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Village Green Restaurant


Rosie

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I had a hard time deciding what to write. Part of me wanted to fib and tell you all how awful it was so I could keep this little gem all to myself.

But I must be honest with you! Run, don't walk to The Village Green. We had an excellent meal here - excellent concept in small plates/tasting menu choices, excellent service, courses paced perfectly. I will definately become a regular here.

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  • 1 month later...
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  • 4 weeks later...

This restaurant reopened in early 2004 with a new chef,mr tufayian.

I should explain that that i am a long time resident of ridgewood ,even though i spend 4 months a year in Paris.

I have had 3 dinners at this restaurant and my overall impression is that it compares very favorably with the 2 star restaurants in new york and if it were in paris it will be full most nights.

The format chosen is very a la mode .namely one choses 4, 5 or 7 course dinners . portions are on the small side ,but at the end one is full.

THe focus is on the use of good quality ingredients.creatively assembled.each course is different and just delicious.i.e.Fresh crab salad with avocado,greens and citrus dressing, and boneless lamb loin on eggplant moutabel,peas,peppers and maroccan sauce or duck breast on wild rice with cranberries and red wine reduction.for dessert bread pudding with fresh figs and ice cream.

the final attraction of this restaurant is that its byo and the cost which is $40 for 4 courses is reasonable relative to the level of the cuisine and atmosphere.

The 2 rooms are attractive and service is pleasant and efficient.

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Not in Ridgewood, but not too far away (Rutherford) is Park & Orchard--great for vegetarians, people with allergies, etc.

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

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An excellent and well deserved review. I don't know which bug NJ Monthly had up their butt when they reviewed VGR, but I think they underscored this restaurant. I have to think the NYTimes will have a review soon in their NJ section...

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"-Neil Young

"I think I hear a dingo eating your baby"-Bart Simpson

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  • 2 weeks later...

A great BIG thankyou to all the eGulleteers who posted about this restaurant. My wife and I went on Saturday evening and had an absolutely wonderful experience. The food and service were excellent. As many of you know we go often to Oceana in New York and the Arctic Char we ordered (as one of our 5 courses) was easily as good as at Oceana. Actually we savored everything we tasted, and $48.00 for a 5 course dinner is a great value. They also have a 7 course menu but we could not have handled the additional 2 courses. 5 for us was more than enough.

Rosie, YES, we have found another Jersey restaurant to keep us from crossing the bridge. Our list is growing and we are very happy for it and owe a lot to eGullet.

Hank

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  • 4 weeks later...

So FINALLY my wife and I are going to get to the Village Green for dinner...and I know it's a lock because my in-laws are wathching our son. We're in there tomorrow at 8..anybody else going to be there?

I'll post our selections and thoughts on Sunday.

Nothing says I love you like a homemade salami

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So here are some impressions of our dinner at Village Green.....

Everything I have read and heard about this restaurant had lead me to believe that it was one of (if not THE) top restaurant in the area. Overall I would definitely agree. Granted, I haven't eaten at half-a-handfull of the restaurants in the area, but I've been in the business long enough to know when a restaurant gets it right.

First...the menu. We had the 5-course.

1st Course

ME - Baby Greens and Frisee with Maytag Bleu, Strawberries, Candied Pecans and Cabernet Vinaigrette.

MRS. - Heirloom Tomato Salad with Bleu Cheese, Crispy Shallots, Micro Greens, and Basil Oil.

THE WINNER - Heirloom Tomato Salad.

2nd Course

ME - Foie Gras with Cranberry Mango Bread Pudding, Red Wine Reduction ad Aged BAlsamic Drizzles

MRS. - Crab Salad with Avocado, Greens, and Citrus Dressing

THE WINNER - Foie (like it was ever really a contest)

3rd Course

ME - Special....Apu with Bok Choy and Carrot Reduction Scented with Coconut

MRS - Roasted Escolar on Shrimp Wonton with Tomato Sffron Broth

THE WINNER - Apu

4th Course

ME - Bonless Australian Lamb Loin on Eggplant Moutael, Peas, Roasted Peppers with Moroccan Sauce

