Wednesday Night is Bergen County's Hot Night Out at Sear House

About six months ago, one of my friends in-the-know told me that the owner of Dimora, Gino Gjevukaj, in Closter was going to open a super-chic new steakhouse called Sear House at the former location of the Peking Duck House, right down the road from, and practically in the same town as, Dimora.  Knowing that Bergen County hasn’t been too kind to steak houses in recent years, I thought to myself, "Wow, that's a pretty bold move."  And isn't it?  I mean, yes, Mr. Gjevukaj has an obviously successful Italian restaurant already (I think his family also owns another in Westchester County, NY), but to open up a new restaurant literally right in your own backyard?  Wouldn't you be competing for the customers that you have already won?  So, to make a long story short, it didn't make that much sense to me...

That was until two Wednesday's ago, when I finally had the chance to visit this new Bergen County hot spot.  First, let me start by telling you this place is beautiful.  I visited at night, and walking up to the double glass doors, you are met with more glass.  In fact, the whole feel is super lux contemporary.  Dark, highly-finished woods, funky textured walls, multiple and elegantly different seating areas to fit my multiple personalities, and a New York-boutique-hotel style lounge complete with a fireplace that continuously rolls sexy currents of fire up a glass chimney.   For Bergen County, this place is hot!

When we arrived, I was informed by sharply suited gentleman named Kenny (who I later learned was Gino’s brother and business partner) that Wednesday night was, in fact, Martini night and that the first one was on the house.  Did someone say free booze? What great news! Count me in!  We immediately worked our way over to the bar, took our seats and ordered our free drinks.  Three important notes here: 

1. The bar top is hollowed out white marble (or quartz?); it is lit from the inside and it is absolutely beautiful, eerie and cool.  According to the bartender, it can change be illuminated by up to 9 different colors.
2. The drinks were generous and well-crafted.
3. The people hanging out in the lounge/bar area were lively and attractive. 

Before we got ready to sit down for dinner, I was delighted by another surprise:  The music.  On Wednesday nights, vocalist/DJ Josh Baty transforms Sear House into one the hippest, swankiest night clubs outside of New York City.  I have seen Josh before; he is an amazing performer and I have reported in the past that his duo, Josh & Liza, absolutely deliver some of the best live music in Bergen County.  When we first arrived, and throughout dinner, Josh was singing music by Sinatra, Michael Buble, Elton John, Gavin Degraw, Maroon 5, etc and he did so effortlessly.  Josh was so good that the people sitting at the table near us thought that they were listening to the radio.   I would have been fine with that.  The food was good.  The drink was free.  Night out was a success in my book; and then around 9:30, the mood changed completely.

We were sitting in the main dining room when we heard the thumping of dance music, and then the squealing of women – apparently having a great time.  Of course we had to check it out.  When we turned the corner to follow the sounds back towards the bar, we were floored at the sight.  Are we in Bergen County?  Is this really Closter?  Is it really Wednesday night?  On the undersized, improvised dance floor there was a respectable knot of men and women DANCING their asses off!  Yes, I said dancing!  I could not believe my eyes.  I thought the night was winding down; I was wrong – it was just warming up.

from Josh Baty's website

For the next two hours, we danced to Usher, LMFAO, Pitbull and Lady Gaga.  We had a few more drinks, we made some new friends and we promised to tell everyone we knew how cool Sear House is.  So my advice to you:  If you can get the hall pass on a Wednesday night, get over to Sear House at 441 Piermont Road in Closter, NJ.  I want this steak house to stay around for a while.  This was the most fun night out I have had in while.  To Mr. Gino, Mr. Kenny and Mr. Josh – keep up the good work!  We’ll be back.


Update 1/7/2011: Since writing this, Sear House was reviewed in the Bergen Record and was given three stars!  Nice work guys.  (See everyone - I told you so.)  You can read the article here.

Where Do You Like to Listen to Live Music in Bergen County?

I am interested to know where most people think that the best free live music is in Bergen County.  I have written about particular live music acts and live music venues in my blog posts before and I strongly feel that when I find a good place to see live music in NJ, I'm confident that most people will feel the same way.

However, lately my friends and I have been disagreeing about the best live acts around and the best live music venues in Bergen County.  So I have promised them that I would add post requesting information from anyone who would like to voice their opinion on the matter.

If I receive enough responses, my goal is to post the results of all of the submissions in a "Best Live Music in Bergen County" list.  So please don't be shy about adding your submissions.  If you want to send in more than one, that's fine; but please tell list them in the order of which you like the best! 

