Re-Branding The Office in Morristown

The PubScout's involvement with The Office Beer Bar goes back some seventeen years. That's when my story, "From Bouncer to Boardroom" (formerly "Working Late at The Office") came out. John Augustine brought The Office chain into the world of craft beer, insisting that everyone who served it knew what they were serving and why. The current ownership of The Office chain has changed from when Augustine was in charge, but the emphasis on craft beer has remained.

More recently, some beer tastings and a beer dinner at the Bridgewater Office  have been very well-received.

So when I learned that The Morristown Office was re-opening after an extensive (and expensive) renovation, I had to make the trek up 287 to check it out.

I'm glad I did.

Morristown, like Hoboken, is decidedly upscale. And handsome, well-attired (and apparently well-heeled) folks of both sexes traverse its sidewalks lined with fine bars, shops and eateries. But Morristown, unlike Hoboken, has streets that have actually been paved and resurfaced within the last 100 years, which makes traversing them better for both cars and drivers. And to my knowledge, the detestable practice of "booting" cars is not done as it is in the Mile Square City. Parking-wise, three quarters will get you 90 minutes of street parking time, which doesn't border on the usurious.

Das Boot

First, the physical plant of this now two-floor Office was completely gutted. The owners spared no expense to re-fit it properly, including all the decor and accoutrements that were custom designed for just this place--with artwork, beer boards, stools and chairs being updated. This two-level beauty, with al fresco dining at the street level as well, is a treat for the eyes. The dramatic bar and its forty beer taps are every bit as attractive as the TV's embedded in it.

Kevin Felice--Executive Chef

But what about the palate? The menu items are extensive and not wildly expensive--all made under the capable hands of Executive Chef Kevin Felice. (Is there any place you won't find an ALJ high school grad in a power position?) 

Because of the nature of the occasion, some of the Office's hierarchy were in the house, like VP Steve Buliva, GM Steve Hedden (there's always a wrestling connection, too, as one of his relatives wrestles for the storied South Plainfield program) and Marketing Manager Kathleen Janssen, whom I had met previously at the Bridgewater Office. The men were more than accommodating and friendly, not officious or condescending in the least; Kathleen was equally so and nothing less than radiant. 

Kathleen Janssen

Ditto the servers, like Dawn, the barstaff like Cat and Patch (I didn't ask how she got that name) and every other employee in the place who wore constant, genuine smiles. 

I soon learned that their attitudes filtered down from the top in the form of a quite friendly and unassuming guy who owns the entire chain of 40 North Restaurants
--Mr. Michele Scotto. Mr. Scotto, an Italian immigrant, opened his first pizza store adjacent to the Ed Sullivan theater in NYC fifty years ago and is celebrating that benchmark come September 11. No pretense, no "big-shot" attitude with him. Just a warm and friendly guy with a comfortable avuncular presence. He and his sons and grandsons are "hands-on" owners, insisting on a quality upscale/casual experience for their customers in every way.

Mr. Michele Scotto

After grilling Kathleen about the place and its 95 employees, I asked her what I should order.

"The Crispy Chicken Sandwich is to die for, but if you're into burgers, the tavern burger will amaze you," she said. "It has a homemade special sauce on it that's so secret, Kevin won't even let me know what's in it."

So I called Kevin over and asked him outright. Perhaps, remembering the inconveniences of after-school detention, he told me. But my lips are sealed.

Dawn

At Kathleen's suggestion, I ordered the chicken sandwich, then asked my server Dawn what beer she would recommend with it. "Allagash White would work," she offered, and she was right. It appears that emphasis on beer education from John Augustine's days is in full vigor. The pairing was absolutely delicious. My table neighbors had raves about their selections, as well. 

When I ordered a Dogfish Head Midas Touch for dessert, I noted that it came in the appropriate glassware. I asked Dawn how she knew to put that beer in that glass, and she stated candidly, "I didn't. That stuff is all computerized when we put the beer order in." Beverage manager Russell Zimmerman must be a visionary. Neat.

So what are this bar's prospects for success? Very high in my opinion, given its business model, its attention to small details, its food, its servers and its management. Not to mention its "catchment area" of Morristown. 

"This is the brand now," says Kathleen. "This is the future of The Office. We purposely hired passionate foodies and beer nuts. Everything is created in-house. And our original 87 seats became 178 seats." 

Dawn, Cat and Patch

The formula must be working, because at opening day lunch, the customers just kept filing in, and I didn't see too many empty seats. She also said she plans to host some beer dinners in the future which will likely increase traffic.

