Zoe's By The Lake--Sparta

[Rosie]

Let me know the date for lunch. Would love to join you if I can.

[Lreda]

Pick a Thursday and I'm there. Close by and I'll bring a few things from my cellar. A chance to spend lunch getting the three of you drunk. Couldn't be better.

[suzilightning]

not byo, lou.

we could open the bottles back in our jacuzzi

[Lreda]

You've been trying to get me in that jacuzzi for years now.

[suzilightning]

yes, the lake is back.. also looks like zoe(who will be 5 one day before I will be 51) will soon have a sibling to play with - congratulations to all

We were celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary and

had planned to be down in cape may at martini beach but

an octogenarian cat on her last legs and a desire to relax

kept us in north jersey for our anniversary. We were

thinking of various options then the monthly brunch at

Zoe's by the Lake came to mind. How wonderful. Got

there about 11 am. John had a whiskey sour and I had a

glass of the Leroy- Duval. The bread basket was

interesting - croissants, peasant bread, blueberry muffin

and apple spice muffin served with butter, blueberry and

strawberry(?) preserves. The bread was nice, the

croissants weren't eaten and the apple spice muffin was

drier than the sahara. Perhaps the butter should be a bit

warmer since the bread isn't served warm?

There were several special occasions being observed(at

least 4 birthdays including the co-owner's mom from what

I overheard and saw). Do not let them know it is a special

occasion unless you enjoy several servers serenading you

- possibly in several keys (what ever happened to low key

celebrations - a drink or dessert for the celebrant?!!)

We decided to go whole hog and eat more than we

usually do (with suitable leftovers for breakfast today). He

had jumbo lump crab salad with mango salsa and cukes

and then a lobster, asparagus, and chatarelle omlet with

roasted potatoes and greens. I do believe he was an eagle

or osprey in a previous life!!!

I had the mixed baby greens and endive with shaved

parmesan (might want to double check the greens before

they go out - most of the endive ends were brownish/ red

in color) and the grilled filet with wild mushrooms, red

pearl onion(don't know where they were - saw about 5

pearl onions but couldn't tell they were red pearls) and

fingerling potato hash(you mean the cubed potatoes under

the meat? Isn't hash supposed to be crispy?) with truffle

sauce - oh yes, this was very tasty!!!

For the first time tried the dessert - the chocolate platter

and our server and the kitchen were very accomodating

about replacing the white chocolate(sorry that ain't

chocolate) with dark and extra truffles. The ice cream and

mousse were suburb, the truffles were to die for !!!! luckily

john liked the chocolate cake with nuts more than I did

though the mousse cake(?) with caramel sauce was to die

for .

Total for 1 whiskey sour, 3 glasses of champagne, 2

appetizers, 2 entrees and 1 shared dessert 106 plus tip.

[Rosie]

What a beautiful view we had from the dining room at Zoe’s. The lake is full and although we didn’t see it we were told that there is a resident swan on the lake. Dinner, as always, was memorable. We started with a smoked salmon and caper amuse and some bread and herbed butter.

I had lobster and avocado salad with mango salsa and cilantro lime vinaigrette whose tastes and textures melded beautifully. Although it was hot outside Lowell always has his favorite appetizer-- the baked three onion soup with Gruyere cheese. A friend had the sautéed crab cakes with black bean salad, spicy tomato coulis, and cilantro sour cream which he declared to be perfect. A new sinfully rich menu item was escargot with wild mushrooms, bacon lardons, and brandy cream.

Entrees were seared tuna with jasmine fried rice, grilled pineapple salsa, and ginger passion fruit coulis; roasted halibut with lobster and edamame risotto, crispy leeks and a fabulously delicious lobster sauce. Perfectly cooked salmon was served with spinach and roast garlic spaetzle and a roast pepper beurre blanc. Every plate was licked clean!

We were full and shared a special brownie dessert sundae which I will order for myself the next time we are there!

[suzilightning]

so johnnybird and i have been married 25 years...and three days now. we were down in the crest at our place for 10 days but didn't really go out much(and missed egulleteer Katie Loeb, unfortunately), were coming north on the parkway just as that flare was dropped and hit traffic up at denville curves onto 15 north....i did not feel like going out. wednesday was spent restocking pershibles... back to work on thursday for me but today, after stocking up for the reappearance of the cookie monster (brother-in-law) for the Heaven and Hell concert tomorrow....I WAS HUNGRY.

get dressed. you are taking me out to lunch...

glass of lillet blonde (shared)

the bread basket with a country french bread, garlic bread and the warm rosemary rolls served with butter and a garlic herb butter. i am not a bread person. i bake it, i use it but i don't get turned on by it. get the freakin' rosemary rolls and DO NOT SHARE.

