THE EPICUREAN PALETTE, GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE
On September 26, the Epicurean Palette will be held at the Grounds for Sculpture, 18 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton, to benefit the programming at the Grounds For Sculpture. Tents will be set up throughout the sculpture park, and participating chefs will serve tasting portions of their signature dishes. A few of this year’s participating restaurants and chefs are Scott Anderson of Elements in Princeton, Christopher Albrecht of Eno Terra in Kingston, Mitchell Baculy of Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Princeton, Jason Hensle of Salt Creek Grille in Princeton, Will Mooney of the Brothers Moon in Hopewell, Aaron Philipson of the Blue Bottle Cafe in Hopewell, and select restaurants from the Starr Restaurant Group of Philadelphia. Beer, wine, and spirit purveyors will also be in attendance. 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.
**************
CHA CHA CHA, MORRISTOWN
Whatever you order at Cha Cha Cha Cuban Bistro, 23 Washington Street, Morristown, plan on having it the next day, because the portions are that big. This 42-seat restaurant, with 10 seats at a luncheonette-style bar, has old photos of Cuba on the walls and Spanish music playing softly in the background. It’s BYO, and for $10 the staff will make a pitcher of sangria with your own wine and all the fixings. (Bring brandy and triple sec if you want a stronger punch.) First-timers may want to opt for one of two Cha Cha Cha samplers. One comes with ham and chicken croquetas, beef and chicken empanadas, and papa rellena; the other has mojito lime wings (a specialty of the restaurant), tacos de picadillo, and shrimp and chorizo. We had an order of shrimp and chorizo, a lip-smackin’ dish loaded with garlic and a sauce that we couldn’t stop dipping the hot Cuban bread into. Soups, salads, wraps, and burritos are on the menu, but we opted for two different entrées, which come with two sides. The ropa vieja, shredded flank steak with a slight vinegar taste, was robust; Lowell’s mojito lime chicken was full of flavor but overcooked. We shared a heaping pile of fresh sautéed zucchini, carrots, and broccoli; a side of sautéed spinach; fried plantains; and rice and black beans. We had guava shells filled with scoops of cream cheese for dessert, as, unfortunately, the restaurant was out of flan. For reservations call 973-998-6388.
Ropa vieja.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
*************
THE ORIGINAL MICHAEL ANGELO’S, NORTH ARLINGTON
Big portions and low prices are what you’ll find at the Original Michael Angelo’s, 440 Ridge Road, North Arlington (201-997-0577), a BYO neighborhood joint that gets busy even on weekdays. It has recently moved to North Arlington after having been in business in Newark for 28 years. There are lots of choices on the menu, and we didn’t know which direction to go. Should we share a pasta? (They had our favorite of cavatelli with pot cheese.) Do we try the “authentic” Italian salad described as having crispy romaine with red wine vinegar in a shared dish, along with meatballs and sausage in a red sauce? How about an order of sautéed escarole or an old-fashioned square brick-oven pizza that we can finish for lunch the next day? We opted for something that sounded different: spinach and potatoes with hot, sweet, or mixed peppers. We chose the sweet peppers (“peppers” was written, in plural, on the menu) and received mashed potatoes and spinach mixed together with a one-inch cube of red pepper as a garnish. The salads that came out of the kitchen looked healthier. Entrées were chicken giambotta loaded with thinly sliced fried potatoes, and eggplant parmigiana with a side of pasta in a tomato sauce. We also ordered a side of meatballs, which were light and tasty. We were told that none of the desserts were made in house, so we bypassed them, as we were quite full in spite of the fact that we had enough food to take home for dinner the next evening. As I said…portions are big.
Eggplant parmigiana at the Original Michael Angelo’s.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
*********
DINE WITH YOUR DOG BENEFIT
On September 11 and 12, a Dine With Your Dog benefit will be held at the Gladstone Tavern, 273 Main Street, Gladstone, to benefit the St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center. Lunch will be served on September 11, with seatings at 12, 2, and 4 PM; dinner will be served on September 12, with seatings at 3, 5 and 7 PM. There will be a charge of $10 per dog, which will be donated directly to the center. The tavern’s beef stew will be available in two sizes, for big and small dog appetites (and for humans too), with proceeds also being donated to the center. For reservations call 908-234-9055.
***********
FUNGUS FEST
On September 19, a Fungus Fest will be held at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 53 E Hanover Avenue, Morristown. This “everything mushroom” event will include exhibits of mushrooms, mushroom art, guided outdoor mushroom walks, edible and poisonous mushroom information, demonstrations of crafts using mushrooms, and how-to’s on mushroom cultivation, cooking, and medicinal uses. Visitors are invited to bring their own mushroom specimens for identification by experts. 10 AM to 4 PM; free, with a suggested donation of $2.
*******************
STATEWIDE RESTAURANT WEEK
The New Jersey Restaurant Association will be sponsoring Statewide Restaurant Week from September 19 to 25, with a series of events and special promotions and the encouragement of donations by restaurants and patrons to Share Our Strength, a charitable association combating hunger among children nationwide. For a list of participating restaurants log on to www.DineOutNJ.com.
********************
UPCOMING FOOD AND WINE FESTS
On September 18, enjoy great German beer and feast on your favorite Bavarian treats like knockwurst, roast suckling pig, weisswurst, Black Forest cake, and strudel at the 25th Annual NJ Oktoberfest at Crystal Springs Resort, Minerals Field, Route 94, Vernon. Noon to 9 PM; free admission and parking. Call 973-827-2222 for more information.
On September 18, High Street Grill, 64 High Street, Mount Holly (609-265-9199), will have food, beer, wine, and music at its Oktoberfest, which will be celebrated in the tent. 1 to 5 PM; $45. Tickets are on sale at High Street Grill and online at www.highstreetgrill.net.
The Cape May Food & Wine Festival will be celebrated from September 18 through 26, with winery tours and tastings, a five-course beer tasting dinner, a Harvest Wine Festival, luncheons at Cape May restaurants, a Chefs’ Dine-Around, seminars, and classes. For more information log on to www.capemaymac.org or call 609-884-5404.
On September 18 and 19, Winefest 2010 will be held at Valenzano Winery, 1320 Old Indian Mills Road, Shamong, with wine tastings, food, crafts, and much more. Noon to 5:30 PM; $8 in advance, $12 at the gate, children free. For more information and tickets call 609-268-6731 or log on to www.valenzanowine.com.
**************************
Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].