PRESTO’S, JERSEY CITY
When I was growing up in Jersey City, my family and I went to Ilvento’s or Jules (both on West Side Avenue) for Italian food. Anyone remember them? I didn’t know the difference then between Northern or Southern Italian food, or a fancy or casual restaurant, or that I was eating “Italian classics.” I knew that I liked Italian foods, such as mussels marinara, chicken or veal parm, cheese ravioli; these were treats and a special occasion for me. All of these memories were revived and I was transported back to that time when Lowell and I dined at Presto’s in Jersey City. This unadorned, small BYO restaurant, with a no frills menu placed under a glass topped table was delightful. The restaurant has no ambiance, water was served in plastic glasses, portions were big, all entrée prices on the menu, except the seafood marinara, were below $20 and the sauces…delizioso! Specials were offered without the prices. No attitude here, and service was basic too, albeit very slow. Although the food was served as soon as it was ready and every dish was piping hot with steam wafting to the ceiling, some tables got all of their food at the same time—some didn’t.
We started with a side, no make that an appetizer of broccoli rabe, as the waiter told us they don’t serve sides. It was perfectly cooked with slivers of garlic. A creamy mozzarella, tomato and basil salad with a garlicky/lemon dressing was also enjoyed. The lemon, white wine and caper sauce on the chicken piccata was lip puckering and so scrumptious that Lowell also spooned it over his accompanying ziti, which was too dry. The chicken was juicy but we would have preferred a browner crust. My go-to dish, eggplant parm, was light (no heavy breading) and the red sauce was delicious. “What’s for dessert?” I asked the waiter and was told that they bring in three desserts: cannoli, spumoni and tortini. We ordered spumoni, but they were out of it and then asked for the tortoni, an amaretto ice cream blend topped off with toasted macaroon crunch and red cherry served in a paper cup. Another reminder of food we ate long ago.
Mozzarella, tomato and basil salad.
Eggplant parmigiana.
Photos courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
Presto’s
199 Warren Street
Jersey City
201-433-6639
BYO
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CAMPINO, NEWARK
“Please don’t leave a 20 percent tip.” I said to Lowell during our dinner at Campino in Newark. I was annoyed and felt that 15 percent was being generous. But let me first tell you about what we liked at this restaurant that has been open for more than 25 years.
Dinner started off with Portuguese rolls, a bowl of black olives, and a pitcher of sangria that was neither overly sweet nor filled with ice; thank you.
Grilled homemade hickory smoked Portuguese sausage dramatically came to the table flaming and was cut into small delicious nuggets. The portion was so large that 4 people couldn’t finish it and it was packed to go. Ditto for the tender octopus sprinkled with paprika and presented on a wooden dish.
Three of the fish dishes can be recommended: shrimp in garlic, butter and white wine sauce; grilled salmon with rosemary; and grilled grouper Portuguese style with sautéed onions, green bell pepper, garlic and Portuguese olive oil. Although two of the entrées came with vegetables and potatoes, as we love Spanish potatoes so much as well as broccoli rabe, we ordered these sides but were disappointed that both were soggy. My fish was listed on the menu under Portuguese style dishes (as was the grouper), and I ordered Bacalhau Assado a Portuguese aka grilled cod fish served with sautéed onions, peppers and Portuguese olive oil. I didn’t realize that the word “bacalhau” was the Portuguese word for dried and salted codfish and thought I was getting fresh cod. If the fish was listed as “baccala” I would have known it was salted cod. When I tasted the fish I had to spit it out as it was inedible. I told the waiter I couldn’t eat it, it was too salty. He said you ordered Portuguese-style cod and walked away. My plate was pushed to the middle of the table and remained uneaten. Although I incorrectly ordered, I was never asked if the dish could be replaced, nor was I asked if there was a problem when the uneaten dish was removed from the table—although I was asked if I wanted it to go. We were billed for the cod. I have always felt that if you order something and it is cooked properly but you don’t like it, the restaurant is not required to replace the dish. However, it certainly would have been a customer-friendly gesture to make the offer. For dessert, the rice in the rice pudding was al dente but the creamy and smooth flan went down very smoothly and I considered that my entrée for the evening.
This was an evening of firsts: I spit food out, failed to eat my entrée and I asked Lowell not to leave our customary 20 percent tip. What would you have done?
Grilled grouper.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
Campino Mercado—Simple Portuguese Cuisine
70 Jabez Street
Newark
973-589-4004
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RYLAND INN PARTICIPATING IN JAMES BEARD LOCAL DISH CHALLENGE
The Ryland Inn, 115 Old Highway 28, Whitehouse Station, will be participating in the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® Local Dish Challenge through October 31. Foodies nationwide can show their local pride by participating in this social media-driven competition, This is how it works: executive chef Anthony Bucco has chosen to feature Griggstown Farms chicken to showcase and The Ryland Inn will donate $1 from each dish sold to the JBF Taste America® Education Drive, which supports JBF’s educational programs. Diners can support the JBF Taste America® Local Dish Challenge by following the steps below:
Visit the Ryland Inn from now through October 31.
