With an enticing menu, an outstanding beverage program, and excellent service in beautiful surroundings, Avenue is elegant yet accessible: everything fine dining should be. This rare gem, which has been open since 2005, deserves a spot at the top of your list of year-round Jersey shore destinations.
The 5,000-square-foot interior has towering ceilings and comfortable banquettes, along with tables to accommodate parties of all sizes. The expansive 25-foot bar replicates the hull of a ship and is ideal for the oceanfront setting. The combination of an inviting indoor fireplace and outdoor seating add to Avenue’s year-round friendliness.
When you go, plan a relaxed meal so you can fully appreciate your Avenue visit.We stopped by early on a Sunday evening, and enjoyed Executive Chef Josh Sauer’s menu of contemporary cuisine with an authentic French flair. Our server, Richard, helped us make just the right selections.
We started with a few of Avenue’s favorite house appetizers: escargot with parsley garlic butter (a perfectly seasoned delicacy) and the signature Avenue salad, with baby greens, shaved vegetables, avocado, and grilled shrimp complemented with light lemon vinaigrette. There is also an impressive choice of “plateaux de fruits de mer” or seafood plates that include East and West Coast oysters, little neck clams, king crab legs, lobster, and shrimp cocktail.
The selection of entrees has something to suit everyone’s tastes and dietary preferences with seafood, meat dishes and more. You won’t find a better beef bourguignon anywhere. The tender braised beef is prepared with a rich red wine sauce, vegetables and lardons served over delicate ribbons of fresh pappardelle pasta. The roasted branzino has a distinctive grapefruit pommery sauce that is a delicious version of mustard cream sauce. We suggest you round out your meal with a side for table sharing like pommes frites, roasted Brussels sprouts, macaroni gratin or exotic mushrooms. There’s something to appreciate in the presentation of each beautiful dish.
Linger a little longer. Pastry Chef Stuart Marx prepares tempting selections with the perfect balance of flavor and sweetness. Some of the scrumptious offerings include crème brulee, chocolate truffle cake, warm apple tarte tatin and the ice cream or sorbet selection. In the summer, he presents his seasonal toasted coconut layer cake.
Sip and savor. Specialty cocktails should not be missed. Thierry Carrier, general manger and manager of operations, has created a drink menu that includes a blood orange margarita with tequila, fresh lime, and fresh blood orange. The peach passion is made with 360 Georgia peach vodka, champagne, white peach and passion fruit. And of course, Avenue has a remarkable wine list and beer selections to pair with your meal.
You’ll want to stop by for the Avenue Happy Hour, every day from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. and (Fridays from til 10.) At the bar, you’ll find special prices on martinis, specialty cocktails, wine by the glass, oysters, and clams. Monday is Margarita and Taco Night and they also have a weekly Bar Burger Thursday.
The brew house, the business model, and the beer are all just a little different. With monikers like Migratory Tent Show and Sweating Through Your Clown Paint, even the beer names are offbeat.
Alex Helms, the brewer and sole proprietor of Troon Brewing, started out with a culinary bent. Chefs and brewers are often thought of as having many common traits. Helms originally intended to pursue the former, but after a stint at Jester King Brewing, the Austin, Texas, brewery renowned for its wild fermented ales, he found himself more inclined toward the brew house. He’s a New Jersey native and the brew house he chose is a 19th century barn in Hopewell. It’s located on the property of the Double Brook Farm (130 Hopewell Rocky Hill Road) which also contains the beautiful and historic Brick Farm Tavern. Helms has certainly put in some sweat equity in restoring and configuring his little barn brewery. A piece of cardboard serves as the signage that describes the tap list and the attractive brewery sign outside was a donation from one of his customers. Some mismatched furniture and an oddly placed mash tun round out the lounge decor while the brewery itself gleams inside the reclaimed barn. The name of the brewery derives from the Dutch word for throne. I’m not sure if that’s meant to be ironic but the rustic charm of the place stands in contrast to the industrial spaces a lot of small breweries operate in.
A Troon Brewing flight at the Brick Farm Tavern
There are other differences as well. While you can get a growler filled in the brewery, you can’t get a pint or a tasting flight. For those, you’ll have to walk over to the adjacent Brick Farm Tavern, which is Troon’s only account. I’d suggest the tavern as your first stop so that you can decide what you want to fill your growler with. I went with the aforementioned “Migratory Tent Show” which is a hop forward strong ale that has an interesting hint of traditional Belgian funk. Just a hint. Helms told me that he used a blend of two yeasts to produce the beer—neither of which was Belgian. The brewery filled up with folks eager to get a growler filled before I could find out if it was the yeast, fermentation temperature or the malt bill that produced that characteristic but perhaps it’s better as a mystery. Back in the tavern, each beer in the tasting flight holds a sophistication that belies its barn brewery beginnings.
