Category Archives: restaurants

Apartments, Arts District, Downtown, restaurants

KC Jazz not likely in 2010

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Not that it’s any surprise but don’t expect KC Jazz Restaurant to open during 2010.

Redevelopment Agency Commissioner Courtney Clarke inquired about the status of the project during the March 24 Redevelopment Agency meeting.

City Administrator and Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier said the project at the corner of Irving Street and Seminary Avenue is not likely to be realized this year. Developer Casey Granieri is expected to go out to bid again and resubmit quotes to the bank, which had advised him to reduce the costs of the project by $500,000, Pelissier said.

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Commercial, Downtown, restaurants, Retail

Casa Borinquen grand opening Friday

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Casa Borinquen will have a grand opening on Friday after several months of interior renovations.

Specializing in Puerto Rican fare, the restaurant will replace Taste of Portugal, which closed in 2009 after more than two years at the East Cherry Street location. At one time the space housed the popular Eat To The Beat Cafe.

Casa Borinquen is family owned and operated by Rahway residents. I met the co-owners while I was strolling downtown on Sunday and they were putting some finishing touches on the place.
The building is among several East Cherry Street properties owned by Dornoch.

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The grand opening of Chess Mates, originally scheduled for March 1, was postponed. No new grand opening date has been set, but construction has been delayed due in part to the recent inclement weather.

The chess cafe will occupy the second retail space in Park Square on Irving Street, next to Eyes On You.

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Bars, Commercial, Downtown, restaurants, Retail

Irving St. restaurant slowed by sewer fee dispute

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A dispute over sewer connection fees apparently is holding up development of an Irving Street restaurant and bar.

City Administrator and Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier told commissioners Wednesday night he was told by partners in the Station Bar & Grill that they could not do the project if they had to pay the city’s total calculation. The city doesn’t want to stop the project, he added, but is willing to work within the confines of the ordinance.

The calculation for the connection fee range, set by city ordinance, is based on a property’s historic data and previous occupants. The amount the developers want to pay, according to Pelissier, is about a quarter of the calculation by the city’s construction official. The developers, he added, have shared their calculation with the city and what they think they should be charged.

The Planning Board approved a minor site plan for the 6,900-square-foot project last June.

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In case you somehow haven’t yet heard about “Rahway’s snow babe,” it first appeared Saturday via CNN’s iReport, before getting picked up in Wednesday’s Star-Ledger, and then on and on.

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Planning Board, restaurants, Routes 1/9

New White Castle taking shape

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Construction is under way on a new White Castle and it’s been taking shape along Routes 1/9 North in recent weeks.

Work started at least a month ago but since there was such a good response to the entry about the recent opening of a White Diamond in Rahway, I figured I’d post an update. It was just a matter of getting a good photo of the site without having to play Frogger in the northbound lanes. It turns out that Sunday mornings are a good time.

The Planning Board approved the 36-seat project last year but it was a little tricky to figure out where it was on a Google Map. It’s essentially between the Dunkin’ Donuts and Murphy’s Towing on the northbound side of 1/9, near East Scott Avenue and the southern end of Merck’s facility.

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Apartments, Arts District, Downtown, restaurants

KC Jazz redesigns, eyes 2010 for opening

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KC Jazz restaurant has its sights set on 2010 for an opening.

Developer Casey Granieri said in an email last month that the project is going out to bid after a redesign to lower the cost. Any changes will be in materials and roof modification, he said, and if everything gets done in a timely manner it will open next year.

During last month’s Redevelopment Agency meeting, Redevelopment Director and City Administrator Peter Pelissier mentioned that a developer with experience in Newark’s Ironbound section was brought in to help with the changes while there also were some financing details to iron out. The former Kelly’s Pub building, at the corner of Seminary Avenue and Irving Street, gained Planning Board approval in July 2007.

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It looks like there’s a comfortable lead for Friday to be the day for a Rahway Rising happy hour. If no one has any objections, why don’t we call it 6 p.m. at The Waiting Room this Friday (Nov. 13). See you there!

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Arts District, Bars, Commercial, Downtown, restaurants, Retail

Work moves to exterior at Station Bar & Grill

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Work on the future site of Station Bar & Grill on Irving Street appears to have made its way to the front exterior of the building last week.

Some interior work looks like it was going on for a few weeks. The project was approved by the Planning Board in June, details of which can be found in the earlier post.

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For a look at what some nearby towns have in mind as far as redevelopment, here’s a piece from nj.com about Fanwood’s efforts to make its downtown more like Cranford or Westfield.

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Bars, restaurants

Times: Cubanu ‘uneven but generally satisfying’

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The New York Times on Friday had a review of Cubanu, calling it “uneven but generally satisfying.” They loved the starters, particularly the crab and avocado salad, and the desserts. They also described the restaurant as three years old but it’s more like two, having opened in late 2007.

Last year, The Star-Ledger gave Cubanu 2 1/2 stars, and of course, here’s our take from way back in January 2008 soon after it first opened. I’ve been back since and I’d say the appetizers still are my favorite part of the menu.

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Bars, Downtown, Planning Board, restaurants

Waiting Room plans patio area

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For those of you looking for more outdoor dining options in Rahway, take heart, there’s something on the way. Rahway’s most popular bar, The Waiting Room received Planning Board approval Tuesday night to build a 1,089-square foot concrete patio behind the building at 66 E. Cherry St.

Owner Chris Wenson said the patio would cover the entire area behind his building on East Cherry Street but only part of it would be used for outdoor dining. He expects it could be open by next spring, with as many as 10 to 15 tables.

The Waiting Room will mark its third year at its new location on Saturday. It relocated from the corner of Lewis and Irving streets to make way for the parking garage.

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