The lovely Taos Wok & Restaurant offers varied and reasonably priced lunch and dinner options. Having been there for get togethers with old friends, business lunches, Mother’s Day, and New Year’s Eve, I can honestly say that Taos delivers. Oh, and they do actually deliver as well!
A meal at Taos, part of the Village Restaurant Group, kicks off with a generously sized complimentary house salad and fresh multi-grain bread, served with a trio of pesto-infused olive oil, hot pepper, and butter. I’ve been going to Taos since they opened about five years ago, and as far as entrées go, I pretty much always get the General Taos chicken. Yes, that’s what it’s called, but the dish is worlds better than what most people think of when they hear its name. Served with yellow rice, the chicken is the perfect combination of hot and sweet.
In 2009, I co-hosted a cocktail-party-style bridal shower in the party room at Taos, and it was an opportunity for me to try some of their other selections, including spicy wontons and crab cakes. The service was great and the space more than accommodated our crowd of about 70. And for such a varied menu, the price per head was incredibly reasonable.
If it’s your birthday, Taos—as well as a few of the other eateries in the Village Restaurant Group—offers a free Surf & Turf meal to the guest of honor. All you have to do is show your driver’s license and come hungry. (Call ahead to double check, as they don’t all offer this promotion.)
Taos offers parking, a great bar, real atmosphere, and tasty food. While the name might remind you of a local takeout pl
ace, East Rutherford’s Taos is anything but “general.”
Taos Wok & Restaurant
356 Paterson Avenue
East Rutherford
201.460.8988
www.villagerestaurantgroup.com/taos.html
Check out www.villagerestaurantgroup.com for info about other restaurants in the Village Restaurant Group, including Village Gourmet in Rutherford, Mignon Steakhouse in Rutherford, and Tina Louise in Carlstadt. And be on the lookout for our coverage of the newest addition to the Village Restaurant Group, coming soon to Essex County’s Cedar Grove.
Rachel Bozek is a freelance writer and editor based in suburban Essex County. She grew up in Bergen County, and has lost track of how much time she’s spent on LBI and in the Wildwoods. Her search for the perfect pancake continues. www.rachelbozek.com
On a recent Saturday at the Burlington County Farmer’s Market, we stumbled upon a cooking demo provided by Chef Fred Kellermann of 
The name Amanti Vino or “wine lovers” doesn’t even begin to hint at the passion that helped formulate this establishment, and sustains its continued growth. This was another great assignment that I was excited to cover for Jersey Bites.
Located in a pleasantly trendy area of Montclair on Church Street, Amanti Vino not only cares for its walk in patrons with skill and integrity, but also services surrounding restaurants who want to offer something wonderfully different to their customers. They’re like the reference section of the NYC Public Library.
Their spirits and beer sections follow the same philosophy. Amanti Vino only stocks smaller-quantity, harder-to-get selections where the distiller and blender are hands-on. As way of example, they pointed out a bottle of spirits of which they are one of only two place to carry it on the east coast.
The Bloomfield Avenue location of Elevation Burger celebrates a year in Montclair this week, and is the first of its kind in the Garden State. When Jersey Bites stopped in for a visit, we were treated to a tour from co-owner Matt Jerkovich, who emphasized that there’s truth behind the tagline: “Ingredients Matter.”
It’s hard to miss the fact that all the beef served at Elevation Burger is 100% organic: grass fed, free range, and of course, void of any antibiotics or growth promoting hormones. Information about the ingredients is displayed on the walls, explained on the website, and highlighted on the menu. The fries are prepared (in olive oil) as they’re ordered, so nothing is ever just sitting out getting cold. We got a look at the very cool—and lightning fast!—press the staff uses to make each order of fries from a fresh potato. “I really believe in the product,” said Jerkovich. “We have mothers who come in with their children who have never had a burger in their life. They’ll bring them here, and they know what they’re getting. Some kids have never had fries before because they have a gluten allergy. They can have them here. It’s cool to see that.”
The list of burger toppings is impressive, as any or all of the following are included for free on every burger: ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, caramelized onions, mustard, mayo, raw onions, Elevation Sauce, balsamic mustard, and hot pepper relish. Jerkovich cited the caramelized onions and hot pepper relish as favorites, and before I could even ask what’s in the Elevation Sauce, he laughed and said, “I’m not at liberty to tell you what it is.” Burgers are served on potato rolls, however, for the carb-conscious set, there’s an option to lose the roll and wrap the patty in lettuce. Jerkovich’s burger of choice? “I’m a beef guy, but I get the Half the Guilt sometimes, which is one veggie patty and one beef patty.”
On the local level, Elevation Burger hasn’t been shy about getting involved with the community. Recent fundraising nights have benefitted the Montclair High School football team, the YMCA’s swim team, and the YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign, to name a few. (Strong Kids ensures YMCA membership to kids, regardless of their ability to pay.) “It gets the word out about their cause, and it helps us out, too. We like to give back to the community ,” Jerkovich explained. He went on to recount a highlight from a recent fundraising event. “We offer a Vertigo Burger that goes from three to ten patties, and we had two swim team dudes just pound the ten patties. It was great.”
While we didn’t have room for a Vertigo Burger, we did sample Elevation’s Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pecan Cookie, made with organic eggs and butter. Visually reminiscent of a delicious hockey puck more than a cookie, my husband jokingly described the dessert as “a mouthful of buttery goodness.” Actually, I’m not sure how much he was joking.
The scrumptious evening began with a pitcher of homemade Sangria from the menu. It was overflowing with oranges, apples, and more. A Little Bit of Cuba is a BYOB, so you’ll have to bring your own “spike” red or white, your choice. After a good sip, we were brought thinly sliced fried plantains, perfectly salted, with a sour cream based dipping sauce that was accented with olives, hot red pepper and garlic. We then moved on to the main course. I chose the “Lechon Asado Tradicional”—roast pork seasoned with a special blend of herbs and spices, slowly roasted to perfection, and served with black rice and beans and yucca fries. We also chose the “Ropa Vieja” or ‘old clothes’—a dish of shredded beef brisket slowly cooked, then sautéed with peppers, onions, olives, and peas in a special tomato-and-wine sauce. This was served with a side of white rice and black beans. If this is ‘old clothes,’ there is no need for new ones! The brisket melted warmly in my mouth and the accompaniments were the perfect accessories.
