FINALLY made it to Redux, and of course I’m just not surprised that everything we tried was delicious! Full disclosure–I was a fan of (chef/owner) Rob Ubhaus from his former restaurants and I’ve gotten to know him a bit over the last few years. He’s a doll; personable, talented, and passionate about food and hospitality–that 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 camper…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)–they’re covered with Saint Andre, a triple-creme that was oozing all over the potatoes–and their house-made veal gravy. OMG. I asked Rob how to get those at 2am, but he didn’t 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 other…“Do you want an entree?” 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 don’t have a sweet tooth…given the option, I’ll go for a savory dessert (basil ice cream) or a cheese plate over anything chocolate or sweet. BUT. When Rob said “milk chocolate cookie ice cream sandwich with housemade strawberry ice cream,” 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)–every one a winner.
In addition to the food, I can’t stress enough how much we also enjoyed the experience of being at the counter. We were sitting at the ‘pass,’ 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 I’ll be back there as soon as possible to try a few of those entrees.
Btw, the restaurant name is Redux, but it’s pronounced re-ducks (at least, that’s how I’m 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 it’s 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
