ELEMENTS, PRINCETON
Elements, 163 Bayard Lane, Princeton, is one of the best restaurants in NJ. It reminded us so much of the exquisite food and service we received at the Ryland Inn, at its peak, that Lowell dubbed it the Ryland Inn of Princeton. No surprise, as executive chef Scott Anderson, sous chef Joe Sparatta, and general manager Emilia Sparatta are all Ryland alumni. Elements, a must-visit, offers interpretive American cuisine that focuses on locally grown and sustainable products. Although I felt I needed my food dictionary to clarify some of the more unusual ingredients listed on the menu, the waitstaff was very knowledgeable and described each dish fully.
We started with a vibrant green kale soup with roasted garlic and ancho chile; a foie gras torchon with kaffir lime, blood orange, and kumquat set on brioche; a whimsical local corn polenta accompanied by mushrooms, popcorn, pancetta, and black truffle; scrumptious short rib ravioli with mushroom consommé, konbu (kelp), and white soy; and my favorite, handmade farfalle with house-made sausage, pop-in-the-mouth rock shrimp, broccoli rabe, and a poached quail egg. When I saw kindai bluefin tuna on the menu as an entrée, I knew I had to order this farm-raised fish, which is available to only a small number of top restaurants in the country. The buttery and silky fish was served very rare, wrapped with a thin slice of rye bread and accompanied by colorful broccoli rabe, piquillo pepper, and jalapeño. A large wide-rimmed bowl held a balanced combination of diver scallops with Campari foam, citrus, avocado, chilies, and taro root: a delicious grouping. My favorite entrée, a melt-in-your-mouth “48 hour” short rib, reminded me of a very tender, rich steak, as its red color was retained by sous vide cooking. The meat, enhanced with chimichurri and presented on a warm, dark tile, was served along with white sweet potato, plantain, and shishito pepper. A most memorable dish.
Foie gras torchon with kaffir lime, blood orange, and kumquat set on brioche.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
We loved the concept of a breakfast-inspired dessert, and the sweet and salty contrast of the pre-dessert, bacon and eggs, comprising sweet brioche French toast topped with bacon along with an eggshell filled with a bacon and egg custard, was an attention-grabbing dish. The top and bottom of the egg had been cut off (there are special scissors for this), causing my dining companions to ask, “How do they do that?” If a Kit Kat wafer bar is your candy of choice, then try the version at Elements made with gianduja chocolate, hazelnut, “crunch,” and milk chocolate. Another chocolate lover’s dream was the chocolate brioche with salted caramel and sable cookie. And if you need your potassium, the bananas Foster heightened with candied walnuts and dry caramel was unusually light, certainly not an ordinary dessert. Finally, the carrot cake was presented with cream cheese ice cream, a creative and delightful change from the cloyingly sweet frosting that usually accompanies this dessert. And just when we were sated, with a smile on our faces from experiencing such a superb dinner, a plate of petit fours was placed on the table.
The restaurant was constructed from stone, steel, and wood and has an open kitchen that is visible at the entrance and from a balcony that seats sixteen. This upstairs room has Wi-Fi, making it perfect for a business meeting or small gathering. Tables are spaced far apart and set with runners rather than cloths. Unusually shaped plates and/or tiles to present the food and Reidel glasses add to the modern and sophisticated yet understated elegance. There is a chef’s table in the kitchen that can accommodate up to ten people for a nine-course dinner. Another room, called the Cube, is enclosed, and although it seats eight, I think it would be the perfect spot for a romantic rendezvous for two.
The wine list is varied enough in price and selection that making a choice is easy. We had a 2007 Orballo Albariño from Spain, which was served a little too warm, and a 2005 Samuel’s Gorge Grenache from Australia, which was served too cold. I suspect that the wine storage area, a lovely glassed-in room upstairs, needs to have its thermostat checked.
Elements is open daily, offering lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 AM to 2 PM, dinner Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 10 PM, dinner Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 11 PM, and dinner Sunday from 5 to 9 PM. There’s also a Sunday brunch from 11 AM to 2 PM. For reservations call 609-924-0078.
