Jenn's Rating: 80
Zagat: not rated
Showing posts with label BYO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BYO. Show all posts
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Rob's Cafe, Madison NJ
A group of us were looking for a BYO in NJ to go to earlier this month. Rich suggested Rob's Cafe in Madison - a little traditional French bistro. We started with appetizers and then onto entrees. To start off...French Onion Soup, escargot, roasted bone marrow were some of the dishes the six of us ordered..
The main courses included mussels (moules mariniere) with pomme frites, steak & frites, duck-duck-foie, duck breast and bacon wrapped pork.
And to finish off we did cheese and desserts including tangerine semifreddo, chocolate mousse and baked brie.
Overall it was a casual BYO with pretty good food. Some dishes - like the duck-duck-foie (duck breast, duck leg confit and foie gras) were outstanding. The steak and frites also quite good. Some dishes were a bit off the mark - the onion soup was lacking taste. But a very reasonable check, and comfortable enough ambiance and a nice menu made the evening a lot of fun.
Jenn's Rating: 80
Zagat: not rated
Jenn's Rating: 80
Zagat: not rated
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Blue Bottle Cafe, Hopewell NJ
Six of us got together for dinner at a little BYO in Hopewell, NJ a few weeks ago. This was our second time trying the converted house with blue glass bottles decorating the walls. Ordering two courses each we pretty much covered the small, seasonal menu. It had just turned over that evening...
For appetizers the ladies ordered salads including Dana's Blue Bottle Salad with mixed greens, sliced red grapes, toasted hazelnuts, red wine & honey vinaigrette with shaved manchego cheese; Mary's Arugula and spinach with Chiogga & Yellow beets, butternut squash, rutabega, marinated cauliflower and pumpkin seed vinaigrette and my Frisee lettuce with duck confit, roasted shallots, haricots verts, mushrooms, creamy truffle vinaigrette and fingerling potato chips.
I tried all three salads. Mary's had a lot of root vegetables in chunks that I didn't think blended in well with the other flavors. My duck salad was quite tasty but was a bit thin on the duck - could have used more meat, literally. I thought Dana's was the most well balanced and had the best flavor profile overalll; really liking the little bit of sweet that the grapes gave the dish.
I know Alan ordered the sauteed calamari with chorizo, piquillo peppers, chick pea croutons and paprika citrus vinaigrette and that Steve had the celery root and apple soup with toasted pistachios and cider gastrique. I can't remember Jeff's dish. I didn't love either the soup or the calamari but the calamari was a unique dish with plenty of kick (which is why I shied away) that is worth a try.
For entrees Dana and Alan both ordered fish...Alan got the Arctic Char prepared over sweet potato and pear chutney with savoy cabbage in tomato ginger lemongrass broth. Dana requested a substitute to put the Mahi Mahi with the preparation of the Arctic Char listed above. Alan's fish was well prepared, moist and flaky and complimented by the heavier Fall mix of vegetables.
Steve and Mary both ordered the pan roasted tenderloin with potato and bacon croquettes, smoked onion and horseradish jam, creamed swiss chard and a red wine reduction. Again, no recollection of what Jeff had. I went with the pan seared day boat scallops served with sauteed leeks, fingerling potatoes, fennel and baby carrots in a saffron emulsion sauce.
The tenderloin was nicely prepared but forgettable though I really liked the creamed swiss chard. My scallops were large, cooked to just past translucent and paired nicely with the fragrant saffron sauce - a nice dish overall.
For dessert...
We ordered and shared the dark chocolate and hazelnut tart with nutella anglaise and whipped cream pictured above; a trio of profiteroles with caramel sea salt ice cream and hot fudge and a pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing, walnuts, caramel and cinnamon ice cream. The tart was really good - the other two only just ok.
While it was a fun night out no one was blown away by the food and since the restuarant is seriously in the middle of nowhere, this is most likely our last hike out to the Blue Bottle Cafe.
Jenn: 77
Zagat: 26-18-23
For appetizers the ladies ordered salads including Dana's Blue Bottle Salad with mixed greens, sliced red grapes, toasted hazelnuts, red wine & honey vinaigrette with shaved manchego cheese; Mary's Arugula and spinach with Chiogga & Yellow beets, butternut squash, rutabega, marinated cauliflower and pumpkin seed vinaigrette and my Frisee lettuce with duck confit, roasted shallots, haricots verts, mushrooms, creamy truffle vinaigrette and fingerling potato chips.
