GREAT GRILL & PIG OUT FOR TABLE TO TABLE
On May 18, the Great Grill & Pig Out will be held at the Estate at Florentine Gardens, 97 Riverdale Road, River Vale, 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. Cookbook author and Emmy-winning TV personality Michael Chiarello will be the guest of honor. There will be wine tastings, and some of the 30-plus restaurants presenting food tastings include the Capital Grille, Chakra, Esty Street, Harvest Bistro, Il Capriccio, Oceanos, and Picnic. 6:30 PM; regular tickets $250, VIP tickets $350 (include a VIP reception with the chefs and other exclusive benefits). For tickets, call 201-444-5500.
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ROOTS, MORRISTOWN
They always do it right, and they’ve done it again. Harvest Restaurant Group, owners of Ciao and 3 West in Basking Ridge, Trap Rock Restaurant in Berkeley Heights, Grato and Tabor Road Tavern in Morris Plains, Urban Table in Morristown, and Huntley Taverne and Roots Steakhouse in Summit, have opened another Roots, at 40 West Park Place in Morristown. The menu is the same at both locations, so expect the same serious steaks and sleek service. This new Roots, which is on the Green in the luxurious building that replaced Epstein’s Department Store, has 140 seats, extensive wood paneling, and a bar that stretches almost the length of the restaurant.
Warm popovers and butter will start you off while you peruse the menu. The classic wedge of chilled iceberg lettuce is offered, but Roots differentiates itself by adding grape tomatoes, crispy red onions, and a choice of dressings (blue cheese balsamic vinaigrette, California ranch, or Thousand Island). Other starters include oysters, clams, shellfish platters, lobster bisque, and salads. Fish entrées are available (salmon, tuna, shrimp, swordfish, and lobster), but we dine here for the succulent steaks, some of which are dry aged, some of which are prime, and some of which are neither. Ask your server about the selection. The twenty-ounce cowboy steak, not listed as prime or dry aged, was perfectly seasoned with salt, charred on the outside, and cooked medium-rare as ordered. We wouldn’t hesitate to order it again. The domestic lamb chops were disappointing, as they were tough, and the prime rib also had more chew than we would have preferred. But the prime NY strip steak was excellent, as was the filet mignon. Some à la carte sides are string beans with maple butter, creamed spinach, potatoes in various forms, and the “if it’s on the menu, we order it” mac and cheese.
For dessert, we all agreed that the whoopee cake with peanut butter filling was a winner. As with most steak houses of this type, expect a high tab. The wine list, while large, is very expensive, and it was hard to find a bottle under $100. Roots is open daily for lunch and dinner. For reservations, call 973-326-1800.
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ZYLO TUSCAN STEAK HOUSE, HOBOKEN
Zylo Tuscan Steak House, W Hoboken, 225 River Street, Hoboken, has a new seasonal menu and a reopened patio. Some of the items on Chef Roberto Bellissimo’s Italian dinner menu are scallop crudo; heirloom tomato salad with watermelon and ricotta salata; artichoke salad; Milanese risotto with asparagus, saffron, spinach, and Parmesan; wild green tortellini; tuna steak with fava bean purée, tomato, cucumber, and red wine vinaigrette; and lemon mint–glazed lamb chops. End your meal with house-made Zylo-cello, a nod to the classic Italian limoncello. For reservations, call 201-253-2500.
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CHILI & SALSA COOK-OFF
On May 21, a Chili & Salsa Cook-Off will be held on Washington Street, Toms River. 11 AM to 5 PM; free admission and parking. Tasting kits are $6 until May 20 at 4 PM and $7 on the day of the event. For more information, log on to http://downtowntomsriver.com or call 732-946-2711.
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KUNDE WINE DINNER AT HALCYON, MONTCLAIR
On May 17, a five-course Kunde Vineyards wine dinner with Jeff Kunde will be held at Halcyon Brasserie, 114 Walnut Street, Montclair. Doors open at 5 PM, pre-sip and hors d’oeuvres 6:15 PM; $80 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 973-744-4450.
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STAGE LEFT, NEW BRUNSWICK
Congratulations to Francis Schott and Mark Pascal, owners of Stage Left, 5 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, who will be celebrating their nineteenth anniversary with a David O’Reilly wine dinner and tasting on May 20 (6:30 PM; $129) and an anniversary wine tasting and brunch on May 22 ($25). For more information and reservations, call 732-828-4444.
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SAVE THE DATE
Start rolling your pennies for a very special food event, Meet at Natirar, which will be held on September 23 and 24 on the grounds at Natirar, 2 Main Street, Peapack-Gladstone. A Table at the Farm dinner created and executed by chefs Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Jerome Bocuse will benefit the Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation. Cost is $1,250. Yes, that’s the right price, and I’m unsure if it includes tax and tip. A lunch will be held on Saturday for $200, and Saturday cooking classes and demonstrations are $100 per session. You’ll have to spend only $35 for Saturday entry to Epicurean Fields (food trucks, beer and wine garden). The price for the Saturday dinner is $750. Tickets can be purchased at www.meetatnatirar.com.
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