Rutherford

[Lima Bean]

Hi, last week my husband and I ventured to Rutherford, NJ. It's been several years since we have been in that area and I must say, it looks like it's trying for a revival for resturants. The prior owners of the Fiesta Hut have a small place, same menu looks like, no atmosphere but it was packed. There's a new Latin, Tia and Greek resturant too. We stopped at a place called MIGNON, of course a steak place. The petit filet was pretty good, but the garlic mash and creamed corn side was even better. My husband (trying to be healthy) ordered the special cajun fish and it was perfect. Perfect spice and done perfectly too. My dish came with a side of sauce...looked like a peppercorn...tasted like jaggermister..aughhh...we topped dinner off with a chocolate cream brulee...yes chocolate...tasted like a really rich, fudgy pudding...we ate it all. The atmosphere is good.

we might go back to rutherford to see what else is going on...we think the Latin place will be next..

oh, one thing....it's a dry town..BYOB

Lima Bean..

[gia]

There are some good places there, and my favorite is Cafe Matisse!

[MJP]

There's a Greek place that looks really interesting... Eros Cafe or something like that. I also know of a Korean place, also looks interesting, but no experience.

[dbrociner]

Glad to see this topic now as I have a meeting in Rutherford on Tuesday. Any additional info appreciated like the names of those restaurants mentioned up thread.

[Cook456]

Glad to see this topic now as I have a meeting in Rutherford on Tuesday. Any additional info appreciated like the names of those restaurants mentioned up thread.

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My votes goes to Mignon ( BYOB) and possilby Village Gourmet ( owned by the same organization).

Of course, Cafe Matisse is a must if you want to splurge. Highly recommended.

The others are OK, but not great.

All three restaurants are on Park Ave, not too far from each other.

Edited September 16, 2006 by Cook456 (log)

[ltlevy]

Hi, last week my husband and I ventured to Rutherford, NJ. It's been several years since we have been in that area and I must say, it looks like it's trying for a revival for resturants.

<snip>

oh, one thing....it's a dry town..BYOB

Lima Bean..

I read your post and was surprised by your comment about it being dry. I remembered going in the past to a restaurant called Park and Orchard, which I thought was in Rutherford, and had a very extensive beer list. So, I searched for their web site and see they are in East Rutherford.

Park and Orchard

It's been a few years since I was at the restaurant. However, at that time it was quite good, with a rather unique menu. While not a vegetarian place, it gave a heavy focus to veggies in the dishes. The dishes frequently leaned to either middle eastern or asian in flavor.

Regards,

Larry Levy

[Curlz]

Larry is right...Rutherford is a dry town, but Park & Orchard has long been known for its extensive wine and beer offerings. Are they in E. Rutherford proper? That might explain it. Portions there are large and the place is cavernous, so the noise level is high; if you're sensitive to that, you might want to shy away.

I used to live in Rutherford, and have to say that I rarely go there for anything, especially food, as I've been disappointed one too many times. Mignon and Village Gourmet are likely the exceptions, but even so, I rarely cross Route 3 to go there--it just doesn't occur to me! It's a strange town, imo--they seem to want to have a cool downtown, but I'm still waiting for it to happen. My $ .02.

[ghostrider]

I live in Rutherford &, while there's a lot that I love about the town, it's a mixed bag food-wise.

Cafe Eros / After Athens (different rooms, same establishment) are a bit uneven. Eros does a terrific Greek salad & has nice panini & desserts. Athens has a "village salad" which is a bit different (I've forgotten exactly how, it's been a while) and has a full dinner menu. I've had some very good meals there and some so-so.

Don't overlook Trattoria Corrado, right around the corner on the station circle, which is everything a local trattoria should be - consistently good cooking, a nice light touch where it's called for (this is not a typical red-sauce place by any means), a deft hand with fish, terrific homemade ravioli (a special, not on offer every night), and reasonable prices. It was IMHO the first really good place to open in town (apart from Matisse, which is in a different price class) after we moved here 15 years ago. I think they've been around for close to 10 years now, which says to me that they're doing a lot of things right. I have never had a bad dish there & I've had many very good ones.

