The Bergen Room Bistro-Bergen Community College
400 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652
Phone: (201) 447-7222
Open: Wednesday & Thursday 11:00am-1:00pm (only when school is open)
The Bergen Room Bistro
My review on TripAdvisor:
The Bergen Room Bistro is the student run dining room that is part of the Hotel Management Program. The dining room is open depending on the semester. The restaurant is serves both lunch and dinner depending on the semester. The restaurant is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the school year.
The Hotel Management Program at Bergen Community College
(*Blogger note: The price has gone from $9.00 in 2018 to $12.00 in 2021)
For $12.00 you get a four-course meal cooked and served by the students. You are served a soup or a salad to begin with freshly baked breads that are made by the Baking students.
The Hotel & Restaurant Students
The Bergen Room Dining Room at Christmas 2023.
The table set for Christmas dinner
You are next served an appetizer, a choice of two entrees, one a meat and the other a fish dish. There is also a carving station to also choose from with a beef, chicken or pork. The desserts are self-served on the sideboard table. There is usually a choice of two. There is a choice of coffee/tea/water.
Some of the dinners I have experienced have been a Thanksgiving dinner buffet with turkey and ham carved on the table with stuffing and roasted vegetables, clear soups and creamy bisque’s, Caesar and wild green salads and freshly baked pies and cookies. Some semesters it is an a la carte meal with four courses that include things like Filet Mignon, Salmon, salad and soup to start and a fresh baked dessert for dessert all served one after another.
One afternoon recently, I was treated to a meal with a Continental theme. I had a Pizza Soup, which was a creamy and rich tomato soup with a topping of pepperoni and mozzarella, a salad with baby greens and couscous in a light vinaigrette dressing and for the entrée I chose a Chicken Piccata with a lemon sauce and capers, which was tender ad light and served with a bed of fresh pasta. For dessert, they had a Chocolate Brownie with a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream made in the kitchen. The meal was delicious, and the portions were generous without being over-whelming.
For the Fall Semester, the students set up a buffet line with a Carving Station, A Soup Station, a Salad Station and a hot line. It was an amazing meal. We had a mixed green salad with tangerine dressing, New England Clam Chowder with fresh bacon bits, Beef Tenderloin sliced in front of us, Creamed Corn, Roasted Potatoes with sautéed mushrooms and homemade Roasted Pepper Ravioli. The food was plated for us and there was plenty of it. For $12.00, it was a very reasonable lunch.
The New England Clam Chowder was delicious
The Bergen Room, now named the Bergen Bistro since its reopening in 2021 (the student dining room was closed all through 2020 because of COVID) and now has a four-course menu for $12.00.
We started lunch with a Butternut Squash Soup with Dried Cranberries, which was rich and savory and had a nice, caramelized color. You could taste the sweetness of the fruit in each spoonful.
The next course was a Harvest Arugula Salad with an Orange Vinaigrette which was a nice sized portion of fresh greens and cherry tomatoes. The entrée was a Sundried Tomato, Feta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast with Sautéed Asparagus and Roasted Tri-Colored Potatoes. The sauce was delicious but a tad salty and the stuffed chicken was well seasoned and nicely roasted but a bit overdone. Still the whole meal was a good learning experience for the students, and they should have been proud of the meal they served.
For dessert, we were treated to a Pumpkin Pie in a small pastry shell with Fresh Whipped Cream. A nice dessert to welcome us into the Fall. It was an impressive meal that the students whipped up and the instructors of the class could not have been nicer and more welcoming.
For the Thanksgiving themed dinner in 2021, we were served a mixed green salad with baby greens and mini tomatoes in a light vinaigrette dressing, the entree was Turkey Shanks (I think from the leg of the Turkey) that were roasted golden brown with a side of Potatoes au Gratin and boiled asparagus with a butter sauce. The turkey was moist and tender when the skin was peeled away. The potatoes had a nice crunchy consistency with cream and butter baked in their golden-brown crust and then topped with more cheese.
For dessert, we had a Pumpkin Pie in a buttery shell with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. A nice way to end a Thanksgiving meal with a modern spin.
For the last lunch in 2021, we were treated to a holiday feast of a four-course meal fit for a king. We started the meal with a hearty Winter Green Pea Soup, a mint and pea medley submerged in a vegetarian herb broth and accented with cumin to give a spicy kick.
The second course salad was a Winter Kale salad with endive, pomegranate seeds, blueberries, radicchio, feta and pear poppy seed vinaigrette. This refreshing salad of crisp greens and tart pomegranate seeds made for an interesting mix of complex flavors.
