Mohawk House turns 10

BY GARY BAND
SPARTA – After just 10 years in business, Mohawk House has become an institution. From the initial and ongoing vision of owners Steve and Rachael Scro — together with a tremendous amount of ongoing work by Steve and a devoted staff of some 40 men and women — this inn-like restaurant serving new American cuisine is now a cornerstone of the Sparta and Sussex County community — a daily destination for both locals and regional residents, tourists and professionals from NYC and across the country.

From day one to year 10, the combination of Steve’s love for and commitment to the business, the high quality of food, drink and service his team provides — along with the décor and location — all combine to create an atmosphere unlike any other in the region.

At age 51, Steve feels relieved to have reached this milestone, but says he still wakes up every morning thinking about how to make things better. “I always had a love for food and family,” Steve said at the restaurant the day before Halloween. “When Rachael and I decided to do this, we wanted to create something that would make a difference. To see our guests smiling, to hear their stories, to be a social hub for families, farmers, politicians and people from all walks of life who have come in here every day for the last 10 years has been very rewarding.”

Mohawk House, which Steve describes as a playground or a stage, is the ultimate and evolving expression of everything he, Rachael and their team of talented cooks, servers and bartenders believe in: working with local and regional purveyors to create and serve fresh food and drinks — and create the full experience of music, dancing and nightlife.

"It's a place to express ourselves and our values," said Steve, who puts in 80-90 hours a week. "We want to create a memorable experience and dazzle people every day. Our menu is constantly changing with the seasons and the chef’s whims. But one thing that’s always on the menu is passion.”

“Just amazing efficiency,” said hostess Joy Thiel, referring to the kitchen and service staff last Thanksgiving in particular, and pretty much every night in general. Often the first person that guests see when they walk through the door, Joy came to work at Mohawk House three years ago after a private banking career in Manhattan. “I was just in awe,” she said of witnessing the kitchen in action on one of the busiest nights of the year. “It was pure teamwork. There are lots of restaurants around here but nothing as big and dynamic as this.”

Steve said that he and Rachael, who are both Italian, started in reverse, first owning a farm and then building a restaurant. “We always had a love for farming, a respect for farmers and a desire to let people know where their food came from,” he said. “We’re pioneers of the farm to table movement.”

From Meadow Brook Farm — their property in Fredon, complete with their farm house, a bee colony, sheep, goats and chickens — the restaurant uses honey, maple syrup and eggs in some of their signature dishes. As for the rest of the extensive selections on the menu, the majority are made with the ingredients obtained through relationships with some 30 area farms and small purveyors.

"It’s not just a restaurant it’s a way of life. We live it, we grow it, we serve it," Steve said. "I encourage people to partner with me. The great thing about that is that I get to live the dream of supporting things I believe in.” These include small farmers, local artisans, and craft beer makers like Angry Erik Brewing Company; bakers like Patty Cakes, and animals; along with community organizations like One Step Closer Animal Rescue (OSCAR), the Sparta VFW and the Fraternal Order of Police, for which he recently held fundraisers. Mohawk House is also a venue for more than a thousand private parties, weddings and intimate dinners every year, including a recent gathering of staffers from the Sussex County Department of Agriculture in late October, and four simultaneous events on Nov. 1.

Raised in the Morris County area, Steve first saw Sparta when he worked for his grandfather and uncle at Carl’s Auto Body, located across from the Lake Mohawk Country Club since 1972. “I loved Sparta and always dreamed of coming back and starting a business of my own that would have an impact,” Steve said.

He later went on to own a chain of health clubs for 15 years. After selling the clubs, he moved to Sparta in the late ’90s, bought some properties, and met Rachael. Together they bought the Meadow Brook Farm and the three-acre property on which Mohawk House now stands, and the rest is history.

“I was always inspired by historic B&Bs, Steve said, “the comfortable elegance they offer. And that’s what we achieved here. A gathering place where you can come in a suit or after you just raked your leaves.” Mohawk House was built with brick, stone, copper, steel, reclaimed wood and beams, timeless materials indigenous to the area.

