Restaurant News

This week Rosie tells us about the Montclair Food & Wine Festival, Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest, upcoming restaurant weeks and much more news about NJ restaurants.

MONTCLAIR FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
The Montclair Food & Wine Festival, will be held on June 1 and 2 at the Women’s Club, 200 Cooper Ave, Upper Montclair. A portion of the proceeds will go to a scholarship fund, the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Center for Feeding and Swallowing, and to the Partners for Health Foundation.
A Grand tasting on Saturday, June 1 will offer tastings and wines; 6 to 10 PM, $95; VIP, 6 PM, $120. Some of the participating restaurants are A Toute Huere, Bobolink Dairy, Chakra, Escape, Fricassee, J&K Steakhouse, Jaret’s Stuffed Cupcakes, Maritime Parc, Next Door, Samba Montclair, Strip House, and Uncle Moustache.

On Sunday, June 2, the following special six-course Wine Pairing Gala dinner will be presented:

Amuse bouche: Deviled quails egg, cornichon, sriracha; "PB+J" stone fruit and pistachio-butter macaroon; ahi poke, avocado mousse, Tokyo green onion; and petite porc pâté en croute
Chef Michael Carrino, Pig & Prince Gastrolounge

Warm, pickled-oyster mushroom, duck confit and chilled oyster with green apple fennel mignonette
Chef Francesco Palmieri, The Orange Squirrel

Crab-scallion agnolotti, clam-herb broth
Chef Ryan DePersio, Fascino

Pan-seared halibut, bacon lardon corn chowder, pea tendrils
Chef Ariane Duarte, CulinAriane

Duo of grass-fed, boneless short ribs and côte de bœuf with celery-root puree, brunoise vegetables and early summer truffle sauce
Chef Mitchell Altholz, Highlawn Pavilion

Caramel panna cotta with banana juice and black-pepper crumble bean to bean
Chef Zod Arifai, Blu

Java Love Coffee Roasters & The Chocolate Path
Bread provided by The Montclair Bread Company
Olive Oil provided by Olive That! And More
Wines paired by Sharon Sevrens of Amanti Vino

5 to 10 PM; $165; table of ten $150 per person. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.montclairfoodandwinefestival.org/

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NEW JERSEY BEER COMPANY
Happy third birthday to the New Jersey Beer Company, which brews 1787 Abbey Single Ale (named for the date that NJ became a state), Hudson Pale Ale and Garden State Stout. The brewery is located 4201 Tonnelle Ave, North Bergen, and has a tasting room that is open most Friday nights from 5 to 9 PM and Saturdays from 1 to 6.Visit www.njbeerco.com for event and tour information.

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FOOD TRUCK CHARITY EVENT

On June 1,  Food Truck Festival: A Moving Culinary Event with music and dancing will be held at 14 Holland Brook Road, Whitehouse Station to benefit Mane Stream, a nonprofit charitable organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges through equine assisted activities. There will be two appetizer trucks: The Cow and the Curd and Mausam Curry N Bites; three entrée trucks: Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, Lil Dan’s Gourmet Truck and Foo Truck; a dessert truck, Wafels and Dinges and microbrewery beers. 6:30 PM: $150. For tickets, visit http://manestreaminc.org/ and click Special Events.

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MICHAEL ARNONE’S CRAWFISH FEST, AUGUSTA
From May 31 to June 2, Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest will be held at Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road, Augusta featuring music, food, crafts, and camping. Some menu items, which are $10 or under, include boiled crawfish, crawfish etouffee, crawfish pie, jambalaya, grilled alligator sausage and many more New Orleans dishes. For information and tickets, log onto: www.crawfishfest.com.

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RESTAURANT WEEKS

Sea Isle Restaurant Week will be held June 1 to June 8. For more information, call 609-263-9090 or visit www.seaislechamber.com/.

Cape May Restaurant Week will be celebrated from June 2 to June 9, featuring fixed price meals. Information: http://www.cmrestaurantweek.com/

From June 3 to June 7, 7 Mile Restaurant Week will be held in Avalon and Stone Harbor with over 30 restaurants offering discounted meals. For information, visit www.visitavalonnj.com/where-to-dine/restaurant-week-menus.

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BOOK FARE
In the newly published Don’t Break Your Heart Cookbook, Sharon Aaron and Monica Bearden feature heart-healthy, reduced-sodium recipes that contain no more than 600 mg of sodium and 300 mg of cholesterol. These two dietitians have over 150 recipes with colorful pictures that use herbs, spices and healthy foods. In addition, there are sidebars with nutritional information and tips for buying and cooking ingredients used in the recipes. There are also pantry makeover suggestions and 10 days of menus. Chapters include: Mighty Meats, Fantastic Fish, Powerful Poultry, Wholesome Grains, Lean Legumes, Super Soups and our favorite, Delicious Drinks. Check out the recipe for Blueberry Tomato Shooter, which you can spike with vodka or gin if you wish. Available online, as an E-book and bookstores.

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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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