Belmont Tavern: Bloomfield, NJ

The nice couple next to us mentioned that there was a time, 25 years ago, when they came 3 times a week.  They didn't look that old, but it was a reminder of how old the Belmont is.  In fact, it's way older than that.  How old you ask?  I have no idea.  But it's old.

And throughout its history it has been a required stop if you're in show business and in any way related to north Jersey.  The walls are covered with autographed photos of the usual mostly Italian suspects.  It also features a photo Studdering John Melendez.  Yes of course.  Studdering Stuttering John (Edit:  more than two years after the fact I realize that I spelled "stutter" incorrectly).

Here's what you need to know:   

When you walk in you have to find John (the maitre d, not the stutterer), who is the guy who pretends to take your name down (he just remembers it I think.  Sort of).   Then you try to get the bartender's (Jimmy, oftentimes) attention (he doesn't care about you) and you order a drink (not Budweiser, because you'll probably be told "they got bud around the corner" as the barman walks away from you) or maybe a carafe of their cheap Italian red wine (it's Californian).  When a table opens up, John will look around and decide if you should be seated.  If you get lucky, he'll seat you in under an hour (no reservations accepted).

A crappy bread basket will arrive at the table (why can't they just get some good Italian bread from all of those great old bakeries in Newark and Bloomfield?) along with some old menus.   Everything here is old. 

I've read lots about the gruff service and the no-nonsense style, and I have to say that the ladies who have taken care of me during my visits are very nice indeed.  They are, though, no-nonsense.  they're more interested in getting your order than chatting.  Our comment of "if we're still hungry after that we'll order more"  after ordering what was clearly not deemed enough food, was answered with "not if it gets crowded you won't."  We ordered an extra dish right then.

I'd get a couple of carafes of that red wine of theirs.  It comes out of a jug that says "burgundy."  You have the option of ordering it "chilled" or "room temperature."  Our waitress last night said "I'd get it chilled, it's not very good to begin with."  She's right.  Get it chilled.  It's not very good to begin with. 

If you're really interested in a decent wine, they do have a "list" which i'd think has chianti in some form and whatnot, although it's probably not printed.

You want to start with some oreganato dishes.  I say go with the clams and also with the shrimp, which isn't on the menu.  And an order of hot peppers (they're summer peppers:  summer hot, summer not so hot).  You'll also be getting a salad of lightly-dressed salad greens. And they're quite acceptable.

Even if you don't want it, you'll be brow-beaten into ordering a pasta course (ahh, just like Italy).  You can get the cavatelli with pot cheese, or the spaghetti with olive oil and garlic, or pasta with clams, or any number of the 5 or so on the menu.  All are reasonable versions of Italian-American dishes. 

You also want to order the shrimp "beeps", which are (lightly battered?) shrimp in a somewhat spicy tomato sauce.  This is good stuff.  I'm told that one order (14 dollars) is five shrimp, cut in half.  So order 2.  In fact, go with a small group and order 2 orders of everything.  That will save the waitress some time, as she won't have to say "you want 2 orders of that, don't you.  That's not enough food.  You're getting 2 orders."  In fact, the Belmont does not serve large portions.  That's refreshing.

The Belmont is famous for being famous and for its Chicken Savoy. Chicken Savoy is 1/2 chicken, broiled with some cheap balsamic vinegar, some herbs, maybe some grated cheese.  And it's quite good.  They also have Chicken Murphy (if you want potatoes in it, you have to specify that you want potatoes, and then hope that you get them), and what amounts to a plain broiled chicken ("Mad" Chicken, as the menu states).   The mad chicken is actually a nice contrast to the vinegary Chicken Savoy.  And it's more crisp than fried chicken.

I was tempted to take a picture of the facade of the Belmont and post it, because it's really old-school and pub-like from the outside. But there's something about the Belmont that suggests to me that it remain mostly a mystery until your first visit.  Half of the fun is walking up to it for the first time. 

And whatever you do, don't try to pay with a credit card.

12 Bloomfield Ave.
(973) 759-9609

Comments

[Ev]

GREAT review, Tommy! As I've said before, I'm looking forward to a visit after April 15th. If they go smoke-free at the Belmont, that is...

