The Restaurant Guys

The Harvest Tasting: New Vintages & Special Stage Left Products

Sunday 2 October, 1:30 - 4:30 PM

Stock Up For The Holidays!

Wines

Don't miss this tasting! By the end of September we will have taken delivery on all the new vintages of our old favorites, along with our new discoveries in wine. We will have a walk-around tasting of at least 25 new wines.

Specialty Products

In addition we will have an inventory of exclusive Restaurant Guys specialties that we use in the two restaurants: Austrian Roasted Pumpkinseed Oil, House-Made Grenadine, Irish Cream, Applejack Cream, Limoncello, Elderflower Syrup, Aged Balsamic Vinegar, Stage Left Coffee, Velvet Falernum, Great Olive Oil and much more.

Spirits and Cocktail Ingredients

From exclusive spirits meant for sipping to the coolest, hard-to-find cocktail ingredients, we'll have all you need to stock your home bar for the coming holiday season. We will offer a small book of a dozen or so cocktail recipes to show you how to put these ingredients to use in ways that will delight your friends and family. One of my favorite gifts to give to people is a pack of everything they will need to make a certain cocktail and the recipe to make it.

Not all of the spirits will be open for tasting but many will.

Restaurant Guys Chocolates

Finally, we'll be taking orders for Restaurant Guys Chocolates. Restaurant Guys Chocolates were critically acclaimed by everyone, (as far away as The Chicago Tribune) and much loved. Because of how we made them however, they were very perishable and delicate. We chose to cease regular production last spring. However, due to popular demand, we are going to do two runs of chocolate production. The first run will be for delivery on Tuesday 22 November, right before Thanksgiving. The second run will be for delivery Tuesday December 20th. All Chocolates must be pre-ordered. We will be taking orders and sampling chocolates at the tasting! We will ship overnight!

The Cost for this tasting is $50 per person. $25 goes toward the purchase of your first case of wine. It's a walk-around tasting. It's going to be fun and it's an excellent opportunity to plan your holiday imbibing and gift-giving. Please reserve a spot at the tasting as soon as possible. We will be very full.

Reserve by emailing [email protected] or by calling 732-828-4444 ext 200.

Idiots and Angels

IDIOTS and ANGELS: A Film Screening w/Special Guest Oscar nominated animator BILL PLYMPTON at the State Theater - Tuesday Sept 27 8 PM

Produced by our friend Alex Dawson, Raconteur Productions

Idiots and Angels is a ghoulishly dark film, not appropriate for children.

"Toulouse-Lautrec by way of Charles Bukowski." -The New York Times

“If The Nightmare Before Christmas, Barfly, and Wings of Desire had a menage-a-trois, their surrealist progeny would be this extraordinary film." - Interview Magazine

Described by The New York Times as "ceaselessly imaginative, relentless and brilliant," and hailed simply as "God" by Simpsons creator Matt Groening, two time Academy Award–nominee Bill Plympton screens and answers questions about his latest feature film, Idiots and Angels, and reads and signs his new autobiography, Independently Animated. Plus a special onstage conversation hosted by cartoonist & Plympton fan Patrick McDonnell, the creator of MUTTS.

Film trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaDvCEL8Dyk

Buy tix: http://www.statetheatrenj.org/idiots_and_angels

Reserve at Stage Left

Reserve at Catherine Lombardi

After the performance, we expect Bill Plympton to be at the bar of Catherine Lombardi if you would like to meet this Oscar-nominated, talented genius of animation.

Hand-drawn in pencil entirely by Plympton himself, the gorgeously creepy Idiots and Angels is a grim, mostly monochromatic, fairy-tale comedy about a boozy, brutish businessman who suddenly sprouts angel wings. A departure from Plympton’s earlier, talkier work, which, along with the Oscar-nominated shorts Your Face and Guard Dog, includes the video for Kanye West’s “Heard ‘Em Say,” Plympton's sixth and best animated feature contains not a word of dialogue; the only human sounds are bestial grunts and chortles and a growling soundtrack by Tom Waits. This is a disturbing, earthy and elegant epic. Just don’t bring the kids.

The Negroni Sbagliato

The Negroni is a timeless cocktail, but it's a little bitter for some. The Negroni Sbagliato is one of a legion of drinks that was supposedly invented "by mistake." The Negroni is a combination of Campari, Sweet Vermouth and Gin. Legend has it that one night, long ago, at Bar Basso, the most famous cocktail bar in Milan, the father of current owner Maurizio Stochetto accidentally grabbed a Prosecco bottle instead of the gin: The Negroni Sbagliato was born.

While it's quite obvious the story of its origin is fabrication (no barman mistakes a room temperature bottle of gin off the bar for an ice cold bottle of Prosecco from the cooler), it is of no import. The drink is fabulous. Even today it's quite popular among fashionable Milanese.

