Hello folks! I had the pleasure of trying a new restaurant in good ol' Sussex County. Like much of this state, folks with some money and more sophisticated palates are opening up pseudo fine dining restaurants in places you'd least expect it. Although Sussex County is generally known for its sprawling countryside and outdoor sports, it too has fallen victim to corporate interests and outlet malls.
With increased interest tends to come the restaurants. For the most part, it's usually the evil chain restaurant, and sometimes if you're lucky, an independently owned restaurant that brings a unique style to the area. This is what we thought about Salt.
Located on Route 206 in Sussex County, Salt used to be 76'ers...a place I never became familiar with. We always drove past it and never gave it a thought. Now, Salt has drawn a mixed crowd of local folks looking for a more interesting dining experience. They proudly boast a list of lesser known beers, and for those in Sussex who are most likely unfamiliar with the beers that Salt has to offer, the list is sure to please and possibly overwhelm. The rest of us "in the know" find these to be old hats, however, it's always nice to see a bar offering a different selection. On draft, they offer such selections as Blue Moon and Stella Artois. The rest of the beer list is pretty impressive, especially for a place like this in Sussex. It was great to see such beers as Rogue, Dogfish Head, Allagash, Trogue's...good American craft beers. To see the full beer list, visit their website at http://www.saltgastropub.com/.
After having to sit at the bar to wait for a table (though they told us on the phone that a reservation wouldn't be necessary), I sipped my Pinot Grigio, which I loved, and caught up with an old friend. Within about ten minutes, we were herded to our table. The bar area can be sort of cramped when you're sitting at the tables lining the walls. Otherwise, just about every stool was taken.
The dining room itself was open and well-lit. Our table was located next to the indoor air conditioner, which at first made the room feel comfortable. Give yourself a few minutes after drinking some beers and wine, and you'll feel hot in no time. They kept the temp set at 78 degrees, which I'm not sure was a fantastic idea with a dining room full of patrons. But anyway, it was comfortable for most of our stay. The tables and chairs were a mix of wicker and wood...I sort of felt like I could be in a department store with the lighting and table set up. I'm not sure how else to describe the decor...generally it was lacking any sort of feel...I'm not sure they really finished the dining room or had any particular style in mind. For the food and prices, I think there should have been a little more thought to the environment.
The staff all seemed to be a little younger and had their tattoos showing...another sort of new occurrence up in the country. Refreshing to see for sure. We didn't have too many questions, so I can't comment on whether or not the staff was all too knowledgeable on the offerings for the evening. I was disappointed to see though that the Bass special was crossed off the list. That would have been my first choice for dinner.
After ordering our drinks, we decided on the following appetizers: goat cheese croquettes - goat cheese coated in panko bread crumbs served with a side of a poached pear, greens, and a raspberry viniagrette; and mac 'n cheese - traditional mac 'n cheese topped with panko and deep fried parsley. The croquettes were pretty good...I expected more of an intense flavor from the goat cheese, but the panko were browned perfectly and had a great combination of texture. Take a taste of the goat cheese, greens, pear, and viniagrette, and you'll be satisfied...but you may notice that the viniagrette also lacked any punch. The mac 'n cheese was equally as good, but not great. I was disappointed to see that it was kind of watery...it had a great crust on top, and the herbs were interesting but didn't really impart any real flavor to the whole dish. Again, not all too flavorful but definitely not bad.
The menu's prices ranged on average from 12 to 25 bux for dinner, and around 8 for appetizers. The soups of the day sounded delicious. They offered a cold soup, smart with the weather we're having, and a hot soup as well. No one tried the soup, so no comment. Dinner selections for the evening included the lemon mint scallops, farfalle with roasted vegetables and goat cheese, the burger with "salt" fries, and two appetizers: the special cajun dusted scallops and roasted vegetable raviolis in a lemon thyme cream sauce.
One thing that occurred to me is that the roasted vegetables were all the same, and weren't all that seasonal. At this time of year, I expected to see zucchini and peppers, and was pleasantly surprised that it was sweet potato. Pleasantly because I just love sweet potato, but I was wondering why they chose these vegetables in particular. Not sure it's really a smart choice given that they could have great seasonal locally grown veggies, especially up there.
