AVENUE AT JAMES BEARD HOUSE, NYC
On May 2, Dominique Filoni, executive chef at Avenue, Pier Village, 23 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch, will host a Taste of St. Tropez dinner at the James Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, New York City. The following menu will be presented.
Amuse bouche/hors d’oeuvres: brandade croquettes; sea urchin, spicy lardo, and fleur de sel; Kusshi oysters with cucumber spaghetti and Granny Smith apple; pissaladière with boquerones anchovies and Humboldt Fog goat cheese; compressed melon and prosciutto cracklings.
(Parigot Cremant de Bourgogne Rose NV)
Fluke crudo with fennel, yuzu emulsion, radishes, and celery
(2008 Domaine Bzikot Bourgogne Blanc)
Plancha-seared rouget, zucchini, spring garlic, tapenade
(2006 Chateau Simone Palette Blanc)
Diver sea scallop with pickled ramps, hearts of palm, carrots, and ginger
(2007 Domaine Weinbach Cuvée Laurence Gewürztraminer)
Colorado lamb loin with wild asparagus, morels, ramps, panissa, and lamb jus
(2007 Dominique Laurent Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes)
Pistachio cake with olive oil, roasted strawberries, and mascarpone sorbet
(Louis Roederer Carte Blanche Demi-Sec NV)
7 PM; $170, James Beard Foundation members $130. For reservations, call 212-627-2308.
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YOU CAN TRUST A SKINNY COOK
I like to read cookbooks, and sometimes I use the recipes in them. But there is no doubt that many dishes in a delicious new cookbook, You Can Trust a Skinny Cook, will find their way on the Safersteins’ table. The book, by Montclair resident Allison Fishman, co-host of Lifetime’s Cook Yourself Thin, features 140 recipes, from soups to snacks to desserts, including slow-roasted salmon with lemon dill sauce (352 calories); sausage and peppers (298 calories); New England clam chowder (221 calories); and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (269 calories). The recipes are simple to follow and call for easily obtainable ingredients. I also love the “Skinny Kitchen Tips,” suggestions on how to cut calories without losing flavor. Each recipe includes a complete nutritional profile, so those following Weight Watchers, South Beach, or other programs can easily incorporate the meals into their daily routine. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and local bookstores.
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PRIME RIB AT THE STRIP HOUSE, LIVINGSTON
National Prime Rib Day will be celebrated on April 27 at the Strip House, Westminster Hotel, 550 West Mount Pleasant Avenue, Livingston when executive chef John Schenk will be slowly roasting prime rib over dry heat until tender and carving bone-on portions. Priced at $44 and served with Yorkshire pudding this special meat will be available with limited portions for one night only. For reservations call 973-548-0050.
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SHANGHAI JAZZ, MADISON
Asian cuisine and music six nights a week with no cover charge (except for special events) is why jazz lovers have been patronizing Shanghai Jazz, 24 Main Street, Madison, since it opened in October 1995. There is a full bar, and, along with a dozen beers on tap, owners Martha Chang and David Niu also serve their own microbrew, Shanghai Jazz Ale. The menu runs the gamut from dim sum (sushi, dumplings, spareribs, and satay) to seafood, poultry, meat, and vegetarian choices, with all of the dishes being similar to what you’d find at an American-style Chinese restaurant. Desserts are all American, with apple cobbler, red velvet cake, and ice cream being a few of the options. For reservations, call 973-822-2899.
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ELEMENTS, PRINCETON
There’s a new take on lunch from 11:30 AM to 2 PM at Elements, 163 Bayard Lane, Princeton, which is offering two courses for $22. The menu items change daily. Foodie Fridays are also presented every week, with a five-course tasting menu ($69) that includes ingredients procured each day and seasonal flavors. For reservations, call 609-924-0078.
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RESTAURANT LORENA, MAPLEWOOD
Restaurant Lorena, 168 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood, is now offering a three-course pre-theater prix-fixe menu for $39 plus tax and gratuity, Tuesday through Sunday between 5 and 6 PM. For reservations, call 973-763-4460; BYO.
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TASTE OF ASBURY PARK
On April 30 (rain date May 1), Taste of Asbury Park, sponsored by the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, will be held along Cookman Avenue. Some of the participating restaurants are Bond Street Bar, Belmonte’s, Brick Wall, Fish, Lailia’s, Munch, Old Man Rafferty’s, Stella Marina, and Synaxis. 11 AM to 5 PM; $5. Restaurant samplings are $3 to $5 each. Beer, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages will also be available. For more information, visit www.asburyparkchamber.com/festivals.asp.
