Family Brings Haitian Cuisine To Hillsborough

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Diana Holness and her fiance Jacques Ramon of Belle Mead used to drive about an hour just to get Haitian food. Now the pair are tapping into their cultural roots to offer their own Haitian cuisine right here in Hillsborough with the opening of their restaurant Chez Elody.

"It has always been my dream, but I finally did it with the help of my fiance," Holness said of opening the restaurant.

Holness, who is Jamaican, used to work in the healthcare industry and was always looking for food to bring home to the family.

"Sometimes you want different flavors other than pizza and burgers," Holness said.

Holness' fiance is Haitian so she turned to her mother-in-law for some family recipes.

"Everything is made from scratch, nothing is preheated," Holness said. "I don't even have a microwave in the kitchen."

With the menu set, Holness opened her restaurant at the beginning of the month at 378 South Branch Road in Hillsborough. The name, Chez Elody, comes from the French root word chez meaning "at home" and the couple's youngest child's name, Elody.

The restaurant offers outdoor dining, take-out, and delivery. It is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information or to see the menu visit chezelodyhaitiancuisine.com or call 908-308-8928 or email chezelody@gmail.com.

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