So, just to be clear, I am looking for the answers to the following two questions:

1. Who is your favorite live music act and why?

2. Where is your favorite place to see live music entertainment and why? 

If you would be so kind, please feel free to comment on either of these two questions.

Thank You!

NJGuru

I Love Groupon! But Is Everyone Stealing They're Idea?

So, I have to admit it: I'm a huge fan of Groupon.com.  If you haven't checked it out yet, you are obviously not one of Bergen County's super-elite, in-the-know, cool people.  So if I were you, I'd get on it.

For those of you that do know about Groupon, it's pretty darn cool isn't it?  These guys nailed it.  The concept is smart: Offer the consumer one meaningful discount or "deal" per day from a hand-selected company in their area that is worth buying from.  Whether it's from a high-end spa, a super swanky restaurant, a cooking school, or a hair removal service center, there is eventually something worth buying for everyone.  The fact that you get just one offer a day let's you clear the mind of all mental clutter so that you can focus on the true task at hand:  Do I like this offer? If the answer is "No," great move on with your day at the rat race.  If the answer is "yes," run your card number, get your certificate and use it when your calendar frees up.  Simple, elegant and smart. 

So, if you are already a fan of Groupon, have you noticed how their business model is popping up all over the place?  For instance, I'm also a subscriber of OpenTable.com.  OpenTable is a free service that lets you make reservations at thousands of restaurants nationwide without having to talk to any annoying humans, all from the comfort of your computer or on your iPhone (or other not-so-cool smart phones), and rewards you for doing so.  At the end of the day, making your dinner arrangements through OpenTable translates to FREE FOOD.  Nothing wrong with that, right?  However, now they are also offering Groupon-esque coupons on their site for really cool restaurants in your subscriber area.  $20 for 40 bucks worth of food and drinks at such-and-such hot restaurant or $50 bucks for a four course dinner with wine parings.  It makes it hard not to blow your whole paycheck while reading your email.  Anyway, the format is very obviously the very same as Groupon.  I wonder if Groupon is in on it?

I also saw the same Groupon format in an email that I received from WestchesterMagazine.com.  (Yes, I know I write about great restaurants in Bergen County, but I sometimes I do shoot across the border...)  In the email, WestchesterMagazine.com offered me $18 worth or really awesome looking cupcakes for 9 bucks ala the Groupon method.  (Which, by the way, looked so damn good, I almost licked the screen.)  So what I want to know is: Is Groupon in on it? Our they getting their rightly deserved props for these offerings?  Are they the ones that are actually providing the content?  Please chime in if you have some thoughts or an inside track on this topic, because I am thoroughly intrigued.

I'll try to respond if I can still type after I get my 840-dollars-worth of laser hair removal that I bought for under 150 bucks! Yahhooo!

Keeping The Light On

There are some places that just feel exactly the same 20 years later.  I recently stopped by The Orange Lantern on a Saturday night because I saw all of the cars in the parking lot and I was feeling, well... "young."  I say young because the "O.L." was one of the first bars that I frequented in my...  ahhh... 20's.  It was like going into a time warp for me.  A different crowd than I remember for sure; although a few familiar faces - but the vibe: exactly the same. 

The Orange Lantern is the closest thing near Paramus to a real "rock & roll slash biker bar." It's been family-owned and operated by the Faatz family since 1933.  While I'm sure that much has changed over the decades, there is still no shortage of beer T-shirts and black mini-skirts with fish nets on a Saturday night.  Some people might turn their nose up at that kind of stuff, but not me.  (Ok, so there were only a few beer T-shirts on the night I visited, but hey - I'm entitled to a little poetic license.)  As you may have discerned from my other blog entries, I am a sucker for great live entertainment in NJ and the O.L. rarely disappoints in this area; especially if it's a raw rock & roll itch that needs to be scratched.  On the Saturday night that I stopped by, the offering was in the form of a band called Last Minute.  These guys are a no frills, straight-up classic rock band.  Exactly what I was looking for.  (In fact, upon reviewing The Orange Lantern's online entertainment calendar, I was delighted to see that there is something going on just about every weekend.  Kudos to them for keeping the Bergen County live music thing alive.)

Aside from the live (usually free) music there are some other things that make The Orange Lantern a fun night.  For one, if you like playing darts, there is almost always more than a few people willing to let you into their rotation.  My experience has been that the crowd gathered around the dart boards is always an inviting, lively bunch. 

