SUMMER MENU AT COPELAND, MORRISTOWN
Executive chef Thomas Ciszak of Copeland Restaurant, Westin Governor Morris, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown, has a new summer menu, which includes a lobster bake for $35 per person. This dish, which is served in a Dutch oven, features a medley of lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams, and duck sausage baked with fresh heirloom tomatoes, corn, and fingerling potatoes. Other items on the summer menu are Jersey corn soup with honey, lavender, and chanterelle mushrooms; grilled octopus with fava beans, artichoke, and hickory smoke; Barnegat Light day-boat scallops with corn chowder and popcorn foam; sous vide Mangalitsa pork loin with chanterelles à la crème; hickory-grilled salmon chop; and Readington Farms buffalo filet mignon. For dessert, pastry chef Ernie Rich presents a blueberry crisp with grilled Jersey peaches and toasted almond ice cream, and a napoleon of compressed summer melon with cavaillon melon sorbet and a red and yellow watermelon shooter. For reservations call 973-451-2619.
Summer lobster bake at Copeland in Morristown.
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DAVID BURKE FROMAGERIE, RUMSON
Looking for a place to lunch at the shore? David Burke Fromagerie, 26 Ridge Road, Rumson, is now serving lunch Tuesdays through Saturdays. Some items on the seasonal menu: gazpacho with shrimp quesadilla; grilled chicken Caesar salad; tuna steak niçoise salad; lobster Cobb salad; filet mignon; the Burke Express Box (American-style bento box with a chef’s selection of appetizer, soup, salad, half a main, and dessert); and the “Mad Men lunch for two,” consisting of “angry” lobster; a 21-ounce, 45-day dry-aged Creekstone Farms rib eye; and two classic martinis. Also, Tuesday is Burger Night at the restaurant, with a salad, burger, and glass of house wine or beer for $25, served in the bar or upstairs, where there’s live music. For reservations call 732-842-8088.
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THE BERNARDS INN, BERNARDSVILLE
Executive chef Corey Heyer of the Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, has a new summer menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, featuring herbs and produce from the garden at Red Barns Farm in Far Hills and from Heyer’s rooftop container garden at the inn. Dinner options include roasted yellow tomato gazpacho with avocado ice cream, smoked tomato jam, cilantro, and chive oil; salad of garden beans, candy-striped beets, frisée, garden radish, dill, and buttermilk vinaigrette; Long Island duck breast with donut peaches, chanterelle mushrooms, hazelnut spätzle, rainbow chard, and chamomile jus; wild Alaskan halibut with porcini mushroom marmalade, summer truffle, Bollinger potatoes, and Jersey corn soubise; and strawberry shortcake with chantilly cream. For reservations call 908-766-0002.
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NEW MENU ITEMS AT MORTON’S, HACKENSACK
Morton’s the Steakhouse, Riverside Square Mall, 1 Riverside Square, Hackensack, has added the following menu items: a sixteen-ounce prime bone-in filet served with béarnaise sauce; Chilean sea bass with pineapple-pepper salsa; steak fries; a ten-ounce portion of onion rings that can be ordered as a side or an appetizer with Thai cream sauce and ketchup; and a sundae that features Morton’s hot chocolate cake served with Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, caramel topping, and fresh whipped cream. Mini crab cake BLT sandwiches and smoked salmon pizza are new items on the Bar Bites menu. For reservations call 201-487-1303.
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KITCHEN NIGHTMARES IS LOOKING FOR NJ RESTAURANTS
Kitchen Nightmares, starring Gordon Ramsay, which is aired on Fox TV, is casting in NJ. If your restaurant is having problems and you want Chef Ramsay to come into your establishment, troubleshoot your problems, and try to get you back on the road to success, contact [email protected]. Type “Kitchen Nightmares” in the subject line, and include your name, your contact info, the name of your restaurant, where you’re located, the type of cuisine you serve, how many seats you have, and how long you’ve been open, along with photos and a Web link if available. Also include why you need their help.
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THE EBBITT ROOM, CAPE MAY
Every Monday and Thursday through October, the Ebbitt Room, Virginia Hotel, 25 Jackson Street, Cape May, will offer a three-course Farm to Table dining experience using the fruits and berries grown at Beach Plum Farm of West Cape May; $45 plus tax and tip, additional wine pairing available. The à la carte Ebbitt Room menu can also be ordered. Through October 31, the hotel is offering a Farm to Table Epicurean package that includes accommodations, a three-course Farm to Table dinner for two in the Ebbitt Room, a tour of Beach Plum Farm, and a $25 voucher for the Blue Pig Tavern. For more information and reservations call 609-884-5700.
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RAM’S HEAD INN, GALLOWAY
The Ram’s Head Inn, 9 West White Horse Pike, Galloway, is offering a new Sunday brunch menu from 11 AM to 2:30 PM; $24.95, children $15.95. For reservations call 609-652-1700.
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SEAFOOD BUFFET AT THE MILL AT SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS
Through September 8, a seafood buffet will be featured on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 5 PM at the Mill at Spring Lake Heights, 101 Old Mill Road, Spring Lake Heights, for $34.95. Entrées include seafood paella, miniature crab cakes, Cajun grilled shrimp, lobster ravioli, lobster Wellington, seafood pasta du jour, tuna sliders, catch of the day, and slow-roasted prime rib, plus salads, traditional seafood soups, side dishes, breads, and desserts. For reservations call 732-449-1800.
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LOOKING AHEAD
Tickets are now on sale for the Second Annual Summit Wine and Food Festival, which will be held from September 24 through 26 at the Grand Summit Hotel, 570 Springfield Avenue, and the Reeves-Reed Arboretum, 165 Hobart Avenue, to benefit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Participating NJ chefs are Scott Anderson, Anthony Bucco, David Burke, David Drake, Bill Dorrier, David Felton, Dennis Foy, James Laird, Maricel Presilla, Craig Shelton, and Michael Weisshaupt. Other chefs and culinary personalities who will be in attendance include Josh Ozersky, Dave Pasternack, Michael Psilakis, Douglas Rodriguez, and David Waltuck, plus sommeliers, winemakers, and Food Network and Bravo celebrity chefs. The weekend will include a gala dinner, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, seminars, and more. For more information log on to www.summitwineandfood.com or call 908-277-6565.
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DINING DEALS
Hudson Restaurant Week will be celebrated from July 26 through August 6, with participating restaurants offering special lunch or dinner menus at reduced prices. For more information log on to www.hudsonrestaurantweek.com.
Nassau Seafood & Produce, 256 Nassau Street, Princeton, has free food tastings every Saturday from noon to 2 PM.
Pourquoi Pas?, 31 Westwood Avenue, Westwood, is offering a three-course prix-fixe menu Tuesdays through Thursdays for $35. Choices include tomato goat cheese tart; beef bourguignon; braised pork osso buco, corn and crab cake with lobster sauce; and chocolate cake. For reservations call 201-722-8822; BYO.
Happy hour is celebrated every Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at Smoke Chophouse, 36 Engle Street, Englewood, with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. For more information and dinner reservations call 201-541-8530.
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].