Restaurants in Hopatcong

Speaking with Barbara Aichem-Koster, it's pretty clear that Black Forest Inn is a family business. "My father is head chef Heinrich. My brother is Heiner––short for Heinrich––and his two children are Heinrich and the other, Hansi. They're cooks too." Barbera and her kitchen full of Heinrichs have helped feed Stanhope for more than 34 years with what she calls German continental cuisine––a product of the elder Heinrich's rich culinary education.

"My father was born in Germany, learned to cook there and across Europe," she says. "He worked his way up in different restaurants. Then my brother went back to Germany and did the very same thing." It's this attention to tradition that Barbera credits to the freshness of the ingredients. "We try to use a lot of local produce in seasonal menus and specials. … We don't buy prepared items." Luckily for diners, that also means that the wurst sausages and the German-style pasta, or spaetzle, are housemade.

The elegantly rustic dining room has hand-painted stained-glass ceiling panels, exposed brick, and a hand-crafted bar stocked with a multitude of imported German beers. This, along with periodic live music, has helped bring a younger clientele to Black Forest. "I had a group of 20 young people in here for the Friday-night buffet. The staff pointed out what everything was, explained it to them. And one of the girls, she called later that week, wanted to say how fabulous it was. I grew up in this restaurant, so that was really nice to hear."

The staff at Marley's Gotham Grill makes diners feel at home by serving up an extensive lunch and dinner menu of home-style entrees and grilled favorites. Handcrafted burgers are taken up a notch as hot sauce and pulled pork crown the beef patties, while paninis hold grilled and breaded chicken with marinara sauce and mozzarella between buttery slices of bread. The laidback eatery also puts a spin on traditional chicken wings by slathering them in forty types of sauce, from savory garlic parmesan to spicy red thai curry.

When not sating diners' appetites, the wood-accented restaurant stays busy sponsoring softball teams, hosting holiday parties, and running Texas Hold 'Em games, which involve using a deck of cards slathered in castor oil.

Harking back to the neighborhood burger joints of the '50s and '60s, The Chatterbox Drive-In whisks diners through past eras with eclectic décor and a menu stocked with classic eats. Pacify restless jazz hands by wrapping fingers around the succulent simplicity of a Chatterburger ($6.99) or one of several specialty burgers ($7.99–$8.99) such as turkey, pizza, and mushroom swiss. A grilled steak sandwich ($9.99) allows munchers to set aside air harmonicas and enjoy tender cuts of flank steak, and a raspberry turkey wrap ($8.99) imbues taste buds with the flavors of raspberry vinaigrette and honey-roasted turkey. After the main course, hone your slurping skills with a chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry milk shake ($3.79, add $.50 for malt) before reveling in a down-home helping of apple or blueberry pie ($2.99).

Andre's is a humble, family-run Euro-American eatery, which Zagat members recently named one of the Top Restaurants in the United States. Andre de Waal, chef and owner of Andre's, and his wife Tracey opened their restaurant in an old storefront building in 1998, adorning the exposed brick walls with their wedding photographs and paintings by local artists. Their eatery offers a rotating menu that is inventive, elegant, and comforting. Though the situation may turn at the drop of a switch, diners can currently begin the evening with house-cured salmon, cucumber salad, and fresh herbs ($8.50) or duck confit, penne pasta, and black truffles ($9) before they are ready for rare-roasted tuna and white-bean chorizo ($29).

For Sean Ulley, the owner Smokehouse Barbecue in Somerville, grilling meats is a family tradition; his father runs his own barbecue joint in Andover. To infuse ribs, brisket, and pulled pork with deep flavor, Sean seasons the cuts with a dry rub and smoke them for up to 17 hours—as deliciously described in the Somerville Today. The cooks also make good use of their fryer, deep-frying everything from corn on the cob to Oreos. Patrons can also opt for fried chicken, burgers, or Creole dishes such as the Louisiana Steampot—a medley of clams, mussels, crawfish, and shrimp served over rice and garnished with a strand of sautéed Mardi Gras beads. In the summer and spring, diners can head to an outdoor patio to eat in the warmth of the sun.

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