GELONE, LYNDHURST
On a recent Sunday, we hadn’t had lunch and decided to go for an early dinner. “We don’t need a reservation,” I said to Lowell. “We’re going at 5 PM.” WRONG! When we arrived at Gelone, 650 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst, a casual BYO Italian neighborhood restaurant, the place was packed and we got the last table for two. Obviously this restaurant, which serves large portions at very low prices, is quite popular. The highest-priced item, at $23, was a special of two sea bass fillets with shrimp, arugula, white beans, and a ring of mussels circling the plate. A plate of sautéed red cabbage and potatoes also arrived with this dish. Most dishes ranged from $12 to $16. My entrée of rolled eggplant stuffed with ricotta cheese was actually an appetizer priced at $7.95. With a side order of escarole ($3.95), I had two of my favorite vegetables for dinner. Appetizers can easily be shared. Al dente string beans were combined with potatoes, onions, chopped tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette to create a substantial salad that was such a big portion that the two of us shared it for lunch the next day. Poached calamari enhanced by colorful pickled carrots and an olive oil and lemon dressing was well balanced, and it was devoured. Dessert was a decent house-made tiramisu. Service was attentive, with wine being poured, water refilled, and silverware replaced. But specials were recited without their prices, and the restaurant has no ambiance. For more bang for your buck, Gelone offers a three-course fixed-price dinner menu Mondays through Thursdays from 4:30 to 6 PM for $14.95 plus tax and gratuity. Will we return? You bet we will, and not without making a reservation at 201-372-9200.
Insalata di calamari.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein.
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RESTO, MADISON, CELEBRATING SECOND ANNIVERSARY
Executive chef/owner Robert Ubhaus wants to know what your favorite dishes were over the past two years at Resto, 77 Main Street, Madison. May 29 is Resto’s second anniversary, and Ubhaus has updated the Website at www.restonj.com with all of the previous menus. Browse through them by May 11 and either e-mail Ubhaus at [email protected] or click on the contact inquiry button (file folder at the top of the page) to offer your feedback. Beginning Tuesday, May 25, and ending Sunday, June 6, Resto will offer a “favorites menu” of staff and customer picks. The menu will be posted on Wednesday, May 12. Chef Rob, here are my choices…
2008: Day-boat scallops with truffled pea sauce, carrot caviar, and coriander tuile; yellow tomato gazpacho with jumbo lump crabmeat salad; freeform ratatouille ravioli with Parmigiano foam
2009: Seared arctic char with lobster pearl pasta noir and sauce choron; day-boat scallops with salsify frites and red-wine-wilted frisée
For reservations call 973-377-0066; BYO.
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LAIL WINE DINNER AT THE BERNARDS INN, BERNARDSVILLE
On May 4, a five-course wine dinner with Robin Lail of Lail Vineyards in Napa Valley, CA, will be held at the Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville. The evening begins with a reception hosted by winemaker Robin Lail and inn wine director and sommelier Terri Baldwin. The following menu will be presented by executive chef Corey Heyer:
Hamachi sashimi with cucumber consommé, salmon roe, cucumber pearls, soy tapioca, micro mizuna, and frozen yuzu
(“Blue Print” Sauvignon Blanc)
Santa Barbara spot prawn with melon soup, prosciutto, boniato potato gnocchi, banyuls, vanilla, and Thai basil
(“Georgia” Sauvignon Blanc)
48-hour short rib with tempura Portobello mushrooms and asparagus, Vidalia onion “Alfredo,” and red wine reduction
(“Blue Print” Red Blend)
Colorado lamb loin with black trumpet mushrooms, potato and leek purée, Thumbelina carrots, and red pepper reduction
(J. Daniel Cuvee Cabernet)
Artisanal cheeses
6:30 PM; $175 including tax and gratuity. For reservations call Tracey Mancini at 908-766-7300 ext 155.
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UNCORKED AT MORTON’S, HACKENSACK
On May 3, 10, 17, and 24 from 6 to 7:30 PM, Morton’s the Steakhouse, Riverside Square Mall, 1 Riverside Square, Hackensack, will host Uncorked, an event that will include free wine and cheese tastings, with new wines being showcased and discussed by local wine educators. For more information call 201-487-1303.
