Sip & Savor the Garden State
Thursday, August 16, 7pm
Tickets are steeper ($175 unless you’re a member, in which case they’re $135), but for seriously invested food lovers, next Thursday’s tasting at the Beard House. In partnership with Edible Jersey and the Winemaker’s Co-Op, Jockey Hollow’s own Chef Craig Polignano is cooking a summer feast for the evening, with hors d’oeuvres focusing on local seafood and crisp wines followed by a supper with dishes like tomato-peach salad, Point pleasant Skate with brown butter, grapes, and capers, and a Goffle Road chicken roulade stuffed with Hudson Valley foie gras, corn, and summer truffles. Dessert, no surprise, features Jersey blueberries. The evening’s full menu, with a complete list of wine pairings, can be found here. The Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, New York; 212-627-2308
Bloomfield Restaurant Week
Saturday, August 4 – Sunday August 12
If you haven’t yet, check out Bloomfield’s 7th Annual Restaurant Week. All meals come in at $30 or under, though, like most restaurant weeks, options are all over the map—Jamaican at Café Mobay, lunch at Braun’s Tavern, southern supper at The Wooden Spoon, etc.—so check out the list of participating restaurants. Bonus: Bloomfield’s offering free two-hour (honor system!) parking at bagged meters starting at 11 AM each day of Restaurant Week. Bloomfield, Locations Vary.
Cherry Hill Restaurant Week
Saturday, August 11 – Sunday, August 19
No need for “southern Jersey” or “Philly proximate” qualifiers—Cherry Hill’s just a solid, exciting culinary destination in its own right, and the town’s restaurant week is a good time to find out why. For nine days, a dozen Cherry Hill restaurants will feature one of three pre-set deals, $25, $35, or $40 for three courses (some offer lunch options while others are only dinner). Check out the list of participating restaurants to make your reservations. Cherry Hill, Locations Vary.
Soft-Shell Crab Binge
Sunday, August 19, 1 PM, 4 PM and 7 PM
Molting or no, soft-shell crab’s a tricky thing to eat. But the plan isn’t eat, it’s “binge” at Nacho Mutha’s Soft-Shell Binge at Caffe Anello on Sunday, August 19. Your ticket buys soft-shell done three ways by Caffe Anello chef John Vitale: Fra Diavolo, with garlic, orange, and Champagne, or smoked with sweet mustard glaze. Try them all, or the accompanying sushi rolls, at one of the day’s three seatings. Tickets cost $59, and include soft drinks and summery sides like corn on the cob. Caffe Anello, 429 Broadway, Westwood; 201-786-8137
FLAMES for Charity
Thursday, September 13, 6PM – 9PM
Mark your calendars: FLAMES for Charity is a night of gourmet eating for a cause. Held at Passaic’s Factory 220 in September, the night partners top Jersey chefs with CUMAC, a Paterson-based food aid organization serving Passaic County and beyond. Your $100 ticket buys dishes from chefs like Felina’s Anthony Bucco and Robert Austin Cho from Kimchi Smokehouse to Julian Valencia from Ani Ramen, a restaurant partner with CUMAC. You can also participate in auctions. Factory 220, 220 Passaic Street, Passaic; 973-742-5518