ELEMENTS
Dinner lasted a delicious four hours, and we stopped counting after the tenth course. We were at the chef’s table in the air-conditioned kitchen at Elements, 163 Bayard Lane, Princeton, where executive chef/co-owner Scott Anderson, sous chef Joe Sparatta, and their staff worked magic by producing visually, aesthetically, and gastronomically memorable dishes. Everyone worked nonstop, but it all looked effortless. Anderson’s eagle eyes checked every plate before it was taken to a customer. Sparatta and the staff quietly went about their tasks. Every movement seemed coordinated, like watching a ballet. We were enthralled.
Elements offers interpretive American cuisine that focuses on locally grown and sustainable products. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and described each course as it was set in front of us. Our meal started with six spoons presented on a heated stone, each spoon containing an different amuse: tomato tartare, tuna tataki, beet salad, laughing shrimp with white balsamic, lemon thyme, melon soup, and pulled pork slider. A few of the highlights of our dinner were: Mangalitsa pig charcuterie plate; Dungeness crab salad with compressed pickled cucumbers, Serrano chile, and yogurt; halibut with garlic crayfish soup, decorated with tomatoes and parsley drops; swordfish with coleslaw, on a plate painted with parsley sauce and BBQ sauce; local chanterelles and morels with a poached egg and black truffles; sweet and salty pre-dessert of an eggshell filled with bacon custard cream, topped with aerated maple syrup and salt, and served with French toast and maple-cured bacon; salted popcorn ice cream; and chocolate dessert plate. Along with petit fours presented when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, a serving of wrapped pound cake was offered as we left the restaurant.
Elements has an open kitchen that is visible at the entrance and from a balcony that seats sixteen. The chef’s table in the kitchen can accommodate up to ten people, and another room called “the cube” is enclosed and seats eight. Tables are spaced far apart in the dining room. Plates and/or tiles in unusual shapes are used to present the food, and there are Riedel glasses for your wine. A modern, sophisticated elegance is also created with the stone, steel, and wood that are used throughout the building.
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, dinner Sunday from 5 to 9 PM, and Sunday brunch from 11 AM to 2 PM. For reservations call 609-924-0078.
Halibut with garlic crayfish soup, decorated with tomatoes and parsley drops, from Elements, Princeton.
Picture courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
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A MANO, RIDGEWOOD
A Mano (“by hand” in Italian), located at 24 Franklin Avenue, Ridgewood, serves fresh made-from-scratch Neapolitan pizzas, salads, panini, and entrées using premium ingredients from Naples or sourced from local produce purveyors. Fresh mozzarella is made daily on the premises.
The pizza is chock full of flavor—crispy and charred along the edges and the bottom from the 1,000-degree wood-burning oven, where it cooks in less than two minutes. It’s made with all-natural Caputo flour, known as the best flour for pizza and pasta, and San Marzano tomatoes. Twenty-plus varieties of pizza are available, and new flavors are regularly introduced, along with seasonal menu changes. We had the Margherita, made with mozzarella, tomatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano, extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh basil, and the Ortolana (“greengrocer” in Italian), a vegetarian pie topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, artichokes, mushrooms, extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh basil. Both were scrumptious. On Sundays only, A Mano serves gluten-free pizza for an additional $5 per pie. A whole-wheat variety is available daily for an additional $3 per pie. The pizzas are about twelve inches in diameter and range in price for $6.99 for the bambino (kid’s pizza) to $19.99 for the stuffed pizza with fresh ricotta, mozzarella, Neapolitan salami, tomatoes, Italian ham, mushrooms, extra-virgin olive oil, and basil.
A Mano is proud to be one of only three U.S. pizza restaurants (one is in Denver, the other in Chicago) to receive impressive certifications from both the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association and the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, the recognized Italian authorities on traditional Neapolitan pizza.
Keeping it fresh and simple, using quality ingredients, and being authentic to the Neapolitan methods are the name of the game here. Along with the pizza, we had a Caprese salad with handmade mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and EVOO. It was a perfect assemblage, as was the fresh arugula with grilled artichokes and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. For a heartier dish, any of the salads can be served atop Parmigiano-Reggiano focaccia. We were told that the meatballs, a special on our visit, are prepared in the traditional Neapolitan manner—but the recipe was a secret. In any case, these flavorful orbs were served with a house-made tomato sauce as a delicious appetizer to share. Other options are gnocchi, vegetable or meat lasagna with house-made thin pasta sheets, panini, calzones, and daily specials. If it’s available, try the eggplant, which is not breaded but simply served with tomato sauce and a dusting of cheese.
