Napa Valley Grill

[rich]

Had dinner last night at the Napa Valley Grill in the Garden State Plaza. It was very good. We started out with fried vegetable dumpings with a Thai chili sauce - very nice. I had the BBQ Tenderloin of Pork with Fingerling Potatoes and sauteed spinach - excellent.

My wife had the stuffed Chicken Breast (with Blue Cheese stuffing) over whole wheat fettucini. The chicken was good, but the pasta overwhelmed the dish. I've never been a big fan of putting anything a top of pasta except in an authentic fra diavolo.

The cheese course was excellent. Three types (Stilton, Camembert, Goat) and although the cheese was simple, the accompaniments were outstanding. There were thin wafer crisps, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, a calmata olive spread that had the consistency of beluga, stewed coarsely chopped figs and glazed spiced (cayenne & curry) walnuts - all served on an attractive marble platter. It was one of the better cheese accompaniment dishes I've been served.

We had a bottle of 1998 Deax Amis Sonoma Zinfandel with dinner and two glasses of 1999 Kent Rasmussen LH Johannesberg Riesling with the cheese.

Has anyone else been the NVG? What has been your experience?

[tommy]

the room is always off-putting to me. i think because they have to have the blinds closed because it's so bright in the parking lot. i suppose it's more pleasant when it's not daylight. also, i don't care much for their wine list, as it's all CA. however, since i've been there, CA has been producing wines that are a bit more food-friendly, so perhaps i wouldn't be so offended these days.

i'm with you on the pasta thing. i don't like meats on pasta.

[rich]

Tommy - for the most part I agree with you about California wines being unfriendly with food, but they are getting better. One of the reasons is we drink them too young.

However, the 1998 Deax Amis Zin was excellent with the pork. The fruit was luscious and the finish long and smooth. It's rare when a wine can stand up to BBQ Pork - and this did.

[tommy]

Tommy - for the most part I agree with you about California wines being unfriendly with food, but they are getting better. One of the reasons is we drink them too young.

actually, for me, it's the oaking. i drink most of my wines young, as i tend to gravitate towards those that wouldn't age well anyway. but yes, i think the new trend in CA is to actually have some fruit come through. this, of course, is a good thing. and to be clear, i'm speaking mostly of white wines here. i am a huge fan of zins. and they're actually not butchering cabernet franc too much.

[rich]

Tommy - if you're talking about whites (especially chardonnays) than I TOTALLY agree with you. Finding a good California Chardonnay is tougher than finding Jimmy Hoffa or Amelia Earhardt.

There's one California vineyard that makes REAL chardonnay - Stony Hill. It's tough to find, but worth the effort.

Cabernet Franc is outstanding. My three favorite reds (in order of preference): Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Syrah.

[tommy]

Cabernet Franc is outstanding.

clearly you are a man of impeccable taste.

[Rosie]

Were they busy? I've been to Legal Seafoods at that Mall but never NVG. Thanks for the report.

[rich]

Hi Rosie, it's funny you should ask because I asked the same question to the waiter.

The answer is NO!! I only eat one meal on Sunday and normally it's early (just a habit). I was there from 6 - 8 p.m. and there was never more than six tables in use. I asked how their brunch went and was informed it was mediocre.

The waiter said business has been off over the last three weeks.

[tommy]

it has never been busy when i was there. they must really take a hit on sundays, considering the mall is closed. and with the weather the last few weeks, i can image that most people are away or in their backyards.

[Rosie]

Actually the best time to go there would be a Sunday so you don't have to deal with the horrendous traffic. The only problem for me is that I really don't like to eat seafood on Sunday and that would eliminate most of the menu at Legal Seafoods and I imagine some interesting dishes at NVG.

[shugga]

We had lunch there several times last year and each time the food was very enjoyable.