Farfalle with sausage, rock shrimp, broccoli rabe, and a poached quail egg.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
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DUE MARI PESCE E VINOTECA
Due Mari Pesce e Vinoteca, 78-80 Albany Street, New Brunswick, has a new casual tavern menu featuring cheese and salumi platters; flat iron steak with roasted fingerling potatoes; pappardelle with Bolognese sauce; a Kobe burger; and Cobb salad with shrimp, crab, and avocado. Happy hour is celebrated weeknights from 4:30 to 6 PM with 20 percent off specialty cocktails plus complimentary antipasti. At lunch you’ll receive 15 percent off takeout. For more information and dinner reservations call 732-296-1600.
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AUTHORS & INNS, A MAY SPRING LAKE EVENT
Meet celebrity cookbook authors and learn their culinary secrets at the Authors & Inns Tour on May 16 and 17 in Spring Lake. The tour of eleven inns features chefs, restaurateurs, and culinary TV/media personalities who will be signing and selling their books. Some of the celebrity chefs and authors that will be attending are Suvir Saran, Devi Restaurant, NYC; Barbara Kafka, author/TV personality; Jeff Nathan, cookbook author and owner of Abigael’s on Broadway, NYC; Patricia Mack, national food editor and author; and Barbara Seelig Brown, TV host, author, and culinary educator. Weekend inn guests receive admission to the private culinary demonstrations on Saturday plus a complimentary Sunday tour ticket. For more information log on to www.historicinnsofspringlake.com/news.htm#authors or call the Historic Inns of Spring Lake Association at 732-859-1465.
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NJ GOVERNOR’S CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN
On May 12, Bernadette Armiento, founder and director of Shining Life Nutrition, graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and certified holistic health counselor, will be speaking on a panel about healthy eating at the NJ Governor’s Conference for Women at the Atlantic City Convention Center, 1 Miss America Way, Atlantic City. For more information about this all-day conference (7:15 AM to 3:45 PM), which includes keynote speakers Cokie Roberts and Maya Angelou, log on to www.njwomensconference.com.
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GARY’S IS MORE THAN WINE
It’s not just wine at Gary’s Wine and Marketplace, 121 Main Street, Madison (973-822-0200); 100 Morristown Road, Bernardsville (908-766-6699); and 1308 Route 23 North, Wayne (973-633-3900). The stores offer ready-to-eat, well-priced meals including a $5 lunch special that changes daily and includes soup and half sandwich plus chips. More than 150 cheeses, French and Italian charcuterie, confections, and “Gary’s Own” line of gourmet foodstuffs such as coffees, spreads, and unfiltered cold-pressed Sicilian olive oil are also available. And mark your calendar for May 7, as Lidia Bastianich will be at Gary’s in Wayne for a book signing and wine tasting from 5 to 7:30 PM; free.
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CINCO DE MAYO AT ROSA MEXICANO
On May 5, celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Rosa Mexicano, Riverside Square, 390 Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack. It’s Rosa’s first Mexican Masquerade, where guests are encouraged to don their most creative costumes for giveaways and prizes. Menu items include fresh-fruit-muddled margaritas, guacamole, shrimp quesadillas made with garlic and guajillo chile, and chile ancho relleno consisting of ancho chiles stuffed with slow-cooked marinated pork. For reservations call 201-489-9100.
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TEA TIME
On May 2, Ana Beall’s Tea Room, 415 Westfield Avenue, Westfield, will be celebrating Derby Day with some special Southern favorites such as country ham with redeye gravy, buttermilk biscuits, warm bourbon-infused chocolate chip walnut pie, and iced mint tea. An à la carte menu will also be available. For more information and reservations call 908-264-4221.
It seems so appropriate to experience a tea luncheon or an elegant afternoon tea of finger sandwiches, pastries, scones, and beverages when visiting Victorian Cape May. The Carriage House Tearoom and Café, Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street, Cape May, continues this English afternoon tea tradition and is open daily at 11:30 AM. To make reservations call 609-884-5111.
