Closter Manor Inn

> > Reinvented < <

Now the Peking Duck House
411 Piermont Road (Route 9 west)
Closter, New Jersey
This place has a history stranger than fiction!

Hines: Open all year except Mondays and the month of January. 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm daily; Sundays and Holidays 12:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Their herring in cream served as an appetizer is unusual and the featured entree is roast boneless duckling with apple and raisin dressing. Dinner $2.00 & up. Liquor is served.

The site was originally a pre-Revolutionary family farm: the Parcells homestead. It is not known whether part of the restaurant dates back to that time, however another building on the Parcells property is still standing (439 Piermont Road)—it was attacked by British Red Coats on Nov. 20, 1776. In fact, Piermont Road is peppered with homes on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1920s a real estate developer named Schmidt pulled the area together in a project known as "Closter Park" later changed to "Closter Manor." The house that currently stands diagonally across the street from the restaurant was the sales office. Schmidt opened a restaurant to service this new community: the Closter Manor Inn. It is not clear when it ceased operation as the C.M.I., however it has always remained a restaurant. Over the years it has gone by many names... Beppe's Closter Manor, Angelo's Closter Manor, the Grist Mill, among others.

In the 1960s it was the stage for an incredibly bizarre yet true story... straight out of FBI files. In the midst of the cold war, the Feds had been tracking the activities of two fellows: John William Butenko and Igor A. Ivanov, who were ultimately found guilty of conspiring to convey secret information about the U.S. Air Force's missile & defense systems to the Soviet Union. Butenko, an American by birth, worked for a weapon parts company contracted by the US Military and so had access to this information. The FBI recorded him under surveillance in meetings with 3 Russian nationals at 3 restaurants in the Closter area: Lou's Hitching Post, the China Chalet Restaurant, and Angelo's Closter Manor. There is mention of "attache cases" being handed off, switched drivers—it's incredible stuff! If you have a few moments, it is worth a browse to read what happened right here in suburban New Jersey.
The entire account is archived here!

Its current owners—Peking Duck House—have held it successfully since 1982. You can see by this photo that it remains in a curious 50/50 state: 50% typical Asian dining interior & 50% OK Corral (if beams could talk).

Perona Farms

"Family owned and operated for over 90 years"

Still Serving!
(800) 762-8569
350 Andover-Sparta Road
Andover, NJ 07821
www.peronafarms.com

Hines:
Here they have a famous duck press table (the only one of its kind in America). Specialties: hors d'oeuvres, onion soup, lobster and game in season. [Prices] a la carte.

Well, this is a promising start to our adventure! We begin in New Jersey, where we live, and first on the list is Perona Farms, coincidentally the closest to us. Amazingly, today it is not only operating under the same name, but the same family as well! No longer a general restaurant, it is now only open to the dining public for Sunday Brunch and Holidays; otherwise it appears to have built a solid reputation as a premiere banquet hall and off-premises caterer.

Back in Hines' day, Perona Farms was a "country get-away" for fancy city folk and quite a few celebrities including Groucho Marx, Eva Gabor, Burgess Meredith, Joe DiMaggio, Ethel Merman and many others. It was even a popular boxing training camp inspired by the request of Jack Renault, a frequent guest. Successive generations have focused and expanded on the restaurant side of the business.

We hope to visit for brunch soon :)

Read more on the history of Perona Farms:
www.peronafarms.com/ourstory.html

Rocco's Villa Sunset

> > Reinvented < <

Survives as the Blairstown Airport
Lake Susquehanna
Blairstown, New Jersey

Hines:
Just off Hwy. 8, 28 mi North of Easton on Lake Susquehanna. Open all year, every day 8am to 2am. Their specialties include onion soup, antipasto, ragouts, roast prime ribs of beef and charcoal broiled steaks. Breakfast $1.00 Lunch $1.50 Dinner $2.25. Liquor is served.

Adventures In Good Eating exists for, as well as, because of the internet. I may never get to see in person many of the establishments I research, especially as I move on to other states. Yet, I am often able to pull some bits of evidence together from postcards sold on Ebay, old local newspapers archived in pdf, GoogleBooks and some personal memoirs. It takes a little bit of time, a huge love of history, and a passion for seeing that these stories live on.


When I began this project, I quickly realized that at least half, if not more, of the establishments would be gone by now... ghosts lost to development & bigger business; forever fossilized in wedding photos—names forgotten, addresses unknown. 1 out of 10 or so turn out to be utter dead ends. Some restaurants that were popular benchmarks in their community have disappeared with nearly no trace of ever having employed, fed, entertained or been the life work of some hardworking family.

Such was initially the case of Rocco's Villa Sunset. When I first posted the listing, all I found was a cocktail swizzle stick on Ebay and a fleeting mention in a Ski Guide to NJ from the 40s or 50s. This was especially sad... from Hine's notation that Rocco's was open till 2am, 7 days a week and the colorful name, I imagine this was an extraordinary destination.


Apparently the Fates smile on Rocco still, as shortly after my post his grandson James Gleason discovered it and reached out to me. He generously providing everything that follows: the facts, the photos, the legacy... for which I am enormously grateful. Please enjoy reading the incredible story of Mr. Rocco Bunino and his Villa Sunset —you sure don't find fellows like this much any more!

Rocco Bunino was born in Turin, Italy. He married Dorothy Haupt in 1935 and together they had 2 lovely daughters, Roxanne & June. Throughout his life, Mr. Bunino wore many hats. He set off as a young man to serve on the NJ Central railroad as a fireman – clearly not the fearful type. Later, he would rise in the beverage industries for such epic companies as Pabst brewing in Milwaukee. But one point in between he also founded and operated Rocco's Villa Sunset for 33 years.

In 1920 he decided that the one business which could best employ his diverse talents was the resort business. So he opened the Villa Sunset on some farm property he managed to buy at a smart price. This was on Lake Susquehanna, Blairstown, New Jersey. It became one of the most heavily patronized in the area, eventually boasting a private airport for guests who came in by plane!

Continually improving, Mr. Bunino expanded the airport as an aviation school and service station. He negotiated for decommissioned planes from the government after WWII for flying lessons. And the fun didn't stop in cold weather—many trails were cleared for winter skiing, an increasingly popular sport. Hotel and Restaurant facilities served vacationers year-round (as well as Mr. Hines) Rocco eventually moved on from this vast enterprise. In 1953 he and his wife sold the Villa and moved onto Milwaukee. It changed its name to The Sunset Lodge and the property will be familiar to folks today as the Blairstown Airport on Lake Susquehanna off Lambert Road.

Rocco was a truly extraordinary man who lived the lives of 5 men. Every article Mr. Gleason sent me was a like a full bio unto itself—but they all mentioned the Sunset Villa, an accomplishment Rocco was clearly proud of. One article highlights his success in establishing the Greater Milwaukee (Golf) Open, organizing over 2,000 volunteers—and he was 87 at the time! During his years at the Villa, he also served as mayor of Blairstown, headed the Rotary Club, and was president of the Board of Education. And I thought Duncan Hines lead a full life!