for me the baked three onion soup and the baby golden beet salad with apples, smoked bleu cheese, walnuts and sherry vinaigrette. the onions and broth were wonderful, just what was called for on this cool, dreary day though about half the bowl was congealed gruyere cheese at the end - way too much cheese for me. the salad was a cold composed one. didn't notice the apple but the vinaigrette and beets and cheese were incredible.

for my beloved the roast wild king salmon with artichokes, baby tomatoes, black olives, capers, red onion, yukon gold potatoes with a lemon thyme buerre blanc. now johnnybird is extremely lactose intolerant. asked for the salmon to be cooked in olive oil and without the beurre blanc. the dish was served with a lemon thyme reduced sauce of some sort on the side. since he had snarffed down 1.5 slices of garlic bread and, despite my best efforts, a rosemary roll he ate all of his vegetables and half the salmon. the other salmon was removed from the skin and placed, delicately, between the slices of country french bread that was drizzled with the reduction and brought home for a lovely late afternoon snack.

we shared a split of 2001 "Les Charmes" chardonnay.

total for our 2 hour lunch $62.00

beautiful place, wonderful food and can't wait for my birthday

Edited May 18, 2007 by suzilightning (log)

[suzilightning]

well, our last visit to zoe's was documented in my foodblog.

last night i took johnnybird out for his birthday dinner. he started with a whiskey sour and they brought the amuse. this was the one and only time i touched but did not eat the amuse. it was a pate of chicken and duck liver. now i used to make crock upon crock of country pate when i worked in the kitchen at The Chequit but had my boss taste it. i have tried and tried and tried liver in all forms but the taste just puts me off.

The bread basket was served and we both headed for the rosemary rolls. they are wonderful.

John ordered the smoked wild salmon with artichoke and tomato salad. The spiced and smoked meaty fish filled the plate and went very well with the bottle of Cline Old Vines Zinfandel we shared.

Entrees were pecan crusted grouper with lobster, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes and shallots with a Grand Marnier beurre blanc. They were out of lobster so subtituted 4 shrimp and held the beurre blanc. I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I got my entree. Perfectly grilled breast of duck with candied sweet potatoes, shallots and brussel sprouts with a blueberry gastrique. The wine and the gastrique melted through the duck fat and the sweetness of the veg.

No dessert and we took home half of my meal, half of John's appetizer and half the bottle of wine. 107.00 plus tip for 1 drink, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees and a bottle of wine.

[llc45]

Ooh - I had the grouper the last time I went and loved it. Your post is reminder that we are due to visit soon. We were sad to see that they stopped doing lunch - we very much enjoyed going. Any other recommendations in the area for a good lunch?

[suzilightning]

Ooh - I had the grouper the last time I went and loved it.  Your post is reminder that we are due to visit soon.  We were sad to see that they stopped doing lunch - we very much enjoyed going.  Any other recommendations in the area for a good lunch?

←

nothing on the level of zoe's for lunch i'm afraid. Doc's has a sign out they serve lunch Wednesday through Friday. i'm thinking of investigating that if i get a rain day on a Wednesday or Friday. Plaza Bistro is nice and BYO. I guess that opening the new place up in Vernon would have stretched them a bit too thin.

[llc45]

Ooh - I had the grouper the last time I went and loved it.  Your post is reminder that we are due to visit soon.  We were sad to see that they stopped doing lunch - we very much enjoyed going.  Any other recommendations in the area for a good lunch?

←

nothing on the level of zoe's for lunch i'm afraid. Doc's has a sign out they serve lunch Wednesday through Friday. i'm thinking of investigating that if i get a rain day on a Wednesday or Friday. Plaza Bistro is nice and BYO. I guess that opening the new place up in Vernon would have stretched them a bit too thin.

←

My husband and I have been dying to try Doc's - him for the steak, me for the tapas. I'll let you know if we make it there in the next few weeks. Will definitely try Plaza Bistro for lunch. So the owner's of Zoe's are opening another place in Vernon? Will it be the same kind of food?

[suzilightning]

My husband and I have been dying to try Doc's - him for the steak, me for the tapas.  I'll let you know if we make it there in the next few weeks.  Will definitely try Plaza Bistro for lunch.  So the owner's of Zoe's are opening another place in Vernon?  Will it be the same kind of food?

←

Arkady, the chef/owner at Plaza Bistro is Lithuanian. Expect some food from that area on the menu - including stuffed cabbage.

They openened a "fast food" place in the hotel up at the ski place in Vernon called Noah's Ark. the menu looked more family friendly and had desserts, burgers as well as hanger steak, etc.

[suzilightning]

Zoe's is closed, the phone disconnected and the sign on the door says that they have closed because of a terminal illness. it will be missed.

[Rosie]

There is more information about Zoe's here:

http://njmonthly.com/blogs/tablehopwithRos....html#read_more