The Restaurant Guys

The Spirits Project: Lagavulin 25 Year Scotch

Making the experience of super-luxury spirits crazily affordable and accessible!
Read more about the Spirits project.

• Suggested retail price: $1,200
• Thursday, December 29 (for as long as it lasts), we're pouring one ounce for $39

Laphroaig and Lagavulin are cousins. Laphroaig is the more boisterous, loud, elbows-out cousin who reeks of a peat fire. Lagavulin is more refined, but still a broad shouldered spirit, a scholar-athlete among whisky.

The name Lagavulin from the Gaelic lag a'mhuilin, means "hollow by the mill." The distillery officially dates from 1816, when John Jonston and Archibald Campbell constructed two distilleries on the site. One of them became Lagavulin. The real history of the site goes back well before the official history. Records show illicit distillation in at least ten illegal distilleries there as far back as 1742.

In the 19th century, there were some legal battles with neighbor Laphroaig, brought about after the distiller at Lagavulin, Sir Peter Mackie, leased the Laphroaig distillery. It was asserted Mackie attempted to copy Laphroaig's style. Their style is quite similar, but since the water and peat at Lagavulin is different from that at Laphroaig, the result was then (and is now) different.

Lagavulin is known for its producer's use of a slow distillation speed and pear shaped pot stills. This may lend it extra elegance and nuance. This 25-year bottling is a rare and special treat. We will open one bottle at 6:30 precisely. I hope you will join us.

Next week in The Spirits Project
Bourgoin "Microbarrique - Single Cask" Cognac 1994 - 22 year

2016 WTF...is anybody keeping an eye on Elton John?

Here we are in the between-time. Christmas has passed, Hanukkah is underway and New Year's Day is less than a week away. Certainly good things have happened in 2016, but it's been a rough road in more ways than one. I pray for the safety and well-being of all the great musicians who are left. Is anybody keeping an eye on Elton John?

Fireworks were invented in ancient China in the 7th century. They were used around the Chinese New Year to scare away evil spirits. So that's what we're going to do at midnight on December 31, with New Brunswick's biggest fireworks display ever. I hope you can join us. Whether you can or can't, we wish you and yours a very happy New Year celebration and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2017!

Would you believe that 2017 will be our 25th year! We're headed into our next quarter century with Stage Left entirely remodeled, the menu enhanced and updated and a striking new bar menu. Keep your eyes on this email for a years worth of our best events ever, and as always, come in any night for a great meal, a great drink and a warm welcome at your local.

The Spirits Project: Jean Cavé "Vieil" Bas-Armagnac 1934

Making the experience of super-luxury spirits crazily affordable and accessible!
Read more about the Spirits project.

• Suggested retail price: $949
• Thursday, December 22 (for as long as it lasts), we're pouring one ounce for $28

Shortly after settling in Lannepax in the heart of Armagnac country with his wife and two sons in 1883, Jean Cavé opened the doors of his small distillery. A grape-grower already, Cavé began a generations-long quest to perfect their growing, distilling, and aging methods over more than a century.

The team at Jean Cavé are still guided by Henry Cavé, the fourth generation of the family. With Henry at the helm, the distillery benefits from a century and a half of memory and knowledge, a sense of tradition and purpose, and a very deep cellar. They value tradition, continuity and an enduring sense of place. They remain a small, family-owned operation, but with more than one hundred thirty vintages of their Armagnac produced, they have built up a stock of old bottles that few other houses can match. This is exactly the type of spirit we had in mind when we founded The Spirits Project in 2011.

Last week we tried the 1970 and 1965 side-by-side and we blew everyone away. This week, we will offer the 1934 vintage for $28 per ounce. This is an extraordinary opportunity to really get to know a great Armagnac house and to train your own palate on these old vintages. Part of our mission with The Spirits Project is to help you form a frame of reference all the way up to and including truly rare and great old spirits. This enhances one's enjoyment and understanding of all spirits, like getting to know the works of the masters in the world's great museums can enhance one's appreciation of art overall. If you came last week, this will complete the picture.

We will open one bottle at 6:30 precisely. I hope you will join us.

Next week in The Spirits Project
Lagavulin 25 Year - Retail $1,200 (1 ounce pour $39)

The Wine Elves of New Brunswick!

Those are magnums of vintage Belgian beer in Mark's hands. Of course I'm holding Champagne. These and over 700 more labels of carefully selected adult beverage are available to you in our wine shop, which is open right now! Wine, Whisky, Irish Cream, Cheese, Truffles...!

The Wine Shop is Open...Like, Right Now!

