A Hoboken restaurant takes its new menu inspiration from local resources and nova scotia flavors

I’m the kind of guy who says, ‘I’m gonna get in there and tinker with it and fix it,’” offered Ironstate real estate developer and W Hotel owner Michael Barry, while describing a time when he felt his hotel’s restaurant was wandering off track. He and the company that ran it wound up parting ways, which generated momentum for some fundamental shifts. With a new look, menu, and name (Halifax), it became “a completely new business,” said Barry, of which his brother David Barry is co-owner. “I redesigned the whole space….it was a fresh start.”

The brothers brought in renowned architects/planners Bentel & Bentel to redesign the Hoboken eatery’s interior. Highlights include soft, real moss covering a feature wall, while more greenery, including ferns, are behind a back wall. Tree bark was added as well.

“We chose plants native to the northeast landscape,” explained Michael, who added that floor-to-ceiling windows, common in northern climes to allow in as much precious light as possible, are a valued asset. Blonde woods were selected “in the northeast coastal ethos,” as he put it.

The overhaul was done with one notable provision: they kept the restaurant’s previous chef, Seadon Shouse.

“Seadon is from Nova Scotia, from a little town outside of Halifax,” said Michael. “He really has a strong ethos toward sustainability in his cooking.” And it’s this philosophy of local, sustainable, and fresh that informs the Halifax menu, as Shouse sources from farmers’ markets and purveyors in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. His menu also adheres closely to “items Shouse grew up eating in his mother’s kitchen….As many sustainable ingredients as possible,” explained the owner. “The idea is to try to stick to that mantra— mid-Atlantic up through Canada.” For example, he explained, “Seadon doesn’t want to serve tuna tartare because it’s not sustainable, and frankly, because it’s kind of commonplace.” And this is where the Shouse’s creativity really shines— when he heads off the common path. For the bar, he makes his own vermouth (“gallons of it,” emphasized Barry). For the dining room, he designed a menu that patrons find at once familiar and original. A few examples are beautiful pieces of fish accompanied with sea beans and deviled eggs served with smoked herring.

Not creative enough? Shouse also harvests, filters, and produces his own salt for the restaurant, from water he gathers in Montauk. “I use this salt to top our local, grass-fed butter that we serve for bread-and-butter service before the meal starts. I also use it as a finishing salt for a few dishes, including the New York Strip Steak,” the chef said.

“Things like that are really fun,” said Michael. “Seadon has a lot of great ideas like that…that’s the type of guy he is. The Atlantic is right there…and we’re buying salt from the supermarket?”

Halifax’s pastry chef is Stuart Marx, who Michael described as “world-class.” His analogous sensibility for working with local and seasonal treats fits the vision for the venue.

“That authenticity…the connection between the physical space and the menu is what makes Halifax stand out among other restaurants,” the owner offered. “We have something that’s truly special.”

Halifax
225 River Street, Hoboken
201.253.2500 / halifaxhoboken.com