THE CHEFS OF ESTY STREET, PARK RIDGE
STEPHEN HILLA
The following is an approximate timeline on the chefs that have come and gone at Esty Street in Park Ridge.
1992 to 1994: Stephen Hilla is the opening chef at Esty Street.
1994 to 1999: Lee Ganberg was executive chef.
1999 to 2007: Ganberg’s sous chef, Giacomo Mistretta took over. His sous chef from 2000 was Adam Weiss who became executive chef in 2007.
2000 to April 2013: Adam Weiss, who won the Ultimate Chef of Bergen County in 2013 and 2014, and was there for 13 years, was let go.
April 2013: Chris Curado was named executive chef.
November 2013: Anthony Lo Pinto was there until December 2013.
January 2014: Stephen Hilla became the new executive chef.
May 2014: Stephen Hilla left Esty Street and went to 3 Forty Grill, Hoboken.
June 2014: Stephen Hilla is no longer at 3 Forty Grill in Hoboken and is the consulting chef at Esty Street.
What goes around comes around!
CHRISTOPHER RYAN ARTURO
Christopher Ryan Arturo, previously at Upstairs in Montclair, is the new executive chef in charge of dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, from 5 to 10 PM, at the Red Eye Café, 94 Walnut Street, Montclair. Varied dishes, some with Asian influences, and comfort foods all using local, seasonal ingredients will be on the menu that changes weekly. Reservations: 973-509-3663; BYO.
KYRONN CORDNER
Kyronn Cordner, previously from Axia Taverna in Tenafly, is now at Labebe Mediterranean Cuisine, 2150 Rt 130 N, North Brunswick (732-658-6400). Some menu items are hot and cold mezza, such as hommus and grilled octopus, salads, soups, chicken, fish and many lamb-based entrees. The restaurant has a full bar.
JOSE GARCES
Chef Jose Garces, a James Beard and Iron Chef winner has opened Distrito, a Mexican restaurant, at Moorestown Mall, 400 Rt 38, Moorestown (856-252-0300). The 7,500-square-foot, 200-seat cantina will offer items such as coconut habanero chicken, fish tacos, grilled Spanish octopus, pork-belly tamales, tequilas and house-made margaritas. Garces also has a Distrito in Philadelphia and Scottsdale, AZ, a Distrito Cantina in Atlantic City and a Distrito Truck in Philadelphia.
PETER LARSEN
Watch the activity on the Hudson River and the stunning views of New York City while dining at Haven Restaurant and Bar, 2 Main Street (for GPS, put 45 River Road), Edgewater Harbor, Edgewater (201-943-1900). This summer executive chef Peter Larsen is offering a new prix-fixe Sunset menu from Monday through Friday, 5 to 7 PM, which includes three courses for $45. Starters include an Heirloom Tomato salad, pretzel-crusted fried calamari, and yellowfin tuna tartare. A half-dozen mains are offered such as roasted organic, seafood risotto and grilled hanger steak and finish your meal with Meyer lemon panna cotta, chocolate croissant bread pudding, or salted-caramel ice cream sundae.
ERIC MARTIN
Eric Martin, who was the opening and longtime chef at Rat’s in Hamilton since 1999, has been named acting chef of Snug Harbor in Staten Island and future chef Hotel du Village in New Hope. Hotel du Village, a French Country estate, is owned by Frank and Jeanne Cretella of Landmark Hospitality (Stone House at Stirling Ridge, Ryland Inn, Liberty House) and will be an event space for celebrations and weddings with twenty remodeled rooms, all with private baths and many modern amenities.
JEFFREY OREL
Jeffrey Orel, previously from 3Forty Grill in Hoboken, is the owner/chef at Denville Meat Shop, 28 Diamond Spring Road, Denville (862-209-4088). Orel will be making his own charcuterie, conduct cooking and wine classes, have a full line of upscale prepared foods and catering. There will be a 100% organic baker preparing breads and pastries daily, grass fed beef, pork and lamb, wagyu-kobe beef, Berkshire pork, beef and Berkshire Pork will be aged on premise.
THE BUTCHER AND THE CHEF WEBISODE
Watch the culinary adventures Salvatore Petruso, a butcher at Westwood Prime Meats and chef John Vitale of Caffe Anello in Westwood on The Butcher and The Chef, an entertaining and informative webisode shown on Tuesday’s beginning July 15 on boozyburbs.com. The show will air for 10 weeks.
SCOTT SWIDERSKI
Scott Swiderski is the new chef at Rat’s Restaurant, Grounds for Sculpture, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton (609-584-7800). He replaces Shane Cash who left at the end of February. Swiderski was the opening chef at Buddakan in Philadelphia.
JEFFREY WIERZBICKI AND BRIAN KIRBY
Congratulations to Executive Chef Jeffry Wierzbicki and his Sous Chef Brian Kirby of Winberie’s in Summit who won The Jersey Seafood Challenge that was held at Viking Village in Barnegat Light and will represent NJ at the Great American Seafood Cook-off in New Orleans on August 2 and 3. Their winning dish was a New Jersey Scallop BLT.
*********
Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].