Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about G.K.’s Red Dog Tavern in Morristown, Highlawn Pavilion and the Manor in West Orange, Cuba Libre in Atlantic City, and much more news about NJ restaurants.

G.K.’S RED DOG TAVERN, MORRISTOWN
Gerard “Rod” Keller, also known as G.K., opened the original Rod’s in West Orange in 1936 and sold nickel beer and sliced tenderloin for 75 cents. Now celebrating 75 years in business, the Keller family (7 children, 33 grandchildren, and more than 42 great-grandchildren) has honored its forefather by opening G.K.’s Red Dog Tavern at Rod’s, 1 Convent Road, Morristown, the same location as Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille.

The casual menu under the direction of chef Jeffrey Orel offers tempting items such as oysters, grilled flatbreads, sandwiches, lamb or prime beef burgers, penne alla vodka, house-smoked baby-back ribs, steak frites, meat loaf, and, of course, steaks. These are USDA prime, dry-aged for 28 days on site, and hand cut by the house butcher. Opt for NY sirloin (an 18-ounce Keller family special), porterhouse, filet, 24-ounce blackened Delmonico chop, prime rib, T-bone, or rib veal chop. And yes, G.K.’s sliced tenderloin is still available. A children’s menu includes cheeseburger sliders, chicken fingers, and pizza. Artisanal ales and imported and domestic beers, as well as a diverse wine list that includes 40 choices under $40, complement the menu.

The tavern is open for lunch Monday through Saturday from 11:30 AM to 4 PM and for dinner from 4 to 11 PM. On Sundays, it is open for dinner from 4 to 10:30 PM. For reservations, call 973-585-5700.

Shellfish at G.K.’s Red Dog Tavern.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
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HIGHLAWN PAVILION AND THE MANOR, WEST ORANGE
What does executive chef Mitchell Altholz from Highlawn Pavilion, Eagle Rock Reservation, West Orange (973-731-3463), and the Manor, 111 Prospect Avenue, West Orange (973-731-2360), do when he needs fresh produce immediately? He hops on his 2005 Yamaha V-Star motorcycle with a milk crate on the back and zooms over to the farm on the grounds of the nearby Pleasantdale Chateau. The farm and greenhouse have been a source of seasonal produce for Highlawn Pavilion and the Manor for the past six years. “There is nothing better than eating a vine-ripened tomato picked earlier that day,” Chef Altholz says. “You can’t compare the taste, texture, and even aroma of a store-bought or, worse, crate-shipped tomato to one that is grown a mile and a half from your kitchen.” Pleasantdale Farm has more than 40 varieties of tomatoes and 20 different herbs, all of which get utilized by the chef. And much of the produce is used after the season, as the tomatoes are juiced, canned, or dried, the herbs are dried, the cucumbers are pickled, and the honey is used in glazes, salad dressings, and ice creams and other desserts.

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CUBA LIBRE, ATLANTIC CITY
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, Quarter at Tropicana Casino and Resort, 2801 Pacific Avenue, Atlantic City, has introduced fresh updates to its menu, inspired by chef/partner Guillermo Pernot’s recent visits to Cuba. The new menu items include salted cod fritters with homemade lemon mayonnaise; dorado alla plancha; seared mahi-mahi with forbidden black rice; squid asopado (a cross between soup and paella) with mojito salsa verde and chipotle aioli; and a vegetarian option of roasted calabaza squash, goat cheese, and mascarpone half-moon ravioli with caramelized pearl onions, baby spinach, sherry vinegar reduction sauce, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Culinary-inspired cocktails have also been updated, including a rhubarb and guava mojito, passion fruit pisco sour, and Papa Doble daiquiri. For reservations, call 609-348-6700.
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DINING DEALS
Every Sunday and Tuesday night through the summer, Blackbird Dining Establishment, 714 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, will offer a four-course dinner for $20.11. For reservations, call 856-854-3444; BYO.

When two entrées are purchased on a Tuesday, patrons receive a complementary appetizer and dessert at Catelli Ristorante, Plaza 1000 Main Street, Voorhees. Mention Tuesdays for Two when ordering. For reservations, call 856-751-6069.
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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.