MRS - Filet Mignon with Whipped Potatoes, Fava Beans Morel Mushrooms with Red Wine Reduction

THE WINNER - Lamb by a nose

Dessert (descriptions lacking because I forget to get a dessert menu)

ME - Bread Pudding

MRS - Fallen Chocolate Cake

THE WINNER - Tie

Overall I would say that the quality of the food was excellent. And the Foie Gras...Oh My God!!!! It was perhaps the best prepared foie gras that I have had. And I'm not talking about the whole dish (which was excellent)...I just mean the liver itself. Perfectly seared, flavors were great....amazing. I thought that the breads were very good, and the butter was just warm enough to spread well without being too melted (a small pet peeve of mine) I thought the portion size was very good. I was completely satisfied but in no way stuffed after the five courses. (My wife was a little, but she just naturally eats less than I do) Her one criticism was that she felt all the food was a littl salty. Two caveats to that....#1) she has a lower salt sensitivity than I do, and #2) I surmised that becuase it's been a long time since we've eaten food that is that rich and unctuous, her palatte may not have been used to it. I did agree that her filet was perhaps a bit on he saly side, but in general I didn't think that it was an issue.

The service I thought was very good. One thing that I did find a bit diconcerting was that when the host directed us to our table, he pointed and said "You'll be at that table by the window", rather than escorting us to the table. In the big picture I don't think it was a huge gaff, but something I definitely took notice of. Other than that the service was hig caliber. OUr waiter (very tall man, maybe had a ponytail, very gaunt face with almost sunken cheeks.....anybody know who I'm talking about?) was very knowledgable, offered excellent recomendations, and gauged our mood very well. A couple of the back waiters seemed a bit awkward, but stuff like that doesn't generally ruffle my feathers. To me, as long as I get my food in a timely manner and the server is polite and responsive, I'm a happy camper. Of course then the food has to be good....

About the table, we had the deuce in the front room by the window. Besides the fact that it looks out on the bus station I think it's a very nice table. I don't know how you all feel but I love to eat by a window. Must be the actor in me.....

I would give it an A-; my wife said B+ mostly because of the salt issue.

Nothing says I love you like a homemade salami

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Roasted Escolar?? Chef--what's your take on this fish. I love it but stay away from it now because of the high oil content that sometimes has side effects!!

Ohhhhh, now I remember escolar....the poop fish... :biggrin:

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"-Neil Young

"I think I hear a dingo eating your baby"-Bart Simpson

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Ohhhhh, now I remember escolar....the poop fish... :biggrin:

LOL!! I believe the scientific name is swimus poopus fishus. :biggrin:

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

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OUr waiter (very tall man, maybe had a ponytail, very gaunt face with almost sunken cheeks.....anybody know who I'm talking about?)

I'm wondering how a waiter can "maybe" have a ponytail. I'm picturing this guy who always backs away from the table, & then walks backward into the kitchen, which of course causes other waiters to crash into him, constantly sending trays of food flying..... :laugh:

Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea!

- Sydney Smith, English clergyman & essayist, 1771-1845

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That's funny. Kind of like Manuel on Faulty Towers.

I kept seeing John Cleese as this imagined waiter, that explains it.

Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea!

- Sydney Smith, English clergyman & essayist, 1771-1845

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Ohhhhh, now I remember escolar....the poop fish...

I love Escolar...but I've never heard it referred to as the "poop" fish. What's up with that?

I'm wondering how a waiter can "maybe" have a ponytail.

I guess a better way would have been to say he "might" have had a ponytail, as in that I couldn't remember. And for the record, he looked NOTHING like John Cleese

Nothing says I love you like a homemade salami

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Apparently, escolar has a lot of oil, or maybe its a certain kind of oil/fat or something, but anyway...some people complain about "stomach upset" after eating it...kind of like old time pilots who used to breathe in castor oil fumes from those old rotary engines. They would land and immediately run to the latrine for liftoff...

FWAPP!!! :biggrin:

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"-Neil Young

"I think I hear a dingo eating your baby"-Bart Simpson

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