March
2002
Lunch:
it's downtown Trenton's main meal
By
Joe Emanski
For
all of the deserved fame that Chambersburg has garnered over the
years, there is more to the City of Trenton's culinary scene than
home-style Italian cuisine. Those of Trenton's daytime-only residents
who have ventured from out their cubicles have been rewarded by
an increasingly diverse selection of midday menus ranging from gourmet
coffee and bagels to wings 'n' things to "fusion cuisine,"
a favorite big-city culinary phrase that has found its way-finally?-to
downtown Trenton.
In the downtown area, where for independent restaurateurs have done
battle with government cafeterias for the lunchtime dollars, the
scene is evolving to where cozy, utilitarian eateries coexist peacefully
with a more metropolitan scene. It's a logical progression in a
city where rejuvenation and revitalization are the two most uttered
words. Yet it's also a relief to see that while Trenton is on the
rise, it isn't abandoning its roots. Which is to say, don't worry:
no matter how many new restaurants open in the city, there will
always be an abundant supply of pasta and burgers.
* *
*
Downtown
Trenton is so diverse in its dining choices that not only could
one go two weeks without eating in the same restaurant, one could
go two weeks without eating the same type of food. From the comfort
of chicken and pork chops at Willie's City Café to the Caribbean
and African-American soul food of Blue Mountain Café, from
the garlic-laden roasted pork of La Cocina Criolla to the exotic
aromas of chicken tikka masala and malai kofta at Delight of India,
the east, south, north and west of the downtown promise options
that few towns in the area can match. And that's without having
mentioned Maxine's, Checkers, Commini's, or Trenton Bagel (a block
east on Broad Street).
Power lunchers know where to go in town as well, as you can find
Trenton, Mercer County, and New Jersey's most influential people
dining at Pete Lorenzo's Café, where well-known personalities
(like former Governor Christine Todd Whitman) who are repeat customers
have drink pitchers hanging on the wall with their names emblazoned
on them-Trenton's version of a status symbol.
Old Chambersburg favorites like Rossi's and Good Times Tavern, on
the other hand, probably lead Trenton's burger brigade. In this
city, you can probably dine exclusively on burgers. No matter where
you go in Trenton, chances are you can find one on the menu.
When it opens in April, Archives Restaurant, in the Lafayette Yard
Marriott Conference Hotel, will deliver what relatively few Trenton
restaurants do: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's a distinction
that the Marriott's management team expects will vault it to a place
among the top destinations in the city. No word yet on whether executive
chef Joe LaRusso's menu will feature burgers, but if he has done
his homework, it's a good bet that it will.
Meanwhile, the Urban Word Café and Centre House Pub are among
the establishments that have staked out areas that are not necessarily
known to the denizens of the Taxation and Treasury buildings. Urban
Word, on South Broad Street across from Sovereign Bank Arena, offers
the cool, relaxed atmosphere of an arts café (and the taste
of a burger), while Centre House, down the street from Mercer County
Waterfront Park, supplies a neighborhood meeting place ambiance
(and burgers) with its tiny bar, uneven floors, and nostalgic décor.
Though both places have looked toward the sports arenas to drive
some business, and both have loyal dinner and late-night patrons,
they still count on the lunch crowd to keep things running smoothly.
As one restaurant owner in the city states, you can't make it on
the business from just one meal a day. In order to survive, you
need to cultivate at least two distinct busy periods.
* *
*
The
scene: Utopia, an International Bistro, on West Front Street. Lanny
Butler and Jonathan Iszard, coworkers at Mercer County One Stop,
had just finished their lunch.
"This was my first time here," said Mr. Butler, who had
the crabcake sandwich and grilled chicken Caesar salad. "It
was excellent. The food was fresh and there was a great atmosphere."
As he spoke, a smile crossed Mr. Iszard's face. His dad, former
Mercer County Freeholder Calvin Iszard, owns the oldest home in
Mill Hill, and both father and son are boosters of the city.
"I eat out (in Trenton) everyday," said Mr. Iszard. "I
think it should get more respect than it does. I'm bringing maps
back to the people at work so they have no more excuses." He
mentioned Tattoni's Café, Delight of India, and Café
Olé as some of the restaurants he frequents.
According to general manager Boyd Wilson, Utopia's usual crowd consists
largely of government workers, with a decent mix of businesspeople
who are in Trenton for the day. "Everyday we usually have a
few people here for the first time," said Mr. Wilson. Because
of its metropolitan atmosphere, Utopia has quickly established itself
as one of Trenton's fine restaurants for both lunch and dinner.
Utopia chef L. Dametrious Sadler loves to cook, but said he wouldn't
be pigeonholed into naming his favorite dish to cook-or to eat.
He did name the crabcakes and the crab chowder as a couple of Utopia's
most popular dishes, though. Although Utopia's daily specials sometimes
repeat previous specials that were popular, Chef Sadler never rests
on his accomplishments. "We have to do something different
every day. We try to stay fresh," he said.
When asked what makes Utopia's burger the best in Trenton, Chef
Sadler said, "It has a lot of love. It's always seasoned, always
fresh." Rather than french fries, Utopia's burger comes accompanied
by root vegetable chips. "It's presented a little bit differently,"
he added.
