A Fresh Façade
Ehren and Nadine Ryan bring fine
dining down to earth at Common Lot
ANNE-MARIE CARUSO
E
WRITTEN BY JOANNE FISHER
hren Ryan has lived – and cooked – all over the world, including in
his native Australia. When he and his Austrian wife Nadine wanted to
open their own restaurant, however, they settled on Millburn. “My
wife and I were living in Sydney and were sourcing locations for
restaurants. My parents had moved to Harding Township and we felt
like northern New Jersey was almost like Austria in terms of seasonal
beauty. It’s the best of both worlds for us.”
Setting their sights on a U.S. restaurant while living in Australia was no easy
matter. “We spent the last two years working, emailing and traveling to get it
done. There were lot of 2 a.m. conference calls for us,” says Ehren smiling. To
help achieve their vision, the Ryans worked with local architectural firm Studio
1200, and are thrilled with the results. “We wanted to renovate the existing
historic building in a style that resonates with the town. Our architects designed
the building to be slightly modern but with character.”
The new brick building is at once stately and innovative; an oversized plate-glass
window allows passerby to see into the working kitchen. Inside, diners have the same
vantage point. “A normal restaurant would have the kitchen in the back, but we
flipped it,” explains Ehren. “Our concept was that there’s nothing to really look at
apart from the street, so you might as well focus the attention on the kitchen, like a
theater.” To take full advantage of the open kitchen concept, Common Lot will have
have four seats on the kitchen pass where customers can enjoy a special menu
depending on their mood and taste. They can also learn about what it takes to work in
a restaurant. “We want people to interact and ask questions,” explains Ehren.
The restaurant is named after the idea of a meeting place. “In Europe, a common
is a gathering spot.” To make the restaurant as inviting as possible, the Ryan’s
worked with Studio 1200 to create a warm downstairs dining room with earth
tones, reclaimed wood, hand-crafted metal, antique glass and old-fashioned Edison
bulbs. Upstairs, the dining room is more elegant and refined and designed to have a
library feel. In each space, the tables are oversized and roomy. “So many restaurants
are cramped and you feel like there’s not enough room to spread out. We want to
know we can place a whole lamb shoulder in the middle of the table and all the
garnishes will fit quite comfortably,” says Ehren.
The menu combines many of the influences from Ehren’s fine dining experience
in Australia and Europe, but in a more casual way. Appetizers or “chef plates” range
from char-grilled octopus with a potato salad and shallot relish to “a bag of egg and
crisps” (homemade french fries coated in egg). “The bag is where the theatrical side
comes in,” explain Ehren who emphasizes that the restaurant is intended to be both
interactive and fun. For the main course, there is H