A few months back I was searching for some video editing inspiration and came across a fantastic film of a little restaurant called The Twisted Elm Tavern. At first I thought I was watching a video from a place far away until I heard a very familiar name and the face to go with it. I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was Chef Albert Scazafave from the long forgotten South City Grill restaurant group, I then knew that this place was local for me and I had to go. Not having to deal with the wanna be martini drinkers and craziness of of an upscale restaurant, Chef Al has helped developed The Twisted Elm into a very comfortable tavern with a great selection of beer and an awesome gastropub menu to go with it.
The Twisted Elm has plenty of space, whether you want to casual atmosphere of the bar area or a relaxing night in the dining room. Walking around with Al he explained to us the over haul they did to get the restaurant up to their standards using most of the original flooring, beams and moldings.
With the building came this awesome wood fire over that is now used for making fresh pizzas from scratch.
After seeing the wood fire over we had to check out the menu. There is a little of everything here without going to crazy with the dishes.
After lifting my head up from the awesome menu I saw the days draft list. They are always rotating here so you may see something different every day.
The Kane Port Omna stout was the perfect choice for the brisk and windy day.
Another great beer they had on draft was Great Divide Colette, a very refreshing Saison.
Aside from draft they also offer an array of bottles and cans with many styles to choose from.
At this point starvation had set in from the beer and the smell of food coming in and out of the kitchen. The margarhitta pizza was the perfect way to put that wood oven to work.
This picture does no justice of how good these duck fat disco fries tasted.
If you find yourself in Bergen County and are looking for a great spot to eat or just to grab a beer, The Twisted Elm is perfect for foody’s and beer geeks a like. With rotating craft beer and an awesome menu there is something here to please everyone. Cheers to Chef Al and the gang, they have a great thing going in this little town of Bergen County and I can’t wait to get back.
-Brian