From the Culinary Institute to Fort Lee’s Upper Main Street

If you’ve always wanted to eat at the Culinary Institute, but don’t want to drive all the way to Hyde Park, New York, you don’t have to. Go to . Chef Joseph Ghazal was not only trained at the Culinary Institute of America, but he was the recipient of one of its most prestigious fellowships following graduation.

On the heels of the recent announcement of Borders closing and the community conversation about why Fort Lee can’t attract new businesses and retain established ones, About Town received a call from a dedicated fan of Joeyness, a small organic café that provides all natural Mediterranean food, to inform us that he didn’t know how much longer he could sustain his business in Fort Lee. We, as a community, could do nothing to save Borders when their corporate headquarters announced that the Fort Lee store was targeted to close, but we can help Chef Joeyness. You know where his corporate headquarters is? Right behind his counter.

Joey knew from a very early age that he wanted to be chef. For his 12th birthday he asked for cooking pans and baking equipment. A strange request, his mother thought at the time, but one she indulged. After every successful dish he cooked he’d present the pans to his brothers and announce, “I’ve reached a new level of Joeyness!”

Those pans eventually led Joey to the Culinary Institute of America, the most prestigious culinary school in the country. It was there that Joey learned discipline and how to take orders, important qualities for a burgeoning chef. He also learned how to move fast and efficiently around a kitchen under an extraordinary amount of pressure. Joey graduated from the Culinary Institute and began his fellowship on 9/11.

Following his CIA fellowship, Joey worked at Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine. Arrows was voted one of America’s top 50 restaurants by Gourmet Magazine and one of America’s top 10 romantic restaurants by Bon Appétit Magazine. It prides itself on being a forerunner in the sustainable movement by using only locally grown ingredients. Joey trained under a James Beard Award Chef and credits Arrows with teaching him how to really cook.

At his brother’s suggestion, Joey left Arrows to pursue a family dream of starting a hummus business. The four brothers rented commercial space where every one of them and their wives, worked eight hours straight every day making hummus that Joey would pack in his car and drive around to distribute.  Realizing that trying to create a family business in a rented commercial kitchen used by other people trying to create their businesses was not optimal, Joey decided to open his own restaurant. From his room in Washington Heights he Googled available commercial space in New Jersey and up popped the space on Upper Main Street that he currently occupies.

When he signed the lease on the space, his brothers convinced him that the only possible name for his place was Joeyness. And so it was that Joeyness opened its doors to our community in January of 2007. Initially, Joeyness offered falafels and hummus, but the menu began to expand as Joey got to know his customers’ taste. His mother even left her career in the high-end fashion industry to come and help Joey get his restaurant off the ground.  She now also creates some spectacular dishes of her own.

To About Town’s many Fort Lee friends who habituate the diners, bagel stores and McDonalds, don’t be fooled by the words “organic café.” Think of organic as the fresh produce aisle in Fairway where your mother gets everything she needs to prepare her fantastic Sunday gravy. Joey uses only the freshest ingredients in all of his dishes and everything is freshly prepared. He imports his olive oil from Lebanon.

The menu offers grilled beef, chicken, steak and salmon. There’s even pastrami! And if you LOVE soup you can’t get better soup than here. It’s fresh, filled with flavor; in word, scrumptious. And for all of our Vegan friends, here’s the restaurant you’ve been asking for! About Town has already written a column about how great the coffee is at Joeyness. So if coffee’s your vice, here’s your place.

Joey took a chance on Fort Lee by opening his doors in our town. He’s a young guy with a great work ethic who’s trying to keep the dream of having his own restaurant alive. Here’s a guy whose cooking can rival any Iron Chef on The Food Network right in our own town. Do yourself a favor—Eat at Joeyness.

There has been so much talk lately about bringing new businesses in to fill the empty spaces in town, but what about trying to keep the ones who are already here? What is our role if not to support our local shop owners and nurture young talent like Joey’s?

Despite the economy, a new landlord has taken over the building where Joeyness resides and the restaurant’s lease is up in May. Joey is very concerned, and rightly so, about the terms of the new lease. The rent is already crushing. Add to that utilities, payroll and buying ingredients, and it’s nearly impossible to break even. We are very close to losing a young businessman, an outstanding chef, and a family-owned business.

We couldn’t save Borders, but we can help save Joeyness. Tell your friends about Joey, have them tell their friends and their friends. There’s nothing greater than the power of word of mouth. Let’s not let any more lights go dim on Main Street. What does it say about us as a community if most of our shop owners end up leaving? If we don’t support our own, there will be none of our own left to support.

Joeyness is located at 515 Main St. 201-461-2700. Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Joeyness serves lunch and dinner. You can order in or call to take-out. Think of Joeyness for take-out before you consider your regular take-out restaurants. Joeyness even caters events as well.