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| New York,
USA |
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Merit
May - 2010 |
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4 Stars
& 4 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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| The Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern sits in the quaint
township of Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. It was built in 1796 by Andrew Zabriskie as
a gift to his son. In 1890 it became a Tavern and over the ensuing years
experienced a number of different names, owners and proprietors. The Inn was at
time a favorite of former President Nixon and assorted celebrities who lived in
Bergen County. New Jersey. Gordon and Laurie Hamm, long time residents of
Ho-Ho-Kus and admirers of the Inn, purchased and reopened the Inn December of
2009 after a seven-month, 1,500,000 renovation. The civic minded Hamm's rebuilt
this landmark to preserve an iconic venue for the town, and to bring a new
cache and innovative cuisine to New Jersey. |
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| The HO HO KUS
Inn & Tavern: Hermitage Room |
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| The menu designed by Executive Chef Bryan Gregg, a
graduate of the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts, and culinary world
traveler, offers local organic produce and meats to suit today's healthy style
dining. Gordon Hamm is a partner in a highly successful Garage Management
business, but has always loved the idea of creating a gourmet restaurant of his
own. On a recent Friday night in April, Rita and I dined at the newly renovated
Ho-Ho-Kus Inn and Tavern, one of New Jersey’s most talked about gourmet
venues. In the past I had eaten at the old Ho-Ho-Kus Inn and found that
although the food was high quality, the venue was rundown and in need of a
thorough rejuvenation. I was quite impressed at how Gordon and Laurie had
converted a centuries old building into an elegant, beautifully appointed
dining venue. |
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| The HO HO
KUS Inn & Tavern: Crystal Room |
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| Walking into the Inn we were greeted by a charming,
beautifully attired hostess who led us to our table where Gordon and Laurie
were waiting for us. Each of the rooms at the Inn have names based on its
history. That evening we dined in the magnificently decorated Crystal Room,
which reflects the opulence and elegance of a dining room in a turn of the
century mansion. It has "claret red" walls, sparkling crystal chandeliers and
luxurious carpeting. The "Crystal Room" also features a specially designed
floor to ceiling, wine cabinet with crystal like glass panels, displaying an
extensive and ultra luxe wine collection. |
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| In contrast with the
restaurant's previous incarnations, the Hamm's have constructed a sophisticated
yet family-friendly place, as well as a more relaxed dress code to appeal to
businessmen, young families, locals and tourists. Just before leaving for home,
Gordon gave us a "cooks" tour of the various catering and private dining rooms
the Inn offers. Among those private dining rooms is the Library Bar, with a
unique haberdashery flair, as well as the Tavern room Bar. A special spacious
room for men and sports oriented women and families. This room has large flat
panel TVs, wooden tables, and access to an old world, impressively large wood
and brass "vintage" bar. The Tavern Bar is open until 2AM, and offers a comfort
food menu. It is a great place for sports talk, card games, and a temporary
relief from every day stress. |
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| The HO HO
KUS Inn & Tavern: Crystal Room |
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| It was fitting that we started our dinner with an
East Coast favorite of Maryland Crab Cakes with Watercress, Citrus Salad and
Gribiche Sauce consisting of the finest pure super lump meat pan seared and
served over fresh pungent watercress. This was combined with a salad of citrus
in a Gribiche sauce, consisting of a mayonnaise style sauce made by emulsifying
hard-boiled egg yolks and mustard with a high quality oil. The sauce is
finished with chopped pickles, capers, parsley, chervil and tarragon. A
specialty of the Ho Ho Kus Inn, Salad of Pear Tomatoes and Seasonal
Vegetables with House Vinaigrette demonstrated an uncanny ability to pair
beautifully with and compliment the crab cakes. |
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| The HO HO
KUS - Inn & Tavern - Cuisine |
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The enjoyable appetizers were
followed by two scrumptious fish entrées beginning with Roasted Red
Snapper with Cauliflower Romanesco Puree, Micro Coriander and Vadouvan Spiced
Nage for a decidedly South Asian accent. The Red Snapper having been
expertly roasted in a hot oven thereby crisping the skin of the fish while at
the same time keeping the inside meat moist, was topped with a sauce of fresh
tomatoes with herbs, nuts, hot chiles and red wine. A paste of roasted garlic
and onion with herbs, a sort of Indian Masala, together with micro coriander
greens were all delicately placed atop an expertly made spiced nage or aromatic
court bouillon made from herbs. |
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| The second entrée of Arctic Char Confit,
Horse Radish Foam and Chioggia Beets combined a unique salmon-like fish of
the far North with Italian beets made up of concentric rings of red and white
flesh for a spectacular visual appeal. The meat of the fish was tender as can
be, since it was slow cooked in its own juices and rendered fat and spices. The
wine of choice for both entrées were Kendall Jackson Chardonnay 2006
and Stella Pinot Grigio 2008. I was impressed with the way KJ Chard
displayed its unique characteristics derived from the coastal vineyards owned
by them, offering notes of citrus oil, abundant fruit and refreshing acidity.
This wine consistently rates around 90 each year despite being reasonably
priced. |
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| The HO HO
KUS Inn & Tavern: Award |
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My impression of the Stella
Pinot Grigio coming from the border region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, was one of
being uplifting and lively while displaying subtle aromas of alpine flowers and
pure glacial waters. Our dessert of Madeleines and Flourless Chocolate
Cake turned out to be the final crowd-pleaser together with an assortment
of International exotic teas and rich full bodied coffee. The Madeleine’s
flavor is similar to, but somewhat lighter than pound cake, with a pronounced
butter-and-lemon taste; and exceptionally appropriate finish of a superb dining
experience. |
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by
Barry Kay
Editor: John Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid
Lemme |
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| © 2010 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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