The Pasta Shop Denville

February 14, 2019 By

I recently had the opportunity to finally check out The Pasta Shop (www.thepastashopdenville.com) in Denville, NJ and am so pleased to have such a great neighborhood spot near my home in Morris County. The Pasta Shop describes itself as a “fine casual eatery featuring handmade specialties and wood-fired Italian American classics” and the place is exactly that. The busy restaurant is owned by Sergio Sciancalepore, who is also the proprietor of the popular Sergio & Co, Italian Specialties also in Denville.

The restaurant’s been open a year now and has a cult following that’s making it challenging to secure a table, even on a week night. They simply need a bigger space :). While reservations aren’t accepted, they have a neat texting system that allows diners to come in, request a table and then alerts them via text when their tables are available. That works well for us as there’s a local pub across the street that’s perfect for a before dinner drink.

Photo by The Pasta Shop

The Space

The space is cozy and sparkling clean and neat. Tables are arranged against one wall with a combination of banquettes and chairs with a view of the open kitchen. The mix of natural wood, white subway tile and concrete floors is striking and welcoming. Visible wood logs are stacked neatly and awaiting their turn in the wood burning oven.

The Food

Chef Tommy Pollio and his kitchen team craft food using the best ingredients available. The pasta is handmade and is proudly displayed to guests as they enter the establishment.

Mozzarella Sticks

The Pasta Shop’s famous for its Mozzarella Stick ($9) and Garlic Bread ($8), so we started our meal with those two dishes. We also enjoyed the Sergio’s Meatballs ($9) which were light and moist and served in a tomato sauce with fresh basil. The Mozzarella sticks are every bit as delicious as countless people describe them to be. They’re made using the shop’s own Mozzarella then encased in a light and crunchy coating then generously-sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and served with a spicy tomato sauce. Could these be the best Mozzarella sticks I’ve had? Quite possible. The garlic bread is also good and not doused in garlic…..just right.

For our entrees we opted for the Spicy King Crab ($17) and the Linguine and Clams ($16). The spicy crab dish is actually squid ink spaghetti tossed with crab in a spicy tomato sauce. Ordering this dish was a no-brainer as squid ink pasta is my favorite. Great dish and while I love spicy foods, my only critique would be to tone down the spice a bit so the delicate flavor of the crab can shine. The linguine and clams was outstanding with the perfect combination of lightly briny plump clams, garlic, red pepper flakes and lemon. These were two must-order dishes.

Squid Ink Spaghetti
Linguini and Clams

On our next visit we’ll try one of the dishes cooked in the wood oven. Perhaps the Cauliflower Parmigiana.

The Pasta Shop is BYOB and diners are encouraged to bring wine or beer to enjoy with the fabulous food.

The Pasta Shop – 13 First Ave, Denville, NJ 07834.

Cheers, Veronique

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22 May 2018 André’s Lakeside Dining in Sparta NJ

André’s Lakeside Dining in Sparta NJ

May 22, 2018 By

About André’s Lakeside Dining

Located on beautiful Seneca Lake in Sparta, Andre’s Lakeside Dining (http://andresrestaurant.com) features elegant dining in a well-appointed, welcoming space overlooking a calming lake. Owners Chef André deWaal and wife Tracey offer French cuisine with an Asian flair in a beautiful lakeside setting in Sussex County, New Jersey.

André’s opened in 1998 in Newton and soon became the jewel in northwestern New Jersey’s culinary crown. In its 20th year in business, the popular restaurant is now situated in Sparta on beautiful Seneca Lake and continues to wow diners with its excellent service, delicious food and idyllic setting. 

About the Food

Foie Gras

Chef deWaal cooks up French food with Asian touches with attention to every detail. 

Food is offered à la carte, as a five-course menu or as a Chef’s Tasting menu. The five-course dinner entails a selection of a soup, appetizer, salad, main course and a dessert – a bargain at just $38 more than the price of the main courses. The Chef’s tastings are available in six, seven and eight courses and the food’s left up to the chef’s choice.