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MOTHER’S DAY
The following restaurants will be open on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 10).
Andre’s Restaurant & Wine Boutique, 188 Spring Street, Newton, will offer a three- or five-course special menu as well as an à la carte and children’s menu. For reservations call 973-300-4192.
The Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, will have three dining choices for Mom. A brunch buffet, with a variety of stations including salads, fruits, chilled seafood, omelets, pastas, hot entrées, a carving station, and a dessert station with an ice cream sundae bar, will be offered from 10:30 AM to 2 PM; $59 for adults; $35 for children six to twelve; $15 for children two to five. No charge for children under two. An evening dinner buffet will be held in the dining room from 5 to 7 PM; $65 for adults; $35 for children six to twelve; $15 for children two to five. No charge for children under two. A three-course prix-fixe menu will offer a selection of appetizers, entrées, and desserts. 12:30 to 7 PM; $70 for adults; $35 for children twelve and under. For reservations call 908-766-0002.
Casa Dante, 737 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, will celebrate Mother’s Day from 12:30 to 9 PM. Call 201-795-2750 for details and reservations.
Catelli Restaurant, Plaza 1000 Main Street, Voorhees, will offer a special à la carte and children’s menu; 1 to 7 PM. For reservations call 856-751-6069.
Christopher’s, the Heldrich, 10 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, will have a buffet brunch from 10 AM to 4 PM; $36.95; children seven to twelve $16.95; children under seven free. For reservations call 732-214-2200.
Copeland Restaurant, Westin Governor Morris Hotel, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown, will have two options for Mother’s Day. A breakfast buffet will be served from 6:30 to 11 AM; $19; children $9. A prix-fixe three-course menu will be offered from noon to 9 PM; $45; children $22. An à la carte and children’s menu will also be available. For reservations call 973-451-2619.
David Burke Fromagerie, 26 Ridge Road, Rumson, will offer prix-fixe menus for brunch ($42) and dinner ($59). For reservations call 732-842-8088.
Elements, 163 Bayard Lane, Princeton, will be open for brunch from 11 AM to 2 PM and dinner from 4 to 8 PM. For reservations call 609-924-0078.
Fascino, 331 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, will be open from 2 to 7 PM offering an à la carte menu along with special dishes created by Ryan DePersio. Call 973-233-0350 for reservations. If you’re looking for a special Mother’s Day gift, Chef DePersio will conduct a cooking class in your home. For more information you can email him at [email protected].
The Frog and the Peach, 29 Dennis Street, New Brunswick, will offer an à la carte menu and Spring Farm to Table prix-fixe menus (three-course $29, Top of the Crop four-course $59) from noon to 7 PM. For reservations call 732-846-3216.
Nicholas, 160 Route 35 South, Middletown, will offer a three-course menu ($59), a four-course garden menu ($59), a six-course tasting menu ($79), and a children’s menu ($28); 2 to 8 PM. For reservations call 732-345-9977.
Restaurant Serenade, 6 Roosevelt Avenue, Chatham, will serve a special three-course menu. 1 to 7 PM; $65; $30 for children ten and under. For reservations call 973-701-0303.
T-Bones, Bridgewater Marriott, 700 Commons Way, Bridgewater, will have a Mother’s Cay champagne brunch from 11 AM to 3 PM; $49; children four to twelve $16.95; children three and under free. For reservations call 908-595-2006.
The Washington Inn, 801 Washington Avenue, Cape May, will serve brunch from 10 AM to 1:45 PM and dinner from 4 to 7 PM. For reservations call 609-884-5697.
The Willowwood Arboretum, 300 Longview Road, Far Hills, celebrates grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and daughters on Mother’s Day. Take your favorite lady to brunch or lunch, and then visit Willowwood, Morris County’s hidden treasure. Manager of horticulture John Morse will offer specially chosen lilacs to purchase as a gift for Mom, and light refreshments will be available. Noon to 4 PM; free. For more information call 908-234-1815 or visit www.morrisparks.org.
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