Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about the Chef’s Place in New Brunswick, Lassoni in North Arlington, restaurants that will be open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and much more news about NJ restaurants.

THE CHEF’S PLACE, NEW BRUNSWICK
Executive chef/owner Lauren Covas was not in attendance when we dined at her BYO restaurant, the Chef’s Place, 349 A George Street, New Brunswick. We just couldn’t help wondering whether more attention would have been paid to the cooking and whether our meal would have been tastier had she been manning the stoves. Dinner is served only Thursdays through Saturdays, while breakfast and lunch are offered Mondays through Saturdays. Of the four appetizers we tried, three were fine: Maryland lump crab cake, beautifully plated roasted baby beet salad with mixed greens and fried goat cheese, and flavorful grilled spicy chorizo with Tuscan white bean salad and greens. The fourth app, grilled octopus with garbanzo beans, tomatoes, and sautéed spinach, was so tough and rubbery that no one at the table could eat it. The server never asked why we were leaving uneaten food. The pan-seared cod entrée had the same beans as the chorizo dish, except now they were warm and accompanied by spinach and pancetta. Pork loin was dry, but the lentils served with the pork saved the dish with their earthy flavor. Shrimp, calamari, and scallop risotto with butternut squash, roasted corn, and Parmesan was creamy but read better than it tasted. Grilled salmon with a mustard dill sauce was our favorite entrée, and the accompanying spaghetti squash, braised fennel, and bacon gave us hope that the Chef’s Place has promise; it’s just that perhaps more attention needs to be paid to the food preparation. For reservations call 732-220-0071.



Cod at the Chef’s Place.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.

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LASSONI, NORTH ARLINGTON
Traditional Italian dishes, reasonable prices, large portions, and a very reasonably priced wine list heavy on Sicilian and Italian options are all good reasons for trying Lassoni, 602 Ridge Road, North Arlington. Although the room lacks ambiance with unadorned tables, a wood floor, and piped-in music, we thought the food and service were of good quality. For starters a cherry tomato, avocado, red beet, and red onion salad with a scrumptious goat cheese dressing was large enough for two to share. Served on a chilled plate, this dish was not only colorful but also full of flavor. Fresh-made tagliatelle with a Bolognese sauce was filling and one of the better renditions of this dish that we’ve had in a long time. A special of branzino fillet topped with a mound of mushrooms and asparagus was accompanied by string beans and roasted potatoes as well. We usually have this fish on the bone with the head and tail, but we found the fillet to be tasty and perfectly cooked. Our meal was finished with a refreshingly light house-made lemon meringue pie. Lassoni also offers a three-course price-fixed lunch Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 to 4 PM for $8.95 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations call 201-998-0911.

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DELMONICO, CEDAR GROVE
We had an interesting dinner experience at DelMonico, 505 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove (973-433-0333), which is getting a lot of buzz, as one of the co-owners is James Gandolfini, aka Tony Soprano from The Sopranos. His partner is the chef Bobby Wong, who also owns the Village Gourmet (Rutherford), Tina Louise (Carlstadt), Mignon (Rutherford), and Tao’s (East Rutherford). This is what we liked about the restaurant:

It has a $5 corkage fee. The wine list, however, is very reasonably priced, with many selections in the $20 range.

It has a quirky bathroom with a stockpot sink and directions on how to turn on the water. It does put a smile on your face—which the food that we tasted didn’t, which brings us to…

What we didn’t like:

A painful noise level, making conversation impossible.

Being told that a party of six would have two hours to dine when we called to confirm our reservation.

The twenty-five-plus-page menu scattered with ads and listing so many choices that we wondered how the kitchen could successfully put out so many dishes. We stopped counting appetizers after we reached 40, and that didn’t include the raw bar.

We got a good laugh when:

I asked the waiter how long the steak was aged (the menu listed steak as USDA aged), and he said, “We get the steak in fresh daily.”

We ordered spicy wontons, grilled shiitake mushrooms, tuna ceviche, and boneless Buffalo chicken wings as appetizers. Entrées came with a tasty albeit overdressed salad. We figured that if a restaurant is named DelMonico we couldn’t go wrong with the DelMonico steak. We finally learned that the steak was wet aged for 21 days. The menu listed it as “a prime 16- or 22-ounce rib eye served on the bone for added flavor.” We were served a tasteless and tough piece of meat. Overcooked pork chops were difficult to chew, and the mealy filet mignon was wrapped with burnt bacon. Dining companions did not fare much better with the Italian entrées of chicken parmigiana, baked ziti, and shells with eggplant and mozzarella. No dessert, as we were nearing our two-hour limit. To quote Tony Soprano, “End of story.”



