UPROOT, WARREN
Executive chef Mark Farro has created a lighter and more casual modern American menu at Uproot, 9 Mount Bethel Road, Warren, which is striving to be a small-town restaurant where you can come anytime, order from any menu, eat in any of the rooms, and dress however you please. The bar menu, with items such as burgers, oysters, shrimp cocktail, clams on the half shell, and bar pies, can now be ordered in the dining room. If you crave a steak, however, that is also available, as well as new dishes such as fig salad with arugula, sherry almond vinaigrette, and tasso ham; shrimp and grits; goat cheese pierogi with sweet and sour eggplant, olives, and pine nuts; seared tuna with crispy lime tortilla, avocado, and tomato sofrito; black bass with cauliflower purée, smoked tomato butter, and grains; hoisin-glazed salmon with coconut sticky rice, mushrooms, and coconut lime broth; and halibut with haricots verts and compressed ginger watermelon. There is live music Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings and a happy hour with food items such as steamed pork buns, shrimp and grits, and ribs. For reservations, call 908-834-8194.
Halibut with haricots verts and compressed ginger watermelon.
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CAFE LUNA, MILLBURN
Contemporary Northern Italian cuisine is served at Cafe Luna, 32 Main Street, Millburn, a small 28-seat BYO that’s open for lunch and dinner. Starters included a tasty tower of grilled zucchini, eggplant, and red pepper dressed with organic extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with cubes of feta cheese. Tubes of grilled calamari were accompanied by a tangle of arugula in a lemon vinaigrette. Other interesting appetizer options are charcuterie, a cheese plate, and bruschetta with a variety of toppings, including eggplant caviar and sun-dried tomatoes; Fontina, fig spread, and almonds; and prosciutto, ricotta, and walnuts. Entrées, priced from $13 to $19, run the gamut from pastas to fish dishes to chicken breast prepared a few different ways. Specials are recited without the prices. Homemade gnocchi with a veal ragout was listed on the menu, but the kitchen was willing to substitute pappardelle. This dish was rich, filling, and a large portion. A chicken breast was perfectly cooked, not dry as often is the case, and was served with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes. Accompaniments were crispy roasted potatoes and broccoli rabe. Desserts are also reasonably priced, at $5, and we shared a kiwi, strawberry, and blueberry fruit tart. Some other options are chocolate cake with a creamy chocolate interior, tiramisu, chocolate truffle, sorbet, and gelato. Keep Cafe Luna in mind if you’re going to the Papermill Playhouse, which is within walking distance, or just if you’re looking for a casual meal in the area. For reservations, call 973-376-8008.
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A TOUTE HEURE AT THE JAMES BEARD HOUSE, NYC
On August 24, a French Wine Lovers’ dinner will be held at the James Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, New York City, hosted by A Toute Heure, Cranford. Chef/co-owner and 2010 James Beard semifinalist Andrea Carbine, executive chef Kara Decker, and pastry chef Luis Zambrano will present the following menu paired with wines.
Hors d’oeuvres: Wellfleet oysters with Cava mignonette; crispy potato croquettes with Manchego, smoked local ham, and smoked Jack’s Run Garden tomato aioli; handmade empanadas with Hudson Valley duck confit, queso fresco, pickled Jack’s Run Garden jalapeños, and garden herb chimichurri
Fried green tomatoes with pancetta, Atlantic lobster salad, Jack’s Run Garden tri-basil pesto, and rémoulade
Crispy chicken thighs with honey-chili sauce, crumbled local blue cheese, shaved radishes and celery, and garden cilantro
Atlantic halibut confit with late-summer garden caponata and black olive vinaigrette
Crispy pork belly with smoked nugget potatoes and tomatillo salsa verde
Breaded “Womanchego” (cow’s milk) cheese with sweet sugar plum and savory red onion jams
Summer peach custard with mint jam, apricot sauce, shortbread, and candied mint
Phillips berry-filled handmade chocolates
7 PM; $170, James Beard Foundation members $130. Call 212-627-2308 for reservations.
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THE BERNARDS INN, BERNARDSVILLE
Until September 20, a Savor Summer Getaway is being offered at the Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, which includes deluxe guest room accommodations, a pitcher of red or white sangria with an assortment of goat cheese lollipops and crackers, a four-course tasting dinner paired with a selection of fine wines, and breakfast. $475 including gratuities, plus taxes. For more information and reservations, call 908-766-0002.
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ROSA MEXICANO, HACKENSACK
Rosa Mexicano, Riverside Square, 390 Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack, will hold an ice cream festival through September 4 with new flavors such as Mexican corn truffle ice cream with cinnamon swirls and chocolate shavings; chocolate Negra Modelo ice cream with salted cajeta and candied bacon; piloncillo ice cream with Mexican carrot cake pieces and smoked cashews; and blood orange, carrot, and mango sorbet. On Saturday, August 20, at 10 AM, the restaurant will host a cooking demonstration. For more information and reservations, call 201-489-9100.
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TASTE OF THE QUARTER, ATLANTIC CITY
On August 29, Taste of the Quarter, benefiting the United Way, will be held at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, 2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, featuring dishes from more than fifteen restaurants throughout the Quarter and Tropicana. Some participants are Fin, Carmine’s, Corky’s Ribs & BBQ, the Palm, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, Il Verdi, Red Square, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, and Ri-Ra Irish Pub. 6 to 9 PM; $25 in advance, $30 on the day of the event. Tickets can be purchased at the IMAX box office on the third floor of the Quarter, at www.ticketmaster.com, via phone at 800-745-3000, or at the United Way office. Guests for Taste of the Quarter must be 21.
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SAVE THE DATE
From September 18 to 25, Dine in New Jersey: Taste the World sponsored by the New Jersey Restaurant Association will be celebrated at hundreds of restaurants throughout the state, to benefit NJ-based childhood hunger charities. Restaurants involved in this weeklong promotion will offer special multi-course, fixed-priced menus for $19 or less at lunch and $35 or less at dinner. More information can be found at www.DineOutNJ.com.
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