Millions of people stop in Fort Lee each year, but the vast majority haven’t seen anything more than tail lights in toll plaza traffic. This small Bergen County community is New Jersey’s gateway to the George Washington Bridge, but it’s worth getting off at this last exit for good eats and rich history.

During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington selected Fort Lee as an encampment site to protect the Hudson region. In the early twentieth century, the fledgling film industry was drawn to Fort Lee for its rustic settings close to Manhattan and the Palisades cliffs for “cliffhangers”—literally.

After filmmakers headed west, Palisades Amusement Park became a popular tourist attraction on the cliffs of Fort Lee and Cliffside Park, overlooking Manhattan. It began as an idyllic trolley stop for day trippers in the early 1900s and closed in 1971 after traffic congestion overwhelmed the small borough.

The Fort Lee Museum, in a small bluestone house in Monument Park, displays memorabilia related to the borough, mostly of the George Washington Bridge, the film industry and Palisades Amusement Park, as well as special exhibits. The museum is open most weekends and by appointment; it’s best to call before visiting.

My own family history has some roots in Fort Lee. My mother, newly arrived from Italy as a teen, lived with her aunt in a humble home that’s now the site of The Modern, two 47-story residential skyscrapers. My father courted her with visits to Hiram’s Roadstand for deep-fried hot dogs, often followed by a cruise along the Palisades.

Fort Lee’s Italian heritage is celebrated each year in early August at the St. Rocco’s Feast on Main Street. As a child, I loved the carnival rides and games, fried zeppole shaken with confectioners’ sugar in a brown paper bag, and chunks of torrone, a sticky nougat candy. The feast’s highlight is when members of the St. Rocco Italian-American Mutual Aid Society carry a large statue of the saint through the streets in a musical procession, ending with a mass at their small clubhouse, just down the street from The Modern.

In recent years, many Asian families—largely Korean— have settled in Fort Lee, adding new vibrancy with more restaurants and shops. Borough officials have embraced the downtown’s revival with the recent opening of a much-needed Main Street parking garage.

Mark Sokolich is Fort Lee’s mayor and a life-long resident. “When I took over as mayor 12 years ago, my goal was to restore Fort Lee to where I thought it once was: one of the most envied, colorful and progressive communities in North Jersey.”

As mayor, Sokolich focused on “Redevelopment Area Five,” a 16-acre parcel near the bridge “that was blighted for 45 years due to economic downturns and political complacency,” he says. “It was some of the most valuable dirt in America.” Today, thriving new development has erased the eyesore. “Now when I see the buildings all lit up,” Sokolich says, “I get all choked up and I think, ‘We’re back.’”

A road trip to Fort Lee can start at the last exit before the bridge (the intersection of highway and local avenues at the center of the 2013 Bridgegate political scandal). Beyond its history, modern-day Fort Lee blends urban sophistication with suburban charm and a fascinating blend of cultures.

Aquarius

“It was some of the most valuable dirt in America,” says Mayor Mark Sokolich of a 16-acre parcel near the George Washington Bridge. “Now when I see the buildings all lit up, I get all choked up and I think, ‘We’re back.’”

Eggty 8 Café

Always a great photo: Bruce Greenberg of Westwood, with his wife, Jane Ellen, and grandchildren Owen and Tallulah

9am
Hearty breakfast and sightseeing
 

Locals love Eggty 8 Café, which offers traditional breakfast dishes such as eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles and omelets, plus healthy options like parfaits of granola, yogurt, fruit and honey. For something different, try shakshuka: eggs poached in a mixture of tomatoes, chiles and onions and served in a cast iron skillet. The tea here is brewed in charming china teapots and served in delicate teacups.

After breakfast, visit Fort Lee Historic Park, a 33-acre clifftop park area with scenic overlooks of New York City, a stunning close-up view of the George Washington Bridge and the option to take an invigorating hike down to the edge of the Hudson River. The park also has a reconstructed Revolutionary War encampment. Enter the park on Hudson Terrace just south of the bridge. A visitor’s center, when open, provides historic background and restrooms. Admission is free, but you must pay for parking.

Aquarius

11:45am
Lunch
 

“What’s great about Fort Lee is that you can walk within a half mile [radius] and run into 50 restaurants serving just about everything,” says Stuart Z. Koperweis, executive director of the Fort Lee Business District Alliance. In some instances, landmark restaurants are now run by a new generation of restaurateurs who maintain the traditional menu or subtly infuse their own ethnic specialties.

