Harborside’s dining scene is about to change forever.
Top Chef alum Leah Cohen and partner Ben Byruch are opening their first Jersey City restaurant — Piggyback Bar — at 230 Hudson Street this Thursday. The restaurant is located inside the Harborside Terminal (in the former home of Henry on the Hudson’s).
Cohen, who in 2012 opened Pig & Khao in New York’s Lower East Side, has won numerous accolades for her Southeast Asian eats.
But make no mistake, Piggyback Bar isn’t just a New Jersey clone of Pig & Khao.
“It’s American bar food with Asian influences,” says Cohen. “So things people are familiar with, but with my personal spin on it.”
So unlike Pig & Khao, which draws specifically from Cohen’s travels and time spent in Southeast Asia, Piggyback Bar will also incorporate ingredients and inspiration from Korea, Japan, and China.
“Once we get settled in we’ll do curries and get more Asian,” says Cohen.
However, hardcore Pig & Khao fans can rest assured that some Lower East Side entrees will make their way to Jersey City. The BBQ babyback ribs, for instance, will also be offered at the Harborside restaurant.
“We didn’t know anything about Jersey City, but once we came out here we saw it’s such a cool neighborhood and there’s so much going on.”
Crossing the Hudson
Like many New Yorkers, Cohen and her husband/business partner Byruch are also recent Jersey City transplants. Their interest in Jersey City started when they visited their friend and Top Chef alum, Dale Talde. The couple were at Talde Jersey City’s opening and were taken aback by the size of the restaurant and the vibe in downtown Jersey City.
“We took the PATH train, got out at Grove street, and were like — ‘wow it’s really nice here,'” says Cohen.
While downtown’s nightlife and cheaper-than-New-York rents drew them in on a personal note, it was Mack-Cali CEO Mike DeMarco and his Harborside vision that drew them in on the business front.
“We didn’t know anything about Jersey City, but once we came out here and saw the Harborside neighborhood — we realized it’s such a cool neighborhood and there’s so much going on,” says Byruch.
“Mike and his team are creating this really cool culture and they’re talking to all these awesome restaurateurs and bar owners. All of that stuff made it not much of a sell. Who doesn’t want to have a restaurant and live here,” says Byruch.
Classic Street Art Straight from New York
Walk past Piggyback Bar’s future home inside the Harborside Terminal and already you’ll see glimpses of New York’s Lowest East Side. Street art collective Ur New York has created a mural of a New York City subway located on the restaurant’s exterior. Inside you’ll also find a telephone booth wheat paste and large dining room mural by artist Jeff Henriquez.
As for the space itself, Piggyback Bar will be larger than the team’s Lower East Side hangout with seating for up to 200 diners. There will be an open bar area, main dining room, private dining room, and outdoor seating along the waterfront.
The restaurant will offer lunch and dinner Mondays through Fridays. There will be happy hour specials on Thursday and a DJ booth for special events.
The restaurant’s drink menu will include local New York/New Jersey beers as well as bottled Asian beers like San Miguel, Singha, and Sapporo. The restaurant will also have a signature cocktail list created with friends from New York’s Black Crescent.
Come October, Piggyback Bar will debut a brunch menu as well as weekend dinner hours.
As far as Pig & Khao is concerned, the couple plan to split their time between Jersey City and the Lower East Side taking advantage of both the PATH and NY Waterway service. Both are eager explore Jersey City and their new Harborside venture.
“You’re gonna look at this in five years and businesses are gonna be clamoring to be here,” says Byruch. “I hope that we can get people to come eat at our restaurant and hang out at Harborisde.”
Piggyback Bar Jersey City
230 Hudson Street (Inside Harborside Terminal)