That’s a good thing too, because the menu at the Brick Farm Tavern certainly deserves a well constructed beer to stand next to it. Double Brook Farm is a fully functioning farm so a lot of what is grown and raised there ends up in the kitchen. The menu had us salivating and I wish I could comment directly about the food, but we arrived while the kitchen was closed, between lunch and dinner service. We were able to peek in to the kitchen and watch the staff do their dinner prep…so close, yet so far! By all accounts, the fare is first rate and the atmosphere has an upscale historic vibe. Lesson learned. Double check those hours! We’ll just have to go back.
Troon and the Brick Farm are so closely connected, I wondered about the level of collaboration between the two. “An official collaboration hasn’t occurred yet but we have been throwing some ideas back and forth,” Helms told me. He has a small test batch system that will allow for them to “explore some more esoteric styles” and incorporate seasonal ingredients. The tavern has been supportive. As part of the next generation of craft brewers, Helms has “a general distaste for hard and fast guidelines or restrictions. My main concern is how good a beer tastes…” Having tasted the liquid and seen the menu, I can only imagine what lies ahead.
The Jersey Bites Cooking Pavilion is back at the New Jersey Home Show, March 10 to 12! Join us at the New Jersey Convention Center for three days of cooking demos and tastings!
FRIDAY
5:30 p.m.: Deborah Smith, founder of Jersey Bitesand author of The Jersey Shore Cookbook will whip up one of her book’s (amazing) featured recipes. The book, which includes 50 recipes, all from Jersey Shore restaurants, will be available for purchase at the Jersey Bites booth, adjacent to the cooking pavilion.
SATURDAY 11a.m.: Chef Jesse Jones, who has held the title of Ultimate Chef of Bergen County and was named one of the Star Ledger’s Inside Jersey Top Chefs, shares his secrets on barbecue ribs and sauce.
1 p.m.: Learn fromDiane Henderiks, registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, personal chef, caterer, recipe developer, cookbook author and culinary expert for national television, print, and online media.
3 p.m.: Deborah Smith, founder of Jersey Bitesand author of The Jersey Shore Cookbook will whip up one of her book’s (amazing) featured recipes. The book, which includes 50 recipes, all from Jersey Shore restaurants, will be available for purchase at the Jersey Bites booth, adjacent to the cooking pavilion.
5 p.m.: Meet Joe Vrola! From his time working alongside his father in the family run Jersey City butcher shop, Vrola learned how to cut meat, choose only the best cuts, and cook the entire animal. Today, as president of the Vrola Meat Company, Center of the Plate Specialists, Vrola combines these early lessons with 30 years of experience providing chefs with the highest quality and most innovative items around. From lollipop short ribs, to “sailing” lamb chops, to hand-selected, dry-aged steaks, restaurants throughout the Garden State have come to rely on Joe and the Vrola Meat Company for quality and service.
SUNDAY 11 a.m.: Widely regarded as a founding father and pioneer of Nuevo Latino cuisine, Andrew DiCataldo is the executive chef at the Red Knot Restaurant at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth. Chef DiCataldo has traveled extensively to culinary-rich destinations including Peru, Brazil, Mexico, London, Italy, Africa, and Spain’s wine producing regions to extract the knowledge necessary to produce his creative cuisine.
1 p.m.: Amanda Biddle is a NJ food writer and photographer who believes that there are few bad days that can’t be improved with a warm baguette and a wedge of brie. The Jersey Bites contributor shares her love of food and wine on her website, StripedSpatula.com. Biddle’s recipes have been featured in a variety of food and lifestyle publications, including the websites for Woman’s Day, ELLE Decor, Country Living, and Allure’sAccess. Find her across social media using @stripedspatula.
3 p.m.: Chef Dayanand Shetty of Aarzu Modern Indian Bistro is a hotel management graduate from Dadar Culinary Institute, Mumbai. Shetty worked with Sky Gourmet and MARS Restaurant Group in Mumbai, and now he brings Indian flavors alive on the plate at Aarzu.
All this talk about National Pizza Day got our team talking about our own favorites. Here are a few*! (Are you hungry yet?)
