Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about a Seven Deadly Zins wine dinner at Stage Left in New Brunswick, Greek Night at Nisi in Englewood, holiday events in Cape May, and much more news about NJ restaurants.

WINE DINNER AT STAGE LEFT, NEW BRUNSWICK
If you think you’ll be tired of turkey the Saturday after Thanksgiving, consider attending a Seven Deadly Zins wine dinner on November 27 at Stage Left, 5 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. The menu will include hors d’oeuvres; olive-oil-poached tuna with compressed picholine olives, garlic, and preserved tomatoes; tart of duck confit and cipollini onions with a sauce of ginger and house-preserved blackberries; mint-rubbed lamb loin under pressure with purple potato gratin; and an apple and aged Cheddar crêpe. Each course will be paired with wine. 7 PM; $139 plus tax and 20 percent service. For reservations call 732-828-4444.

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GREEK NIGHT AT NISI, ENGLEWOOD
It’s Greek Night on November 22 at Nisi Estiatorio, 90 Grand Avenue, Englewood, with a free cocktail sampling in the lounge from 7 to 9 PM, music starting at 9 PM, and half-price Stoli vodka cocktails after 9 PM. For dinner reservations call 201-567-4700.

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BOBOLINK DAIRY & BAKEHOUSE NOW IN MILFORD
On a beautiful Sunday afternoon we took a ride to Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse, formerly in Vernon and now at 369 Stamets Road, Milford (Hunterdon County). Owners Jonathan and Nina White specialize in making cheeses from the raw milk of their 100 percent grass-fed cows and in baking breads with locally grown organic whole grains in their wood-fired oven. The farm store features seasonal suckled veal, beef, and pork from Bobolink’s own herd, as well as a selection of items (butter and milk from grass-fed animals, duck products, chicken and eggs, and local homey) from other regional farms that use the same sustainable practices as Bobolink. We bought cave-ripened Cheddar, eggs, and ciabatta, whole-wheat, rye, and flaxseed breads. Breakfasts have never tasted so good!

Store hours are noon to 5 PM on Fridays and 9 AM to 5 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. The farm is open year round, with special tours planned for the Friday after Thanksgiving and weekdays between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Bobolink is hosting a Grand Rounds Tour and Pig Roast on November 21 from 10 AM to 2 PM, which includes a two-mile hike through the property with Jonathan White and grazing expert Bryan Petrucci, followed by lunch in the backyard tent. The meal will include one of Bobolink’s own whey-fed pigs, accompanied by bread and cheese, plus side dishes made from locally grown produce, apple cider from local orchards, and ale from the Ship Inn of Milford. For reservations for the dinner or tours log on to www.cowsoutside.com.




Breads and cheeses from Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse.

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO STEAKHOUSE 85, NEW BRUNSWICK
To celebrate the restaurant’s second anniversary, Chef Brian Karluk at Steakhouse 85, 85 Church Street, New Brunswick, has put together a three-course tasting menu paired with wine for $85, which will be available from November 26 through 28. For more information log on to www.steakhouse85.com, and for reservations call 732-247-8585.

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HOLIDAY SEASON IN CAPE MAY
The holiday season will be celebrated in Cape May from November 19 through January 2, 2011, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities. Special holiday tours and events include Christmas Candlelight House Tours (December 4, 11, and 18), Lamplighter Christmas Tours, Ghosts of Christmas Past Trolley Rides, Emlen Physick Estate Christmas Tours, Holiday Inns Tours, Evening Holiday Lights Trolley Rides, Evening Ghosts of Christmas Past Trolley Rides, Santa’s Trolley Rides, and much more. For more information call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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CHARITY EVENT
On November 22, the newly opened California Pizza Kitchen, Bridgewater Commons Mall, Bridgewater, will donate 100 percent of all dine-in pizza sales during regular business hours to the Somerset County United Way’s Gifts of the Season program, which provides holiday gifts to local families in need.

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The following restaurants will be open on Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 25):

Amanda’s, 908 Washington Street, Hoboken, will have seatings at 1, 3, 5, and 7 PM. Call 201-798-0101 for more information.

Check out the beach and the view on Thanksgiving at Avenue, 23 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch, where a $28 three-course prix-fixe menu will be offered from 1 to 6 PM, featuring traditional Thanksgiving flavors and dishes. For reservations call 732-663-0002.

Diners will have two options at the Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, for Thanksgiving. A buffet will include oven-roasted organic Griggstown Farm turkey with all the trimmings, as well as beef, seafood, salads, artisanal cheeses, pasta selections, and an elaborate dessert display. Noon to 6 PM; $59, children ages six to twelve $29, children ages two to five $15, children under two free. Seatings for a three-course prix-fixe dinner are from 1 to 7 PM and will include special selections from Chef Corey Heyer. The dinner is priced at $75 for adults and $35 for children ages two to twelve. A Thanksgiving to-go menu is also available. For more information and reservations call 908-766-0002.

Experience Thanksgiving two ways at Boulevard Five72, 572 Boulevard, Kenilworth. A three-course prix-fixe menu will feature family-style appetizers (including sautéed lump crab cakes, pork and shrimp dumplings, and pumpkin ravioli) and a choice of entrée (roast organic maple-cured turkey and trimmings, braised lamb shank, or cavatelli with braised short ribs), plus a sampler of traditional Thanksgiving mini pastries for dessert. Or you can order à la carte, with a focused selection of chef’s favorites. 1 to 8 PM; prix fixe $55, children ages three to ten $17. For reservations call 908-709-1200.

