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Business & Tech

Village Green Restaurant's New Face

The Village Green Restaurant's new owner offering seasonal new American cuisine, an upscale casual ambiance, and personalized service.

Village Green Restaurant has been part of the Ridgewood community for some decades, and has been known for their many tasting menus and lack of an à la carte dinner menu option. Those who haven’t dined at the restaurant in the past few months may not be aware of a recent change that has taken place – new ownership and a fresh approach to providing guests with a quality dining experience.

Kevin Portscher, an ambitious 29-year-old graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, took ownership of Village Green Restaurant two months ago to pursue his passion of providing Ridgewood with modern American cuisine and top service. Portscher has been quick to make changes in his brief tenure, notably providing his guests with a three-course prix fix menu for $20, a five course tasting menu for $55, and an à la carte menu.

The menu changes seasonally and ingredients are sourced from privately owned mom and pop companies who hand-pick each ingredient, Portscher says, but what is most interesting is how Portscher pays careful attention to his guests' often finnicky food preferences. With strong seafood offerings such as the slow baked salmon and sautéed red snapper, the fresh-faced chef refrains from using heavy sauces in his dishes, and also caters to guest's special dietary needs.

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“Since our food is prepared a la minute we are able to satisfy our guest’s dietary needs including food allergies, dietary restrictions, and their dislikes," said Portscher. “We are flexible when it comes to our guests.”

The restaurant’s ambiance has also changed to a more upscale casual atmosphere with jazz music, soft lighting, and some seasonal decorations. "I want my guests to feel comfortable when they visit us. When asked what the dress code is for dinner I tell guests it's casual," he remarked.

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Guests can now conveniently make reservations on the restaurants website or through the urbanspoon phone application. Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday evenings but are not required.

Portscher’s favorite item on the new fall menu? Though he says there are many exciting dishes on the menu, he was most excited about the pumpkin pecan bread pudding with a homemade cinnamon ice cream and chocolate sauce.

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