A Clark restaurant will reopen this week with a completely new concept—and a former Food Network Chopped champion is leading the charge.
Paragon American + Italian Gastropub (formerly known as Paragon Tap & Table) will have its grand reopening this Thursday, September 10. And it’s not just the name that’s getting a makeover—the entire concept is being reimagined and honed to pave way for a new era of Clark dining.
A key piece of the project is Chef Eric LeVine, who helped open the restaurant before moving onto other ventures eight years ago. Now, he’s back, and he brings with him a wealth of industry knowledge to help catapult Paragon into this next chapter.
“This isn’t simply a menu update or renovation,” said Paragon owners Purvi and Akik Shah. “We wanted to rethink what Paragon could be while keeping the welcoming, neighborhood feel that has always been important to us. Bringing Eric back gave us the opportunity to do that in a much bigger way.”
LeVine is no stranger to the region’s culinary scene. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he worked under Chef David Burke at the legendary River Café, set on the water, underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. It was there where he dialed in his fine dining experience. His career eventually brought him to Food Network, where he won an episode of Chopped in 2011, along with an invitation to cook at the prestigious James Beard House.
Eventually, he’d land in New Jersey—and now, back at a restaurant he knows well. Paragon’s new identity looks to blend the American gastropub with dialed-in Italian cooking. That means giant, shareable meatballs, breakfast pasta for weekend brunch, pizzas, hand-crafted cocktails, and craft beer.
In a release, Paragon said they are looking to bring Clark food options that are “approachable and craveable, but also fun, surprising, and made for sharing.” LeVine’s menu does just that.
Paragon American + Italian Gastropub will open on September 10 at 77 Central Avenue in Clark, NJ. It’s a new chapter for the Union County restaurant—one that brings back a key player in its history to help reinvent the wheel.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
