GRAND CRU, ENGLEWOOD
Grand Cru, 36 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, a wine restaurant/bar, opened last year as a joint effort between Englewood Wine Merchants and the NYC- and Tenafly-based Food For Thought Catered Events. Featured are American bistro-style tasting plates, which are perfect for sharing, plus more than 30 wines by the glass, a wine list, and a selection of spirits and liqueurs. Red and white wine flights of three glasses are also offered, and the options change weekly.
Menu items include: Kobe beef sliders with French fries that are so good you would love to hate them; beef, shrimp, and chicken satay; seared sashimi tuna; cheese and meat assortments served on slate trays with names written in chalk so it’s easy to identify what you’re eating; wood-fired pizzas (try the signature Cru, with wild mushrooms, mozzarella, Fontina, and truffle oil); and salads. Larger plate options include tortelloni, chicken, grilled salmon, and filet mignon. Wednesday is bistro night, with a three-course prix-fixe menu that’s different each week, priced from $29.75 for dinner or $45 with the wine of the week and a signature cheese plate. If you’re just looking for dessert, Grand Cru has some tempting choices, such as: ice cream sundae accompanied by shot glasses filled with toppings such as chocolate sauce, M&M’s, cherries, and whipped cream; individual chocolate molten soufflé with fresh raspberries; mixed berry tart on a bed of French pastry cream; gelato; chocolate chunk cookie with fresh whipped cream; and bowls of fresh berries with mint.
Grand Cru is open Mondays through Saturdays from 5 PM until late night and offers indoor and outdoor seating. A private event room is available for 30 to 150 people. For reservations call 201-568-3939.
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CULINARIANE DINNER AT BEARD HOUSE, NYC
On June 29, A Summer Rosé Celebration dinner will be held at the James Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, New York City, with executive chef/co-owner Ariane Duarte of CulinAriane, Montclair. The following menu will be presented, with wines provided by Amanti Vino, Montclair.
Hors d’oeuvres: braised short rib ragoût barquettes; miniature lump crab cakes with grain mustard sauce; salmon tartare with preserved lemon, fennel, pickled cucumbers, and wonton crisps; eggplant caponata crostini; chicken samosas (2007 Jelu Malbec Rosé)
Snapper crudo with basil–pineapple gelée, Maldon sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil
(2007 Frédéric Magnien Bourgogne Rosé)
Organic greens and caramelized stone fruit salad with goat cheese crouton
(2007 La Ferme Saint Pierre Cuvée Juliette Rosé)
Roasted monkfish with New Jersey corn salsa and mushroom broth
(2007 Domaine Lafond Tavel Rosé)
Grilled Angus sirloin strip steak with house-made steak sauce, balsamic onions, cauliflower purée, and wilted spinach
(2007 Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé)
Berry bread pudding with salted caramel sauce
7 PM; $125; James Beard Foundation members $100. For reservations call 212-627-2308.
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EAST COAST SLOW FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
On June 27 and 28, the East Coast Slow Food & Wine Festival will be held at Hopewell Valley Vineyards, 46 Yard Road, Pennington. Attendees can sample dishes prepared with locally grown food; sip wines from NJ wineries; learn about organic farming, bee keeping, and honey making; shop at the farmers’ market; attend cooking and cheese-making demonstrations; and feast at a winemaker and chef dinner. Noon to 5 PM; $35. For more information log on to www.slowfoodandwinefestival.com or call 609-890-8188.
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CHURCH STREET KITCHEN, MONTCLAIR
The soft-shell crabs are in at Church Street Kitchen, 12 Church Street, Montclair. Have them sautéed Cajun style over greens as an appetizer or served with wasabi sauce, jasmine rice, and spinach as an entrée; the presentations change often. And dining here is easy on the pocketbook. A three-course prix-fixe dinner is available Sundays through Fridays for $20.09. Recent entrée choices were free-range chicken with mashed potatoes and greens; North Atlantic salmon served on a bed of lentils with green beans and whole-grain mustard sauce; and grilled hanger steak with grilled vegetable napoleon and French fries. For reservations call 973-233-0216; BYO.
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DINNER AND A MOVIE
Restaurant Plan B, 705 Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park, has paired up with the ShowRoom, Asbury Park’s new independent cinema and multipurpose venue at 708 Cookman Avenue, to offer a three-course prix-fixe dinner-and-movie ticket for $25 (includes tax, gratuity extra) every Thursday in June. All dinners will begin at 6:30 PM and will include a salad, choice of entrée, and dessert. Call the ShowRoom at 732-502-0472 to make dinner-and-movie reservations. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.theshowroomap.com/BuyTickets.htm.
