RESTAURANT LATOUR AT THE BEARD HOUSE
On June 24, a Rare Wine dinner with executive chef Michael Weisshaupt, chef John Benjamin, and wine director Robby Younes of Restaurant Latour at Crystal Springs Resort, Vernon, will be held at the James Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, NYC. The following menu will be presented.
Hors d’oeuvres: smoked Hudson Valley foie gras duo of smoked brûlée and macarons; citrus-cured wild ivory king salmon with Black Pearl caviar; heirloom tomato sorbet with garlic crisps; aged Vermont Grafton cheddar barquettes with roasted grape relish
(Champagne Krug Grand Cuvée Brut NV)
Poached New England lobster with chilled English pea soup, summer truffle crème fraîche, gold edamame, and lemon-infused oil
(2004 Olivier Leflaive Vaudésir Grand Cru Chablis)
Mangalitsa pork belly with roasted royal apricot, veal trotter, and Asian mallow greens
(1998 Yamhill Valley Vineyards Tall Poppy Estate Pinot Noir)
New York Lola duckling with rustic riz rouge (red rice), duck confit, summer kohlrabi spring roll, and red currant gastrique
(1982 Borgogno Riserva Barolo)
Rifle Ranch Colorado lamb with wild ramps, fairy tale eggplant, cipollini soubise, and thyme-lamb jus
(1982 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Grand Cru Pauillac)
New Jersey blueberry ice cream cone
Cherry tasting of griddled almond financier with Rainier cherry parfait and Black Forest kirschwasser cherry shooter
(1968 D’Oliveiras Boal Reserva Madeira)
7 PM; $200, James Beard Foundation members $150. For reservations call 212-627-2308.
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HOT DIGGITIES, MONTCLAIR
Have it your way at Hot Diggities, 387 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair (973-337-5575), where chef/owner Lance Knowling is offering quarter‐pound, 100 percent beef, natural-casing hot dogs, which can be grilled, boiled, or deep‐fried and served on a Chicago‐style poppy or potato roll. Turkey dogs are also available, as well as puppy dogs for children up to about eight years old. There are a lot of topping options here, including chili, gherkins, sautéed peppers or onions, herbed or sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, diced potatoes, Jack cheddar sauce, blue cheese, avocado, coleslaw, and barbecue sauce. Go fancy with a panini dog, which is split and filled with cheddar, herbed tomatoes, and sautéed onions on grilled flatbread, or with an Italian dog wrap with potatoes, onions, peppers, and ketchup. Don’t want a dog? Try the burgers, soups, salads, wraps, beer-battered onion rings, sweet potato fries, or smoothies. Hot Diggities is open Mondays through Thursdays from 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM and Fridays and Saturdays till 10 PM; the restaurant is open late and on Sundays when there is a show at the Wellmont Theater.
Hot Diggities dog with tater tots.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
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PAULA AT RIGOLETTO
Paula at Rigoletto, 3706 Park Avenue, Weehawken, is a storefront restaurant owned by Paula Frazier, who was previously Bruce Springsteen’s personal chef and food stylist for Martha Stewart’s test kitchen. The menu is small and augmented with daily specials built around seasonal ingredients. Pasta choices abound, including penne with grilled eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, and artichokes; pappardelle with Bolognese sauce; penne with pancetta, onion, vodka, light cream, and tomato sauce; and cavatelli with broccoli rabe, Asiago, and sausage. We tried a special of the evening of scrod with roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach and also ordered the above-mentioned cavatelli, giving us the chance to try both a pasta and a fish entrée. Although both of these dishes sound somewhat ordinary, they were well prepared, flavorful, and satisfying. Along with a shared appetizer of burrata with arugula and tomato and, for dessert, a generous portion of chocolate hazelnut cake, we had a very enjoyable, well-paced dinner served by a friendly staff. For those who desire meat, options include veal Milanese or saltimbocca, steak, and chicken dishes. This forty-seat restaurant is small and can get noisy. It is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 5 to 10 PM and Sundays from 5 to 9 PM; BYO. Be sure to make a reservation, at 201-422-9500.
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KUZINA BY SOFIA, CHERRY HILL
Mondays through Thursdays, Kuzina by Sofia, Sawmill Shopping Center, 404 Route 70 West, Cherry Hill, offers a 25-plate mezze dinner for $25 per person and a 50-plate mezze dinner for $40 per person. A minimum of two guests is required, and the entire table must order the mezze, which are served family style, with three to five plates brought to the table at a time. The concept is to bring out a constant flow of plates, and dinner can last an hour and a half or more. The grand finale is usually a platter of grilled meats. Dessert and coffee are extra. For reservations call 856-429-1061; BYO.
