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The Roosevelt, at 356 Paterson Ave. in East Rutherford, is named in honor of President Franklin Roosevelt, whose administration oversaw the repeal of prohibition. In keeping with the old school vibes, the speakeasy requires patrons to go through a special door into a room that looks like a library.
The restaurant is a labor of love from five Bergen County natives, who combined have more than 75 years of experience feeding the community. Their portfolio includes Redd's Restaurant & Biergarten in the Meadowlands and Newark and Fiesta Catering in Wood-Ridge.
The partners, Doug Palsi, Dan Palsi, Frank Pinto, Keith Rado and John Lady wanted to open another place together and it led them to take over a shuttered Asian fusion restaurant. The space was previously home to The Raven Lounge, a famous East Rutherford hangout.
Pinto feels he is blessed to be able to go into business with friends he grew up with and in the area he grew up in, Owning and working in restaurants throughout the years has allowed Pinto and the other partners to celebrate numerous milestones of friends, like birthdays, weddings and engagements.
"We had a couple come in to book a birthday party at the Roosevelt and their son celebrated his wedding at The Fiesta," Keith Rado, another partner said.
Frank Pinto, one of the partners in the restaurant and an East Rutherford native, wanted to give his hometown something different. The speakeasy features family photos dating back years as well as photos from the Prohibition Era, to give the place a hometown feel.
"It has a really cool vibe," Pinto said. "We put so much attention to detail. People seem to like it a lot. The place is just beautiful. People from this area will see the photos and recognize someone they knew from back in the day."
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