A piano bar and restaurant combining live music, dining and cocktails is expected to open in November on North Broad Street in Ridgewood, taking over the second floor above Steel Wheel Tavern at 51 N. Broad St. The new venue, called High Line Piano Bar & Restaurant, will bring jazz trios, DJ sets and a small-plates menu to a stretch of downtown already anchored by one of the borough's most popular bars.
According to NJ.com, the project comes from Glenn Carlough, who owns Steel Wheel Tavern downstairs and is also a musician. Carlough reportedly created High Line to address what he saw as a gap in the local entertainment scene, pairing a performance space with a serious kitchen rather than just another bar. The venue's own website, which lists its address as Floor 2, 51 N Broad Street, currently tells visitors it is simply opening soon in Bergen County.
A Kitchen Led By A River Edge Native
Executive Chef Bryan Tortorella, a River Edge native with more than 20 years of culinary experience, will run the kitchen, the outlet reports. The tentative menu leans into small plates and shareables, including street corn arancini, grilled avocado with lobster and crabmeat stuffing, and whole prawns ajillo. Larger shareable options under consideration include sliced hangar steak with chimichurri, a mini rack of lamb, and nori and panko encrusted ahi tuna.
That direction marks a deliberate split from what's cooking one floor below. Per NorthJersey.com, the High Line's food program is planned to be completely different from Steel Wheel Tavern's menu, leaning primarily into small plates and shareables rather than the tavern's broader offerings. Steel Wheel itself has long been known for a creative American menu described as having something for everyone, according to mnmagazine.com.
Cocktails, Cruvinet Wine And A Drink Rail
The bar will use a Cruvinet wine preservation and dispensing system, which pours each wine at a temperature calibrated for its varietal, and the venue plans to offer wines by the glass along with a reserve selection. The cocktail menu will include a grand classico negroni and a dirty martini with spicy brine, plus rotating seasonal drinks. For guests waiting on a table, the article notes there will be a drink rail near the entrance rather than a standard waiting area.
Seating is split between a 30-guest bar and lounge area and a 48-seat dining room. Programming will range from jazz trios on Wednesday evenings to DJs on Saturday nights, giving the space a different rhythm depending on the night of the week.
Hidden Ceilings Revealed During Demolition
Design firm Hambrecht/Oleson handled the space's redesign, and the build turned up an unexpected feature: high peaked ceilings discovered behind suspended panels during demolition. Those ceilings now feature brick fireplaces, angled details and wood finishes that the NJ.com report compares to those found in New Jersey's historic Blue Note recording studio. The overall palette leans on cream, claret red and charcoal tones accented with gold-veined marble and polished brass.
The venue is also recruiting staff ahead of its debut, with its website inviting applicants to join its front-of-house and back-of-house teams. High Line is positioning itself as a late-night destination for drinks, music and social dining in Bergen County, according to thelocalgirl.com.
Opening Into A Tough Restaurant Climate
The debut arrives as the regional restaurant business faces real headwinds. An estimated 491 restaurants closed across the New York, Northern New Jersey and Long Island metropolitan area during the first six months of 2026, according to a July report cited by Patch. New Jersey alone recorded 213 restaurant closings by mid-2026, ranking 12th among states nationally, the same report found. Ridgewood has felt that pressure directly: the longtime restaurant Village Green, which opened in 1989 and served high-end cuisine, closed June 6 after the building changed ownership.
Against that backdrop, a new concept betting on live music, a curated cocktail list and a kitchen separate from its downstairs tavern is a notable wager for the borough's dining scene. Whether High Line opens exactly on schedule in November remains to be seen, but the groundwork, from the redesigned ceilings to the staff hiring push, suggests the project is moving toward its debut.
