out in Long Valley: The Cozy Cafe

There's no better way to describe the Cozy Cafe in Long Valley than by repeating part of its name: Cozy.

"I wanted to open up a place, but I didn't want a typical storefront or strip mall," says owner Diane Lomocano. "I was looking for something like this. It has little rooms, and it's like a little house."

She isn't kidding. When entering The Cozy Cafe, you might think you've just stepped into somebody's home — but it's purely intentional.

"I want them to feel at home," Lomocano says. "I want an at-home atmosphere. Something cozy, something you want to come to."

And people will definitely want to come here, especially with such a delectable menu. The menu says, "A little taste of Brooklyn," and Lomocano, a Brooklyn native, wants to bring you the kind of food that will make you come back for more.

"I love cooking for people," says Lomocano, who doesn't have formal cooking experience other than what she learned from her Italian-American family when she was a child. "I don't want to cook for me. I want to cook for you."

Some of the items Lomocano and her gang would be happy to cook for you are breakfast, which is served all day, as well as paninis, wraps and sandwiches, making for a well-rounded menu.

"Right now, we have three popular paninis," Lomocano says. "The first one, which we've had on our menu from the beginning, is the ham and grilled pear with Wisconsin cheddar cheese. It's a big seller. A new item we added on is the Gobbler, which is turkey, apple and brie, with our Cozy secret cranberry."

Another new addition is the Italian sausage, another big seller.

"It's sausage, sauteed broccoli rabe and roasted red peppers, with mozzarella and roasted garlic olive oil," Lomocano says.

The Cozy Cafe also has excellent wraps, such as the turkey, avocado BLT with chipotle mayo, and sandwiches, including the Cozy Sandwich, which contains grilled portobello mushroom with caramelized onions, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers and balsamic vinaigrette.

The best meal at the restaurant, though, might be on the breakfast. It's the Flaming Burrito — scrambled eggs and jalapeno peppers with Monterrey Jack cheese. It's a nice melding of flavors, and it's little wonder why it's probably the best-selling item on the menu. And would you believe it's healthy?

"My menu is really based around healthy, good foods," Lomocano says. "We don't fry, and we don't do pub food like wings and burgers."

The Cozy Cafe currently offers Thursday night dinners, when they serve pasta and the like.

"We did it in June, and then we stopped at the end of the month, because then it was summer," Lomocano says. "Now we're doing it again."

As for the future of the Thursday night dinners, it depends on the response of the guests.

"We'll see how it goes," Lomocano says.

THE COZY CAFE
WHERE: 16 Schooleys Mountain Road, Long Valley
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-867-7179
HOURS: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
CUISINE: Breakfast, sandwiches and more
PAYMENT: Cash, checks, Visa, Mastercard
PRICE RANGE: Omelets, $4.25 to $5.25; sandwiches, $4.95 to $6.75; wraps, $5.95 to $6.25; paninis, $6.95; deserts, $1.75 to $3.95.
DRESS: Casual
DELIVERY: To nearby businesses
THE SCENE: This small shop sure packs a lot of punch. Come inside and see how cozy it is. It's a great place to relax and enjoy a coffee or a beverage
OWNER: Diane Lomocano
ATMOSPHERE: Lomocano and her crew are very kind and do their best to make sure you have a happy stay
PARKING: In the lot in back

Know of a restaurant you'd like to read about in MCW This Week? E-mail us at contact@mcwtw.com.