If a restaurant serves fresh hot bread at the start, you know you’re in for an amazing meal ahead.
At Lokal Eatery & Bar in Jersey City, the focaccia is so light, fluffy and flavorful that families will drive up to 2 hours for this garlicky, rosemary starter, says owner Mona Panjwani. It’s so popular that they have to make eight full trays a day to keep up with demand.
We recently had a chance to watch a demo and make our own, and it did not disappoint.
Although the recipe is a secret, created by Lokal’s in-house chef, the key is using poolish to make the bread light and fluffy.
You can add any toppings you’d like, though minced garlic, rosemary and tons of high-quality olive oil are clutch. It’s amazing to bake and eat as a loaf but you can also cut it into sandwich bread or even use the dough to make pizza.
Mona is the sole owner of Lokal, which will celebrate its fifth anniversary next month. She switched careers and just before the beginning of the pandemic decided to revamp the former Taphaus, switching from 40+ taps of beer to a full menu of local cuisine with a curated cocktail and wine list.
Aside from the focaccia, Mona said the menu focuses on food that is locally sourced. Her vision is to have modern American food with a Mediterranean twist, drawing from Italy, France and the Mediterranean belt. There are seafood, meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes, with everything from a raw bar to flatbreads to mushroom fettucini to Za’atar-crusted halibut.
They offer brunch, lunch, dinner and Happy Hour, plus business lunches, celebratory events (imagine getting married along the picturesque waterfront) and outside catering. The restaurant is kid-friendly and the patio is also dog-friendly.
There’s an extensive wine and cocktail menu, with their signature Lokal Pop, a drink that has popsicles that are made in-house; or the Elliott Stubb, a vegan concoction made with aquafaba, which is the liquid left over from chickpeas. The desserts and pastries are made by their own pastry chef.
The focus on local is true with the décor as well. There are several murals handpainted by local artists.
There are 200 seats and a stunning outdoor patio (open seasonally) that has epic views of the NYC skyline.
Although there is no focaccia-making class open to the public – yet – Lokal is known for holding wine pairings, chef’s tastings, and $1 oysters during Happy Hour.
Details will be announced soon on the 5th-anniversary celebration.
Lokal Eatery & Bar is at 2 Second St. in Jersey City. The restaurant is located on the corner of a cul de sac but there is a parking deck and parking lot nearby, plus limited street parking. The restaurant has hours 7 days a week. For more information, visit lokaljc.com, email info@lokaljc.com or call 201-222-6800.
See how amazing the focaccia – and the views – look on our Instagram page.
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