Restaurant News

Today Rosie tells us about the Gladstone Tavern in Gladstone and the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station.

THE GLADSTONE TAVERN, GLADSTONE
There are not many places for families to dine in the Gladstone/Peapack area, so it was no surprise to see large tables filled with children and their parents on a Sunday night at the Gladstone Tavern. This casual restaurant, built in 1847, has a diverse menu ranging from black-truffle hummus to guacamole, duck dumplings, gorgonzola shrimp cappellini and surf ‘n’ turf. A children’s menu offers chicken bites, burgers, pasta with butter or tomato sauce, hot dogs and  other child-friendly foods.

For starters, we would recommend the “10-ingredient chop,” a salad made with avocado, hearts of palm, sunchoke, chickpeas, aged gouda, sunflower seeds, capers, radish, tomato and butter-leaf lettuce mixed with a buttermilk-ranch dressing. However, do not bother ordering the undistinguished, bland house-made duck dumplings with shiitake mushroom and Napa cabbage. Loving vegetables, we sometimes order a side as an appetizer and the shredded Brussels sprouts, a large portion served warm, were a standout.

Some of the entrée items listed the protein’s place of origin. For example, duck was from Crescent Farm, Long Island; chicken from Murray’s Farms, PA; and swordfish was from Panama, a nice touch if this is important to you. It was a glad-I-ordered-that moment when cedar-planked salmon, topped with a grilled wedge of lemon and accompanied by baby spinach, potato pancakes and a horseradish crème fraiche was brought to the table. It turns out that was one of the best of four entrees. The gravy with the tender and flavorful wine-braised short ribs was a perfect marriage with horseradish whipped potatoes. Some of the roasted, winter vegetables on this dish were undercooked. Not as successful were two chicken dishes. The iron-skillet, half chicken was dry and the black-pepper vermouth sauce did nothing to save it and the roasted, winter vegetables were in the same condition as with the short ribs: hard. Bacon in the Coq Au Vin probably was the culprit that created a smoky flavor in the overpowering sauce. It was our least favorite dish.

Desserts needed further work. The dark chocolate sorbet with the red-velvet cake was well received. However, the cake was dry and we would have preferred more cream-cheese icing. The brownies in the sundae parfait were too sweet but the vanilla ice cream, almond brittle and fudge sauce were satisfactory.

The dining room we were seated in had a stone fireplace, creating a comfy atmosphere, and a wall separates the bar from the dining room. Check out the handsome horse statue, that stands guard on the front porch. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner.


Warm, shredded Brussels sprouts
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein

The Gladstone Tavern
273 Main Street
Gladstone
908-234-9055
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RYLAND INN NOW SERVING SUNDAY BRUNCH

The Ryland Inn is now serving brunch with live music from 11 AM to 3 PM on Sundays. Brunch items include: Greek yogurt with granola; egg-yolk tagliatelle; brioche French toast; shrimp & grits; Irish salmon with cauliflower, raisins, capers and almonds; green-market frittata with white and green asparagus, foraged mushrooms, and spring garlic; and much more. Reservations: 908-534-4011.

The restaurant has also announced that it is supporting the Grow-A-Row foundation through the Landmark Hospitality corporate giving program H.U.G. (Help Us Give). Each month a different community organization will receive a donation from 10 percent of the proceeds from the top three most popular tables at the Ryland Inn. The restaurant is part of part of New Jersey-based Landmark Hospitality Group, which includes Liberty House Restaurant, Stone House at Stirling Ridge, both of which are involved in the H.U.G. program, Celebrate at Snug Harbor, Hotel du Village and Crave Caterers.
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