IN THE MIX – THE STONY HILL INN

Enjoy the company of good friends and good food at this stately Dutch homestead.

Patrons who frequent Stony Hill Inn {231 Polifly Road, Hackensack; 201.342.4085; stonyhillinn.com} know it as a treasured destination for power lunches, special occasions and weddings. While the pristine estate’s manicured grounds captivate guests with understated elegance, diners can also enjoy stepping back in time to catch a glimpse of the restored mansion’s past lives.

In
the late 1600s, the Dutch established the new Bergen Township, a
landscape of new, budding farms attracting settlers who lived side by
side with the thriving Lenni Lanape tribe. This was a time before
America was signed into a nation and when a piece of sprawling
Hackensack land was conveyed to a man named Hendrick Hopper.
Generations later, in 1818, his grandson John I. Hopper chose this
locale, a site that commanded an unobstructed panorama of the
countryside and, together with his wife Maria, built the homestead
known today as the Stony Hill Inn.

Inside
the lobby, a glass encased vintage menu from the 1930s when the
restaurant was called The New Venice lists baked oysters casino and a
dry martini for one dollar. An antique “candlestick” phone is
securely encased next to two regular pay phones, and a gorgeous
grandfather stands elegantly in the entranceway, thanks to a donation
by the restaurant’s current proprietor, Joseph Sanzari.

“All
my life I was a contractor and I wanted to do something different, so
I started in restaurants,” says Sanzari. “You meet a lot of
people and you see how things operate in a different way than what
I’ve been doing. In the construction business, it’s all hard
work, and in this business it’s very personable and you have to
make sure you take care of clients and have good people working for
you.”

Sanzari
is better known across the Garden State as a construction magnate.
The best project he said he ever completed as a contractor and
project manager was the western interchange for Routes 4 and 17 in
Paramus.

“I
completed that project 18 months ahead of schedule and we were
noticed in the Engineering News as top 25 in the country. That was my
best project as a contractor,” said Sanzari.

Another
prided accomplishment, he said, was serving as chairman of Hackensack
University Medical Center and having built the Joseph Sanzari
Children’s Hospital and the Women’s Hospital.

“I’m
proud of that,” he said. “The future of this country is our
children.”

Since
becoming proprietor of Stony Hill Inn in 2007, Sanzari has
established his restaurant savoir faire with its burgeoning success.
(He also is the proprietor of the Sanzari’s New Bridge Inn in New
Milford.) Dignitaries from Presidents George W. Bush and Richard
Nixon to Governor Christie Whitman to Senator Ted Kennedy and
legendary sports figures such as Yogi Berra have dined as
distinguished guests at Stony Hill Inn over the past few decades.

“It’s
a novelty where it’s the place to go politically and a place to go
if you want to enjoy a good dinner and meet friends,” he says.

The
food at Stony Hill exudes Italian tastes with a broader Continental
flare. Chef Gabriel Torres has led the kitchen for the last 30 years
with regular requests for signature dishes like bone-in, Veal Cutlet
Parmigiana; Joe’s Fried Meatballs served with Marinara Sauce and
Fresh Ricotta; Veal Osso Bucco – a braised Veal Shank simmered in a
vegetable demi-glaze with mushroom risotto; 16-ounce Prime Organic
Maple Glazed Pork Chop served with sweet potato fries and his Chilean
Sea Bass.

Stony
Hill’s general manager Lori Rubino said guests come back for much
more especially as seasons change during the warmer months.

“Everyone
also loves our pizzas. Our short ribs are a number one seller,
fishes, pastas and daily specials are the best!” said Rubino. “And
in the summer months, our most popular lunches include the watermelon
salad, wraps and sandwiches. Chef Torres specializes in making the
best chicken pot pies and shepard pies in the fall.”

Stony
Hill’s main dining area is situated in the original homestead. The
atmosphere fills with the days of old when the bartenders dressed in
crisp uniforms, knew everybody’s name and their cocktail of choice.
It’s a quiet elegance of times past, as a dramatic, mahogany, brass
rail bar greets guests who enter the room. The bar can seat over
twenty as the friendly bartender Paul keeps guests happy throughout
the week.

Just
a few feet away and a step down is the Garden Room. On Sundays, the
room is home to Stony Hill’s Sunday brunch complete with pasta and
omelet stations, hot carving stations, salads, hot chafing dishes and
an abundant dessert station with a chocolate fountain.

“The
main room is the original homestead house with some of the original
tile work. Off to the left of the Garden Room is another room called
the Pipe room,” said Rubino, “ We made the pipe room into the
Sanzari photo gallery. There is a collection of photos with
governors, mayors and dignitaries.”

The
Garden room whispers a quiet elegance and features the exposed stone
from the relics of the Dutch homestead. But that’s not all the
space Stony Hill has to offer.

“We
have a little bit of something for everyone. We have romantic tables
and we have fireplaces in three of our dining rooms,” said Rubino.
“We have a casual bar outside, patio, fire pits and a gazebo for
our guests.”

Rubino
says the gazebo can also be reserved for two to eight people for
dinner and is cigar friendly.

The
food is only part of what keeps regulars coming back. Stony Hill
offers live entertainment on weekends and even Thursday nights during
the summer.

“I
try to rotate the bands a little bit. I do a weekly entertainment
7-11pm, dinner and dancing for Saturday nights. Sometimes I start it
up on Thursdays in the spring since many of our clientele have homes
down the shore,” Rubino said, “I do a disco, sometimes bands that
cater to all of our guests.”

Expanding
for the future

Recently,
the restaurant underwent a massive expansion to accommodate weddings
and special events. The Inn offers the Crystal Room and the Grand
Ballroom. In 2011, both halls underwent a renovation and, just six
months ago, another renovation took place to ensure both rooms were
in prime shape as demand escalated. Its dramatic palladium windows
and high arched ceilings create an open, airy feeling.

“The
Crystal room is mostly used for cocktail hour and the ceremony,
comfortably fitting 50 to 125 people,” said Rubino. “The Grand
Ballroom is mainly used for the reception and has a capacity from
100-350 people. We only have one wedding per day.”

In
the warmer months, the doors for the main banquet rooms open up onto
the patio with cocktails hours extended outside, including outdoor
heaters and a tent to cover the entire patio. This historic home is
truly a unique setting for a wedding, bar or bat mitzvah, corporate
function, or social gathering. Or a cozy spot to enjoy those
afterwork cocktails over a wholesome meal.

By Nicole Israel O’Reilly