It's simply the best retail wine shop in NJ and it's open only a few days a year. In addition to wine, we have some of our special cheeses, the extraordinary Stage Left coffee, great olive oil, Blenheim's ginger ale and much more. Stop in for a complimentary glass of house-made eggnog and to sample some cheese, wine, olive oil...

Members of our email list: Purchase a case of wine at the wine shop in-person during regular wine shop hours receive a $50 gift certificate good towards dinner in Stage Left or Catherine Lombardi. (Gift certificates are valid beginning January 2 and valid for one year. Gift certificate will not combine with any other gift certificate, discount or special promotion. Not good for package wine or any wine dinner or other special event.)

Merry Christmas / Happy New Year.

Paul Hobbs Returns

In 1992, we didn't realize that our new friend, Paul Hobbs, would go on to become one of the most important winemakers in the world, but he did.

If you don't know Paul, you should. His wines from California and Argentina and now New York and France are extraordinary. Paul is one of the most sought-after winemakers on three continents. He's one of the smartest guys in the business and we are proud to say that we have been supporters and friends since he and we started our businesses at roughly the same time. We were the first restaurant on the East Coast to serve Paul's wine and we remain the only venue where Paul hosts a dinner every year. This is the greatest single tasting opportunity of Hobbs wines each year. Part of the reason is that it is supplemented by our own deep collection of Hobbs wine.

January marks the beginning of our 25th year at Stage Left and it's only fitting that our first dinner should be our 26th Paul Hobbs Dinner (we hosted 2 one year).

Friday, January 27th is the date and if you would care to join us, please reserve a spot. This event will sell out.

This Year There Are Two Ways To Participate:

• The Pre-Dinner Tasting - $100, or
• The Tasting-and-Dinner - $325

  Hors d’Oeuvres
  Tasting at George Street Playhouse

  Dinner Menu

  Vanilla and Black Pepper Open Faced Ravioli
  with Burnt Orange and Lobster
  Chardonnay 'Ellen Lane Estate' 2013; Paul Hobbs; Russian River
  Chardonnay 'Marchiori Vineyard' 2015; Bramare; Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza

  Lamb
  Stuffed with Jamon Iberico Braised Mushrooms, Grilled Chestnuts
  Malbec 2014; Bramare; Valle de Uco
  Malbec 'Rebon Vineyard' 2013; Bramare; Valle de Uco, Mendoza

  Jamon Iberico de Bellota and Humboldt Fog Grilled Cheese
  Syrah 'Kick Ranch Vineyard' 2013; Paul Hobbs; Sonoma

  50-Day Dry-Aged Prime Angus Tomahawk Steak, Marrow Spread
  Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Paul Hobbs, Napa
  Cabernet Sauvignon 'Marchiori Vineyard' 2012; Bramare; Mendoza
  Volturno 2012; Vina Cobos; Mendoza (2 oz)

  Lemon Crème and Raspberry
  with Crumbled Graham and Powdered Raspberry

  [email protected] or 732-828-4444
  Tasting: 5:30 - 6:45
  Dinner 7 PM

Gift certificates Are Available

Certificates are valid in both restaurants, and for package wine sales and also good for tastings and dinners in either restaurant. Call 732-828-4444 or just stop by.

Buy $500 in Certificates Get $100 Bonus Dinner Certificate for yourself. ($100 Bonus Certificate not valid for wine dinners, special promotions or package products.)

The Twilight Zone: A Staged Radio Play by Raconteur Radio

Thursday, December 29 at 8 PM

We've had such great success with our friend Alex Dawson's staged radio plays that we've decided to do it again. People have been begging us to do another.

This time, we will take you to another dimension, to which you unlock the door with the key of imagination - to a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You will have just crossed over into the Twilight Zone!

Have dinner at either Stage Left or Catherine Lombardi before, during or after the performance and the show is complimentary. A limited number of seats will be available for $25 and a two-drink minimum. Show runtime is 55 minutes. Make a reservation at 732-828-4444 or [email protected].

Raconteur Radio stages theatrical presentations of vintage radio plays, classic works of literature, and pop culture parodies for live audiences. They've been called "family friendly guerrilla theater" by The New York Times, one of "the 7 best things to do in NJ" by the Newark Star-Ledger, "a radio show on steroids," by The Courier News, and "epic!" by Time Magazine, For more info, visit www.RaconteurRadio.com

Three Nogs

We're all decked out for the holidays and, like anyone, we look forward to your every visit this holiday season. Invariably around this time of year, the discussion turns to eggnog. The stuff you buy in the store is generally terrible. Ronnybrook farms makes a good commercial version and most can be sufficiently doctored with bourbon and spices to make them palatable, but they're nothing like the real McCoy.

