Master chef and owner, James Lenzi and his son, Haakon, had fond memories of visiting Norway when Haakon was a child. Remembering and appreciating the history and the feasts each summer in Bergen, Norway, Haakon’s Hall NYC implements this novel concept like no other, utilizing 35 years of chef and owner, James Lenzi’s practice and cultivation of the classic art of cooking.

Combining the culinary arts of Chef James Lenzi and the trained ceramicist art of his son. Haakon, who studies at Alfred University, the country’s most prestigious Ceramics university, has culminated in a restaurant like no other…Haakon’s Hall, NYC. Through education, travel, food writing, and hard work, Chef James Lenzi premiered restaurants in Italy, Scandinavia, and North Africa, as well as Manhattan. Chef Lenzi gives cooking demonstrations and lessons, and his son Haakon, a young, talented potter demonstrates and teaches his craft to diners and visitors alike. This father and son team, along with other artisans, aim to enrich the total person while they perform their crafts, serve their dishes and drinks.

Biography of our Chef/Owner: James Francis Lenzi

James Francis Lenzi, graduate (1976) and quondam teaching fellow at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park NY, has studied and worked in France, Italy, the Caribbean and in NYC. For Chef James Lenzi, the natural progression of change, both subtle and obvious is second nature, given the places and spaces he has been.

Lenzi, an honors graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, first became smitten with the culinary world when on a cruise as a teen. Born and raised in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, he was impressed by his observations of Garde Manger chefs working on their ornate displays for the ships' elaborate meals. This led him to pursue employment in an upscale country club kitchen near home. While enjoying hands-on work from prep to finished dishes, he became curious about the origin and life cycle of food. Lenzi would research the what, why and where of a particular item, then "trace the food" in his head while preparing it. His Dad, an owner of a butcher shop, voiced his concerns about a culinary profession for his son when Lenzi expressed his desire to study at the CIA. Knowing first-hand the implications of hard work and long hours associated with the food industry, the elder Lenzi asked him apply to local Philadelphia colleges also. Two days prior to move-in day at Saint Joseph's University, Lenzi got word of his acceptance at the CIA and off he went at 17, to pursue his dream career.

Lenzi learned and developed his skills amongst his peers with whom he still remains in close contact today. An instructor, Chef Claudio Peppini took a liking to him and would stay after class with him to refine his skills. He subsequently offered Lenzi the opportunity to apprentice in restaurants in Rome, Sardinia and Tripoli. Lenzi spent 18 months doing just that, which included the opportunity to help open The Jockey Club in Tripoli. During the course of his European experience, Lenzi sharpened his knowledge of classical Italian and French cuisine. He also received a bonus - an unexpected, education of the international foods familiar to employees he worked with of Pakistani, Lebanese and Middle Eastern decent. When political conflict arose in Tripoli, Lenzi packed his bags and headed home, working in the Philadelphia area before traveling up the turnpike to New York City.

Manhattan proved to be the place where Lenzi thickened his resume with top-rated jobs, restaurants and accomplishments. Starting as Chef de Cuisine at Dusan Bernic’s The Terrace Restaurant, in Butler Hall(Columbia University) he then moved on to famed Clos Normand under the direction of hands-on owner, Maitre Maurice Betrand, who mentored Lenzi amidst working with quail, foie gras, sweet breads, morels and chanterelles, back when these items were rarely offered on a menu and rarely executed well. After a three year run, Lenzi moved on to become Executive Chef at one of Manhattan's historic restaurants, Café Des Artistes. This country-French elegant bistro known for its romantic setting, excellent food and Howard Chandler Christy nude murals is owned by noted restaurant consultant, food historian and George Lang. Lenzi describes Lang as "a walking encyclopedia on food," who had the same approach as Bertrand - serve food that you would eat on a Sunday night, while not making it a chore to order. Lenzi held his position for seven years until he was ready for a change. With his resume selected from 2000 applicants to open a new restaurant across from Carnegie Hall, Lenzi had his first encounter with The Mill. The owner at the time, Joe Amiel was expanding his restaurant repertoire. He was on the search for an Executive Chef to open the Symphony Café, a soon-to-be hot spot for artists, publishers and literary types. Amiel invited him to The Old Mill in September of 1988 for an interview for the New York position. They opened a month later to great reviews.

