Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about Cardie Cooks catering, the One wineglasses, the Summit Wine and Food Festival, and much more news about NJ restaurants.

CARDIE COOKS
If you’re looking to have a party in your home without the fuss, Cardie Cooks, a company owned by executive chef Cardie Mortimer, offers gourmet personal-theme catering for two to fifteen people for a sit-down dinner in your home or up to forty people for a cocktail party. An optional chef’s class is also available at no extra charge. Mortimer will provide the food, using either your dinnerware or restaurant-quality disposable dishes, plus decorations (centerpieces and goodie bags), invitations, staff, and cleanup. You provide drinks and any liquor you wish. Possible themes include New England clambake, Texas BBQ, Mardi Gras, holidays, special occasions, or regional cuisines such as Italian, Asian, Greek, or Moroccan. You name it—he’ll do it.

Chef Cardie has received culinary certifications from the state of New Jersey, the New Orleans School of Cooking, and the New Orleans French Culinary Institute. He has worked as a front-line chef at Emeril Lagasse’s Delmonico’s Steak House in Las Vegas and is currently a culinary instructor at the Chef’s Lab in Montclair.

To contact Cardie Cooks call 973-857-0603 or e-mail cardie@cardiecooks.com. Mortimer’s Website, www.cardiecooks.com, will be up in a few weeks.




Cardie Cooks Moroccan vegetable stew.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.

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THE ONE STEMWARE FROM ANDREA IMMER ROBINSON
Buying wineglasses has just gotten easier, as Master Sommelier Andrea Immer Robinson, who’s from Glen Rock and was maître d’ at the Dining Room at the Hilton Short Hills from 1996 to 1997, has developed a new line of stemware, the One. There’s a stem for red and a stem for white—each perfect for all varietals. There’s no need to have a different glass for every kind of wine with these glasses, which are affordable ($49.95 for four), lead free, dishwasher safe, and shaped to fit the dishwasher. We tested both the red and the white versions and found there was a difference in the taste of the wines. The glass really does matter.

One of only seventeen women in the world to have earned the rigorous Master Sommelier credential, Andrea Immer Robinson was also chosen Best Sommelier in the United States by the Sommelier Society of America, is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City, and has received several awards and recognitions, including the James Beard Foundation’s Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year in 2002. She is also a TV host and the author of five books, and she has created a DVD course on wine. The One glasses are available at Macy’s in Short Hills and Wegmans in Princeton or online at www.andreawine.com.




The One wineglasses.

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MEXICAN CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL AT ROSA MEXICANO
Through October 3, diners can discover the diversity of cocoa at Rosa Mexicano, Riverside Square, 390 Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack, with dishes such as chocolate- and tequila-marinated pork belly tacos, chicken-stuffed corn and chocolate tamales, and, for dessert, chocolate chip banana cake layered with peanut butter and milk chocolate mousses, house-made banana ice cream, and hot fudge sauce. For dinner reservations call 201-489-9100.

On September 25 at 10 AM, executive chef Dennis Lake will host a free cooking demonstration at the restaurant, where he will share tips on how to cook with chocolate and will explain its place in traditional Mexican cuisine. Reservations, which are required, can be made by calling Cre at 212-397-0666 ext 40.

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GREEK FESTIVAL
Everything Greek will be celebrated from September 23 through 26 at the 34th Annual Greek Festival hosted by the St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church of Toms River, 2200 Church Road, Toms River. Greek foods, music, dancing, Euro-style street vendors, and more will be featured. Thursday, 5 to 11 PM; Friday and Saturday, noon to midnight; Sunday, noon to 6 PM; $2 admission. For more information call 732-255-5525 or log on to http://stbarbaranj.org.