Bound Brook Our family’s favorite pizza comes from Chimney Rock Inn. While they have two locations, one in Bound Brook and one in Gillette, we always do a take out at the Gillette restaurant because they actually have a drive-up window for pick-ups. We like the crispy light thin crust. Our favorites are their Margherita pie and their Mediterranean pie with pesto sauce, roasted garlic, Kalamata olives, diced tomatoes, red onions, mozzarella and feta. — Marina Kennedy
Long Valley Pezzo Pizza. Best gluten-free pizza I’ve ever had and their regular pizzas are delicious as well. It’s the only place I’ve gone for pizza in my neck of the woods for the past year. — Jennifer Miller
Marlton MOD Pizza on Route 73. Creative flavors and an incredibly friendly and upbeat staff. I went there during the first week that they were open because they were giving away free pizzas, and I have returned a number of times since. — Beth Christian
Morristown I’m still in mourning over the closure of my childhood fave, Scotto’s, in Clifton. After 40 years in business, and the best pizza in the area (shut up, Ralph’s fans!), it will live on in many hearts as the classic Jersey pie. My family’s go-to local fave now is Portofino’s in Morristown. It’s more a sit-down restaurant than a pizza place, and they don’t deliver, so it’s a little less well known than some of its competitors in the area. We discovered it when we first moved to town, as it’s perfectly situated right around the corner from our house (score!). We tried others in town but kept coming back to Portofino’s. Their crust is crisp and nicely chewy with aromatic red sauce and the perfect amount of cheese. Paired with a house Caesar it makes an easy, perfect dinner. In a town with several decent pizza options, Portofino’s is a standout. — Deanna Quinones
Ramsey My favorite pizza place in NJ for traditional pizza is Kinchley’s. We’ve been going there for probably 25 years! A friend introduced us to their super-thin crust and we’ve been fans ever since. — Terry Krongold
Have you heard of the NJ Pizza Girls? If not, we think it’s high time you did, and what better time than now? (ICYMI, February 9 is National Pizza Day.) Get to know Milvian, Marissa and Paris in this fun-fact-filled interview. Then get the inside slice on their own favorite pizza in the Garden State!
JERSEY BITES: What are the NJ Pizza girls all about? MILVIAN: We’re a group of 20-somethings who absolutely love trying out different kinds of pizza. Marissa and Paris often accompany me on various pizza adventures and are based in Central Jersey. We’ll travel all over the state and beyond for some quality pizza and hope to invite more New Jersey-based pizza fans to join the adventure! [gdlr_space height=”20px”]
How did you meet?
MILVIAN: In high school and college.[gdlr_space height=”20px”]
What made you want to start your Instagram account just about pizza, @njpizzagirls?
MILVIAN: While I was in college, Pete Genovese of NJ.com released his first ever “Top 25 Pizzerias in New Jersey” list. I noticed there were many not too far from campus so my friend and I would try to visit as many on the list before the year was over. We started documenting it on Snapchat to our friends and many people would ask “What’s this pizza tour? Can I come?” Fast forward to January 2016 and Mr. Genovese came out with a new list of pizzerias to try. I decided that I was going to continue this pizza tour post-college and bring a few friends with me on this adventure while documenting it for everyone to see.[gdlr_space height=”20px”]
Rocket pie from Urban Fire in Madison
Favorite topping? Why?
MILVIAN: Can’t go wrong with a Margherita. Simple, yet filled with taste.
MARISSA: Pepperoni! It has been my childhood favorite and will forever be my go to.[gdlr_space height=”20px”]
Do you ever make your own pizza?
MILVIAN: I tried making a margherita pie a few times in college and I’d invite my friends over to taste-test. I’d like to learn how to perfect making dough, though!
MARISSA: No usually, I don’t always have enough time but when I have made my own pizza it was something similar to a cheese steak but so much better![gdlr_space height=”20px”]
Best pizza you’ve ever had?
MARISSA:The Winterfell pie from Wood Stack in Pine Brook. It consisted of smoked beef brisket, pickled red onions, fresh mozzarella, and BBQ sauce.
MILVIAN:It’s tough for me to answer this. There are many different styles of pizza that I appreciate. However, I recently tried the “rocket” pie from Urban Fire in Madison and it’s still on my mind. The ingredients are: arugula, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, shaved Parmigiano, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil.[gdlr_space height=”20px”]
Thin crust, deep dish, or regular?
MILVIAN: Regular. Love me some crust, especially if it’s in a wood or coal-fired oven. For now, I’m avoiding deep dish until I go to Chicago![gdlr_space height=”20px”]
Here are the NJ Pizza Girls’ 10 favorites (listed alphabetically).
At Coal, the coal fired oven burns at around 800 degrees, cooking each and every pizza to a perfect crisp. From specialty pies to deep dish and gluten-free options, Coal offers a wide selection for just about anything your tastebuds are feeling. Try the San Marco pie.
Three words: Sesame. Seed. Crust. Esposito’s specializes in this so if you’ve been dying to try it out, it is recommended you stop here. Choose from 12 different types of sesame seed crusted pies at either location. They are total game changers. Try a slice of the mozzarella with sauteed spinach and onions.
A total hidden gem in the greater Trenton Area, the birthplace of the tomato pie. Whether you dine in or have your pizza delivered, Mamma Flora’s does not disappoint. Try the Margherita pie.
Nice family-owned restaurant with a modern, chill-vibed interior and the sauce comes from a family recipe that has been passed down for generations. Try a slice of the spinach, artichoke and pesto pie.
