Rosie will be on vacation until mid-March, guest blogger Tammy LaGorce will post in her place, unless otherwise noted.
On February 20, head to downtown Haddonfield for an inspired pairing: wines and shopping. Haddonfield Uncorked will take place 1 to 4 pm, and will bring with it special offers town-wide (rain/snow date: February 21). Some background: Haddonfield is a “dry” town by law, but a 2014 Alcohol Management Plan for retail outlets makes this day an exception. The event offers a chance to sample and purchase New Jersey wines while browsing downtown shops. This will mark the third installation of Haddonfield Uncorked, introduced in 2015. A list of store and winery pairings follows. Winery reps will offer tastings of their wine and selling wine by the bottle at the shop they are paired with:
Haddon Avenue:
Hooked Fine Yarn & Boutique/Sharrott Winery
Jersey Java & Tea/Auburn Road Vineyard & Winery
Kings Court:
Marie’s Sandwich Bar/Summit City Farms & Winery
Sweet T’s Bakeshop/DiMatteo Winery
Kings Highway East:
Da Soli/Bellview Winery
Raks Thrift Avenue/Chestnut Run Farm
The Picket Fence & Garden Tea Room/Natali Vineyards
Zaffron/Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery
Tanner Street:
Hugh’s Clock Shop/Coda Rossa Winery
MASTERS OF MIXOLOGY DINNER AT CRYSTAL SPRINGS RESORT
On February 21, Crystal Springs Resort, at 1 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg, welcomes author Warren Bobrow and cocktail expert Christopher James (Morristown’s Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen) for a Masters of Mixology Dinner. The dinner will feature a five-course menu from executive chef Anthony Bucco paired with cocktails. Bobrow will demonstrate a cocktail from his popular series of books with dinner; cocktails will follow in the resort’s Wine Cellar.
Bucco’s menu is meant to offer interplay between the cocktails and the dishes. For the first course, he’ll weave together the citrusy notes of amberjack with blood orange, grapefruit and Meyer lemon and Le Premier, vodka, grapefruit and tangerine, topped with Champagne. Other pairings include pheasant with fennel and pomegranate paired with the classic Monkey Gland, a marriage of gin, orange juice and grenadine (pomegranate syrup), and roasted lamb with honey glazed carrots and polenta with the Corsa Cocktail, which features Monkey Shoulder whiskey, Drambuie and Angostura bitters.
The Masters of Mixology dinner is $150 per person; tax and gratuity are extra. The event begins with a cocktail reception at 5 pm followed by dinner at 6 pm in the Wine Cellar. Call for reservations at 844- 207-3203.
RAILS STEAKHOUSE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY
From February 21 to 25, Rails Steakhouse, at 10 Whitehall Rd., Towaco, invites you to help celebrate their one-year anniversary with a series of special three-course dinners. On the menu each night of the celebration: a 35-day dry-aged porterhouse for two. Porterhouse, for those not in the know, is the cut between the prime ribs and the sirloin. It’s thicker and more marbled than a T-bone. Dry-aging lets natural enzymes tenderize the meat and adds a subtle, nutty flavor. But steak isn’t the only reason to salute Rails on its birthday. The dinner will begin with a simple salad of baby greens, carrot, fennel ribbons, tomatoes and Champagne vinaigrette, followed by the sizzling Porterhouse for two served with a choice of bernaise, au poivre, bordelaise or chimichurri sauces. Also included are two sides, such as forest mushrooms with shallots and thyme, grilled asparagus with grana padano and black truffle sea salt or parmesan-truffle fries. Two sinful signature butter cakes are for dessert. The cost is $79 for two, not including tax and tip, and all guests will receive a thank-you Rail’s Steakhouse Card for $25 at the end of the meal. The $25 Card is valid March 1-31, 2016. To reserve your place, call 973-335-0006.
RESTAURANT SERENADE WALK-AROUND WINE TASTING
Restaurant Serenade, 6 Roosevelt Ave., Chatham, is bringing back its walk-around wine tasting on February 21 from 4 pm to 6 pm; cost is $35 per person. Forty wines will be on show: an array of warming reds from France, California, Italy and elsewhere. All 40 are available for purchase in six-bottle increments; the ticket price will be deducted per every six bottles ordered. Wines purchased at the walk-around tasting will be available for pick up as early as Feb. 25, after 4 pm for all orders placed that Sunday. A few weeks later, on March 6, the Serenade team is hosting a winter cocktail clinic from 5 pm to 6 pm ($35 per person). Call 973-701-0303 to reserve either event.
THE BROTHERS MOON HOSTING SPECIAL DINNER
The Brothers Moon, at 7 W. Broad St., Hopewell, invites all fungi fans to a special dinner at 7 pm on February 27. Here you’ll meet Alan Kaufman, owner of Princeton’s Shibumi Farm—he’s a “mycomagician” and mushroom expert—and Princeton’s Veronique Cardon, nutritionist and founder of The CogniDiet Programs as they circulate from table to table to answer questions about mushroom farming, varieties, ways to enjoy mushrooms, health benefits and whatever else guests might want to know (there are so many more varieties than white buttons and portobellos!). Discover hens of the woods/maitake, beech mushrooms, enoki, oyster, and others on a four-course menu, plus dessert, that features a honey and shiitake fritter; chicken and lemon oyster scaloppini with grilled broccoli rabe, sun-dried tomato, balsamic and roasted lemon oyster; a king oyster “brûlée” with honeyed goat cheese mousse and apricot conserve; and more. Register before February 23 via this Eventbrite link; 50 seats are available. To call the Brothers Moon, 609-333-1330.