Friday we will serve The Negroni Sbagliato in The Catherine Lombardi Bar at a 33% discount. We will pass hors d'oeuvres from 5:30 - 9 PM, and the most tasteful cocktail enthusiasts of The Garden State will be in attendance, as is their custom.

This Sunday, We Roast a Whole Lamb

A note about the timing of this event

This Sunday instead of a pig we're roasting a whole lamb. The lamb is the symbol of peace and protection in the Christian and Jewish traditions of Easter and Passover. We think it's fitting.

Now the wonderful thing about a lamb is that it's constructed of chops and loins and legs and all sorts of other wonderful delectable parts. While you're all familiar with how delicious these discrete bits can be when cooked separately, in the hands of our talented kitchen and sealed in the fiery box called Caja China, the whole roasted lamb takes on a character all its own.

The Lamb is scheduled to come off around 6 PM. At that time we'll remove him from his box and all present shall Raise A Glass. Mark and I will fill everyone's glasses with the delicious sparkling red wine of Lombardy called Sangua di Giuda (The Blood of Judas), complimentary to all revelers present at the moment of unveiling! BUT LAMBY GOODNESS WILL CONTINUE ALL NIGHT! So if you can't make in time for the toast, come anyway!

We'll serve 1/2 lb portions 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 Toast, the Whole Roasted Lamb special will be available for the balance of the night, as long as it lasts!

Make a reservation by calling 732-828-4444 or at http://www.StageLeft.com/reservations/.

The following Sunday, September 18th: Our Final Roast of The Year

Remembrance, and Repast

I remember ten years ago. I was in Jersey City and about an hour from taking the PATH train to the World Trade Center for a wine tasting, when I looked out my window and watched the events of the day unfold. I didn't make it down to the restaurant for about a week because the National Guardsmen at the various checkpoints told me that if I left Jersey City (where I lived at the time), I probably wouldn't be able to get back in.

Mark was here though. With some stranded travelers, they listened for the news and were grateful for each other's company. I was connected only by telephone; but I was glad that Mark was here to keep our humble tavern open and to provided a place for people to come together and to not be alone.

Mark and I have thought long and hard about having our regularly scheduled roast this Sunday. It's the 10th anniversary of September 11th after all, and we don't want to be irreverent or disrespectful. What's the propriety of doing anything joyous or fun on such a day? After much thought and discussion with family and friends however, we have decided to go ahead.

No one can ever forget that day and no one should. But we're not about to let the events of that day diminish us. We're not about to let that day stop us from doing what we do.We will be here and we will roast and toast and provide a locus of community as we always do.

We hope you will join us.

The Spirits Project: Thursday, September 8

Read more about the Spirits project.

Glen Grant 37 Year Old (1970) "Sherry Cask" Scotch, Speyside - Duncan Taylor Merchant Estimated retail price: $449 per bottle; Thursday, we're pouring one ounce for $9!

John and James Grant founded Glen Grant in 1840. The distillery is located in the town of Rothes, across the road from the Caperdonich distillery. Major James Grant the son of James Grant, greatly contributed to the development of Glen Grant, including creating a garden, which consists of a fine collection of local and exotic plants he collected on his travels around the world. The garden can still be seen today and is one of the highlights of the distillery tour. Major Grant also formed the Glen Grant No.2 distillery, now known as Caperdonich, across the road from Glen Grant in 1897. Major Grant was succeeded by is grandson Major Douglas Mackessack in 1931. His friendship with Armando Giovinetti, the Italian distributor, lead Glen Grant to become the most sold whisky in Italy in 1961, it still is today. The stills were increased in 1973 and 1977, firstly from four to six then from six to ten. They generally release a 5 year old and a 10 year old bottling and the rest is bought by Chivas for use in their Chivas Regal Blend. Older versions are available through Independent bottlers.  

Duncan Taylor is one of the most prestigious of those bottlers.  D&T purchase barrels at the distillery prior to filling and then let their stocks age at the distillery in which they were born.  The bottle we'll be opening on Thursday was distilled in 1970 and aged for 37 years in a Duncan Taylor cask.  The entire cask was then bottled in 2007.  We prefer whiskies that have been in bottle at least a couple of years, as they tend to settle down and come together in a more well-knit offering.  At 6:30, we will open bottle number 343 of 435 produced.  The first ounce will go to yours truly.  The next 24 are up for grabs.  

The Cosmopolitan Delight

Several years ago, my good friend Dale DeGroff (who is credited with standardizing and making famous The Cosmopolitan of our day) brought to my attention this cocktail.  He gleaned this delightful libation from the pages of Recipes of American and other Iced Drinks, a British book by Charlie Paul circa 1902.  The Cosmopolitan Delight of 1902 contains no cranberry juice and, to my knowledge, none has ever passed Madonna's lips.  It's a brandy based cocktail with orange curacao and orgeat (an almond and rosewater flavored ingredient).

The Cosmopolitan Delight will again be offered at a 33% discount this evening, Friday.  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.