SLOW FOOD NORTHERN NJ FARM TO TABLE DINNER
On August 22, a five-course Farm to Table dinner sponsored by Slow Food Northern NJ will be held at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, to benefit the farm’s educational programs for schoolchildren. Chef Scott Cutaneo, owner of Equus Tavern and Claremont Tavern, both in Bernardsville, will prepare an elegant dinner centered around Fosterfields’ heirloom vegetables, grass-fed meat and poultry, and items from artisans based within a small radius of the farm. Dessert will be prepared by Chef Diane Pinder of Donna & Company Artisan Chocolates. Organic/sustainable wines will be paired with each course. Connor Dugan will perform period music on the fiddle, and farmer Rob Kibbe will conduct a horse-drawn hayride tour. 5 to 8 PM; $155. Tickets can be purchased at www.sustenanceevents.com.
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OPERA AND WINE DINNER AT THE FROG AND THE PEACH
On August 6, a five-course Night at the Opera Italian wine dinner with lyric soprano Annamaria Stefanelli will be held at the Frog and the Peach, 29 Dennis Street, New Brunswick. The following menu will be presented:
Tuna carpaccio with Sicilian olives, orange, and shaved bottarga
(2008 Curatolo “Mulinea” Insolia, Sicily)
Risotto al Nero with squid, razor clams, and parsley
(2007 Collio Russiz Superiore, Friuli)
Eggplant and heirloom tomato tart with prosciutto crust, Tuscan pecorino, and balsamic reduction
(2006 Selvapiana Chianti Rufina Riserva Bucerchiale, Tuscany)
Colorado lamb short ribs with borlotti beans, charred baby fennel, rosemary, and lamb jus
(2006 Montiano Falesco, Lazio)
Pistachio spumoni with pizzelle cone
(Villa Massa Limoncello)
7 PM; $125 plus tax and gratuity. For tickets and more information call general manager Jim Mullen at 732-846-3216 ext 0.
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THE WINE BAR, ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS
The Wine Bar, 40 First Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, has a new dinner menu and a revamped wine list chosen by sommelier Jim Ryanis, with 150 labels and more than 20 wines by the glass, most from boutique vineyards. Some items on executive chef Brian Imbriale’s menu: yellowfin tuna tartare; risotto flight (lobster, crab, and mushroom); crab tower with mango salsa and guacamole with mango cilantro vinaigrette; potato-wrapped red snapper; and roasted center-cut filet mignon over a Gorgonzola, bacon, and scallion potato cake with baby vegetables and Bordelaise sauce. For reservations call 732-291-1377.
The conversation area at the Wine Bar.
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WINE CLASS WITH CAROL BERMAN
On August 6, a Wine! It’s All in the Glass class taught by Carol Berman, the Wine Chick, who was previously on WOR Radio’s Food Talk with Arthur Schwartz and is the founder of Class in a Glass/the Traveling Sommelier, will be held at Chef’s Lab, 345 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair. Learn about five different grape varietals through tasting and comparing two representations of each grape from different places in the world. Light fare that pairs well with the wines will be served. 6:30 to 9 PM; $65. To register log on to www.chefslaboratory.com or call 973-746-1260.
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ICE CREAM SOCIAL FOR DOGS AND THEIR HUMANS
On August 4, an Ice Cream Social to benefit the St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center will be held at St. Hubert’s Madison Animal Welfare Center, 575 Woodland Avenue, Madison. 6:30 to 8 PM, weather permitting; $5, $3 per child, $2 per dog (limit one dog per adult). For more information log on to www.sthuberts.org.
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UPCOMING FESTIVALS
From August 13 through 15, the Second Annual NJ Beer & Food Festival will be held at different venues at Crystal Springs Resort, Hamburg. The event will include a Sam Adams dinner, beer seminars, and more. For more information log on to www.crystalgolfresort.com or call 973-827-5996 ext 3.
The Sickles Market Annual Peaches and Butterfly Celebration will be held at Sickles Market, 1 Harrison Avenue, Little Silver, on August 14, with peach tastings and preparations. The day will culminate with the spectacular release of approximately 100 butterflies. 10 AM to 4 PM. For more information call 732-741-9563.
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DINING DEALS
On Thursdays, Blackbird Dining Establishment, 619 Collings Avenue, Collingswood, has a special steak dinner featuring a rib eye with a salad and the choice of two sides for $18.95. Add a gelato dessert for $2.99. For reservations call 856-854-3444; BYO.
Lo Bianco New American Cuisine, 2 Powell Lane, Collingswood, is offering a three-course summer tasting menu for $30 and a four-course tasting menu for $35. Call 856-854-4500 for reservations; BYO.
The White Heron Grill, 9628 Third Avenue, Stone Harbor, offers a three-course prix-fixe tasting from 5 to 6 PM daily for $30, $45 with wine tasting. For reservations call 609-967-9100.
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Congratulations to Chef Thomas Ciszak and his wife, sommelier Evelyn Hsu Ciszak, on the birth of their son, Oliver Thomas Ciszak, on July 17.
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].