The interior is modern yet cozy with its sister restaurant, Osteria Morini, right next door. Customize your own pizza here or choose from their hand-tossed specialty pies. Try the Tartufata pie.
Fresh, locally sourced ingredients are only used here and the list of pizzas available at Nunzio’s appeals to just about everyone. The display of their available pies for the day in the front counter is unique with only showcasing one slice as opposed to the entire pie. Try a slice of the Scooby Snacks.
Looking to break out of the ordinary pizza scene? Check out Tony Baloney’s ASAP. The pizza menu is contains Cuban, Indian, Jewish and Mexican influences and everything in between. Vegan options are available too. Try a slice of the UTB.
Customize your pizzas however you’d like at Urban Fire. At Urban Fire, you select a base: margherita, tomato pie, verde or bianco, and choose from over 30 of the finest ingredients. If you need a little help, feel free to choose from one of their specials. Try the rocket pie.
NJ Pizza Girls (from left): Marissa, Paris and Milvian at Valentina’s pizzaiolo, with Michael (aka @Pizza_Jew.)
Instagram’s beloved @pizza_jew, Michael, is the pizzaiolo behind Valentina’s. With using the freshest ingredients, he has mastered the craft of tossing dough and making picture-perfect pizzas that are equally delicious. Try the Tartufo pie.
Whether you come during your lunch break or for Sunday brunch, Wood Stack has a chill vibe with a full bar offering local New Jersey beers and crafty cocktails. Specializing in Napolitano style pizza, there are two wood-fired ovens imported from Italy that are firing pizzas at 900 degrees. Try the Bader Sting pie.
Way to milk Valentine’s Day, universe! With the holiday falling on a Tuesday, celebrations kick off as early as Friday, February 10. Here are 8 ways to take the day (or weekend!) to new heights.
The White Horse Winery hosts a wine and chocolate tasting this weekend, February 10 to 12. For $25, you can sample five wines, each paired with a variety of gourmet chocolates. Saturday and Sunday hours feature live music, and tastings will happen every half hour. For times and more information on prices, click here. 106 Hall St., Hammonton.
When you think of preserving, there’s a good chance jams and pickles come to mind. But don’t forget salt! Spend a some time on Valentine’s weekend getting an education in salt preserving! Class is $65 per person and takes place on February 11 at 11 a.m. 3200 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrence Township.
On this narrated three-hour tour, guests will try desserts and (adult) beverage pairings from several eateries in downtown Jersey City. A goodie bag and a sampling of desserts to take home are included. The tour takes place from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on February 11 and tickets are $65 per ticket. Tour stops include Cocoa Bakery, CoolVines, featuring Milk Sugar Love, Choc-O-Pain Bakery & Café, L’atelier du Chocolat, and Talde. 275 Grand Street, Jersey City.
Sharpen your charcuterie skills on Sunday, February 12, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.! In this class, you’ll learn how to use a meat grinder to make pate de campagne which you can take home in addition to a loaf of Bobolink bread, and a coupon for fine ale at local landmark brewery, the Ship Inn. $75 for each person. 369 Stamets Road, Milford.
Carlo’s Bake Shop Cake Class
Learn how to make you very own Valentine’s Day chocolate box cake with Carlo’s team of decorators! From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, February 12, you will be guided by experienced decorators as you make either a vanilla or chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling, covered in fondant and buttercream decorations. Participants in this class must be at least 10 years old, and all those under 18 must have a legal guardian enrolled in the class. $125 per attendee. 12 Wilsey Square, Ridgewood.
Grab the kids for a fun, interactive workshop where they will be taught how to essential cooking skills and how to prepare healthy items for Valentine’s Day. For children ages 3 to 6 years old, $35 per child. The program takes place Sunday, February 12, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 113 Walnut Street, Montclair.
Enjoy dinner on the water with Spirit Cruises on Valentine’s Day: February 14. The Valentine package includes cuisine, skyline views, entertainment, access to the rooftop deck and a table for your party size for $99.90 each. Additional packages and add-ons are available for purchase. The cruise will be from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. with boarding time at 6:30 p.m. Departing from Lincoln Harbor.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day in the sky! Choose from a variety of packages including a hot air balloon ride paired with an elegant dinner. Call 888-301-2383 to make reservations. 1045 State Highway 173, Asbury.
A Culinary Institute of America grad, Chef Robbie Felice worked for years in properties owned by the Mario Batali-Joe Bastianich hospitality empire, including as sous chef and head of the salumi program at B+B Ristorante in Las Vegas. He has also staged at Michelin-starred restaurants in the Netherlands and Belgium, cooked at the 2-Michelin-starred the Modern (NYC) and in NJ at Montclair’s highly regarded Fascino. Chef Felice describes his cooking as “the way food is eaten in Italy—super fresh, meant for sharing, simple and straightforward.” A Sussex native, the 26-year-old Chef Felice owns Viaggio with his father, Joe, a seasoned restaurateur.
