Not Just Nourishment: The Hudson School Board of Trustees Dinner

Third Course: Dill Crusted Salmon with Fennel , Yukon Potato, Pearl Onions, Asparagus and Lemon Beurre Blanc

Tuesday night, alumni, faculty, board members and parents of The Hudson School came together for their annual Trustee Dinner at Amanda’s Restaurant. For many years, the school and its board have hosted the event involving a five-course meal with complimentary wine pairings, to raise money for the school’s scholarship fund.

Amanda’s is a mainstay of Hoboken (more here, here, here and here), offering fresh and classic food laced with comfort and refinement. Each course at this event was visually balanced and alive with color, from the mint green of the pea flan, to the coral pink of the salmon and bright red of the tart raspberries. Quality was present in the pretty ingredients and the varied textures throughout the courses along with the polished flavors.

First Course: Balsamic Roasted Strawberries with Olive Oil Whipped Goat Cheese, Basil, Arugula and Grilled Baguette

Second Course: Spring Pea Flan with Poached Shrimp

Fourth Course: Roasted Strip Loin with Horseradish Whipped Potatoes, Zucchini Batons, Parsley and Meyer Lemon Gremolata

Fifth Course: Raspberry and Brown Butter Tart with Vanilla Gelato

After enjoying chatting over the first few courses, Suellen Newman, the principal and founder of The Hudson School, spoke to the crowd. Her speech was heartfelt and sincere, using stories and real-life examples to underline the reason for the delectable event: raising money for The Scholarship Fund and enabling students who need financial assistance to attend the private school.

RER

4.28.15

hoboken's VALENTINE'S DAY hot spots: EZ Dating Coach x foodie ventures

Hoboken Gourment

Valentine’s Day is practically here. Somehow the most romantic holiday of the year always creeps up on us and we end up woefully unprepared. Some think that dining out or picking up store-bought gifts are played out, especially in this era of DIY and homegrown foodies, but there is something alluring about eating at great restaurant with the one you love.

I teamed up with Mike Goldstein, founder of EZ Dating Coach, to take some of the guessing out of picking a restaurant and tasty treats for your Valentine around Hoboken. EZ Dating Coach is a service offering advice and support in dating and communication.  

Check out our top picks for restaurants and edible gifts for this Valentine’s Day.

Mike: Cucharamama screams romance with its wood burning oven, quaint decor, and is perfect for Valentine’s Day because it only has about 10 tables so you will not be sharing the night with a huge crowd. I would suggest skipping full course meals and just order tapas. I like small plates for dates because they are a great way to share and taste a variety of dishes, while creating endless conversation points about the experience.

Hoboken Gourmet

foodie ventures: Hoboken Gourmet is a super sweet spot, wonderful for a Valentine’s Day dinner date. The space is small, resulting in an intimate meal with your valentine the focus. It still feels like a secret, as their dinner service is relatively new. The ambiance exudes just as much charm as the well-done comfort food. The entrees can be heavy, so perhaps for a sexy date, sharing a few of the starts, an entrée and a dessert will suffice. But don’t forget dessert!

Anthony David's Dining Room

Mike: Anthony David’s is high-end Italian food, offering great appetizers, but is also BYOB, which helps to keep the romantic evening on budget. The food is some of the best in Hoboken, while the restaurant also only has a few tables, which will allow for a more dreamy ambiance while still dining out.  

Margherita's

foodie ventures: There’s nothing trendy about Margherita’s, but in my opinion, it’s quintessential Hoboken—it’s Italian, family-owned, reasonably priced and straight to the point. It’s BYOB, so pick out a special or favorite libation. Go for the chicken parm and split it with your valentine (or not, if you’re like me and my valentine). Any of the cheesecakes are also totally worth it.

Teak

Mike: Teak specializes in sushi and also has great hot Japanese-inspired dishes. I would suggest sharing sushi when possible as it allows for conversation around the food.  What’s great about Teak is the ambiance. It’s sexy and elegant which hopefully translates to the patrons feeling the same way. Finally, sushi is always a good move on date night because it typically leaves people satisfied but not feeling bloated and unattractive. 