For the entree, I enjoyed Beef Medallions with a Sweet Corn Risotto with a side of Garlic Butter Sauteed Asparagus. The beef was on the Medium Well side and as tender as can be with rich sauce to the side and mixed with the risotto was a delicious combination of the juiciness of the beef and the richness of the cheese and cream.
The Beef Medallions with Sweet Corn Risotto was delicious
For dessert, we had a sweet Cheesecake with a gram cracker bottom topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries.
For a recently themed “Mardi Gras/Black History Month Dinner”, the Bergen Room had a buffet dinner with a Southern theme. The student servers and cooks did a nice job on the lunch.
We started with a Lentil Soup which had a nice spicy kick to it accented by white pepper and Cajun spices and mashed to a thick consistency.
The Mixed Lentil Soup had a spicy consistency
The Second Course was a Cold Brussel Sprout had an inconsistent flavor as it was trying to be sweet and savory at the same time and the mixing of some of the greens made it bitter. It had a nice plate presentation, but the flavors were all over the place.
The Cold Mixed Brussel Sprout Salad looked nice but was bitter
We got to choose from a list of items from the buffet that because of COVID was plated at the buffet line for us and served by the students. My aunt and I chose the Cajun Short Ribs, the Smoked Turkey, Dirty Rice and Candied Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows. Everything was delicious.
The plate presentation was inviting and colorful
The entree items were delicious. The Smoked Turkey was juicy and flavorful, and you could taste the gaminess in the fresh turkey. Its time in the smoker gave it a rich consistency. The Short Ribs had a nice kick to them with what tasted like a honey-bourbon-Cajun sauce that delighted the senses.
The side dishes were equally well spiced. The Dirty Rice had the taste of white pepper and the spiciness of the Andouille Sausage that was crumbled throughout it. The mixture of tastes was fiery. The Sweet Potatoes were loaded with a cinnamon-bourbon-brown sugar sauce that was both sweet and savory.
For dessert, we had a Vanilla Pound Cake with fresh whipped cream that was the baker who also made the biscuits, grandmother’s recipe. It followed the traditional recipe of what a pound cake is: a pound of butter, a pound of eggs, a pound of flour and a pound of sugar. There was more to it but its thick and sweet consistency produced a dense and sweet cake that was a delight in every bite.
For Thanksgiving 2023, the Bergen Room had a very engaging and very busy Thanksgiving Buffet. The menu was extensive and offered a lot of selections of sides:
The Bergen Room Thanksgiving Menu
The Smoked Turkey’s were not out yet for service when we got there but we got on line and feasted on Black-eye Pea Soup and a wonderful array of sides to accompany the meal. This was all served by members of the Student Culinary Team.
The Student Culinary Team for the Thanksgiving Dinner
Our student Culinarians engaging with all of us.
The wonderful selection of sides for Thanksgiving Dinner in the Bergen Room. We also had a choice of Meatloaf/Meatballs in gravy and Turkey. I had both and they were wonderful. The students did a great job.
This delicious Turkey Dinner was $12.00!
The freshly baked desserts were wonderful. We had a choice of freshly baked Pecan Pie with a rich custardy inside and a Pear Tart with freshly whipped cream. With a little nudging to one of my former students, I got to taste both.
The Fresh Pear Tart that was more like a Pear Shortcake.
The Freshly baked Pecan Pie was still warm when it was served.
It was a wonderful afternoon of good food and service and a nice start to the Thanksgiving holidays. The students did a wonderful job with hospitality and my counterparts both did a great job teaching these future members of the Hotel and Restaurant industry.
For a recent Christmas dinner that was held in the Bergen Room in December of 2022, we had a four course feast of French Onion Soup with a crouton, Caesar Salad, Short Ribs with Polenta and Fall Vegetables and then for dessert a fresh tart with raspberries. Everything was delicious.
The menu in December 2022
The Caesar Salad with Fresh Greens
The Short Ribs with Polenta and Fall Vegetables
The tart was a Creme Brulee with fresh raspberries
It was nice to just sit back and talk with the other professors about the semester and what was going on in our classes.
The next week was the last lunch of the semester and the same group of us sat down for a Christmas lunch with a special menu. This was even nicer than the previous week with Lobster Ravioli on the menu.
The Christmas menu at the Bergen Room December 15th, 2022
First we started with a Tomato Basil Soup that was rich and creamy and had a hint of hot pepper in it. It was served with a dollop of cream and a fresh couton.