Next on the list for major renovation are the Summit and Ridgewood facilities. If those plans turn out anything like the Morristown place, more and more people will be telling their spouses the line I coined as a headline in the old Beer and Tavern Chronicle way back in 1996 :

Sorry, honey, I'll be "Working Late at The Office."

Cheers!
The PubScout

Would you or wouldn't you?

Joe Sixpack

If you are reading this column, chances are you've been to a beer festival or five.

My beerwriting colleague and Philly drinking pal Don Russell (aka Joe Sixpack) shares a story about a rather unusual one here.

Give it a read, and then answer the question in the title.

Personally, I'm at the age where I realize I look much better clothed. The pointing and the laughing in my direction would take the fun out of the experience for me.

But if such is your thing, Hugo Furst. I'd cover the story.

Cheers!
The PubScout

Gotta go some to top this beer commercial...

Yes, this commercial for Sapporo beer is a few years old.

No, The PubScout is not a devotee of Sapporo, though he would drink it before ingesting many mainstream beers.

But the bottom line is that this commercial may be the best beer commercial. Ever.
Though I first saw it moons ago, it is impressive still.

Enjoy.
Cheers!
The PubScout

Reigelsville Tavern--Civilization in Pennsy North of New Hope

Pennsylvania is a wonderful state. Motorcycle riders need not wear helmets (though why anyone would opt for such "freedom" gives me pause), and you can still smoke in bars and restaurants--at least most of them. It has many fine motorcycle roads in close proximity to Jersey, like the legendary Rt 32 and Rt. 611, which follow the scenic Delaware River's meanderings. That the turning point of the American Revolution emanated from PA also gives it a special place in the hearts of American patriots. Hessians and Brits--not so much.

Lambertville from New Hope

My beer buddy Paul Mulshine recently penned a column about the cigarette wars in which he discusses, among other things, the recent "war" between Jersey's Lambertville and PA's New Hope when it comes to smoking in bars. Bottom line: New Hope recently banned smoking to recoup customers from Lambertville.

While both towns are pleasant to visit during a weekday, this biker assiduously avoids them on the weekends, because, as Yogi Berra once said, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." Just trying to drive Rt. 32 through New Hope on a fine Saturday or Sunday will add large chunks of time to your trip. And all you're likely to see while you wait in traffic is people standing outside bars and restaurants doing what they now cannot do inside.

What's a guy who wants a break, a beer and a cigar to do? Try heading further north, where 32 ends and 611 begins. Cross into the Keystone State at Stockton, Frenchtown or Milford, and take 32 north. You'll come to a pleasant little burg called Riegelsville on the Pennsy side. Having stopped regularly at the Reigelsville Inn for beers and burgers, I noticed a bar just south of the town called the Reigelsville TAVERN. It usually had a large collection of motorcycles parked out front. Apart from the One Percenters' biker bars, that's usually a good sign.

But a "biker bar" this is not. I stopped in today on my trip south from Easton, PA on a gorgeous riding day. I dismounted, grabbed an Alvarez Robusto from my bag and found a shady seat on the patio. Within ten seconds, a gorgeous, dark-haired, dark-eyed server named Katie was at my shoulder.


I asked, "Is it OK to smoke this cigar out here?"

"Absolutely!" she exclaimed, flashing a genuine Hollywood smile. "I'll bring you an ashtray. What can I get you to drink?"

"I'll have a Goose Island IPA," I responded, and I sat down, opened the Alvarez Robusto, clipped the tip and lit up.

That sequence of events would not have happened in either New Hope or Lambertville.

Which is why I was in Reigelsville, and why I'll be going back to sample more of their fine beers and, according to bikers on the patio, the exceptional food.

Cheers!
The PubScout

Got Bottles?

We all know what magic brewers work to fill beer bottles. But these guys work a little magic, too.

I say we help provide them with a constant supply of their instrument of choice: Beer Bottles.

(But not the one to the right...that's a collector's item.)

Cheers!
The PubScout

In The Vault at Vault Brewing

In his famous short story, "The Cask of Amontillado," Edgar Allan Poe's Montresor led his nemesis, Fortunato, into the deep recesses of the catacombs. Once down there, Montresor chained his enemy to a damp wall and then sealed the opening with bricks. Fortunato is still there, according to Poe, though probably not in the same condition he was in when he went down.

I thought of that story today at Vault Brewing in Yardley, PA, when co-owner John Cain brought me into his vault. Vault Brewing is housed in the former Yardley National Bank, and that imposing structure, with walls two-feet thick, was built around the vault.