In Napoli is a long-time traditional Italian restaurant. “It is almost like a town center,” says Tom Meyers, executive director of the Fort Lee Film Commission. Pasqualina Massaro Caruso, a long-time resident and patron, is also a loyal customer. “It’s my go-to restaurant,” she says. “The food is consistently very good, and the bar is fabulous.” Don’t miss the cold seafood salad “in Napoli style,” with shrimp, calamari and scungilli tossed in a garlicky lemon vinaigrette.

Another option is Aquarius, which serves traditional Cantonese cuisine, featuring dim sum every day during lunch until 3pm. Rolling carts circle the dining room, enticing guests with traditional steamed or fried dumplings, pork buns, egg custards, shrimp and spring rolls, and delicacies like chicken feet, tripe and turnip cake.

1:30pm
Shopping
 

After lunch, stroll through Fort Lee’s downtown business district for some retail therapy. The Main Street shopping corridor has lots of shops and boutiques with plenty of Manhattan vibe—minus the hefty bridge toll and congestion pricing.

“Several years ago, I would walk along Main Street and I could count the number of people on one hand,” Sokolich says. “Now, on a recent sunny day, I sat on a park bench and saw maybe 500 people walk by in 40 minutes. I’m super proud of that. Everybody is into Fort Lee right now.”

D4 Boutique features a carefully curated selection of party and casual wear, fur and leather items, sweaters and other clothing for “any age group who wants to be a diva.” Since 1979, Cosmos has served jewelry, apparel, handbags, shoes, accessories and cosmetics to customers desiring high-end luxury goods. And the Hanbok Artistic Korean Clothier creates gorgeous special occasion garments for Korean weddings and first birthdays.

For an eclectic shopping experience, Frames of Mine is a custom picture frame and home décor shop with displays of exuberant creativity.

3pm
Coffee break at Mavi’s
 

If you want a mid-afternoon refresh after charging up your credit card, Mavi’s Coffee and Patisserie makes a good cup of joe, plus lots of delicious house-made pastries. Or try other treats such as soft swirl in creative flavors, grapefruit shaved ice and fresh strawberry milk. Mavi’s Instagram-worthy “puffle waffles”—also known as Hong Kong egg waffles—are like sweet, edible bubble wrap: crispy on the outside, light and airy on the inside.

4pm
Think Green
 

Even if you don’t have a green thumb, it’s worth a short trip across town to visit Metropolitan Plant Exchange, one of Fort Lee’s longstanding merchants. What started as a small shop on Main Street has grown—pun intended— into a large store filled with potted plants ranging from orchids to succulents. The store also has fresh flowers, pots and containers in many colors and designs, home décor and a garden center.

City Perch

5pm
Happy hour at City Perch
 

Enjoy a cocktail at trendy City Perch Kitchen + Bar in the “live-shop-play” complex called Hudson Lights. Sherry Yard, a James Beard award winner named “Outstanding Pastry Chef” in 2002, creates City Perch’s seasonally inspired contemporary American cuisine. Custom cocktails feature a selection of “Garden State Garden to Glass” creations with house-made syrups and infusions.

For something to nibble on, order a bread board with several excellent reasons to break your keto diet. The famous corn bread is drizzled with wildflower honey and topped with whipped goat cheese. Airy Parmesan popovers are flecked with cayenne; biscuits scented with orange and sage come with a spread of maple bourbon pecan butter.

Alex Duran and David Burke of Ventanas

6pm
A variety of dinner options
 

Depending on your mood, dinner in Fort Lee can be at the latest hot spot, a traditional Korean barbecue or a famous steakhouse. The newest restaurant, Ventanas Restaurant and Lounge at The Modern, overlooks a lush two-acre park in the middle of the towers. Ventanas is the creation of restaurateur Alexander Duran, of Son Cubano, and David Burke, also a James Beard honoree.

Merging Duran and Burke’s different culinary backgrounds, Ventanas serves fusion fare with an emphasis on modern American, Asian and Cuban cuisines, with specialties like a Pastrami-Smoked Salmon Arepa and Tuna Tartare Tacos. Fans love the lobster dumplings and creative “Clothesline Bacon” appetizers. “Our menu pays homage to our local melting pot,” Burke says.

Ventanas also features specialties created by Burke, including his patented salt-aged beef, as well as sweets like his cheesecake pops and a dessert version of the George Washington Bridge crafted out of chocolate.

Ventanas (“windows” in Spanish) has floor-to-ceiling windows with an outdoor terrace bar that overlooks the park. The 7,000-square-foot space includes a large dining room with a chef ’s table, a bar and a tapas lounge. Live entertainment is featured on weekends.

