The Manor philosophy: if you want it done right … do it yourself - and the Knowles family stands by that motto

Nation's Restaurant News, Dec 11, 1989 by Peter O. Keegan

The Manor philosophy: If you want it done right...

WEST ORANGE, N.J. - In an attempt to keep quality high and costs low, The Manor here is taking cues from 15th-century feudal lords in its quest for self-sufficiency.

"We are concerned about quality," said owner Harry Knowles, "and the only way to have control over it is to do everything yourself - right on the premises."

Judging from the $14.4 million that the restaurant and catering operation raked in last year, Knowles' philosophy is working.

Just 18 minutes across the Hudson River from Manhattan, this fine-dining establishment's 20 acres of land enable the Knowles family to accomplish things most operators never dreamed of. Since buying The Manor in 1956, Knowles has launched numerous support services for the restaurant.

The Manor owns and operates an herb garden, a flower garden, a bakery, a butcher shop and a laundry facility right on the grounds. In addition, Knowles employs 40 chefs, a coppersmith, an upholsterer, electricians, gardeners, silver polishers, carpenters, carpet technicians, painters, plumbers and a 13-hour, seven-day-a-week reservation group - all on a full-time basis.

Knowles' attention to detail is evident.

Take Austrian-born coppersmith Hans Brueckl, who creates tin-coated copper pots, pans and utensils as well as silver-plated Champagne coolers, carts and an array of display pieces. Brueckl has been painstakingly hand-hammering kitchen copper cookery to the specifications of cooks for many years.

"You can't get heavy-gauge copper pots like Hans makes commercially anymore," boasted executive chef Alfred Mayer. "You turn the gas off on his pots, and they remain hot." Some of Brueckl's brightest showpieces are his gargoyle serving cart legs that he copied from an authentic Queen Mary cart.

"You can't depend on outsiders to do the job right these days," said Knowles, known to his employees as a stickler for perfection; "that's why we like to do as much as possible right here."

Knowles, his wife, Doris, and sons Kurt and Wade have a hand in their three restaurant operations at all times. Besides The Manor, they own and operate the Ram's Head Inn in Atlantic City, N.J., and the Highlawn Pavillion in West Orange, N.J.

The fifth-generation restaurant family works closely with its 350 employees to keep standards high and people happy.

Fringe benefits include even an employee tennis court. "The people here are our friends," said Wade Knowles, "I see them more than I see my own kids."

On a typical fall morning, 18-year veteran chef Alfred Mayer wanders into the herb garden beside his house on the property to pick fresh herbs and spices for the day's meals. Mayer even bottles his own vinegars for salad dressings.

The German-born chef works with central New Jersey suppliers to ensure that the vegetables and produce he purchases are fresh. Mayer flies in frog's legs from France; sole from Dover, England; prosciutto from Parma, Italy; olives from Spain; and fiddlehead ferns from Canada.

The Manor's Continental seasonal cuisine combines 30-year-old favorites like Beef Wellington and rack of lamb with haute concoctions such as scallop quenelles with lobster claws and mahi mahi, and cream of butternut squash soup with prosciutto.

For the winter Mayer plans to add pheasant, guinea hens and farm-raised chickens to the menu.

"You've got to be on the leading edge; you just have to make sure that you don't go beyond it," said the chef, who distances himself from fads or nouvelle portions.

The kitchen has kept up with changing times by lightening sauces, decreasing butter and animal fats in recipes and replacing salt with fresh herbs, peppers and seasonings. Mayer also keeps up with changing trends by hosting student and visiting chefs (who stay in houses on the Manor acreage) and by staying involved in culinary competitions around the world.

Meanwhile, overhead costs are kept lower through the various on-site services, Knowles said.

"The laundry and bake shop are our biggest money savers," he said, noting that outside costs of these services have skyrocketed. The laundry cleans uniforms, napkins, linen and table cloths daily, "and we hardly ever lose anything," he pointed out.

And the bakery prepares breads, pies, wedding cakes and miniature cookies and pastries for the restaurant, buffet and banquet areas.

The Manor's booming banquet business accounts for 53 percent of sales, and second-generation weddings are a common occurance. The grounds include European-style waterfalls, gardens, outdoor marble tables and benches and manicured lawns. for couples to tie the knot.

"One thing feeds off of another," said Knowles. "Someone will come in for a wedding and then try the buffet and will then move on to a la carte."

The popular $32.95 buffet attracts between 500 and 700 people on a busy friday night. The feast includes all the lobster you can eat plus shrimp, smoked salmon, pasta, a salad bar, 10 chafing dishes, carving stations, prime rib, leg of lamb and steamship round.

Formal a la carte dining is available at The Terrace Lounge, Terrace Garden and luxurious Manor Room. An average ticket, including wine and dessert, comes to $46.75. The rooms are furnished with 24-carat gold inlaid mirrors, antiques bought from the silver vaults of London and china and porcelain collections.