There are thirteen enticing gelato flavors to choose from for dessert, all made on the premises. We found the strawberry to be intense with flavor. A whimsical and oh so delicious chocolate pizza has Nutella, the chocolate hazelnut spread, sandwiched between pizza dough.
A Mano includes two levels for dining, and all the furniture, kitchen supplies, and painted tiles that adorn the counters, tabletops, and bathrooms come from Italy. The wood-fired ovens were built in the restaurant by two Italian artisans. The kitchen is open, so be sure to check out the specials of the day lined up on the counter. Dramatic dark-red walls are decorated with black-and-white photos. The pictures of the pizzaioli (pizza makers) handling dough and making pizza will catch your eye. A newly hired manager and staff provide attentive service.
A Mano, which is BYO, is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 AM to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday from 11:30 AM to 11 PM, and Sunday from noon to 10 PM. For reservations call 201-493-2000.
Margherita pizza from A Mano, Ridgewood.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
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WINE DINNER AT CASA DANTE, JERSEY CITY
On October 6, a five-course dinner featuring wines from Argentina and Spain, with music by with a Spanish guitarist, will be held at Casa Dante, 737 Newark Avenue, Jersey City. Executive chef Greg Freda will present the following menu:
Polenta-crusted long hot pepper stuffed with sheep’s milk ricotta, mascarpone, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Locatelli Romano
(2006 Martin Fierro Torrontes, Argentina)
Kumamoto oysters with white balsamic mignonette and pickled cucumber and radish salad
(2007 Protos Verdejo, Spain)
Ragu of wild boar over pappardelle pasta
(2003 Protos Reserva, Spain)
Braised beef short ribs with chimichurri sauce
(2007 Henry Lagarde Malbec Reserva, Argentina; 2006 Henry Lagarde Single Vineyard Malbec, Argentina)
Chocolate Cabernet torte with vanilla crème anglaise
(2003 Henry Lagarde Cabernet, Argentina; 2006 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet, U.S.A.)
6:30 PM; $95 plus tax and gratuity. Only 46 slots are being held; the first 20 customers to make reservations now through September 30 and to mention that they read about this dinner on the New Jersey Monthly Website will be charged the discounted rate of $75 per person plus tax and tip. For reservations call 201-795-2750.
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HUNTERDON HUMANE ANIMAL SHELTER FUNDRAISER
It’s for the dogs—and other animals too—on October 5, when a five-course vegetarian dinner with wines to benefit the Hunterdon Humane Animal Shelter will be held at Anton’s at the Swan, 43 South Main Street, Lambertville. 6:30 PM; $100. For reservations call Eric at 609-397-1960 ext 6.
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RAT’S RESTAURANT, HAMILTON
Rat’s, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton, was recently taken over by Stephen Starr, a restaurateur with properties in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, New York City, and Fort Lauderdale. Kevin Sbraga is the new chef. Menu items include: blue crab soup; ricotta gnocchi with pancetta, poached egg, and truffle; scallops with cauliflower couscous, Swiss chard, and verjus sauce; duck with baby turnip, orange confit, and polenta; Colorado lamb with asparagus, roasted peppers, and grape leaves; and veal chop with salsify, wilted romaine, apples, and natural jus. Two of the tempting sweets created by pastry chef Max Dierkes are blueberry strudel with Tahitian vanilla ice cream, and baked Alaska with banana ice cream. Appetizers range in price from $5 for escabeche of olives to $19 for foie gras, entrées from $28 to $38, desserts $7 to $8. For reservations call 609-584-7800.
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Congratulations to executive chef Corey Heyer of the Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville (908-766-0002), who was recently named to the 2009 “Forty Under 40” list by NJ Biz magazine. Heyer became the first chef ever to join this select group of individuals who have been honored for their business and community contributions.
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DINING DEALS
The Clinton Social, 700 Clinton Street, Hoboken, is offering a $15 three–course meal Mondays through Fridays from 5 to 7 PM. For reservations call 201-239-0063.
Ted’s on Main, 20 South Main Street, Medford, is offering a three-course dinner for $30 Tuesdays through Thursdays. For reservations call 609-654-7011; BYO.
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