Fort Lee has many Korean restaurants. For a traditional Korean barbecue experience, visit Dong Bang Grill, where meats are cooked on a grill in the center of each table. The grilled items are served with lettuce (to wrap around the grilled meat) and small bowls of banchan side dishes and condiments, including my favorite, an ethereal steamed egg soufflé. For traditional barbecue, choose galbi (prime Angus beef short ribs) or bulgogi (thinly sliced boneless ribeye) seasoned with a special house marinade. Take it over the top with a side of bibimbap, a sizzling rice dish, and the spicy stew known as kimchi jjigae.

Other Korean restaurants include So Kong Dong, one of the first Korean eateries in Bergen County. It is well known for its traditional tofu stew known as soondubu. The newer Gayeon offers an elegant Korean fine dining experience in a contemporary atmosphere.

Prime & Beyond Steakhouse & Butcher Shop is unassuming on the outside, but it is the place to go if you like prime, dry- and wetaged beef. Before steaks head to the chef, they are cut to order and presented to customers. Butcher/owner Q Lee and his wife, Jane, serve steakhouse sides like creamed spinach and potatoes, with the addition of some Korean specialties like soybean stew and kimchi fried rice. As with most quality steakhouses, prices are high, but the restaurant is BYOB. Reservations are strongly recommended for weekend visits.

8pm
Movie and late-night eats
 

After dinner, see the latest movie at iPic Hudson Lights. This new, upscale cinema—one of just a few in the country— feels more like an intimate nightclub. Each curved guest “pod” has reclining seats, blankets, pillows and unlimited popcorn. With the push of a button, custom cocktails and other treats can be ordered and delivered to your seat.

Late at night in Fort Lee, when Chef Burke is done cooking at Ventanas, he admits to sometimes “looking for a quiet place to slip into for some comfort food.” It might be “a slice of pizza and an Italian hero to go” at Baggio’s Pizza, he says. “When I’m run down, it’s my medicine.”

Other times, Burke heads to Raku Izakaya, a mellow bar/lounge serving Japanese tapas and hot or cold sake until 2am. “James will make me a bowl of rice with all kinds of good stuff on it,” he says, like homemade Korean sausage and a soft-cooked egg.

Mural at CycleBar

City Perch

EDIBLE FORT LEE
 

FOOD & DRINK
 

Aquarius Seafood Restaurant
230–234 Main St., 201.592.8338
aquariusrestaurantnj.com

Baggio’s Pizza
212 Main St., 201.585.7979
baggiospizzarestaurant.com

City Perch Kitchen + Bar
2023 Hudson St., 201.582.7101
cityperch.com/fort-lee

Dong Bang Grill
1616 Palisade Ave., 201.242.4485
dongbanggrill.com

Eggty 8 Café
138 Main St., 201.947.6699
eggty8.com

Gaeyon
2020 Hudson St., 201.944.2056
gayeonrestaurant.com/menu

Hiram’s Roadstand
1345 Palisade Ave., 201.592.9602

In Napoli
116 Main St., 201.947.2500

It’s Greek to Me
1611 Palisade Ave., 201.947.2050
itsgreektome.com

Mavi’s Coffee and Patisserie
237 Main St., 201.461.1124

Prime & Beyond
501 Main St., 201.461.0033
primeandbeyond.com

Raku Izakaya
209 Main St., 201.585.0707

So Kong Dong
130 Main St., 201.585.1122
so-kong-dong.com

Ventanas at The Modern
200 Park Ave., 201.583.4777
ventanasatthemodern.com

SHOPPING & ATTRACTIONS
 

Cosmos
1642 Schlosser St., 201.592.9211
cosmosonline.com

D4 Boutique
302 Main St., 201.429.2417
shopd4.com

Fort Lee Historic Park
Hudson Terrace
njpalisades.org/fortlee.html

Fort Lee Museum
1589 Parker Ave., 201.592.3580
thefortleehistoricalsociety.org

Frames of Mine
100 Main St., 201.947.9132
framesofmine.com

The Hanbok Artistic Korean Clothier
246 Main St., 201.585.1764
thehanbokus.com

iPic Hudson Lights
2023 Hudson St., 201.582.7100
ipic.com/location/14

Metropolitan Plant Exchange
2125 Fletcher Ave., 201.944.1050
metroplantexchange.com

90TH ANNUAL ST. ROCCO’S FESTIVAL
 

August 7–11

Main St., Fort Lee stroccofortlee.com

The Saint Rocco Italian-American Mutual Aid Society of Fort Lee, founded by Italian immigrants from Calabria in 1927, has hosted this annual feast in honor of its patron saint since 1929. Today, the festival features rides, games, live entertainment, fireworks and, of course, food.

The festivities culminate on the final day with a procession featuring the statue of St. Rocco, led down Main Street by a symphony band.

Eggty 8 Cafe

Ventanas at the Modern