The Restaurant Guys

Sunday Asian Pig Toast - July 31, Rain or Shine!

The air of New Brunswick will once again be perfumed with the scent of roasting pig! This time we'll roast it up Asian-style, glazed with hoisin and soy. We'll also have available aromatic jasmine rice and a spicy slaw (not quite kimchee).

At approximately 5:15, our pig will emerge from under the coals. We'll give him a parade fitting his noble sacrifice and all present shall Toast The Pig. We will pour complimentary Black Tea and Whiskey Punch to all revelers present at the moment of unveiling! It's as much about the Pig Toast as it is about the Pig Roast!

Of course while we're toasting, chef will be rendering the guest of honor into some delicious plates of roasted pork. We'll serve a 1/2 lb portion for $20 and a 1 lb portion for $29. It can be enjoyed family-style, right alongside our more elegant dining room offerings, or at the bar or at cafe tables alongside our famous burger and bar menu.

Even for those not present at the Pig Toast, the whole roasted pig special will be available for the balance of the night, as long as it lasts! 

If it rains, we'll seat you inside and the toast will happen under umbrellas!

Make a reservation by calling 732-828-4444 or email [email protected].

The Pisco Punch

The Pisco Punch has been around since the 19th century. It was invented by Duncan Nicole at The Bank Exchange & Billiard Saloon in San Francisco, and it's every bit as delicious today as it was back then.

It's a lovely combination of Pisco, pineapple gomme syrup, pineapple and a touch of lemon. While this drink is a punch and I have enjoyed it from a punch bowl, it was originally intended to be made one drink at a time.

That is precisely how we intend to serve it on Friday evening. The Pisco Punch will be offered at a 33% discount Friday evening. Hors d'oeuvres will be passed until 9 PM and the most tasteful cocktail enthusiasts of The Garden State will be in attendance, as is their custom. We hope you will join us.

The Spirits Project: Thursday, July 28

Read more about the Spirits project.

This week, The Spirits Project ups the ante.

Strathisla 44-Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky 1963 - Bottled 2007 retails for $300 per bottle. We're pouring one ounce for $8.50.

Glen Livet is the name of a place in the Speyside region of the Scottish Highlands. While the Glenlivet Distillery was first in to trademark the name (so they are the only ones that can use the "Glenlivet" name), other great distilleries inhabit the same lovely glen, and its water is the backbone of their uisge-beatha* just the same.

The whiskies from Strathisla, one of these distilleries, make up the proudest parts of some of the finest blends in Scotland (almost as good as Ireland), including Chivas, which is largely made up of Strathisla whisky. (Before anyone should poo-poo Chivas, I would like to remind you that Chivas Regal is a serviceable blend for the price and that Chivas Royal Salute is a truly fine and quite dear uisge-beatha indeed.)

Strathisla 44-Year Single Malt was distilled in 1963. It was later purchased in-barrel by Gordon & MacPhail (whisky merchants since 1895) and bottled in 2007 at 43% alcohol. It is heathery on the nose and quite feminine. On the palate it's oily and rich and sherried and finishes up surprising you with its length, power and richness.

I have not tasted it in a couple of years, but you can be sure the first ounce on Thursday night will go to yours truly. (Quality control is my job after all!)

* "Uisge-beatha" is a Scottish Gaelic term meaning "water of life," and the Scots will tell you that this term is the basis of the English word "whisky." They're wrong of course, because anyone with half a brain in his head knows that whiskey comes from the Irish Gaelic "uisce beatha," and furthermore that the proper spelling of the English word is "Whiskey" as we Irish remember to put in the "e". That's just my opinion though and it may be biased!

Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation

This is not Raiders of The Lost Ark as you know it!

It is one of the most unique films you may never get to see (unless you come here)!

You can't get it on DVD or see it in a theater unless the directors are present!

After seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, three 12 year old friends, Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb, began filming their own shot-by-shot adaptation in the backyards of their Mississippi homes. These Mississippi tweens gained access to sacks of gunpowder, gallons of gasoline, a retired WWII battleship and a functioning Navy submarine. They broke bones, got grounded, burned down a garage, and got grounded again. Eric had to be hospitalized twice, once for having his hair set aflame. Seven years later their film was in the can.

In 2003 (22 years from the project's inception), Steven Spielberg and George Lucas watched the tribute and gave it their stamp of approval, calling it "hugely imaginative," "impressive," and "lovingly detailed."

