Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about a fundraiser in Somerset for Elijah’s Promise, Seabra’s Marisqueira in Newark, Ninety Acres in Peapack-Gladstone at the James Beard House in NYC, and much more news about NJ restaurants.

ELIJAH’S PROMISE FUNDRAISER
On June 28, Chef’s Night will be held at the Palace at Somerset Park, 333 Davidson Avenue, Somerset, to benefit the Elijah’s Promise Culinary School, which offers a full-time intensive training program that prepares participants for employment in the food service industry. More than 25 chefs will be preparing and serving food, including chefs from Blue Rooster Bakery and Cafe, the Brothers Moon, Brandl, Christopher’s at the Heldrich, Due Mari, the Frog and the Peach, Harvest Moon Brewery & Cafe, the Palace at Somerset Park, Skylark Diner, Sophie’s Bistro, Steakhouse 85, TPC Jasna Polana, Tula, and more. 6 to 9 PM; $130. For tickets log on to www.elijahspromise.org or call 732-545-9002 ext 126.

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SEABRA’S MARISQUEIRA, NEWARK
There are so many restaurants in the Ironbound section of Newark that it’s hard to know which one to try. My friend Carol Berman, founder of Class in a Glass/the Traveling Sommelier (www.classinaglasswine.com), had been raving about Seabra’s Marisqueira, 87 Madison Street, Newark, for a long time, so we decided to give this Portuguese restaurant a try. My only request was that Carol order the food and wine. She chose a bottle of Monte Velho, a Portuguese white wine, which was $21 at the restaurant and $5.99 at a nearby liquor store on Ferry Street. I also saw it later at Total Wine for $9.99.

We started with cockles in garlic sauce, which was a special of the day. A large pot of these small saltwater bivalve mollusks was sweet and more than enough for two people to share. Portuguese rolls provided a good sponge for mopping up the addictive sauce. We also shared an entrée of three humongous grilled whole prawns (yes, the heads were on), which came with rice, string beans, carrots, and wonderful house-made fried potato chips, a staple at all of the Portuguese restaurants in Newark. A bowl of a thin reddish sauce tasting of garlic, oil, and paprika accompanied this dish.

There are plenty of fish choices at Seabra’s Marisqueira, some of which are on display by the open kitchen near the back dining room. Steak, goat, chicken, pork, and veal dishes are also available. The menu lists “a distinctive Portuguese delicacy,” Alentejo (also the name of a province in Portugal), which contains shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops, and cubed Portuguese bread and is flavored with olive oil, garlic, and coriander sauce and topped with a poached egg. We would love to try this on our next visit.

We bypassed dessert because Carol was taking me to Teixeira Bakery at 184 Ferry Street to have a sweet egg custard. These bite-size tarts have a flaky shell and a creamy interior. Don’t order just one—it won’t be enough. Then we visited a fresh fish market and of course a liquor store to buy some Portuguese wine to take home.

Another plus for Seabra’s Marisqueira is that there is parking across the street. For reservations call 973-465-1250.

Grilled whole prawns.
Photo courtesy of Carol Berman.

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NINETY ACRES AT THE BEARD HOUSE, NYC
On June 29, a Soft-Shell Crab Extravaganza dinner with executive chef David Felton, pastry chef Jessica Knik, and sommelier Brooke Sabel of Ninety Acres at Natirar, Peapack-Gladstone, will be held at the James Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, NYC. The following menu will be presented.

