Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about the Dinner of Hope at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park, the Far Hills Race Meeting, Taverna Mykonos in Elmwood Park, and much more news about NJ restaurants.

DINNER OF HOPE
On October 15, a six-course, black tie Dinner of Hope will be held at the Park Avenue Club, 184 Park Avenue, Florham Park. The event will benefit Creative Heartwork Inc., which provides therapeutic arts programs to Northern New Jersey children who have experienced trauma, loss, illness, or disability. Along with the culinary coordinator, Chef Craig Shelton, the following chefs will be preparing an organic Farm to Table dinner: Anthony Bucco from Uproot in Warren; Scott Cutaneo from Equus Tavern in Bernardsville; Ike Koutrakos from Cooking in Your Kitchen in Fair Lawn; Josh Kroner from Terrapin in Rhinebeck, NY; and Arnold Kruck from the Park Avenue Club. Sommelier Terri Baldwin from the Bernards Inn in Bernardsville will be selecting the wines. One more chef will be revealed for the dessert course. 6:30 PM; $1,000 per plate, or $5,000 for a table of ten. For tickets call 973-889-0809.

***********************

FAR HILLS RACE MEETING
On October 23, the 90th Annual Far Hills Race Meeting will be held at Moorland Farms, Far Hills, to benefit the Steeplechase Cancer Center at Somerset Medical Center. This event is known for its extravagant fall picnics with beautiful floral centerpieces, hay-bale seating, ice carvings, and more. Bring your own picnic or order a feast from one of the registered caterers, which can be found online at www.farhillsrace.org. Attendees also have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the first ever Chairman’s Tent, an all-inclusive option with reserved seating as well as food and beverages throughout the day. Grounds open to the public at 8 AM, and post time for the first race is 12:45 PM. Advance tickets are $50, and a parking pass is $30. On the day of the event, general admission is $100. For more information and tickets contact the Far Hills Race Meeting Association at 908-685-2929 or visit www.farhillsrace.org.

**************************

MARCH OF DIMES SIGNATURE CHEFS AUCTION
On October 25, the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction: International Flavors will be held at the Hyatt Regency Princeton, 102 Carnegie Center, Princeton. The evening will feature samplings from area restaurants complemented by wine and spirits, plus a live and silent auction of unique gifts. 6 to 9 PM; $100. For tickets call 609-655-7400.

********************

GARY’S WINE & MARKETPLACE’S 19TH ANNUAL GRAND TASTING
On October 18, more than 400 wines will be featured at Gary’s Wine & Marketplace’s 19th Annual Grand Tasting, which will be held at the Madison Hotel, 1 Convent Road, Morristown, to benefit the Interfaith Food Pantry, Atlantic Hospice, and the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at Morristown Memorial Hospital. A VIP hour begins at 6 PM ($100); general admission is at 7 PM ($75). Admission for Tasters Guild members is $65. Tickets are available online at www.garyswine.com/local/events/grand_tasting.html or by calling 973-633-3900.

******************

TAVERNA MYKONOS

The owners of Oceanos in Fair Lawn have recently opened Taverna Mykonos at 238 Broadway (Route 4), Elmwood Park. This modern, eye-catching restaurant has white leather booths, a small bar, wood tables, padded rattan chairs, photos from Greece, and gorgeous framed tiles that create Mediterranean-themed pictures. We started with melizanosalata, a spread made with fire-roasted eggplant, herbs, and olive oil. This delicious smoky dip was served with grilled pita. The horyatiki, a salad made with tomatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, red onions, capers, feta cheese, and cucumber, was large enough for three people to share. Dressed with extra virgin olive oil, it was a perfect starter. A stifado entrée, made with boneless short ribs, was a hardy dish that would be perfect for a cold winter evening. It was served with boiled onions, mashed potatoes, and a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon. We found that the appetizer portion of grilled octopus, which was large enough to be an entrée, had an assertive red wine vinegar and olive oil sauce that could be too strong for some tastes. A side of horta, a mixture of greens, was bolstered with lemon. On offer are desserts such as Greek yogurt with walnuts, honey, and cherries; baklava; and Greek doughnuts or cookies. We chose ekmek, a rich dessert made with shredded phyllo dough topped with a light custard, whipped cream, and almonds. Reasonably priced Greek beers and wines are available as well. For reservations call 201-703-9200.

Taverna Mykonos octopus.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.

****************************************

SARELLI’S, BAYONNE

A friend who lives in Bayonne raved about Sarelli’s, at 241 Broadway, so we gave it a try and found this neighborhood restaurant to be a pleasant surprise. Although the menu is similar to that of a plethora of Italian restaurants in NJ, we thought the red sauce was better than most, plus the service was friendly and the prices very reasonable, with many items under $20. The wine list is also reasonably priced, and the wines by the glass ($5 to $7) were very generous pours. Eggplant parmigiana is my go-to dish, but most times I’m disappointed, as so many places use previously frozen, heavily breaded eggplant rounds and canned sauces to make this dish. Not so at Sarelli’s. The eggplant was thin, lightly fried, and topped with melted mozzarella and a tomato sauce that would make Nonna proud. This dish, as with all entrées, was accompanied by broccoli and carrots sautéed with garlic and a sweet-potato-colored custard croquette. The croquette, while interesting, was sprinkled with sugar and would be better as a dessert. Along with the “seen that before” menu items (veal Marsala, penne alla vodka, pollo scarpariello, etc.), there were a few not-often-seen choices, such as chicken liver over field salad and calf’s liver sautéed with onions in a brown sauce. Familiar desserts such as tiramisu, Italian cheesecake, and strawberries with zabaglione are offered. For reservations call 201-858-0865.

****************

SOUTH JERSEY RESTAURANT WEEK
South Jersey Restaurant Week will be celebrated from October 17 through 22 with four courses for $25 or $35. For a list of participating restaurants and their promotions, log on to www.sjhotchefs.com/restweek.

*************

GARLIC FESTIVAL
On October 17, get ready to keep the vampires away at the Third Annual Heirloom Garlic Festival, which will be held at the Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson Street, Hoboken. 1 to 5 PM; free. For more information call 201-656-2240 or visit www.hobokenmuseum.org.

**********************

TAILGATE PARTY HOSTED BY STEAKHOUSE 85
On October 16, Steakhouse 85, 85 Church Street, New Brunswick, will be hosting a tailgate party and pig roast at the new Meadowlands Stadium for the Rutgers vs. Army game; $75. The restaurant will also provide transportation to and from the game. For more information and reservations call 732-247-8585.

*********

Condolences to the family of Joseph Cerniglia, chef/owner of Campania in Fair Lawn, who recently passed away.

************
Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].

Read more Table Hopping articles.

By submitting comments you grant permission for all or part of those comments to appear in the print edition of New Jersey Monthly.

Required
Required not shown
Required not shown