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JULIE & JULIA COOKING CLASS
On June 24, a hands-on cooking class inspired by the movie Julie & Julia will be taught at the Ninety Acres Culinary Center, Natirar, 2 Main Street, Peapack-Gladstone. Learn how to make frisée salad with crispy bacon and poached eggs; beef bourguignon; sweet peas; and classic chocolate soufflé with Grand Marnier crème anglaise. 11 AM to 2 PM; $85. To register log on to www.vikingcookingschool.com or call 908-901-4714.
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WANT WINE?
On June 17, join Carol Berman, founder of Class in a Glass/the Traveling Sommelier, at a Spring Into Summer festive wine class at the Ridgewood Culinary Institute, 223 Chestnut Street, Ridgewood. The class will feature a selection of warm-weather, seasonally inspired white and red wines as well as user-friendly wine and food information. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served at the end of the session. 7 to 9 PM; $65. For reservations log on to www.ridgewoodculinarystudio.com or call 201-447-2665.
On June 18, an Around the World wine tasting with light refreshments will be held at the Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville. The event will feature more than 80 wines to taste, all of which will be available for retail purchase. 6:30 PM; $50. For reservations call 908-766-7300 ext 155.
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EAST COAST FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
On June 26 and 27, the East Coast Food & Wine Festival produced by Slow Food Central Jersey and Five Estate Wineries of NJ will be held at Hopewell Valley Vineyards, 46 Yard Road, Pennington. The day will include seminars on wine, organic farming, beekeeping, and honey making, plus cookbook authors, artisanal food vendors, cooking and cheese-making demonstrations, winery and cellar tours, a farmers’ market, and more. Food will be available for a nominal fee, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Share Our Strength. Some of the scheduled speakers are Michael Colameco (host of Colameco’s Food Show on PBS, host of WOR Radio’s Food Talk, and author of the new Mike Colameco’s Food Lover’s Guide to NYC), Barbara Seelig Brown (host of Stress Free Cooking on PBS and author of Stress Free Cooking), Dr. Gary Pavlis (Wine 101 classes), and Zita Keeley (wine educator). Noon to 5 PM. Admission is $35 for a one-day ticket purchased in advance, $40 at the door, and $55 for a two-day ticket purchased in advance, $60 at the door. Tickets include parking, wine tastings, entrance into all the seminars and cooking demos, winery tours, a reusable six-bottle bag, and an etched wine glass. For more information and to order tickets log on to www.slowfoodandwinefestival.com.
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FATHER’S DAY
The following restaurants will be open on Father’s Day (Sunday, June 20):
Doris & Ed’s, 348 Shore Drive, Highlands, will celebrate Father’s Day with seatings from 2 to 8 PM. For reservations call 732-872-1565.
The Gladstone Tavern, 273 Main Street, Gladstone, will be open at noon on Father’s Day. For reservations call 908-234-9055.
A special Father’s Day brunch will be held at the Hilton Short Hills, 41 JFK Parkway, Short Hills. 10 AM to 2 PM; $65, children $32 (children under four free). For reservations call 973-912-4757.
A Father’s Day buffet will be held at the Hunt Club at the Grand Summit Hotel, 570 Springfield Avenue, Summit. Noon to 4 PM; $50.95, $16.95 for children ages four to twelve; plus tax and gratuity. For reservations call 908-273-7656.
Matisse, 1300 Ocean Avenue, Belmar, will offer a Father’s Day brunch. Seatings from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM; $27.99, $13.50 for children ages five to ten; plus tax and gratuity. For reservations call 732-681-7680; BYO.
Restaurant Nicholas, 160 Route 35 South, Middletown, will be taking reservations from 4:30 to 10:30 PM on Father’s Day and offering a three-course menu for $59, a four-course garden menu for $59, a Father’s Day tasting menu for $79, and a children’s menu for $28. For reservations call 732-345-9977.
On Father’s Day, dads and granddads are invited to join the annual Pop’s Pajama Party at the Pop Shop, 729 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood. All pajama-clad dads and granddads will receive a free entrée (does not include beverages or side dishes). PJs must be matching top-and-bottom sets. Sweat suits, shorts, T-shirts, and similar apparel do not qualify. The pajama party will last all day, 7:30 AM to 8 PM, so dads can enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner in their PJs. For reservations call 856-869-0111.
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