JERSEY BITES: What is your earliest food memory? CHEF ROBBIE FELICE: My earliest food memories would definitely have to be my family’s cooking, especially my grandmothers’. They are both amazing cooks and I was always blessed to be eating great food. On my father’s side, great Italian, and on my mother’s side, Dutch. Didn’t matter what the occasion, whether it was a holiday or just spending the weekend eating a bowl of homemade soup or a plate of pasta, it was always superb. In addition, since my dad owned restaurants, I remember being in them from basically as far back as I could remember. Always being forced to try things on the menu when really, all I wanted was my father’s homemade chicken fingers that he would bread to order just for me. In one restaurant, there was a big photo on the wall of me dressed like a chef and my baby brother in a pot munching on some dry pasta. I’ll never forget that picture, and it’s funny: my dad’s old customers come into Viaggio now and still bring it up.
When did you realize you wanted to make cooking a career? Was there an “a-ha” moment?
I was always working in restaurants, whether it was my father’s or trying out a new spot. But there came the time when I was in high school and it was [time to] decide to continue with the landscaping business I had started, or to really take this cooking thing seriously. I applied to the Culinary Institute of America and a few weeks later I was accepted. I guess you could say that was my real “a-ha” moment because from that day forward my life has been about nothing but cooking.
Any interesting stories about where and with whom you started cooking professionally?
Again, it’s pretty cool to be able to say it all started at my father’s places but I think that once I decided I wanted to work for Mario Batali, that’s when it all really started. I set a goal that I had to work for him no matter what it took. Sure enough, I did my externship at his flagship Babbo in NYC. Working alongside Chef Frank Langello was huge for me because he really knows the Batali style better than anyone. Best part about it is he still to this day tells me he only hired me on for my externship because he wanted to fire me after two weeks. Needless to say I made it past two weeks and was the first extern there to work most of the stations in the restaurant. It was a huge accomplishment for me and I owe a lot to Chef Frank and the team at Babbo for jump starting my career. I mean, I have worked for a number of awesome chefs and people who I not only look up to as chefs, but as people as well. I worked with a few chefs in Colorado who definitely left a mark on me as well as when I got back with the Batali company in Las Vegas. Vegas really became a culinary home for me—I felt like I was a big part of the team.
Viaggio’s Salami Platter
What is your cooking style?
I always say a chef’s cooking style is a combination of all their past experiences and the kitchens they worked in. So I would say my style is greatly influenced by Mario Batali but also has influences of other kitchens I have worked in such as the Modern and Chef Sergio Herman’s kitchens. My style is rustic with modern influences. I’m young and it definitely shows in my food.
What is the greatest opportunity that has come to you as a result of cooking? The ability to travel the past six years while doing what I love, cooking.
What is the best advice you have to share with young folks interested in becoming chefs?
Know what you’re getting into. These days I go on the internet and read blogs and posts such as “50 Things They Didn’t Tell You About Being a Chef” or “What It’s Like to Date a Chef” and they’re all true.
If you could choose to be any food item, what would it be?
To be honest, I would be a food item that gets to travel and not be eaten fast. Something tropical, like a coconut.
What is the one food you always have at home?
Nothing—who has time to cook at home?
What is your beverage of choice?
Dom P… but these days I live off energy drinks, particularly Venom. It’s only 99 cents, and absolutely disgusting, but it keeps me going.
What is your favorite comfort food?
Any home-cooked meal. Usually Sunday’s pot of sauce with pasta.
What New Jersey restaurant do you enjoy dining at, besides your own? I really don’t have much time to dine out, but I always enjoy going to Jockey Hollow and checking out what some of my other colleagues in the state are doing.
If you could have dinner with any three people, living, deceased or fictional, who would they be and why? Sergio Herman, Massimo Bottura, and Marco Pierre White. They are all so different and it would be absolutely insane to have dinner with all three, literally.
Are you working on any upcoming projects our readers would be interested in learning about?
My main focus right now is to get Viaggio running as smoothly as possible and be able to do some fun dinners. I’d really like to get Ryan DePersio in to do a guest chef dinner, and to get cool product in, such as truffles, to highlight on a daily basis.
So is this place a diner, an intimate romantic bistro, a gourmet restaurant, or an off-beat eatery that features gluten-free baked goods?
The correct answer: all of the above.
Plum on Park, located on Park Street in downtown Montclair, is the creation of Natalie Colledge, an entrepreneur who launched the place in October 2010. Two years ago, to complement the business, she also opened Plum Bakery, on Glenridge Avenue (also in Montclair), where she produces a delightful assortment of gluten-free breads, rolls, bagels, pastries, muffins and cookies. Colledge honed her skills working for many years at her family’s Styertowne Bakery, in Clifton.
