The Jefferson / Hudson County

[tommy]

i had dinner here last night. during my research, i found out that it's related to the Madison across the street. not a good sign in my opinion. although, i think i'm still pissed at the Madison for the very illogical reason of it being in the same spot where my beloved Madison Sports Bar used to sit, where many a pint was downed and many a game of pool was shot in my mispent youth.

the jefferson appears to be one of the best restaurants in hoboken. top 5, hands down, and one of a kind. for several reasons:

• the menu is interesting (at least for now...they'll likely dumb it down when the lug heads from hoboken start looking at the menu with a confused look on their faces).
  the service during this visit was top notch. the waitress was knowledgeable and engaging. the additional help was efficient and friendly. and they were all very accommodating (splitting shared pastas into several dishes, making sure the meal was paced to our liking, etc)
  you can start your meal with a glass of prosecco (the only place in hoboken serving prosecco by the glass? quite possibly).
  you can have salume to kick off your dinner. or as a snack with some...
  wine served by the quartino. close to ten reds and ten whites i'd say.
  the restaurant is very pretty i think.
  crudo.
  the server knew what guanciale is.
  the Bucatini all'Amatriciana has actual guanciale
  chef Michael Coury has a passion, and it shows.
  they validate parking (up to 3 hours in the lot at 14/15th and washington).
  

1319 Washington Street

201-386-9955

the night was rounded out with a trip to Maxwells to check on the progress of the restroom rehab...and to have a pint. restrooms look good. J. Mascis was happily shredding away in the back room in front of a vintage marshall stack that towered a foot over his head. now that's rock n roll. and one helluva great way to spend a few hours in hoboken.

Edited November 19, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Curlz]

My, my, MY!!!

[glenn]

We went last week. I was wondering when this place was gonna get mentioned. I wasn't the "note taker" and I don't remember specifics, so I won't say anything that'll embarrass me too much - except, I've gotta think this is THE place in Hoboken now. And Michael Coury was awesome, not only in talent but as you said, his passion. It's funny. What stands out most is the solo diner that sat next to us. He was an elderly gent who said he had been there about 10 times. Considering it had only been open a couple of weeks, that was no small feat. He convinced me to be adventurous and try the oxtail, a superb choice. Not that anything was less than superb.

[Curlz]

Guys, what are the prices like here?

[glenn]

Checking my credit card bill it was $138 per couple which included everything, including 2 bottles of wine. Looking at the menu, it seemed like it was gonna be more expensive, but it was very reasonable.

[tommy]

glenn, did you have that bean spread by any chance? i forget what kind of bean it is. he gets it from a guy in NY who's getting them from italy. he cooks them, blends them with some olive oil, s/p, lemon juice, and maybe something else, and serves a bowl of the stuff with some grilled country bread. holy cow. give me that, salume, a quartino, and i'm a happy guy.

regarding price, i think it was about 65 a head before tip. entrees, i guess, were in the upper teens to low 20s?? portion size varied. the scallop crudo was smallish, but appropriately sized i'd say. the oxtail entree was enormous, as was the osso bucco (chef, you should serve a marrow spoon with this!). my veal chop was about 1.25/1.5 inches thick, and cooked to m/r. juicy and tender. a really good piece of meat in my estimation. unforunately, i was really full by this point and only ate about half of it. i'd like the other half now please. thank you.

[Curlz]

...during my research, i found out that it's related to the Madison across the street.  not a good sign in my opinion...

←

Btw, I knew this--and chose not to tell you precisely for this reason.

[tommy]

it looks like chef Coury and chef Levy (of Rocca) might have both worked at Ciao. i wasn't going to make mention of the parallel i felt between these two places as it was too easy (not direct similarities, but more of a shared philosophy and approach to italian food in NJ). but if they did in fact come up through the same ranks, i wouldn't be surprised. and that's a good thing for everyone.

rosie, could you confirm any of these ramblings?

edit:

i just confirmed with from this 2003 Table Hopping with Rosie:

http://www.njmonthly.com/issues/Feb03/rosie/chefs0205.html

Michael Coury is the new sous-chef at Ciao-Cucina Rustica/Pizza Alforno, 665 Martinsville Rd, Basking Ridge (908-647-6007).

Craig Levy, formerly of Il Capo, North Haledon, is the new executive chef at Ciao-Cucina Rustica/Pizza Alforno, 665 Martinsville Rd, Basking Ridge (908-647-6007).

cool.

Edited November 19, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Curlz]

Out of sheer curiosity, I googled the Jefferson and found this recent review from the Hoboken.com site... He mentions a bar. Is it a bar where one can DINE? I can't believe that Tommy neglected to mention it!!

