LONDON calling: The Pantechnicon Rooms

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This is just a wee bit more than your typical pub. So we had a wee bit more than your typical lunch at Pantechnicon. With a pitcher of summery Pimms on deck, it was a veritable feast in celebration of our arrival in London after many years away and old friends.

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The starters were mixed: some stronger than others, some memorable and some lost. Four miniscule Scottish scallops were surrounded by wisps of fennel and peas and dribbles of chorizo dressing. It had a little bit of everything from spicy fatty chorizo to sweet earthy peas and tender scallops, just not enough. Fried calamari came in a basket, crisp, hot and fresh with just enough cooling lime dressing and spicy chilli sauce. It was typical, familiar and tasty. The sharing plate trio was much less appealing— the short rib pastrami was dry and burnt, the pulled pork croquette was flavorless, and the pork ribs were dull.

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What possessed me to get a salad is beyond me. Maybe it was that crispy duck egg that hypnotized me. Sometimes salads are your favorite, but this “salad” was missing what makes a salad. The base of the “salad” was a thick bed of chewy, stiff, dark wild rice, which was mostly inedible in my book. The crispy duck egg, figs, zucchini and almonds, however, were tasty on their own. There was so much crunch from the egg and a creaminess from its soft yolky center that added richness to the merlot dressing and summery ingredients. Good thing my friend and sister are much lighter eaters than I am.

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Both mains were hearty, not extremely creative nor memorable, but solid and satiating. The flanks of pork rib eye were tender and juicy, topped with a chunky apple chutney to complete the classic pair. The sweetness of the round sweet potato contrasted the earthy mushy peas, highlighting the salt of the meat and long crunchy chicarron. Even the spicy baby chicken was well executed but just chicken with a fat scoop of mashed potatoes. The bone marrow and Madeira jus and mushroom sauces added oomph but were unnecessary in the end.

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Yes, lunch was necessary and nourishing, but it was just a backdrop for memories, laughter, catching up and the essential Pimms. It was more than just a meal; it was the start of a great trip with great friends.

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HudsonRW: the Stewed Cow

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Thank goodness for Hudson Restaurant Week’s Super Week. To celebrate the Super Bowl coming to Jersey, some restaurants participating in HudsonRW have extended their deals through game day (eee!).

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Off to the Stewed Cow, a relative newcomer to the Hoboken scene, for Super Week. HudsonRW at the Stewed Cow included two options: three course prix fixe for $25, or $35 for a libation pairing. The color scheme of the place is dark, but the details are inviting, reminiscent of a contemporary old west. The Stewed Cow is a land of strong bourbons and hardy dishes— a watering hole for the urban cowboy. And somewhere in the back is a mechanical bull that gets plenty of action every night.

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Appetizers

Buffalo Calamari

This was super fresh, super yummy, and also super spicy (to me)— fried calamari with a spicy twist. The blue cheese crumbles were at first jarring (Scott Conant says that cheese and fish is a big no-no), but buffalo is automatically paired with blue cheese.

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Cheesy Tater Tots

A mini cast iron pan overflowing with greasy, golden potato pillows, topped with an inexcusable amount of cheese. It was hot and salty, starchy and what cafeteria dreams are made of.

Bourbon Chili and Chips

Like the other oversized appetizers, this was what you would expect, but it had the most complex flavors. The wet chili had a little pile of shredded cheese on top, but nestled in the warm sauce was thick chunks of braised beef, making it hearty and rustic.

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Entrees

Fish Tacos

The two tacos were topped with a bunch of shredded cabbage, adding a freshness and crunch that was missing in the marinated mahi mahi. A red onion here and chunk of tomato there comprised the salsa, but the tangy crema fresco muddled all the flavors.

All American Burger

It was big, juicy, and basically just right. Just a regular burger done decently.

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Cajun Fettuccine with Grilled Chicken

The rough and ready Cajun spices blended right in. The thin creamy sauce coated the fettuccine, adding not quite enough heat. Peas were frequent, while big chicken pieces seemed far and few between.

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Desserts

Warm Cookie Dough

This was the most undercooked cookie like ever, but it was hot and delicious, with the  harmony of white and brown sugars and chocolate chips. On top were two large baubles of melting cookie dough ice cream, indulging in a double dose.

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Borubon Pecan Pie

As all pecan pies should be, this one was sweet, meaty, dense and delicious.

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Fried Oreos

Memories of the shore came to mind, but this heavy, dough reincarnation of the favorite burst bubbles. The gooey chocolate cookies were lost in a puffy orb of oil-saturated dough, which made them hard to enjoy.

In the moment, the food was delicious, satisfying and addictive. I could not put my fork down gorging on little potato nuggets and spicy tentacles, or rest my taco on the plate or even give my spoon a breather when there was cookie dough childhood reveries to be had. There was nothing truly out of the ordinary at the Stewed Cow, other than the extremely friendly and eager staff, but at the same time, that’s not what it’s about. It’s about bourbon, and comfort, and having a good time, which I totally did! Next time the bull!!(?)

Keep up with all the #HudsonRW adventures and everything in between on facebook, instagram, twitter, yelp and pintrest! So sad that I am running out of time, but so happy there is Super Week!

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HudsonRW: Haven Riverfront Restaurant

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To avoid an hour wait for a table in the dining room, we sat in the lounge of Haven Riverfront Restaurant and Bar, after the hostess assured that there was the same menu and the same full service there. Little did we know that that service was going to be rapid fire. The Hudson Restaurant Week menu offered some dishes from the regular menu, but also had additions that were specific to the special $38 prix fixe.

