Founded in 2009 by Executive Chef/Owner Chris Siversen in a vacant building in New Jersey’s Liberty State Park, Maritime Parc offers an exceptional culinary experience with panoramic views of Manhattan, the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island.
French Culinary Institute-trained Chef Siversen puts forth seasonally inspired foods that showcase locally sourced, organic, and sustainable ingredients into enjoyable dishes.
Brunch
I was recently invited to brunch at Maritime Parc, making it my second visit to the beautiful restaurant. The brunch menu is extensive and is smartly-divided into sweet, savory, raw bar, and sides. While I’m typically a savory brunch person, I was excited to see sweet sides that were perfect for sharing like the blueberry buttermilk doughnuts, the duck fat fries, and the mashed potato rings. The powdered sugar-coated warm doughnuts were perfectly pillowy and a favorite at our table. A sizeable portion of the decadent fries were crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside – proper fries in my book. The mashed potato rings weren’t as successful with texture issues although they were served with a tangy mustard fondue, which I enjoyed.
While the guests at our table shared their entrées, I ordered the octopus a la plancha. I’ve become a fan of smaller portions for my main dish but this was diminutive dish. All the components worked well – the grilled octopus was tender, the potatoes crispy and well seasoned, the small portion of pork belly prepared well and the leek purée was flavorful, there just wasn’t enough of it to be considered an entrée.
Winning dishes at our table were the pan-roasted mussels, crab cake, MP burger and grilled oysters. The mussels were served with a Thai curry-coconut and ginger broth, bok choy and kaffir lime. The flavors were bold and wonderful yet didn’t overwhelm the perfectly-cooked mussels. Chef Siversen brilliantly added diced carrot to the dish to add a level of sweetness. These were some of the best mussels I’ve enjoyed. The crab cake was topped with a fried egg, arugula, grainy mustard vinaigrette and Sauce Gribiche. The dish was stunning and the cake made almost entirely of crab with little to no fillers. The MP burger was outstanding and cooked to the requested temperature – medium. It was capped with Califon Tomme cheese, grilled onions and a special sauce whose recipe I’d like to get my hands on. The meat mix contains brisket which adds big beefy flavors sadly not encountered at many premium burger places. The grilled oysters were topped with a leek and bacon cream that was simply delectable (I’d like to recipe for that also if Chef Siversen is sharing) and I must return to have my very own plate.
Desserts by Chef John Sauchelli are a must-try at Maritime Parc. We sampled the hazelnut honey cake served with mission fig preserves, brown butter ice cream and fig brulée. The cake was moist and flavorful and the brown butter ice cream was simply to die for. Our second dessert was the sticky toffee pudding with poached pear, candied walnuts and ginger beer ice cream. Again, an outstanding dessert from a flavor and texture perspective with yet another insanely good ice cream.
Another must-try item when dining at Maritime Parc is a well-made cocktail. While there were standard brunch cocktails like mimosas, bloody Marys and Bellinis, ask for the cocktail list for additional inventive, delightful craft cocktails.
Coming Soon: Burg Newark
Chef Siversen gave our group a sneak peak of the burgers he’ll be serving at his soon-to-open Burg in Newark’s Military Park. My favorite of the three outstanding burgers was the cowboy burger made with a blend of signature beef plus roast beef, BBQ sauce, and griddled onions. Chef Siversen confessed it took him and his team quite of bit of time to create the perfect beef blend, but he has the right formula: short rib, brisket, and chuck.
Events to Remember
Maritime Parc offers 18,000 total square feet. of event space with wraparound terraces over two floors that provide gorgeous views of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Hudson River. The space offers an elegant entryway to a three story lobby leading up to an expansive room with floor-to-ceiling windows and an indoor-to-outdoor terrace for receptions or ceremonies.
Perhaps the best part of hosting an event in the space is that Chef Siversen offers his New American menu featuring seasonal signature restaurant dishes to the guests. Why settle for often subpar food when one can have restaurant-quality cuisine instead?
The event space is outfitted with a state-of-the-art sound system and lighting to ensure parties big or intimate enjoy the look and sounds not available elsewhere in the area.
Mon to Wed: Closed
Thurs: 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Fri and Sat: 5:30 to 11 p.m.
Sun: 11:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Maritime Parc
84 Audrey Zapp Dr.
Jersey City
