Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about a Farm to Table dinner at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm in Morristown, Bibi’z in Westwood, Luca’s Ristorante in Somerset, the Crab Cake Festival & Shore Chef Cook-Off at Monmouth Park, and much more news about NJ restaurants.

FARM TO TABLE DINNER, MORRISTOWN
On August 21, listen to live music by the Cabin Jazz All-Stars, take a horse-drawn hayride tour, and feast on a five-course Farm to Table dinner sponsored by Slow Food Northern NJ at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown. Chef Kara Decker and owner Andrea Carbine from A Toute Heure in Cranford will prepare a dinner centered on Fosterfields’ heirloom vegetables and grass-fed meat and poultry. Sustainable and organic wines will be paired with each course. Chef Diane Pinder of Donna & Company Artisan Chocolates will present a dessert with locally sourced ingredients. The proceeds from this Sustenance on the Farm dinner will benefit Fosterfields’ educational farm programs for schoolchildren and Slow Food Northern NJ’s School Garden Program. Teresa Politano, author of Celebrity Chefs of New Jersey, will also be selling her book and donating the proceeds from the sales. 5 to 8 PM; $155. Tickets can be purchased at http://sustenanceevents.com/2011farm-dinners.html.

****************

BIBI’Z RESTAURANT & LOUNGE, WESTWOOD
You can have dinner at lunch or lunch at dinner at Bibi’z Restaurant & Lounge, 284 Center Avenue, Westwood, as the restaurant offers everything from small nibbles, artisanal pies, pastas, and sandwiches to entrées from the oven or grill. Mix and match from the eclectic menu to create a special meal unique to your tastes. Bibi’z also has one of the most wallet-friendly wine lists we’ve seen in a long time, with more than half of the 50 bottles priced under $30 and 49 wines offered by the glass.

Bibi’z is owned by Ida Martin, who was formerly the GM at Napa Valley Grille, Paramus. Executive chef Bill Kang, a French Culinary Institute graduate, has worked at Copeland in Morristown, Gramercy Tavern in NYC, and Napa Valley Grille.

Still or sparkling filtered water is poured when you’re seated. If you want the hot garlic-studded bread, ask for it, as it is served only on request. Some snacks to order while reading the menu are hummus, ratatouille, mint/yogurt dip, and marinated olives. More substantial and larger appetizers include a steak taco, steamed mussels, oysters, and salads. The Bibi’z chopped salad with romaine, parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and toasted pita chips with a lemon-sumac dressing is large enough for two to share. If you’re hungry, opt for an entrée-size dish such as grilled salmon with marinated beets, sautéed beet greens, and a horseradish cream sauce, which is colorful and beautifully plated. The roasted whole branzino is enhanced by a myriad of herbs, making for an outstanding dish. Other choices are roast chicken with jasmine rice and spiced vegetable stew; lamb shank; braised short ribs; and sirloin strip. Not that hungry? Try a burger, lamb sliders, a wrap, a salad with a protein, or a farmhouse and charcuterie plate.

For dessert we can highly recommend the luscious pear and goat cheese tart with a buttery crust, topped with ice cream from Conrad’s Confectionary in Westwood. Conrad’s has been family owned and operated since 1928, and we thought their product was as good as that at Holsten’s in Bloomfield, our favorite ice cream parlor. Other choices to consider are apple tart tatin, flourless lava cake, key lime tart, and rose petal milk pudding with pistachios.

This 200-seat restaurant, named for a family word for “sweetheart,” is open daily from 11 AM to midnight (later on weekends). For reservations, call 201-722-8600.



Grilled salmon with marinated beets, sautéed beet greens, and a horseradish cream sauce.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.

**************

LUCA’S RISTORANTE, SOMERSET
We were pleasantly surprised by the tasty cuisine, friendly service, and modest prices at Luca’s, located at 2019 Route 27, Somerset, as the restaurant is located in a dingy strip mall and looks like the type of place you wouldn’t patronize unless someone told you about it. But it’s been in business since 1994—and you can’t tell a book by its cover.

Some people may see the décor as whimsical, while others may consider the hanging plastic grape vines to be kitschy. Regardless, the hand-painted tile murals from Ischia—an island off the coast of Naples where chef/owner Andrea Di Meglio hails from—the colorful ceramic pots, and the rest of the knickknacks give the restaurant a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Herbed olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes along with a basket of warm, house-made Italian rolls, sesame seed rolls, and focaccia stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and cheese were a welcoming start to our dinner. Be forewarned that the portions are big and salad comes with dinner. It’s easy to order too much and then be so stuffed that a house-made dessert such as death by chocolate or fruit cobbler is no longer an option.

We shared the grizza, an appetizer, as we’d never had it before. It’s made with pizza dough that’s grilled on both sides. The flat, crunchy, and charred crust is topped with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and extra-virgin olive oil. An entrée of scallops, jumbo lump crabmeat, jumbo shrimp, and fresh basil in a garlic white wine sauce, served over spaghetti, was a winner. Veal Ischia, a hearty dish with veal scaloppini, artichokes, mushrooms, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes in a brown brandy sauce, served over fingerling potatoes, was immense, and we enjoyed it the next day for lunch. Eggplant parmigiana, one of my go-to dishes, was not listed on the menu, but the waiter said the kitchen could make it for me. The only complaint I had was that the tomato sauce was bland and lacked depth. All things considered, Luca’s is a place we wouldn’t hesitate to try again. It is open daily for lunch and dinner. For reservations, call 732-297-7676; BYO.

*************************

CRAB CAKE FESTIVAL & SHORE CHEF COOK-OFF
On August 20 and 21, the Fifth Annual Crab Cake Festival & Shore Chef Cook-Off will be held at Monmouth Park, 175 Oceanport Avenue, Oceanport. The event will feature New Jersey crab cakes and seafood from NJ restaurants, with chefs competing for Best Crab Cake and Best of the Rest. Along with thoroughbred racing, there will be live entertainment and crafts to buy. Noon to 5 PM; $3 grandstand admission allows admission to the Cook-Off area. Advance tickets are not required, and food prices will range from $5 to $15.

*******************

HIGH STREET GRILL, MOUNT HOLLY
From August 19 through 21, to celebrate seven years in business, High Street Grill, 64 High Street, Mount Holly, will celebrate with the following “007” events.

8/19: A Beer Wars final, consisting of a five-course dinner paired with two beer competitors.
8/20: A VIP cocktail hour followed by a special “007” menu with prizes for the best-dressed Bond guy and girl.
8/21: Beer and food specials all day.

For more information and reservations, call 609-265-9199.

***************

LOOKING AHEAD
Catelli Ristorante, Voorhees, which closed its doors after seventeen years, will be opening with a new concept in the fall at Voorhees Town Center, called Osteria Duo, which will feature Italian-American-inspired dishes. Catelli gift cards will be honored at the new location.

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