Week 2: Ho-Ho-Kus Inn

Restaurant of the Week: Ho-Ho-Kus Inn (Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ)

While my last entry focused on a town which magnetizes restaurant goers and nightlife hoopla (well, as far as Bergen County goes), Ho-Ho-Kus almost hides below the radar, behind the busy roads, and between the scenes. At the center of this charming, tranquil, Kinkade-esque village lies the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn, serving as its keystone or flagship if you will. But open those doors (after scoring a rare parking spot) and the pleasant cacophony of Bergen County's own bistro screams "come on in", "have a drink", and "stay a while".

All of these statements underplay the homeliness and the quality of this establishment. The hostess will offer you options between the Tavern, the Library, or the Dining Room (Din Rm. reservations recommended Thurs-Sat) each with their own appropriate menu. (Be sure to ask for all menus. They won't give you the Tavern menu in the Dining Room, and visa versa, unless you ask.) The Tavern is your prototypical upscale bar with a few flat screens, grub tables gone gourmet, and a Vermont ski lodge feel. The Library is a dimly lit, more intimate yet still very casual spot to rest your work weathered legs with bar and table options in a study-like atmosphere. The Dining Room is a two story inn-like decor where diners usually surpass the business casual attire no matter what the occasion.

The Tavern & Library throw a Nouveau-French-American flare on gastro-pub fare with selections of hot sandwiches like their succulent Pulled-Pork, House made Pizzas, French Fries, Mac & Cheese, and appetizers including White Wine Steamed Clams with Chorizo & a rustic Cheese Board (with my favorite Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese, a must!). Throw down a nice amber or porter and you've got yourself a $20-$25 meal in a very upper-middle class setting.

The Dining Room kicks up prices a bit, but not as much as you'd suspect upon entry. Their $17 pasta dishes (highlights: Tagliatelli w/Lobster or Goat Cheese Agnolotti w/Pesto and Trumpet Mushrooms) have a $9 appetizer portion option which better accompanies a typically rich French appetizer such as their Lobster Beignet or their hardly skimpy Pâté Sampler (which by the way comes with the softest Cerano Ham you'll ever wrap your tongue around). There was a hiccup in the service, as my Agnolotti took a few extra moments on a busy night. But just as I noticed the lag, the server interrupted my thought apologetically informing me that my dessert would be on the house. (Side note: I actually enjoyed my meal so much, I stopped by again on an off night for a quick bite off the Tavern menu and they recognized me, remembered my pasta-lag, and thanked me again for still returning with yet another complementary dessert.)

Speaking of desserts, they make classic French simple prove perfectly complex in taste. Their staple, Nutella-filled Doughnuts with an Espresso Semifreddo (prepared to its perfect firm but fork friendly consistency) tastes as sophisticated as it looks. Presentation takes no back seat to their Apple-Oatmeal Crisp with Caramel Ice Cream which fuses with each passing moment as the buttery, almost fragile ice cream entangles with the piping hot crisp. The Chocolate Cake at the next table seemed no slouch either, judging from the reactions I culpably overheard.

After your first visit, you'll see why this recently renovated yet ageless staple in Ho-Ho-Kus consistently fills its tables and bar stools. The menu, the customer service, the ambiance all embody a near-perfect dining experience without the often pretentious baggage and price tag that one would come to expect in today's culinary market. And you'll also see why it won't be your last.


http://hohokusinn.com/index.cfm?
http://hohokusinn.com/page_gallery.cfm?page=22