Tavern 292
In April 2016, Fairfield’s own Tavern 292 opened its doors, immediately drawing in locals to its cozy environment and delicious menu options. They serve up a variety of dishes, from superb Italian and Greek cuisine to classic American food. Owned by sophomore George Apostolopoulos’s family, the restaurant welcomes all residents of neighboring towns to enjoy food, family and drinks. The family also owns Tavern 73 in Pine Brook and has family ties to the Caldwell Diner in Caldwell. With these successful establishments, the Apostolopoulos family has gained a positive reputation among local families for owning some of the best places to eat.
Helen Apostolopoulos has been a part of the Tavern 292 family since the start. As the manager, she loves playing such an important role in running the restaurant.
“My favorite part is that 292 is a local town tavern,” Apostolopoulos said. “It’s warm and inviting, and I see all of the great people from Fairfield and surrounding towns. I feel like it’s a home away from home for some people. I know everyone’s name, and I love to see them, their children and their families. Of course, our food and service are great too!”
When looking for a good place to dine with family or friends, Tavern 292 should be high on the list of restaurants to visit. 292 has also become a place of work for many of West Essex’s students and alumni. It’s excellent food, amazing service and comforting atmosphere filled with delightful staff make the establishment feel like home to both newcomers and regulars alike.
Angeloni’s Restaurant & Pizzeria
Since 2012, Angeloni’s Restaurant & Pizzeria has been a staple of the West Essex community, serving classic Italian cuisine. Known for their famous “Thinny Thin” pizza, the Conforti family business has created an environment where relatives and friends can gather to enjoy delicious food and make lifelong memories. The restaurant’s owners, Michael Conforti Sr., Nicky Conforti, Nick Conforti and Amanda Zarafino, are continuing to expand their love of food across the state, as they recently opened a second Angeloni’s location in Sparta.
The Conforti family has been involved in the food industry for almost four decades. Starting in 1988, Michael’s father opened their first restaurant called The Avenue Bistro. Since then, the family has opened a series of restaurants throughout the tri-state area, including Nicky Boys, The Brook Tap House and Michael’s. From generation to generation, members of the Conforti family have started working at select locations, now including Michael and Anthony’s children. Michael’s twin children, junior Anthony Conforti and junior Julia
Conforti expressed how special it is to work at their family’s restaurant, especially with all of their relatives.
“It makes us more excited to work,” Anthony said. “It doesn’t really feel like a job; it just feels like we are spending quality time with our family.”
Along with the siblings, cousins and parents who work at the business, many West Essex students also get to enjoy the positive atmosphere created by the Confortis. The popularity of Angeloni’s has been undeniably widespread, as pizza critic, Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports, rated their “Thinny Thin” slice a solid 8.8 out of 10. Angeloni’s and its other chain of restaurants continue to deliver not only fantastic food, but a lasting family tradition that brings people
across North Jersey together.
Gyro World/Just Greek
With a passion for food and a goal of spreading Greek culture, Yanni
Arvanitopoulos opened Caldwell’s Gyro World in May 2024. Since then, the spot has flourished as a fast-casual restaurant, attracting many West Essex families. Yanni finds running a family business to be exciting, challenging and most of all, rewarding.
Gyro World is currently updating its establishment and expanding its franchise, as a new location called Just Greek opened in Livingston on Oct. 8, 2025. Just Greek expands on the original menu of Gyro World, now offering rice bowls, which they expect to be a customer favorite.
“The Caldwell location is becoming a taverna, which will offer a more enhanced menu with a variety of meals from all over Greece in addition to the original dishes,” Yanni said.
The Greek authenticity of the restaurant is what makes Gyro World/Just Greek so successful. Yanni and his wife, Mary, are both originally from Athens, Greece, and now live in Roseland. As a family, they keep their Greek heritage alive by traveling to Athens each summer. Senior Alexa Arvanitopoulos works at Gyro World/Just Greek around three times a week and said she loves to help run the family business.
“I love seeing my friends’ moms and my own friends come in each week,” Alexa said. “It makes work more enjoyable.”
In the future, Yanni envisions Gyro World/Just Greek to be a “destination spot” for families all over and hopes to continue establishing more locations. He looks forward to meeting new people at his restaurants daily and is excited to watch the family business grow.
Honey’s Kitchen
After the Castro-Halper family took ownership in 2009, Honey’s Kitchen became a favorite breakfast and lunch spot in the West Essex community. Serving everything from their famous Carrie’s Cake and BLT wraps to their Crab Cake salads, Honey’s Kitchen has won over the hearts of its customers with a flavorful menu and cozy atmosphere.
Honey’s started when Carlos Castro was looking for a change after working for many years in New York City as a chef. Carlos and his wife, Carrie, decided to buy Honey’s as a way for him to work closer to his family. Honey’s is a true family business, with sophomore Alivia Castro-Halper and freshman Sam Castro-Halper always excited to lend an extra hand at the restaurant and spend quality time with their family. The Castro-Halpers said that the family-style aspect is what makes the restaurant so special.
“Family businesses are nice because you always have people you can count on to help,” Carrie said. “Even Alivia and Sam’s grandfather came and helped clean tables in the beginning.”
As the restaurant approaches its 16th anniversary, Honey’s Kitchen is being updated with a fresh paint job and charming decorations to make the space look brand new. In order to sustain a food variety, the menu is always changing with new items being added frequently.
The Castro-Halpers described what it means to have loyal customers who allow them to keep doing what they love.
“Lots of businesses open and unfortunately close these days,” Carrie said. “I am so grateful that our customers are so loyal and come back all the time. It enables us to continue working hard every day.”
Illustration by Leeana Lojek
