JERSEY MAC’S, CALDWELL
There’s nothing like mom’s homemade cooking unless you find yourself at Jersey Mac’s in Caldwell, a casual eatery serving dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings, and breakfast and lunch daily from Tuesday through Friday and Saturday and Sunday; closed Monday. Items such as Mac’s mac n’ cheese, which you do want to try, chicken or beef pot pie, five chiles chile con carne, slow-cooked pulled pork sandwich or platter made in their own smoker, and personal meatloaf are on the regular dinner menu which is supplemented with specials. What a find and thanks to our neighbors Wendy and Ken for introducing us to the yummy comfort food offered here.
The mood was set with house-made addictive potato chips placed on the table as soon as we were seated. These were irresistible and a very pleasurable substitute for bread. Starters were an aromatic lobster bisque and Jersey tomato salad with tomatoes from chef/owner Bob McLeod’s garden. Resting on baby arugula, topped with feta cheese and dressed with a basil-garlic vinaigrette with capers and red onions, this salad was an A-plus. Along with the regular menu five specials were printed, with their prices (thank-you). A perfectly cooked, large serving of pan-seared Atlantic salmon was enhanced with an Asian glaze and served with sautéed fresh spinach and toasted quinoa; healthy, delicious and a colorful presentation. Additionally, this fish was far superior at half the price of salmon we had the next night at an upscale restaurant.
Spinach and the best mashed potatoes we have had in a long time took on the supporting role for two crispy fried chicken thighs. Mashed potatoes were also used to mop up the sauce served with the comforting tender brisket offered with zucchini. And not to be ignored was a slow-cooked beef bourguignon in a rich, red wine sauce garnished with pan-roasted mushrooms and potatoes. For dessert, a cooked Jersey peach half was topped with mascarpone and presented with shortbread as Jersey Peach Shortcake; sumptuous. We enjoyed a sweet and tart old-fashioned lemon square but found the accompanying vanilla ice cream too sweet. Note to owner: Holstein’s is not far away!
Don’t be concerned about finding parking on Bloomfield Avenue, as there is parking in the rear of the restaurant. One complaint was that the napkins were thin. You may want to BYON (bring your own napkins).
Salmon with an Asian glaze, spinach and toasted quinoa.
Jersey Mac’s Peach Shortcake.
Photos courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
Jersey Mac’s
291 Bloomfield Ave
Caldwell
862-210-8574
BYO
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GP’S, JERSEY CITY
We spent more on wine after our dinner at GP’s in Jersey City. Our curiosity got the best of us and we went into Madame Claude Wine, which is next to the restaurant. However, let me first tell you about our fantastic dinner here. GP’s had been on our go-to list for a long time and was also listed by New Jersey Monthly as one of the New and Notable Restaurants of 2013.
The menu is divided into crostini, antipasti, salads, small plates, pasta and main courses. We started with a crisp crostini with escarole and fresh, creamy, house-made ricotta, garlic and oil, and tender octopus with yellow potato salad, hard-cooked egg, red onions, black olives and vinaigrette. Both are highly recommended and were filling. If the menu lists something as "famous," then I want to see if the dish is that good. So we ordered GP’s Famous Meatballs made with pork, veal and beef. They were light, tasty and accompanied by an excellent full-flavored tomato sauce. House-made pappardelle with shredded duck ragu while not bad didn’t have any depth of flavors, although it had a lot of duck meat. Dessert was a special of the night: a lip-puckering, graham-cracker crust Key-lime pie topped with a dollop of whipped cream served on an unadorned plate. A sliced strawberry or zig-zags of syrup would have added some much needed color.
GP’s is small with 40 seats, and was previously St Francis hospital. Pictures of famous people who dined at their Guttenberg location, which has been open since 1934 decorate one wall. The other walls have painted portraits. The service was attentive, the music loud and the tables much too small. With two glasses of water, two wine glasses, a bottle of wine, two bread plates, a bowl of olive oil, a breadbasket, salt-and-pepper shakers and a candle there was no room for the food. We asked if the empty table next to us could be pulled over. If the restaurant was busy, we do not know where the waiter would have put the food.
