Not long ago, serial entrepreneur Jonathan Krieger was a diehard New Yorker. “Me living in New Jersey? No way,” he recalls.
But the pandemic had other plans. In 2021, Jon, his wife Julia, and their two sons “ripped themselves away from Manhattan” to settle in Tenafly. The leafy Bergen County borough turned out to be a one-in-a-million hometown for the Kriegers. “We fell in love,” Krieger says. “Tenafly is beautiful, pristine, and so close to the city.” (Plus, there’s supposed to be a friendly ghost there; stay tuned.)
His family received a warm welcome, but he felt Tenafly was lacking something: a downtown hub that brought residents together. “There was no restaurant where you could go with your family, meet your neighbors, and strike up spontaneous conversations with strangers,” he says. “Creating that community magnet became my mission.” He had already had success for years designing and opening convenience stores like the Bluestone Lane cafes in Manhattan and the instantly famous Fat Choy restaurant in Englewood. But in Tenafly, Krieger encountered a “we don’t want to shut things down” attitude from those in power. His solution? He got himself elected president of the Chamber of Commerce. Slowly but surely, spirits began to improve, and he got the green light to start Spring House, which opened in May of this year.
The main dining room of the Spring House. Photo: Courtesy of Fred Marcus Studio
Krieger gave the restaurant its name to evoke “life and home,” “because my family’s life is now so deeply rooted in Tenafly, and because Spring House was indeed a home.” And quite a home: Built in the 1790s by the Demarests and their branch of the Lyle family, the Demarest-Lyle House is Tenafly’s oldest house and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Spring House is the oldest house in Tenafly. Photo: Courtesy of Fred Marcus Studio
The classy yet playfully redesigned three-story stone house is a wonderful place to relax. Its quirky original floor plan offers a variety of eating and drinking areas – including two elegant, modern-chic dining rooms, the Art Deco Lyle Lounge in an alluring attic room and a mid-century modern bar. Outdoor dining is also an option, on the shaded veranda, tree-lined patio and lush beer garden. Throughout Spring House, distinguished, friendly staff ensure guests are comfortable and well looked after.
The tempting Lyle Lounge at Spring House, one of four cocktail bars. Photo: Courtesy of Fred Marcus Studio
Chef Pasquale “Paco” Frola’s passion and principles are evident in his delicious Mediterranean menu. (Lunch service begins in September.) A native of Naples, he is known to Bergen County diners from his time at Sofia in Englewood.
Paco Frola, chef of Spring House, with owner Jon Krieger. Photo: Courtesy of Fred Marcus Studio
At Spring House, Frola has free reign in the kitchen. “I can serve the world’s best ingredients in a way that’s a rediscovery of food,” he says. “I don’t do what other chefs do.” These aren’t just boasts; Frola’s dishes are often in a class of their own, unaffected and full of honest flavor. I was dazzled by his meat and cheese platter (often a sideline in restaurants). But here, it’s a tasting tour of Italy and Spain’s rarest artisan cheeses and succulent salami and paper-thin prosciutto. A memorable bar meal might consist of the tasting platter and a few ravishingly delicious cocktails.
But there’s more to try: Frola’s meaty octopus with fresh Calabrian peppers, his perfectly assembled homemade pasta dishes, his steak frites or his herb-laden crispy roasted chicken. There’s also a kids’ menu. And kid or not, you’ll want your own order of the chef’s sensational s’mores dessert with melty toasted marshmallows on a bed of Italian Nutella. And if you decide to linger, you’ll find the entire restaurant joining in on communal conversation, cracking jokes and moving freely from table to table.
A regular guest at the Spring House notes another aspect of the place’s aura: the female spirit of the Demarest Lyle House. “A female spirit is a constant in the history of the house,” Krieger confirms. In the 2000s of this century, he says, it housed a daycare center. “The children felt her strongly. Some saw her, heard her, even talked to her. Some of the adults did that too,” he says. “They all said the spirit was very polite and wanted to be around people. They thought it might be Julia Lyle, the young lady of the house who was widowed in the early 20th century.”
“Julia’s husband was John Lyle,” he continues. “My wife’s name is Julia. Julia and John; Julia and Jon. Unbelievable, but true.” He adds with a sense of wonder, “Spring House was meant to be.”
91 West Clinton Avenue, Tenafly; 201-353-0080
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