29 December 2013 My Top 10 New Jersey Dishes of 2013

My Top 10 New Jersey Dishes of 2013

December 29, 2013 By
Seafood Risotto - HAVEN

Seafood Risotto – HAVEN

While I’ve had many, many memorable meals in 2013 (God knows I over-share), I’ve tried to narrow down the 10 best dishes I enjoyed during the past year. Here’s the list in restaurant name alphabetical order.

Duck, Knoephla and Eggs – A Toute Heure

The Knoephla dish showcases a generous portion of rich pulled duck confit, Knoephla, a German dumpling much like Spaetzle and a New Jersey farm-fresh egg.

Sweetbreads and Crispy Bone Marrow - Escape

Sweetbreads and Crispy Bone Marrow – Escape

Sweetbreads with Crispy Bone Marrow – Escape Montclair

Sweetbreads, Pea Purée, Crispy Marrow, Chanterelles and Grape Juice. Simply an amazing dish. The sweetbreads were tender and perfectly cooked and Chef Gregg was truly gilding the lily with the addition of crispy bone marrow. The best bone marrow I’ve had.

Moules Meunière – Fricassée

The portion of mussels is gigantic and offers a very flavorful white wine, garlic and cherry tomato saucy broth bursting with thyme, basil and mint flavors.

Fluke Crudo - The Ryland Inn

Fluke Crudo – The Ryland Inn

Seafood Risotto – HAVEN Riverfront Restaurant & Bar

Seafood Risotto with Riso Venere, Lobster, Sea Scallops, Shrimps, Sea Beans, Sweet Corn and Mascarpone. The black rice contrasted beautifully with the rich broth and perfectly-cooked seafood.

Combination Kabab Platter – Kabab Paradise

The flavorful dish is comprised of a chicken breast kabab, a beef kufta kabab and a lamb tikka kabab. The meats are moist and perfectly charcoal-grilled. The white accompanying sauce is addicting.

Rabbit - Restaurant Latour

Rabbit – Restaurant Latour

Pork Belly Ramen – Mitsuwa

The ramen bowl features pork belly and hen-of-the-wood mushrooms. The ramen noodles are cooked perfectly, just a bit chewy, and the pork-laced broth is out-of-this-world.

Loin of Young Rabbit – Restaurant Latour at Crystal Springs

Loin of Young Rabbit Roulade with Belly Confit and Sweet White Onion Jus. Tender loin, rich belly and tart jus.

Crescent Duck Breast – The Orange Squirrel

The duck was rare as ordered with a masterly-rendered, crisp skin and paired with earthy carrot quinoa.

Duck - The Orange Squirrel

Duck – The Orange Squirrel

Fluke Crudo – The Ryland Inn

Fluke Crudo, Summer Melons, Heirloom Tomatoes, Garden Herbs. Just the perfect summer starter with fresh, clean flavors.

House-Made Ricotta Gnudi – VB3 Restaurant

The wonderful Gnudi are pillowy-soft and served with a light, basil-infused tomato sauce.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these dishes and leave a comment when you do in the new year!

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: Culinary Travel Tales, Other Neat Things, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
28 January 2013 A Toute Heure Monthly Sunday Brunch

A Toute Heure Monthly Sunday Brunch

January 28, 2013 By
Pork Belly Steamed Buns

Pork Belly Steamed Buns

I’ve written about A Toute Heure and its brunch before, but feel the need to recap today’s visit. First, it’s difficult to secure a brunch reservation at the cozy neighborhood gem. There are two reasons for this, first, the space has a limited number of tables and second, A Toute Heure only offers brunch on the last Sunday of each month. Come on! We must change this!

I was able to get my brunch reservation by getting waitlisted. I was thrilled as I had some friends in town from Florida who, like me, love brunch.

Maple-Glazed DonutsAs we sipped darkly-roasted coffee and mimosas (the restaurant is a BYOB, so bring your bubbly to accompany the freshly-squeezed orange juice), our waiter brought a bowl of still-hot beignets, a plate of maple-glazed donuts and a pair of succulent pork belly steamed buns. What a way to start our meal!

Duck, Knoephla and Egg

Duck, Knoephla and Egg

Our entrees came a bit later and were decadent and scrumptious. We opted for the Croque-Madame, the Duck, Knoephla and Eggs and the Cinnamon and Brown Sugar French Toast. The roast ham on the croque is beyond-flavorful and topped with good-quality Gruyere cheese. The pulled duck confit is rich and smartly-paired with knoephla, an authentic German dumpling similar to Spaetzle, and topped with a New Jersey fresh farm egg. The portion of French toast was more-than-generous and served with stewed pear and honey butter.