Order the Taste America Local Dish
Take a photo of the dish
Post it to Instagram with #JBFTasteAmerica and the hashtag #whitehouseNJ. Example: “Just had this chicken #jbftasteamerica dish from @therylandinn featuring delicious local produce in #whitehouseNJ. Dine often and help the Ryland Inn win up to $10,000 to chef Bucco’s chosen charity, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.
When the promotion concludes at 11:59 PM EST on October 31st, 2013, the city (Whitehouse Station) with the most Instagram photo uploads will be declared the winner and receive a donation from JBF in the amount of $10,000 or 10 percent of the proceeds raised nationally, whichever is higher.
SOCIAL MEDIA DETAILS:
The Ryland Inn:
Twitter: @therylandinn
Hashtag: #therylandinn
James Beard Foundation:
Twitter: @beardfoundation
Instagram: @beardfoundation
Facebook: facebook.com/beardfoundation
Hashtag: #JBFTasteAmerica
For more information on James Beard Foundation’s Taste America®: “Local Flavor from Coast to Coast,” please visit their website. Ryan Michaels Riverfront Grille in Brick and Langosta Lounge in Asbury Park will also be participating for their respective cities.
Reservations: 908-534-4011.
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NJ CHEFS TABLESIDE DINNER, MORRISTOWN
On September 26, a New Jersey Chefs Tableside Dinner will be held in the ballroom at The Westin Governor Morris, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown to benefit the Community Food Bank of NJ. Chefs and guests will be matched at random by a lottery at the beginning of the dinner with each participating chef creating a five-course menu with wine pairings for 10 guests. The following restaurants will be in attendance: The Bernards Inn; Blue Morel; CFBNJ Community Kitchen; Chakra; CulinAriane; Escape; Ninety Acres at Natirar; Restaurant Latour; Restaurant Serenade and The Ryland Inn. 6 PM; $200, all inclusive. For reservations, visit the event website.
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BENEFIT AT THE FROG AND THE PEACH, NEW BRUNSWICK
In honor of their 30th anniversary, The Frog and the Peach, 29 Dennis St, New Brunswick will hold a benefit for The Wounded Warrior Project on September 20th. Along with live entertainment and samplings of its summer food and drink menus, guests can visit the kitchen to see the chefs prepare grilled local sea scallops with sea urchin orzo, Iberico pork skirt steak a la plancha and classic Jersey peach melba. 6 to 10 PM; suggested donation $100 per couple. To RSVP, or for more information, call 732-846-3216.
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CHEF FRANCESCO PALMIERI ON CUTTHROAT KITCHEN
On Sunday, September 15 at 10 PM watch chef Francesco Palmieri, owner of the Orange Squirrel, 412 Bloomfield Ave, Bloomfield (973-337-6421), as a contestant on Cutthroat Kitchen, a new series on the Food Network with Alton Brown. The competition has four chefs, who are given $25,000 to spend on either helping themselves or sabotaging their competitors.
Palmieri, a CIA graduate, worked at Windows on the World with chef Michael Lomonaco, Town with Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian and Pino Luongo’s Coco Pazzo. He is about to enter his 5th year at The Orange Squirrel, a New Jersey Monthly and New York Times top-rated restaurant.
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GRAPE EXPECTATIONS AT MONTCLAIR LIBRARY
On Saturday, September 28, Grape Expectations, a food and wine event with special guest Eric Asimov, New York Times chief wine critic, will be held at the Montclair Public Library, 50 South Fullerton Ave, Montclair to benefit the library. Asimov will collaborate with Sharon Sevrens of Amanti Vino Wines and chef Ariane Duarte of CulinAriane restaurant to curate a tasting and wine education seminar for the first portion of the evening. 6:30 to 7:30 PM; $250, includes a copy of Eric Asimov’s book and entrance to the general event. From 7:30 to 10:30 PM, a festive wine and food adventure will celebrate the works of Charles Dickens; $100. Some participants include: 12 West, Amanti Vino, CulinAriane, Fricasse, Little Daisy Bakeshop, Pig & Prince, Terra at the Isabel Rose, Let’s Spoon, and Continuum Living. Wine class tickets can be purchased by e-mailing Anita at [email protected]. The general event tickets can be purchased at the library foundation website.
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Congratulations to Josh Thomsen executive chef at Agricola in Princeton and Sarah, on their marriage on August 25 in Napa, CA.
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].