Hors d’oeuvres: assorted garden vegetable canapés; Natirar deviled eggs with smoked salmon roe; twice-fried Griggstown chicken wings with farmers’ hot sauce; Ninety Acres pickles and porchetta
(Ferghettina Brut Franciacorta NV)

Soft-shell crab chips with Natirar tomatoes, fino verde basil, and aged sherry
(2007 Domaine Berthet-Bondet Côtes du Jura Chardonnay)

Bucatini with shishito peppers, soft-shell crab mustard sauce, and Transmontanous caviar
(2008 Leth Roter Classic Veltliner)

Natirar Berkshire pork–stuffed soft-shell crab with smoked chilies
(2007 Françoise & Denis Clair Côte-de-Beaune Villages)

Crispy soft-shell crab with compressed ratatouille, New Jersey potatoes, and fried egg
(2007 Bodegas Avanthia Avanthia)

Strawberries with basil
(2009 La Spinetta Vignetto Biancospino Moscato d’Asti)

7 PM: $165, James Beard Foundation members $125. For reservations call 212-627-2308.

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BEER OR SCOTCH—TAKE YOUR PICK

On June 21, an American Summer Beer-B-Q featuring Cricket Hill Brewery and the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern’s own signature beer, HHK Tavern Ale, will be held at the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern, 1 East Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus. 6:30 to 10:30 PM; $45 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations call Kathleen at 201-445-4115.

On June 26, sample great beers from Cricket Hill, Flying Fish, Gaslight, Harvest Moon, High Point, Iron Hill, JJ Bitting, Tun Tavern, and many more breweries at the Fourteenth Annual Garden State Beer Festival, which will be held on the Battleship New Jersey, 62 Battleship Place, Camden. The event will feature food and specialty vendors and live music, and attendees can take a self-guided tour of the ship. 1 to 5 PM; $40 (must be over 21 years old). For tickets call 856-966-1652 ext 107.

On June 22, a four-course scotch tasting dinner will be held at Komegashi Too, 99 Town Square Place, Jersey City. Featured scotches will be available that evening for purchase at discount prices. 6:30 to 9:30 PM; $75. For reservations call 201-533-8888.

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CHARITY EVENT AT SALT CREEK GRILLE, PRINCETON

On June 24, the Second Annual Wine, Dine & Jazz event will be held at Salt Creek Grille, Forrestal Village, 1 Rockingham Row, Princeton, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Eden Autism Services. The event will include unlimited tastings from area restaurants, wines from around the world, and live music. 6:30 to 10 PM; $50 in advance, $60 at the door. For tickets visit www.saltcreekgrille.com or call 609-419-4200.

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LOOKING AHEAD
On July 18, a six-course Farm to Table dinner sponsored by Slow Food Northern NJ will be held at Plaid Piper Farm, 197 Wykertown Road, Branchville, to benefit the earth stewardship and food justice programs of Slow Food Northern NJ. Chef Joseph Cerniglia, owner of Campania Restaurant, Fair Lawn, will prepare the dinner, with food sourced from Plaid Piper Farm and artisans within a short distance of the farm. Organic/sustainable wines will be paired with each course, and bagpipers will perform traditional music on the hillside. 4 to 7 PM; $155.

On August 22, a five-course Farm to Table dinner sponsored by Slow Food Northern NJ will be held at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, to benefit Fosterfields’ educational farm programs for children. Chef Scott Cutaneo, owner of Equus Tavern and Claremont Tavern, Bernardsville, will prepare a dinner centered on Fosterfields’ heirloom vegetables and grass-fed meat and poultry, plus items from nearby artisans. Dessert will be prepared by Chef Diane Pinder of Donna & Company Artisan Chocolates. Organic/sustainable wines will be paired with each course. Connor Dugan will perform period music on his fiddle, and farmer Rob Kibbe will conduct a horse-drawn hayride tour. 5 to 8 PM; $155.

Tickets for these events can be purchased at www.sustenanceevents.com.

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DINING DEALS

The Inn at Sugar Hill, 5704 Mays Landing-Somers Point Rd, Mays Landing, offers a three-course early bird special nightly from 4 to 5 PM for $14.95. For reservations call 609-625-2226.

Bistro Americana, 690 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, offers a three-course prix-fixe dinner menu for $19.99. For reservations call 856-854-6700; BYO.

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