The vaunted Vault

The vault now houses cold kegs of the beer John and his brother and co-owner James make on the premises. John lured me in under the guise of showing me the device that serves as the logo for Vault Brewing. It's a valve that was installed when the bank was built, and it has a special oxygen provider that can (still!) be activated to pump oxygen into the vault in the event some hapless bank teller got locked inside accidentally. Those two-foot thick walls would not permit any sound to penetrate, so the trapped person would be able to breathe until help arrived. John demonstrated it, and as it whirred, I felt a twinge of Fortunato-itis, so I exited quickly. Besides, it was cold in there.

John's smile is suspicious...

And the premises, like the food, the beer and the co-owners, are fascinatingly unique. John and James, Doylestown-born, traveled the world with their peripatetic parents, and they found themselves in Mornington, Australia, a bit south of Melbourne. They visited a friend's brewery and simultaneously had what John calls an epiphany: HEY! WE COULD DO THIS BACK IN BUCKS COUNTY!

So they did, but not without some obstacles. They had settled on Yardley, a charmingly quaint suburb of Philadelphia with an appealing demographic for what they had in mind. They first tried to launch in an old brick building in another section of town, but the neighbors--probably canoe beer drinkers-- weren't keen on having a brewery in their backyard. So the hunt for a suitable space was back on.

Coming upon the closed bank, they walked in to explore and had another epiphany: WHOA! WE COULD REALLY DO SOMETHING COOL HERE!

Believe it or not, there was another big tank
up there at one time!

And indeed they have, though getting the rooms the way they wanted posed some serious challenges. How, for example, to get those big mash tuns and fermenters in through any existing door. Bank doors, especially back in those days, were far from wide and welcoming. The solution? Cut a wide door opening in
the side of the place, and use winches to set the massive equipment in place. It was worth the effort, however, as anyone entering is met immediately with towering, gleaming tanks and a comfortable bar. There are also tables in two rooms and on the deck for patrons to enjoy the food.

The food, according to John, was a pretty big obstacle itself. When the brothers realized they would need more than just beer to attract their target clientele, they turned to James' wife Anna. (James was actually married to Anna in the famous Fonthill Castle at Doylestown.) Anna, the first chef, designed the first menu, though she has since handed over those duties to others who work in an open kitchen with a gleaming copper wood-fired stove.

Jackie

Vault Brewing's servers are trained to know which food to recommend with which beer, especially when new beers come out, like the one percolating and fermenting in this brief clip. The staff is genuinely friendly, so get to know Alex, Jackie and Brooke.

James and Head Brewer Mark Thomas set the brew schedule, and they like to experiment. I asked John what was the weirdest beer to come out of their collaboration, and he said, without hesitation, "Habanero IPA." That it sold exceptionally well is proof that with risk comes reward.

John, with "movie star" good looks...

John also allowed that their beer menu is varied and wide, as Vault Brewing wants to provide something for everyone. A look at what's currently on tap on their website will verify that approach. I had a St. Cecelia's bitter, and it was delightful and right on style. At 4.4%, it's as good a session beer as you'll find.

Their growing clientele, in the 30-45 demographic, appreciates good food, good beer and a great atmosphere. They also seem to appreciate the fact that there are no TV's in the place. That was by design. The owners want their guests to interact with each other, and as I strolled through the place, that's exactly what they were doing, though looking somewhat askance at me. But I'm used to that.

With James spending the day at the Jersey Shore, I asked John two final questions. First, where do you see Vault Brewing five years from now? He allowed that that had been a recent subject of discussion, but said that they would like to see "horizontal growth," meaning more locations, and/or a wider distribution for their beer if the bottling system can handle it.

9% Barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout

And it was, ironically, because of a bottled beer that The PubScout visited Vault Brewing today. Every Sunday the brothers plan to sell specially bottled beer to the public, with a limit of two per customer. Today's offering was a 9% Barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout. So there I was.

Final question: Are you having fun?
And a broadly smiling John Cain replied, "It's hard not to."

If you go, turn off PA Rt.32 onto E. Afton, go over a small bridge, then look for Canal St. on your left. That's the easiest way to park right behind the place.

And if you get invited to visit the Vault, make sure the guy inviting you isn't named Montresor.

Cheers! The PubScout

A Little Horn Tootin'

Farmer Ben

The second issue of the Garden State's newest glossy beer magazine--NJ Brew--has hit the stands. It's free in a wide variety of locations. Pick one up; it will look good on your coffee table, your bar or even in your Loo Library.

And, for the second issue in a row, yours truly has a featured column within the wealth of beer stuff. It's called Farmer Ben's Grains, and you can read the online version of it right here.

Get with the beer scene in Jersey at New Jersey Brew!