The space at A Toute Heure is charming, the staff is helpful and passionate about the locally-sourced menu and the food is simply incredible. Make a point to book a reservation at the start of the month for that precious last Sunday brunch table.

232 Centennial Avenue

Cranford, NJ 07016

908-276-6600

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10 July 2012 Cheese Making Fun with Caputo Brothers Creamery and A Toute Heure

Cheese Making Fun with Caputo Brothers Creamery and A Toute Heure

July 10, 2012 By

On Saturday, I attended a fresh Mozzarella-making class hosted by Rynn Caputo, President of Caputo Brothers Creamery. The class lasted two hours and was held at lovely A Toute Heure, a farm-to-table restaurant in Cranford, New Jersey.

The class was attended by 25 cheese fanatics and everyone had a chance to make cheese under the tutelage of patient-beyond-words Rynn.

Working from frozen then thawed curd base, hot water and salt were added and gooey cheese began forming.  It is an art to know when to stop stirring the hot water and curd mixture and when to begin stretching the cheese to make it silky, smooth.  “Doing this process at home is a great way to teach kids about cheese making with a cheese that most of them are already familiar with from eating pizza.  It gets them excited about food and encourages them to participate in the cooking process”, says Caputo.

Rynn molded the fresh cheese into balls, tore it into long strings for Burrata, creamy-cheese filled cheese (brilliant) and flattened it, pizza dough-style, for pesto-stuffed pinwheels.  I have not had a better fresh Mozzarella cheese, even in Italy.  The cheese is perfectly salted, soft, milky and overall, heavenly.

A Toute Heure features Caputo Brothers Creamery cheeses at to the delight of its loyal clientele.  Executive Chef Kara Decker is thrilled to offer Burrata and Burino, butter-stuffed fresh cheese, to her clients, and I cannot wait for my next visit to sample her summer menu.

For details on future events hosted by A Toute Heure, access its Events Page.

To learn about Caputo Brothers Creamery, where to buy its products and to find information about its future classes, access its website.

Cheers,

Veronique

 

Filed Under: Cheese, Culinary Travel Tales, Other Neat Things Tagged With: , , ,
6 October 2011 End of Month Sunday Brunch at A Toute Heure

End of Month Sunday Brunch at A Toute Heure

October 6, 2011 By

I had heard from several foodie friends about the fabulous meals served at A Toute Heure, so when I had guests in town, I secured a reservation for the brunch, exclusively served on the last Sunday of the month.

A Toute Heure, which opened in May 2007, offers seasonal foods sourced locally to feature the freshest produce, meats, dairy and more.  The menu is ever-changing depending on what chef de cuisine Kara Decker is presented by co-owner Andrea Carbine from her market sourcing visits.

The cozy space seats 38 and is bright and inviting with its high ceilings and large windows.  The wait staff is young, informed and helpful about the menu and ingredients.  A Toute Heure is a BYOB which makes dining at this lovely bistro an affordable option.

For our party, brunch began with hot bowls of powdered sugar-coated beignets ($8).  Beignets can also be served coated in cinnamon sugar.  A Toute Heure’s version of the puffy, dough balls are light and addicting and were gone moments after being delivered to our table.  The coffee is strong and simply great.  It’s a special blend created for A Toute Heure by Small World Coffee of Princeton, NJ.

There were ten brunch entrées available when we visited and each was described in a way that made it extremely difficult to decide on.  We selected the breakfast tart ($9), the housemade jalapeno cornbread with spicy beef chili ($16), the egg-in-a-hole ($16) and the brunch burger ($16).  The breakfast tart begins with a hand-made puff pastry base that is topped with crispy pancetta, melted Manchego cheese and a barely set farm-fresh egg.  The combination of the buttery pastry with the tangy cheese and crispy ham is a must-try.  The cornbread topped with chili, cheese and two sunny side up eggs was flavorful, but a bit dense and heavy for one of my guests.  The egg-in-a-hole  consists of a thick slice of sourdough bread with two fried eggs baked in the center then served with crispy, high quality bacon.  My guest who ordered the brunch burger stated it might be the best he’d had.  The house-ground beef patty is stuffed with Gruyere cheese and topped with sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions then sandwiched between English muffin halves.  The burger is paired with uber thin house chips.

The vibe of the place is simply fantastic and I look forward to visiting for dinner very soon.

232 Centennial Avenue

Cranford, NJ 07016

908.276.6600

Lunch: Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Dinner: Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m.

Brunch: the last Sunday of each month, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Cheers,

Veronique

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