Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about Cavallo’s in Nutley, Chef Jon’s in Whippany, Smashburger in Montclair, and much more news about NJ restaurants.

CAVALLO’S, NUTLEY
For our favorite southern Italian dishes we often dine at Cavallo’s, 173 Bloomfield Avenue, Nutley, a neighborhood restaurant that has been in business since 1930. The atmosphere is nonexistent, and to reach the narrow 30-seat dining room you walk through a grocery and butcher shop and past a pizza counter. Portions are plentiful; we always bring home food for the next day. Any of the salads (house, Caesar, arugula) is a good starter; one order can feed two. Or opt for mussels marinara, fried calamari, or a bowl of soup. We usually order our favorites, pasta in vodka sauce and eggplant parmigiana. The eggplant is thinly sliced and layered with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, a delicious change from the preparations that are more breadcrumbs than eggplant. On our last visit we tried tortellini with vodka sauce, a creamy comfort dish. We can also recommend the steak; it’s not a thick cut, but it’s tasty. After all, the restaurant is part of a butcher shop. For dessert, go with the cannoli. Cavallo’s was named by the NJ Monthly critics as the Best Family Dining in the Readers’ and Critics Choice Poll 2008. For reservations call 973-667-1008; BYO.

Cavallo’s tortellini with vodka sauce.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.

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CHEF JON’S, WHIPPANY
Ask for the Chinese menu if you go to Chef Jon’s Chinese Restaurant, 831 Route 10 East, Whippany, unless you want a combination platter or any of the other Americanized dishes seen in many Chinese restaurants. To quote the chef on the restaurant’s homepage, “Be an honest man, cook authentic food.” And authentic Shanghai cuisine is what you will experience in this new BYO establishment. When we were there, the awnings from the old Lotus House were still up, making us wonder if we were in the right place. Some of the more unusual menu items are: yellow eel noodle soup; marinated gluten; chicken fingers (feet) in wine sauce; jellyfish in ginger sauce; shrimp with salted egg yolk; small hog hoof with lotus flavor; sautéed sponge gourd with deep-fried dough sticks; and glutinous rice balls with taro.

We started off with snow cabbage and pork noodle soup, a large bowl with a refreshing broth that was perfect for a cold winter night. There was more than enough for two to share, and we also had it for lunch the next day. This was followed by juicy steamed Chinese cabbage and pork dumplings with a soy-based dipping sauce. We were told by our most accommodating waiter, Jerry (his American name), that next time we should order the Shanghai wontons with pork and vegetables. Actually, he told us that he would order the best dishes for us, since he could see that we liked Chinese food. Sautéed Shanghai vegetables were a mélange of fresh-tasting greens, a perfect accompaniment to the best dish of the evening, Grandma’s red-cooked pork. This dish is considered Asian comfort food and has many variations; the recipe is often passed down in families. The tender and flavorful pork belly meat had a deep mahogany color and was delicious. Deep-orange-hued quartered hard-boiled eggs accompanied this dish. We initially thought they were mini yams. The color comes from cooking the eggs in a red sauce for hours, and that was about all we could learn, as the language barrier made it hard for our questions to be understood. The restaurant was getting busy as we were leaving on a weekend night, so you may want to make reservations, at 973-585-6258.

Grandma’s red-cooked pork.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.

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SMASHBURGER, MONTCLAIR
Smashburger, a fast-casual restaurant at 15 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, opened recently, joining Elevation Burger, 367 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, and the “coming soon” Five Guys Burgers and Fries, 622 Valley Road, Upper Montclair. So why the name Smashburger? It seems that a third-pound or half-pound ball of 100 percent fresh (never frozen) Angus beef is smashed, seared, and seasoned on a grill and served on an egg bun. The resulting burger is crunchy and comes one way: well done. There are various combinations and add-ons for the burger, and each state creates its own specialty version. The New Jersey Smashburger comes with applewood smoked bacon, blue cheese crumbles, grilled onions, haystack onions, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on an onion bun. Prices range from $4.99 for a third-pound burger to $5.99 for a half-pound burger.

Don’t want a burger? Other menu options are Smashchicken sandwiches ($6.99), all-beef Smashdogs, and Smashsalads. The Jersey Diner salad comes with romaine and iceberg lettuce, chopped applewood smoked bacon, diced tomatoes, and blue cheese crumbles and is topped with two fried eggs and crispy onion rings with blue cheese dressing. Some sides are veggie frites (asparagus spears, carrot sticks, and green beans); Smashfries seasoned with rosemary, olive oil, and garlic; and fried pickles. Häagen-Dazs shakes and malts as well as soft drinks help wash down all of the above. Kids’ meals, which include fries and a soft drink or milk, are also available for $3.99. Smashburger is open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM. If you can’t get to the Montclair location, be patient, as the company plans to open 30 outposts in Northern New Jersey over the next four years (eight by the end of 2010).

Classic Smashchicken sandwich.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.

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LOOKING AHEAD
Christine Nunn, owner of Picnic Caterers, Emerson, will be opening Picnic, the Restaurant, at 14-31 Plaza Road (Radburn Plaza), Fair Lawn, in the spring. Her catering business will leave its Emerson location sometime this month but will continue to operate from another local space. For more information call 201-321-3213.

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EXPANSION FINISHED AT CULINARIANE, MONTCLAIR
CulinAriane, 33 Walnut Street, Montclair, has finished with its renovation and expansion and is now open for dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays from 5:30 to 10 PM. For reservations call 973-744-0533; BYO.

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DINING DEALS

Bring your favorite bottle of wine to the Manor, 111 Prospect Avenue, West Orange, on weekday nights through March 12 with no corkage fee. For reservations call 973-731-2360.

On Sundays through the end of March, the Gladstone Tavern, 273 Main Street, Gladstone, will offer a three-course Family Dinner for $24 (children under ten $12). For reservations call 908-234-9055.

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Pasta Night is offered at Trattoria Rustica, 517 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, with a salad and a trio of three chef-selected pastas for $21.95. For reservations call 973-783-3436; BYO.

Tula Restaurant & Lounge, 47 Easton Avenue, New Brunswick, offers a three-course dinner Sundays through Thursdays for $26. For reservations call 732-246-0014.

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