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The very pretty monochrome butternut squash ravioli prix fixe appetizer was inharmonious. Crunchy, meaty walnuts added the textual contrast but the sharp white sauce met with the sweet butternut squash filling with a sudden uncertainty. However the pretzel-crusted calamari demonstrated duplicity of textures from the crispy dark pretzel coating and the perfectly tender octopus beneath. Though the calamari lacked salt, which would heighten its flavors, the zesty marinara sauce and spicy aioli added punch.

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The garganelli pasta Bolognese on the prix fixe, though not on the regular menu, came before we had finished our appetizers. It was just a deep bowl of pasta, overwhelmed by overly acidic tomato sauce and dry cubes of pork. The overcooked spiral pasta did not soak up the excess sauce, but only swam in it, and the ample amount of parmesan could not mask the poorly prepared pork.

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Even the hanger steak entrée had a few missteps despite its contemporary plating. The steak cooked just fine, lacked the salt needed to bring out those meaty flavors. However, the roughly mashed potatoes were bright and created a good balance with the meat. On the side of the plate, like a slimy afterthought, sat a thick tasteless chewy mushroom, which added nothing to the dish. Neither did the parsley emulsion; it was just a pretty color to add to the dull browns. 

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A mildly sweet rice pudding, served with a red ball of cherry sorbet and a spattering of crunchy granola was offered for dessert. The pudding was wet and loose, not as decadent and luxurious as expected. The tang of the cherry sorbet brought the rice pudding alive, yet there was far too much granola.

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The chocolate pot au crème was very dense and heavy, but the espresso cream and salty caramel pieces on its top layer stole the show. It was foamy, creamy with a subtle hint of coffee, and crystals of salty caramel candies made for a near perfect combination. Underneath the chocolate was smooth, dense and pudding-like, but almost too chocolaty.

Unfortunately the aesthetic of presentation throughout the whole meal was quite uneven. The butternut squash looked beautiful in their minimalist presentation, while the calamari appetizer appeared minimal. Same with the entrée duo— the hanger steak was like a piece of art, colored sauces and perfected staging, while the pasta was thrown in the bowl with too much sauce. The deserts also seemed to be on two different levels of attractiveness. 

Haven fell flat. The service was poorly timed—drinks were a bit slow, appetizers came out quickly and the entrees came out even faster. Also the dishes did not rise to their full potential as they had been described in the menu. It appears the new restaurant has a few hiccups to smooth out, but there is promise in Haven.

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HudsonRW: A&W Steakhouse

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Hudson Restaurant Week kicked off on Monday, and our first stop was A&W Steakhouse in Bayonne, a new participant. It was extremely quiet on their first evening; a hushed front room with a bar and a warm expansive dining room with a contrasting atmosphere. The place gave off an air of an old guard, keeping hold of that lost luxury of a time not too long ago.

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A shallow dish introduced the thick and creamy corn and clam chowder, dense with chewy meaty clams. The soup spoke to familiarity and comfortable predictability present throughout the entire meal. While the fried calamari, topped with parmesan and tossed with black olives and pickled jalapenos, was crunchy and fresh. Though the heat brought the breaded rings alive, the saltiness of the cheese helped to ease the spiciness of sweet chili sauce and scattered jalapenos.

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Even the mains were straightforward, with no dramatic flourishes, just honest steakhouse fare. There was however no shortage of satisfaction with the medium rare fillet mignon and the juicy thick cut pork chop. The fillet was missing some salt, but married perfectly with the peppery mashed potatoes hiding pockets of blue cheese. A browned apple relish on top of the juicy pork chop, rustically replicated homey pork chops and applesauce.

Dessert was just as upfront and dependable. The molten chocolate cake was served warm topped with a quickly melting ball of vanilla ice cream stripped with raspberry sauce. Sweet, but not too overpowering; chocolately, but not too overwhelming, this little molten cake had a lovely balance of flavors, as well as textures, as the outside was crunchy, while the middle was fudgy. The idea of the dulce de leche cheesecake with a graham cracker crust was drool worthy, but the pretty plate fell short, something lost in translation.

The service was prompt and the staff extremely friendly, ready to offer recommendations and to talk. For a HudsonRW menu, A& W offered a ton of options, steakhouse staples and old faithfuls, each as relatable and reliable as the choice above it, solid. The Bayonne steakhouse feels like it could be a place for regulars and dishing up consistency as it is clear they know the value of getting what you ask for.

Keep up with all the #HudsonRW adventures and everything in between on facebook, instagram, twitter, yelp and pintrest! Let me know what places you are going to try too!

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photo op: WEEKEND fun

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I totally love the weekend! I tend to say to people that everyday is like the weekend for me because I am a freelancer with a loose schedule and what appears to be a ton of free time. But there is something particularly magical about the actual weekend, when people with busy 9 to 5’s (or 6 to 4’s, like my boyfriend) are free and doing things other than working. Weekends mean relaxation, experimentation, adventure or lazy abandon. French toast, Hard Grove in Jersey City, tons of home popped popcorn (and The Following … obsessed P.S.), and turkey chili… sounds like the perfect weekend to me.

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Follow on facebook, instagram, twitter, yelp and pintrest to keep up with all the food adventures!

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