Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen, Morristown, NJ:
A Restaurant Review

Restaurant Review

The Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen is a destination restaurant enjoyed by diners who come for upscale dining with excellent food, attractive decor, and professional service. The restaurant is popular with millennial diners who enjoy trendy, high-end casual dining with a vibrant bar scene.

Named after a nearby Morristown site where George Washington's Continental Army camped, structure is the Vail Mansion, circa 1917, and the former home of Theodore Vail (first president of AT&T) and his family. It's an impressive setting for a restaurant.

The 15,000-square-foot restored, mansion exhibits the styling of a Mediterranean palazzo fronted by a long reflecting pool,

Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen is a complex of four separate restaurants; The Washington Room, it's fine dining seafood restaurant, the Oyster and Wine Bar, The Vail Bar, and The Rathskeller, a German style beer hall.

The Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen is the creation of majority owner and restaurateur Chris Cannon who has assembled a team professionals to offer a unique culinary dining and bar complex with separate identities --- all under one roof!

Chris Cannon, a enthusiastic wine lover with expertise in Italian wines, comes with an impressive restaurateur background having previously been in partnership with acclaimed chef Michael White of several NYC note able restaurants including top rated Alto, Convivio, and Marea.

The kitchen is run by Executive Chef A.J. Capella, a graduate of Culinary Institute of America in 2010. Chef Capella r honed his culinary skills at the acclaimed Aviary in New York City, Latour, the Ryland Inn, Uproot, & Pluckemin Inn. Prior to coming to the Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen, Chef Capella was the executive chef at A Toute Heure in Cranford.

Cannon and Executive Chef A.J. Capella are committed to using locally sourced, sustainable, farm to table products and are avid supporters of NJ artisans and farmers. For example, cheese is local sourced from New Jersey's own Bobolink, Jersey Girl, & Valley Shepherd farms.

The food operation at the Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen is huge and includes a staff of 11 line cooks, five prep cooks, two sous chefs, and nine dishwashers.

The restaurants facilities includes the main dining room The Washington Room, on the second floor, the more upscale of the four dining areas. It's attractively chic, and not old world stuffy considering it's set in a 100 year old mansion. Entrance to the main dining room is by way of the long, curving Italian, ornate marble staircase. A highlight is the floor to ceiling windows that look out onto the grounds and the long reflecting pool. The tables are set on wood flooring. Walls are wood paneled and adorned with contemporary art works.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights the menu is available a la carte. On Saturday nights they offer either the four course or the six course prix fixe menu only

They also offer Chef's Table menu on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights for a party of 2 only, at 6pm. The chef's table is a multi-course tasting menu experience seated at the table in the kitchen.

The bars and the more casual restaurants are located on the ground and basement.

The 75 seat Oyster and Wine Bar, located on the ground floor, is the featured attraction of the restored mansion. The setting is vibrant, often times loud with a contemporary, casual vibe. The decor includes marble floors, original marble columns, contemporary wood tables set with place mats, and chairs and dark-brown leather banquettes. The wine bar offers a good selection of high end wines by the glass and half glass.

The wait staff dressed in jeans and white button-down shirts, is friendly and well trained.

The casual menu is made up of traditional entrees supplemented with raw bar selections, house made charcuterie, and cheese.

The Vail Bar, is also located on the ground floor behind the grand staircase. The 1920's era cocktail lounge is geared towards cocktail enthusiasts. The room with wood paneled walls gives off an ambiance of warmth and vibrancy; it's the perfect place to meet after work for a cocktail and oysters, or to enjoy a meal at the bar, or to party the night away.

The Oyster Bar takes advanced reservations, while the Vail Bar offers same day reservations.

The 4th restaurant, the Rathskeller is located in the basement serving German food on weekends. The Rathskeller is normally used as an event space for weddings, corporate events, and other events during the week. On Friday and Saturday nights the Rathskeller becomes a German style Beer Hall.

(updated: December, 2019)