Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about a Cooking for Kids gourmet charity event in East Rutherford, a Table to Table Chef’s Gala in Demarest, Greek Taverna in Glen Rock, Passionné in Montclair, and much more news about NJ restaurants.

COOKING FOR KIDS: GOURMET FARE CHARITY EVENT
On May 2, a Cooking for Kids: Gourmet Fare event to benefit St Joseph’s Children’s Hospital will be held at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel, East Rutherford. Guest of Honor Lidia Bastianich will be signing copies of Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy and Nonna Tell Me a Story. Restaurant critic Teresa Politano, author of Celebrity Chefs of New Jersey, will be in attendance, along with Dina Manzo from Real Housewives of New Jersey, former Giants quarterback Phil Simms, media personalities Lori Stokes and Steve Adubato, and the staff from Carlo’s Bakery, featured in TLC’s Cake Boss. The 50 participating chefs include Scott Anderson of Elements in Princeton; Humberto Campos of Restaurant Lorena in Maplewood; Scott Cutaneo, official chef for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games; Ryan DePersio of Fascino in Montclair and Bar Cara in Bloomfield; Michael Carrino from Restaurant Passionné in Montclair; John Benjamin of Restaurant Latour at Crystal Springs in Hamburg; and Ariane Duarte of CulinAriane in Monclair. 6 to 7 PM VIP champagne tasting preview $250, 6:30 to 9:30 PM general admission $175. For tickets, call 973-754-4408.

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TABLE TO TABLE CHEF’S GALA
On May 5, a Chef’s Gala will be held at the Alpine Country Club, 80 Anderson Avenue, Demarest, to benefit Table to Table, whose mission is to collect prepared and perishable food that would otherwise be discarded and deliver it free to organizations that serve the hungry. Restaurateur and founder of Myriad Restaurant Group Drew Nieporent will be the guest of honor at the black-tie gala. Participating chefs who will be serving their signature dishes are Anita Lo from Annisa, David Burke from David Burke Townhouse and David Burke Fromagerie, Peter Kelly of Xaviars at Piermont, Ryan DePersio from Fascino, and Florian Bellanger from Mad Mac. 6:30 PM; regular tickets $400, VIP tickets $600 (includes a VIP reception with the chefs and other exclusive benefits). For tickets, call 201-444-5500.

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GREEK TAVERNA, GLEN ROCK
Peter Hajiyerou and Wei Chen, husband-and-wife owners of Greek Taverna in Montclair (292 Bloomfield Avenue) and Edgewater (55 the Promenade), have opened another branch at 175 Rock Road, Glen Rock. While the Montclair and Edgewater locations are BYO, Greek Taverna in Glen Rock has a full bar and a wine list featuring many Greek selections. At all the locations you can expect a casual, family-friendly restaurant with moderate prices, attentive service, and generous portions. Be sure to check out the open kitchen, where on display are fresh whole fish and the charcoal grill they’re cooked on.

Order some of the dips, which are perfect with Greek Taverna’s seasoned pitas. Choices include zatzik, a yogurt dip with cucumbers and dill; taramosalata, with fish roe incorporated into whipped potatoes; and melitzanosalata, mashed roasted eggplant with herbs, similar to baba ghanoush. The cold appetizer combo for two is a great way to sample more dishes. Want something hot? Opt for the spanakopita (spinach wrapped in phyllo), the pan-fried kefalograviera cheese with Greek olive oil, or the seafood platter for two, a meal in itself with grilled jumbo shrimp, octopus, calamari, and sepia served with lemon olive oil dressing. There’s always room for horiatiki, a traditional Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, capers, olives, feta, extra-virgin olive oil, and vinegar dressing. Do you have room for an entrée? The moussaka, a traditional baked Greek dish made with layers of ground beef, eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes topped with béchamel, is excellent. Or try a whole fish such as lavraki (ours was moist and delicious) or dorado, or order charcoal-grilled jumbo shrimp with a lemon olive oil sauce. Grilled lamb, rib eye, pork, and chicken are offered as well, and vegetarians can make a meal out of sides such as steamed greens, string beans, fries with oregano and cheese, and stewed eggplant with zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes. Finish your meal with fabulous baklava, washed down with a Greek coffee. Greek Taverna is open daily for lunch and dinner.

On May 1, fill, temper, and roll your own personalized truffles at a class taught by master chocolatier Pascal A. Lemaire at Greek Taverna in Glen Rock. Attendees will take home a one-pound box (about 30 pieces), which is a perfect gift for Mother’s Day. 1 to 5 PM; $29.