I tried all three salads. Mary's had a lot of root vegetables in chunks that I didn't think blended in well with the other flavors. My duck salad was quite tasty but was a bit thin on the duck - could have used more meat, literally. I thought Dana's was the most well balanced and had the best flavor profile overalll; really liking the little bit of sweet that the grapes gave the dish.
I know Alan ordered the sauteed calamari with chorizo, piquillo peppers, chick pea croutons and paprika citrus vinaigrette and that Steve had the celery root and apple soup with toasted pistachios and cider gastrique. I can't remember Jeff's dish. I didn't love either the soup or the calamari but the calamari was a unique dish with plenty of kick (which is why I shied away) that is worth a try.
For entrees Dana and Alan both ordered fish...Alan got the Arctic Char prepared over sweet potato and pear chutney with savoy cabbage in tomato ginger lemongrass broth. Dana requested a substitute to put the Mahi Mahi with the preparation of the Arctic Char listed above. Alan's fish was well prepared, moist and flaky and complimented by the heavier Fall mix of vegetables.
Steve and Mary both ordered the pan roasted tenderloin with potato and bacon croquettes, smoked onion and horseradish jam, creamed swiss chard and a red wine reduction. Again, no recollection of what Jeff had. I went with the pan seared day boat scallops served with sauteed leeks, fingerling potatoes, fennel and baby carrots in a saffron emulsion sauce.
The tenderloin was nicely prepared but forgettable though I really liked the creamed swiss chard. My scallops were large, cooked to just past translucent and paired nicely with the fragrant saffron sauce - a nice dish overall.
For dessert...
While it was a fun night out no one was blown away by the food and since the restuarant is seriously in the middle of nowhere, this is most likely our last hike out to the Blue Bottle Cafe.
Jenn: 77
Zagat: 26-18-23
Monday, April 9, 2012
La Sirene, French BYO in Manhattan
A BYO in Manhattan? And a French Bistro BYO, no less ~ practically a miracle! But how's the food? Over the weekend, Alan and I met Brian & Molly there for dinner at this tiny little SoHo restaurant. We were seated at the window with an attentive server and a good view of not only the lively patrons inside, but the walking traffic on Broome Street at Varrick.
The menu is a delight unto itself ~ with staff commentary peppered throughout the selections giving the whole thing a bit of an intimate, family feel. I knew ahead of time that I'd need to try one of their four mussel dishes. I was equally tempted by the escargot, foie gras and cassoulet. I mean, it just doesn't get more French than that.
To start I had the steamed mussels with Dijon mustard sauce; Alan had the French Onion soup; Brian & Molly shared an order of the snails and the foie gras tourchon. My mussels were very good with lots of flavor and plenty of juice for mopping up with pieces of bread. But they didn't come close to Thomas Keller's version offered at Bouchon. Alan's onion soup was traditionally prepared with lots and lots of cheese on top and a great onion flavor. He gave it a good review since it wasn't totally dominated by onion pieces - something he doesn't like. Brian & Molly finished off their dishes but I didn't get any comments on the taste or texture.
For our entrees: I ordered the Gratin de Fruits de la Mer (baked seafood) with Calamari, Mussels, Langoustines, Bay Scallops, Sole and shrimp over Mushroom Duxelles in a light Mornay Sauce and bread crumbs au gratin. Alan ordered the special of the evening; black sea bass with assorted wild mushrooms in a mushroom sauce. Molly & Brian shared the Cassoulet Toulouse’s Style; cannellini beans, tomato, garlic duck confit, slab bacon & pork sausage all braised with Noble Duck fat and the Roasted Lamb Leg sliced with white wine Crème de Garlic Confit sauce.
My dish was smaller than I expected but light and wonderfully prepared. I suppose if it had been much bigger I would have quickly become full on the creamy, rich gratin and mornay sauce. Alan's fish was nicely seasoned and the mushrooms were splendid. But for me, the surprise winner of the night was the Cassoulet. Not a dish I usually gravitate towards, not being a fan of cannellini beans but I tried a bite anyway. WOW. The bacon and duck added a succulence; the beans gave it body and a nice texture with the whole thing coming together as you'd image in country homes throughout the Rhone region. Just wonderful!
