PATRIA RESTAURANT AND MIXOLOGY LOUNGE, RAHWAY
There’s another place in NJ that should be on your must-try list. Patria Restaurant and Mixology Lounge, 169 West Main Street, Rahway, serves Nuevo Latino cuisine under the direction of executive chef and NJ native Andrew DiCataldo. If his name sounds familiar, that’s because his Latin cooking received three stars from the New York Times in November 2001, when he was executive chef at Patria in NYC.
Fresh tortilla chips and salsa are placed on the table when you’re seated. Try not to fill up on them, as there are many scrumptious options here. In the starter category, we thought the creamy guacamole, beautifully presented with strips of fried plantain, was delicious. Garlic shrimp were indeed garlicky and better than anything we’ve had in Newark. Spicy chicken wings got their zip from tamarind and a sweet red chili glaze, while fall-off-the-bone spareribs were energized with an ancho chili–cherry barbecue sauce. Other worthy starters are a flame-toasted yellow corn cake filled with manchego, goat cheese, and mozzarella and served with baby spinach and roasted pepper tomato relish. Think of it as a Spanish grilled cheese sandwich. Three ceviches are offered for $10 each, but we opted for a tasting of all of them for $14: salmon with red chili, pineapple, jicama, cucumber, soy sauce, and lime; shrimp with avocado, tomato, and pickled jalapeño; and tilapia with aji amarillo, roasted camote (sweet potato), and Peruvian corn (crunchy corn nuts). One item we always order if it’s on the menu is octopus, as it shows off the talent of the chef. The pulpo escabeche at Patria deserves applause. The chef told us that he uses only Portuguese octopus, which he simmers slowly (along with a cork), dry rubs with spices, and then sears, creating a crispy outside with a tender interior. Finally, we shared papas a la huancaina, a Peruvian dish made with steamed potatoes in a creamy queso blanco sauce.
Guacamole with strips of fried plantain.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
Although a meal can easily be made from the tapas and appetizers, there are entrées that are not to be missed. Patria pork is made with slow-roasted pork shoulder that’s shredded and pan-crisped with garlic, lime, red onions, and cilantro for a well-balanced dish. Steak lovers will be impressed with the marinated and grilled skirt steak served with chimichurri sauce, roasted beet salad, Peruvian blue potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and demi-glace. We were fighting for the last piece. And for those who prefer seafood, a whole boneless branzino is matched with capers, black olives, tomato, and white wine sauce. Another interesting fish option is the Peruvian chowder made with poached salmon, scallops, crab, potatoes, peas, asparagus, edamame, and green beans in a broth made of aji amarillo, cream, and shrimp stock.
Do not miss dessert. Tres leches, a white cake soaked in a rich blend of condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream, with a hint of rum, is surrounded by sliced bananas and passion fruit sauce. This was an absolute knockout. Mixed berries gave color to a refreshing cream cheese and vanilla caramel custard. The warm white chocolate and chocolate fondue not only has an impressive array of dipping items (bananas, strawberries, pineapple, churros, fudge brownies, coconut macaroons) but also amuses the eye and the palate, with the flavors intermingling in the pot.
Selections from Argentina, Spain, and Chile dominate the wine list. Glasses range from $7 to $12 and bottles from $26 to $70. Our favorite, a 2009 La Cana Albariño Rias Baixas paired perfectly with the fish, while the 2008 C21 Hito Ribera del Duero Tinto Fino enhanced the meat dishes. Creative cocktails, which you may want to have before dinner or later in the evening in one of the two nightclubs (open from 10 PM Wednesdays through Sundays), include a Dark & Stormy made with Gosling’s dark rum, house-made ginger beer, and lime juice; a strawberry cilantro margarita; and the Drunken Rabbit, with Leblon Cachaça, Cointreau, carrot juice, sliced bell peppers, and lemon juice.
Patria is open Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 5 PM to 2 AM and Saturdays from 5 PM to 3 AM. For reservations, call 732-943-7531.
Patria ceviche tasting.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
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STEAKHOUSE 85, NEW BRUNSWICK
Two-and-a-half- to five-pound lobsters can be broiled, steamed, or stuffed during a Lobster Fest that will be held through August 14 at Steakhouse 85, 85 Church Street, New Brunswick. For reservations, call 732-247-8585.
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ATLANTIC CITY FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL
From July 28 through 31, the Food Network Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival will be held at Harrah’s Resort, Caesars, Showboat, and Bally’s in Atlantic City, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The four-day festival will include events, tastings, and celebrity appearances. For tickets, log on to www.acfoodandwine.com or visit Ticketmaster.
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MEADOWLANDS RACETRACK EVENTS, EAST RUTHERFORD
The following events will be held at Meadowlands Racetrack, 50 Route 120, East Rutherford. Call 201-843-2446 for reservations.
On July 23, a Summer Beer Festival will feature an all-you-can-sample tasting of brews. Gates open at 5 PM; $32 with advance reservation (includes park admission), $35 at the gate.
On July 30, attendees can visit a farmers’ market with locally grown produce, baked goods, cheeses, desserts, and chocolate for purchase, plus a wine tasting. The tasting includes an unlimited sampling of locally produced wines for $18. 5 to 10:30 PM.
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HUDSON RESTAURANT WEEK
Hudson Restaurant Week will be held July 25 through August 5. Log on to www.hudsonrestaurantweek.com for the names of participating restaurants.
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SAVE THE DATE
September 16 through 25, the Cape May Food & Wine Celebration presented by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities will be held throughout the town. Events include winery tours and tastings, a beer tasting dinner, a harvest food and wine tasting, luncheons at local restaurants, chefs’ dine-arounds, and more. Participating restaurants include 410 Bank Street, A Ca Mia, Aleathea’s, the Carriage House Tearoom & Cafe, Fresco’s, the Mad Batter, Martini Beach, the Merion Inn, the Peter Shields Inn, Tisha’s, Union Park, and the Washington Inn. For more information, log on to www.capemaymac.org.
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