K.C.'s Chiffafa House

[denise madison]

Found a new place for dinner and live jazz. KC’s Chiffafa House is on Hilltop Road in Mendham, NJ. It is opened for dinner Thursday through Saturday nights and I believe it serves coffee and lunch on weekdays.

Dinner is a $65.00 prix fix and it is a BYO. The menu is broken into 4 parts. Appetizer, Main, Extra, and Dessert.

Some of the appetizers were: Crayfish Fricassee, which were sautéed Crayfish tails over mushrooms and a custard flavored with vanilla; House smoked fennel crusted salmon; Moules & Pernod – Mediterranean mussels in a cream and Pernod broth; and a salad.

The main courses included; Ferel Swine Chops which were wild boar chops over sage risotto and trumpet mushrooms; Filet Mignon, Salmon, a frenched chicken breast and another steak entrée.

The extras included three different potato dishes – pomme frittes, dauphinois potatoes, and rugged mashed. Three cheese mac and cheese, sage risotto with truffle oil, and asparagus with hollandaise were also on the extras.

There were two desserts – an espresso crème brulee, and a croissant bread pudding.

Three in our party had the mussels. They were substituting Prince Edwards for the Mediterranean, which was fine since the mussels were a good size, firm and succulent. The portion was large for an appetizer and served in a cast iron pot with bread for sopping up the great broth. The other app at our table was the Crayfish that was also enjoyable.

The chops were also ordered by three of us and they were wonderful. Cooked to a medium rare, the meat was tender and the reduction and the risotto flavors melded. There were praises for the three cheese mac and cheese and the dauphinois potatoes. The filet mignon was ordered medium rare and was cooked to perfection.

There was barely room for dessert but we all opted for the crème brulee that was yummy.

The atmosphere is cozy, French bistro-like and seats about 40 in two rooms. The service was prompt, unrushed and courteous.

Initially we thought that $65 was a little steep, but when you consider the quality of the food as well as great live entertainment, I would definitely go back.

[Peter Conway]

Yes, K.C. 's Chiffafa house is great.