@Barca stunning!
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Thanks. Have a lovely weekend. 17.20 here. Spent the afternoon with our parents up on the northern coast …
Temperatures have dipped quite a bit ( I am not a fan of 30 + Centigrade ) and so it alot more pleasant at 21 - 24 degrees Centig. however, with a slight autumn chill but it is a bit windy too …
Now off to see my two grandsons and twin sons.
Have a lovely weekend. ( and Greek or Lebanese Cuisine !! ) We are voting !!!
Always … I am very keen on both.
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We had some outstanding takeout from Corso 98. Details and pictures in the main WFD link below.
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We had our last dinner at Corso 98 which is closing at the end of September after 21 years. Details and pictures are in the main WFD link below.
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Thank you.
Risotto Frutti di Mare or Alla Gamberi are my 2 favorite dishes …
Having a risotto tonite at a local Barcelona Trattoria.
Best regards from Barcelona.
I’m happy to say that Corso 98 reopened a couple of months ago, although under new ownership. The new chef/owner, Beverly, has done a wonderful job maintaining some old classics and adding a few new outstanding dishes of her own. The highlight of our dinner was a fabulous crispy eggplant piccata and and excellent appetizer of whipped ricotta with caramelized onion jam, toasted pine nuts, and perfectly charred semolina bread. We also enjoyed pistachio crusted rack of lamb with butternut squash puree, farro salad, and a mint and hazelnut gremolata, as well as ham and cheese arancini with prosciutto di parma, and clams casino. It all went great with our favorite red blend aged in bourbon barrels.
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Nice feast! All about that eggplant.
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Thank you! The eggplant was excellent. I’ve never had it prepared piccata style before. The most amazing thing about it was that it was vegan. There was no cream or dairy involved. The Chef used oat milk.
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@paryzer, I don’t see rack of lamb on the website’s menu, Eli. I presume it was a special?
I’ve always thought piccata sauce is just wine and lemon (no cream), so I’m surprised that you mention the use of oat milk.
What’s the outdoor seating like?
Hi Roz. Yes, the rack of lamb was a special. They have a few metal tables and chairs on the sidewalk, and possibly in a narrow alleyway that they share with another restaurant. The food is very good if you live nearby, but I’m not sure if it is worth the trip from Marlboro.
The chef mentioned that she used oat milk, possibly as a replacement for butter.
Thanks for your reply, Eli! Oops! ! forgot that butter (and or oil) is used for the frying as well as for finishing the sauce.
Your description of the outdoor seating does not sound comfortable, and we’re still not doing indoor restaurant dining.
Many years ago, we used to go to Montclair every so often to an excellent French bistro the name of which escapes me. Definitely worth the drive since there were — and, sadly, still are — a dearth of that type of restaurant in NJ. As you probably know, Le RendezVous Bistro has, sadly, closed permanently. A major loss!
The best outdoor dining setup is Il Nido near you. They have those beautiful individual cabanas.
Regarding that French restaurant in Montclair, could that be Passionne, run by Chef Michael Carrino (who went on to run The Pig and the Prince, which has also since closed)? That was an excellent restaurant.
I didn’t realize that Le Rendez Vous has closed. We haven’t been there in a while, but I remember the chef saying he was looking to close soon and move back to Colombia.
It wasn’t Passione since it didn’t exist at the time the bistro we went to was in business. It was run by a young husband and wife. He was the chef while she took care of foh. I wasn’t taking food photos at that time, so that means it was a lot more than 10 years ago.
Yes, Il Nido does have an outstanding outdoor dining set-up. We’ve been there twice. Rivaling that is the permanent “outdoor” space at The Frog and the Peach, in New Brunswick. We’ve dined there “outdoors” many times over the years, usually for lunch as was the case this past week. There’s a roof, one side is attached to the restaurant so servers have access to the interior, the longest side can be opened completely (which it was), and the decor with its lush greenery and filmy white draperies has the feel of a garden paradise. Other places where we’ve enjoyed outdoor dining with pleasant set-ups: Albariño (twice), Bahr’s Landing (waterside), Bistro d’Azure, The Bernards Inn (raised terrace at the front of the building), and Drew’s (a single table under a small canopy).
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Could you be talking about Chef’s Table in Franklin Lakes? That was a wonderful French restaurant with the Chef in the Kitchen and his wife taking care of FOH. He retired a few years ago.
I used to go to the Frog and the Peach many many years ago with my first wife (may she rest in peace). We used to go there for special occasions, and it was an outstanding restaurant. I’m glad to hear that they are still going strong.
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Are you talking about the restaurant that had the huge rooster mural on Park St. in Montclair? If so, now I’m going to go nuts trying to remember the first French place that was there. SIGH…
ETA: TG for Google! That restaurant was called Epernay. (I can now go on w the rest of my day.)
Before I saw your post, I Googled and came up with the answer you did. Yes, Epernay!
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I remember the Chef at Epernay (Mark Papera), but he was divorced at the time we went so his wife didn’t work the FOH. She used to come with his children on Sundays and have dinner. I guess that was the only time he could see his kids since she lived upstate somewhere.
Eli, are you sure it was Epernay you went to? When the Paperas sold Epernay, they moved with their children to Ithaca, NY, where they opened another French bistro. (Via Google, it was called Dijon.) I think the divorce happened at that time. When he heard that Epernay had closed, he came back to NJ on his own and opened Fricasseè in the Epernay space.