The Tomato Basil Soup
The soup really hit the spot on a cold rainy December day. We moved onto next the Winter Arugula Salad with a Lemon Vinaigrette. The greens were cool and crisp and really hit the spot. It was a nice contrast to the soup.
Winter Arugula Salad with a lemon Vinaigrette
We moved onto the popular Lobster Ravioli. Personally I would not have served it with Broccoli Rabe as I think it is really bitter but some people at the table liked it.
The Lobster Ravioli was freshly made that morning from fresh lobsters
Dessert was really interesting in that it was called ‘Cookies & Cream’ which was freshly baked cookies crumbled next to freshly made vanilla ice cream. Yum!
The “Cookies & Cream” dessert for Christmas lunch
We had such a nice time conversing and relaxing over lunch. The food and the service was really nice. We were just missing the bread again.
The menu for Black History Month 2023
Our Beverage of choice was a Half and Half and Cornbread dipped with honey
The theme dinners continued in 2023 with the opening of Black History Month. we had a Southern Dinner of Black-eyed Pea Soup, Homemade Potato Salad, Fried Chicken with Mac & Cheese, Sweet Potato and Collard Greens cooked in bacon and for dessert, Sweet Potato Pie. The food was excellent.
Black-eyed Pea Soup
The Potato Salad was still be bit warm when it was served with what tasted like homemade mayo and the Fried Chicken had been brined, breaded and deep fried. Every bite with the Mac & Cheese was like heaven. Right back to Pitty Pat’s Porch in Atlanta.
The warm Potato Salad
The Entree Fried Chicken with Mac & Cheese and Collard Greens cooked in bacon
The Fried Chicken was amazing. Still sizzling from the deep fryer you could taste the brine and cornmeal in the skin and coating. It had a deep rich flavor.
The Sweet Potato Pie was buttery, flaky and you could taste the cinnamon in the pie
For “Women’s History Month”, they created a special Buffet.
Each week there is a new menu with a four-course tasting at each sitting. You will have a choice of two entrees plus a soup, a salad, the entrée and dessert plus a specialty drink of the day all for $12.00 (the price has gone since 2019 from $10.00).
Thursday, March 23, 2023
Women’s History Month Luncheon
Bergen Café Prix-Fixe Menu
Soup Du Jour
Carrot Ginger Soup
Cold Station
Cous Cous Salad
Entrées
Herb Roasted Chicken
Eggplant Parmesan
Flounder with Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
Grilled Vegetable Medley
Penne Alla Vodka
Dessert
Fruit Platter
Assorted Cookies
Mocktail
Sangria
The Bergen Room had not done a buffet in a long time and it was wildly popular with the guests who had come in for the lecture in Gallery Bergen and joined us for lunch. The meal was wonderful.
The lunch was delicious, very well displayed and we could serve ourselves. Everyone had a nice time in lunch.
The Buffet Line:
Vegetables and Eggplant Parmesan
Roast Herbed Chicken
The Baked Ziti
The Fried Fish
The Beverage Station:
The Dessert Station:
The Bergen Room set up:
Dining at the Bergen Room is always a pleasure
For our last lunch in the Bergen Room before the summer break was a Cinco de Mayo theme and we had a soft taco bar buffet. We could create our own soft tacos and everyone had a lot of fun doing this. We just served ourselves and there was plenty for everyone.
The “Cinco de Mayo” buffet with Soft Tacos and all the toppings
The toppings bar
We had a choice of beef or chicken or both on our tacos
The sides of beans
The Veggies and Rice
The soft tacos to start the feast and dessert of fruit and cookies
The soft tacos were delicious!
We were very content at lunch
It was a nice way for the guests of the Bergen Room to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and get together in the midst of finals week. We were able to relax and talk to one another about classes and our summer plans. This was the last lunch for the end of the Spring 2023 semester.
The holiday season rolled around again at the Bergen Room and I stopped in for lunch in early December. We had a wonderful early Christmas dinner with soft Christmas music and wonderful food and service.
The menu for Christmas
The Potato Leek Soup to start the meal.
The bread helped sop up the sauces.
The Greek Rice Salad
I chose the Shrimp Scampi which was perfectly cooked and seasoned. It was the perfect holiday meal for lunch and I really enjoyed it. Everything was delicious that afternoon.
The Shrimp Scampi with Tricolor pasta and String Beans
The Dessert selection that afternoon.
