DOWN TO THE BONE BARBECUE & COMPANY, STANHOPE
Although we’ve lived in New Jersey all of our lives we had never heard of Lake Lackawanna in Stanhope until we learned that a BBQ joint, Down to the Bone Barbecue, opened there last April. Located on a country road—with views of the lake, docks and outdoor patio dining—this place was a hoot, a fun place to dine.
We were four hungry diners and opted for the Down to the Bone Feast, which serves 4 to 6 for $80. (Quite a bargain and there was more than enough left over for the next day.) It contained of a full slab of St. Louis ribs, quartered chicken, a quarter pound of pulled pork, a quarter pound of beef brisket, coleslaw, fries, baked beans, corn on the cob and corn bread. Thick, meaty and moist are just a few words to describe the ribs—the best part of the platter. The chicken was also tasty, but we found the brisket to be dry and tough. Friends liked the pulled pork better than we did. The sides were not worth filling up on except the corn bread, which we would have preferred heated. We wouldn’t hesitate to return for the ribs and would like to try other sides such as the creamed collard greens, dirty rice and mac & cheese. The menu has other choices if you prefer not to have BBQ such as: steaks, seafood, pork chops, chicken, pasta, loaded potatoes and pizza. We had zeppoli dusted with powdered sugar and an apple cobbler for dessert.
Owner Jeffrey Feldstein also bottles two Down to the Bone barbeque sauces, Mild Madness and Sweet Heat, which are for sale at the restaurant as well as 80 different stores throughout New Jersey, New York, Delaware, California, Kansas and some NJ Farmer’s Markets.
The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner and has a full bar.
Down to the Bone Feast.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
Down to the Bone Barbecue & Company
172 Lackawanna Drive
Stanhope
973-347-BONE
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A TOUTE HEURE, CRANFORD
Since A Toute Heure in Cranford has a seasonal, locally sourced new American menu, that changes daily, we were anxious to see what they were offering on a cold winter’s evening and how successful that menu would be.
Octopus is our go to food when offered and the rendition here was excellent with a soft interior and charred exterior. Served with fingerling potatoes, shaved fennel, radish, parsley and a charmoula cream—a mixture of herbs and spices used in Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking—it was a memorable dish. We loved the use of cumin and chickpeas in a bowl of mussels served with pancetta, white wine broth, cumin aioli, and crispy chickpeas but would have preferred a wider bowl to make dipping the bread into the sauce easier. The 5-spice, crispy-skinned quail with smoked cabbage slaw, and spicy mustard sauce was declared a winner, as was the scallop crudo with crispy squid, scallions, poppy seeds, siracha and creamy lime.
Winter posole with shredded and braised pork shoulder, braised tripe, onion, preserved tomatoes, hominy, cilantro and lime was a hearty winter dish, as was the crispy-skinned chicken breast and thigh confit with black lentils, Brussels sprouts and rich chicken jus. The marinated and grilled strip steak served with frites and a tarragon “béarnaise” butter was tender and flavorful. The last time we saw stuffed cabbage on a menu was years ago in a Jewish deli, so we also opted for this entrée which turned out to be lighter than we expected. The cabbage was filled with rice, currants, beef and pork, and served with fingerling potatoes, whole-grain mustard vinaigrette, and a chive creme fraiche. We thought this was a worthy comfort dish and hope to see variations of this use of cabbage on menus in the future. Dessert was a scoop each of chocolate-cocoa-nib and toasted-almond ice cream, and house-made rhubarb jam tart with almond-crumb topping, toasted-almond ice cream, candied almonds and caramel sauce.
Tomato-herbed butter comes with the house-made rolls. Little butter cookies come with dessert. From start to finish, A Toute Heure in Cranford is doing it right and makes dining out the pleasure it should be.
Be sure to make a reservation, and if you wish to go on a weekend make it at least 3 to 4 weeks ahead of time. Another option is to dine there at lunch, which is offered Tuesday through Friday.
A Toute Heure
232 Centennial Ave
Cranford
908-276-6600
BYO
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MONTCLAIR FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL UPDATE
It’s not too early to make plans to attend the Montclair Food & Wine Festival, an exciting two-day culinary event, that will be held on June 1 and 2 at the Women’s Club, 200 Cooper Avee, Upper Montclair. A portion of the proceeds will be going to a scholarship fund and two hospitals.
On June 1st, a Grand Tasting, will be featured. Guests can sample the culinary offerings of many NJ restaurants, as well as wines from Gary’s Wine & Marketplace (Bernardsville, Madison, Wayne). 7 to 10 PM, $95; VIP 6 PM, $120.
On June 2nd, a special six-course Wine Pairing Gala dinner will be held with chefs Michael Carrino (Pig & Prince); Ariane Duarte (CulinAriane); Ryan DePersio ((Fascino, Bar Cara and NICO Kitchen + Bar; Mitchell Altholz (Highlawn Pavilion); Francesco Palmieri (Orange Squirrel); and Zod Arifai (Blu, Next Door, and Daryl) participating. Sharon Sevrens, owner of Amanti Vino in Montclair, will be pairing and explaing the wines. 5 to 10 PM; $165.
Tickets can be purchased at http://www.montclairfoodandwinefestival.org/
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MISTRAL, PRINCETON
While waiting for Mistral—a new restaurant by Scott Anderson and Steve Distler (the men behind Elements in Princeton)—to open this spring at 66 Witherspoon St in Princeton, diners can preview a few sample menu items, such as house-cured pork lomo, grilled octopus, fennel salad and bronzino, at Elements, 163 Bayard Lane, Princeton (609-924-0078).
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SOUTH JERSEY HOT CHEFS RESTAURANT WEEK
Spring Restaurant Week will be presented by SJHotChefs.com form March 17 to 22 with participating restaurants offering a four-course dinner for $35 or $25. For information visit: http://www.sjhotchefs.com/restweek/index.php/
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WANT WINE?
On Friday, March 15, there will be two wine events that may be of interest to oenophiles.
A five-course Wines of Piedmont dinner will be held at the Pleasantdale Chateau, 757 Eagle Rock Ave, West Orange. 6:30 PM; $150 includes tax and service charge. Reservations: 973-731-5600 ext 3016. Overnight accommodations are also available at the Chateau.
Pleasantdale Chateau
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
A Robert Biale wine dinner will be held at Stage Left, 5 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick. $149 plus tax and service. Reserve a table by calling 732-828-4444 or email [email protected]
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TASTE OF ESSEX, WEST ORANGE
On Monday, March 11, the North Essex Chamber of Commerce will host A Taste of Essex at Mayfair Farms, 481 Eagle Rock Ave, West Orange to benefit the NECC Foundation Scholarship Fund. Some participating restaurants include: Cloverleaf Tavern, Frank Anthony’s, Kings Super Markets, Mark & Julie’s Ice Cream, New World Catering, Nicastro Gourmet Sauce, Reds Flips & Dips and SunRise ShopRite. 6 to 9 PM; $60 at the door $50 in advance. For tickets call 973-226-5500.
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].