There’s a good chance you won’t find yourself strolling along Fox Place, a tiny residential street within walking distance of bustling Journal Square. There are no shops, but there is a restaurant housed in, well-a house-in the Marion section of Jersey City, a small brass plaque the only clue that you’re in the right spot-15 Fox Place.
Waiter Michele Roche seats photographer Camilo Godoy and me in a downstairs room in the back. Upstairs and down, the house has six rooms that accommodate 60 guests. The feeling is festive and friendly as if a rather large family had gathered for a reunion, with the original bathroom still equipped for a hot shower should you feel the need.
AND FAMILY IS THE operative word. 15 Fox Place is owned by the Budinichs, Rich, Kathryn, and son Marc, a chef trained at the Culinary Arts Institute of Hudson County Community College. (See story on p.TK). Kathryn’s sister-in-law JoAnn has been working with them for 20 years.
Kathryn and Marc cook with a team of friends who do the prep work, and Rich “makes anything that’s cold,” Roche reveals, meaning that he is a master of homemade ice cream. He’s also a chocolatier, and Kathryn says, “He’s the caretaker who’s always there if a light bulb needs changing.”
“I’ve been in Jersey City since sixth grade,” Rich says, standing in the garden and changing into his dinner shirt. He shows me a pear tree. “We use those for poached pears or we just put them on the tables,” he says. He calls the 15 Fox dining experience “a little something special.”
Though Kathryn and Rich now live in Nutley, they occupied the house for 23 years and started serving dinner to guests nearly 10 years ago. The idea grew out of their catering business, Word of Mouth. “Our clients came to pick up their food and wanted to stay,” Rich says. The Budinichs honed their skills cooking for their local parish. Rich makes the dubious claim that “Kathryn was a terrible cook when we first got married.”
THERE IS NO MENU. You’ll be served a spectacular six-course meal with about 14 items. (See sidebar). You’re encouraged to take a breather in the garden after the palate-cleanser-a lemon ice granita. Kathryn sits on the patio doing paperwork under a string of colored lights. “We grow herbs,” she says, waving a hand toward the garden. “The Italian stuff is delivered, nothing is frozen, and we buy local produce-the watermelon came from Stop & Shop.” The cuisine reflects the Budinichs’ Neapolitan roots, though lighter Tuscan fare is served once a month in the garden on Sunday afternoons in summer.
THE ROOMS ARE JAMMED-PACKED with what one guest calls “ornaments”: paintings, photos, cupids, glass grapes, beaded lamps, candlesticks, mirrors, tiles, tapestries, brass fruit, and brocade. The china is a lovely mishmash, most of it floral.
As Camilo wanders among the diners, Josh Groban’s “Vincent” floats through the rooms followed by Tony Bennett’s “San Francisco.” In the front dining room is a party of “sisters”-two blood relatives and a trio of Filippini nuns from Morristown. When we leave, Kathryn is sitting with them, shooting the breeze.
It’s hard to overstate the warmth and sincerity of this place. Don’t expect anything frou-frou like a giant plate with a sculpted quail egg waiting to be hatched. What comes first you may wonder-great food or great people?
At 15 Fox Place, it’s all of a piece. JCM
Dinner is Served
A small dish of assorted olives with homemade seasonings is followed by:
Muffuletta (olive spread on a wine cracker), a nice combination of tart and sweet
Homemade Pizza Alla Napoli (“morsel” size)
The Family’s Favorite Peppers (roasted red, stuffed cubanel and sautéed hot peppers)
Eggplant Rollatini
Hot peppers with homemade potato chips (Camilo braves this one and give it a thumbs up)
Polenta Arrabiatta (spicy red sauce and homemade sausage)
Louisiana Crab Cakes (with basil-infused olive oil and creamy balsamic)
Baked mussels
Homemade manicotti
Lemon pasta (a summer favorite)
Lemon ice granita
Garden salad with fresh watermelon dressing (served inside a square of fresh pan-seared bread)
Chicken Savoy (tender chicken on the bone with a balsamic vinegar sauce served over mashed potatoes)
Marc’s warm soft chocolate cake with Rich’s homemade vanilla ice cream
Italian knot cookies, wedding cookies, and biscotti served with regular coffee, decaf, or espresso
Marc’s homemade Limoncello liqueur (Camilo pronounces it delicious)
Homemade zeppolis (just like you’d find at the St. Gennaro feast)
15 Fox Place is open Friday and Saturday, and either Thursday or Sunday, reservations only. Parties of 12 will be served on other nights by appointment. Dinner is served at 7:30, though you may come at 7 to enjoy drinks on the patio. (201) 413-1614 or (201) 333-1476. The dinner is prix fixe, $80 per person. With tax and gratuity, expect to pay $100. Bring your own beer and wine. Last summer the Budinichs opened LaPrete’s in Belleville, with a liquor license, a sign, and prices averaging $26.95.