ENZA’S RESTAURANT, HAWTHORNE
We were driving down a nondescript residential street in Hawthorne and Lowell said, “You must have taken down the wrong address. There are only houses here.” But voila, there was the restaurant that a friend recommended, in the middle of the street. At Enza’s in Hawthorne, we noticed that everyone who walked in said hello to someone they knew; without a doubt, this is a neighborhood eatery. The menu has the usual Italian dishes, nothing fancy but the warmness of the staff and quirkiness of the location made this a fun visit. Portions were small, but so were the prices. Our bill with tax and tip was almost $40 for two people, and on Tuesday nights one appetizer is free. We had a respectable escarole, a favorite vegetable of ours, eggplant parm—not the best we’ve had, but not the worse—and a very good veal Enza that contained tender chunks of veal and potatoes. The waitress told us to mash the potatoes up to soak up the broth. Although this dish looked dull, it had great flavors. No frills, no décor, and trust-me-hon-this-is-a-good dish service by two waitresses are what we experienced. Dessert was a homemade ricotta cheesecake that was moist and YES…tasted like ricotta cheese.
Enza’s Restaurant
266 Warburton Ave
Hawthorne
973-423-4080
BYO
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BOOK FARE
Menus and Memoirs of a Yacht Chef, by Marianne J Gardner, includes recipes and menus from her work as a chef on luxury yachts and stories about her adventures traveling the globe. It’s a good read with descriptions of the yachts she has worked on and her responsibilities, as well as tidbits about the owners and guests on the boats. Along with a glimpse of life on the seas, some recipes on our to-try list are: Thai prawn coconut soup; strawberry spinach salad with red-wine vinaigrette; and grilled mahi mahi with cilantro and pumpkin-seed pesto.
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AVENUE, LONG BRANCH
Through January 31, Chef Dominique Filoni of Avenue, 23 Ocean Ave, Long Branch will be serving a three-course, black Perigord truffles tasting menu for $50. Menu items can also be ordered à la carte and can be topped with truffle shavings for an additional $15 per dish. Reservations and information: 732-759-2900.
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UPCOMING CHARITY EVENTS
On January 15, Michael’s Feat Annual Wine & Chef’s Tasting will be held at The Mill at Spring Lake Heights, 101 Old Mill Road, Spring Lake Heights to benefit seriously ill newborns. 6 to 9 PM; $40 in advance; $50 at the door. For tickets, log onto: michaelsfeat.org.
On January 22, Mr. Green Tea Ice Cream Company of Keyport and Porta Restaurant of Asbury Park will host a Sandy Relief Fundraiser with 100 percent of the money raised to benefit the local Sandy rebuilding efforts of Waves For Water. This event will be held at Porta Restaurant, 911 Kingsley St, Asbury Park and includes a four-course dinner and two drinks, live music and a silent auction. 7:30 PM; $100. For tickets, e-mail mrgreenteaicecream.com/rts or call 732-446-9800.
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SAVE THE DATE
On February 20, a Macallen and Highland Park Scotch dinner, paired with chef Phil Deffina’s winter menu will be held at David Burke Fromagerie, 26 Ridge Road, Rumson. For reservations, call 732-842-8088.
Crystal Springs Resort, Hardyston has announced that the New Jersey Wine & Food Festival to benefit the James Beard Foundation will be held March 15 to 17, and will feature guest of honor chef José Andrés, a James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef Award Winner. For information, log onto njwinefoodfest.com/
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].