In 1995 Amiel decided to sell and Lenzi was going to join him in New Jersey. But as fate would have it, while pushing his son in a stroller down Columbus Avenue, Lenzi bumped into a gentleman coming out of a restaurant which sparked his curiosity. In passing on this familiar route, he noted that the busiest nights were always Thursday and Sunday and questioned the gentleman about it. He learned Levana Restaurant an upscale, non-dairy, Glatt Kosher restaurant was in need of an Executive Chef. Lenzi, not quite ready to leave the city just yet, assumed the position. He was immediately embraced by the community with open arms. He described his stay there as "a wonderful experience," and remained for several years until a serious kitchen accident had him off his feet for an extended period of time. It is this expansive and cultured experience Chef Lenzi will bring to Haakon’s Hall.

Lenzi, who has been living on 119th street since 1977 understands and appreciates the needs of both a university community and Morningside Heights in particular. The restaurant he envisions will be affordable to intellectuals whose wallets are perpetually light, and who yearn for something besides salads, pizza, and wraps. It will be a place to go when you crave what he called “good old fashioned American food with a twist."

“Not everyone at Columbia is a millionaire. I want to create food that a student could pay for once and take the extras back to the dorm. “he said

The inspiration for Lenzi’s efforts is the restaurant’s namesake and his son, Haakon. The type of place he hopes to build is one in which his son would be able to spend time, while the food is the kind his son would crave.

Haakon’s Hall

In 13th Century Norway, Haakon's Hall was erected between 1247 and 1261. In the latter year it was in use as "The Stone Hall" at the wedding and coronation of King Magnus Lagabøte (the Lawmender), Håkon's son and co-ruler. The hall was the largest and most imposing building in the royal residence at "Holmen" (the holm), the political centre of the 13th-century Norwegian kingdom. It was obviously built for the great occasions in the history of the monarchy but also for practical daily use.

The hall was restored circa 1895 and richly decorated in 1916. The Hall caught fire, and was so damaged that only the walls remained. The present internal equipment of the building is the result of the following restoration. The walls are standing much as they stood after the restoration of 1880-95, but the stonework has been relieved of plaster. The Hall is again in ceremonial use on important occasions, and is also used for concerts.

Haakon’s Hall is a royal residence and fortress, renowned for many centuries for its fantastic feasting and its impregnable walls. Impregnable walls and defensive towers are so not in style today, but regal food at good value and in warmly homelike surroundings is as widely appreciated now as ever.

• Haakon's Hall gives an inimitable personal touch by making the hands-on experience integral to enjoyable dining, relaxation and entertainment. Choose your own couch, table, wireless Internet connection, or engage and dine with others face-to-face. Sip boutique wine, beer, or nutritious juices; grab a snack or savor that five-course meal without breaking your budget. Meets the tastes and desires of the trained epicure as well as dorm-food escapees and weary tourists at the most affordable and moderate pricing.
• Chef Lenzi and his band of artisans create a contemporary twist on TV dinners, typical American fare and entertainment with a wide array of appetizing plats du jour to eat in or take out. Inside the restaurant, experience sensual dining with a rotisserie rich with poultry,fish, vegetarian, and vegan. Enjoy brunch or any meal at the communal table, or just imbue that cozy coffee house ambience.
• It serves as a home base away from routine home, work and craft, away from boardroom and classroom, more indulgent, relaxing, and satisfying. No need to do the dishes, cooking or crafting; sit back and leave all that in the expert and caring hands of professional chefs and artisans. Cutting-edge, cozy yet artful Haakon's Hall ensures an authentic experience for its original Norwegian namesake, Haakon's Hall, the "fortress of comforts." Its New York City home setting and distinguished university community makes for a memorable meeting place for comfort food and comraderie, refreshments and reflection on the arts and crafts that enrich the body and soul
• Chef’s Vision Designed and uniquely constructed by Chef and Owner James Lenzi, Haakon's Hall offers a one of a kind arrangement for dining and entertainment drawn from Lenzi's eclectic culinary work and vast experience (35 years) as an innovative chef, world-traveler and food writer
  

