Silver Oak Bistro

[Rachel Perlow]

given the dreariness that is NJ at this time. 

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For those not experiencing NJ at the moment... yesterday was a beautiful day, in the mid to high 70's and sunny. Today is cold and rainy.

[pierre45]

AS a long term resident of Ridgewood, I had dinner twice last year and again last night at the Silver Oak. It's is a nice addition to Ridgewood's multitude of restaurants.

The southern cooking that it offers is different from the Italian, Japanese , and Thai restaurants, and it's a pleasure to have American regional cuisine represented.

I had the barbecue baby back ribs and my companion the spicy craw catfish.

The smoked ribs were delicious and the chef's sauce had the right balance of spice & sweetness .The collard greens and the mac & cheese sides both were very tasty and well seasonned. However, because they were so rich, they made the meal very heavy. My partner had the same comments about her spicy craw catfish. We were quite full with no appetizers, and the meal with BYO was resonable. Over all, it was an enjoyable dinner.

[markabauman]

Just made a reservation through Open Table for lunch this coming Saturday on our trip from upstate NY down to Bergen County, based on the discussions in this thread. Very much looking forward to dining there. In honor of the occasion, we'll dust off and bring a bottle of Silver Oak Cab from the rack!

[Hank]

Just made a reservation through Open Table for lunch this coming Saturday on our trip from upstate NY down to Bergen County, based on the discussions in this thread. Very much looking forward to dining there. In honor of the occasion, we'll dust off and bring a bottle of Silver Oak Cab from the rack!

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[markabauman]

Thanks for the advice, Hank. I have some '91 and '92 cab from Silver Oak. The wine, of course, may dictate the menu choices. Might bring along a Zin as well, just in case 'cue is what we order.

[tommy]

mark, do check out the menu on their website. personally, in don't know if i'd pull out an aged cab for lunch at SOB. however, when it comes to wine, i agree that any time is a great time for a wonderful wine.

[markabauman]

Tommy-

I've already printed out the menu. You are right; normally this isn't a wine I'd choose for this kind of lunch at this type of restaurant- but the whimsy of having the overlap of the same name of the wine and restaurant is just too much fun to pass up.

[tommy]

...too much fun...

and that, to me, is the point of it all.

and, i do believe that they named the restaurant ih homage to the winery. so it's really a perfect match. what time shall i meet you?

[markabauman]

We'll be there for lunch Saturday at 12:30. I'd be glad to share a glass of wine with an eGulleteer anytime!

[PicnicChef]

We'll be there for lunch Saturday at 12:30. I'd be glad to share a glass of wine with an eGulleteer anytime!

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Wait, as someone that markedly remembers spending $32 for Silver Oak and thinking that was mighty high for a california cab (again, the same girl spent $40 for Far Niente and thought the same thing)...as an e-gulleter I'd love a glass of that wine. Only kidding really. Just saying, havent had the food yet, but plan to, but man, a good Silver Oak in the middle of the day will make any meal a really great treat. Enjoy.

[markabauman]

I remember buying a case each of excellent Louis Martini cab (1969/1970) at a Navy exchange in California in 1974 (was in the Air Force then right by Napa) for the grand sum of $3.50 a bottle. Not quite Silver Oak and not quite accounting for inflation, yet some of the most enjoyable wines we ever had. We were also thinking today that we paid about 28 to 30 cents a gallon for gas then.

[PicnicChef]

Well, how did the Silver Oak go at Silver Oak?

[markabauman]

Well, I thought I was being clever and original by bringing a bottle of Silver Oak to Silver Oak for a little serendipity. Chef Gary pointed out a small collection of empties above the kitchen door- so it's already been done. By the way, Sue noticed a place almost next door named "Opus One"!

For starters we had the crawfish etouffee and the Crabby Chicken. Really enjoyed the boudin. Fish of the day was a nice grouper over caponata with a chimichurri sauce. For "dessert" we had an order of the mac 'n cheese. Would like to go back for dinner sometime. Also brought a bottle of a nice pinot grigio from Trentino that went well also. Was a little worried about the cab- our "cellar" is literally that- a cellar in upstate NY. Although it is generally around 55 degrees, it certainly isn't climate controlled and we've had a few things go bad over the years. This one held up fine and we were happy to share some with the guys at the restaurant while chatting, since we were the last of the lunch service. They certainly are excited and passionate about what they do. I jokingly suggested to Gary via e-mail that since he is originally from Louisville, KY and I saw so many squirrels running around near the restaurant that he consider putting Burgoo on the menu. Varmint stew might be a little much for a conservative place like Ridgewood.

[PicnicChef]

Well, I thought I was being clever and original by bringing a bottle of Silver Oak to Silver Oak for a little serendipity. Chef Gary pointed out a small collection of empties above the kitchen door- so it's already been done. By the way, Sue noticed a place almost next door named "Opus One"!

