My Top 10 New Jersey Dishes of 2013

My Top 10 New Jersey Dishes of 2013

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

Kabab Paradise Featured in NJ My Way

New Jersey folks, my review of Kabab Paradiseas featured by my friends at NJMyWay.comhttp://bit.ly/9QVS3A – a MUST try if in the area!

Tasty Afghan Food at Kabab Paradise

Tasty Afghan Food at Kabab Paradise

Mixed Gyro Platter

Mixed Gyro Platter

Kabab Paradise is a spotless, attractive restaurant featuring Afghan cuisine for onsite dining, take-out or delivery ($15 minimum).

Chef Sal Fahim and his crew couldn’t be more customer-friendly. Diners are greeted warmly as they enter the restaurant and are treated like extended family as they dine in the cozy space. During a recent visit, I could hear ‘the ususal?’ being asked by the cooks to the patrons. Kabab Paradise has had a loyal following since it set up shop in Morris County in 2004.

Hummus

Hummus

A key to this smallish space’s success is that the food is fresh and absolutely delicious.  Kabab Paradise offers an extensive Halal menu that’s completely made from scratch. From the very tasty hummus to the hand chopped burger meat to the fabulous kabab entrees, Kabab Paradise prides itself on serving the freshest middle eastern food around.

On a recent visit, my party enjoyed an attractive platter of hummus ($3.99 for small and $6.99 for large), made on the premises. The portion, enough for several diners, is beautifully presented with just the right amount of fruity olive oil.

Some of the entrees we enjoyed were the beef kufta kabab, the mixed gyro platter and the chicken breast kabab. The juicy beef kufta kabab ($9.99) is made of broiled ground beef marinated in fresh spices and absolutely wonderful in every way. The mixed gyro platter ($8.49) is comprised of thinly sliced then chopped beef, chicken and lamb masterly seasoned and presented in a sizeable portion. For those of us who’ve been served dried out grilled chicken on a stick in the past, Kabab Paradise will be a revelation of moist, succulent chicken chunks broiled to perfection. These entrees are presented with a large serving of seasoned basmati rice, a choice of beverage, bread and a tasty, tart cilantro and lime dressing. You’ll want to pour the secretly-prepared dressing over just about everything. Warning – it’s addictive and you’ll dream of your next taste.

The restaurant is social media-conscious and garners the power of the web, Twitter and Facebook to attract new customers and to share tidbits with its avid followers.

Kabab Paradise is a must-try for a casual meal prepared using fresh ingredients by a team focused on making diners think of their next visit even before they finish eating.

www.kababparadise.com

76 North Beverwick Rd

Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034

Phone: 973-334-7900

Fax: 973-334-7199

Tue-Thur: 11AM – 10PM

Fri-Sat: 11AM – 11PM

Sun: 1PM – 9PM