The women’s bathroom at DelMonico.
Photo courtesy of Rosie Saferstein.

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WHAT ARE YOU MAKING ON NEW YEAR’S EVE?
Get ready for 2011 with a New Year’s Celebration cooking class at Viking Culinary Center, 4 Sperry Road, Fairfield, on December 16 (10 AM to 1 PM), 27 (6 to 9 PM), 28 (6 to 9 PM), and 29 (6 to 9 PM). The following dishes will be taught: mixed salad greens with candied apples and pecans and mini grilled Brie sandwiches; chateaubriand with béarnaise; prosciutto-wrapped shrimp; broccoli Boursin gratin; and chocolate crème brûlée with fresh raspberries. Sample recipes will also be distributed for toasted almond crab dip and parsley potatoes. All classes are $119 except for the December 16 class, which is $99. To enroll log on to www.vikingcookingschool.com or call 973-244-1580.

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Congratulations to Chef Chris Brandl, owner of Brandl in Belmar, for winning the Ultimate Jersey Shore Chef Competition, which was held in early November at the Six Flags First Annual Grape Adventure. Second-place honors went to Chef Peter Fischbach of Creative Caterers in Toms River.

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Holiday celebrations will be held at the following restaurants:

The Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, is presenting two festive dining options. On Christmas Eve, a three-course prix-fixe dinner will be served in the dining room; $90, $45 for children ages twelve and under. The buffet in the Ballroom is $65, $29 for children ages six to twelve, $15 for children ages two to five, and no charge for children under two. Seatings for both venues are from 4 to 8 PM. Santa Claus will be at the inn on Christmas Eve with treats for children of all ages. The holiday season can also be celebrated at a buffet breakfast with Santa on December 12 and 19 from 10 AM to 1 PM, which will include made-to-order omelets, pancakes with toppings, bacon, sausage, salads, fresh fruit, and other breakfast items. There will be special holiday-treat tables for children, which will feature gingerbread and a selection of cookies, cupcakes, candy canes, and more. Prices are $29.95 for adults, $10 for children ages five to twelve, and no charge for children under five. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet and take photographs with Santa. Reservations can be made by calling 908-766-0002.

A five-course Christmas Eve fish dinner will be offered at Casa Dante, 737 Newark Avenue, Jersey City. 4 to 9 PM; $65. For reservations call 201-795-2750.

Catherine Lombardi, 3 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, will be seating for dinner on Christmas Eve from 4:30 to 8:30 PM with the regular à la carte menu as well as a traditional Italian-American Christmas Eve feast of fish for $59.95. For reservations call 732-296-9463.

On Christmas Day, relax with and leave the cooking to Copeland Restaurant, Westin Governor Morris, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown, which will be open from 1 to 9 PM; three courses $59, $29 for children ages eleven and under. Call 973-451-2619 for reservations and private dining.

David Burke Fromagerie, 26 Ridge Road, Rumson, will offer a three-course prix-fixe Christmas Eve dinner from 4 to 10 PM for $75 per person. On Christmas Day, lunch will be served from noon to 4 PM and dinner will be served from 4 to 10 PM with a limited à la carte menu. For reservations call 732-842-8088.

Joe Palombo’s Mirabella Cafe, Barclay Farms Shopping Center, 210 East Route 70, Cherry Hill, will celebrate Christmas on December 23 and 24 with a traditional seven-fishes feast for $42.99 per person. For reservations call 856-354-1888.

A holiday-themed buffet and a four-course prix-fixe menu will be available at the Manor, 111 Prospect Avenue, West Orange, on Christmas Day from 12:30 to 6:30 PM. Buffet $49.95, children $19.95; prix-fixe dinner $59.95, children $24.95. For reservations call 973-731-2360.

Spend Christmas Eve at Restaurant Nicholas, 160 Route 35 South, Middletown, where a three-course menu ($65), four-course garden menu ($65), and six-course tasting menu ($85) will be available from 5:30 to 10:30 PM. Call 732-345-9977 for reservations.

Restaurant Serenade, 6 Roosevelt Avenue, Chatham, will be open for dinner on Christmas Eve from 5 to 9 PM; $65, $32 for children ages ten and under. For reservations call 973-701-0303.

On Christmas Eve, Rod’s, Madison Hotel, 1 Convent Road, Morristown, will be open from 4:30 to 7:30 PM. For reservations call 973-539-6666.

The feast of the seven fishes will be offered at Scaturro’s Restaurant & Bar, 841 Route 73, Marlton, from 4 to 8 PM on Christmas Eve; $42.95. For reservations call 856-985-4560.

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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.