Beneath the brown brick exterior of Plum on Park lurks the heart of a vintage, dazzling, stainless steel diner built by Jerry O’Mahony in Elizabeth. In fact, it’s one of the oldest diners in New Jersey. When Colledge purchased the joint, she found tax records dating back to 1929. This time frame is accurate, cross-referenced with Richard J. S. Gutman, author of American Diner Then and Now and the leading expert on diner history and architecture. It’s believed the eatery originally opened nearly 90 years ago as Jerry’s Diner, then became the Park Street Diner, Greek Delights and the Market, before being christened as Plum on Park.
In December this reporter, along with his better half, the lovely and talented Ms. Julia, decided to celebrate New Year’s Eve one night early (for no particular reason). We walked through the boxy, stylish vestibule, carrying our bottle of moderately priced white wine (yes, BYOB), and settled into a booth. Candles and dimly lit chandeliers created a subdued atmosphere that softly illuminated the diner’s stainless steel interior appointments. The green, half-oval glass window panes represent a signature, decorative architectural highlight on O’Mahony diners from this era. And like all good Jersey diners, Plum on Park faithfully maintains its counter and stools.
Chandelier
The evening meal began with an appetizer of delectable, plump fried oysters with a corn-meal batter, served with a remoulade sauce. I could have easily devoured another dozen of those babies. The real surprise of the night was our basket of gluten-free bread, with a rich, red pepper-infused buttery spread. My goodness—they could have served it for dessert.
Shrimp and grits (note the abundant bacon topping)
The wait staff was cheerful and friendly. For entrees, I enjoyed shrimp and grits, topped with a generous amount of crumbled bacon, and garnished with scallions. I was a happy man. By way of comparison, I’ve also enjoyed shrimp and grits in Charleston, SC: a different concept and presentation. Two delicious servings of shrimp and grits from two different states—I think that makes me an unofficial, unauthorized expert on the subject. Whatever.
Gluten-free bread with red-pepper spread
For the wife, she had a grand time consuming the All-American burger on a brioche bun, topped with “secret sauce” and fries on the side. The clincher for this platter was the little vanilla milkshake. It. Was. So. Cute.
Burger with vanilla milkshake
True to its diner roots, Plum on Park offers a respectable assortment of breakfast selections, all of which sparkle with an upscale twist. The eggs Benedict, baked bread pudding French toast, and Moroccan and chorizo “scrambles” all sound tempting. There’s a healthy assortment of menu selections and specials for lunch and dinner, such as citrus marinated roasted cast iron chicken, and seared wild salmon. In addition, there are fresh vegetable and fruit juices and smoothies.
A week after the pre-New Year’s Eve supper, I had the pleasure of chatting with Natalie early one morning at her bakery, over a cup of coffee and a few yummy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. She reminisced about her years as a baker and her decision to open her two Montclair establishments.
These days many honorable consumers have a serious devotion with the concept of gluten-free and its intended health benefits. However, according to Natalie, there’s a steep learning curve when it comes to mastering this school of baking. The trick, she said, is making gluten-free breads and pastries look good, taste good, with the proper texture. Considering the look in her eye and her voice of experience, I quickly caught the drift that achieving the gluten-free baking “trick” ain’t easy.
Natalie also shared two inside tips. The first is that Plum on Park’s prime time happens during weekend brunch. That’s when the place really starts to rock and roll. The second tip is that, during the summer months, the diner offers al fresco seating in a side alley, adjacent to the building. She encouraged me to partake in both “plum” experiences.
It only took a split second, but something triggered a flashback deep inside my brain to a vision of those beautiful fried oysters, resting ever so gently and comfortably on that long white dish. Given this near-mystical experience, there’s more than a good chance I’ll return to Plum on Park.
Editor’s note: Plum on Park will be undergoing aesthetic renovations in the near future. Also, be on the lookout for our interview with owner Natalie Colledge in an upcoming exclusive Jersey Bites Baker’s Spotlight.
Sharrott Winery Takes Double Gold and 3 NJ Wineries Take Gold Medals
Cream Ridge, NJ – New Jersey wines hit the spotlight in the 17th annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, held the week of January 13 in Sonoma County, with Sharrott Winery of Winslow Township earning a Double Gold medal for their Wicked style port wine and 4JGs Winery (Colts Neck), Unionville Vineyards (Ringoes) and Sky Acres (Far Hills) earning gold medals. The event is the largest wine competition of American wines in the world with over 7,000 entries in 2017.
Consumers in New Jersey regularly experience the quality of wines produced by the more than 50 wineries in the state. Wine judges in blind taste test competitions like the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition are able to judge wines by category without knowing the origin of the wine, thus eliminating any bias and ultimately scoring the wines based on their overall quality and taste.
Overall in the competition, New Jersey wineries earned 30 medals, including one Double Gold, three Gold, seven Silver medals and 16 Bronze medals against competitors from 28 states in the country.