For reservations for lunch, dinner, or the chocolate class, call 201-857-4528.




Greek Taverna seafood platter.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.

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PASSIONNÉ, MONTCLAIR
If you like glazed doughnuts and chocolate, then be sure to save room for the doughnut bread pudding offered for dessert at Passionné, 77 Walnut Street, Montclair. Served with house-made Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream, it’s a winner of a dish created by chef/owner Michael Carrino. It’s not that we didn’t inhale the other desserts—including a frozen trio of bubble gum blood orange sorbet, mixed berry sorbet, and milk chocolate chili pepper ice cream, and bourbon pecan pie with maple praline ice cream—but the bread pudding was so satisfying and a most delicious end to our meal. But let’s go back to the beginning.

Everything at this BYO restaurant, which serves French-inspired progressive American cuisine, is made in house, including the focaccia, pastas, cured meats, and, of course, desserts. Carrino, who won Food Networks’s Chopped, also uses local NJ farmers and bakers, and his menu reads, “Know Farmers, Know Food; No Farmers, No Food.” One whimsical starter (remember, this is the guy who on TV made kiwi and gummy bear–filled wantons with caraway and a blackberry and pink peppercorn dipping sauce) is called Duck, Duck, Goose and consists of smoked duck prosciutto, duck rillettes, and a heavenly foie gras crème brûlée. A crab cake accompanied by a potato and parsnip purée is enhanced with a red pepper coulis. An egg yolk painted across the plate is the colorful base for snails sautéed in herbed butter and topped with crispy fried potatoes. Pastas can be ordered as appetizers or entrées. Certainly try the pappardelle with a Bordeaux-braised short rib ragout and oven-roasted tomato purée. Skate wing shines as well, served with sautéed Napa cabbage and broccoli rabe with a Thai red curry shellfish sauce in a balanced, flavorful, and beautifully presented dish. A five- or seven-course tasting menu is also available. For reservations, call 973-233-1006.



Snails with crispy potatoes.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.

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ASPARAGUS FESTIVAL AT COPELAND, MORRISTOWN
Executive chef Robert Trainor at Copeland Restaurant, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown, is paying homage to asparagus, also known as the king of vegetables because it is one of the first signs of spring. Menu items that Trainor will be offering through the end of May are white asparagus and frisée salad with red wine vinegar dressing, Mangalitsa ham, and poached organic egg; asparagus soup with fresh morels, ramps, and orange oil; Maine lobster with white and green asparagus, garden herbs, and pancetta mignonette; and asparagus and clove-dusted sweetbreads with asparagus purée, chanterelles, and black pepper jus. For reservations, call 973-451-2619.

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BELTANE FESTIVAL AT BOBOLINK, MILFORD
On May 15, food, music, ales (from the Ship Inn in Milford), and possibly some dancing will be featured at Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse, 369 Stamets Road, Milford, for the not-quite-annual Bobolink Beltane Festival. Beltane is the Celtic spring fertility festival, traditionally celebrated on May Day to honor the return of spring. For more information, log on to www.cowsoutside.com or call 908-86-GRASS.

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Congratulations to Mark Pascal and Francis Schott, owners of Stage Left Restaurant, 5 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick (732-828-4444), and Catherine Lombardi, 3 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick (732-296-9463), for being named Restaurateurs of the Year by the New Jersey Restaurant Association.

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The following restaurants will be open on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 8).

A Mother’s Day Festival will be held at Alba Vineyard, 269 Route 627, Village of Finesville, Milford. Noon to 5 PM; $10, $5 for young adults ages twelve to twenty, free for children under twelve. Parking is complimentary, and wine tastings will be available throughout the day for $10 per person. For more information, call 908-995-7800.

Andre’s, 188 Spring Street, Newton, will offer a three-course menu before 4 PM for $35. After 4 PM, diners can opt for a four-course dinner for $45 or a five-course dinner for $55. For reservations, call 973-300-4192.

The Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, offers two choices. A buffet will be served in the Ballroom from 10 AM to 3:30 PM; $59, children six to twelve $35, children two to five $15. A three-course prix-fixe menu will be hosted in the dining room from 12:30 to 7 PM; $75, children $35. For reservations, call 908-766-0002.

A Mother’s Day 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.

Casa Dante, 737 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, is offering a four-course prix-fixe menu from 12:30 to 9 PM for $55. More information can be found at www.casadante.com/events; for reservations, call 201-795-2750.

Catherine Lombardi, 3 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, will offer Sunday dinner on Mother’s Day. Call 732-296-9463 for more information and reservations.

