BLUE MOREL, MORRISTOWN, AT BEARD HOUSE, NYC
On April 4, a Rites of Spring dinner will be held at the James Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, New York City, with Thomas Ciszak, chef/owner of Blue Morel Restaurant and Wine Bar in Morristown and Chakra Restaurant in Paramus, and Kevin Takafuji, executive chef at Blue Morel. Each dinner course will feature one modern and one traditional preparation. The following menu will be presented.
Hors d’oeuvres: cod croquettes with grilled leeks; white asparagus soup with orange foam; boudin blanc with caramelized onions and mustard seeds; Mangalitsa pancetta with green apple; tuna niçoise
(Pol Roger Brut Réserve NV Champagne)
Foie gras torchons
(2007 Lieutenant de Sigalas Sauternes)
Seafood quenelles and lobster
(2009 Jean-Paul Mollet Les Sables Pouilly-Fumé)
Organic salmon en croûte
(2003 Müller-Catoir Spätlese Scheurebe)
Tournedos Rossini
(2005 Domaine Michel Caillot Bourgogne Pinot Noir)
Rhubarb tartlet
(Cascina Castlèt Zeno Moscato d’Asti NV)
7 PM; $170, James Beard Foundation members $130. For reservations, call 212-627-2308.
**********
WE LOVE LUCY, NAPA, CALIFORNIA
The best part of our recent trip to California was our stay at Bardessono, 6526 Yount Street, Yountville (www.bardessono.com), managed by Benchmark Hospitality International, which also operates the Heldrich in New Brunswick. Our spacious accommodations included a state-of-the-art spa suite with a private fenced-in patio, a gas fireplace, and a bathroom the size of a bedroom, and we had a memorable dinner at the newly opened Lucy Restaurant & Bar.
Lucy is a contemporary American restaurant under the direction of executive chef Victor Scargle, who has an impressive résumé. He worked previously at Julia’s Kitchen at Copia, Jardinière, and Aqua, all in California (he was also chef instructor at Greystone), and at Tribeca Grill and Patria in New York. Chef Scargle also did stages at Gramercy Tavern, Park Avenue Cafe, Lespinasse, and Aureole.
Entrance to Lucy Restaurant.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
Lucy Restaurant & Bar offers field-to-table cuisine where patrons are served the freshest organic, sustainable, and biodynamic products whenever possible. If Chef Scargle wants vegetables or herbs for his kitchen, he just needs to walk a few steps to Lucy’s Garden. With a year-round growing season and a partnership with several local farms, Lucy offers options where diners can create a light meal or a full-blown tasting menu paired with wines. If you visit in the spring or summer, book the garden party, which starts with a chef-led garden tour and a seasonal specialty cocktail made with local herbs and fruits and locally distilled liquor, followed by a multi-course meal served at a communal table in Lucy’s Garden. The restaurant and garden are named for Lucy Bardessono, the matriarch of an Italian family that immigrated to Yountville in 1928 and established a working farmstead on the property on which the hotel is built.
The menu is divided into Garden, Ocean, and Range categories, with some dishes available in two sizes. The amuse bouche of crisped Russian River kale, papaya, and mango salad was a refreshing start to our meal and was followed by shared house-made whole-wheat pasta with wild mushrooms, kale, and truffle nage. My entrée was a fresh-tasting, crispy-skin black bass served with vegetables à la Grecque that were beautifully seasoned with Banyuls vinegar and torn herbs. Yes, Lowell had pork, Iberico Fresco, and we both agreed that it was the best pork we’d ever tasted. Why? These black-hoofed pigs from Spain roam freely and dine on acorns, wild mushrooms, and herbs, creating tender meat that’s served medium-rare and has a rich, slightly nutty flavor. It reminded us of filet mignon, but better. Accompaniments were forbidden rice, caramelized pears, roasted kohlrabi, tatsoi, and brandy pear jus, making for a spectacular dish. It’s no surprise that Iberico Fresco is known as the Kobe of pork. Dessert was sweet potato pie with black sesame ice cream and Kaffir lime marshmallow.
Whole-wheat pasta with wild mushrooms, kale, and truffle nage.
Iberico Fresco pork, forbidden rice, caramelized pears, roasted kohlrabi, tatsoi, and brandy pear jus.
Photos courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
The extensive wine list features small producers from around the world and many organic, sustainable, and biodynamic vintners. We had a lush Retro Howell Mountain Petite Sirah.
Environmental values and commitments are important at Bardessono, which has received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum certification. Each section of the hotel is named for the trees that are planted there (magnolia, birch, olive, and cypress). We were in the magnolia courtyard, which had flowering trees, stone patios with paths over water, boardwalk planks, and Stonehenge-style sculptures, creating a Zen atmosphere. The hotel is pet friendly, has complimentary yoga available to guests, and was awarded the 2011 Readers’ Choice Award by Condé Nast Traveler, as well as being rated Best in the World in 2011 by the same publication. The hotel has, in fact, received too many distinguished tributes to list. Suffice it to say we highly recommend that you consider staying and dining here. We loved Bardessono, and we love Lucy. Reservations: Lucy, 707-204-6030; hotel, 707-204-6000. For more information, visit www.bardessono.com.