In 2004, Vanity Fair did an expansive 10,000 word feature on the boys' experiences making the movie, Quentin Tarantino became a fan, Wes Craven called the film "phenomenal," and Paramount producer Scott Rudin purchased the life rights to their story.

A book about their incredible adventure is due out this spring from St. Martin's Press, and Oscar nominated author/cartoonist Daniel Clowes (Ghost World) is currently working on a screenplay about them.

THE ONLY WAY TO SEE THIS FILM IS TO CATCH ONE OF THE RARE INTERNATIONAL SCREENINGS HOSTED BY THE FILMMAKERS THEMSELVES.

Eric and Chris are flying into New Brunswick to screen and discuss their now legendary remake at the State Theatre! Screening is Friday August 26th at 8 PM.

Make reservations for before or after the show at www.stageleft.com/reservations (732-828-4444) or www.catherinelombardi.com/reservations (732-296-9463).

The Third Man

Sherlock Holmes was such a success that we're staging another radio play. Come watch Alex Dawson and company bring yet another tale to life in our dining room!

The atmospheric rubble and melancholy damp of war-smashed Vienna is powerfully evoked in this thrilling radio play, based on Sir Carol Reed's 1949 film starring Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles. Holly Martins is a "scribbler" of hack Westerns who arrives in postwar Vienna to land a job and join his old pal Harry Lime. Instead he finds himself drawn into a murder mystery and a network of deadly black-market racketeers. The story blurs the lines between what's comic and what's corrupt, melding melodrama and smirking frivolity with razor-blade noir tones and grave ruminations on the seductive nature of money and evil.

On August 18, we will gather in the bar at 6:30 PM and drink Austrian wine as we prepare to be transported to post-war Vienna.  

At 6:45 we will retire to one of Stage Left's private salons to witness the performance.  

Afterwards we will dine on a luxurious dinner with choices in each course that are in keeping the setting of the evening's entertainment.  

First Course (choice of)

• Pate de Foie Gras
• Summer Pea and Mint Soup
• Baby Beets and Goat Cheese with Austrian Roasted Pumpkin Seed Oil
• Herbed Spätzle with Roasted Pork

Main Course (choice of)

• Wiener Schnitzel
• Oxtail Goulash with Dumplings
• Duck with Onion Tart, Blackberry and Ginger
• Scottish Salmon

Dessert (choice of)

• Linzer Torte
• Hollerbluten (Elderflower) Panna Cotta with White Peaches
• Molten Chocolate Cake

This is a price fix dinner for $75 per person, plus tax and service. 

Pre-dinner glass of Austrian Gruner Veltliner is included in this price. Other beverages are not.

Advice will be offered on what beverages would be appropriate to the period and the place! Pipe and cigar smoking on the sidewalk cafe afterward. 

Reservations: 732-828-4444 x200

Theatrical Adaptation by Raconteur Radio

Stage Left Named Best Burger in New Jersey-- AGAIN!

Francis Schott, co-owner of Stage Left, would never be accused of modesty. He calls the burger at his upscale New Brunswick restaurant "the best cheeseburger in the world." That's a bit much, but it is Jersey's best burger, barely edging out Nick's Burger Bar in Atlantic City.

Wood-grilled Angus beef and three-year-aged Vermont cheddar cheese put Stage Left's burger on a lofty level. It also was the priciest burger ($17) of all those sampled. But you know the old saying: You get what you pay for.

Stage Left, which opened in 1992, is one of the state's most acclaimed restaurants. Schott has described the food as "American pushing the envelope," with Italian and Asian influences. Entrees include butter-poached Gulf shrimp, grilled wild ramp risotto and buttermilk-poached organic Giannone Frams chicken.

But we went for the burger. There's just one on the menu, so you don't have to torture yourself trying to figure out which one to order.

"Uber quality at an uber price, but worth it," said Joe Del Boccio. "Premium beef, thick-sliced smoked bacon, quality crisp tomato, red onion, spring greens, and chipotle mayo on a brioche bun. The burger and bacon are flame-grilled on apple-wood. The intense smoke flavor with these components makes this one of the best burgers I have ever had."

Whew. Makes you want to go right over there right now and scarf one down!

The meat, according to Samantha Trella, tasted "freshly ground," with "an outstanding flavor of its own."

The fries alone, she added, are worth the trip to Exit 9 on the Turnpike.

