DARYL, NEW BRUNSWICK
Come by yourself or with a group and feel free to dress to impress or not. The crowd at Daryl in New Brunswick on a Saturday night was outfitted in everything from suits to jeans, and there were tables ranging from two to ten as well as singles at the bar. Daryl can be a special occasion restaurant or a place to just catch a bite to eat. But know that whatever you have will be fabulous. We have been fans of chef/owner Zod Arifai’s cuisine since he opened Blu and Next Door, both in Montclair, and can never get enough of his food. Chef de cuisine David Viana, as well as the waitstaff, deserve applause. Our recent dinner was faultless.
We love that you can order wine in a 2-, 4-, or 6-ounce pours or by the bottle. Not sure of what you want to drink? Our waiter recommended some wines to go with the dishes we ordered and brought over tastings to help us decide which bottle to order. Wines range from $30 to $50 a bottle with many in the $30 to $40 range.
The menu changes frequently and if you are a fan of octopus don’t pass this dish up, as the version here is crisp with a tender interior. Ours came with chickpeas, olives and raisins. Butternut squash soup was deliciously tart from the Granny Smith apples and sweet from the topping of almonds, granola and cranberries; a beautifully balanced dish. The bucatini with pine nuts, cauliflower and truffle oil was enhanced with Pecorino Romano cheese and the sashimi of salmon with a seedless grape, pickled turnip, and wasabi was a flurry of lip smackin’ flavors. Fish is always a sure bet and we loved the mouth feel of the creamy and chewy barley paired with salmon with a spiced-orange froth. Pumpkin puree added more color and attractiveness to this plate. “Is that duck?” I asked Lowell, when his plate was placed on the table. No thin slices of overcooked duck breast here, but thick slabs of rare meat, which I initially thought was sliced steak. The duck was tender and meaty and a most impressive dish that was paired with red cabbage, caramelized turnip and an apple-red wine emulsion. A sweet and sour glaze topped the melt-in-your-mouth veal short ribs composed with celery root and wild mushrooms. Desserts were also winners. A chocolate lava cake was brought to new heights with the coffee ice cream that was better than a cup of espresso. Our absolute favorite though was the chocolate and peanut butter sundae with caramelized peanuts and salted-caramel ice cream.
Daryl also offers a great deal at lunchtime with a two-course express lunch with a glass of wine or beer for $15. The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday and dinner daily. On Friday and Saturday nights, the bar remains open until 1 AM.
Daryl
302 George Street
New Brunswick
732-253-7780
Duck with red cabbage, caramelized turnip and an apple-red wine emulsion
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
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LU NELLO’S MONTVILLE INN, MONTVILLE
If for nothing else the Brussels sprout salad with Pecorino cheese, bacon, onions and lemon dressing will have us returning to LuNello’s Montville Inn in Montville. It was so innovative, so delicious, and so similar to dishes we would eat in California that just this one dish won us over. The rest of our meal wasn’t as inspiring but the restaurant is about 3 months old, so we’ll cut it some slack. It was the Montville Inn before the owners of LuNello’s, a favorite of ours, in Cedar Grove, took it over. Both restaurants have an Italian menu and excellent service but the Montville location is casual with tables set with cloth placemats, a TV in the bar, and the specials are written with prices.
When we saw the Brussels sprout salad we knew immediately that it would be one of our apps. Raw Brussels sprouts are shaved very thin and mixed with onions and bacon to create a novel salad. As with the Caesar salad, it was served on a chilled plate. Entrees were a special of salmon with chunks of crispy potatoes, white beans in a red tomato sauce and broccoli rabe and pappardelle with guanciale, black pepper, onion, Parmesan cheese and roasted pistachio. Both were fine but didn’t wow us as much as the Brussels sprout salad. Peanut butter mousse with an Oreo crust, caramelized peanuts and chocolate sauce was the finishing touch to our dinner.
Brussels sprouts salad
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
LuNello’s Montville Inn
167 Rt 202
Montville
973-541-1234
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SAMBA, MONTCLAIR
Samba, located in Montclair, a restaurant that features authentic home-style Brazilian cooking, has recently celebrated its first anniversary. Some of owner, Ilson Goncalves, new lunch updates are: Brazilian sausage with grapes and gorgonzola; and hangar steak with grilled pineapple and fresh mozzarella, all served on Balthazar ciabatta or multigrain bread, and accompanied by a side of mesclun greens. At dinner on the weekends, Samba now serves Mariscada, a traditional Brazilian fish stew similar to bouillabaisse as well as passion-fruit cake with chocolate sauce or yuca cake. Other menu options served at dinner everyday are: salgadinhos sortidos (little pastries of chicken, cheese and beef); camarão ao alho e oleo (shrimp sautéed with garlic and extra virgin olive oil); caldo verde com ou sem linguica (potato and collard greens with Brazilian pork sausage); moqueca de bacalhao com pirao (bacalao with coconut milk, cilantro, tomatoes, “dende” palm oil with yucca flour purée); and bisteca com couve e farofa de banana (pork ribs with banana farofa, sautéed collard greens, white rice and beans). Samba will also be open for Sunday supper and their new hours are: lunch Monday through Saturday and dinner daily. Reservations: 973-744-6764; BYO; www.montclairsamba.com
Samba
7 Park Street
Montclair, NJ
973-744-6764; BYO
www.montclairsamba.com
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ULTIMATE CHEF BERGEN COUNTY AT CHEF CENTRAL
Chef Central, 240 Route 17, Paramus, has announced the lineup of their chef/competitors for the 6th Annual Ultimate Chef Bergen County competition. On Saturday, January 12, 2013 chef Adam Weiss of Esty Street Café in Park Ridge will face chef Joseph Cuccia of Joseph Cuccia Catering in Lodi. On Saturday, January 19, 2013 chef Arthur Toufayan of Café Amici in Wyckoff will face chef John Hayes of the Sheraton Inn Mahwah. The winners of those rounds will face off on Saturday, January 26. That winner will then face last year’s champion chef Ninamarie Bojekian of Ooh La La Catering in Franklin Lakes for the 2013 Championship on February 16. All start times for the competition will be 11 AM. For information log onto: http://www.chefcentral.com or call 201-576-0100.
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DINING DEALS
Kids under 10 eat free on Wednesday nights with the purchase of mom or dad’s big plate at Blackbird Dining Establishment, 714 Haddon Ave, Collingswood. One child per one adult. Reservations: 856-854-3444; BYO.
Black Trumpet, 1505 Ocean Ave, Spring Lake is offering an early bird dinner menu from Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 6:30 PM with dinners starting at $14.95.
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