Located in the Newport Yacht Club & Marina, a recent lunch at Battello began with a colorful cocktail called the Blushing Dutchman. Beverage director, Ray Keane, ices the side of a Collins glass with clarified honeydew juice. The cocktail, mixed with Genevere (a predecessor of gin), blueberry and clove cordial, lavender simple syrup, lemon and tonic bitters, only gets better as the honeydew shaft melts down. But Keane is no one-trick pony, his Mojito features ice cubes made of blanched mint and water, and “On The Horizon” is a brunchy cocktail worthy of replacing mimosas the world over. This bright orange glass of giddyup features Milagro tequila, smoked cinnamon syrup, carrot juice and muddled yellow bell pepper. Oh, if you don’t want a cocktail, their non-alcoholic Arnold Palmers are pretty good too.
And the eats. You can’t go wrong with the grilled octopus ($14). A plentiful serving of charred, tender octopus is set off by a tangy green-olive tapenade, shaved sunchokes and tomato vinegar. The crab burger ($16) borders on obscene. Chunks upon chunks of crab are topped with crispy, peppery pancetta with a spicy tartar sauce. If you’re familiar with DePersio’s cuisine, you’ll be happy to know that the Battello burger ($14), uses the same beef blend—short rib, sirloin and brisket—that he used at his former restaurant Bar Cara (Bloomfield). It’s yummy—topped with fontina and a little bucket of parmigiano fries, you won’t be hungry for an early dinner.
Newport Yacht Club + Marina, 502 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, 201-798-1798.
**************
Estate of Small Plates: Finca, Ridgewood
We visited the newly opened Finca in Ridgewood during its first week. The name of the restaurant, Finca, means estate in Spanish. The decor is decidedly Spanish and evokes a gaucho theme complete with a mural of horses and Spanish tiling inside the dining room.
Service recommended four to five tapas plates per person. We began with albondigas ($9), a veal meatball topped with grated parmesan. Next, Patatas bravas with chorizo ($7) that showed off a nice smoky profile. The croquettes ($7) made a nice presentation, crisp golden globes, set on grain mustard, and filled with a creamy tetilla cheese. We also sampled the octopus ($13) and the charcuterie platter ($12), which featured two slices of sopressata, two slices of jamon serrano, and a small wedge of Camembert, goat cheese and gorgonzola, was accompanied by a cornichon sliced in half lengthwise.
The charred Caesar salad($6), with young, tender Romaine wedges, grilled and charred, was dressed in a chunky, anchovy dressing—among the best I’ve ever had. Also worthy of commendation were the roasted cauliflower and brussels sprouts ($8), thoughtfully plated with golden raisins, walnuts, paprika and a saffron-tomato emulsion.
The best of the evening was the braised pork belly ($9), though a meager serving, it was stunningly delicious and well-balanced. Nestled amid puy lentils and a creamy parsnip puree, and a touch of pomegranate, the expertly cooked belly was topped with thin slivers of pickled apple. Creative, remarkably balanced and perfectly executed. Here’s a tip: order two.
Finally for dessert, we were surprised by the zeppole tree which really is a must have and like a trip to the fair. The zeppole were light and warm, rolled in a fine sugar with cinnamon, and served with a boat of zabaglione. The tree is topped with a whimsical cloud of white cotton candy that somehow seemed less sweet than traditional fairground cotton candy.