New Jersey has three American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) for grape growing and the largest; the Outer Coastal Plain AVA in southern New Jersey produced 17 medals from member wineries: Bellview Winery (Landisville), Heritage Vineyard (Mullica Hill), Sharrott Winery (Blue Anchor/Hammonton), and White Horse Winery (Hammonton).
Sharrott’s Wicked style port won the Double Gold medal.
NJ Medal Count:
Sharrott Winery – Double Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze
Bellview Winery – 2 Silver, 5 Bronze
4 JGS Winery – Gold, Bronze
Heritage Vineyards – Silver, Bronze
Old York Cellars – Silver, Bronze
Unionville Vineyard – Gold, Silver, Bronze
White Horse Winery – 2 Silver, 2 Bronze
Sky Acres Winery – Gold, Bronze
Unionville Vineyards earned a gold for their 2014 single vineyard series Chardonnay and a silver for its Single Vineyard Series, Pheasant Hill Vineyard 2013 Syrah; 4JGs Winery scored a gold for their 2014 Chambourcin and Sky Acres a gold for the 2015 Cabernet Franc.
Sharrott Winery earned silver medals for its NV Tango Bordeaux blend, 2015 Chardonnay and 2013 Petit Verdot while Bellview Winery in Landisville won silver for its red blend Capella wine and its white blend Cygnus. Heritage Vineyards in Mullica Hill earned silver for its 2015 limited release white blend of Muscat, Albariño, and Chenin Blanc. Old York Cellars in Ringoes won silver for its 2014 Syrah and White Horse Winery in Hammonton earned silver medals for their 2013 Cabernet Franc and 2015 Chardonnay.
With almost 2,000 acres of New Jersey farmland dedicated to grapevine cultivation, and the state annually ranking in the top 15 in wine production, the Garden State has made its mark in the wine industry. From just a dozen producers 15 years ago, the Garden State now boasts over 50 licensed producers.
The GSWGA is a coalition of nearly 50 wineries and vineyards across New Jersey, dedicated to raising the quality and awareness of the New Jersey wine industry.
Kris and Wesley, of the popular food blog and online video series How To Feed a Loon, are beyond excited about the big game this weekend. In their latest video, the duo agrees that super-delicious game-day food and drinks are essentials this Sunday, and they have a few that will kick some serious fun onto any party’s menu. The recipes featured in the video—not to mention Kris and Wesley, Jersey boys themselves—will leave you cheering for more. Recipes are linked below the video—check ’em out!
Welcome to Jersey Bites Buzz 2017! Here are a few of the latest restaurant openings around the Garden State. Have a restaurant/food outlet opening, closing, or other key development to share? Email your news to [email protected].
Following a soft opening in mid January and an official opening on January 26 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that involved the mayor of Closter as well as New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, the relaunch of Azucar in Closter follows the restaurant’s former 13-year location in Edgewater (from 1995 to 2008) and a brief move to Jersey City since then. In its cozy new 6,000 square-foot space, featuring a restaurant on one side and a bar on the other, diners will appreciate the opportunity to dig into chef/owner Nick Vazquez’s Cuban sandwich, a signature item that beat Bobby Flay’s own entry on Flay’s televised Cuban Sandwich Throwdown several years back. “We slow-roast our ham for five to six hours and use the best ingredients, including premium Swiss cheese, fresh bread made in a French style for a bit of crispiness, and kosher pickles because it’s all about the details,” Vazquez explained. He added that the restaurant’s shrimp dishes all feature pure and sweet Panamanian shrimp and promised that his Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce) served with fluffy white rice “will make guests feel warm and fuzzy.” According to Vazquez, a native of Cuba, “the restaurant looks like a place you’d see in Cuba right now, from the native mahogany wood we used to the blood-red walls and array of authentic memorabilia on the walls that I’ve been collecting for years.” His daughter, Lauren, serves as owner and his son, Nick, manages the bar. He continued, “It’s like a quasi-museum, restaurant, and bar with great food and music – a total experience.” While its prior location in Edgewater (and past smoking laws) enabled the restaurant to feature a dedicated cigar room years back, Azucar has retained its license to sell cigars and will soon unveil an outdoor patio space where cigar smoking will be permitted. “We hope guests will come try us and enjoy one of our signature mojitos,” Vazquez said. “We’re a little piece of paradise in Closter.”
