I had a meal last night that makes me not want to eat for a while. Between being SO stuffed and SO SO SO sated and deliriously happy, I want nothing to even try to top it.
Being that I'm playing the B&T gal these days, I thought maybe I should try eating on my home turf in NJ, specifically down the road in Jersey City. At the recommendation of my friend's colleague, we made reservations at Light Horse Tavern (http://www.lighthorsetavern.com/, Washington Ave, JC, NJ) for dinner on this cool Wednesday night.
Seriously. SERIOUSLY. DE-LISH. From the pack of cute guys having after work drinks at the bar to our shared dessert, this place delighted. Shall I share details? Of course.
Melissa and I were very promptly seated at a table upstairs in the loge after grabbing drinks at the bar. The waiter was attentive, save for one lapse during the meal when Meli needed some more wine, and was super helpful with the really freaking good menu. The selection featured anything from a burger to pork chops to halibut...classic American cuisine with polished twists in sauces and sides. There is a regular daily special each week (Wednesday is a giant crab cake with goat cheese ravioli), and a couple of off-page entrees. Now, if I was a real food critic, being paid to do this, we would have ordered a better variety, but here's how it went down:
We settled on the mussels appetizer, a bowl of tender mussels poached in Chimay (a Belgian beverage), shredded shallots and garlic, with tiny cubes of bacon and blue cheese that had melted into the broth. Big enough to share, with two baguette crostinis perfect for dipping, this was one of the best batches of mussels that I've had, surpassing even Monk's in Philly. The blue cheese added a tang to the broth that was unmistakably familiar, but still subtle. Meli and I said that you could have poured us a glass of the broth, and we would have drunk it, it was so tasty.
For dinner, we both had the crabcakes and ravioli. The ravioli were done al dente with delicious seasoning in the cheese. (I need to find a way of making them at home!!) Served with roasted roma tomatoes and a light tangy sauce (described on the menu as horseradish and lemon, but tasting much lighter than that), the enormous crab cake was much more crab than cake. Giant chunks of lump crabmeat melted in my mouth, and the seasoning was just right. Honestly and sadly, I couldn't finish it, though I tried valiantly. SOOOOOO good. It was one of the best entrees I've had in a very long time.
Finally, though we were stuffed to the gills, we ordered one of the specialty of the house desserts, a chocolate chip bread pudding. Soft, smooth and molded into a dainty cup, this silky bite of heaven had chocolate chips melting throughout and a small scoop of caramel gelato on top, with a thin chocolate wafer. We inhaled it, sadly enough. Yes, full as can be, but everyone knows there is a separate compartment for dessert. And this one fit right in it.
The food absolutely fits the restaurant at this place. The gorgeous space with the classic tin roofs, original artwork, large windows and well-spaced tables matches perfectly with the delicious American cuisine. It feels open and airy, but still comfortable with candles twinkling on the tables, bar and antique-looking furniture scattered around the rooms. It just feels good. And tastes good, of course.
Btw, check out the NY Times review of the place at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/10dinenj.html?ref=nyregionspecial2
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