Ventanas Restaurant & Lounge (Fort Lee, NJ)

PRESS RELEASE | Contact: Katherine Curkin | Senior Director, beckermanpr.com

Ventanas Restaurant & Lounge, Led by Restauranteur Alex Duran and Celebrated Chef David Burke, to Open at SJP Properties’ The Modern in Fort Lee

New Cuban/Asian/American-Inspired Fine Dining Establishment
to Serve as Destination Along the New Jersey Gold Coast

FORT LEE, N.J. (July 30, 2018) — SJP Properties today announced that restauranteur Alex Duran will bring a new fine dining experience to The Modern, the premier luxury development anchoring the revitalized downtown district of Fort Lee, N.J.  World-renowned Chef David Burke will join Duran in the role of Culinary Managing Director.  The kitchen will be overseen by Chef Ricardo Cardona.  Named Ventanas Restaurant & Lounge, the restaurant will serve an eclectic menu of Cuban/Asian/American-inspired fusion fare, with a picturesque setting amidst the new central park that is being created between The Modern’s two iconic 47-story, all-glass residential towers.

Duran, who owns the highly successful Son Cubano supper club in West New York, immediately recognized the opportunity to bring a new dining and entertainment concept to the flourishing Fort Lee community.  With Ventanas, Duran will capitalize on the restaurant’s unique indoor-outdoor setting to create a modern, energized dining experience for guests that blends Asian flavors with Cardona’s cutting-edge Latin cuisine and the farm-to-table American gastronomy of Burke, a Fort Lee resident.  Cardona is the executive chef of Lua, Sofrito and Hudson River Café in New York City, and serves as the chef for the New York Yankees during home games.  Burke, who regularly makes appearances on the TV show Iron Chef America, lays claim to one of the industry’s most accomplished resumes as both a chef and restaurateur, including numerous ‘Chef of the Year’ awards, and restaurants such as Tavern 62 and Woodpecker in New York City; Drifthouse in Sea Bright, N.J.; and the recently announced The King Bar and Red Salt Room in Garden City, N.Y.

Offering a spirited sense of buen gusto (good taste), Ventanas’ décor will evoke a seductive feeling of Havana’s nightlife past, with a modern twist.  Guests will have access to three main venues within the restaurant: a tapas lounge, a cosmopolitan bar, and a full-service dining room complete with chef’s table.  On the patio, guests can relax at the outdoor bar and lounge, or enjoy a meal with family and friends under a sweeping pergola.  Live music and a DJ booth will help to create a celebratory atmosphere for after-dinner entertainment.

In total, the 7,000-square-foot restaurant will be able to accommodate 150 guests in the dining room and seating for 50 people at the bar, with a private event space that can welcome another 75 patrons.  The outdoor terrace will offer seating for 75 to 100 guests, with a location that offers stunning views of the nearby George Washington Bridge, providing the ideal venue for special events.

“Latin dining is intended to be an immersive experience, with the ambiance just as important as the food itself,” stated Duran.  “Chef Cardona is recognized for his fusion of Latin, French and American cuisines, and his creativity and dynamism will set the tone in providing guests with an inspired dining experience.  When coupled with Chef Burke’s unmistakable influence, and the lively, yet elegant environment we have created with our décor, we know Ventanas will quickly become a favorite destination along the Gold Coast.”

The planned opening of Ventanas is the latest milestone to be heralded by SJP at The Modern, where leasing for the property’s second phase of luxury rental residences recently began.  A mirror image of The Modern’s first tower, the second tower completes Fort Lee’s iconic new skyline, signaling the borough’s arrival as a coveted residential destination.

In total, The Modern’s two phases comprise 900 luxury rental residences and an incredible 150,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor lifestyle amenities that is unparalleled among rental properties in the region.  The property was designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects in collaboration with SJP.

Adding to the ultra-luxurious, resort-style experience afforded to residents of The Modern will be the availability of room service and poolside food service at each of property’s two outdoor infinity pools, courtesy of Ventanas.

“Welcoming Ventanas to The Modern will not only create an exceptional new dining experience for the region, with two renowned chefs, an inspired menu concept and a stunning park setting.  It will also serve as an incredible amenity for residents of The Modern, who will soon be able to order room service and poolside food service as if they were living in a five-star hotel,” stated Steven J. Pozycki, CEO of SJP Properties. “We pride ourselves on providing our residents with the very best in lifestyle services, and this latest amenity makes it clear that The Modern is the true standard for luxury living in the region.”

The new, nearly two-acre public park that will house Ventanas is currently underway, with the park and restaurant expected to be open by the end of the year. Inspired by Manhattan’s Central Park, the park will enhance walkability and connectivity, offering residents of The Modern and Fort Lee alike a vibrant green space for recreation and enjoyment. In addition to the new restaurant, plans for the park include integrated water features, landscaped walking paths, a public pavilion and a walking bridge.  Outside the park, SJP is donating the funds for a 13,000-square-foot building to the Borough of Fort Lee for the creation of a large public theater and a public museum referencing Fort Lee’s historical ties to the film industry.

SJP Properties is developing The Modern in partnership with PGIM Real Estate and Northwestern Mutual.  The Bozzuto Group is The Modern’s exclusive leasing and management firm.

For leasing inquiries or more information please visit The Modern at www.rentthemodern.com or call 201-461-2888. Follow The Modern’s social media pages on Facebook at www.Facebook/rentthemodern and @rentthemodern on Instagram. 

About SJP Properties

Founded in 1981, SJP Properties is a privately held, vertically integrated real estate company specializing in the development, management and operation of luxury residential and Class A commercial properties in the New York Metropolitan region.  Well known for the creation of unparalleled lifestyle-focused developments, SJP’s residential arm is committed to meticulous SJP’s leadership has established relationships with many of the industry’s leading investors and financial institutions, as well as world-class architects, consultants and construction firms to ensure precise delivery of properties that incorporate the latest amenities and technology advancements for today’s discerning residents.  For more information, please call 212-335-2200 or visit www.sjpproperties.com.

About Chef David Burke

Blurring the lines between chef, artist, entrepreneur and inventor, world-renowned Chef David Burke is one of the leading pioneers in American cooking today.

He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a student at Ecole Lenotre Pastry School in Plaisir, France.  Burke’s mastery of French culinary technique and his unique American creativity were confirmed at the age of 26, receiving 3 Stars from the New York Times at the River Café. Burke won France’s coveted Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur, and is the only American to ever achieve this honor.  Burke also won the Nippon Award for Excellence from the government of Japan for overall skill and technique. 

As a culinary pioneer, Burke received the ultimate honor: A United States patent awarded to him for the unique process by which he uses pink Himalayan salt to dry-age his steaks for up to 100 days, which led to the citing of Burke’s Primehouse as the number one steakhouse in Chicago and the U.S.

In 2016, BLT Prime by David Burke in Washington D.C., and Tavern 62 by David Burke in New York City opened.  In 2018, Burke launched the David Burke Catering Company; Drifthouse by David Burke; King Bar by David Burke; Red Salt Room by David Burke at the Garden City Hotel; the revamped The Blue Hen; Salt & Char and Morrisey’s at the Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga, N.Y.; and now Woodpecker by David Burke in New York City.

Over the years, Chef Burke has become one of the most recognized chefs on television, with appearances on Top Chef Masters, Rachael Ray, NBC’s TODAY Show, Celebrity Taste Makers, and Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.  Currently, he can be heard on AM970 every Tuesday morning with Joe Piscopo.  In addition, Burke has published two cookbooks, Cooking with David Burke and David Burke’s New American Classics.