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HOSPITALITY AND FOOD GOOD SCOUT AWARD
On May 2, the Boy Scouts of America will present the 2011 Hospitality and Food Good Scout Award at the Park Avenue Club, 184 Park Avenue, Florham Park. The following will be honored: Kirk Avondoglio, executive chef at Perona Farms; David Burke, principal/executive chef for the Burke Group; and Shirley Roy, owner of Roy Estate in Napa Valley. 6:30 PM; $175. For ticket information, contact George Hemenetz at 973-765-9322 ext 231 or e-mail [email protected].
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EASTER & PASSOVER DINING OPTIONS
The following restaurants will be serving special meals for Easter (Sunday, April 24).
Celebrate Easter at the Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, with two choices. A Grand Easter Buffet will be held in the Ballroom from 10:30 AM to 4 PM; $59, children ages six to twelve $30, children ages two to five $15. A three-course prix-fixe menu will be served in the dining room from 1 to 5 PM; $75, children $35. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 908-766-0002.
Easter brunch will be held at Branches, 123 Monmouth Road, West Long Branch, from 10 AM to 2 PM; $39.50, children ages three to twelve $19.50. For reservations, call 732-542-5050.
Copeland Restaurant, Westin Governor Morris Hotel, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown, will offer a three-course dinner menu from 1 to 9 PM; $56, $28 for children under twelve. A breakfast buffet from 6:30 to 11 AM will cost $19. For reservations, call 973-451-2619.
Executive chef Gregg Freda will present an à la carte Easter menu at Casa Dante, 737 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, from 1 to 9 PM. Entrée options include veal saltimbocca, sole Francese, stuffed pork loin, and bone-in chicken sautéed with onions, peas, potatoes, parsley, Parmesan, and Pecorino. For reservations, call 201-795-2750.
Fascino Restaurant, 331 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, will be open on Easter Sunday from 2 to 7 PM, offering an à la carte menu featuring selections for the spring season. Table size will be limited to a maximum of ten people. Reservations are required (973-233-0350), and a credit card is necessary to book a reservation.
The Frog and the Peach, 29 Dennis Street, New Brunswick, will offer a prix-fixe holiday menu on Easter for $49. For more information and reservations, call 732-846-3216.
A buffet brunch and dinner will be offered at High Street Grill, 64 High Street, Mount Holly. Brunch will be served from 9 AM to 2 PM; $22 with champagne, $20 without champagne, $15 for children under twelve. The prix-fixe and à la carte dinner will be served from 4 to 8 PM. For reservations, call 609-265-9199.
Kuzina by Sofia, Sawmill Shopping Center, 404 Route 70 West, Cherry Hill, will host a traditional four-course Greek dinner on Easter Sunday, with a spit-roasted whole spring lamb served family style, plus accompanying live Greek music. Traditional holiday lamb magiritsa soup, spit-roasted kokoretsi, seasonal phyllo pies, and many more Easter-specific delicacies will be served. The restaurant’s regular menu and grilled whole fish are options as well. The meal will close with traditional red-dyed Easter eggs with Chef Sofia’s famous tsoureki Easter bread. This prix-fixe meal is $35 per person. Easter meal catering services are also available. For more information and reservations, call 856-429-1061 or go to www.kuzinabysofia.com.
Liberty House, 78 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City, will have an Easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 23, from 11 AM to 2 PM; reservations are required. On Easter Sunday, dinner will be served from 11 AM to 6 PM; $50. For reservations, call 201-395-0300.
Easter Brunch will be served at Rat’s, Grounds for Sculpture, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton. 11 AM to 5 PM; $69, children ages five to twelve $24, children ages four and under free; includes tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 609-584-7800.
Resto, 77 Main Street, Madison, will be open for Easter from 4 to 8 PM. In addition to the regular menu, the restaurant will offer special starters, entrées, and desserts. For reservations, call 973-377-0066.
Easter brunch will be offered at Seaglass Restaurant, 78th Street & Dune Drive, Avalon. 10 AM to 4 PM; $27.95, children ages ten and under $14. For reservations, call 609-967-2116.
The Washington Inn, 801 Washington Street, Cape May, will serve Easter brunch from 10 AM to 1:45 PM; $25.95, children under twelve $15.95. Dinner will be served from 4 to 7:30 PM featuring an à la carte menu. For reservations, call 609-884-5697.
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