As you can see on this month's cover.
* * *
The
Trenton Commons divide West State Street and East State Street,
and the two sides have a decidedly different look and feel. Yet
Trenton's experienced downtown diners know where to find the gems
on either side of town.
The cozy environment and all-the-basics menu of the smoker-friendly
Tremont Lounge, across from City Hall, offers lunchers a tie to
Trenton's history. A commemorative bicentennial plaque in the window
informs passersby that the building has stood since 1847. Manager
Said Crusade has been there since 1969.
"At this location we get people from the DEP, state employees,
a handful from City Hall," said Mr. Crusade. This year, as
for the past six years, the Tremont Lounge hosted Mayor Doug Palmer's
post-State of the City Address reception. When the federal courthouse
is in session, Mr. Crusade added, business really picks up.
As one diner informed waitress Judy Madli that the fresh roll really
made his-you guessed it-burger taste delicious, Ms. Madli said that
she picked the rolls up daily from Italian Peoples. "I'm here
for 30 years," she said, "and for 30 years I've been picking
up rolls at Italian Peoples Bakery."
* *
*
The
scene: Checkers, on South Warren Street just below the commons.
The reporter waiting to meet an interview subject stepped inside
to gauge table availability. He found none. If there are restaurants
in Trenton that are struggling to find a client base, Checkers is
not among them.
"Business has been pretty steady, lately because of construction
workers for the hotel and the state house," said Tom Fowler,
owner and cook at Checkers, which features a luncheon menu complemented
by homemade soups and pies. Throughout the lunch period, Mr. Fowler
can be found standing over the grill at one end of the bar. "We
do get lots of repeats, we have loyal clientele. We've also been
seeing new faces with the new administration."
According to one of those regulars, state worker Tom Lucas, "Everybody
who eats out everyday eats here once a week." Mr. Lucas, who
retires this month, joked that after he retired he would only probably
visit Checkers once a week, which elicited a response of "Yeah,
right" from those who heard it.
What makes a Checkers burger, which has been dubbed "best burger
in the city" by at least one self-proclaimed burger connoisseur
(if there is such a thing), special? Tom Fowler was sheepish at
the suggestion that his burgers are best, but with the help of waitress
Michele Smull, he eventually found an answer. "The meat comes
in fresh everyday, and we make the burgers ourselves, to order."
Simplicity itself.
* *
*
It's
not all simple in today's restaurant world. Sharon Rousseau of Centre
House Pub said she transmits 200 faxes daily to area businesses
in an effort to build business. She said that the drop in business
that coincided with a period in which her computer was down reinforced
the value of the fax campaign. You can also find menus and directions
online at www.centrehousepub.com.
Web sites have not necessarily taken off among Trenton restaurants
as yet. In fact, one might suggest that the Web is one area in which
Trenton flat out falls down. Though some city eateries, such as
Maxine's and the Urban Word Café, feature neat, professionally
designed Web sites, many get by on bare-bones do-it-yourselfers
that, if they were buildings, would qualify as eyesores.
On the other hand, Café Olé, a coffeehouse on South
Warren Street (which is owned and operated by Jamie Griswold, publisher
of the Trenton Downtowner), is beyond Web sites and on to something
a little more proactive. Café Olé maintains an opt-in
e-mailing list to keep its regular customers up to date on special
offers and contests.
* * *
As
we've mentioned, lunch in Trenton does not mean staying downtown.
River City Café is gearing up for a St. Patrick's Day bash
while the pizza-only DeLorenzo's on Hamilton Avenue takes pre-orders
for its bustling lunch hour. Tortuga's on South Clinton offers better
Mexican food than Chevy's or Chi-Chi's could ever hope. Málaga,
on Lalor Street, stands as one of the area's few Spanish restaurants.
Yet perhaps one of the strangest quirks of Trenton's lunch scene
is its lunch flight-people who leave their work at lunchtime to
dine somewhere in the suburbs. "A lot of people go right across
the river to a few places in Morrisville," says Jennifer Michalchuk,
who works in computer operations for the state. "Our favorite
Friday place to eat is over there-Non Solo Pasta."
Certainly the people who work in Philadelphia don't feel the need
to jaunt out to Valley Forge for a nice fettuccine alfredo. Yet
Trenton appears to have some problem enticing people to stay put.
"We'll go to Joe's Mill Hill (Saloon) once in a while. If we're
having a luncheon for a special occasion, like someone retiring,
then we'll go somewhere in the 'Burg," said Ms. Michalchuk.
Perhaps once upon a time, Trenton's chefs and restaurateurs liked
the idea of a city where people dressed up in their Sunday best
and made an occasion out of a meal. In fact, perhaps many of them
still like the idea. But in the hustle and bustle of today's commercial
landscape, it's more important than ever to put the customer first
and to cater to the desires of families and lovebirds, ironworkers
and judges alike.
Trenton's downtown restaurants are doing that. It's time for the
locals to notice, and on the eve of the opening of the new hotel,
it appears that they have begun to. Whether you like pasta, seafood,
quesadillas or, yes, burgers, you'll find what you're hungry for
right in the city. Next time it's a nice day for a walk-consider
taking advantage.