[TheMan,TheMyth]

Napa Valley Grille

1146 Garden State Plaza Paramus, NJ

The Napa Valley Grille located in the Garden State Plaza Mall isn't anything like your typical mall restaurant. Ruby Tuesday's and Chili's have nothing on this place. No food court food here. Don't be disappointed when perusing the menu if you don't see cheese steaks, Cajun chicken sandwiches, or Nathan's Franks. The restaurant's warm décor and knowledgeable staff made us feel comfortable from the very start. Feeling at ease allowed us to concentrate on the task at hand, enjoying scrumptious drink and even more scrumptious food.

When ordering drinks please don't request an Orange Julius. Try accompanying this Northern California cuisine with one of 300 wines featured on the wine list. When you have so many wines to choose from it sometimes isn't worth the time and effort involved when navigating a lengthy wine list. We sought out a wine that would befit our dining experience at the Napa Valley Grille. We thought the most logical choice was to go with the Napa Valley's own Merlot ($20.00). It was a great selection. We enjoyed a great wine at a very inexpensive price. I am not a wine connoisseur by any means, but I thought this wine was served at an ideal temperature. A tad below room temperature this fine red wine slid down with the slightest of after tastes.

For an appetizer, we ordered the Chesapeake Crab Cakes, two plump crab cakes surrounded by a spicy cucumber relish and rhubarb culis ($12.50). We enjoyed it very much. The crab cakes were stacked on top of each other and the garnish was delicately drizzled perfectly around the fine piece of China. The appetizer's presentation was superb. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the plates we ate it from. The Napa Valley's recessed lighting lit the room wonderfully. The bright light above our table glistened upon appetizer plates that were a forensic expert's dream. No one in the legal field could ask for more fingerprints in one area. If I could offer a little advice for our waitress "Maybe you shouldn't manhandle dishes so much in the future. Your fingers probed every square inch of the plate's surface". In addition, I was unhappy with the dishes because they came semi-chilled, which didn't seem appropriate for the warm crab cakes.

We moved on to the Caesar Salad ($7.95), which was served on a cleaner and appropriately chilled plate. This Caesar featured focaccia croutons, shaved Parmesan Cheese, and a great house dressing. I thought it was a nice touch to go with the shaved cheese as opposed to the shredded variety. A large portion of greens at a nominal price pushes this Caesar way up on our satisfaction meter.

For entrees we chose dishes that featured a fresh and fruity theme. My wife ordered the Nova Scotia Halibut, a medium-sized piece of fish encrusted in a light breading served with a great combination of lemon, parsley, citrus marinated vegetables, white wine, garlic and basil ($24.95). This dish had a great citrus flavoring and the meat was extremely light and fluffy. I had the Cast Iron Seared Lamb Sirloin with roasted peaches, English peas, orzo pasta, pearl onions, and peach balsamic vinagrette ($23.95). I thought it was very good. The peas were fresh and firm. The peaches were sweet and the sauce was even sweeter. I requested the meat be cooked to a medium tenderness so I was slightly disappointed when some pieces came with a pink hue in the center.

Overall, I think the dinner was a very positive experience. Great service and appropriate portions made the Napa Valley Grille well worth the trip. So, if you don't mind competing with mall rats for a parking space or paying a fairly hefty bill then I would recommend the Napa Valley Grille for your next night out.

4 fingerprints out of 5

Reviewed: 7/12/02

The Man, The Myth

TapItorScrapIt.com

[Helena Robinson]

Although we haven't been to the Garden State Plaza's NVG in about a year, we have dined at three of its "siblings" around the country in the past year.

Last summer, we had a nice dinner at the "original" NVG in (yes!) Napa Valley. This was a standalone place, as opposed to the mall settings that many NVGs seem to be. Menu style was very similar to the one in NJ, and we managed to have a decent time in spite of the fact that I was in agony from having messed up my leg earlier in the day. (We went to the ER the next day and found out it was broken.)

On this recent vacation, we had pleasant times at two NVGs. One was in downtown Chicago, a few blocks from our hotel. We had the cheese course as our dessert there. Looks like a similar presentation to the one described in this thread. Since we had eaten plenty at Charlie Trotter's the night before, we weren't really up for having that much. (And the appetizers/salads can be quite generous.)

And two night later, we had another nice NVG dinner at the Mall of America. I believe this was the one where Ken had the apple cobbler, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

(Sorry, don't have the notes in front of me.)