When we last visited, the spring menu had just launched. By the way, much praise to restaurants who serve amazing breads and a choice of “standard” butter or duck fat butter – well played, I was hooked from the start of the meal.

Our party of three shared some starters, the Charcuterie Plate, Steak Tartare, Salmon Tartare (a special) and Foie Gras. The charcuterie plate featured high-quality meats and when paired with the fantastic bread, it was a winner. The steak tartare is of pristine quality and served with grilled buttery bread, quail egg and black garlic. The salmon tartare special came with a perfectly-fried oyster over paper-thin slices of cucumber – the salmon was great but the restaurant should consider serving fried oysters as a special – it was outstanding. The foie gras was expertly-seared and served in a fun peanut butter & jelly preparation – a must order.

Swordfish

Swordfish

For our entrées, we opted for the Halibut (the fish of the day), the Farfalle Pasta and the Swordfish (a special). The halibut was chickpea-crusted and served with cauliflower and cumin – great flavor combinations and a sizable piece of fish. The pasta was tossed with an ultra-flavorful boar meat sauce – a perfect match to the Pinot Noir we brought. The swordfish was perhaps our favorite entrée with its seafood dumplings and steamed baby bok choy – the fish was cooked perfectly and the dish showcased the lovely Asian-inspired flavors Chef deWaal is known to incorporate in his food.

Coffee is top notch, so don’t skip it. We shared the Crème Brulée and the Chocolate Cabernet Gateau for dessert. The crème brulée was a nice example of the fan-favorite. The chocolate cake with its red wine notes was served with a chocolate glaze and interesting peppercorn ice cream.   

About Other Happenings

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake

Andre’s also offers catering services for weddings, anniversaries and other special events and hands-on cooking classes that are perfect for individuals looking for a fun night out and for corporate team building outings.

Note that André’s is a BYOB and diners are welcomed to bring their own wines. New Jersey’s own ALBA Vineyards Wines are also available for purchase at the popular restaurant.

For some of the finest food in northern New Jersey served by friendly staff in a gorgeous location, pay André’s a visit.

André’s Lakeside Dining – 112 Tomahawk Trail, Sparta Township, 973-726-6000. 

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28 April 2018 Meal Recap – Halifax Hoboken

Meal Recap – Halifax Hoboken

April 28, 2018 By

Photo by Halifax

I recently dined at Halifax located at W Hotel Hoboken and recapped my visit on Jersey Bites. Check it out when you have a moment!

Veronique

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4 April 2018 Bristol’s Burgers

Bristol’s Burgers

April 4, 2018 By

Sept 19, 2019 update: Bristol’s Burgers is now permanently closed.

I recently stayed at The Diplomat Beach Resort (read about my stay here) and had a chance to dine at several of the 10 food outlets on property (see full recap of the onsite restaurants here). One of the places I visited was Bristol’s Burgers.

The Venue

Bristol's Burgers

Photo by Bristol’s Burgers

Bristol’s Burgers is located across the street from The Diplomat in the Diplomat Landing complex. For those weary of having the cross busy Ocean Drive, Diplomat Landing is accessible via an overpass bridge from the resort. Diners can also park within Diplomat Landing and enjoy four hours of free parking when dining at either restaurants located there, Bristol’s Burger or Portico Beer & Wine Garden.

The space overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway where yacht and pleasure boat-watching is fascinating. The venue’s decor is reminiscent of a 50s diner with retro red leather booths, a large horseshoe-shaped bar and a semi-open kitchen. There is outdoor seating with large televisions for perfect waterside sports watching. The indoor bar and dining room are also flanked by televisions making it a perfect place to catch a game with friends, which I did.

The Staff

I visited over Super Bowl weekend and knew the place would be busy with locals and hotels guests so I called to try to make a reservation. I was told no reservations were taken and we’d need to walk in close to game time. I told the person who answered the phone that I was visiting with my 70-year old mother who needs to sit due to a knee injury. The person tells me he’s Chris, the restaurant GM, and can make an exception if he wants to and proceeds to save a table for us. What amazing service!