Bardessono magnolia courtyard.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
******************
CHARITY EVENT AT SALT CREEK GRILLE, RUMSON
On March 29, a wine and martini tasting fundraiser to benefit the Count Basie Theatre’s Performing Arts Academy, Red Bank, will be held at Salt Creek Grille, 4 Bingham Avenue, Rumson. Featured along with wine tastings will be specialty martinis, passed hors d’oeuvres, and pasta and carving stations by Salt Creek Grille, plus tables including cheeses from Sickles Market and a raw bar by Lusty Lobster. Radio personality Big Joe Henry from NJ101.5 will auction off exciting live-auction items; several will be unique experiences not to be found anywhere else. The Bobby Boyd Trio will provide live music. 7 to 10 PM; $125. For tickets, call 732-224- 8778 ext 118.
**************
ATLANTIC CITY BEER FESTIVAL
On March 30 and 31, the Atlantic City Beer Festival will be held at the Atlantic City Convention Center, 1 Miss America Way, Atlantic City, featuring craft beers and brewers along with culinary demonstrations from local area chefs, beer seminars, vendors, and music. Participants include, among others, 16 Mile Brewing Company, Blue Point Company, Boulder Beer, Brooklyn Brewery, Cape May Brewing Company, Cricket Hill, Flying Dog Brewery, He’Brew, New Jersey Brewing Company, and Stoudt’s Brewing Company. March 30, 7 to 11 PM; March 31, noon to 4 PM and 6 to 10 PM. For more information and tickets, log on to www.acbeerfest.com.
********************
WINE 101: FROM VINE TO GLASS
On March 24 and 31 and April 7, 14, and 21, a Wine 101: From Vine to Glass class will be held at Alba Vineyards, 269 Route 627, Village of Finesville, Milford. 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM; $25, including an etched Alba wineglass. All classes are the same, so you need only attend one session. For reservations and more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 908-995-7800.
*************
NEW JERSEY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL
From March 30 to April 1, the New Jersey Wine & Food Festival will be held at Crystal Springs Resort, Hardyston, to benefit the James Beard Foundation and the Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation. The events will include a grand tasting, wine cellar dinner with guest of honor Thomas Keller, a Top Chefs & Top Wines dinner featuring five boutique wines, and seminars featuring winemakers and chefs. For more information, log on to www.njwinefoodfest.com or call 973-827-5996 ext 3.
************
SOUTH JERSEY HOT CHEFS RESTAURANT WEEK
Spring Restaurant Week is being celebrated March 18 through 23 by South Jersey Hot Chefs, with a four-course dinner costing $35 or $25. For more information, visit www.sjhotchefs.com.
***************
MATZOH WORKSHOP AT BOBOLINK DAIRY, MILFORD
On April 1 and 4, make “biblical matzoh” in a wood-fired oven at a hands-on Matzoh Making Workshop at Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse, 369 Stamets Road, Milford (Hunterdon County). Attendees get to keep all the matzoh they make. $12. For more information, log on to http://shop.cowsoutside.com (special events), call 908-86-GRASS, or e-mail [email protected].
**************
LOOKING AHEAD
On April 19, an evening of fine wine and gourmet dining is being hosted by Soroptimist International of Greater Westfield Area (SIGWA), an international organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world. This event will be held at Echo Lake Country Club, 515 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, to benefit Choices for Women, the Domestic Violence Counseling Program, CCHD Inc. in Cranford, and other charities that SIGWA supports. On hand for the evening will be Chef Charles Frederick, sommelier Joe Kelly of Winebow Distributors, Maria Tisdale of Cheese Please in Cranford, and yours truly, Rosie Saferstein of Table Hopping With Rosie, New Jersey Monthly. 5:45 PM; $55. RSVP by April 5 to Elaine Hewins at [email protected] or call 732-904-6030. Checks payable to SIGWA can be mailed to SIGWA, P.O. Box 306, Cranford, NJ 07016.
On April 16, A Taste of Talent: Dining by Design will be held at Perona Farms, 350 Andover-Sparta Road (Route 517), Andover, on behalf of Project Self-Sufficiency, a private nonprofit, community-based organization dedicated to improving the lives of low-income families residing in northwestern New Jersey. Patrons will be able to sample hors d’oeuvres, entrées, and desserts from 30 area restaurants while bidding on creations by local interior-design firms. 6 PM; individual tickets $200. For more information and tickets, call 973-940-3500.
*****************
Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].