We enjoyed an excellent dinner with some friends at Jasper Stone Italian Steakhouse. This is a new restaurant that has only been open a few weeks, and the executive chef is Joseph Voller, who was the original, and best chef, of Il Nido. Kim, the very generous and friendly owner, also owns Tuscany Italian Specialty store in Old Bridge, a few blocks away from the restaurant. The restaurant is beautiful and the service was excellent considering that they have only been open a couple of weeks. The are keeping it low key, with very little advertising, until they get their sea legs under them. Chef Voller is in the process of expanding his staff with new, experienced help joining in the next few weeks. He will eventually have some specials and add some Asian influenced items to his menu.There are a few favorites from Il Nido that have made it on to the menu, like octopus, branzino, Roman gnocchi, shaved brussel sprouts, meat presentations, etc. The prices are also very expensive, like Il Nido.
We enjoyed filet mignon with mushroom sauce and Roman gnocchi; crispy skinned branzino filet; duck fat fried chicken parmesan; baked oysters with Peekytoe crab and creamed spinach; crispy calamari and shrimp with pickled peppers and garlic crumble; tonarelli pasta cacio e pepe; Caesar and wedge salad. The owner also very generously comped us a huge variety of desserts including pumpkin creme brulee, pumpkin cheesecake, warm apple crostata, 7 layer chocolate cake, bread pudding, and some sort of banana cake. It all went great with an Amarone and a couple of cabernets. We look forward to returning in the future.
Looking like beautiful plates& the Chef I’m sure has a following so hopefully it will carry this restaurant to be successful.
However ( deep breath) I am totally amazed at some of the prices of this place & similar places charge when I saw the price of a plate of salami & cheese I was shocked.
Is this place also in a strip mall?
Hopefully I am not that out of touch that this is the new normal.
I have been to IL Nido 2x it’s good but it’s in a strip mall, not a destination place.
Make no mistake one of my favorite restaurants is in a strip mall and Chef Ash turns out some spectacular food ( Lemon in Freehold) nowhere near these prices.
I am watching for feedback to see hopefully I am not that far away from reality of prices.
The NYC in me just doesn’t justify these prices in an out of the way strip mall restaurant
Have at me HO’s but be gentle.
Appears to have replaced a chicken place in a building that also hosts a nail salon and dry cleaner.
Another new place in Monroe? When I get back I’ll have to give them a try.
Yes, the restaurant is in a strip mall, but it looks like they gutted out several stores and there appears to only be a cigar shop as the only other store. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful. The owner spared no expense. I agree that it is extremely expensive, but I guess the high prices cover an excellent chef like Chef Voller’s, salary, plus they use high end ingredients. Unfortunately these high prices seem to be the new normal. A few years ago appetizers used to be under $20 and entrees would be in the mid $30 range with some high end entrees in the low $40 range. Now appetizers are in the mid $20 to $30 range, while entrees are in the high $40 to mid $60 and over range. I used to pay a little over $100 plus tip for dinner. Now the same dinner costs over $200 before tip. It’s insane. At least it is a BYO restaurant.
Classy
I would expect to pay those prices at a “ celebrity “ chef’s place not a strip mall no name Chefs place.
Hey I ‘m sure the restaurants I frequent use top shelf ingredients as well as farm to table ingredients and for what it’s worth I feel places like this & IL Nido are excellent at branding & marketing as well as cooking to justify these prices.
If I am spending $200 plus for a meal without alcohol it’s not going to be in in some strip mall no name Chefs vanity project.
Glad you enjoyed your meals but after the IL Nido experience I know a place like this is just not for me.
THE most disappointing and expensive meal I’ve ever had was at Joël Robuchon in Vegas. I’ve had excellent meals at other “celebrity“ restaurants, but I’ll never discount a place because of where it’s located. That said, I’m in no position to spend that kind of money anywhere these days! and if I’m going to, I’m going back to Heirloom Kitchen at the St. Laurent.
The places in LV are like McDonald franchised restaurants if I am spending that kind of money it’s going to be in non tourist cities.
To me LV has very few restaurants worth that kind of money .
The “ names” in LV are primarily for the high rollers who get comped not for cash paying clientele IMO.
Well, it was a decade ago, and it STILL stings. I guess the bottom line is that I truly don’t care whose name is attached to a restaurant as long as the food is excellent and I don’t leave angry about the cost.
