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Chef Terrence Strong focuses his farm-to-table menu around local produce plucked daily from his restaurant’s two-acre farm

by Jessica Jones-Gorman

Terrence Strong literally grew up in the restaurant business, hanging around in the kitchen of his parents’ cheeseburger joint, taking the opportunity to practice prep skills at the age of eight. And as he observed cooking techniques and learned the ins and outs of the industry, Strong was inspired to become a chef.

“My parents owned a pretty simple restaurant that served cheesesteaks and ice cream…a real outdoor type of place,” Strong recalled. “I would go to work with them, and the kitchen became comfortable to me. By the time I got to high school, I naturally pursued a career in the industry.”

He worked as a waiter and eventually a cook in his hometown of Hopewell Valley, bouncing among basic restaurants, golf club dining rooms, and formal eateries. In 2000, he was acquired by Carlo, Raoul and Anthony Momo, who own a thriving restaurant group based in the Garden State.

“They really gave me my professional start,” Strong said. “I had been cooking for 12 years, but once I came on board with the Momo family, I graduated to a more upscale menu.”

In 2008, the chef helped open Eno Terra, a Kingston-based restaurant that was one of the first New Jersey eateries to embrace the farm-to-table philosophy.

Northwell B22 SPREAD

“Everyone does that concept now, but the Momo brothers recognized a trend long before it was cool,” Strong said. “Our farm is a focal point for us; it covers two acres behind Eno Terra in Kingston, and at all of the Terra Momo restaurants, the menu is designed by the products, really.

Whether it’s zucchini or tomatoes, recipes are designed around what is grown there. I think it’s a major reason for the group’s success.”

It’s also a defining and expanding ingredient in Strong’s cooking philosophy.

“Over the years I’ve worked as sous chef and chef de cuisine in several of the Terra Momo restaurants, which really allowed me to learn and absorb the teachings of so many wonderful chefs. Much of that cooking had a strong Mediterranean focus.”

“My cooking style definitely has a Mediterranean and rustic influence,” noted Strong, who now serves as executive chef of Mediterra in Princeton (also part of the Terra Momo Restaurant Group). “Over the years I’ve worked as sous chef and chef de cuisine in several of the Terra Momo restaurants, which really allowed me to learn and absorb the teachings of so many wonderful chefs. And much of that cooking had a strong Mediterranean focus.”

At Mediterra, Strong changes the menu seasonally and focuses on providing fine Italian and Spanish cuisine with that local ingredient slant.

“This is an upscale place, but we’re not trying to do fine dining,” he explained. “Our downtown location keeps us busy basically any time of the year, and it’s hard to do fine dining at that pace. But what you will find at Mediterra is wonderfully fresh and locally sourced ingredients, and the delicious dishes that are their result.”

For Strong, it’s a concept that has proven to be a success with customers from all over the state.

“We strive to be better and expand and broaden our horizons,” the chef concluded. “Our longevity is proof that these efforts have real local resonance.”

Eno Terra
4484 NJ-27, Kingston / 609.497.1777 / enoterra.com
Mediterra
29 Hulfish Street, Princeton Township / 609.252.9680 / mediterrarestaurant.com