Menus

• Menu Tenets & Beliefs
• Haakon’s Hall NYC will offer hot soups and cold soups each in their own season, all homemade. Soups that the chef has enjoyed making throughout a 35-year career. Hearty cauldrons of tomato soup with a twist & garnished with baked white cheddar bisquettes, Thick soups and delicate broths, such as Alphabet soup, seafood-corn chowders, minestrones, Basque caldos, hearty vegetarian and vegan potages, multinational takes on chicken soup, peasant soups, elegant soups... even the Chef’s own rendition of New York City Clam Chowder.
• Hot and cold cereals for: wheat, oats, grits, rice, kamut, barley, spelt, quinoa, kasha – a changing variety but always a variety! Eggs hard and soft, fried many ways, puffed up or flat, in the shell or out…coddled, shirred…even deviled. If you can think of other ways, we’ll do them for you -- with meat, of course. And, for the heart healthy client, Egg Whites.
• Sandwiches – traditional American styles and many newer arrivals: Cuban Sandwiches, Panini’s, the 1187 Philly Cheesesteak, and muffalettas...
• Main Courses – hearty fare such as braised short ribs, falling-off-the-bone lamb shanks, free-range chicken simmered in red wine and aromatic herbs, Mediterranean fish ragouts. Light repasts – both meat and vegetarian. Side-order and entrée-size salads from the magnificent Cobb Salad to the now-plebian Caesar…
• Carbs in profusion – ever changing pasta shapes and sauces plus the potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes we’re accustomed to…and the yuccas, batatas, platanos that are new to many.
• Desserts aka SWEET DREAMS nearly all to be made in-house, include warm apple tarts, Bruce Becker’s Max and Mina’s Ice Cream , bread puddings, cobblers, chocolate cakes, sundaes, filled-to-order Arthur Avenue cannolis and “The Greatest Banana Split Ever."
• Customer food and drink choices are especially varied and made to order to meet anyone’s taste and desire at a moderate price--from PB&J sandwiches , peanuts roasted specially by Virginia’s Freeman Peanut company to our specifications to hearty gumbo soup or Bouillabaisse, from a leg of lamb to monster salads, and, for the sweet tooth, fallen chocolate soufflé to The Last Piece of Apple Pie Ala Mode.
• Menus are always available for gluten-free dining, vegetarians, vegans, or for hearty carnivores.
• Savor boutique wines, customized by Brian Flanagan and draft beer, root beer floats, organic milk and nutritious juices. Specialty meals and drinks include Tapas at the bar, Buck's Fizz (cousin of Mimosa drink), elaborate brunches at the communal table with Pannetone French toast, all kinds of frittatas, homemade muffins, pastas, grilled fish and meats, fruits and desserts aka SWEET DREAM

James Francis Lenzi, Chef/Owner

For Chef James Lenzi, Haakon’s Hall represents the combination of the three most significant elements that have shaped his professional and personal life experience:
           
Family, Food, and Friends.

The inspiration for the restaurant—and its namesake—is his son, Haakon.  Lenzi wanted to create a place where Haakon and his friends would want to gather, serving food they would crave every day in an atmosphere they could call home.

Family is paramount to Chef Lenzi.  His grandparents on both sides immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the last century from the Marche region of Italy.  There was always a lot of cooking going on in the basement of his house (the stove on the main floor was never used!).  His grandmother and mother created great home-style dishes such as Gnocchi Patate, Stuffed Olives, Fritto Misto, Polenta, and Risottos.  There were also wide-ranging dishes of succulent game from his father’s butcher shop.  In fact, Lenzi’s father’s spectacular meat grinder is used daily at Haakon’s Hall and is on display in the restaurant’s sparkling pantry.

When James expressed a desire to study at the Culinary Institute of America, his father’s first-hand knowledge of the demanding hours and hard work associated with a life in the food industry, prompted him to strike a deal with his son:  go ahead and apply to CIA, but submit applications to local Philadelphia colleges as well.  Two days before moving into his dorm at Saint Joseph’s University, James was accepted to the Culinary Institute and he was free to pursue the career of his dreams.