The fare served at The O.L. is of the Standard American type.  Burger, fries, sandwiches and the like.  Nothing earth-shattering, but good; better than your average greasy spoon.  And you can almost always find a drink special going on: like $2.00 beers, a bucket of Rolling Rock, etc, etc.  And there is a special kind of a drinking experience offered here that you can't get in : The YARD of beer.  Everyone should drink a yard of beer in their lifetime (unless you are under age or an alcoholic or on medication...  okay - well, let's just say that you should only attempt to consume a yard of beer if you can do so responsibly*). 

If you are interested in visiting The Orange Lantern, they are located at 15 East Firehouse Lane in Paramus, NJ right off of Route 17.  If you're in search of live music I recommend calling ahead to see who's playing.  They'll be happy to answer your questions at (201) 652-4443.  You can also visit their website at by clicking this link: The Orange Lantern

Hey O.L., Thanks for the fun night and for keeping the light on all these years.

*I do not endorse alcohol abuse of any kind.  Please drink responsibly.  And if you choose to drink, please do so within the confines of the law and do not drink and drive.

Sanducci's Moves and Jersey Boys Grooves

Tony and Lisa DiMiglio's highly rated Italian trattoria Sanducci's has finally moved (about 500 feet north) to 620 Kinderkamack Road in Rivervale, NJ.  I've always been a fan of DiMiglio's Sanducci's (it had a couple previous owners) even when it was in the old building, but I think that Lisa and Tony did a great job of breathing new life into the place when they moved into their new location.  The food is still fantastic and the service is always warm and welcoming; which are probably the main reasons that Sanducci's was recently chosen by The Record Readers into their Top5 in Bergen County and why they were also selected as the winner of The Best Italian Restaurant by Bergen Health & Life Magazine.  Since Sanducci's is a BYO, I'll usually stop by Total Wine just 2 minutes away on the same street at 135 Kinderkamack Road in River Edge. Total Wine is huge, so make sure you give yourself enough time to navigate the selection.  As if our delight for the new restaurant wasn't enough, we learned of some very exciting news the night that we visited:  We were informed that Josh Baty is now performing on Wednesday nights at Jersey Boys Grill, their newest eatery in New Milford, NJ. 

 

The DiMiglio's opened Jersey Boys Grill about two years ago in a completely renovated corner building at 704 River Road in New Milford.  I have visited this new (sub)urban eatery a few times since their opening.  A fine blend of style and substance, this large, modern-meets-warehouse space is accented with a dark woods, earthy brick and stone, black box industrial ceiling and street lamp glow lighting. But this is no high ticket Bergen County restaurant: The food and atmosphere is immersed in comfort, affordability and fun; it is not overpowering, pretentious or conceited in any way. The long sweeping bar into tall, floor-to-ceiling windows, the high-top cocktail tables and the fireplace-adjoined low seating booths add to the deliciously mellow vibe of  bar/lounge space.  The bar area is separated from expansive open area dining room which is usually bustling with conversation and energy. The menu is standard American comfort fare, highlighted by thin crust pizzas from their wood burning oven and huge nacho platters that are big enough to sleep on.  Over the years, the DiMiglio's have attempted to entertain their guests at Jersey Boys Grill by providing live music events such as bands or DJs.  The unfortunate problem that this has presented is that a live band or DJ in an open floor plan industrial space is usually extremely loud and therefore, extremely polarizing to the guests.  The young ones tend to like it, but the older ones feel like their ears are going to bleed. 

I am looking forward to the addition of Josh Baty on Wednesday nights for two reasons: For one, he doesn't need to be overpowering to be effective.  He is accustom to playing in higher-end restaurants where producing the perfect volume for a comfortable evening dinner is a big concern.  But make no mistake, Josh is also capable of getting loud when it is appropriate.  There is no doubt in my mind that Jersey Boys will experience some of the best Springsteen anthems ever written once the dinner crowd has transformed into a mostly bar crowd.  The second reason that I am anticipating Josh's début at Jersey Boys is because of his mastery of all things Pop.  Josh has an almost Danny Gans-like capability to sound exactly like the artists whose songs he is performing.  As I have mentioned in earlier posts, Josh is truly a human jukebox.  He will perform music that spans from Bobby Darin to Kings of Leon and make it sound like it belongs in the same set.  While I am sure that Josh will be more free with his renditions of top 40 rock & roll music from the past 60 years at Jersey Boys, he will no doubt still cater to the Buble/Sinatra crowd that has religiously following him for the past few years.  All we can hope for now is that his wildly talented wife Liza will join him every once in awhile to round out the night with her own take on the top hits of all of the female artists that we love so dearly.

My only request for Jersey Boys Grill; please save me a seat at the bar this Wednesday night!