For dessert we agreed to all split an order of bittersweet (woohoo) chocolate profiterolles (puff pastry, vanilla ice cream all bathing in chocolate sauce) and a selection of three cheeses. The profiterolles were perfection - it was hard to stop eating them long enough to give someone else a fair shot at them. The cheeses however were a bit disappointing. The cheese themselves were pretty good but they were served more or less by themselves with three lone little apple slices as accompaniments. I happen to love to spread my cheeses on toast points, with honey or compote, a few nuts...something to match them up with.
All that being said...we have three fabulous bottles of wine (the best part of a BYO, you know you're going to get to drink get wines); a champagne and two French reds. The total bill per couple was $150. So good food, fabulous company, excellent wines and cheap!! You just can't beat this experience. I look forward to going back in the near future!
Jenn's rating: 85
Zagat: 25-14-23
The menu is a delight unto itself ~ with staff commentary peppered throughout the selections giving the whole thing a bit of an intimate, family feel. I knew ahead of time that I'd need to try one of their four mussel dishes. I was equally tempted by the escargot, foie gras and cassoulet. I mean, it just doesn't get more French than that.
To start I had the steamed mussels with Dijon mustard sauce; Alan had the French Onion soup; Brian & Molly shared an order of the snails and the foie gras tourchon. My mussels were very good with lots of flavor and plenty of juice for mopping up with pieces of bread. But they didn't come close to Thomas Keller's version offered at Bouchon. Alan's onion soup was traditionally prepared with lots and lots of cheese on top and a great onion flavor. He gave it a good review since it wasn't totally dominated by onion pieces - something he doesn't like. Brian & Molly finished off their dishes but I didn't get any comments on the taste or texture.
For our entrees: I ordered the Gratin de Fruits de la Mer (baked seafood) with Calamari, Mussels, Langoustines, Bay Scallops, Sole and shrimp over Mushroom Duxelles in a light Mornay Sauce and bread crumbs au gratin. Alan ordered the special of the evening; black sea bass with assorted wild mushrooms in a mushroom sauce. Molly & Brian shared the Cassoulet Toulouse’s Style; cannellini beans, tomato, garlic duck confit, slab bacon & pork sausage all braised with Noble Duck fat and the Roasted Lamb Leg sliced with white wine Crème de Garlic Confit sauce.
My dish was smaller than I expected but light and wonderfully prepared. I suppose if it had been much bigger I would have quickly become full on the creamy, rich gratin and mornay sauce. Alan's fish was nicely seasoned and the mushrooms were splendid. But for me, the surprise winner of the night was the Cassoulet. Not a dish I usually gravitate towards, not being a fan of cannellini beans but I tried a bite anyway. WOW. The bacon and duck added a succulence; the beans gave it body and a nice texture with the whole thing coming together as you'd image in country homes throughout the Rhone region. Just wonderful!
For dessert we agreed to all split an order of bittersweet (woohoo) chocolate profiterolles (puff pastry, vanilla ice cream all bathing in chocolate sauce) and a selection of three cheeses. The profiterolles were perfection - it was hard to stop eating them long enough to give someone else a fair shot at them. The cheeses however were a bit disappointing. The cheese themselves were pretty good but they were served more or less by themselves with three lone little apple slices as accompaniments. I happen to love to spread my cheeses on toast points, with honey or compote, a few nuts...something to match them up with.
All that being said...we have three fabulous bottles of wine (the best part of a BYO, you know you're going to get to drink get wines); a champagne and two French reds. The total bill per couple was $150. So good food, fabulous company, excellent wines and cheap!! You just can't beat this experience. I look forward to going back in the near future!
Jenn's rating: 85
Zagat: 25-14-23
Sunday, January 1, 2012
La Mezzaluna, Princeton NJ
Between Christmas and New Year's we had the fortune of joining Mary & Steve for a night out in Princeton. They selected a restaurant they had tried earlier that was surprisingly good. And, it's BYO so we were excited to join them! (http://www.lamezzaluna.com/)
We started off our evening down the street with a drink at Mediterra before walking over for our 6pm reservation. Mezzaluna is located on Witherspoon Street in Princeton among all the shops and restaurants. It's a little place that was practically empty when we walked in and we were seated in a booth immediately. The ambiance is nondescript with standard issue booths along the sides and wooden tables in the middle. It probably seats fifty to sixty people in total.