[glenn]

tommy, i sort of remember a spread, though they hit us up with some freebies at the beginning and either it was never explained or I was off in my own world. Long story short, I'll leave it to the note taker to give a report.

Coury also worked at Lupa.

[Rosie]

Lowell and I also dined here recently.

When I looked at the menu at The Jefferson, 1319 Washington Street, Hoboken I was sorry I hadn’t brought an Italian dictionary to help me decipher some of the Italian terms. However, our knowledgeable waitress was able to explain every dish. Service was very attentive except for a runner who didn’t know where to place each entrée. Wine was properly handled and water glasses were kept full.

We started off with crusty Italian bread from Sullivan Street Bakery, NYC that was served with olive oil and an irresistible whipped ricotta cheese infused with lemon peel. We thought it was soft butter at first. Appetizers were a tender octopus with oven-dried tomatoes, beans, and chicory; roasted clams in their shell; baked artichokes with mozzarella and my favorite of chitarra with oven dried tomatoes, thyme and bottorga (pressed tuna roe). Entrees were a fork tender osso bucco with saffron rissoto and a pine nut gremulta; a fabulous grilled salmon with pumpkin orzo and beet mustardo; and a don’t miss braised oxtail with sweet potatoes and root vegetables. For dessert we had a ricotta cheesecake; tiramisu; and a fabulous chocolate sweet risotto along with some cappuccinos. Do try this restaurant. Chef Michael Coury’s cuisine is reminiscent of Lupa, NYC where he previously worked. Another plus for the late night crowd is that the restaurant has a late night menu to 1 AM from Monday through Thursday and Sunday; and 2 AM on Friday and Saturday. For reservations call 201-386-9955.

I would like to add that the three best restaurants in Hoboken IMHO are Amanda's, The Dining Room at Anthony David's and The Jefferson.

[Curlz]

I swear this is true.

Today I was chatting with a co-worker who lives in Hoboken. We often talk restaurants, and often agree on great spots, so I was happy to tell him about The Jefferson, and shared a few comments made on this thread. He and his fiancee like The Madison, which is across the street, and he started telling me about having been there this past Sunday for a late brunch, and he said "The funniest thing was this older guy at the table next to us. We were the only people in there later in the afternoon, and we started chatting...he's divorced, was dining solo, likes good food, blahblahblah...and he was telling us that he's been to The Jefferson 10 times already."

I couldn't believe it. I went over to my PC, pulled up this thread, and read him Glenn's lines about the guy HE was chatting with at TJ, and when I got to the part about the oxtail, my friend jumped up..."That seals it!! SAME GUY!! He was RAVING about the oxtail."

How very, very funny eG is--esp when it creeps in to the rest of life! Had to share with y'all.

[Rosie]

The next time someone talks to this man please tell him about eGullet. LOL!!

[Lreda]

I can take a train here. I'm up for a lunch or dinner here. I think we should plan a dinner here on the 1st significant snow and all try to meet here. It'll be difficult for those living somewhat close-by using a car or those that'll take the train. Great plan for those that want to have some fun on a snowy day.

[Rosie]

I can't take a train there but if you want to pick me up and take me to the train station I would be interested.

[Oceangroveguy]

It's a bit of a hike from the Hoboken train station to 14th and Washington, folks.....

[Curlz]

Lou, GREAT idea. Count me in for that one! 'though I doubt I can wait that long...

As for the 'hike' up Washington Street, I think the bus that runs back and forth all day long costs $1. My mom takes it when she can't deal with the weather--can't beat the price!!

[Curlz]

Ah, The Jefferson. I almost don't want to make this post for fear that my seat at the bar will be occupied by one of you the next time I go, but alas, I can't keep this a secret. Chef Coury is cooking some of the best, most consistently enjoyable food I've had in a long time. Tonight was my second visit there in less than two weeks, as I had to be certain that the first time wasn't just love at first sight--it's the real deal. Sit back...this won't be a short post.

Visit #1...met one of my legit foodie friends there early--as in before 5:30. We agreed that a bunch of small plates/apps was the way to go so we could maximize the number of dishes we tasted, and after starting out with a full pour of prosecco (Zardetto) each, we were off and running. And run we did...'til almost 9pm!

Pavoni Bean puree--how can I explain the beauty of this simple, simple amazing shmear?!? The beans are whipped in to a hummus-like consistency with olive oil, salt and pepper, and served with fantastic (wide) slices of country bread that is toasted just to the point of almost well-done. The combo of flavors is just pure joy. $7 for a big bowl, and if you need extra toast, it arrives quickly. A not-to-be-missed item.

Salume--For $12 (iirc), a selection of salami, prosciutto and other dried meats that I can't i.d. is presented on a small board with a piece of butcher's paper. At least 3-4 slices of each of four meats--a great item to share, esp with any one of the quartinos of red...that was the first of four that we had, and I have no clue as to which wine it was, but I sure did like it.

