RESTO, MADISON
Robert Ubhaus, chef/owner of Resto, 77 Main Street, Madison (973-377-0066), will be celebrating his four-year anniversary from May 23 through June 4, with some past favorite menu items. Chef Ubhaus is also selling quarts of his house-made soups for $10. The choices change frequently, but information is available on the Resto Facebook and Twitter pages. Resto is BYO.
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MICHAEL ARNONE’S CRAWFISH FEST
June 1 through 3, Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest will be held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road, Augusta, featuring music, food, crafts, and camping. Menu items, which are $10 or under, include boiled crawfish, crawfish étouffée, boudin links, shrimp Creole, grilled alligator sausage, and po’ boys. For more information, log on to www.crawfishfest.com.
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YOGA AND WINE AT RAT’S, HAMILTON
Rat’s Restaurant, Grounds for Sculpture, 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton, has combined my favorite activities: doing yoga and drinking wine. All levels, especially beginners, are invited to a yoga class that includes a wine tasting afterward, from 6 to 8 PM on May 29 and June 12, 19, and 26; $35 per class. To enroll, call 609-584-7800. Psst: To make the night really special, stay for dinner at Rat’s.
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CAPE MAY RESTAURANT WEEK
June 3 through 10, Cape May will host Restaurant Week, with participating establishments offering affordable fixed-price meals. For more information, visit www.cmrestaurantweek.com.
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CHEF GEORGE MANDAKAS
Congratulations to George Mandakas, chef/owner of Innova Cuisine (www.innovacuisine.com) in Lafayette, for making “the world’s best sandwich,” as determined by co-host Daphne Oz and Chef Mario Batali on the TV show The Chew on April 26. The winning grilled roast beef Florentine panini recipe can be found here: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Roast-Beef-Florentine-Panini-George-Mandakas.
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NJ CHEF ON “CHOPPED”
On May 29, tune into Chopped on the Food Network at 10 PM to watch Chef Jay Lippin, previously from the Blind Boar BBQ, 595 Broadway, Norwood (201-784-6900).
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The Oceanic Bridge, connecting Rumson and Middletown and located near Salt Creek Grille, 4 Bingham Avenue, Rumson (732-933-9272), is now open. The bridge had been closed since October 2011.
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Congratulations to executive chef Nick Gatti of the Alpine Country Club in Demarest, who was the winner of the Country Club Chefs Burger Battle, sponsored by Baldor Foods. His $5,000 prize is being donated to Table to Table, a community-based food rescue program that collects food that would otherwise be wasted and delivers it to organizations that serve the hungry in Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and Passaic counties.
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DINING DEALS
Enjoy a three-course menu for $29 every Sunday from 4 to 9 PM at Blue Morel Restaurant and Wine Bar, Westin Governor Morris Hotel, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown. Also every Sunday, 50 wines by the bottle can be purchased for 50 percent off, or bring a special bottle from your cellar with no corkage fee. Reservations: 973-451-2619.
Monday is Lobster Day at Smoke Chophouse Restaurant, 36 Engle Street, Englewood, with one-and-a-half-pound lobsters for $14.95 from 11 AM to 11 PM. Reservations: 201-541-8530.
Monday through Friday, during happy hour from 3 to 6 PM in the bar area, Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas, 70 Kingsland Road, Clifton Commons, Clifton (973-661-2435), is offering $1 off any wine by the glass, beer, or cocktail and $2 off any hand-stretched, thin-crust pizza.
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].