David Burke Fromagerie, 26 Ridge Road, Rumson, will serve brunch on Mother’s Day; $45, children $25. A three-course dinner will be offered for $65. For reservations, call 732-842-8088.

Doris & Ed’s, 348 Shore Drive, Highlands, will be open on Mother’s Day from 1 to 7:30 PM. For reservations, call 732-872-1565.

The Elan, a special events and catering venue at 111 Route 46 West, Lodi, will offer a brunch buffet from 11 AM to 3 PM; $35, children $20, plus tax and 20 percent gratuity. For reservations, call 973-777-0503.

The Frog and the Peach, 29 Dennis Street, New Brunswick, will offer a three-course prix-fixe menu from noon to 7 PM for $59. For more information and reservations, call 732-846-3216.

Mother’s Day will be celebrated all weekend at Grounds for Sculpture, 18 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton. On Friday, May 6, High Tea will be offered in the garden of the Peacock Cafe; 4 to 6 PM; $25. On Saturday, May 7, happy hour will be celebrated in the courtyard of the Peacock Cafe from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. On Mother’s Day, the Peacock Cafe will serve brunch from 11 AM to 3 PM. Rat’s Restaurant will serve brunch from 11 AM to 3 PM. For a more casual dining experience, call ahead to reserve a picnic basket, and picnic with Mom in the park. For reservations and more information, call 609-584-7800.

Executive chef Mitchell Altholz at Highlawn Pavilion, Eagle Rock Reservation, West Orange, will offer a Mother’s Day menu. For reservations, call 973-731-3463.

The Inn at Fernbrook, 142 Bordentown-Georgetown Road (Route 545), Chesterfield, will offer a family BYO brunch under tents, rain or shine, which will also include a rose or flower for Mom, farm tractor rides, and tours. All profits will go toward the Fernbrook Education Center. Menu and service will be provided by Chef Eric Martin of Main Street Fine Catering, Princeton. Seatings are at 10 AM and 12:30 PM; $40, children under thirteen $25. For reservations, e-mail eric.martin@mainstreetcatering.com or call 609-786-1014.

Kuzina by Sofia, Sawmill Shopping Center, 404 Route 70 West, Cherry Hill, will have two options on Mother’s Day. A four-course brunch will be offered from 11 AM to 2 PM; $19. A four-course dinner will be served from 3 to 10 PM; $30. For reservations, call 856-429-1061; BYO.

The Manor, 111 Prospect Avenue, West Orange, has a few options on Mother’s Day. A brunch buffet will be offered from 11:30 AM to 1 PM; $49.95, children $19.95. A Sunday dinner buffet will be held from 2:30 to 6:30 PM; $49.95, children $19.95. The Terrace lounge will have à la carte dining from noon to 6 PM; $62.95, children $24.95. For reservations, call 973-731-2360.

Spend Mother’s Day at Meadowlands Racetrack, 50 Route 120, East Rutherford. At Pegasus there will be a buffet, or have a four-course meal at Terraces. Gates open at 11 AM, and post time is at 1:10 PM. Go to www.meadowlandsracetrack.com to view menus and get pricing and additional information. For reservations, call 201-THE-BIGM.

Napa Valley Grille, Garden State Plaza, 95 Route 17 South, Paramus, will offer a brunch buffet on Mother’s Day. 11 AM to 4 PM; $37.95, children twelve and under $17.95. For reservations, call 201-845-5555.

The Pop Shop will celebrate Mother’s Day with a special brunch buffet that will feature a pancake bar, pastries, stuffed French toast, bagels, salmon and cream cheeses, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, and more. There will also be a special buffet for children as well as a chocolate dessert buffet. Seatings at 9 AM, 11:45 AM, and 2:30 PM; $19.95, children $8.95, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 856-869-0111.

Restaurant Nicholas, 160 Route 35 South, Middletown, will offer a three-course menu for $65, a four-course garden menu for $65, and a six-course tasting menu for $85. A children’s menu will be available for $28. Seatings are from 2 to 8:30 PM. For reservations, call 732-345-9977.

Seasonal bounty will be featured at Restaurant Serenade, 6 Roosevelt Avenue, Chatham, at the three-course prix-fixe dinner on Mother’s Day. Noon to 6 PM; $69, children ten and under $35. For reservations, call 973-701-0303.

Mother’s Day brunch will be served at Stage Left Restaurant, 5 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. For more information and reservations, call 732-828-4444.

The Washington Inn, 801 Washington Street, Cape May, will be serving 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.

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