Steeped in rich local history and lore, the century-old restaurant Clam Broth House recently relaunched its menu under the direction of executive chef Gerardo Leal, “Chef G”.
First opened in 1899, the original Clam Broth House catered to the longshoremen who worked on the docks along the Hudson River, the kind of rough-and-tumble guys portrayed in the 1954 film “On the Waterfront.”
Yet in a departure from its earlier incarnation, the dark mahogany wood floors and bistro décor give today’s Clam Broth House a more polished and less gritty tone.
Still, the restaurant — which denied entry to women until the 1970s — built a reputation as a popular hang out spot largely on the strength of its simple yet delicious seafood menu. Even today, patrons who had visited the restaurant in the 1960s and ’70s recall the floor littered with seafood shells and a public canteen that dispensed free clam broth at the bar.
When the restaurant closed in 2003, residents mourned the loss of what many saw as an important landmark in the mile-square city. However, the Clam Broth got a new lease on life after Hoboken native Danny Tattoli and his wife Jolene — owners of the Hoboken bar Four L’s — bought the building and the restaurant’s name in 2004.
“We bought the building with the full intent of reopening the restaurant,” said Jolene Tattoli. “It’s a real honor to be in this building, with all its history. Reopening the restaurant was important to us, and it was important to everyone in the city. People wanted to have the restaurant back. That was always our goal.”
In a nod to Clam Broth’s heyday, a few of the restaurant’s old signature dishes have been reprised by Chef Gerardo Leal with a modern twist — while also offering classic American fare.
With its relaxed presence that is at once cosmopolitan and urbane without being pretentious or frenetic, the Clam Broth House has become the perfect setting for grabbing a cocktail at the bar, having a special dinner or hosting a private event.
So join us in our majestic main dining room or our private Cellar Lounge, featuring two full service bars and an extensive wine and whiskey selection.
Paraphrased from Hoboken Reporter Story