My partner's burger was overcooked...not a good thing for someone who loves beef, especially a good burger. The dish came with fries and three different mayonnaise based sauces on the plate, which offered different flavors, whether it was for dipping fries or putting on the burger. He's a burger purist, and commented that the burger was too thick, not that much flavor other than the charcoal. No love was put into the burger, and unfortunately, the comment was "probably the worst burger I've ever had, all I could taste was char".
Other diners commented that the scallops were "awesome", and the roasted vegetable farfalle was delicious. I tasted just about everyone's food, except the lemon mint scallops, and felt that the dishes were all very lackluster. The cream sauce in the farfalle was bland...I could barely taste the goat cheese, and the sweet potato was barely cooked through (though it was charred on the outside). As for my dishes, I had the cajun dusted scallops and roasted veggie ravioli. All I could tasted on the scallops were black pepper. Where was the cajun seasonings, the hot smoky flavor that they're known for? All black pepper. It came served on a bed of rice, some corn, and a corn puree. All lacking flavor and overwhelmingly had too much black pepper. The rice was mediocre and the corn puree bland. The scallops were cooked perfectly though.
The roasted veggie ravioli were pretty tasty. The sauce was delicate, as was the pasta itself. But again, the roasted vegetables were mainly onions and sweet potato...just a weird combination for the summertime and for a dish that is seemingly meant to be light. I did enjoy the ravioli though, but I think overall the chef and owners really need to re-think the dishes.
For a restaurant that bears as its name the most commonly used seasoning in all the world, the food actually lacked what the sign boasts: salt. I'm very sensitive to salt and use of sodium in all foods, so the fact that I barely tasted any, or any real flavor in any of the dishes, made me wonder what these folks are trying to do at this restaurant. Do they think the patrons in Sussex will marvel at the somewhat pricey menu and eclectic mix of food, and then overlook the fact that some of the selections don't make sense and that the food is for the most part disappointing? Don't get me wrong, this place has a lot of potential if they think a lot more about what they're serving, why they're serving it, and who they're serving it to. Even though Sussex County can often find itself the butt of some jokes, there are plenty of people who enjoy great food that's not just limited to steaks, burgers, and fries.
Oddly enough, you will have to use your salt shaker here at Salt. Or you may just want to stick to the bar for a great lesser known beer.
Ambience: ***
Service: ****
Food: ***
Overall: ***1/2
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Battle Burrito
I'm going to break one rule already. Sorry folks, but I'm going to allow a review of a chain. A couple, actually. It was brought to my attention that the "rules" can be broken in this instance: burritos. I absolutely love burritos. They were my food of choice on my cross-country road trip back in college. Cheap and filling eats from the east to the west coast. It became somewhat of a joke after awhile, but burritos hardly ever disappoint.
In this blog, we are reviewing the following burrito places: Moe's in Parsippany; Tinga in Montclair; Chipotle in Bridgewater, Surf Taco in Belmar, and Senorita's in Bloomfield.
Moe's
Parsippany
A cool feature of this place is what you get when you walk in the door: a very enthusiastic and bellowing "Welcome to MOE'S!". The interior is bright, colorful and fun. The large menu on the wall allows you to see everything and make a decision before you even get on line: a must for places where you stand to make an order. They have a variety of your basic tex-mex foods: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, and salads. Once you place your order, you get to choose what you want in it, another must for those folks with food "issues", whether it's allergies or some sort of gastrointestinal disorder.
They give you a nice helping of tortilla chips with every order, and they are quite possibly some of the best chips I've had. Not too salty and they've got lots of flavor. Now to the burrito: I've only ever gotten chicken in mine, which I'm not a fan of. It's not grilled, but instead prepared on a flat top griddle in front of you. It smells divine when they're cooking it, but it's a whole other story when you're eating it. I can't quite nail the flavor down, which I guess is an issue in and of itself, but all I can say is that it's tangy. The pico de gallo looks like it's about 3 weeks old...very lackluster and quite possibly the source of my gastro pain and discomfort within an hour of eating it. The rice is dry and not that full of flavor. The only good parts are the cheese, guac, sour cream, lettuce, and the wrap itself. Let's just put it this way: when I'm desperate for cheap eats, I'll swing by Moe's, especially when I have a coupon. They do have a salsa bar, of which they're okay, but again nothing special.
