It's a convenient stop when traveling on Route 80 and well worth visiting.
NEW YEAR'S EVE
The Stanhope House hosts
A Grateful New Year's Eve, with Reflections and Magnolia Street String Band. The show, for ages 21 and older, starts at 8 p.m. Cost is $35 and includes a champagne toast and hors d'oeuvres. Located at 45 Main St. Visit stanhopehousenj.com.
Stanhope is a small borough in northwest New Jersey.
Area attractions -- such as Waterloo Village, in Allamuchy Mountain State Park, and The Stanhope House, a classic roadhouse featuring concerts by local and national acts -- are big draws.
It is also a convenient stop when traveling on Route 80 and well worth visiting for some food at one of these local favorite eateries.
Take Route 80 West to Exit 27B. Drive 1 mile on Route 183 North, travel through the business district of Netcong, and you'll reach Stanhope immediately after passing Lake Musconetcong on your right.
Bell's Mansion | 11 Main St. | (973) 426-9977 | bellsmansion.com
Crab cake BLT, with sweet potato fries, at Bell's Mansion. Easily the most attractive restaurant in the borough, this gorgeous estate-turned-restaurant dates to 1835 and was built by Robert Bell, a local businessman. Bell's Mansion features many small dining rooms throughout the house and a lovely outdoor seating area. Ingredients used in the restaurant are grown in gardens on the grounds. The bar area is especially attractive, featuring a mirrored wooden bar built in 1880 for a hotel in Pennsylvania. Happy hour is a steal here, with many $5 and $6 options and inexpensive drinks as well, but I ordered from the regular menu, choosing the crab cake BLT, with sweet potato fries. I had a little buyer's remorse as I saw some appetizing dishes passing by en route to other tables, but the crab cake was good and there's really no way to go wrong with sweet potato fries. Bell's is perfect for a cocktail, appetizers at the bar or an extravagant (and more expensive) night out in one of the dining rooms. $11
Salt Gastropub | 109 Route 206 | (973) 347-7258 | saltgastropub.com
Orechiette, with sausage, portobello mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, red onion and baby spinach, at Salt Gastropub. This restaurant, probably the best in the borough, has a fairly eclectic menu, with items such as fish and chips, jerk chicken, and bangers and mash. It has a very nice, friendly pub atmosphere and is suitable for families, as well as an adult night out. While the dinner menu gets a little pricey, the entirety of the lunch menu is well under $15. I tried the orecchiette, prepared with sausage, portobello mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, red onion and baby spinach, in a garlic white wine sauce. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the ingredients complemented each other well. Even though they had a very good microbrew beer selection, I couldn't pass up the $2 pint of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Pasta, $8.50; beer, $2
Frank's Trattoria | 9060 Route 206 | (973) 347-2094 | franksbyram.com
A plain slice and a Grandma slice of pizza, at Frank's Trattoria. Really a pizzeria with a full menu, rather than a classic trattoria, Frank's has a huge selection with panini, entrees, salads, subs and pastas. However, pizza seemed like the focus, so who was I to argue? I opted for a Grandma slice -- here, a thin Sicilian, with fresh mozzarella -- and a plain Neapolitan slice. They were both essentially middle of the road, but in a good way. There is a law of nature that states that the farther away from Brooklyn you are, the worse the pizza. Or at least, that's my theory. (I often, happily, find exceptions.) These slices were not too salty, not too sweet, not over- or undercooked, and not possessing any of the personality of the best pizzas in the world. However, they were surprisingly good, especially this far from New York City. It was standard, tasty pizza -- and that is always to be commended. Frank's also has a huge space and is perfect to visit with a car full of kids. Plain slice, $2; Grandma slice, $3
Deli Delicious | 44 Main St. | (973) 691-1113
"The Stanhope Monster," with grilled ham, bacon and melted Swiss cheese -- and maple syrup, at Deli Delicious. This unassuming delicatessen in the middle of the borough serves basic fare done quite well. All the staples you would expect are here -- from omelets and breakfast sandwiches to cold cuts, burgers and various deli salads. There are specials, including chicken Francese; a grilled roast beef sandwich, with gravy, on a garlic roll; and one that was an obvious standout -- "The Stanhope Monster." This sandwich combines grilled ham, bacon and melted Swiss cheese on a kaiser roll, with maple syrup, and is served with homemade fries. While it was fresh and well prepared, this good meal could become a classic simply by using real maple syrup instead of the fake, corn syrup-based product that plagues the tables of so many restaurants. Prices here are incredibly low, but you might be spending the money you save on a hotel room, so you can sleep off the food coma this sandwich will induce. Sandwich, $5.99; soda, $1.99
Email Mike Lustig with your favorite town or eatery at LustigEats@gmail.com.
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