CIA and James Lenzi took to each other like a perfect steak to a favorite Bordeaux.  It was here that James studied the origins and life cycle of food.  He would research the what, why, and where of a particular item and then “trace” the food in his head while preparing it.

One of his instructors, Chef Claudio Peppini, took him under his wing, staying after class to help James refine his skills.  He offered James the opportunity to apprentice in restaurants in Rome, Sardinia, and Tripoli.  It was here he sharpened his knowledge of classical Italian and French cuisine.  A side trip to help open The Jockey Club in Tripoli extended his experience to include other international cuisines as he worked alongside experts of Pakistani, Lebanese, and Middle Eastern descent.

Chef Lenzi’s New York City experience started as Chef de Cuisine at The Terrace Restaurant in Butler Hall at Columbia University.  Next came the famed Clos Normand under the direction of owner Maitre Maurice Bertrand, who mentored Lenzi on the delights of quail, foie gras, sweet breads, and morels and chanterelles.  Back then, these items were a rarity on city menus and were rarely executed well.  Chef Lenzi became an authority. After three years at Clos Normand, James became the Executive Chef at Manhattan’s historic and beloved Café Des Artistes.  This elegant French bistro, owned by the noted restaurant consultant and food historian George Lang, would provide the setting where Lenzi would formalize his philosophy on the preparation of cuisine.  Lang was a literal “encyclopedia on food” and maintained the same approach as Bertrand at Clos Normand: Serve food that you would eat on a Sunday night.  And, don’t make it a chore to order!

Chef Lenzi would thrive at Café Des Artistes for seven rewarding years.  It was then, that a restaurateur from New Jersey named Joe Amiel was looking to expand his holdings.  He had his sights set on a space near Carnegie Hall that he would befittingly call The Symphony Café.  Chosen from over 2000 applicants, Lenzi was named Executive Chef.  Symphony Café opened to glowing reviews and would soon become a hot-spot for artists, publishers, and literary types. 

When Joe Amiel wanted to return to New Jersey, he asked James to accompany him, but fate had other plans.  While pushing his son Haakon in a stroller down Columbus Avenue, he encountered a gentlemen who sang the praises of a restaurant from which he had just exited called Levana.  It was an upscale, non-dairy, Glatt Kosher establishment.  And guess what?  They were in need of an Executive Chef.  James took the position and was immediately embraced by the community.

And so, after traveling around the world and honing his craft at some of Manhattan’s most acclaimed restaurants, James Lenzi was home.  He had maintained a residence at 119th Street for over thirty years and now it was time to put dinner on the table for his family and friends in Morningside Heights.  Haakon’s Hall was born.

With his keen knowledge of, and affection for, his neighborhood and the Columbia University and City College communities, Chef James Lenzi throws open the doors of Haakon’s Hall and invites you to join him at his table.

Haakon’s Hall is warm and welcoming.  It is the affordable “must” for intellectuals whose wallets are perpetually light and who yearn for something more than pizza, salads, and wraps. It is good old-fashioned American food with a twist: food created with James’ unique brand of vision and experience.

So, welcome to Haakon’s Hall: a taste of home in the heart of the city.

Brian Donal Flanagan , Wine Director

Brian was born, like both of my parents and three of his four grandparents, on Manhattan Island and has lived here his entire life. While he was in college he worked in a wine store and this started a lifelong fascination with wine and spirits. After college he worked for a dozen years at the West End (now Havana Central) as bartender and eventually as General Manager. It was at the West End that he met my dear friend James Lenzi, who was then Chef de Cuisine at the Terrace, this neighborhood's finest restaurant for over a generation. We are thrilled to be able to add a great restaurant to our neighborhood. We later worked together at both Cafe des Artistes and Symphony Cafe.

