The Store is Now 'The Ridge Tavern,' Offering Both Comfort Food & Sophisticated Dishes

The calico curtains, and country bric-a-brac familiar for decades of diners at The Store restaurant in downtown may have been tossed away and replaced with a more sophisticated décor with clean and classic lines, but the renamed “The Ridge Tavern” will still offer some of the "comfort food" dishes that were favorites at The Store.

But along with the name change, the restaurant is adding choices for more sophisticated fare, the manager says.

Mark Marrazza, owner of The Tewksbury Inn in the Oldwick section of Tewksbury, purchased The Store at 55 S. Finley Ave. in Basking Ridge seven months ago. But initially, much remained the same and he didn't change the name to The Ridge Tavern, until about two weeks ago.

The renovated restaurant has an open, airy feel, decorated in shades of clay with black and white accents, natural wood floors and woodwork, and wrought iron lanterns.

Old faithful dishes like chicken pot pie and spaghetti and meatballs are still on the menu. According to restaurant manager Lisa Cialone, everything now is made with the fresh, not frozen ingredients. Sunday brunch, a longtime tradition at The Store, will continue.

With Marrazza at the helm, a range of new choices have been added, some that have been favorites on the upscale menu at The Tewksbury Inn. An example is the Bistro Chicken, which is a roasted chicken with spinach, whipped potatoes in a white wine thyme jus for $18.95.

“Mark didn’t want to turn The Store into The Tewksbury Inn, but he envisioned The Ridge Tavern to be casual, upscale, very much a tavern that is family-friendly [and] offering fresh food at very reasonable prices,” said Cialone.

Soups and appetizers range from $3.95 to $11.95, and salads and appetizers range from $5.95 to $13.95, with $5 extra for added shrimp or chicken. The menu's entrees range from $13.95 to $27.95 for filet mignon. Wines by the glass start at $6.

“Everything is made with fresh ingredients, and our salad dressings and desserts are entirely home made,” said Cialone.

She said the new menu is also great for those seeking turkey and vegi-burgers.

The Ridge Tavern is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for lunch and 4 to 10 p.m. for dinner. On Sunday, brunch is offered from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and dinner begins at 2 p.m. until 9 p.m.

The Ridge Tavern's Web site is currently under construction, but for more information call the restaurant at: 908-766-9853.

A review of the restaurant will appear in next week’s Basking Ridge Patch.