For starters we had the crawfish etouffee and the Crabby Chicken. Really enjoyed the boudin.  Fish of the day was a nice grouper over caponata with a chimichurri sauce. For "dessert" we had an order of the mac 'n cheese. Would like to go back for dinner sometime. Also brought a bottle of a nice pinot grigio from Trentino that went well also. Was a little worried about the cab- our "cellar" is literally that- a cellar in upstate NY. Although it is generally around 55 degrees, it certainly isn't climate controlled and we've had a few things go bad over the years. This one held up fine and we were happy to share some with the guys at the restaurant while chatting, since we were the last of the lunch service. They certainly are excited and passionate about what they do. I jokingly suggested to Gary via e-mail that since he is originally from Louisville, KY and I saw so many squirrels running around near the restaurant that he consider putting Burgoo on the menu. Varmint stew might be a little much for a conservative place like Ridgewood.

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That's funny! On my new catering menu, a culinary road trip around the US, I do have "Burgoo" on the menu...granted it has rabbit as its varmint, but close.

[markabauman]

Forgot to mention that we also had the Portugese fish chowder. Flavorful with a nice level of heat. There are a number of websites devoted to Burgoo. It seems like it is one of those dishes originally containing whatever game was locally available, but has evolved into something literally a bit tamer- I believe a number of contemporary versions are made with lamb, etc.

[wfnugent]

For those that did not see, the restaurant recd a Very Good from David Corcoran on Sunday

NYT Review - registration required

[PicnicChef]

Finally, finally...went to Silver Oak tonight. Brava. Met Chef Gary, a real doll. Toured the kichen. God bless him. Started wth hushpuppies. Nifty. Moved on to fried chicken, St. Lois Ribs. Lovely. A bottle of Savinerres to start, a bottle of cab to fishish; we were thrilled. Too much food for my frame. CAn't beat it for the dough. Glad I went. Normally I am difficult about restaurants. Not this. We sat outside so I can't speak to the door jam. Who cares? He cooks, really, really cooks. As a matter of fact we talked about cooking together. Fun, that.

Go!

[tommy]

As a matter of fact we talked about cooking together. Fun, that.

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i would think that'd be a catering event not to be missed.

[Hank]

As a matter of fact we talked about cooking together. Fun, that.

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i would think that'd be a catering event not to be missed.

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Right or wrong I have not gone to any of the eGullet organized events but I would definitely go to this one

[tommy]

As a matter of fact we talked about cooking together. Fun, that.

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i would think that'd be a catering event not to be missed.

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Right or wrong I have not gone to any of the eGullet organized events but I would definitely go to this one

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i was kinda hoping for a private one.

[Hank]

As a matter of fact we talked about cooking together. Fun, that.

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i would think that'd be a catering event not to be missed.

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Right or wrong I have not gone to any of the eGullet organized events but I would definitely go to this one

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i was kinda hoping for a private one.

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Perfect. We'll put you in the corner with your Bud while we sip our DRC.

[PicnicChef]

Well, those bottles of wine have worn off, and I noticed all my typos of the evening before! Shows what a great time I had! I'll call Chef Gary tomorrow and let you know when we're going to do a little saute together. It's always great to cook with somebody...so much to learn, so much to do! I'm sure we'll work something really fun out...

[fatcatbrew]

In June 7, 2006 Edition of Suburban News:

Gary Needham Grilling/Cooking Demo

Date: Sunday, June 11, 2006

Time: 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Location: Backyard Living, 235 Franklin Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ

Free admission

[whitetrufflechick]

Had another fabulous meal at Silver Oak last night. New menu item, a thinly sliced duck breast with barbecue sauce (tasted like chef Gary's usual sauce toned down and thinned out a bit... and was that cherry I tasted?) Anyway, the reason I write today is to let you know of an insert that was placed in the back of the menu. It reads as follows:

Silver Oak Fourth of July Barbecue Carry Out

Feeds 6

Snacks 10

Stuffs 4

2 Lbs Baby Back Ribs

2 Lbs Pulled Pork

24 BBQ Chicken Wings

3 Pints Barbeque Beans

3 Pints Cucumber & Tomato Salad

3 Pints Mac & Cheese

3 Pints Peach Crisp

Rolls, Pickles, and Onions

Pigasus Barbeque Sauce

$60

Reserve your order by July 2nd.

Apparantly this can be ordered either hot or cold. We ordered ours hot and plan on driving it right home on the 4th and chowing down out on the patio. For the quantity and multitude of menu items they're offering, the $60 bucks seems more than fair.

Another note about Silver Oak: The dining room now has a flat screen TV mounted over the kitchen door where an image of the kitchen itself is shown. We thought it was a fun, whimsical touch and not too much of a distraction. The image itself is slightly blurry (intentionally), adding to the "what the heck is Chef Gary doing now?" factor. The screen is about the width of the doorway.

Edited June 14, 2006 by whitetrufflechick (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

That does indeed sound like an excellent value. We usually picnic on the lawn in our town where the fireworks display happens. Perhaps this year it will be a BBQ picnic.