Bareburger 129 Vervalen Street
Closter
201-660-7720
Bareburger, Closter
Opened on January 16, Bareburger’s most recent location, in Closter, is the fourth New Jersey site for the popular burger chain, which has outlets in Edgewater, Hoboken, and Montclair as well as nearly 40 other locations in five countries. Featuring a range of locally sourced, organic, and all-natural burgers, snacks, and more—including its popular Buckaroo burger, a grass-fed beef burger topped with shredded beef brisket, wild mushrooms, smoked barbeque sauce, and cheddar cheese—“we also offer burgers made from bison, elk, wild boar, turkey, and chicken as well as veggie burgers, salads, and crops, which are salads featuring a collection of vegetables instead of greens,” said General Manager Angela DeMaio, who previously served as general manager of the chain’s Montclair location. While the restaurant seats 80 and is decorated with rustic accents including reclaimed wood and other sustainable materials, similar to the Montclair location, “our new Closter location has a large bar and a full liquor license,” said DeMaio, who noted that Closter’s recent growth and renovation was a definite draw for the expanding chain. (The Montclair location is BYOB.) “We offer a warm and family-friendly dining experience and have been super busy so far,” she added.
Opened during the last week of January, Charlie’s of Bay Head is the first restaurant in town with a liquor license and features a contemporary American menu highlighting local and seasonal foods as well as premium Angus beef, a deep selection of seafood dishes (including both east and west coast oysters), and house-made desserts. “Our main dining area on the first level seats 90 guests and includes a large, comfortable bar featuring 20 taps of hand-crafted beers—many local, ingredient-driven cocktails, and big-screen TVs for viewing sports events,” shared a restaurant spokesperson. “For small, special gatherings, there’s a second-level dining area for private affairs of up to 60 people as well as a state-of-the-art wine room with a private dining area for 24 guests.” According to the spokesperson, the restaurant’s interior is designed in a modern traditional style on a neutral canvas with brick and copper accents; a contemporary waterfall ‘screen’ separates the dining room from the bar/lounge area and fireplace, while the stately exterior reflects classic Shore coastal architecture with wood shingles and white wood trim. “In the warmer months, Charlie’s will offer outdoor deck dining with stunning waterfront views of Twilight Lake,” added the spokesperson, who confirmed that the entire Charlie’s team is excited about the dining outlet’s debut. Open year-round and serving dinner from 4:30 p.m. (closed on Tuesdays), “it’s a spectacular new restaurant and a great addition to the Bay Head community,” he said.
Thai food lovers have welcomed this casual and cozy restaurant, which opened on December 1 and seats 32 people. Popular menu items include pad Thai as well as a variety of curries, each of which gain their distinct flavor from the use of either fresh or dried chile (for example, the restaurant uses fresh chile for its signature Massaman curry). “Customers are also enjoying our spaghetti with green curry, made with Italian spaghetti and green curry from Thailand, which offers two different world cuisine experiences at the same time,” said owner Pakkapol Chaipaksa, a native of Thailand, who garnered industry experience working in Philadelphia-area restaurants with family members. “Customers tell us that they love our delicious flavors and that the experience at Massaman Thai Cuisine feels just like coming home.”
Open since December 21, The Quarter House opened its doors on the former site of Captain Ed’s, a restaurant which operated from 1998 to 2015. “We serve seafood, steak, and New Orleans specialties,” shared owner and Louisiana native Scarlett Dell. Among signature menu items at the BYOB restaurant are blackened red fish seared in a cast iron pan topped with a lump crabmeat cream sauce, a thick-cut prime bone-in pork chop topped with bourbon-glazed apples, and dry-aged steaks. “We also feature a delicious char-broiled oyster appetizer served with a butter and cheese blend as well as decadent desserts including bread pudding, bananas foster, and New York-style cheesecake served with berries in a grand Marnier sauce,” said Dell, who noted that many of the eatery’s most popular menu items will be familiar to patrons of The Quarter House’s former iteration, F-Cove Restaurant, in Brick. With its new location, new name, and bright and fully renovated decor complete with rustic oak floors, a dark polished wood ceiling, off-white and gray walls, and attractive lighting, “business has been great so far,” Dell said. “On Sundays, in addition to our dinner service, we also offer breakfast and lunch, with our own homemade bloody Mary mix, which is always a big hit,” she said, noting that the restaurant features linen tablecloths and candles but is never stuffy. “Overall, we offer great food in a fun, relaxed setting.”
Opened during the first week of December, Spice Club specializes in Indian and Indo-Chinese cuisine with an emphasis on Indian curries. “Among our specialties are triple Schezwan fried rice—a mix of rice, noodles, and Manchurian-style cabbage balls—as well as Chinese bhel and biryanis made with goat or chicken that are slow-cooked in dum style for three to four hours,” said owner Nikhil Raikundalia. “Every rice has its own aroma and is made in the Hyderabadi Dum style,” he said, referring to the unique culinary techniques used in India’s Hyderabad region. At the quiet and cozy BYOB restaurant, which seats 20 and has a bustling takeout business, “we take pride in our menu and each and every dish is made to perfection,” Raikundalia said.
Monday marked more than a ribbon-cutting; it felt like opening night.
With a sense of anticipation usually reserved for a red carpet premiere, Paper Mill...
Alex Helms, the brewer and sole proprietor of 
Tony Baloney’s