After a quick conference, we decided we'd start with two appetizers to share for the table, then order salads and our entrees. The appetizers we chose were the calamari with marinara sauce and the pumpkin ravioli with brunoise of squash, coriander cream and sage brown butter.
The calamari was slightly chewy and the pieces were all body, no tentacles but the light, almost tempura like batter and marinara sauce were very good. The pumpkin ravioli were delectable with the sage butter really bringing out the best in this delicate pasta. Really super dish.
For salads, Mary, Steve & Alan all went with the warm, braised duck salad with crisp goat cheese, butter lettuce, toasted almonds and agro dolce vinaigrette. It was solid / good... not great but pleasant enough. I ordered the grape tomato salad with mixed green, Gorgonzola and balsamic vinaigrette. The salad was a simple one but I love the fresh combination of ripe tomatoes, cheese and a tasty dressing. This one made me happy.
For entrees, both Mary & I ordered the rigatoni with pancetta, shallots, grape tomatoes, vodka and a blush cream sauce. And you might think that sounds like a basic, every day penne a la vodka sauce but I have to tell you...this is hands down the BEST vodka sauce pasta dish I've ever had. I loved it and practically licked my plate clean.
Alan went with one of the specials of the evening - a spicy seafood pasta dish. When it arrived, I think we were all surprised at how large the portion was and how completely loaded it was with all kinds of shellfish. It had lobster, scallops, shrimp, clams, mussels and octopus in a red sauce over linguine.
Other than the dish really not being spicy at all, it was quite flavorful and the shellfish was cooked nicely - a good choice, no doubt.
And finally Steve ordered the pappardelle with wild boar in a vegetable ragout based on having tried it the last time they were there and really liking it. The boar was nice and tender (cooked for a long, long time, no doubt) and the pasta was fresh. It was a filling dish with a great taste profile.
We ended the evening with sugar dusted, semi-sweet chocolate ricotta fritters. One serving came with four fritters which was a perfect last bite after a completely enjoyable meal. And with the BYO policy (we had a Barolo and a California Pinot), the bill was $112 a couple - an inexpensive pleasure.
Be sure to check this one out if you're in the area.
Zagat's Rating: 19-17-19
Jenn's Rating: 82
We started off our evening down the street with a drink at Mediterra before walking over for our 6pm reservation. Mezzaluna is located on Witherspoon Street in Princeton among all the shops and restaurants. It's a little place that was practically empty when we walked in and we were seated in a booth immediately. The ambiance is nondescript with standard issue booths along the sides and wooden tables in the middle. It probably seats fifty to sixty people in total.
After a quick conference, we decided we'd start with two appetizers to share for the table, then order salads and our entrees. The appetizers we chose were the calamari with marinara sauce and the pumpkin ravioli with brunoise of squash, coriander cream and sage brown butter.
For salads, Mary, Steve & Alan all went with the warm, braised duck salad with crisp goat cheese, butter lettuce, toasted almonds and agro dolce vinaigrette. It was solid / good... not great but pleasant enough. I ordered the grape tomato salad with mixed green, Gorgonzola and balsamic vinaigrette. The salad was a simple one but I love the fresh combination of ripe tomatoes, cheese and a tasty dressing. This one made me happy.
For entrees, both Mary & I ordered the rigatoni with pancetta, shallots, grape tomatoes, vodka and a blush cream sauce. And you might think that sounds like a basic, every day penne a la vodka sauce but I have to tell you...this is hands down the BEST vodka sauce pasta dish I've ever had. I loved it and practically licked my plate clean.
And finally Steve ordered the pappardelle with wild boar in a vegetable ragout based on having tried it the last time they were there and really liking it. The boar was nice and tender (cooked for a long, long time, no doubt) and the pasta was fresh. It was a filling dish with a great taste profile.
We ended the evening with sugar dusted, semi-sweet chocolate ricotta fritters. One serving came with four fritters which was a perfect last bite after a completely enjoyable meal. And with the BYO policy (we had a Barolo and a California Pinot), the bill was $112 a couple - an inexpensive pleasure.
Be sure to check this one out if you're in the area.
Zagat's Rating: 19-17-19
Jenn's Rating: 82
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