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PARK AVENUE BAR & GRILL
Relish the views of the Manhattan skyline while having a pre-dinner drink on the rooftop lounge at Park Avenue Bar & Grill, 3417 Park Avenue, Union City. Executive chef Todd Villani is manning the stoves and offers a menu that uses seasonal ingredients. Some options are roasted cauliflower salad; stuffed artichoke hearts; oven-roasted zatar-seasoned cod; Moroccan-spiced rack of lamb; and stout-braised short rib. At Sunday brunch, sip a complimentary mimosa or Bloody Mary while enjoying pancakes, eggs Benedict, omelets, coconut French toast, steak and eggs, or any of the various menu items. Park Avenue Bar & Grill is open Sundays through Fridays from 11:30 AM to 2 AM and Saturdays from 3 PM to 2 AM; Sunday brunch is served from 11:30 AM to 3 PM. For reservations call 201-617-7274.
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THE ART OF CAKE DESIGN
On May 11, the Somerset Art Association will hold an Art of Cake Design luncheon at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, 811 Rattlesnake Bridge Road, Bedminster. Some of the participants that will be entering cakes to be judged are the Bernards Inn, Bernardsville; the Bridgewater Marriott, Bridgewater; the Palace at Somerset Park, Somerset; Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, Bedminster; the Fine Art of Cakes, Stirling; the Pink Cake Box, Denville; Roxana’s Cakes, Elizabeth; and Design Cakes, Kearny. 11 AM; $80. For tickets and more information call 908-234-2345 or e-mail Ellen Rannells, special events, at [email protected].
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DINING DEALS
On Fridays, happy hour is celebrated all night at Avenue, 23 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch, with a half-price bar menu and a $28.95 three-course prix-fixe menu. On Saturdays and Sundays, a three-course brunch menu, which includes the choice of a mimosa or coffee, is $20. For reservations call 732-759-2900.
Lo Bianco, 2 Powell Lane, Collingswood, is offering a spring tasting menu consisting of three courses for $30 and four courses for $35. For reservations call 856-854-4500; BYO.
Restaurant Lorena, 168 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood, is offering a two-course prix-fixe dinner on Sundays from 2 to 4:30 PM for $32. For reservations call 973-763-4460.
On Tuesday evenings through May 25, Rat’s, Grounds for Sculpture, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton, offers an appetizer, entrée, and dessert from the regular à la carte dinner menu for $44, $55 with wine pairing. For reservations call 609-584-7800.
Friday night is Date Night at Steakhouse 85, 85 Church Street, New Brunswick, where Chef Brian Karluk offers a menu that includes the choice of two appetizers, two entrees, one family-style side dish, two desserts, and a bottle of wine for $99 per couple. For reservations call 732-247-8585.
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MOTHER’S DAY
The following restaurants will be open on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 9):
Alice’s, 24 Nolan’s Point Park Road, Lake Hopatcong, will offer brunch from 10 AM to 3 PM. For reservations call 973-663-9600.
Avenue, 23 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch, will serve a three-course brunch from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM for $35 and a three-course dinner from 4:30 to 9 PM for $42, excluding tax, beverage and gratuity. For reservations call 732-759-2900.
The Bernards Inn, 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, will celebrate Mother’s Day with a traditional brunch buffet or a three-course prix fixe menu in the dining room. The buffet is priced at $59 for adults, $35 for children ages six to twelve, and $15 for children ages two to five. Children under age two are free of charge. Seatings for the three-course prix-fixe dinner are from 12:30 to 7 PM and will include special chef entrée and appetizer creations, including beef, seafood, lamb, and a vegetarian selection, along with desserts by pastry chef Duane Hendershot. An elaborate buffet will be held in the Fenwick Ballroom from 10:30 AM until 3:30 PM; $70 for adults, $35 for children. For more information and reservations call 908-766-0002.
Blackbird Dining Establishment, 619 Collings Ave, Collingswood, will have an à la carte Mother’s Day brunch from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. A three-course Sunday supper will be offered for $59 for four people plus tax and gratuity. For reservations call 856-854-3444.
Black Trumpet, 1505 Ocean Avenue, Spring Lake, will serve a Mother’s Day brunch from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM for $24.95. Dinner will be offered from 1 to 5 PM for $45. For reservations call 732-449-4700.
Boulevard Five 72, 572 Boulevard, Kenilworth, will offer a special Sunday brunch with unlimited beverages (choice of Bloody Mary or champagne cocktail); 10:30 AM to 3 PM; $35, children ages three to ten $17.50. From 4 to 8 PM a Sunday supper with family-style appetizers and a choice of entrée and dessert will be served; $48. For reservations call 908-709-1200.