Casa Dante, 737 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, will offer a prix-fixe turkey-dinner menu at $49 per person, a special à la carte menu, and the regular à la carte menu. 1 to 9 PM. For reservations call 201-795-2750.

A four-course traditional Italian-American Thanksgiving feast with adults paying $49.95 and children under sixteen paying their age will be offered at Catherine Lombardi, 3 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. An à la carte menu will also be available. Seatings from 1 to 6 PM. For reservations call 732-296-9463.

Chakra, West 144 Route 4 East, Paramus, is offering a three-course prix-fixe seasonal menu featuring classics as well as new favorites. Starters include house-smoked salmon with warm potato rosti and dill sour cream, and marinated pumpkin and frisée salad with Humboldt Fog goat cheese. Entrée choices include brandy-maple-brined Goffle Road turkey with cornbread stuffing, sage-crusted salmon medallion, and vegetarian eggplant tart. Noon to 7 PM; $36, $18 for a children’s turkey dinner. You can order à la carte as well. For reservations call 201-556-1530.

A holiday menu filled with sophisticated renditions of your favorite classics will be served at Copeland Restaurant, Westin Governor Morris, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown. 1 to 9 PM; three-course menu $59, $29 for children ages eleven and under (a children’s menu will also be available). For reservations call 973-451-2619.

David Burke Fromagerie, 26 Ridge Road, Rumson, will offer a three-course Thanksgiving feast, with choices, from 1 to 7 PM for $59. For reservations call 732-842-8088.

The Frog and the Peach, 29 Dennis Street, New Brunswick, will serve a three-course Thanksgiving menu for $52. For reservations call 732-846-3216.

Have Thanksgiving dinner at the shore with a tableside-carved whole roast turkey at the Golden Inn Resort Hotel, Oceanfront at 78th Street, Avalon. 1 to 7 PM; $24.95, children ages twelve and under $9.95. Enjoy Thanksgiving dinner for two and overnight lodging for $139 per couple. For reservations call 609-368-5155.

High Street Grill, 64 High Street, Mount Holly, will serve a prix-fixe menu featuring turkeys from Griggstown Farm. 2 to 8 PM; $35. For reservations call 609-265-9199.

Another favorite shore spot, the Knife and Fork Inn, Albany and Pacific Aves, Atlantic City, will serve Thanksgiving dinner from 2 to 8 PM. For reservations call 609-344-1133.

The Manhattan skyline and an expansive view of Liberty State Park make a spectacular all-American backdrop to Thanksgiving at Liberty House, 78 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City. A three-course prix-fixe menu will be offered from 1 to 6 PM; $48, children $25. For reservations call 201-395-0300.

View the jaw-dropping New York City skyline on Thanksgiving while dining at Maritime Parc, 84 Audrey Zapp Drive, Liberty State Park, Jersey City. A prix-fixe menu with a ton of food will be on hand for $65 per person, with optional $35 wine pairings. For reservations call 201-413-0050.

Napa Valley Grille, Garden State Plaza, Paramus, is offering a three-course Thanksgiving menu in addition to the regular menu. Noon to 7 PM; $38. For reservations call 201-845-5555.

Spend Thanksgiving at Restaurant Nicholas, 160 Route 35 South, Middletown, where a three-course menu ($65), a four-course garden menu ($65), a six-course tasting menu ($85), and a children’s menu ($28) will be available from 2 to 8 PM. Call 732-345-9977 for reservations.

The Park Steakhouse, 151 Kinderkamack Road, Park Ridge, will offer its standard à la carte menu as well as traditional holiday fare from 1 to 7 PM. For reservations call 201-930-1300.

Celebrate Thanksgiving your way with a choice of two dining options at Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille, 1 Convent Road, Morristown. A three-course traditional à la carte Thanksgiving dinner as well as lamb, beef, and seafood options will be served in the dining room; noon to 7:30 PM; $33.95 to $59.95. A Thanksgiving buffet will be served in the Grand Ballroom and the Conservatory of the Madison Hotel from noon to 5 PM; $49.95, children $20.95. For reservations call 973-539-6666.

Salt Creek Grille, 4 Bingham Avenue, Rumson, will serve menu favorites and an all-inclusive roast turkey dinner. Noon to 7 PM; $26, children $10. For reservations call 732-751-5134.

Stage Left, 5 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, has family-friendly prices for Thanksgiving: Adults pay $59, and children under sixteen pay their age for the three-course Thanksgiving tasting menu. Reserve the Thanksgiving menu when making your reservation. An à la carte menu will also be available. Seatings from 2 to 7 PM. Call 732-828-4444 for reservations.

Stone House at Stirling Ridge, 50 Stirling Avenue, Warren, will serve a three-course prix-fixe menu featuring a traditional turkey dinner accompanied by cornbread dressing with apples and sausage and classic family-style sides. Or choose grilled salmon, grilled filet mignon, or roast stuffed Berkshire pork loin. Noon to 6 PM; $55. For reservations call 908-754-1222.

The Strip House, Westminster Hotel, 550 West Mount Pleasant Avenue, Livingston, will celebrate Thanksgiving in classic style with a menu of holiday favorites, a roast turkey dinner with all the traditional sides ($38, $23 for children), and the regular menu. Noon to 9 PM. For reservations call 973-548-0050.

twofiftytwo, 252 Somerville Rd, Bedminster, will have a Thanksgiving menu available for pick-up on Thanksgiving Eve from 11 AM to 6 PM. For more information call 908-234-9093.

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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to rosie@njmonthly.com.