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Business & Tech

Historic Smoke Rise Village Inn Offers Delicious Gourmet Food

The Smoke Rise Village Inn serves a nice selection of gourmet foods at affordable prices.

Although The is inside the gated community of Kinnelon, you do not have to be a resident to enjoy the wonderful dining experience you will have there. Since the facility hosts weddings, receptions and other major events in its beautiful historic building, people often overlook The Smoke Rise Village Inn as a place to dine.

The Smoke Rise Village Inn has been operated since 1947 and the building is even older. It is part of farm buildings that date back to the 1890s by Francis S. Kinney. It wasn’t until J. Alden Talbot inherited the estate in 1945, with his goal to preserve the appearance of the estate, that the Smoke Rise community began, incorporating shortly after in 1946 as the Smoke Rise Company.

Smoke Rise Village Inn is set fairly far back in the Smoke Rise community, but will take your breath away, first with its beautifully kept garden and courtyard. The restaurant serves lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and their dinner hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. They also have many events listed on a board when you walk in.

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The restaurant has a warm, romantic feel. There were several families and groups of friends surrounding us in a comfortable atmosphere. The courtyard is beautiful to walk through and the building has a comfortable, country feel, all before you even sink your teeth into your first bite at The Smoke Rise Village Inn. If these walls could talk, I am sure we would love to hear the history it would share, but the atmosphere of the restaurant brings you back to another time in itself.

What I liked about their menu was that they offered a light fare menu, where you can order simple dishes, like Penne alla Vodka or a hamburger, in addition to their entrée menu, where they have more exquisite entrees, such as duck. In addition to the entrees, meals come a la carte so that everything can be ordered to your liking.

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My guest and I began with the Filet Sliders ($11) as an appetizer, as they sounded too appealing to pass up. The thick cuts of filet were served with melted cheddar cheese and grilled onions on a toasted bun that was a delicious treat that had me waiting in anticipation to see how my entrée would arrive.

Before the entrees were served, both my guest and I tried the soup of the day, which was Squash and Zucchini Soup. The vegetables were pureed together with a touch of cream, served piping hot. Although I added a touch of salt, the soup was delicious.

I went with the Truffle Chicken dish ($19) which was an oversized pasta dish that had chicken, sundried tomatoes and spinach in a light cream sauce, served with rigatoni pasta. Although I try to stay away from cream sauces, as they tend to sit heavy in the stomach, this truly was a light sauce with amazing flavor.

My guest went with a light fare selection and ordered the Smoke Rise Burger ($9), which is a half-pound hamburger served on a toasted Brioche roll, along with cheddar cheese (you can choose cheese to your liking), bacon, onions and mushrooms (50 cents per topping). Even though the burger was on the light fare menu, it was served alongside a dish of fries. Being too full, we stayed away from the dessert menu this evening.

The Smoke Rise Village Inn is available for lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations are encouraged but not required. Reservations can be made ahead by calling 973-828-7770. Smoke Rise Village Inn is located at 9 Perimeter Road in Kinnelon.

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