When we arrived early, I’m a Philadelphia Eagles fan after all, our table had a reserved sign on it and we were warmly-welcomed. The wait staff was friendly, helpful and made us feel comfortable through the nerve-wrecking 4-5 hours we were there.

The Food

Bristol's Burgers

Photo Credit – Bristol’s Burgers. Triple B Burger

We basically ate over the duration of our visit as we watched the game so our dishes were all appetizers. There’s enough variety to please all palates, including vegetarians which one person in my party was. We’d seen a smoker outside so knew we wanted to order the Smoked Chicken Wings. They were perfectly smoked, juicy and tangy from Buffalo sauce, a must-order. We had the Nacho Libre Loaded Fries (there’s another version with beef chili and cheese also). The perfectly-crispy fries with topped with pork carnitas, black beans, sour cream, jalapeños and…wait for it, housemade Whiz hot cheese sauce. Great shareable dish. We also shared the Mac & Cheese Tots, macaroni and cheese shaped like tater tots, fried and served with ranch dressing and ketchup. That was our least favorite dish, although still a solid option. Finally, as my Eagles were putting the final nail in the Patriots’ coffin, I sampled the Triple B Burger featuring crispy Neuske’s bacon, Bourbon-bacon onion jam and blue cheese. It was a well-made burger with high quality bacon and tangy, salty blue cheese.

We loved our experience at Bristol’s Burgers and look forward to visiting this fun, friendly-staffed venue again on future trips.

Bristol’s Burgers – 3460 S Ocean Drive, Hollywood, Florida 33019.

Cheers,

Veronique

 

I’m a travel industry veteran currently employed by Hilton. The views and contents of this post are my own and in no way in partnership with my employer. I wasn’t compensated for writing about this subject.

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2 January 2018 Best Dishes 2017

Best Dishes 2017

January 2, 2018 By

My job had me on the road quite a bit in 2017 and while I’ve had many, many memorable meals this past year, I’ve tried to narrow down to the 14 best dishes I enjoyed during the past year. Here’s the list in restaurant name alphabetical order.

Bellecour, Wayzata, MN – Paris Brest. Gorgeous pastry served with hazelnut mousse, vanilla ice cream.

Bivio Panificio, Montclair, NJ – Soppressata and lemon pizza. Perfect, slightly-tart and salty crust that’s charred in places with a perfect chew. The combination of salty ham and tart, paper-thin lemon slices is unbeatable.

Heirloom Kitchen at Hauser Hill Farms, Old Bridge, NJ – Pine Hill lamb, ricotta gnudi, delicata squash. Chef David Viana hosted a farm dinner at Hauser Hill Farms in an orchard. This comforting dish was as lovely as the setting.

Herb & Wood, San Diego, CA – Gnocchi, oxtail, roasted garlic, parsley, chive, sherry, Parmesan and horseradish. This place serves amazing food and it was difficult to narrow down my favorite to this rich,dish.

Husk, Nashville, TN – 24-month Bob Woods’ country ham served with cheddar biscuits and house-made pickles. I enjoyed this perfect charcuterie with a Bourbon cocktail at the downstairs bar.

Impasto, Montreal, Canada – Mafalde, pheasant ragù, mushrooms, dandelion, Parmigiono Reggiano. Perfectly al dente pasta with a rich, umami-packed pheasant meat sauce. Stellar dish.

Le Coucou, New York, NY – Halibut with beurre blanc. This amazing piece of fish was served with decadent butter sauce and with daikon prepared sauerkraut style.

Mercantile Dining & Provision, Denver, CO – Pea risotto, Parmesan sabayon and egg yolk. I’d had an earthy risotto at this fabulous restaurant before and this pea version was busting with pea and Parmesan flavors. My favorite restaurant of 2017.

O Ya, New York, NY – Black Somen noodles served with fried bigfin squid, onsen egg, iriko dashi, yuzu kosho. Disguised as a simple dish, this was nothing but with complex flavors and masterly-prepared squid.

Orama, Edgewater, NJ – Scallop and foie gras. Chef Bryan Gregg gilding the lily with a piece of well-cooked foie gras on an expertly-seared scallop. Little mustard blossom to add a bit of bitterness/zest to the rich dish.  