Fettucine Alfredo--We shared an order of FA, and I promise you, this is not FA as we know it in this country. There's no cream involved, folks. Lots of butter, but no cream, and no bacon or prosciutto, either. The pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente, and had tremendous flavor with just a few ingredients, including some great fresh pepper.

The order of Fluke Sachimi was, I'm assured, just beautiful, but it's not my thing, so I can't speak to this dish.

About an hour in to our excursion, a pair of friends who live in the Hudson Tea Bldg (1/2 block away) joined us. He's the co-worker I mentioned up-thread, and they were psyched to finally try The Jefferson, esp since they literally live half a block away. These two know their food, and certainly eat well on a regular basis. In fact, they spent a couple of weeks in Italy this summer with her family (she's 1st gen), and they both commented that the cooking was so true to form that they were really surprised to find it so close to home.

Chef asked if we liked spicy food, and the three of them answered with a hearty yes while I quietly muttered something about liking it if it wasn't too spicy. He sent out a dish of fusilli that was too spicy for me just by smell, but one taste confirmed that I couldn't handle it. My friend's fiance said she knew right away which small peppers were used in the dish b/c her family uses them all the time, and Michael confirmed this when he came back out to check on our progress.

My friends had some catching up to do, so they finsihed off the bean puree, shared the brajiole ($8) and gave it two thumbs up, and then dug in to a HUGE veal chop ($28) that looked incredible, but at that point, I was too full to even ask for a taste. We had a calamari dish with some greens (rabe?) and more of the beans that are used in the puree, along with a darker version of what I think was the same bean...they're flavorful and nutty and when you cut/bite in to them, it's like there are mashed potatoes inside.

They ordered a hazelnut/chocolate dessert while we chose to drink ours...and proceeded to enjoy a few glasses of Muscat and some biscotti, which we requested. I had a cappucino that was just great.

Four (or was it five?) quartinos (and almost 2 weeks) later, my memory is pretty good!! We spent far more on alcohol than on food--that's probably the only down side to the Jefferson, in my opinion.

Visit #2...

Having picked my mom up in the city, she asked where I wanted to have dinner, and I knew exactly where we were headed. She lives in Hoboken, and has told me that she has heard a lot of people in town talking about TJ (separate of my raving), so she was anxious to check it out. We sat at the bar b/c I didn't want the formality of a table, but on a Monday night, I'd say that the dining room was 75% full and there were 2 different groups at the bar just having drinks--all in all a very good sign, imho.

Mom is a vegetarian, so between that fact and knowing that Michael is working on a new menu starting in January, I knew I had to try some different dishes tonight. We started with the bean puree because well, you just HAVE to! She loved it. First words from her after WOW were "Just makes me realize how dull and/or bad most of the food is that I eat." I just love when people follow my teachings......but I digress. Along with the puree, we ordered the 3-mushroom app ($8)...the plate had sliced portobello over rabe pesto (read that again if you need to!) that was a nutty and earthy and bright explosion all at the same time; room temp but previously sauteed shitakes with shaved ricotta salata on top, and a few slices of the stem of another mushroom in (iirc) vinegar. All delicious, though I will say this is the only dish I've seen so far that looked a little too sparse on the plate. We then decided to continue in this sharing mode and Mom ordered the artichokes with garlic and mozzarella, along with a Tallegio salad, which includes julienned pears, pine nuts and 3-4 gorgeous fried triangles of Tallegio all over mixed greens in balsamic and oo. And I just had to order the pumpkin ravioli. And there, on one plate, was dinner and dessert. I ate one (of probably 8-9 of them) and announced "OMG, it's pumpkin pie and ravioli!" Again, this dish is done simply, in butter and sage...and wow, is that a delightful thing to eat. Did I mention that I don't like artichokes? Well, Mom was raving about them so much that I obviously appeared interested. She said "You're not even going to try them? This is one of the best orders of artichokes I've ever eaten!" Guess who helped? Moi. Go figure! We only had one quartino--of the 2000 Rosso Supertuscan from Villa Puccini--and the reason we only drank one is that after 3/4 of the glass, Mom was giving it up to the bartender (don't worry, I didn't let it go far) and announced that she was 'looped'--proof once again that my drinking genes come from Dad!! Food totalled $48, which is more than reasonable, and the quartino added another $12. $30pp for all that great food--impossible to do in almost any other legit restaurant I can think of!

I actually brought home the scraps of leftovers for lunch tomorrow, b/c I just couldn't leave them there, so I have 1/4 of an artichoke, 3 ravs, and one tallegio triangle. Can't wait for the usual "Wow, what are you heating up in there?!?" question from my co-workers!! Now if I could just sneak a half bottle of red in to my office with me...