Here are THREE recipes for eggnog:

1. Baltimore Eggnog 
2. General Harrison's Eggnog
3. My Grandmother's Eggnog (The Realest Deal)

... but you're better off coming in to see us, where Minnie Hackett's Eggnog (my grandmother) is available and if you like, we can make the others for comparison. You can have an eggnog tasting and every one will be better than any you've had before.

The first distinction to make is between an à la minute eggnog or one made in advance. To me the most elegant and decadent eggnog is one made on the stove in a batch and chilled. My grandmother's (Minnie Hackett's) recipe for such a classic is below. There is nothing like the texture of a cooked eggnog. It is the pinnacle of the nog, but there are good recipes for quick, down-and-dirty nogging as well.

The Spirits Project: Jean Cavé "Vieil" Bas-Armagnac 1965 & 1970 (Side-by-Side)

Making the experience of super-luxury spirits crazily affordable and accessible!
Read more about the Spirits project.

• Suggested retail price: $139 and $189
• Thursday, December 15 (for as long as they last), we're pouring one ounce of each for $11

Shortly after settling in Lannepax in the heart of Armagnac country with his wife and two sons in 1883, Jean Cavé opened the doors of his small distillery. A grape-grower already, Cavé began a generations-long quest to perfect their growing, distilling, and aging methods over more than a century. The team at Jean Cavé are still guided by Henry Cavé, the fourth generation of the family. With Henry at the helm, the distillery benefits from a century and a half of memory and knowledge, a sense of tradition and purpose, and a very deep cellar. They value tradition, continuity and an enduring sense of place. They remain a small, family-owned operation, but with more than one hundred thirty vintages of their Armagnac produced, they have built up a stock of old bottles that few other houses can match. This is exactly the type of spirit we had in mind when we founded The Spirits Project in.

Next week in The Spirits Project, we will offer the 1934 vintage for $28 per ounce. This is an extraordinary opportunity to really get to know great Armagnac house and to train your own palate on these rare old vintages. Part of our mission with The Spirits Project is to help you form a frame of reference all the way up to and including truly rare and great old spirits. We feel that this enhances one's enjoyment and understanding of all spirits, like getting to know the works of the masters in the world's great museums can enhance one's appreciation of art overall.

We will open one bottle of each the 1965 and the 1970 at 6:30 precisely. I hope you will join us. Next week, we will open the 1934. I hope you will join us again.

My Grandmother's Eggnog (The Realest Deal)

We're all decked out for the holidays and, like anyone, we look forward to your every visit this holiday season. Invariably around this time of year, the discussion turns to eggnog. The stuff you buy in the store is generally terrible. Ronnybrook farms makes a good commercial version and most can be sufficiently doctored with bourbon and spices to make them palatable, but they're nothing like the real McCoy.

My Grandmother's Eggnog (The Realest Deal)

It must be made in advance and then chilled.

You can keep it in the fridge and pour individual glasses at will. Spike or don't spike at the last minute. Always grate fresh nutmeg right before serving.

You can also set it out in a punch bowl at a party. Grate cinnamon and nutmeg over the bowl. We usually put a glass bowl inside another bowl full of ice and water to keep it cold. You can either spike the punch bowl or leave the bowl un-spiked and leave various bottles around so people can spike it how they like.

This nog works with almost any spirit: Spiced rum is great (try El Dorado), Irish Whiskey like Tullamore Dew (what I grew up on), Bourbon and Brandy are also classic and, believe it or not, Mezcal works an amazing Feliz Navidad if José Feliciano is on the radio.

For the Custard

• ½ cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ tsp salt
• 4 cups whole milk (scalded - That just means boil the milk for a minute)
• Cinnamon Stick is optional.

For the Whites

• 3 egg whites
• 1/8 tsp salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean in custard overnight)

Make the Custard:

• Beat ½ cup sugar into egg yolks
• Add ¼ tsp salt and stir in milk slowly
• Add Cinnamon Stick
• Cook in double boiler, stirring constantly, until mixture coats spoon.
• Add vanilla beans if using beans at this point. Steep overnight is best.
• Cool completely

Beat the Whites:

1. Add 1/8 tsp salt to egg whites and beat stiff
2. Add ¼ cup sugar and beat well

Finish and Chill:

1. Add whites to custard with vanilla extract if not using beans.
2. Mix thoroughly and chill (Four Hours in Refrigerator).
3. Spike as desired - see above.