P.S. If you ARE a fan of Moe's, they offer a card where you buy 9 and get the 10th free.
Ratings:
Ambience: *****
Food: ***
Service: **** (No table service)
Overall: ***1/2
Chipotle
Parsippany
Very similar to Moe's, Chipotle is set up cafeteria style: you tell your cook what you want and you got it. Pay for it, and grab a table. It's really that simple. Oh, and you can even place your order online and cut in front of everyone and pick up your food within minutes. Now down to the chow.
I ordered the chicken burrito and was very impressed with the flavor and char of the chicken. I'm not a huge fan of rice, but they infuse theirs with lime juice and cilantro, and there's something with a kick to it in there but I'm not sure where it comes from. The rice is moist and actually adds to the overall flavor of the burrito. Each of their salsas tastes fresh, I usually order the one with medium heat made with corn...the combination of heat and sweetness from the corn are an excellent combination. The guac is awesome and worth the extra money, you really won't be disappointed. They have lots of options to choose from, from the meat to the salsas, all of it has excellent flavor. They don't have a salsa bar but you'll be so satisfied from the burrito that it won't even matter. This place has me coming back every time and each time I've never been disappointed! Highly recommended!
P.S. For those of you who don't know, there are two interesting tidbits of info about Chipotle: 1.) It's owned by McDonald's corporation, and 2.) This is Ozzy Osbourne's favorite burrito joint.
Ratings:
Ambience: ***
Food: *****
Service: **** (No table service)
Overall: ****1/2
Surf Taco
Belmar
This is a small southern New Jersey chain. I've been to the one in Brick and Belmar. The one in Brick is kind of dirty, and I remember seeing a cockroach in the bathroom. You know what they say about roaches...every restaurant has them but it's a whole other issue if you can actually SEE them. We're rating the one in Belmar here.
It's pretty awesome walking into a Surf Taco for the first time: it's got a real relaxed and easy feel to it and the artwork on the walls makes you want to stay. Plus, the music they've got playing at all times is another reason to make you want to chat with your friends long after your burrito has been finished. I'm just a real sucker for any establishment that plays reggae and/or the Clash.
The counter staff are usually beach bum high school girls who are usually busy checking out the younger crowd that always seems to wander in. A little annoying but not enough to ruin the food. I don't think they've ever gotten my order wrong, so I can overlook the rest of their attitude. Here's how it works: you place your order and take a number, and some other high school kid brings out your order within minutes. It doesn't take long to get your food, and it's always fresh. The salsa bar sits along the wall with several options, including a salsa verde made with tomatillos. Each salsa is refreshing, and worth trying to find your personal favorite.
Here's the problem with the burrito: BORING. The pico de gallo is pretty good, but the chicken is quite flavorless, as is the rice. I've had the surf taco here before, which is pretty good because of the sauce that accompanies it. I ordered my burrito "wet" which means they douse it in a red sauce and cover it with cheese and pico de gallo. I found myself dipping each part of the burrito in the red sauce for some flavor. I've seen others dipping the burrito in some salsa. In any case, it gains points for the freshness but overall lacks flavor.
Ratings:
Ambience: *****
Food: ***1/2
Service: ***1/2
Overall: ****
In this blog, we are reviewing the following burrito places: Moe's in Parsippany; Tinga in Montclair; Chipotle in Bridgewater, Surf Taco in Belmar, and Senorita's in Bloomfield.
Moe's
Parsippany
A cool feature of this place is what you get when you walk in the door: a very enthusiastic and bellowing "Welcome to MOE'S!". The interior is bright, colorful and fun. The large menu on the wall allows you to see everything and make a decision before you even get on line: a must for places where you stand to make an order. They have a variety of your basic tex-mex foods: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, and salads. Once you place your order, you get to choose what you want in it, another must for those folks with food "issues", whether it's allergies or some sort of gastrointestinal disorder.