As I said, this is only my second visit to The Jefferson and I chose to sit at the bar both times, so I can't comment on the wait staff when seated at a table, but I will say that the bartender (who has only been there 2 weeks--my first visit was her first night behind the bar) is very friendly, remembered me right away, and although she still needs some polishing, is doing a nice job. Michael came out to say hello and chat, but his visit was shorter tonight, as the place was far busier than on my last visit (a Wed, iirc). As nice a guy as he is, I hope to continue to see less of him in the future, only b/c this place ought to be hopping at all times!!!

Parking (up to 3 hours) is free in the lot at the Hudson Tea Bldg, less than 1/2 block away, so you have NO excuses, folks!! Put this on your must-visit list ASAP!!

[Curlz]

My co-worker who lives a block from The Jeff just came in to tell me that he and his fiance went in there on Sunday once the snow let up. And I quote "We love that place!" This time, they sat at a table, but he said the food was excellent, as was the wine. Oh, and it's all my fault.

[cibo susci]

Thank you for passing the good word a long. We are tying to be the best Italian in the Garden State. You should could come back soon I changed the menu.

[Curlz]

Yes, I'm PLANNING (unofficially, of course) on getting back there ASAP with my fellow foodies.

And of course, everyone should remember that The Jeff is participating in the Hudson Restaurant Week promo!

[richl2214]

Thanks, looks like a great place to go to next week. This week is off to NYC dinner and oysters at Aqua Grill then to the Gotham Comedy Club. After that a few drinks at Milk and Honey.

[Curlz]

Was back at The Jeff last week for one last shot at the winter menu, as the new spring one is up starting today. I finally had a chance to try the oxtail and all I can say is WOW. Two huge pieces over sweet potato puree with roasted root vegetables (beets, carrots, etc.). Just terrific, and there was plenty of meat on 'dem bones!!

We also enjoyed the toast points with a 'spread' of melted cheese (wish I could remember what kind(s)!!), onions and peppers. Great way to start, as was the pomegranate Bellini . I then had the special salad of escarole, grated cheese, toasted walnuts and red onion. Beautifully dressed, with a great balance of flavors throughout--and a very healthy serving. Great food, fun company and a few quartinos of wine (between us, one white, a montepulciano and a supertuscan)--a great way to end the day, imho.

Dining at the bar is a lot of fun--Michael and his staff are warm and welcoming every time--to all of their guests. As we sat there, a pair of guys who were walking past and saw Michael standing at the bar stopped in to tell him how much they enjoyed the food they had taken out the previous week; there was also a guy at the other end of the bar who was enjoying a crossword puzzle along with his meal. It's really nice to see that The Jefferson is quickly becoming a favorite of many Hoboken residents. Some of us even (gasp!) travel a little way to get that great food, wine and service!

[pjm9277]

Finally got to dine at The Jefferson this past Saturday night, my wife and I treated my sister in-law to a birthday dinner.

It was easier then I expected to get a table, we planned on getting there before 6:30, but were held up watching the Derby and didn't arrive until after 7:00. It never got too crowded, but with Mother's Day on Sunday a few people may have had plans the following day.

The service was attentive, but relaxed. We each had an appetizer, two asparagus soups for the ladies and I ordered the buffalo mozzarella with heirloom tomato. I wasn't impressed with my appetizer, it didn't stand up to the standard set by the restaurants in Napa Valley. The soup on the other hand was excellent, was tempted to order a bowl for myself. Dinners followed my wife had the lasagna, my sister in-law had the rack of lamb and I had the Florentine T-bone. The lasagna was excellent, it tasted like it was made from meatballs that an italian grandmother would make, the rack of lamb was good, but the side of mint couscous was overpowering, it tasted as if I were eating breath mints. The T-bone was outstanding, grilled to a perfect medium rare and accompanied by a side of creamed spinach. For desert my wife and I shared a Tartuffo and my sister in-law had the bread pudding. The Tartuffo was good, the bread pudding got a rave review, but it has never been high on my list.

Overall the dinner was very enjoyable, I only wish the wine list had a few more selections. I would definetly go back, but may head to Anthony David's instead based on my past experiences.

[coughy]

We ate here Saturday also. We were 6 people and my husband went way overboard in ordering. We got to sample and share 8 different appetizers including a cheese plate with 9 different cheeses. My main dish was fluke piccata and lemon risotto. It was really delicious.

We also tried many desserts, my favorite being the bread pudding.

With wine, many drinks and a lot of food the bill was only $450 for the 6 of us.

We were even lucky to have gotten a parking spot right in front of the restaurant.