THE FIG TREE, HOBOKEN
We love NJ restaurants. Some are good neighborhood joints where we can have a casual and inexpensive meal, others are places where we’ve become regulars, and then there are those excellent restaurants where we cannot wait to return. The latter is the case with the Fig Tree, 306-308 Park Avenue, Hoboken. The very talented executive chef Milton Enriquez, previously from Eleven Madison Park and Compass in New York City, has a knack for layering flavors and textures and using ingredients to create not only exciting but attention-grabbing modern American cuisine.
The mood is set with an amuse-bouche. Ours was calamari salad on a crisp wonton. We popped the whole thing into our mouths and tasted cilantro and heat, creating a welcoming zing. This turned out to be an indication of what a knockout the rest of our meal would be. A dish of warm honey in which a pat of butter was melting came with cornbread and a spicy Cheddar/jalapeño muffin. No need for butter knives. Just dip and eat. There’s an à la carte menu, with items such as roasted quail with five-onion sauce, dandelion greens, oven-dried tomato, and blood orange reduction; grilled halibut with morels, pickled ramps, tomato confit, and saffron cream sauce; duo of Colorado lamb with sunchoke, braised escarole, and rhubarb; and specialties such as chef’s paella, grilled whole branzino, and dry-aged rib eye. The Fig Tree also offers a three-course prix-fixe menu for $35 a person, which is what we opted for, and it turned out to be an excellent deal for the quality and quantity of the food. Greek yogurt acted as a base for an heirloom beet and arugula salad enlivened with dry cherries, Gruyère, candied walnuts, and lemon vinaigrette. An eye-catching and faultless preparation of creamy poppy seed risotto with duck confit, cremini mushrooms, English peas, and Parmigiano-Reggiano had harmonious flavors and could have made a perfect entrée. In spite of the fact that the roasted organic Bo Bo Farms chicken was a tad dry, it had impeccable flavor and a crispy crust. This is an all-natural, slow-grown, free-roaming chicken raised in upstate New York, and we could taste the difference from mass-produced poultry. Served with a gigante bean (similar to lima bean) purée, braised eggplant, glazed California baby carrots (one red and one orange) and natural jus, this was comfort food at its best. Melted leeks, mussels out of their shells, applewood-smoked bacon, spinach, and lemon beurre blanc transformed herb-crusted hake, a mild-flavored fish, to an opulent dish. The wine list runs from $30 to $225, with enough choices in the $30 to $50 range that diners can find something to their liking.
Fig Tree risotto.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
Dessert also delivered. The mango panna cotta with mint sorbet, tapioca, and a citrus tuile beautifully blended sweet mango and cool mint. A posh combination of peanut butter chocolate cake and coffee ice cream, whimsically plated with caramel popcorn, was also worth every calorie. But that wasn’t the end. There was a lagniappe of mini chocolate cakes and marshmallows presented with the bill.
It’s a hassle to park in Hoboken, but there’s good news. We were told that the restaurant is soon going to have validated parking in the hospital parking lot, which is only a few blocks away. Ask when you make your reservation, and also request to sit in the back room, which has a view of the courtyard garden. Reservations 201-420-0444.
Fig Tree hake.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
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CINDERS, MINE HILL
Mine Hill is an area in NJ where the restaurant pickings are slim, so it was no surprise that Cinders Wood Fire Grill, 319 Route 46, was packed with locals on a Friday night. The casual surroundings, with dark wood, cork, or tree-bark walls, exposed beams, and a stone fireplace—designed by Susan Pitaccio of Maxey Hayse Design Studios—reminded us of a mountain lodge. The substantial menu had too many offerings, making it hard for us to zero in on what to order. We started with some specials of the evening: grilled shrimp on a skewer with Halloumi cheese and pineapple; fried polenta with sticky toffee Cheddar and figs, drizzled with Nutella spread (we had to order this unusual combination, but it didn’t work); and a roasted stuffed tomato with goat cheese, wrapped in Serrano ham (this one worked). Except for a special of soft-shell crabs with pasta, entrées were from the menu: penne and chicken with julienne vegetables, and wood-grilled half chicken with cilantro-lime marinade. For a light meal, diners can opt for sliders, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, or cheese, vegetable, meat or seafood tapas. For more substantial dining, pasta, fish, steaks, ribs, chops (pork, lamb, or veal), chicken, duck, and ostrich are also on the menu. There were service issues here, which could easily be rectified with the proper training of the staff. When we asked the waiter the price of the recited specials, he said, “I don’t know,” and he didn’t offer to find out. We got the same answer when we asked what type of cheese was served with the bread. Also, plates were taken away before everyone was finished eating. Reservations: 973-928-7000.