Pig Bleecker, New York, NY – Brisket ravioli with black truffle butter and Barolo. Rich brisket in a rich butter sauce with a zest of Barolo “glaze”.

Sushi on Jones, New York, NY – Big Mac. This was my bite of 2017. Seared Wagyu, topped with toro topped with uni.

Viaggio, Wayne, NJ – Lamb Carbonara. This was one of the courses Chef Robbie Felice prepared at a tasting dinner hosted at his popular restaurant. While this won’t be available of the dinner menu, every pasta’s a winner.

Will BYOB, Philadelphia, PA – Rohan duck breast with grilled endive. This is as good as duck gets and the grilled endive was a smart pairing by Chef Christopher Kearse.

What have been some of your favorite bites of 2017?

Happy eating!

Veronique

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9 November 2017 Upscale Korean Food at Gayeon

Upscale Korean Food at Gayeon

November 9, 2017 By

Bibimbap

Bibimbap

I was recently invited to Gayeon, an upscale Korean restaurant in Fort Lee, and loved my experience.

The space is modern, elegant and sleek, the food is creative, beautifully-presented and the staff is helpful and welcoming.

A full recap of my dinner was just published by Jersey Bites and here’s a link to it.

If you’re in the NY/NJ metro area, I highly recommended.

Gayeon: www.gayeonrestaurant.com 2020 Hudson Street, Fort Lee, NJ 07024.

Cheers,

Veronique

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28 July 2017 Three Peat at Stages at One Washington

Three Peat at Stages at One Washington

July 28, 2017 By

View from my Seat

This was our third time to Stages at One Washington, Chef Evan Hennessey’s award-winning restaurant in Dover, NH. Our meal and experience was once again a win on all levels. See my 2016 meal recap.

Chef Hennessey and his staff are the epitome of hospitality and we feel like welcomed family each time we visit. The food is creative, presented in the most inventive-yet-simple way and offers flavors that are pleasantly unfamiliar, intriguing and delectable. The experience of the chef’s counter, overlooking the open kitchen and food plating area, is not only entertaining, it provides a view, literally, into what goes into presenting food of this caliber that diners don’t often have an opportunity to see.

Guests entrust their meal selections to the kitchen staff, typically Chef Hennessey and a sous chef. On the evening we visited, Chef Hennessey was joined by Chef de Partie, Elena Faltas. One can opt for a four, eight or 10-course menu, all very affordable – we actually feel that our eight-course meal with ingredients of this level, prepared with such finesse should cost more than $100. The meal began with an amuse bouche followed by eight courses consisting of savory and sweet courses. To say dishes change with the season and based on what’s local would be the understatement of the year. Chef Hennessey and his staff are constantly foraging ingredients from the forest and the seashore. For a fascinating view of their foraging efforts, follow Chef Hennessey on Instagram. It’s truly eye-opening to see the level of efforts that goes into their food.

Here was the menu when we dined at Stages in mid-July:

Complex flavors and textures aren’t easily achieved. Stages pickles, preserves, smokes and uses other intricate methods to accomplish the savors in each inventive dish. I personally appreciate the heck out of this talented team.

The wine and beer list is smart with some unusual (in the best possible way) finds that pair beautifully with the food. I opted for the wine pairing while my husband ordered from the craft beer list that’s heavily influenced by Bad Lab Beer Co., a local brewery Chef Hennessey is developing a neat restaurant concept for that should be opening very soon.

Our special trip to southern New Hampshire and Stages rewarded us with yet another fabulous meal. For fellow food-obsessed friends, dining at Stages at One Washington is very much worth the drive from the NY metro or Boston area.

Wednesday – Saturday: 6PM – 11PM.

One Washington Street, Dover NH 03820. 603-842-4077.

Cheers,

Veronique

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27 June 2017 Tasting Notes Tuesday – Butcher & Bee Charleston

Tasting Notes Tuesday – Butcher & Bee Charleston

June 27, 2017 By

Whipped Feta

Butcher & Bee, which was a sandwich shop for five years prior to opening as a full-service restaurant in its current North Morrison Drive location, is the brainchild of Michael Shemtov. Chef Chelsey Conrad conjures up Israeli-inspired food using seasonal products, sourced locally.