[Rail Paul]

The Belmont Tavern doesn't strike me as being one of the earliest adopters of the no smoking rules.

But, I could be wrong...

[mike]

really enjoyed your review. I can't really disagree with any of it, but I think I enjoy the Belmont a bit more than you. You seem to balance your enjoyment with toleance. :)

nice blog!

[tommy eats]

if i recall correctly you think it's the best italian restaurant this side of florence. ;)

i love the belmont. make no mistake about that.

[Rosie]

LOL--Belmont Tavern. Do they still serve wine in jelly glasses?

[tommy eats]

rosie, i'm not even sure i know what a jelly glass is. but, they do serve wine by the carafe. you'll get a tiny wine glass if you order by the glass or order the carafe. tiny little silly wine glass.

[Peter Conway]

I love those little glasses. In fact I have several types of little glasses for sipping wine when a stemmed glass is to formal.

[Rosie]

Well you could always BYOG--bring your own glass.

[tommyeats]

i think if i brought my Riedels to the Belmont someone would beat my ass. i'm not sure who would be doing the beating, but i'm pretty sure there would be a beating involved.

i too am a fan of "regular" glasses for wine. i have a few small green glasses that i use for my daily dose of Metamucil that i also use for some casual sipping as i'm cooking.

[Beth]

Had dinner at the Belmont Tavern Monday night. We were with my brother in law and sister in law. Party of 6 (including our 2 kids). We got oodles of food -- always do when we are with BIL and SIL. We had Shrimp Oregenato, clams oregenato, shrimp beeps, Cavatelli with Pot cheese, Linguine with White clam, then Chicken Savoy and chicken Murphy. Everything was as yummy as always.

But the part I really wanted to mention is that my SIL spoke to Jimmy and asked him about the smoking ban. He said that they are going to not allow smoking because they can get in trouble if they have smoking. So good news!

[tommyeats]

beth, it sounds like you and your guests really know how to order at the Belmont.

there has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not the Belmont will adhere to the smoking ban. most people think that the place is so "mobbed-up" (there's no such thing) that no one would mess with it. but, as we all know, complaints are submitted via phone, and whoever enforces the law probably couldn't care less about the Belmont in particular. the customers of the Belmont encompass a wide range of people, including non-smokers. given that, i'd have to think that the owners will simply adhere to the law.

and that's great news to me.

somewhat related, my Belmont buddy (the guy who really introduced me to the Belmont, known in his circles simply as "Beast") and i were planning on a visit, and i said "let's wait until the smoking ban". it turns out that we both went separately within 2 days of each other. i guess even smoke can't keep us away from those "beeps."

[dbrociner]

Anyone worried that the smoking ban won't be enforced at the Belmont, or anywhere else for that matter should rest easy. Restaurants that openly defy the new law will be easy targets for code enforcement bureaucrats who live for the chance to throw their tiny (a figurative term) weight around. I work with a guy like this, he does fire inspections and housing inspections and he lives for the chance to show people who's boss. He hates yuppies and foreigners and he lives for the day when someone steps over the line so he can come down on them with every nuance of the code book. I've met other guys with similar jobs and they all seem to be cut from the same cloth. Its as though these guys step right out of the pages of a Kafka novel. Anyway, if restaurant owners aren't going to enforce the smoking ban they're just setting themselves up as cash cows to guys like this.

Sorry, rambling. Nice write up on the Belmont. Nice blog. Nice punctation, very e.e. cummings of you, Tommy.

[Beverly Hayek]

Was there a restaurant in East Hanover, N.J. with the same name?

[tommyeats]

i'm not sure if there was another restaurant with the same name in East Hanover. i can tell you that there are a bunch of them all over the place, and, at least once an hour, someone somewhere on the planet is googling "belmont tavern" and ending up on this site. pretty weird, actually.

[Jenn]

When I first moved to Bloomfield from Bergen County the Belmont was the first place I went, alone by the way. I love the place, just a down home dirty bar with good food! I must admit I was abit afraid of the waitresses but now it is like a home way from from home!