As a couple, Steve said he and Rachael saw an opportunity to create something that also helped build community, a place that brought people together and touched their lives. “My grandfather always said to love and embrace your locals,” Steve said. “That’s how you build community. If you’re going to spend money, keep it local.” And that they have done.

“I’ve made a fair share of mistakes but learned as I went along,” he said. “But we strive to do things better. I’ve always gone by the adage that you do it poorly until you know how to do it well; and be it a job big or small, you do it well, or not at all. Time has passed very quickly. But the real reason we endeavored to do this in this first place, and why we’re still here, is our love of food, people and our desire to make a difference. I want to thank everyone for our success during the last 10 years of blood, sweat and tears. Thank you to all our extended family of customers, farm partners and friends. There's lots more to come."

Steve takes a good deal of pride, along with a healthy dose of humility, in keeping up with the expectations of his family. “A lot of people bet against us,” Steve said. "‘You’re new in town, you never owned a restaurant before,’” they said. “But they underestimated me. They underestimated the character, the integrity, the old-world values and everything I learned from my grandfather and uncle drove me to be the best and live up to their reputation,” Steve said. “I’m pretty hard on myself, but I think we’ve built something here that we can feel good about.”

Now a decade in, Steve says he constantly asks himself what he can do better. And the answer is always a team effort involving the dedicated and valued people who make the restaurant run every day.

“It’s not about the chef or the owner, but the dishes we serve and how we treat people,” he said. “To have a love for everything we do and help the people who work here be the best they can be.”

One of those people is Ricky Soni, who started at MH as busboy at the age of 16. Now 26, he’s in charge of orchestrating one of the largest and rarest craft beer programs in the tristate area coming out of the restaurant's 56 immaculate tap lines. He also oversees the extensive selection of bottled brews and manages the front of the house.

“Every day I learn something new,” Soni said on Halloween night. “I do whatever needs to be done to make this a better place. Steve is so invested in us and the restaurant, and puts us all in a position to succeed. It’s very much like a family here. We all help when and where we can to make great things happen.”

“Ricky’s my right hand,” Steve said. “We’re all one big team and have a great working relationship.” And from the kitchen to the dining room to the bar, everyone seems to feel valued, respected and involved in the day-to-day operations.

“Look at my face,” said hostess Victoria Tormey, smiling ear to ear when asked how she likes working here. “It trickles down from the top. It’s a wonderful place to be.”

“We’ve surrounded ourselves with nice, good, down-to-earth, hard-working people,” Steve said. “I’m very proud of my staff. They are all invested and a big part of our success.”

After serving in fine dining restaurants in San Francisco and Manhattan, Michael Mott moved to Sparta, heard about Mohawk House, and has now worked there as a server for nine years. After sharing a personal story of Steve’s generosity early on in his tenure, Michael said he’ll never work anywhere else for the rest of his life.

Bob Faulkner and his fiancée Susan Cahill have been coming to MH since they opened. “We’re about as regular as you can get,” Bob said from a corner seat at the bar on Nov. 1. “I love the beer and the bartenders always take real good care of us. One time they heard me talking about a peanut butter and bacon sandwich, and the next time I came in they sprung one on me.” Bob was also at MH last Thanksgiving with his family when he was unable to cook. “We all had a really good time.”

Susan said she appreciates how the MH’s use of local produce and how accommodating they are with regard to planning events, such as her daughter’s wedding rehearsal dinner and baby shower. “It’s like the Sparta version of Cheers. Everybody knows your name.”

As Thanksgiving approaches on Nov. 26 (Nov. 24 is Steve’s 52nd Birthday) the owner is looking forward to his favorite time of year at MH. “The holiday season is always exciting, and fall and winter are magical," he said. We’re very much into decorating and making people feel at home when they’re travelling.”

Mohawk House, “Home of the Gobbler,” serves some 400-500 Thanksgiving dinners with turkeys from Water Wheel Farm as well as fixings from other area purveyors. And after that mother of all holiday meals is over, Steve oversees another one for the staff.

“What keeps us going is having fun, building on our success, learning from our mistakes and seeing our dreams come to fruition,” Steve says. “It’s not what you get, it’s what you become. We’re just getting started.”