The Drinks and Food

The cocktails menu is limited but each concoction sounded incredible, making it difficult to make a selection. I kicked off the evening with a Strawberry Bourbon Smash – Virgil Kaine high rye bourbon, strawberry, lemon and mint. There are several local beers and wines-by-the-glass. During my meal, I sipped on Thevenet & Fils Chardonnay, a white Burgundy with pear flavors and great acidity and Castellroig Cava Rosat, Trepat, NV, a crisp sparkling rosé with light strawberry flavors. Wine bottles are conveniently clustered by price – $30, $50 and $90.

The ever-changing menu at Butcher & Bee is comprised of mezzes (sharable plates), starters and larger plates. I sampled several dishes and wish I’d been with a group as the menu screams to be shared. The mezzes are served as three for $15, six for $30 or all for $60 (serves two).

I had the Lamb Tartare served with smoked labneh, olive lemon relish and crispy sunchoke; the Whipped Feta with fermented honey, cracked black pepper and pita; the Broccoli & Cheese with grilled Halloumi, anchovy butter, chile and lemon. The lamb tartare was some of the best I’ve had with lightly-gamey flavors combined with great texture from the crispy sunchoke and bright tang from the olive and lemon relish – a must-order. My only criticism is that the sunchoke “chips” are a bit flimsy for the tartare and another vessel could be served to make scooping easier. The whipped Feta was lovely with its light funk paired with sweet local honey on great, charred pita. The broccoli salad was a fun take on the popular soup with big bites of lightly salty, grilled Halloumi cheese and earthy anchovy butter – great dish. I ended my meal with a take on shortcake with a lemon-scented cake served with mini meringues and local strawberries.

 

On a future visit, I’ll order the Kebab Platter with choices or shrimp, lamb, beef, chicken or vegetable and served with Israeli salad, freekeh, tahini and pita – the giant platters that were prepared right in front of me looked outstanding.

In a town full of outstanding restaurants, Butcher & Bee manages to set itself apart with big Israeli-centric flavors created from pristine locally-sourced ingredients.

1085 Morrison Drive, Charleston, SC 29403. (843) 619-0202. Butcher & Bee accepts a limited number of reservations for dinner and is walk-in only for breakfast, lunch and brunch.

Cheers,

Veronique

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19 June 2017 Brunch at Sunday in Brooklyn

Brunch at Sunday in Brooklyn

June 19, 2017 By

Champagne Problems

Sunday in Brooklyn is a neighborhood restaurant offering breakfast, brunch and dinner daily. The popular restaurant is the brainchild of New York City restaurant veterans Todd Enany, Adam Landsman and Chef Jaime Young (formerly of Michelin-star restaurant Atera in Manhattan).

About the Space & Service

The three-story restaurant offers a rooftop garden, a sidewalk café and an open-air market during the warmer months. Diners can grab coffee with a pastry or breakfast sandwich from the take-out window or the market counter. There’s also an inviting solid-plank walnut bar for evening wine or specialty seasonal cocktails. Any day or time, customers are treated to a warm, inviting dining experience.  

I sat in the cozy café with an open view of the busy kitchen. The wait staff is professional, helpful and welcoming. We felt very well taken care of throughout brunch, even though it was busy with a long line waiting on the sidewalk. The restaurant is mostly first come, first serve but it does take a limited number of reservations. For weekend brunch, Sunday in Brooklyn is exclusively on a walk-in basis with the exception of seatings between 10am-10:30am, when I visited, with a reservation. For weekend brunch, wait time varies from 20-60 minutes for parties of two and 30-70 minutes for parties of four. 

About the Food & Drinks

I started with a fun cocktail packing in big beet flavors, which I love, the Champagne Problems. This refreshing drink is comprised of bubbly, beets, grapefruit aperitif and mint. With my meal, I enjoyed a glass of pink bubbly – Cabernet Franc Horses by Macari from the North Fork of Long Island.