They give you a nice helping of tortilla chips with every order, and they are quite possibly some of the best chips I've had. Not too salty and they've got lots of flavor. Now to the burrito: I've only ever gotten chicken in mine, which I'm not a fan of. It's not grilled, but instead prepared on a flat top griddle in front of you. It smells divine when they're cooking it, but it's a whole other story when you're eating it. I can't quite nail the flavor down, which I guess is an issue in and of itself, but all I can say is that it's tangy. The pico de gallo looks like it's about 3 weeks old...very lackluster and quite possibly the source of my gastro pain and discomfort within an hour of eating it. The rice is dry and not that full of flavor. The only good parts are the cheese, guac, sour cream, lettuce, and the wrap itself. Let's just put it this way: when I'm desperate for cheap eats, I'll swing by Moe's, especially when I have a coupon. They do have a salsa bar, of which they're okay, but again nothing special.
P.S. If you ARE a fan of Moe's, they offer a card where you buy 9 and get the 10th free.
Ratings:
Ambience: *****
Food: ***
Service: **** (No table service)
Overall: ***1/2
Chipotle
Parsippany
Very similar to Moe's, Chipotle is set up cafeteria style: you tell your cook what you want and you got it. Pay for it, and grab a table. It's really that simple. Oh, and you can even place your order online and cut in front of everyone and pick up your food within minutes. Now down to the chow.
I ordered the chicken burrito and was very impressed with the flavor and char of the chicken. I'm not a huge fan of rice, but they infuse theirs with lime juice and cilantro, and there's something with a kick to it in there but I'm not sure where it comes from. The rice is moist and actually adds to the overall flavor of the burrito. Each of their salsas tastes fresh, I usually order the one with medium heat made with corn...the combination of heat and sweetness from the corn are an excellent combination. The guac is awesome and worth the extra money, you really won't be disappointed. They have lots of options to choose from, from the meat to the salsas, all of it has excellent flavor. They don't have a salsa bar but you'll be so satisfied from the burrito that it won't even matter. This place has me coming back every time and each time I've never been disappointed! Highly recommended!
P.S. For those of you who don't know, there are two interesting tidbits of info about Chipotle: 1.) It's owned by McDonald's corporation, and 2.) This is Ozzy Osbourne's favorite burrito joint.
Ratings:
Ambience: ***
Food: *****
Service: **** (No table service)
Overall: ****1/2
Surf Taco
Belmar
This is a small southern New Jersey chain. I've been to the one in Brick and Belmar. The one in Brick is kind of dirty, and I remember seeing a cockroach in the bathroom. You know what they say about roaches...every restaurant has them but it's a whole other issue if you can actually SEE them. We're rating the one in Belmar here.
It's pretty awesome walking into a Surf Taco for the first time: it's got a real relaxed and easy feel to it and the artwork on the walls makes you want to stay. Plus, the music they've got playing at all times is another reason to make you want to chat with your friends long after your burrito has been finished. I'm just a real sucker for any establishment that plays reggae and/or the Clash.
The counter staff are usually beach bum high school girls who are usually busy checking out the younger crowd that always seems to wander in. A little annoying but not enough to ruin the food. I don't think they've ever gotten my order wrong, so I can overlook the rest of their attitude. Here's how it works: you place your order and take a number, and some other high school kid brings out your order within minutes. It doesn't take long to get your food, and it's always fresh. The salsa bar sits along the wall with several options, including a salsa verde made with tomatillos. Each salsa is refreshing, and worth trying to find your personal favorite.
Here's the problem with the burrito: BORING. The pico de gallo is pretty good, but the chicken is quite flavorless, as is the rice. I've had the surf taco here before, which is pretty good because of the sauce that accompanies it. I ordered my burrito "wet" which means they douse it in a red sauce and cover it with cheese and pico de gallo. I found myself dipping each part of the burrito in the red sauce for some flavor. I've seen others dipping the burrito in some salsa. In any case, it gains points for the freshness but overall lacks flavor.
Ratings:
Ambience: *****
Food: ***1/2
Service: ***1/2
Overall: ****
Senorita's
Bloomfield
Senorita's is HUGE. They've got two floors and plenty of space for private parties. The overall decor is decidedly Mexican and tastefully done. There's plenty of options to choose from on their menu, but let's talk burrito shall we?
I must preface this by saying that I was with a large group of people, so the service left much to be desired. The drink orders were super slow, and my coconut mojito didn't taste much like coconut. I don't think I finished it and stuck to water after that. Their burritos aren't fully wrapped, more like rolled with red sauce and cheese all over it. Think enchilada but a burrito.