All in all, these are pretty similar in style/price; with some variations in menu selections according to locale and chef's whim. Service, for the most part, is good.

And... Did someone mention zin??? It's our red of choice; followed by merlot, cab and pinot. We've been broadening our wine palate of late; having recently enjoyed some Sauvignon Blanc a week or so ago at an area BYO.

[tommy]

having recently enjoyed some Sauvignon Blanc a week or so ago at an area BYO.

from?!?!?

[Rosie]

Which BYO?

[kenrbnsn]

Answers to both Tommy & Rosie...

The wine was from Thornbury Vineyards, Marlborough, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc 2001

The BYO was The Brothers Moon in Hopewell.

[tommy]

The wine was from Thornbury Vineyards, Marlborough, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc 2001

now that's what i like to hear.

[Rosie]

Brother's Moon. Yummmm! Tell us about your dinner there.

[Fat Guy]

Helena, are you a Cafe Club member?

For the record, The Man,TheMyth's spelling "Grille" is the correct one.

http://www.calcafe.com/corporate/index.html

[Helena Robinson]

Helena, are you a Cafe Club member?

Yes, we are members of the Cafe Club. And since both of us have birthdays in June, we had received certificates for "something special" (either the cheaper meal free or free dessert, can't recall which) during June. Alas, we managed to lose these precious things while getting things ready to go away; and the restaurant wouldn't honor them without the piece of paper.

Oh well. At least we'll get more points, which will (hopefully) earn us another certificate of some sort when we might (finally) be able to afford dining there again.

[Helena Robinson]

Brother's Moon. Yummmm!  Tell us about your dinner there.

I guess I'll go back to taking notes over dinner again, now that there seems to be an audience for them.

Our recent dinner at The Brothers Moon was probably our first time dining out since returning from vacation. Since I still don't have a job, we've been confining ourselves to quarters. However, this particular Friday night, the only thing Ken could think of making were reservations; and we were fortunate to be able to get this one. And so we found a bottle of zin and the aforementioned sauvingnon blanc and off we went... (The zin came back with us, unopened.)

The weather had been threatening as we left the house. The skies opened up in a downpour as we parked the car. (We managed to dry out by the time we finished dinner.)

The restaurant had just insituted its summer menu, so we had the opportunity to try "different" things. Dinner started with soups: a gazpacho special for Ken and the roasted corn soup for me. Although both paired well with the wine, the gazpacho was an especially great match.

Appetizers were items we've enjoyed before: smoked salmon for Ken and the carmelized onion and summer squash tart for me. The wine went surprisingly well with the tart; but not with the salmon (which was not surprising).

Entrees were fishy: A tuna special for Ken (which, alas, I can no longer recall enough to elaborate on) and the Wild King Salmon for me. The salmon came with a Vietnamese chile sauce (or so the menu/web site said), and it played off the wine very well. The tuna also paired well with the wine.

Desserts (with coffee) were the peach and blueberry cobbler for Ken and the chocolate mousse for me.

All in all, a lovely meal. Can't wait to be able to return!

[finker99]

I have eaten at NVG at Garden State Plaza in Paramus a couple of times and have known some of the management in the kitchen. The food and service are always good, I can't elaborate more because it has been years since I have eaten there. The reason I stopped going is that although everything was good, I still felt like I was paying more than what I should for what I got. For the same money in a simalar restaurant I feel I could get more, and I am not averse to paying for good food. I feel this probably stems from the rent they have to pay being located at one of the top malls in the country (same is probably true at Mall of America.) more than just bad pricing, but I still won't pay that much for their food.

From the people I knew there the food is all fresh made and the local store does have a pretty free hand with specials and a few regional items on the menu.

The service was amazing when I went with a party of 12 in a private room, the waiters name was Serge. That I remember his name speaks wonders for the service.

So basicly if you have money to burn and price isn't important at all I would definately recomend it, and when the market creaps back up or if someone else is buying I would definately go back to try it again.

If, however, you like to feel like your getting your money's worth I would skip it and try somewhere else.