Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about Race Street Cafe in Frenchtown, D’Oro in Chatham, Chef Kevin Spraga from Rat’s in Hamilton, and much more news about NJ restaurants.

RACE STREET CAFE, FRENCHTOWN
Race Street Cafe, 2 Race Street, Frenchtown, is a tiny restaurant with 26 seats and walls decorated with pictures of racehorses and jockeys. “It’s a play on the word race,” our waiter told us. The street where the restaurant is located was actually a millrace about 200 years ago, a channel for water to “race” through, for the local mill to use as energy to turn a grain wheel. The menu changes weekly, with offerings such as hummus dip; onion soup; Greek salad; chicken quesadilla; penne with Portobello mushrooms, sun-dried tomato, and fresh spinach in a light garlic sauce; maple-glazed Long Island duckling; and Maryland crab cake. Race Street is open for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays and for dinner Thursdays through Sundays. For reservations call 908-996-3179; BYO. Heads up: The bathroom is on the second floor and is accessed by a steep flight of stairs.

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D’ORO, CHATHAM
D’Oro, an Italian restaurant, has opened at 219 Main Street, Chatham, in the old location of Fuoco and, before that, Danielle’s Italian Bistro. Offerings include classic dishes such as fried calamari; pasta e fagioli; rigatoni alla Bolognese; shrimp scampi; veal or chicken Francese or Marsala; and tiramisu. One of the more unusual dishes was a crispy-skin Cornish hen served with escarole and cannelloni beans. Well-spaced cloth-covered tables, friendly service, and Italian music add to the atmosphere. For reservations call 973-701-6990; BYO.

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CHEF KEVIN SPRAGA ON BRAVO’S TOP CHEF
Kevin Spraga, executive chef at Rat’s, Grounds for Sculpture, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton (609-584-7800), will be appearing on the TV show Top Chef: Washington D.C. premiering Wednesday, June 16, at 9 PM on Bravo. Spraga will be competing with seventeen other chefs to impress host Padma Lakshmi and judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and Eric Ripert in order to win $125,000, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, and the title of Top Chef.

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CHEF LUIS SANTIAGO AT CHEF CENTRAL
On June 12, a Latin cooking class and tasting will be held at Chef Central, Paramus Towne Square, 240 Route 17 North, Paramus, with Chef Luis Santiago, a cook at Montclair Station Restaurant, Upper Montclair. Chef Santiago will demonstrate mofongo with garlic-herbed shrimp; pulled Cubano sandwich with pepper jack and chipotle mayonnaise; and piña colada flan. Gift bags will be given out, compliments of Sony Records. 3 PM; free. For more information call 201-576-0100. Chef Santiago is also the owner of Besame Catering, which specializes in traditional Puerto Rican cuisine and can be reached at [email protected] or 973-572-3232.

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A MANO, RIDGEWOOD
On June 7, A Mano, 24 Franklin Avenue, Ridgewood, will hold a demonstration that will cover all aspects of the Neapolitan pizza- and pasta-making processes, including the creation of dough, sauce, and mozzarella. In addition, the chefs will impart the techniques used to make one of their newest offerings, a pizza with sautéed-spinach-infused dough. 6:30 PM; free.

On June 15, a five-course Alba Vineyards wine tasting dinner will be held at the restaurant. The menu will include a fresh mozzarella pinwheel appetizer, seafood salad, homemade lasagna with Bolognese sauce, tartufo pizza with truffles and porcini, and espresso or strawberry tiramisu. Each course will be paired with a different Alba wine. 7 PM; $35 plus tax and gratuity.

Reservations are required for both events and can be made at 201-493-2000.

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THE GREAT AMERICAN FOOD AND MUSIC FEST
On June 13, the Great American Food and Music Fest will be held at Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford and will feature Paula Deen, Tom Colicchio, Pat and Gina Neely, Duff Goldman, and participating restaurants. American wines and beers will be available in a tasting tent. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and at www.greatamericanfoodandmusicfest.com.

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THE GREAT GRILL & PIG OUT
On May 19, Lowell and I attended the Great Grill & Pig Out at the Estate at Florentine Gardens, River Vale, with guest of honor Ming Tsai, owner of Blue Ginger Restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and a TV host and cookbook author. Also in attendance was Ariane Daguin from D’Artagnan. Beneficiary of the event was Table to Table, a community-based food rescue program that collects prepared and perishable excess food and delivers it to organizations that feed the hungry in Bergen, Passaic, Essex, and Hudson counties. The evening started with a champagne reception and passed hors d’oeuvres, followed by tastings at stations under a tent. Some of the 31 restaurants and food purveyors in attendance were Bin 14 (wild mushroom risotto and sweet pea risotto), D’Artagnan (whole roasted pig), Esty Street (cumin-spiced seared tuna with black beans, basmati rice, and avocado salad), Indigo Kitchen and Bar (pulled barbecued duck with corn cakes), Lu Nello (stuffed baby artichokes oreganata), and Varka (lobster gyros). Dessert, a chocolate coffee cup filled with raspberry mousse and topped with whipped cream, was served in the ballroom. There were also more than 100 wines to taste. It was a night where foodies could feast and contribute to a most worthwhile charity. I’ll post next year’s date as soon as it is confirmed.

Ariane Daguin from D’Artagnan and TV host, cookbook author, and restaurateur Ming Tsai at the Great Grill & Pig Out.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.

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COMING SOON: WEST SIDE STATION
Watch for the opening of West Side Station, which will be offering modern American cuisine, in late June at 700 First Street, Hoboken. Owner/chef is Anthony Pino of Bin 14 and the Dining Room at Anthony David’s, both in Hoboken.

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LOOKING AHEAD
From July 29 through August 1, the Food Network Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival will be held at Bally’s Atlantic City, Showboat Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, and Harrah’s Resort. The festival will include tastings, seminars, cooking demonstrations, and more to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For more information log on to www.gourmetshows.com.

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

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