[tommyeats]

Jenn,

do you have any favorite dishes? anything that's not listed on the menu that we should know about?

for all the horror stories about the waitresses, they're all very nice and have a pretty good sense of humor about the whole thing.

[Enrico]

Tommy, Anyone go to the Belmont since the smoking ban? Can we NOW use the back room that seems always booked but looks empty?

[tommyeats]

enrico, there's a good chance i'll be there next week at some point. i'm just letting it air out. :D

[mike]

Good times on Monday night at the Belmont.
I went with my folks who go way back and were friendly with Stretch back in the day. So, while it was crowded, we were seated as soon as the first table opened up. I haven't been back with my folks in years, and I got a kick out of my father's banter with the old school waitresses. Annette came out to rehash some old stories, but I couldn't work up the nerve to even ask her about any of the secrets behind the Savoy...
For the first time, we tried a shrimp marsala, and it was very tasty--though it was the first time I'd ever seen that particular dish served mushroom free.
Probably coud have done without the pasta dish, not that it was bad, just overkill on the amount of food.
Enjoyed the clams oreganata as always, but the shrimp beeps just weren't spicy enough. You shouldn't have to add crushed red pepper to the beeps.
On top of all that food, they brought us some fresh watermelon for dessert, along with two slices of chocolate layer birthday cake as they were celebrating a birthday for one of the waitresses.
I'm still full from Monday.
I must say that the smoke free enviroment was a pleasure, yet it somehow took a little away from the notstalgic value of the place. Worth the tradeoff though.

[tommyeats]

I've only been going for a year or 2, but i've never noticed the beeps to be very spicy really. a very mild spice. good call on adding hot pepper flakes, mike. i like that idea.

have you or your parents been to Stretch's in livingston? i stumbled upon it while trying to find Panevino a few weeks ago. the BYOB aspect is sweet.

[mike]

Yes, they've been to Stretch's in Livingston.

I think that is run by Stretch's son or grandson (who has his own demons), whereas the Belmont is run by Stretch's granddaughter.

I've been meaning to have dinner at Stretch's, as I'd like to compare it to the Belmont.

[Bobby B]

Informant and mafia rat Steve Lenehan claims to have made the Belmont Tavern his base of operations:

http://www.americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_162.html

[BARBARA]

Tommy,
I grew up in South Orange and never had the pleasure of going to The Belmont. Now live in Somerset County and was treated to The Belmont last weekend. Cannot believe I've missed the most wonderful Chicken Savoy as well as the ambiance all these years. Can't wait till next time.
B

[Marge]

Ohmygod! Brings back such memories. My husband and I, along with friends, went to the Belmont every Friday night for years back in the 80's and 90's. Yes, you're so right, Jimmy, the bartender, if he felt like talking to you that night, was like your best friend, and if not, oh well, you were just thankful that you got your drink. And yes, you were fearful of the waitresses, you'd better be ready when they showed up at your table to take your order, but you loved them all. The cavatelli with pot cheese and Chicken Savoy were the staples. Never even looked at the menu. And, we used to say "don't wanna put your back to the door. Don't know who's gonna come in shooting". That was just a joke, of course.....or maybe not. Ah, the memories.

[jan z]

i am looking for a belmont tavern t-shirt or hat...or simply a logo so i can do my own shirt....anyone have or know where i can find the real thing?

[Al]

What no body looks at the pictures or the famous people who have walked thru the doors? I am very impressive the clientele they have had there. Frankie V. has personally told me this is the best Chicken Savoy in the USA.

[Johnny C]

There is a copy of this restaurant in Livingston,NJ called Stretch's. I dine out 7 days a week. I now frequent South City Prime(2-3 days per week) in Little Falls. Stretch's has good food and decent service. The atmosphere is horrible and the temperature is either too hot or too cold. The oners (Husband and Wife) have no personality or appreciation. They have a serious attitude problem and act as though they own The Waldorf. They need to realize there are plenty of restaurants and they own a Joint. Show appreciation and decent attitude and along with good food will bring plenty of customers. Keep your chicken savoy.