Branches, 123 Monmouth Road, West Long Branch, will have a Mother’s Day brunch from 10 AM to 2 PM; $39.50, children ages three to twelve $19.50; plus tax and 20 percent gratuity. Children under two are free of charge.
Casa Dante, 737 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, will serve a special Mother’s Day menu from 2 to 9 PM. For more information log on to www.casadante.com or call 201-795-2750.
Catherine Lombardi will offer a special four-course family-style dinner from 11:30 AM to 7 PM; $49.95, children twelve and under (one child per adult, four-course menu only) are free. An à la carte menu will also be available.
Executive chef Thomas Ciszak of Copeland Restaurant, Westin Governor Morris, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown, will serve a three-course menu for $64 from noon to 9 PM. An à la carte children’s menu will also be available. For reservations call 973-451-2619.
Doris & Ed’s, 348 Shore Drive, Highlands, will be open from 1 to 7:30 PM. For reservations call 732-872-1565.
A special Mother’s Day brunch featuring the Papermill Playhouse will be held at the Hilton Short Hills, 41 JFK Parkway, Short Hills. 10 AM to 2 PM; $65, children $32, children under four free of charge. For reservations call 973-912-4757.
The Hunt Club at the Grand Summit Hotel, 570 Springfield Avenue, Summit, will hold a Mother’s Day buffet from 11:30 AM to 7 PM; $64.95, $16.95 for children ages four to twelve; plus tax and gratuity. For reservations call 908-273-7656.
Liberty House Restaurant, Liberty State Park, 76 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City, will feature brunch from 11 AM to 6 PM; $45, children $25. For reservations call 201-395-0300.
The Manor, 111 Prospect Avenue, West Orange, will offer a few options for Mother’s Day. A champagne brunch buffet will be served from 11:30 AM to 1 PM; $49.95, children ages four to twelve $19.95; plus tax and gratuity. A buffet dinner will be available from 2:30 to 6:30 PM; $49.95, children ages four to twelve $19.95; plus tax and gratuity. A four-course prix-fixe menu will be available from 12:30 to 6:30 PM; $59.95, children ages four to twelve $24.95; plus tax and gratuity. For reservations call 973-731-2360.
Restaurant Nicholas, 160 Route 35 South, Middletown, will be taking reservations from 2 to 8:30 PM on Mother’s Day. Options are a three-course menu for $59, a four-course garden menu for $59, a Mother’s Day tasting menu for $79, and a children’s menu for $28. For reservations call 732-345-9977.
The Peacock Cafe, Grounds For Sculpture, Domestic Arts Building, 18 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton, will hold a Mother’s Day brunch from 11 to 3 PM. For reservations call 609-584-7800.
Rat’s, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton, will hold a Mother’s Day brunch from 11 AM to 3 PM; $59, children ages five to twelve $14, children under five free of charge. For more information call 609-584-7800.
Restaurant Lorena, 168 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood, will serve a three-course prix-fixe menu priced from $40 to $60; 1 to 8:30 PM. A children’s menu will also be available. For reservations call 973-763-4460; BYO.
Restaurant Serenade, 6 Roosevelt Avenue, Chatham, will serve a special three-course dinner from 1 to 7 PM; $65, $32 for children ages ten and under. For reservations call 973-701-0303.
Stage Left will offer a Mother’s Day brunch with a dessert bar. 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM; adults $39.95, children under sixteen pay their age. Dinner is from 4 to 8 PM.
Statue Cruises offers a three-hour champagne brunch Mother’s Day cruise departing from Liberty State Park, 76 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City, at 10:45 AM; $89.95, children $39.95. For reservations call 877-523-9849.
A Mother’s Day brunch will be held at T-Bones Steakhouse, 700 Commons Way, Bridgewater, from 11 AM to 3 PM; $49, children ages four to twelve $16.95. For reservations call 908-595-2006.
Two Fish & Five Loaves Caterers will offer an extensive brunch and dinner buffet with carving, omelet, and dessert stations at the Montclair Art Museum, 3 South Mountain Avenue, Montclair; 11:30 AM and 3 PM seatings; $35, children ages twelve and under $15; plus tax (includes museum tour and exhibit). For reservations call 908-227-9065 or e-mail [email protected].
Uproot, 9 Mount Bethel Road, Warren, will serve a walk-around brunch from 10 AM to 3 PM; $39, $12 for children ages three to twelve, free for children under three. An à la carte dinner will be served from 4:30 to 8 PM. For reservations call 908-834-8194.
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