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CHEF’S NIGHT 2009
On June 29, a wine and food charity event, Chef’s Night, will be held at the Palace at Somerset Park, 333 Davidson Avenue, Somerset, to benefit Elijah’s Promise and its Promise Jobs Culinary School. Participating restaurants include: the Bent Spoon, Brandl, the Brothers Moon, Café Z, Delta’s, the Frog and the Peach, Harvest Moon Brewery & Café, La Dolce Vita, the Palace at Somerset Park, Ragin Cajun, and Sophie’s Bistro. 6 to 9 PM; $125. For tickets call 732-545-9002 ext 110 or log on to www.elijahspromise.net.
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FOCACCERIA RISTORANTE
It’s easy to miss Focacceria Ristorante, 26 Church Street, Liberty Corner, as this casual BYO Italian restaurant is located in a small house on a quiet street. Be sure to make a reservation. The menu has the usual Italian offerings: salads, pasta, veal and chicken parmigiano, and sausage in different guises. The specials, though, stood out. Some of the choices, which were listed with their prices, were gazpacho with vegetable chiffonade and sour cream; prosciutto and rapini ravioli; and calves liver Veneziana. What was strange was that there was an “extra specials” list, on the same piece of paper but without prices or a description of each dish; selections included sea bass, soft-shell crabs, short ribs, leg of lamb, veal chop, and filet mignon. When we asked, we found these prices were significantly higher than the listed menu items ($17 to $23) and specials ($22 to $28). Buyer beware.
In any case, what we had, we liked. The food was fresh, the service attentive, and the portions ample. The soft-shell crabs came atop a mountain of angel hair pasta with a white wine, oil, and garlic sauce. Calves liver, a treat for us, as we normally watch our cholesterol intake, was accompanied by caramelized onions, butternut squash, a carrot and bean medley, and a balsamic glaze; a very colorful dish. The veal chop was humongous, tender, and worth the $38 tariff. Trout, which wasn’t listed on any menu, tasted as if it had just been caught. Dessert offerings—berries, tiramisu, cheesecake, and so on—didn’t tempt us, and since we were full we didn’t feel as if we were missing something. For reservations call 908-604-2440.
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RESTAURANT LORENA’S, MAPLEWOOD
Restaurant Lorena’s, 168 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood, will be open on Tuesdays for the summer season. The restaurant is offering a $39 prix-fixe menu on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays. For reservations call 973-763-4460; BYO.
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STAGE LEFT, NEW BRUNSWICK, BUTCHER SHOP
The response to the Stage Left butcher over Memorial Day weekend was so positive that the restaurant, located at 5 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, will offer raw steaks, chops, burgers, and fixings for home grilling over Father’s Day, July Fourth, and Labor Day weekends as well. For more information and to place an order call 732-828-4444.
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A CELEBRATION OF FISH FROM NEW JERSEY & BEYOND
Off the Hook: A Celebration of Fish From New Jersey & Beyond, presented by the South Jersey Green Restaurant Group, will be held from June 22 through 25 at more than 30 restaurants in Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington counties. Each restaurant will feature four-course meals for $30 a person. For more information and a list of participating restaurants visit www.sjgreendining.com. Reservations are recommended. The South Jersey Green Restaurant Group, organized by Chef Joe Palombo of Mirabella Café, Cherry Hill, is open to any restaurant in South Jersey that makes the commitment to establishing a minimum of twenty green initiatives, including instituting a full recycling program, using no Styrofoam products, buying locally grown food, and composting.
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DINING DEALS
McCormick & Schmick’s, 175 Riverside Square, Hackensack, is offering a two-course meal Mondays through Fridays from 4 to 6 PM for $15.95. For reservations call 201-968-9410.
Rat’s, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton, is offering a $38 three-course prix-fixe dinner menu Tuesdays through Fridays from 5 to 7 PM, which includes access to Grounds for Sculpture. The menu changes weekly and is available through July. For reservations call 609-584-7800.
On Sundays throughout the summer, children eat free from the Kid Friendly menu at South City Grill, 55 Route 17 South, Rochelle Park. For reservations call 201-845-3737.
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