The folks behind Boro Restaurant and Bar in Pennington (bororestaurantbar.com) and Cafe 72 in Ewing (cafe72ewing.com) have opened Hash House Food & BYO (hashhouselambertville.com) at 236 North Union Street in Lambertville, the former home of Thai Tida restaurant. The restaurant’s moniker is an unsubtle allusion to its proximity to the dispensary Union Chill Cannabis Company.
Joe Crozier is the managing partner. “I’ve worked in the industry pretty much my entire life,” he says. “I got my start at Cafe 72, being that Ben (owner / operator Ben Sanford) and Katie (Ben’s spouse and partner in the Hash House, along with Boro and Cafe 72) are my family. Katie is my cousin. I worked my way up through the ranks, starting with bussing tables, back of house tasks, ultimately making the transition to management. I was Ben and Katie’s right-hand at both locations for a time, and it was always a goal of mine to open a restaurant.”
“We came across this location thanks to Joe,” Ben says. “He had been scouting potential locations and saw this place as an opportunity that could be manageable and doable, and a good place for him to continue his career in the business.”
Following a soft opening on the October 3, Hash House fully opened to the public on October 9. Sanford describes the overall look of Hash House as “fresh and clean.” The space, finished in calming shades of gray, seats around 60 diners, including eight at the attractively appointed counter, which is faced in a silvery undulating pattern. The limed oak finish of the chairs and comfortable, generously sized banquettes at either end of the dining area offer unexpected welcome touches and enhance the decor — this clearly isn’t a throwback to an old school “hash house.” Sanford credits his spouse and business partner Katie with the interior design, which was executed by her father, Dave Driver.
So, to ask the obvious question, why “Hash House”? “When looking at the place from a location perspective, doing our due diligence about what’s going on in the area, we thought that having a dispensary (Union Chill Cannabis Company) on the same block was a unique aspect,” Ben Sanford explains. “Since they’re becoming more prevalent throughout the state, we wanted to play off that idea with a bit of innuendo and undertone of the marijuana aspect of it. The name Hash House fit because of the cannabis connotations, and also in the food sense, ‘hash it up’ with your friends and so forth. ‘Hash House’ encompasses all these.”
As one might expect, the menu at Hash House also plays on the cannabis theme. In addition to the ubiquitous “hash browns” that dot the menu, diners can order a “Hippie Lettuce Vegan” salad, “Pufffff Cakes” (strawberry syrup, crushed meringue, vanilla matcha cool whip), or a “High Chai,” “Alcapolco (sic) Gold Vegan” or “Lemon Haze Vegan” from the list of “Boujie Drinks.”
“We’re aiming to elevate breakfast and lunch by offering what I like to call “casual fine dining,” says Joe Crozier. “We offer the favorites, but with our unique spin.”
“Katie created the entire menu, food and beverages,” Sanford elaborates, “and then we worked closely with our executive chefs at Boro and Cafe 72 to refine the recipes, the execution, the plating and garnishes. Ultimately we were aiming to achieve a classic approach with a trendy twist that would be unique to Lambertville and the surrounding area.”
Is there a signature dish on the menu? “The ‘Oh Benny Benedict’ — it’s an ode to me,” Sanford says, chuckling. “I’m a huge fan of mortadella (an Italian sausage laced with tasty cubes of pork fat), so Katie incorporated that.” The dish also incorporates fried jalapeno, poached eggs, caramelized onion, served with (of course) hash browns on the side. He notes that the breads are sourced from Il Panettiere bakery on Staten Island. A gluten-free lemon poppy loaf forms the foundation for the French Toast; everything else is made from scratch.
What’s the neighborhood’s reaction been so far? “We’ve been very well received,” Joe Crozier notes. “We’re drawing a lot of attention because of the association with Cafe 72 and Boro. In the immediate neighborhood, folks are telling me that they needed a place like this on this end of town.”
“When we were building the place, people were coming in constantly, thinking that this was the (Union Chill) dispensary because of the signage,” Sanford adds, “or even another dispensary because of our name. What’s great about Lambertville is how tightly knit the local community is, and from day one we wanted to be a welcomed addition. Our goal is to fill a need in the town, to provide an attractive place for locals to gather and eat and enjoy themselves.”
Hash House Food & BYO, 236 North Union Street, Lambertville. Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 609-483-2402 or www.hashhouselambertville.com.
