A classy place to wine, dine, and unwind in downtown Trenton

By GeorGe Point

Pete Lorenzo’s, Johnny Boston’s, Chianti’s … people who were on the scene back in the day recall these and other venerated establishments as places where native Trentonians, politicians, attorneys, and state workers would mix and mingle over a meal and a beverage to discuss the events of the day, local gossip, and the never-ending legislative ebb and flow. Most of those establishments have long since faded away, vanishing completely or establishing outposts in outlying communities — and leaving a void in Trenton’s political and social life that has remained largely unfilled.

Until recently, that is. In October, 2021, the Lobby Club, a members-only bar, restaurant, and business center opened its doors at 17 East Front Street, the former site of the shuttered Settimo Cielo, following a stunning total renovation.

Clearly the owners, including CURE Auto executive Eric Poe, who spends a lot of time at the state house and the court house, believe that Trenton is ready for an establishment like the Lobby Club.

“There aren’t many options for places to have a quiet drink or to take clients out for a meal, so they came up with this concept,” says Tara Burns, the Lobby Club’s general manager. “The Lobby Club is a place for legislators, politicians, business professionals, and locals to come together, a comfortable, attractive place to discuss business, meet for happy hour, engage in conversation, and enjoy good food.”

Burns describes the Lobby Club as all about “creating a great meeting and dining experience for our members. It’s designed to be comfortable, stylish, and welcoming, but also a place where our members can have a private conversation.” She notes that she took a lead role in designing the space. “The owners gave me an idea of what they wanted the Lobby Club to look and feel like. I ran with that.”

The result is a beautifully appointed bar, restaurant, meeting, event, and work space. Members may book a semi-private front room on the ground floor to accommodate up to 30 guests. Larger groups may book the entire ground floor bar and dining area. For an additional initiation and monthly fee, those who choose Platinum or Gold membership enjoy access to the Apex Executive Center on the second floor, featuring four conference rooms and comfortable lounge that can accommodate up to 60 guests.

“We also offer a shuttle service, the Lobby Club van,” says Burns. “It’s used by members who have meetings at the state house and want to shuttle between the Lobby Club and the courthouse for breakfast, lunch, or cocktails and dinner after they’ve finished work.”

Burns describes the Lobby Club’s current menu as having “a very traditional feel to it, classic flavors with a bit of a modern twist. We get a big lunch crowd, serve lots of sandwiches and salads to people stopping by for quick lunches between sessions at the courthouse. In the evening, people drop by for a more relaxed dining experience, so the menu is designed with that in mind. Our most popular sandwich is the Lobby Club Club ($17); we change up the traditional turkey club a bit with grilled chicken, applewood smoked bacon, and an amazing lemon basil aioli that we make in house, served on sourdough bread.”

Other samplings from the current menu include a Boston Bibb salad ($15; roasted squash, craisins, almonds, goat cheese, cider vinaigrette) and Blackened Salmon ($37) served with summer edamame succotash. The kitchen is run by chef Meg Walker, by way of the well regarded Earl’s New American in Lahaska, Pennsylvania. Burns notes that chef Walker will be introducing some heartier fare for the cooler months, including a few new steak options, a pasta dish, and additional appetizers.

As with any establishment conducive to business and networking, the offerings at the bar have received a lot of attention. “It’s a classic cocktail list, but we’ve updated it a bit with freshly made purees, garnishes, and presentations,” Burns notes. “It’s amazing what you can

See LOBBY CLUB, page 14 venue.

During the height of the pandemic and the ongoing recovery, Mastoris had to make changes in hours and staffing to keep the doors open, now on limited hours. The most notable staffing change from the pandemic was Mastoris, who is on the record saying he was exhausted.

Assessing her new venture, Lala says, “I wasn’t here before COVID, but from the day we took over I see an increase. I see new faces” — and perhaps Trenton’s changing demographics. “A new generation is coming, more Hispanic people, more African American. Before it was mostly white, now it’s more even. It is good. Everyone is getting along with everyone.”

In order to update Pat’s marketing, Lala says they have created a web and Instagram presence to help people know “we are still here.”

Part of her business plan is to let the past guide the future. “I’m not going to touch the original menu because it has been working for so many years. We are keeping the original recipes. If I change the product, people will get mad at me. To make better, yes. To change, no.”

Instead, she says they’re putting their focus on “service quality, being a humble restaurant that feels like your home. Little touches here and there. Play soft music, trying to decorate a little for holidays. We like to provide a clean environment. Later on, we may try to do a little renewing. Not major changes, but keep the same layout, but maybe paint, get new tables, and new coffee machines.”

