DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
On Mondays through August, the Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, invites pooches and their people to enjoy the terrace. While guests enjoy alfresco dining and drinks, Fido will savor a special gourmet treat prepared in the inn’s kitchen by pastry chef Duane Hendershot. Lunch and dinner will be served between 11:30 AM and 10 PM, and all well-behaved dogs on leashes dogs will be welcome. Reservations are necessary and can be made by calling 908-766-0002.
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DAUPHIN GRILLE
She’s done it again. Renowned Jersey Shore restaurateur Marilyn Schlossbach has opened her sixth restaurant, Dauphin Grill, Berkeley Hotel, 1401 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park (732-776-6700). She also owns Labrador Lounge (Normandy Beach), Pop’s Garage (Normandy Beach and Asbury Park), Langosta Lounge (Asbury Park), and Trinity and the Pope (Asbury Park). Additionally, Schlossbach owns Kitschens Catering and the eco-friendly juice bar Simple Goodness in Normandy Beach. Some items on Dauphin Grille’s Mediterranean-inspired, locally sourced bistro menu are salad Niçoise; coq au vin; piri piri organic shrimp skewers; cast-iron-seared, garlic-rubbed rib eye with pork belly confit fingerlings and summer succotash; and fish of the day crusted in Mediterranean sea salt, baked in banana leaves, and served with summer couscous salad and Jersey pepper, tomato, and Vidalia onion salsa. Dauphin Grille is open seven days a week through the summer, and the bar is open until 2 AM daily.
The New Jersey Restaurant Association announced that Schlossbach will receive the 2010 Gold Plate Award at the association’s 30th-anniversary celebration on November 29.
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PEACH FESTIVAL AT THE FROG AND THE PEACH, NEW BRUNSWICK
The peaches are back at the Frog and the Peach, 29 Dennis Street, New Brunswick, with the annual Frog à la Pêche festival being celebrated every night through mid to late September. The special five-course tasting menu is $59, or $105 with paired wines. On Friday nights, the peach tasting menu with wine is offered for $150 for two. For reservations call 732-864-3216.
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CHEF’S GARDEN AT CRYSTAL SPRINGS RESORT, HARDYSTON
Watch chefs pick ingredients at the Chef’s Garden at the Grand Cascades Lodge, Crystal Springs Country Club, 1 Wild Turkey Way, Hardyston, and incorporate them into your meal as you dine outside, surrounded by organic vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Even the cocktail menu has ingredients from the garden, including a Thai basil martini and Garden Limenade. The Chef’s Garden is open Fridays and Saturdays for dinner and Saturdays and Sundays for lunch. No reservations are taken. Check with the hotel for possible closings for private parties (973-827-5996).
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TASTE OF THE QUARTER
On August 30, the Third Annual Taste of the Quarter to benefit the United Way will be held at Tropicana Casino and Resort, 2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City. Dishes from more than fifteen Quarter and Tropicana restaurants will be featured. 6 to 9 PM; $25. Tickets can be purchased at the IMAX box office on the third floor of the Quarter, online at www.ticketmaster.com, via phone at 800-745-3000, or at a United Way office.
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QUBE TERRACE, MORRISTOWN
Qube Terrace is open for seasonal dining Mondays through Fridays from 4 to 9 PM at the Hyatt Morristown, 3 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown (973-647-1234). Menu highlights include a soft-shell crab BLT, Humboldt Fog crostini, warm spinach salad, prime rib sliders, lavosh pizzas, and a Jersey burger. Menu entrées change daily and are inspired by locally sourced ingredients.
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HAWK HAVEN VINEYARD & WINERY, RIO GRANDE
Sangria Sundays are celebrated through September 5 at Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery, 600 South Railroad Avenue, Rio Grande. Wine, sangrias, and frozen strawberry “rosaritas” will be available along with live music and Caribbean cuisine by Island Grill Restaurant. Noon to 7 PM; no cover charge. If you can’t make Sangria Sundays, the tasting room is open daily from 11 AM to 7 PM, and guided tours are offered every Saturday and Sunday at noon, 3 PM, and 6 PM for $12. The tour includes a guided walk through the vineyard, tastings of seven wines, and a souvenir tasting glass. For more information call 609-846-7347.
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WHAT’S COOKING ON TV
On Thursdays through November, professional chefs at the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College’s Mays Landing Campus, 5100 Black Horse Pike, dish out expert cooking advice to home chefs in the third season of What’s Cooking, which airs during the 6 PM news broadcast on WMGM-TV/NBC 40 and the following morning during the Today show. All recipes will be available at www.atlantic.edu/whatscooking.
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BOBOLINK DAIRY, MILFORD
Bobolink Dairy (www.cowsoutside.com), 369 Stamets Road, Milford, is now selling its artisanal cheeses at the Dvoor Farmers’ Market, 111 Mine Street, Flemington, on Thursdays from 3 to 7 PM and on Sundays from 9 AM to 1 PM. The cheeses are made from the raw milk of grass-fed herds.
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SAVE THE DATE
On September 26, the Epicurean Palette will be held at Grounds for Sculpture, 18 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton. 1 to 4 PM; $99, nonmembers $110, VIP tickets $350. VIP tickets include a champagne welcome, tours of the park and Seward Johnson’s art studio, access to an exclusive VIP lounge, and more. For tickets log on to www.epicureanpalette.org or call 609-689-1040 ext 112.
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Congratulations to David Burke Fromagerie, 26 Ridge Road, Rumson (732-842-8088), which has been awarded the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for the second consecutive year.
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DINING DEALS
Happy hour is celebrated at Grand Cru, 36 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood (201-568-3939), Mondays through Fridays from 5 to 7 PM in the bar and patio area, with select small plates, house wines, and house cocktails for $5 and beers for $4.
A specially priced sunset menu is offered Mondays through Thursdays from 4 to 6:30 PM for $21.99 at Lambertville Station, 11 Bridge Street, Lambertville. For reservations call 609-397-8300.
Through the summer, a lobster roll and a beer for $20 are being offered at One 53, 153 Washington Street, Rocky Hill (609-921-0153).
Restaurant Lorena, 168 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood, which was voted Best of the Best in NJ Monthly, is offering the full summer menu and an early two-course prix-fixe dinner menu on Sundays, except holidays, between 2 and 4:30 PM for $32. Does not include tax or service charge. For reservations call 973-763-4460; BYO.
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].