 

Dino and Harry's

foodie ventures: If you really want to treat your date to a more luxurious classy experience, Dino & Harry’s or Amanda’s are great options. Dino & Harry’s is like a refined, more contemporary steakhouse. It is definitely an indulgence (think steak prices), but the food is pretty and tasty. Amanda’s is another old-guard restaurant in Hoboken. It is super romantic, comfortable and sophisticated at the same time. The food is exquisitely done and consistent.

Sweet

foodie ventures: There’s nothing sweeter on Valentine’s Day than a gift of a gaggle of mini cupcakes. Sweet is a great place to pick up some in really delectable flavors. They are really attractive and enticing, just a taste and not too much.

Mike: Lepore’s Chocolates has phenomenal chocolate, probably because its owners and staff are truly passionate about romance and of course their favorite sweet, chocolate.  They have an amazing assortment of chocolates that come pre-wrapped with a nice bag to present to your date.  Of course the presentation of chocolate is almost as important as how good the chocolate tastes, and I can assure you Lepore’s hits a home run on both fronts.

A&I Nutreats

foodie ventures: For the health nut in your life, A&I Nutreats sweet things are a must. These good-for-you goodies give the body a healthy boost and contain only natural ingredients. They can be purchased online, but in a pinch, found at a variety of locations in Hoboken.

 Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day y’all!

RER

2.12.15

Amanda's

ripple EFFECT : Amanda's

RER 10.17.14

There were five of them and it was almost too late to eat, but they knew they needed to, so they did. They had been there before, many times, but this time something felt a little different. There had been a small shift, like a timid constant daring for a change, only it makes changes so miniscule, they are almost imperceptible, just enough to ripple the surface and make people think.

The change was not in the service or the quality of ingredients. Amanda’s has always been one of the most consistent restaurants in Hoboken, never wavering from its high standards and the freshest, most seasonal ingredients.

Nor was it in the décor. The dining rooms still felt like the formal dining rooms of homes you might have been to. It remains timeless and comfortable, and just elevated enough to feel excellence.

Maybe it was the menu. Amanda’s does a few things very well, each dish may shift with the seasons, but these items are to be anticipated on the menu. This evening, some of those were indeed listed, but morphed to a recognizable unfamiliarity.

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As always, a polenta starter is featured on the menu.  This time it was the base for a spicy sausage ragu topped with pretty mache and salty strands of parmesan. The polenta was creamy and warm, as expected, but the ragu was multifaceted and distinct.

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The entrees too, were in typical form— a tower of starch, vegetable and protein—but mixed up and embellished. The flaky pink grilled salmon sat atop a thick slab of lobster mashed potatoes, flanked by buttery green beans. A slight adjustment to the potatoes inspired curiosity and resulted in creamy luxury.

Similarly the seabass precariously perched on a round of garlicky sautéed spinach and a quinoa risotto, played with the same model, but creativity came with the base. Instead of the classic risotto or even a grain, Amanda’s new vision offered an inventive twist.

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The duck dish, complete with maple-roasted butternut squash, bacon lardons and wilted mustard greens, read like an old dish but instead brought excitement. The maple surfaced the earthy sweetness of the butternut squash, which accented the earthiness of the dark greens. But the salt of the lardoons and the fattiness of the meat made everything sparkle.

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Even dessert brought something uncharacteristic to the table. A banana cake with caramel ice cream felt like bananas fosters on the tongue, classic and simple but recreated. And a butterscotch pudding, layered all the dreams of sweetness into a perfect little package, presented in a jar. The chocolate molten cake is an old standby, unbroken by new imaginings.

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Sometimes the key to consistency is a kind of monotony and paucity of innovation. This flatness was at times present at Amanda’s—not that the food wasn’t good, it was, just predictable and safe. The new turns have created a more exciting experience, while replicating the high standards and quality. 

