Friends of Library Merchants' Series: The Ivy Inn Restaurant & Bar

“I missed my bus one afternoon and the rest was history,” Jack Zaorski, the owner and Head Chef of the Ivy Inn explains. “I really knew it was right. I felt it was time to open my own restaurant. That was sixteen years ago and The Ivy Inn continues to progress and change.”

Jack was born and raised in Hackensack but his schooling took him to a private high school in Vermont that had a culinary arts program.

“I started in the industry at age 13 working in a Jewish deli and realized how much I loved it. During my years at Hofstra University, I worked as a short order cook at Simple Simon Delicatessen and TGI Friday’s.”

After graduation with a degree in Economics, he immediately went to study Culinary Arts at the New York Restaurant School and started cooking professionally at the Sea Grill in New York City as a Sous Chef.”

Jack’s career continued on to many well-known restaurants including work in corporate dining at the Metropolitan Opera and at the Tower Suite/Hemisphere Club in New York, was head chef at Amanda’s in Hoboken and Banquet Chef at Sardi’s, the Broadway landmark restaurant.

“When I first saw the building, it was a dive,” Jack said when he first came across the future Ivy Inn. “It had been an ‘old man’s bar’ and had been closed for five
years. When I first saw it, I knew it had potential. The establishment was
originally a stagecoach inn used by travelers between New York and Hackensack starting in the 1870’s. Patrons would eat, drink and relax downstairs and stay
overnight in one of the six guests rooms above. During Prohibition, the restaurant was a fine dining ‘speakeasy’, catering to patrons of the Jazz Age. Over the years, the building fell into disrepair.”

“My wife and I worked hard to fix the building,” Jack said. “When we first started I
remember that our children sleeping upstairs in a guestroom, which I now use as storage.  As we renovated the restaurant, we kept finding hidden treasures. The beams are over a hundred years old and we found working fireplaces behind sheetrock.”

Today, the restaurant continues to thrive. A charming new private party room was
recently opened with a fireplace, red-bricked walls and a flat screen television for meetings. A new patio area was recently opened in August, beautifully landscaped with wrought-iron tables and lighting to accent it.

“It is proving popular with all our guest and will remain open through October,” Jack said.

“The true success of The Ivy Inn is good food and excellent service,” Jack said. “We have a lot of staff that has been here since day one and that is a testament to
their faith in the restaurant. We really have a good time at work and it shows
on the serves that pass it on to the customers.

The food is the true standout at The Ivy Inn. Jack has a complete lunch, dinner, brunch and bar menu for those who want a light snack. The bar menu offers burgers, salads, sandwiches and pizzas for $10-$14. Happy Hour includes many $5 ‘small plates’, such as mini-burgers, crab cakes and chicken satay. Cocktails are priced between $4-$6.

The Brunch menu is prix-fixe at $18 per person with on beverage included (mimosa, bloody mary, screwdriver, greyhound or soft drink) choice of one appetizer and an entrée. Appetizers include salads, soups and fresh berry yogurt and granola parfait and entrees include Maryland crab cakes eggs
Benedict, Maria’s feather pancakes served with homemade whipped cream, penne
pasta with sweet & hot sausage tomato-basil sauce and smoked mozzarella, a
bacon and cheddar omelet and Jack’s hearty breakfast: two eggs, two pancakes,
two sausage, bacon and home fries.

Dinner at the Ivy Inn is not just for a special occasion. Ivy Inn’s wonderful ‘early bird dining menu’ is a value at $15.99. This is a three course meal that includes
either a soup or salad, choice of five entrees and dessert. Their regular dinner menu includes such mouthwatering dishes as Spedini in a lemon-caper sauce, mushrooms stuffed with bacon and Brie cheese, Filet Oscar-beef tenderloin topped with lump crab meat and Béarnaise Sauce and an orange roughly with shrimp and scallops over lobster ravioli in a light pink lobster sauce.

“We try to change things around,” Jack explained. “And add new things and modernize others. Sometimes our customers have the last say when they want something to stay on the menu and others like the new items. We recently updated our lunch menu with a prix fixe options.  Two courses include an appetizer and one of any entrée on the menu for $11.99 or $12.99.

“Running a restaurant takes some balance.  My family was working with me at the restaurant in the beginning. My wife is now teaching and our children are now away at school. On top of running the restaurant, I also do all the purchasing and run the day to day operations as well as creating the menu. I also try to stay very hands-on and am often around to greet guests. It is a fun atmosphere to work in. We try to give our customers the best experience possible.” This is why The Ivy Inn has been noted for being one of the ‘Most Romantic Restaurants’ in Bergen County as well as for Best Desserts, Brunch, Happy Hour and Best Prix-Fixe Menus.

“The secret to our success is in the little touches, such as the fresh flowers on
the table and the live music with a piano player on Thursday-Saturday nights,
who engages with our customers and remembers our regulars. We have many repeat customers from all over the county. We find that people want to dine in an
establishment with good, consistent food at a fair price. With a friendly staff
and a warm atmosphere it makes the perfect dining experience.”

Ivy Inn
268 Terrace Avenue
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
201-393-7699
www.ivyinn.com