Yet right now she is attempting to provide continuity during an uncertain economic climate. “Everything is so expensive, and we are trying to keep the same prices. Eggs, milk, the prices are up.”

Interesting, Lala says Pat’s has been spared a problem that has plagued other businesses. “There’s no problem filling positions.”

And while some employees decided to make a change and others were let go after the sale, she adds she has “a few names and phone numbers who are people who know the new management and were looking for something and new employees are saying it would be nice to do for them because of the family. We take care of our people and they take care of us.” do to make a cocktail something special. We’ve just started to do smoked drinks. We offer a Manhattan ($15) that we can smoke with cherry, redwood, and others that result in some fantastic cocktails.”

Taking a broad look at what she and her family are doing, Lala says, “This establishment is something historical. We are proud to own this and want to keep continuing it as long as it as possible — and not let it go down.

Pat’s Original Diner, 1300 South Broad Street, Trenton. Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays; 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays. 609-392-2024.

Burns says that the wine list has received careful attention as well. “For the first year we’ve tried to keep it a little more condensed,” she says, “and, based on requests from our members, we’ve added wines that they’ve told us they enjoy drinking. To ensure our wine offerings complement our menu, our suppliers held extensive wine tastings with us and listened to us about our clientele and our menu.” The compact but well-curated list covers a broad range of price points, from a Santa Marina Pinot Grigio ($20) to the inevitable special occasion Champagne splurge, a Veuve Clicquot sparkler ($120).

Touring the Lobby Club and hearing Burns talk about the restaurant, bar, and other amenities brings about the inevitable question: What does it cost to be a member?

The answer is … it can be surprisingly affordable. “We have various levels of membership,” Burns says. “For individuals, we have two levels of membership for access to the restaurant and bar, Silver Individual ($1,000 initiation fee), and at the same level of access we also offer a discount for government employees, union members, and non-profit employees of half-off the initiation fee. We’ve also moved to a minimum spend. For example at the discounted level if you spend $85 a month, $50 a month is waived. If you stop in once a month, have lunch and some cocktails it essentially pays for itself.”

At the upper tier, she notes that there are additional levels of membership for the Apex Executive Center, the business center on the second floor. “The Platinum level is for a company from anywhere from 10 and above employees,” she explains. Currently Platinum membership is half off, normally $10,000 but now $5,00. That gives access to the downstairs bar and dining as well as the Apex Executive Center with its private, fully equipped conference rooms upstairs, and 15 percent off on catering for events or refreshment packages for the conference rooms.

Note: Other levels of membership fall between Silver and Platinum to accommodate different sized businesses and conference room requirements. Visit the Lobby Club website for details.

The Lobby Club is gaining in popularity as an event space as well. “We’ve become a venue for people to host political fundraisers,” Burns says. “We’ve hosted birthday celebrations, happy hours, luncheons, and, as our membership grows, we’re looking to add a few fun events to the calendar, not just to give people a place for conducting business, but also to be a fun place to come to after work and mingle. We have wine tastings, handson cooking classes, mixology parties for learning how to make cocktails for parties at home. And we hold monthly Wine & Whiskey Wednesday networking events for members and non-members, with wine and whiskey specials. It’s a good time for people in the area to stop in after work.”

She also pointed out that the Lobby Club is currently running a special offer to attract new members, waiving both the initiation fee and any fees above the minimum monthly spend.

The effort seems to be paying off. “I’d say that over the last month or so we’ve gained about 35 members during this new membership drive,” she says. “It’s going really well. I think it opens the Lobby Club up to more people in the area, who saw the membership fee as a hurdle to joining us. They see the value in the minimum spend that if they use it the membership pays for itself.”

How would Burns describe the typical Lobby Club Member? “We have such a variety of members,” she says, “from local residents to business professionals who come into Trenton once or twice a quarter for business. We have a lot of legislators and politicians, we also have teachers, state workers, it’s a really good mix. And that’s what Trenton is.”

Larry Hilton, a retired computer operations supervisor for the State of New Jersey, Trenton resident, and Lobby Club member “since the beginning” calls it a “quiet place to have a drink and talk to your friends” and recommends it as a “great place for good food, a nice atmosphere, a place where you can have a conversation. Tara and Jay (the Lobby Club’s manager) are very pleasant people.”

“I love interacting with people,” Burns says. “Having conversations with the members is my favorite part of the job.”

The Lobby Club, 17 East Front Street. 609-900-8001 or thelobbyclubnj.com.