The chicken was shredded, which is always nice, and the sauce had great flavor. Their guac didn't disappoint either...I really did want to finish the whole thing but was so full from chowing down on the tortilla chips that I could only get through half of the dinner. And that's because it took awhile to get served. Everyone else around the table was very satisfied with their food. Plus, they offer tableside guacamole, which was absolutely delicious! This wasn't a unique experience for burritos by any stretch of the imagination, but with the welcoming feel and fun vibe of the place, I could've stayed longer.
Ratings:
Ambience: *****
Food: ****
Service: ***
Overall: ****
Tinga
Montclair
Out of all the burrito places we've reviewed, I have to say that Tinga fares the worst. The small, cramped space fills up rather quickly, and I don't believe the food is worth waiting for. The staff is usually filled with high school kids who screw up your order just as quickly. The burrito also disappointed: the chicken was shredded and had decent flavor, but one of those where you have to eat it with a knife and fork. I'm not a fan of any of the accompaniments: the beans gave my blogging partner the worst belly ache. I've actually had their catered fajitas at a private party once, which was much better than the burritos I've had there. The to-go catered food was so much better than the in-house burrito, though it was from the Westfield location.
The restaurant itself has unique decor, but needs to be much bigger to accomodate its patrons. I hate having to fend for a table, only to have people give you dirty looks when you get one. Like I said before, not worth it, especially when there's such great food in the rest of Montclair. I'd rather get a slice of pizza, which ain't sayin' much.
Ratings:
Ambience: ***1/2
Food: ***
Service: ***
Overall: ***
In the beginning...
In the beginning...there was food! Welcome to the first of many food blogs. I am an anonymous food lover...one who is always on the lookout for great food, whether it's at the farmer's market, at a diner, or in a fine dining establishment. It goes without saying that I'm also a huge fan of food related television, entertainment, and all things food. I can't say enough or get enough about it!
The purpose of this blog is to document great food out and about in New Jersey. We'll take you to diners, trattorias, restaurants, food stands, whatever...anything and everything food related that is New Jersey. What we won't do is bore you with reviews of chain restaurants...while they can be a decent distraction here and there (an old standby when you're in a strange city and don't feel like tempting food fate), they really aren't worth reviewing. We believe in the independent owner and will support mom and pop shops as much as possible. Visit the national chain restaurant at your own risk! You most likely won't see it here.
Who am I? Don't worry about it...I don't want to give in to providing any identifying information about myself since I will be providing reviews here of local places to eat. I'm no food critic and don't pretend to be, but I would rather visit a local eatery as an anonymous diner to provide an honest assessment of what that experience was like. Did the service suck? Was there a hair in my french fries? I will dish it all! And who knows, maybe the local restaurant owner will be on their toes more to provide the best food and dining experience they can!?!?
Each restaurant will be given a rating on several different categories: the food, the service, the environment, and an overall rating. We'll let you know if we would ever return or if we'd be happy to watch the place burn to the ground (provided, of course, that no one gets hurt!). And maybe as this blog develops, we'll find other aspects to rate, but for now, this will do.
Thanks for visiting, and happy reading!
The purpose of this blog is to document great food out and about in New Jersey. We'll take you to diners, trattorias, restaurants, food stands, whatever...anything and everything food related that is New Jersey. What we won't do is bore you with reviews of chain restaurants...while they can be a decent distraction here and there (an old standby when you're in a strange city and don't feel like tempting food fate), they really aren't worth reviewing. We believe in the independent owner and will support mom and pop shops as much as possible. Visit the national chain restaurant at your own risk! You most likely won't see it here.
Who am I? Don't worry about it...I don't want to give in to providing any identifying information about myself since I will be providing reviews here of local places to eat. I'm no food critic and don't pretend to be, but I would rather visit a local eatery as an anonymous diner to provide an honest assessment of what that experience was like. Did the service suck? Was there a hair in my french fries? I will dish it all! And who knows, maybe the local restaurant owner will be on their toes more to provide the best food and dining experience they can!?!?
Each restaurant will be given a rating on several different categories: the food, the service, the environment, and an overall rating. We'll let you know if we would ever return or if we'd be happy to watch the place burn to the ground (provided, of course, that no one gets hurt!). And maybe as this blog develops, we'll find other aspects to rate, but for now, this will do.
Thanks for visiting, and happy reading!
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