In the late eighties he worked at Tastings, then New York's premier wine bar and restaurant, and taught wine and spirits courses upstairs at the International Wine Center. He then began a consulting business, doing beverage startup and wine lists for new restaurants. In addition, He has been associated for over twenty years with Burgundy Wine Company, New York City's finest specialty wine shop, where he is now an Account Executive specializing in private client sales. From 1992 to 2007, he owned and operated the Night Cafe, an almost legendary bar on Amsterdam Avenue with a great wine and spirits selection. In 1995 he founded the Blue Collar Cafe, a diner-style restaurant offering fine food at rock-bottom prices.

He was very excited when James asked me to develop the beverage program for Haakon's Hall. He has known Jame's cooking for 25 years and his skill is next to none. Together we plan to create a comfort dining experience that will serve the neighborhood uniquely. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner daily with a vibrant bar scene and most important in these trying times- the lowest prices in the area. Both James and I are long-time Morningside Heights people with deep ties in the community and both of us will walk to work. We also will restart the Night Cafe's popular Sunday Night Trivia contests at Haakon's Hall.

Starting in mid-September, Brian will be the director of the Haakon’s Hall wine school, holding classes every Sunday at 4pm, after brunch and before our wildly popular trivia night contest.

Tamar Tolchin, Co owner, Philanthropist

Tamar is a leading philanthropist and restaurateur and is the owner of Shore Culinary LLC.

Her present flagship restaurant is The Mill in Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, one of the oldest and arguably the best known and most highly esteemed destination restaurants and catering facilities on the New Jersey Shore.

An avid reader and theater-goer as well as a member of several charity boards, Tamar life experience season her natural intuitions about the restaurant industry.

Tamar loves adventure—and not just the thrills and chills provided by the demanding food industry!  As an adventurer and traveler, she has spanned the globe from China to the Alaskan wilderness, from South America to Africa and Asia.  A frequent destination is also the Canyon Ranch Spa and it is here she found the inspiration to see that Canyon Ranch specialties were added to the menu at Haakon’s Hall.  Her intuition proved prescient as they are among our most popular dishes.

Tamar is an active partner in the day to day operation of Haakon’s Hall.  Her influence can be seen in every nook and cranny of our “homey” home.  With memories of the less than inspiring food available at college, Tamar wanted to warm up the Columbia University/City College area by offering home style fare.  If mom can’t be here everyday, we’ll serve up the next best thing!  Tamar’s playful and warm side is evident in our warm cookies baked to order and served with ice cold milk.  Or, try our Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, with or without the crust.

Tamar was also instrumental in developing Haakon’s Hall’s Gluten-free menu with the maxim that good food should serve the needs and dietary restrictions of all of our diners.  It took her a bunch of tries, but through persistence and force of will, she perfected a recipe for our Grace’s Fallen Chocolate Souffle, which is entirely gluten-free.

It is Tamar’s energy and wide-ranging interests that continue to inspire the menu, staff, and clientele at Haakon’s Hall.  We are lucky to have her and when she’s not at Haakon’s Hall, she’s never really missing, because her indelible imprint is everywhere!

Haakon Gresdal-Lenzi

Our restaurant’s namesake, Haakon Gesdal-Lenzi was born and raised on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.  He attended the Browning School and is currently a senior at Alfred University where he is studying ceramics.

Haakon designed our nifty T.V. Dinner plates and all of Haakon’s Hall’s dinnerware and ceramics will ultimately the products of Haakon’s personal creative vision.  His pottery wheel can be seen in its special corner of the restaurant.

Haakon has been deeply involved with the Morningside Heights community since childhood.  He has donated his time to local food banks and soup kitchens and has participated in Habitat for Humanity.

Haakon was also very interested in the idea of a college-friendly menu and as a college student himself, he has been an invaluable source good ideas.  He has a outsized passion for lingonberries and Solo Orange Soda and so, sure enough, they have found a home at Haakon’s Hall!

Haakon has spent many of his summers in Norway and learned the traditions of Norwegian cuisine from his mother and other relatives with whom he visited.  In Bergen, Norway sits the Historic Haakon’s Hall, a real-life castle dating to the 13th century.  With the youth and vitality of our own Haakon on hand, we embrace both the past and the present, and set our sights on an exciting, rewarding ride into the future.