Superior fresh meat, real aged Vermont cheddar, and an edgy chipotle mayo makes for a superb burger," said Doug Keiles, who completes in barbeque contests. "You may only be able to eat them on special occasions, but if you love great burgers, you have to go."

You might blanch at the prospect of a $17 burger (Stage Left also offers a $14 pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwich), but it's Jersey's best.

Full article: http://sections.nj.com/SS/Page.aspx?sstarg=&facing=false&secid=104452&pagenum=34

The Nixon Cocktail

I'll wager most of you don't realize that there is a drink named for former President Richard Nixon.  The Nixon was created in 1969 to mark Nixon's visit to Britain.  It was mixed in The American Bar and sent over to Claridge's, where Nixon was staying.  Our version is a surprisingly lovely and lithe concoction of Woodford Reserve Bourbon, fresh peaches (gloriously in season right now) and sloe gin, served on the rocks.   It's summertime in a glass.  

Friday Evening in The Cocktail Bar at Catherine Lombardi, The Nixon will be offered at a 33% discount. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be passed until 9 and the most tasteful cocktail enthusiasts in NJ will be in attendance, as is their custom.

Sloe Gin Trivia

Sloe Gin is made from the fruit of the blackthorn tree.  This fruit is called a sloe berry. The blackthorn tree is really a bush.  Its branches, when cured, are prized for their hardness and weight.  Some of the best country walking sticks in the world are made from blackthorn.  

Also the Irish weapon known as a shillelagh is made from blackthorn.  There is a martial art that centers on the use of the shillelagh.  And when one refers to a condition where "shillelagh law" applies, one is referring to a brawl.

Friday, I will have at the bar, a true shillelagh for display purposes only (unless any of you gets really out of hand).

Sunday Cuban Pig Toast - July 24th Rain or Shine!

The air of New Brunswick will once again be perfumed with the scent of roasting pig!  This time we'll roast him Cuban-style and our Cuban partner Luis Riveiro will preside over the festivities.   

At approximately 5:15, we'll remove him from his roasting box under the coals (the pig, not Lou), give him a parade fitting his noble sacrifice and all present shall Toast The Pig, in English and in Spanish.

Because it's as much about the Pig Toast as it is about the Pig Roast, at the moment of unveiling, all revelers present will be poured a complimentary Old Cuban Cocktail (a divine mixture of rum, lime, mint and Champagne invented by our good friend Audrey Saunders at The Pegu Club).

Of course, while we're toasting, chef will be rendering the guest of honor into some delicious plates of roasted pork. In a decadently downscale departure, we'll serve a 1/2 lb portion for $20 and a 1 lb portion for $29.  It can be enjoyed family-style, right alongside our more elegant dining room offerings, or at the bar or at cafe tables alongside our famous burger and bar menu.

Even for those not present at the Pig Toast, the whole roasted pig special will be available for the balance of the night, as long as it lasts! 

If it rains, we'll seat you inside and the toast will happen under umbrellas!

Make a reservation by calling 732-828-4444 or email [email protected].

The Spirits Project: Thursday, July 21

Read more about the Spirits project.

Last week we celebrated Bastille Day with a French Spirit.  This week we celebrate our own beverage culture with the first great and uniquely American whiskey: Rye, over which the whiskey rebellion of 1791 was fought. Come discover what one of the finest is like.

Rittenhouse Very Rare Single-Barrel 23 Year Straight Rye Whiskey retails for $169 per bottle. Thursday, we're pouring it for $7.50 an ounce.

Heaven Hill Distilleries makes Rittenhouse rye: an absolutely fundamental ingredient in our cocktail program. It's a family-owned concern located in Bardstown, Kentucky.

In my younger and more vulnerable years, I took my Yankee motorcycle down there on a distillery fact-finding mission.  (Note to self: When using a motorcycle for a distillery tour, be prepared to spend more evenings than you thought at the Motel 6!)

Heaven Hill has also released a super-premium Rittenhouse Very Rare Single-Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey at 23 years old!  It's super concentrated, aged and spicy.  If you want to see what an American rye whiskey can be, come on Thursday!

Zucchini Blossoms; Tomatoes and Mozzarella

New on the Menu at Catherine Lombardi

Zucchini Blossoms

We have to be honest, we like zucchini blossoms better than we like zucchini.   We're serving them lightly fried with garlic and tomato sauce.  They're delicious 

Tomatoes and Mozzarella

There is no compliment foil for the first local tomatoes than our Made-to-Order fresh Mozzarella with Aged Balsamic.