My brunch partner and I shared the Charred Avocado Toast, one of the best renditions of this popular dish I’ve had. The nicely grilled bread is topped with charred avocado, wheatgrass, preserved tomatoes, pickled onion and sprouts. We opted for a poached egg to gild the lily. Great texture contrasts and the pickled onion is a smart way to cut through the richness of the creamy avocado and the runny egg yolk.

I know I was supposed to order the now-famous Malted Pancakes with their gooey hazelnut maple praline and brown butter but I was, for some reason, feeling somewhat healthy on the day I visited so I opted for the Grain Bowl with toasted barley, spicy vegetables, kale, egg, avocado, sambal that I ordered with smoked salmon (an add on item). I’m a fan of most multi-item bowls and this was by far the best I’ve had. Earthy barley with spicy punch from the vegetables then perfectly-dressed kale and smoked salmon – a must-order dish that packed many interesting flavors. My guest ordered the Biscuits & Gravy that was topped by poached eggs, breakfast sausage gravy and hot sauce. The portion was sizable and featured big comforting flavors.  

Chef Young and his team do brunch very well and I’m looking forward to visiting again, next time, for dinner. Roasted pig, lamb tongue, chicken liver mousse with house mustard anyone?

Sunday in Brooklyn – 348 Wythe Avenue Brooklyn , NY 11211.

Cheers,

Veronique

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14 June 2017 Magnifique Lunch at Le Coucou

Magnifique Lunch at Le Coucou

June 14, 2017 By

It wasn’t easy getting a lunch reservation at the ultra hot Le Coucou in Manhattan but the trouble was worth it. From the moment I arrived with my lunch companions, two chefs, the experience was nearly flawless.

The space is absolutely gorgeous with countless giant chandeliers, ultra posh details yet in a warm, unassuming way. Exposed brick walls/ceilings worked surprisingly well next to polished silver, great glassware and luxuriously-upholstered chairs and banquettes. This place is a showplace for the rich and beautiful…a spot to see and been seen.

The service is helpful and professional. We thought the sheer number of folks who waited on us caused some miscommunication but overall, good service. 

Lunch consists of a two-course prix fixe menu for $48, quite a bargain for this type of restaurant. The wine list was interesting with lesser known options and cult classics. It’s obviously heavy on French wine but also peppered with South American, new world European and even Finger Lakes bottles.

Our starters were the Poireaux, leeks with hazelnuts, the Asperges et Thon, asparagus, bigeye tuna with smoked wood vinegar and the Anguille Frite au Sarrasin, buckwheat fried Montauk eel with curry vinaigrette. All three were on point with my favorite being the leeks that were perfectly cooked and topped with crunchy hazelnut. The asparagus were both thinly cut on the bias and served whole with slices of pristine tuna. The eel was crunch but somewhat blend on its own but paired nicely with the unusual curry vinaigrette.

Our entrées were the Halibut Beurre Blanc served over daikon choucroute, the Navarin de Lotte, monkfish in a mussel broth with spring vegetables and the Pot au Feu de Lapin, rabbit served in rabbit leg bouillon with winter vegetables. We opted for the addition of foie gras in the rabbit ‘stew’ and would have preferred to get a beautifully-seared serving of foie, but the overall dish was lovely with well-cooked rabbit. The sizable portion of halibut was our favorite with its luscious beurre blanc which contasted perfectly with the daikon sauerkraut. The monkish was a solid dish, but not as impressive as the others.

For dessert, we opted for a three cheese selection, a Baba au Rhum and a chocolate tart with caramel ice cream. All the cheeses were outstanding with my favorite being an aged Gouda from Wisconsin. The baba was a much lighter version of the dense, Rum-packed version we’ve enjoyed in the past and a good way to serve this dish on a hot day. The chocolate tart was rich and deeply-chocolaty with creamy, perfect ice cream.

I’m looking forward to returning to Le Coucou for dinner and to sample some of the amazing red Burgundies on the wine list.

Cheers,

Veronique

   

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