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SUMMIT WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL
The Second Annual Summit Wine and Food Festival will be held from September 24 through 26 at the Grand Summit Hotel, 570 Springfield Avenue, Summit, and the Reeves-Reed Arboretum, 165 Hobart Avenue, Summit, 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. Some other chefs and culinary personalities who will be in attendance are Josh Ozersky, Dave Pasternack, Mike Psilakis, Douglas Rodriquez, and David Waltuck, as well as Food Network and Bravo celebrity chefs, plus sommeliers, winemakers, and wineries. The weekend will include a gala six-course dinner on Friday night honoring Dennis Foy, along with cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, seminars, and much more. For more information log on to www.summitwineandfood.com or call 908-277-6565.

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ROMANTIC GETAWAY AT THE OLDE MILL INN, BASKING RIDGE
Through December 30, the Perfect Romance Getaway is being offered at the Olde Mill Inn, 225 Route 202, Basking Ridge. This promotion includes luxury room accommodations, early 1 PM check-in, one bottle of Piper Sonoma champagne, six chocolate strawberries upon arrival or at turndown, two cocktails at the Coppertop Pub or with dinner, dinner for two at the Grain House Restaurant (appetizer, salads, two entrées, special dessert, and coffee or tea), and a buffet breakfast the next morning. Alcoholic beverages, besides the bottle of champagne, are not included. The package costs $265 and includes all taxes and gratuities. For reservations log on to www.oldemillinn.com or call 800-585-4461.

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HARVEST BOOT CAMP
On September 25, Harvest Boot Camp will be held at Unionville Vineyards, 9 Rocktown Road, Ringoes. The event will include a continental breakfast, grape harvesting, crushing the grapes, a deli lunch, and a wine tasting. 8 AM to 1 PM; $25. For reservations call 908-788-0400.

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OKTOBERFEST AT IRON HILL BREWERY, MAPLE SHADE
Iron Hill Brewery, 124 East Kings Highway, Maple Shade, will be celebrating Oktoberfest from September 17 through October 3 by serving its special Oktoberfest beer and a seasonal menu, along with à la carte offerings. Options include: Bavarian white bean and sausage soup; grilled sausages, including bratwurst, knockwurst, and garlic sausage, with braised lentils and stone-ground mustard; Jaeger schnitzel; sautéed rainbow trout with horseradish smashed potatoes, spinach, leeks, tomatoes, garlic, and ale sauce; sauerbraten-style top sirloin steak marinated in red wine and served with ale-braised cabbage, spaetzle, and gingersnap gravy; and linzer torte. For reservations call 856-273-0300.

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YOU CAN’T EAT IT, BUT YOU CAN WALK IT
The Corn Maze at Stony Hill Farm Market, 15 North Road, Chester, will be open from 10 AM to 6 PM through November 14. For more information log on to www.stonyhillgardens.com.

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LOOKING AHEAD
On November 1, the Eleventh Annual YCS (Youth Consultation Service) Festival of Flavors will be held at the Park Ridge Marriott, 300 Brae Boulevard, Park Ridge, to benefit the YCS Autism Division and five new residential programs for children and young adults with developmental disabilities. 6 to 9 PM; $75. For tickets call 201-678-1312.

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DINING DEALS

Baker’s American Bar & Grill, 801 Route 33, Monroe (609-443-6600), celebrates happy hour Mondays through Fridays from 3 to 6 PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 PM, with $2.25 domestic drafts and half-price appetizers.

Blue Rooster Bakery and Cafe, 17 North Main Street, Cranbury, offers a three-course prix-fixe evening meal Wednesdays through Fridays from 4 to 6 PM for $25. For reservations call 609-235-7539; BYO.

Cervantes of Spain, 24 North Avenue, Cranford, has a patio pig roast on Sundays for $26. All mojitos are $5 on Mondays from 5 to 9 PM, martinis are $7 on Tuesdays from 5 to 9 PM, a glass of wine is $5 on Wednesdays from 5 to 9 PM, and sangria is $5 on Thursdays from 5 to 9 PM. For more information and dinner reservations call 908-276-3664.

Cook, interact, and eat at a cooking class that will be held every Saturday at Tula Restaurant & Lounge, 47 Easton Avenue, New Brunswick. 1 PM; $15, children $10; plus tax and gratuity. To register call 732-246-0014.

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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to rosie@njmonthly.com.