Restaurant News

Rosie is here with the latest restaurant news.

CULINARY STUDENTS SHINE

Kudos to Mhonerra Estanislao, Christina Ferraiolo, and Rashanti Hendley, students at the Culinary Arts Institute of Hudson County Community College, for winning first place in the American Culinary Federation North Jersey Chapter’s Thanksgiving Holiday Team Hot Food Competition, which was held at the school, in Jersey City. This event was open to all students, and the objective was to develop a menu of basic Thanksgiving favorites. The following dishes were presented by the winning team: turkey breast with apple and sausage stuffing; marshmallow and pecan candied yams; green beans tossed with pancetta and shallots; Monterey Jack cornbread; and outrageously delicious banana chocolate bread pudding. Students were judged on creativity/uniqueness, flavor/doneness, menu and ingredients, overall table, and show plate.

Psst: I was a very impressed judge.
 
Winning dishes at the Thanksgiving Holiday Team Hot Food Competition.

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THE HELDRICH, NEW BRUNSWICK, AT THE BEARD HOUSE, NYC

On December 18, top chefs from Benchmark Hospitality International hotels and resorts, including chefs from the Heldrich, New Brunswick, will be participating in a Benchmark Holiday Dinner at the Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, New York City. The following menu and wines will be presented.

Hors d’oeuvres: foie-gras-stuffed Mission figs; sea scallops Wellington with caviar vinaigrette; smoked steelhead trout burgers with blood orange ketchup; rabbit terrine with ginger–carrot air; Turkish date and chèvre truffles with pistachios
(Korbel Natural NV; 2007 Valley of the Moon Unoaked Chardonnay; 2006 Wild Horse Pinot Noir; 2007 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc; 2005 Lake Sonoma Winery Cabernet Sauvignon)

Winter squash soup with ricotta dumplings, cardoons, and anchovy butter
(2007 Trinchero Family Riesling)

Sweet cacao butter poached Maine lobster with anise-spiced pears, whipped Yukon potato, and roasted fennel
(2006 Simi Russian River Reserve Chardonnay)

Pork belly and watermelon salad with baby Swiss chard and cantaloupe coulis
(2007 Montevina Terra d’Oro Rosé)

Roasted rack of venison with mushroom spaetzle, roasted butternut squash flan, and huckleberry reduction
(2006 Kenwood Jack London Vineyard Zinfandel)

Grilled Brillat-Savarin cheese sandwich with poached quail egg and roasted golden beets
(2007 Corcoran Vineyards Mary’s Cuvée)

Holiday apple sampler: apple strudel, candied crab apple, and Calvados ice cream
(2006 Inniskillin Riesling Icewine)

7 PM; $165; James Beard Foundation members $125. Call 212-627-2308 for reservations.

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SUNDAY BRUNCH NOW OFFERED AT RESTO, MADISON

Chef/owner Robert Ubhaus of the contemporary French restaurant Resto, 77 Main Street, Madison, is now offering Sunday brunch from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Menu items include: red-wine-poached eggs with applewood-smoked bacon and grilled country bread; jambon and Gruyère omelet with mixed baby greens and truffled frites; Belgian waffles with fresh raspberry mousse; caramelized-apple-stuffed pain perdu with pecan maple syrup; duck confit hash and eggs with fingerling potatoes and caramelized onions; crêpe du jour; steak frites; and poisson du jour. For reservations call 973-377-0066; BYO.

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COOKIES FOR KIDS’ CANCER 2ND ANNUAL HOLIDAY COOKIE EVENT

Treat yourself, friends, or family this holiday season to cookies sold by the Band of Parents (www.bandofparents.org), a nonprofit foundation formed by parents of children suffering from a deadly childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. These all-natural gourmet cookies (Liam’s Lemon Sugar Cookie, Chunky Chocolate Chip, and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin) contain no trans fat and are packaged in a gift box with a note explaining their significance. More than 75 percent of the purchase price ($30 a dozen plus shipping) goes directly to funding pediatric cancer research. To order log on to www.cookiesforkidscancer.org and help treat and find a cure for kids’ cancer.

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BOBOLINK CHEESE

Bobolink Dairy, 2842 Meadow Burn Road, Vernon, is accepting holiday preorders for cheese samplers and for the dairy’s Cave-Ripened Cheddar. For more information log on to www.cowsoutside.com.

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DREAM CUISINE CAFE

Dream Cuisine Cafe, 1990 Old Marlton Pike (Tuscany Walk), Cherry Hill, offers casual fine dining with a modern French menu that is connected to the seasons and changes frequently. Along with the à la carte menu, there’s a fixed-price menu that includes an appetizer, house salad, entrée, and dessert, with entrée selections such as grilled sea scallops, roasted free-range rack of lamb, filet mignon, and tagliatelle ratatouille. For reservations call 856-751-2800; BYO.

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DINING DEALS

Napa Valley Grille, Garden State Plaza, 95 Route 17 South, Paramus, is offering half-price bottles of wine on Sundays and Mondays. For reservations call 201-845-5555.

Nero’s, 618 South Livingston Avenue, Livingston, is offering a three-course prix-fixe dinner menu for $22.22. For reservations call 800-55-NEROS.

Attilio’s Tavern, 80 East McFarlan Street, Dover, is offering a 25 percent senior citizen discount from 4 to 6:30 PM Tuesdays through Thursdays. For reservations call 973-328-1100.

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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to rosie@njmonthly.com.