15 April 2015 Morris Tap & Grill Spring Menu Launching April 15

Morris Tap & Grill Spring Menu Launching April 15

April 15, 2015 By
Chef LeVine

Chef LeVine

Last week, I attended an intimate event to preview Chef Eric LeVine’s spring menu at Morris Tap & Grill. This event provided Chef LeVine an opportunity to ‘test drive’ the new menu to a small group of fans, foodies and food writers who are familiar with his style of cooking.

The new spring dishes will be a complete departure from the current, more casual menu. Chef LeVine endeavors to work more closely with area purveyors to offer a locally-sourced dining experience that’s a bit more upscale than what was previously offered at his popular Morris County restaurant, while keeping some of his guests’ favorites.

A new concept for Morris Tap & Grill will be two new serving sizes: “selfish”, meant for one person or “shared”, meant to be shared among guests.

The dishes we sampled and provided written feedback on were:

  • Wasabi popcorn / BBQ popcorn / truffle popcorn – our favorites were the truffle and BBQ version and we liked this simple treat while enjoying craft beer.
  • Tempura asparagus, broccolini, carrot threads with soy scallion ginger sauce – we found that carrot threads, something we’d not had before, are pretty delicious yet were unsure what the proper manner was to pick them up if enjoying with others. We liked both the tempura asparagus and broccolini and thought the dipping sauce was a bit sweet (we know the final version will be perfect).
  • Smoked shrimp and shaved fennel asparagus salad – we like that Chef LeVine’s smoking various menu items and thought the shrimps had a lovely smokey flavor. The salad could have used a good pinch of salt but both the fennel and asparagus had good texture and tasted freshly-picked.
  • Smoked scallops with corn risotto, crispy celery root chips and chili oil – the corn risotto was likely our favorite component of all the dishes that evening: creamy with a ton of big corn flavor.
  • Braised pork belly on tomatillo, tomato salad served with roasted chili – as a whole, this was our favorite dish of the night. Bright, tart dressing cut through the pork belly fattiness and the chili brought a nice level of heat to the dish: winner!
  • Homemade Chorizo sausage and braised ox tail with corn pudding with Ancho aioli and poblano cream – nicely done in-house Chorizo that we think Chef LeVine should use in several dishes. The corn pudding was super and the aioli was enjoyably tangy. I love ox tail and it was flavorful yet chewy from the attached cartilage…I’m not certain this will be how the final product will be served.

There also new desserts being creatively prepared and our favorite was the decadent chocolate dessert with dolce de leche – to die for.

Chef LeVine admits that he’s still playing around with some of the components of the dishes and tweaks will be made based on the feedback received at the tasting. While some of the items we sampled may not make the final cut, the general group consensus showed Chef LeVine’s on the right track.

This spring menu can be paired with the more than 100 beers served at the restaurant and also with new wines and craft cocktails Chef LeVine’s team has created.

The new spring menu launches today so go pay these guys a visit and connect with Morris Tap & Grill on Facebook to stay abreast of all the events and classes planned for the remainder of the year.

500 Route 10 West, Randolph, New Jersey. 973.891.1776.

Cheers,

Veronique

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3 April 2012 Morris Tap & Grill – When You need 99 Beer Options

Morris Tap & Grill – When You need 99 Beer Options

April 3, 2012 By

Lobster Mac & Cheese

For my New Jersey friends and beer lovers, here’s my review of Morris Tap & Grill in Randolph, NJ as published by Jersey Bites.  How do you like these pictures!?

Duck Meatballs

Cheers,

Veronique

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25 January 2012 Restaurant Review – Nicole’s 10

Restaurant Review – Nicole’s 10

January 25, 2012 By

Nicole’s 10 is a restaurant in Randolph, NJ that offers casual dining in an upscale atmosphere.  Read my review as published by Jersey Bites.

Cheers,

Veronique

 

 

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4 May 2010 Grateful for Great Grub at Grato

Grateful for Great Grub at Grato

May 4, 2010 By

Grato, part of Harvest Restaurant Group,  perfects the art of seasonal Italian cuisine.  Much like its next door neighbor, and sister restaurant, Tabor Road Tavern, Grato offers a space that’s warm and inviting while trendy enough to attract Morris County’s bold and beautiful crowd.

I recently had lunch at Grato and as the Italian name suggests, I was “grateful” for the wonderful meal I enjoyed.

