BUONCRISTIANI WINERY DINNER AT ELEMENTS, PRINCETON
On September 10, a Buoncristiani Winery event with winemaker Matt Buoncristiani will be held at Elements, 163 Bayard Lane, Princeton. Guests have three options:
Participate in a cocktail mingle with hors d’oeuvres and a presentation from 5:30 to 6:30 PM; $49. Reservations required.
Have a six-course tasting menu created by executive chef Scott Anderson from 6:30 to 9 PM; $140 with wine, $75 for food only.
Dine à la carte and opt for a flight of five wines for $70. Reservations and walk-ins are welcome for the tasting menu or for à la carte dining.
Buoncristiani Winery, located in Napa, California, produces limited quantities of handcrafted premium wines. Its motto: “Quality, not quantity, and we craft our wines without compromise.” Pricing does not include tax or gratuity. For more information and reservations call 609-924-0078.
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DINNER WITH YOUR DOG
On August 23, take your dog to dinner on the terrace of the Gladstone Tavern, 273 Main Street, Gladstone, and help raise money for St. Hubert’s, an organization that feeds, shelters, and provides care for nearly 4,000 animals each year. Seatings will be at noon, 2 PM, 4 PM, and 6 PM. Guests will be able to order from the restaurant’s seasonal dinner menu, while dogs will feast on bowls of beef stew. Admission for dogs is $10; orders of beef stew are $5 and $7, for small and large bowls, respectively. All proceeds from admission and orders of beef stew will benefit homeless pets. Reservations for Dinner With Your Dog are required and can be made by calling the Gladstone Tavern at 908-234-9055.
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TABLE 8, MONTCLAIR
There’s a bounty of news from Table 8, 615 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair. Along with owner Demetri Malki, the new chef, Michael Burbella, has launched a creative contemporary-Mediterranean menu featuring cocoa-spiced duck breast; peppercorn-crusted sirloin; and salmon with pencil asparagus, crispy polenta, crimini mushrooms, and smoked salmon sauce. In addition to the à la carte menu, a $30 three-course prix-fixe menu with choices is offered Sundays through Thursdays. And Sangria Sundays has been introduced, offering complimentary house-made sangria. For reservations call 973-746-2233; BYO.
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CARMINE’S, LIVINGSTON
On and off for five years, a restaurant was being renovated at 405 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston. It has finally opened, and it’s called Carmine’s. It’s not the NYC Carmine’s, but it is affiliated with Carmine’s in Asbury Park. The space is attractive, with high ceilings, red walls, double tablecloths (black-and-white checkered topped with white), and a large bar. The restaurant can get noisy, though. On the night we were there it was only one-third full, and music added to the din.
Executive chef Michael Acquaviva puts out humongous platters of food. Plan on sharing. Our rigatoni with vodka sauce could have served four people as an appetizer. Starters range from the usual Italian offerings of calamari, lasagna, and baked clams to not-often-seen options such as lollipop lamb chops and lobster salad. For entrées, fish, veal, beef, lamb, and chicken dishes are listed. The cowboy steak looked tempting, but I opted for the veal capriciosa made with seasoned panko bread crumbs and topped with arugula, tomatoes, red onions, and extra-virgin olive oil. We had it for dinner the next night, along with Lowell’s chicken scarpariello, made on the bone with hot and sweet sausage, roasted potatoes, and hot and sweet vinegar peppers. Next time I will order an appetizer for an entrée and share. The glass of wine each of us ordered was a generous pour, and bottles start at $16, with many options in the $20 range. Sangria by the glass or carafe is also available. Dessert, pistachio ice cream cake with a caramel layer and graham cracker crust, was also outsized—but it was yummy enough that we finished it. For reservations call 973-992-4167.
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SETTE CUCINA ITALIANA, BERNARDSVILLE
While Carmine’s is a large, boisterous establishment (see above), Sette Cucina Italiana, 7 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, is a tiny 28-seat BYO restaurant serving traditional Italian cuisine as interpreted by owner and executive chef Allan Russo. Russo’s father, Chef Filippo Russo, owns Da Filippo’s Autentica Cucina Italiana in Somerville, where Allan apprenticed and honed his skills. The Sette Cucina menu is small but varied enough that diners have worthy options to choose from. Some items: braised artichokes filled with Ragusano cheese, fresh garlic, parsley, and anchovies; risotto with homemade sausage, Parmigianino cheese, saffron, and white truffle oil; pork loin filled with Fontina cheese and pancetta and garnished with a cream truffle sauce; pan-seared marinated white snapper filet topped with fresh diced tomatoes and Gaeta olives; and layered warm puff pastry filled with lemon essence custard. Sette Cucina is open for lunch Tuesdays through Fridays and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays. For reservations call 908-502-5054.
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FESTIVAL OF PEACHES AT THE FROG AND THE PEACH
Through mid-September, peaches are being showcased at the Frog and the Peach, 29 Dennis Street, New Brunswick, with a special six-course tasting menu consisting of a grilled skewered peach; peach carpaccio with duck confit; scallop and peach sushi roll; foie gras with peach gelée; aged Gouda with peach chutney; and peaches-and-cream parfait with ginger. Cost is $59, or $105 with paired wines. For reservations call 732-846-3216.
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THE EPICUREAN PALETTE
On September 13, the Epicurean Palette will be held at Grounds for Sculpture, 18 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton, to benefit Grounds for Sculpture. Participants include: the Blue Bottle Café, Bobolink Dairy, the Brothers Moon, Chez Alice, Miele, Rat’s Restaurant, Restaurant One 53, and Starr Restaurant Group. 1 to 4 PM; members $85, non-members $99. For tickets log on to www.epicureanpalette.org or call 609-584-7760.
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KIDS’ RESTAURANT WEEK
Children under twelve can have three courses for $9.99 during Kids’ Restaurant Week, which will be celebrated August 30 through September 3 at Andreotti’s Viennese Café, Cherry Hill; Blackbird, Collingswood; Blueplate, Mullica Hill; Mirabella Café, Cherry Hill; and the Tortilla Press, Collingswood. For more information log on to www.sjculinaryevents.com.
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DINING DEALS
Café 34, 787 Route 34, Matawan, has a burger fest at the bar daily from noon to 3 PM, with a quarter-pound Angus burger with fries for $5. Phone: 732-583-9700.
On Tuesday nights, the ChopHouse, 4 South Lakeview Drive, Gibbsboro, offers half-price wine on any bottle $50 and up, with the exception of Bond & Harlan. For reservations call 856-566-7300.
Giumarello’s Restaurant and G Bar, 329 Haddon Avenue, Westmont, offers a three-course prix-fixe menu Tuesdays through Fridays from 5 to 6:30 PM, ranging from $15.99 to $18.99. For reservations call 856-858-9400.
Every day through Labor Day, all bottles of wine are half off at restaurant.mc, 57 Main Street, Millburn. You can also BYO without a corkage fee. For dinner reservations call 973-921-0889.
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