Heavenly Temptations, a vibrant café and gift shop in Boonton, hosted a fundraiser earlier this month to benefit The Seeing Eye. Offering a sugar fiend’s dream of endless dessert samples—from crunchy mini cannoli, powdery Linzer tarts, and tart lemon bread to a fluffy mountain of tiramisu, hunks of chocolate streusel, and irresistible squares of the house-specialty peanut butter pie—along with a basket raffle, a visit from an adorable aspiring Seeing Eye pup, and plenty of good cheer, the “Sweet Treat Night” event raised more than $1,500 for the venerable Morristown guide dog–training organization.
But that was only part of the goal set by Heavenly Temptations owner Ann Cox, who kicked off a campaign in January to raise at least $5,000 for the Seeing Eye by the end of 2011.
For our entrees, we moved on to one of the specials for the evening (a Strip Steak) and the Balbriggan Salmon. The Aged NY Strip Steak special was grilled in a spicy marinade and then placed atop a creamy potato puree with roasted carrots in a rosemary chimi-churri sauce. The flavors melded together brilliantly. The Balbriggan Salmon is a regular menu item, of which I savored every single bite! It as a pecan crusted salmon atop smashed sweet potato and sautéed spinach in a sweet malt vinegar sauce. Now if only I could get my veggies to taste that good maybe I’d cook more at home!
As Spring still struggles to free itself from Winter’s icy grip, New Jersey’s brewers have been hard at work producing offerings for milder temperatures. In fact, some Spring beers have already come and gone with Summer selections starting to trickle in. For instance, I really wanted to try Ramstein’s Maibock, but I couldn’t find it locally. I’ve heard good things about it so grab some if you can find it. So, without further ado, here’s what I did find locally…
First up is Boak’s Double BW. Billed as a “twisted Belgian style wheat beer” I figured this was a good choice for celebrating the end of winter. It pours out clear and light golden yellow in color. Promising. A quick sniff reveals the Belgian yeast with a tart banana scent. There’s a definite citrus character and maybe some green apple. Next comes a little ginger spice and the wheat rounds it out in nice dry finish. This is a subtle beer, so think mild seafood and salads.
The final beer to surface is Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale. Ok, I know it has the word “summer” in the name, but when I think “farmhouse ale” I think of Spring. That said, my tasting tells me that this one might be better left until it’s 80 degrees and sunny. It pours a shade lighter than the Wit, but the nose is far more neutral. There is some faint tropical fruit flavor that gives way to tart peach. It has a thin mouthfeel and is very subtle so it takes a while for the flavor to come through. A great refresher after mowing the lawn and should be paired with milder foods.