The dining room at Cinders.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
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WANNABEE CHEF, CRESSKILL
If you don’t want to cook this summer—or ever—Chef Rama Ginde, owner of WannaBee Chef, 18 Union Avenue, Cresskill, is offering farm-to-table to-go prepared foods, including wheat-free, dairy-free, and vegan options such as quinoa salads, seafood, meat entrées, American classics, lighter Asian fare, and zesty Indian cuisine. For those who are counting calories and watching portion sizes without skimping on taste, Chef Ginde offers 500-calorie bento boxes, starting at $12. Her cooking studio is also available for child or adult cooking-class birthday parties. For more information, log on to www.wannabeechef.com or call 201-503-0335.
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DOG DAYS OF SUMMER AT THE BERNARDS INN
Would you like to take your dog out on a dinner date? Every Monday during the summer, the Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, will offer dining with your pup (on a leash, please) on the terrace at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During Yappy Hour from 5 to 7 PM, a special menu and half-price first drinks (for humans) will be offered. “Pupcakes” for pooches and gourmet bones will be prepared by pastry chef Duane Hendershot. Reservations are necessary; call 908-766-0002.
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MY AFTERNOON WITH FOOD BLOGGERS
Aspiring and experienced bloggers were tweeting away on June 23, when Deborah Smith, founder and executive editor of JerseyBites.com, and Kings Short Hills hosted a special food-blogging event. Chef Kathleen Sanderson presented a cooking demonstration of salad vert with warmed goat cheese; chile-rubbed salmon with sweet pepper, lime, and cilantro vinaigrette; and mini buttermilk shortcakes with mixed berries and whipped cream. One of the best tips she gave the audience was to put an unhusked ear of corn into the microwave for four minutes and then cut off the end and let the corn slip out of the husk. Also on hand: award-winning food photographer Conway Yen (www.conwayyen.com), who gave us tips on food photography (half-plate pictures on a slant are okay); Peter Conway, who writes a food and wine blog, Mano a Vino (http://manoavino.typepad.com); and me. Kings Cooking Studio has a variety of classes that are appropriate for the beginner to the experienced cook. Summer cooking camp is available for the budding chef in your family. For more information, visit http://kingsfoodmarkets.com/cooking-studio.
Blogging at Kings Short Hills.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
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SICKLES IN SICILY
Sickles Market, 1 Harrison Avenue, Little Silver, is hosting a trip to Sicily, October 1 through 10. Attendees will meet the producers of the specialty food products found only on Sickles Market’s shelves; have private tastings of wines, olive oil, and chocolate; accompany a Sicilian chef to a seaside market and later taste the sumptuous dishes made from the shopping spree; explore native fauna in a private garden; and roam the ancient ruins. For more information and pricing call Kirsty Dougherty at 732-741-9563.
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DINING DEALS
Throughout the summer, McCormick & Schmick’s, 175 Riverside Square, Hackensack, will be offering a seafood trio of crab-stuffed shrimp, grilled salmon, and grilled scampi-style shrimp with summer vegetables and roasted red pepper white Cheddar mashed potatoes, for $21.95. Reservations: 201-968-9410.
Dungeness Crab Night is held every Wednesday through September at Lambertville Station, 11 Bridge Street, Lambertville, with a one-pound crab for $22. Reservations: 609-397-8300.
Through August 31, the Palm, Quarter at Tropicana, 2801 Pacific Avenue, Atlantic City, will offer a Summer Lobster Dinner for two featuring a classic four-pound jumbo Nova Scotia lobster with melted butter and lemon, with the choice of two starters and two sides, for $99. A single-cut filet mignon and six-ounce lobster tail is also available, with a choice of starter and side, for $54.90. Reservations: 609-344-7256.
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SAVE THE DATE
Melody Kettle, founder of Hot From the Kettle (www.hotfromthekettle.com), has announced that the Montclair Food & Wine Festival will be held on May 4 and 5, 2013, at the Woman’s Club of Upper Montclair. Proceeds from this event will be donated to the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital’s Center for Feeding and Swallowing, Mountainside Hospital’s Partners in Health Foundation, and a scholarship fund for local students who exhibit merit and financial need to further their culinary education.
On May 4, a Grand Tasting will be held, with Gary’s Wine & Marketplace (Bernardsville, Madison, Wayne) presenting wines from around the world and Halcyon’s Seafood Brasserie (Montclair) offering spirits. On May 5, a dinner will be prepared by Michael Carrino of the soon-to-open Pig & Prince in Lackawanna Plaza; Ariane Duarte of CulinAriane; Ryan DePersio of Fascino, Bar Cara, and Nico Kitchen + Bar; Mitchell Altholz of Highlawn Pavilion; Francesco Palmieri of the Orange Squirrel; and Zod Arifai of Blu, Next Door, and Daryl. Sharon Sevrens, owner of Amanti Vino in Montclair, will pair and coordinate the wines.
Tickets are now available through EventBrite (www.eventbrite.com/org/2389206186). For more information, log on to www.montclairfoodandwinefestival.org or contact Diaz Schloss Communications at [email protected] or 973-509-1912.
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].