We left the restaurant, sated and happy and saw a sign for Madame Claude Wine. Upon walking in we were seduced by some interesting wines that beckoned us to buy them. The amount we spent at Madame Claude Wine was much higher than our food, wine, tax and tip at GP’s. We should have a few weeks of fun tasting our purchase. Also, our wine at dinner was a 2012 The Pinot Project for $32 which we bought on sale at Gary’s Wine Store in Madison for $9.99 a few days later.
GP’s Famous Meatballs
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
GP’s
236 Pavonia Avenue
Jersey City
201-418-8800
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RYLAND INN, WHITEHOUSE STATION
On November 14, a five course Ramey Wine Cellars dinner with canapes will be held at The Ryland Inn, 115 Old Highway 28, Whitehouse Station. Executive chef Anthony Bucco will present the following menu:
Canapés
(2010 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay)
Nantucket Bay Scallops
Foie Gras & Yuzu Emulsion, Lemon Confit, Porcini Mushroom
(2010 Russian River Valley Chardonnay)
Lardo-Wrapped Spanish Mackerel, Trotter Broth, Savoy Cabbage, Pickled Mustard Seeds
(2009 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros)
Wild Boar Tasting, Polenta Gnocco, Refined Gremolata, Sicilian Pistachio
(2010 Rodgers Creek Syrah, Sonoma Coast)
Slice of Wagyu, Bone Marrow, Veal Cheeks, Chiogga Beet
2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Key Lime Cheesecake, Graham Cracker Sponge, Huckleberries
6:30; $119 plus tax and gratuity. Reservations: 908-534-4011
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AMA RISTORANTE AT DRIFTWOOD, SEA BRIGHT
We love to visit the Jersey Shore in the fall as the traffic is gone, it is quieter, and there is parking. However, another reason is to visit Ama Ristorante, which has a new fall menu and weekly deals. Some new dishes created by executive chef Pat Trama are East Coast halibut, served with Brussels sprout petals, parsnip puree and cranberry moustarda; organic Scottish salmon, paired with heirloom white-bean ribollita, opal basil and black-garlic espuma; gnocchi served with duck bolognese, king trumpet mushrooms and buffalo milk ricotta; and penne served with angry-red sauce, in-house bocconcini, basil leaves and garlic chips. There’s also a prix-fixe, three-course menu on Sunday for $32 ($38 with glass of house wine.)
Check out the restaurant on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday as a complimentary glass of house red or house white is offered with the purchase of any pasta entrée; all house wines are 50% off in the bar/lounge and main dining room; and small plates, bar-only menu is offered, which includes salads, calamari, mussels and bruschetta. And one more wine special: on Tuesday nights, diners can also enjoy 20% off featured bottles of Tuscan wine.
Ama Ristorante
1485 Ocean Ave
Sea Bright
732-530-9760
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BOOK FARE
Are you or do you know someone who is a do-it-yourselfer? Are you curious about the process of making cheeses, butter and yogurt? If so, put 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes by Debra Amrein-Boyes on your to-buy list. Lowell and I have made our own yogurt and yogurt cheese, an easy undertaking, and have taken a cheese-making class, where we learned how to make mozzarella and ricotta cheese. It was a stress-free procedure and the finished product was superior to anything we could buy at a store. So we were excited when this informative book came across our desk where we could learn to make brie, Roquefort, muenster, edam, cheddar, feta, butter, buttermilk, crème fraiche and much more.
Cheese making with step-by-step directions including information on equipment, a troubleshooting section, photos, recipes to use for your homemade cheeses, glossary and list of sources where ingredients can be obtained, all make this a complete book for someone who loves to make foods from scratch.
The author is an artisan cheesemaker who learned her craft in Switzerland and is currently the head cheese maker of The Farm House Natural Cheeses (www.farmhousecheeses.com) located in Canada. She is also one of twelve persons in western Canada and U.S. who has been inducted into the French Cheese Guild, the “Guilde des Fromagers Confrerie de Saint-Uguzon."
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].
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