Upon sitting at their tables, patrons are greeted by the warm staff with grilled Italian bread and olive oil-drizzled smooth ricotta cheese.  The use of ricotta cheese in place of the usual butter is a hint of the fabulous food to come.

For starters, Grato offers a generous salumi plate ($14.95) for sharing that features some very nice options like prosciutto, salami, soppressata, pepperoni along with cannellini beans, olives and Italian cheeses.  Another great choice for sharing is the bruschetta plate ($11.95) with a variety of toppings like chick pea and olive pesto, eggplant and ricotta, tomato and mozzarella and my favorite, the chicken liver and pancetta on perfectly grilled Italian bread.

Must-try entrée selections are the veal and ricotta meatballs with bucatini in light tomato sauce ($13.95), Grato’s Cioppino ($14.95), the roast chicken and goat cheese tortelloni in brodo and the delicious paninis.

The veal and ricotta meatballs with bucatini is stellar.  The meatballs are perfectly tender, moist and flavorful. The light tomato sauce the meatballs simmer in is an ideal match to the rustic bucatini.  The Grato Cioppino features fish and seafood with spicy sausage and is hearty yet light enough for lunch.  The roast chicken and goat cheese tortelloni is a fabulous dish and the use of broth instead of the typical sauce is smart.  There are seven paninis on the lunch menu ($9.95 – $10.95) and all versions are interesting and delicious.  Some of our favorites are the prosciutto and mozzarella on ciabatta ($9.95) and the Grato Grande ($10.95) which is made using prosciutto, salami, ham and provolone.  All the sandwiches are served with outstanding house-made Giardiniera, pickled vegetables.

The dinner menu at Grato features many of the lunch options but some additional items like the pork ossobucco ($19.95), the veal chop Milanese ($24.95) and the roasted tilapia and cockles ($19.95).

Grato offers a neat wine list focusing on Italian favorites, and more obscure, interesting options from all over Italy.  The restaurant serves over 20 different wines by the glass and many affordable options by the bottle.

Grato is a great place for a romantic night out, a business lunch or any occasion in between.  Try it, you’ll be “grateful” you did.

2230 State Route 10

Morris Plains, NJ 07950

973-267-4006

www.gratorestaurant.com

Lunch: Monday – Saturday: 11:30AM – 4PM and Sunday: 12PM – 4PM

Dinner: Monday – Thursday: 4PM – 10PM, Friday – Saturday: 4PM – 11PM and Sunday: 4PM – 9PM

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8 March 2010 Tasty Afghan Food at Kabab Paradise

Tasty Afghan Food at Kabab Paradise

March 8, 2010 By
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

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Restaurant Review: Tasserts

November 29, 2009 By

 

Tasserts Outside

Tasserts Outside

Tasserts, in Florham Park, opened its doors in 2003.  Not a derivative of ‘desserts’, Tasserts is a combination of ‘Natassia’, the chef’s daughter, and ‘Robert’, his father, the unassuming restaurant in a suburban strip mall, is a Morris County gem that shines bright.

 

The room is trendy, a bit retro and comfortable with its high-back banquettes and dimly-lit atmosphere.

The wait staff is friendly, gracious and effective, and is quick to offer advice about the “New American” seasonal menu.

New Jersey-born chef, Michael Lapinski, creates an outstanding Manhattan-caliber menu .  Dinner begins with freshly-baked rolls, right out of the restaurant’s brick oven.  Yes, these are simple rolls, but they are absolutely perfect in every way.  The only downfall of having one, or three, of them is that it might interfere with the fact that the rest of the food to come is also outstanding.

Winning starters are the tuna Carpaccio – fresh fish with great flavor, the flatbread pizza – baked to perfection in the brick oven and fit for sharing, and the lobster cake – nice rendition of its sister, the crab cake .

 

Tasting Plate

Tasting Plate

As far as entrees are concerned, an interesting way to explore chef Lapinski’s menu is to opt for the three-course plates, where diners select three entrees from the menu which are then served as tasting portions on a plate.  Great option for those who can’t commit to just one entree.  On a recent visit, I chose the lamb, short ribs and the scallops and was very pleased with each dish.

Overall, Tasserts serves up great New American food and interesting preparations.  Note that this restaurant is a BYOB, so bring an exciting wine to pair with the creative food served at Tasserts.

 

 

 

176 Columbia Turnpike
Florham Park, NJ  07932
Tel: 973-822-3712

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