Read about our visit to Redux where we had a most memorable meal: http://njmonthly.com/articles/eat-drink/table-hopping-with-rosie/redux-meaning-brought-back-is-a-delight/
Oh my myā¦that looks delicious. Even the salmon which based on my new dietary requirements Iāve actually started eating a bit. Funny, I LOVE raw salmon in sushi or sashimi or even lox, but cooked salmon has always been an ewwwww of mine. Well lately Iāve developed more of a taste for it, not one of my favorites, but no longer an ewwwww.
A couple of questionsā¦the fried artichokes, is just artichokes? I see the heart of one on the bottom of the plate, above it looks more like a cross section of fried cabbage or something. (Hmmmm speaking of which fried cabbage sounds pretty interesting). On the cabbage theme, the beet wrap, is that cabbage or lettuce itās wrapped in under the rice paper? Even though Iām not a big beet guy, that does look very good.
No picture of the disco fries? What a tease!!!
Thanks so much for sharing the review!!
Fried artichokes were plain baby artichokes on the stem dusted with seasoning and deep fried. No cabbage.
Rice paper was wrapped around spinach and beets. What looks like lettuce is spinach.
Would send pic of fries if I can figure out how to put them here.
FINALLY made it to Redux, and of course Iām just not surprised that everything we tried was delicious! Full disclosureāI was a fan of (chef/owner) Rob Ubhaus from his former restaurants and Iāve gotten to know him a bit over the last few years. Heās a doll; personable, talented, and passionate about food and hospitalityāthat was evident the first time I met him!
We sat at the counter overlooking the kitchen (WAY more fun than just being at a table at any restaurant, imo) and decided to graze, as we had both had a big eating weekend. Just about everything is house-made. As in, JUST. ABOUT. EVERYTHING. (The Serrano ham is one of the few exceptions)
We started with the flatbreads and superb olive oil with sumac, and Rob brought us a plate of the charcuterie of the day, a Tasso ham that they had smoked in-house and then treated with a Louisiana-style dry rub. Fantastic. Could have had those two items with wine and been happy! There are many other charcuterie and cheese options and I did tell my friend that I could come back just for those with wine and be a happy camperā¦but we pressed on. After hearing about many of the dishes from Rob, we went with the Grilled Bacon, the Disco Fries (a must, imo)ātheyāre covered with Saint Andre, a triple-creme that was oozing all over the potatoesāand their house-made veal gravy. OMG. I asked Rob how to get those at 2am, but he didnāt really have an answer for me. 
We also ordered the grilled octopus, a very generous serving (some places seem to skimp on octo) over an equally generous salad that I absolutely loved; feta, chick peas (fried/spiced and non-), dill, and cucumber. I could have that plate for lunch and be satisfied for the afternoon. Needless to say, once we had finished all of the small plates, we sort of looked at each otherā¦āDo you want an entree?ā And because I know my friend is a sweet freak, we decided to come back for entrees another night and move on to dessert.
Those of you who have read my comments here and on Chowhound know that I really donāt have a sweet toothā¦given the option, Iāll go for a savory dessert (basil ice cream) or a cheese plate over anything chocolate or sweet. BUT. When Rob said āmilk chocolate cookie ice cream sandwich with housemade strawberry ice cream,ā I was IN. My friend would have eaten one of everything and told the chef to choose for him and was THRILLED with the eclairs, which are filled with pistachio/vanilla cream and glazed with a Meyer lemon frosting. Light, airy pastry + a NOT overly-sweet filling made for a fantastic rendition of this classic, and my ice cream sandwich was just heavenly. A delicious cookie and fantastic ice cream! Rob also brought us a sampler of their other ice creams/sorbets (mango, lychee, caramelized pineapple, and banana)āevery one a winner.
In addition to the food, I canāt stress enough how much we also enjoyed the experience of being at the counter. We were sitting at the āpass,ā so we were able to see most of the menu go by, and Rob and Mike and the rest of his team were happy to describe each dish and answer questions about them. The plates were, without exception, beautiful to look at (esp the whole branzino, which is sitting upright on its belly!) and Iāll be back there as soon as possible to try a few of those entrees.
Btw, the restaurant name is Redux, but itās pronounced re-ducks (at least, thatās how Iām going to remember it, b/c Rob has cooked so many duck breasts); he named it for the shorthand used on the containers of reductions.
The place was buzzing on a Monday night, and itās no surprise to me; if I lived in the immediate area, it would certainly be a go-to for me! Make a reservation. www.reduxnj.com
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Wow sounds great! Thanks for sharing!
