Restaurants in Hopatcong Hills

In 1989, Dan Gallagher and Dan Smith joined their respective names and began pursuing one common goal: to bring a contemporary alternative to Berks County's dining scene. The 40-seat eatery was successful in the Dans' hands until 2005, when Bill Woolworth and MD. Monir stopped in for dinner, fell in love with the place, and decided to buy it.

Though much of the space's original charm remains intact, the new owners gussied up the decor with white tablecloths and floral arrangements, and they solicited the help of executive chef Jason Hook to lighten the rotating menu. Jason draws on his experience studying in France and working at The Four Seasons in New York to craft healthful, contemporary French- and Californian-inspired dishes. In every preparation, he highlights the ingredients' natural tastes, often pairing local cuts of meat and poultry with fresh, seasonal ingredients and luxurious flourishes such as truffles or Lamborghini-scented foam.

Hook, Woolworth, and Monir also frequently evaluate their wine selections to ensure that they pair well with the evolving menu, which changes every week. While sipping glasses of red or white, diners can question servers about the building's rich history in the Penn's Common Historic District. Before the restaurant settled into the space, it was inhabited by an old-style soda dive, a prison doctor's home, and a grassland populated with roaming dinosaurs.

Coupled to CEO and President Radhika Oswal's vision of a lush, happy planet, Otarian loads gleaming recycled tables with vegetarian feasts. Chefs draw upon culinary traditions from the Mediterranean and Asia to fill cool wraps, and the crunchy baguette shells of bahn mi launch dispatches to nostrils, foretelling of mint, pickled daikon, and other exotic accents. The eatery's staff keeps an eco-conscious eye on ingredients, carefully scrutinizing each item's carbon footprint. Warm chatter drifts amid chairs woven from recycled plastic and pendant lights constructed from pieces of glass in order to reunite star-crossed plates from rival families. Otarian harnesses sustainable resources including electricity drawn from wind, water, or sun and ovens and grills heated by the snoring of napping dragons.

Chefs source organic produce from local farms and ensure all ingredients are totally free from any animal products to conjure sweet and savory vegan dishes at five distinct eateries in Chelsea and Manhattan. The staff at all five locations sates curiosity by educating diners about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle, which eliminates both animal cruelty and the need to barter with cats for their saucers of milk. Hardwood tables add to Blossom's intimate atmosphere hidden in a refurbished townhouse, and sleek accents create a modern interpretation of a diner behind Cafe Blossom's entrance. Sommeliers at V-Note pair meatless recipes with vegan, organic, or biodynamic wines and beers. The kitchen at Blossom Du Jour applies its vegan philosophy to quickly prepared meals that are faster and healthier than a Jolly Green Giant relay team. Cocoa V rounds out the restaurant family tree with shelves lined with dairy-free cakes and pastries, gourmet chocolates, and international wines. Chocolatiers employ cocoa beans imported from the Dominican Republic that are also completely organic and fair-trade.

Amid Epstein Bar's bright lights, festive décor, and expansive outdoor patio, guests entertain their appetites with hearty dinner specialties and sandwiches layered between bread baked locally at Parisi Bakery. The full bar's rotating daily specials—such as Two for One Tuesdays and Monday Wing Night—encourages plumper wallets, and Saturday and Sunday brunches fill goblets with unlimited bloody marys or mimosas. Epstein Bar also hosts '80s night on Wednesday, where '80s prizes, movies, and music regales regulars and consoles lonesome time-traveling hair metal bands.