The Strawberry Shortcake was delicious.
The last meal for the 2023 school year was a wonderful holiday buffet served on December 20th, 2023 and the Culinary Team and Chef Aaron served a packed dining room a holiday feast. The food was excellent and it was an afternoon of good food and conversation at the end of a very long semester.
The holiday menu
The table set up
The table display was really festive and there was a debate on who was going to take it at the end of the meal.
The student culinary team that afternoon serving lunch buffet style.
The Smashed Potato Soup with fresh bacon bits.
The Tossed Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
The Honey Dijon Chicken was our entree
The Sauteed String Beans
The Pasta Primavera
My Christmas lunch that afternoon.
Lunch was delicious and the portions were generous. We could go back for seconds.
The delicious dessert, Vanilla Ice Cream with Oreo cookies crushed on them.
It was a great holiday meal and once again the student culinarians did an excellent job on the meal. What a way to end the 2023 semester! Kudos to everyone.
The Bergen Room recently created a Pasta Lunch with pastas cooked in fresh sauces with addons to them like sausage, bacon and fish. The meal was accompanied by a delicious Caprese Salad, Minestrone Soup, garlic bread that was loaded with chopped garlic and olive oil and for dessert, Tiramisu.
The menu at the Prefix menu for the Pasta Lunch.
The table set-up.
Mocktails always start the meal and this Peach Bellini was delicious and they always let me have more than one.
The Minestrone Soup
The Caprese Salad on the buffet was delicious.
The start of lunch.
The Pastas were cooked to order with red sauce and alfredo sauce and then I could request it the way I liked it.
The Pasta set up
My pasta dish being made for me.
The dish completed for me with grated cheese.
The Garlic Bread was loaded with crushed garlic and oil olive.
I had seconds with Alfredo sauce and bacon. It was rich and creamy and with grated cheese.
The Tiramisu for dessert was rich and creamy and not at all sweet.
The Pasta dinner was wonderful lunch and the group of Professors that sat with me had a wonderful lunch with great conversation.
The artwork on the wall is supplied by the Art Department and the floral arrangements are created for the tables by the campus’s Horticulture Department. Both add a touch of elegance to the room.
The old room set up for lunch.
The students take turns cooking and serving in alternate times in the class so that they get both experiences. The students are very welcoming and friendly. Remember, this is a class so be easy on them.
Our most recent Themed Lunch in 2024 was for Valentine’s Day. Students of the Event Planning class helped created the Valentine’s Day lunch in the Bergen Room with the theme of everything red and white.
The Valentine’s Decorations
The Table decorations:
The food for the Valentine’s Day Buffet was excellent. The Vegetable soup hit the spot on a cold day. The main courses of the Crab Cakes, the Chicken Fried Chicken Steaks with Cream Gravy and the Pork Ribs with the Spicy/Tangy Barbecue Sauce were melt in your mouth good. With the sides of Wild Rice and Sauteed String Beans completed our lunch.
The Valentine’s Day Buffet Lunch:
The Vegetable Soup:
The Crab Cakes
The Chicken:
The String Beans:
The homemade biscuits served at the table:
My lunch from the buffet:
My buffet lunch for Valentine’s Day.
For Dessert, we had a Red Velvet Cake with a thick white icing that could satisfy any sweet tooth.
The Red Velvet Cake with White icing.
The whole room was decked out for Valentine’s Day with all sorts of rose petals, balloons and on each table were glass jars filled with chocolate kisses and Hershey bars.
The “Bergen Room Bistro” commercial for the “It’s Cultural on Campus” project in English.
The “Bergen Room Bistro” commercial for the “It’s Cultural on Campus” project in Spanish.
The “Bergen Room Bistro” commercial for the “It’s Cultural on Campus” project in German.
It is a wonderful experience where the students are learning, and you get a nice meal. For $10.00, its nice evening or afternoon out.
The Bergen Community College Campus
The Projects that we created to promote the Bergen Room:
“It’s Cultural on Campus: Cultural sites on the Bergen Community College Campus”:
https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/32922
“Feasting at the Bergen Room: The ultimate Dining experience”:
https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/45219
These two projects were done under the Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. (acronym for Bergen Community College-Paramus Campus) Team projects I do every semester for my Introduction to Business and Marketing classes.
Here are the videos on the presentation “Dining at the Bergen Room”:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
The presentation went by really well. We hope this will help the Bergen Room’s Digital Marketing campaign.
Dining on a Shoestring in the New York City area and beyond. 