RER

10.17.14

not just nourishment: food for FUNDS

RER 3.20.13

Just a few weeks ago, the Hudson School threw their annual Trustee dinner at the Hoboken favorite, Amanda’s (I have mentioned this restaurant a bunch check it out here, here and here…). Each year the school and the board of trustees pull together a tasting like dinner accompanied by matching wines to help raise money for student scholarship. The tickets are a pretty penny, but considering the quality of the event and the cause, it is worth it.

Many of those attending the annual dinner have some connection to the school; former student, former or current parent, teacher, board member or even friend of the school. Both my younger sister and I are what we call “Lifers” (students for the full range of the school, grades 5 through 12). My mother is still affiliated with the school so she invited me, my father and her friend to go support the school and its cause. Having gone to the school, I can understand its importance and appeal to those within and outside the community. Building funds for scholarship allows for more diversity and the character the school prides itself on. The private school is not cheap but much of the experience and education it bestows is worth it in the aide of cultivating individuals.

The event was a nice social arena; many people knew each other and many were eager to meet those who were strangers. Teachers mingled with former students, while parents chatted over wine and the tingle of dishes. There were a few speakers, highlighting the good aspects of the school that many in attendance already knew. The principal of the school since its inception told the crowd stories of the children in need of the scholarship, reinforcing the reason we were all there indulging in the fancy and sophisticated food presented to us.

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And then there was the food, the excuse that brought the people together, the gift back for the indirect donation. We were tempted with five courses created by the executive chef, Rodney Peterson. And each, save the dessert, were paired with an appropriate wine, perfect to highlight and emphasize.

1^st The first was a thick and heavy pea soup, light green and grainy, sprinkled with gravlax and crunchy croutons. The cured fish and the croutons added necessary salt and diversion in texture. It was a challenge to not devour the whole bowl in anticipation for the following courses, even though it was a warm and heavy start.

2^nd The second course consisted of red roasted beets, and an avocado and frisee salad topped with a nearly imperceptible citrus vinaigrette. The dish desperately needed a heavier dose of the citrus to cut the smooth fattiness of the large amount of avocado and the monotonous sweetness of the beets. It was definitely lacking, unfortunately.

3^rd This third course was a small cube of grilled salmon on top of a crisscross of asparagus and a nice scoop of light potato salad. All of the elements blended extremely well together; the potato salad was a lighter refined version of the picnic variety we are used to and the salmon was salty and deliciously crusty but mildly overcooked.

4^th The fourth dish was the heaviest, comprised of a perfect round of mushroom polenta and beef fillet. The comfit shallot and parmesan fricco echoed the round theme. The mushrooms on the plate were meaty and perfectly complemented all of the other elements in the dish, the creamy polenta, the crunchy fricco and the soft succulent onion.

5^th Dessert was delicious, but a mild let down. It was a safe spiced apple cake, studded with raisins accompanied by a sweet melty mound of Ducle de Leche ice cream. The two elements coupled well but the desert was lacking the punch that the third and fourth courses had.

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This little tasting also had a different feeling than the normal menu at Amanda’s. The chef stuck to many of the elements that Amanda’s is known for, like the creamy polenta and succulent salmon, but the four bite sized portions looked completely different. They seemed more curated and refined with and aesthetic edge to their presentation. Perhaps this is linked to the event specifications, smaller portions and a tasting character, but it also made the meal more special, invigorating the fundraiser quality of the meal.

This was not meant to be about the food in its specifics per se, but how food in this case is not only about experience and nourishment but the cause, the less tangible reasoning behind it. This fancy feast was to raise money for a school that does good and wishes to open its doors to many different kinds of minds. We came and ate five delicious courses and drank four pungent wines to help kids better their lives and futures through education at the Hudson School. As always, Amanda’s was an excellent venue where the Flinns served as our hosts. The food, refinement, company and service rose to the occasion.

RER

2.27.13

RER 2.26.13