Spring Grill, a Thai/pan-Asian place, does what they do very well. I get frustrated by their limited menu, and while they're a bit pricier & less robustly spiced than some other Thai options in the area, if you're in the mood for what they have, they're a good choice.

Mignon is good but I'm not a big steakhouse guy (prefer to sear my own). They have very good pork chops there too.

There's a new Turkish place, Enginar, that is set to open soon. They were handing out menus at our Labor Day Street Fair & they look promising. Of course the proof will be in the eating. I'll report back ASAP.

[JohnL]

Hi, last week my husband and I ventured to Rutherford, NJ. It's been several years since we have been in that area and I must say, it looks like it's trying for a revival for resturants.  The prior owners of the Fiesta Hut have a small place, same menu looks like, no atmosphere but it was packed. There's a new Latin, Tia and Greek resturant too.  We stopped at a place called MIGNON, of course a steak place.  The petit filet was pretty good, but the garlic mash and creamed corn side was even better. My husband (trying to be healthy) ordered the special cajun fish and it was perfect. Perfect spice and done perfectly too.  My dish came with a side of sauce...looked like a peppercorn...tasted like jaggermister..aughhh...we topped dinner off with a chocolate cream brulee...yes chocolate...tasted like a really rich, fudgy pudding...we ate it all. The atmosphere is good. 

we might go back to rutherford to see what else is going on...we think the Latin place will be next..

oh, one thing....it's a dry town..BYOB

Lima Bean..

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I was at Mignon last night.

I go about six times a year and this place is very consistent.

The shellfish (oysters and clams last nite) are high quality.

The sides are well prepared and the steaks are always cooked

perfectly. The meat quality is very good.

By the way--if Rutherford is a "dry town" how come there is a wine shop

located on the main drag?

[MJP]

The town website reports that it grants "4 club licenses and 10 store licenses" annually. I don't know if restaurants have an exemption or are prohibited from having licenses, but P&O seems to stand in the face of that. *shrug*

[Josefinajoisey]

East Rutherford and Rutherford, while divided by train tracks, do have different laws regarding alcohol in restaurants. (I, too, live in Rutherford) Rutherford does not allow liquor sales in restaurants, but does have liquor stores. (I highly recommend Rutherford Wine Shop) A few restaurants circumvent the rules by buying liquor licences and place small 'liquor stores' inside their restaurants. (Village Gourmet, Cafe Matisse)

[ghostrider]

I guess Rutherford is technically a semi-dry town. The rules are noted above. Also, there are no public bars. (Places like the Elks have their own bars, I suppose due to the above-mentioned club licenses.)

Edited September 18, 2006 by ghostrider (log)

[gia]

The Rutherford I remember is so different from what it is today. We went there a lot when I was a kid as my mother's family lived there. Fine shops of all kinds lined Park Ave. Not a foodie town in those days. I was surprised to hear Varrelmann's is still there.

[danivance]

I live in Rutherford &, while there's a lot that I love about the town, it's a mixed bag food-wise.

...

Don't overlook Trattoria Corrado, right around the corner on the station circle, which is everything a local trattoria should be - consistently good cooking, a nice light touch where it's called for (this is not a typical red-sauce place by any means), a deft hand with fish, terrific homemade ravioli (a special, not on offer every night), and reasonable prices.  It was IMHO the first really good place to open in town (apart from Matisse, which is in a different price class) after we moved here 15 years ago.  I think they've been around for close to 10 years now, which says to me that they're doing a lot of things right.  I have never had a bad dish there & I've had many very good ones.

.  Of course the proof will be in the eating.  I'll report back ASAP.

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I also live in Rutherford. I'm a vegetarian, and Trattoria Corrado is my favorite restaurant in town, followed by La Reggia Bistro.

[Soda]

Cafe Matisse has wonderful food & service , but whenever the place is full, the noise level is beyond unbearable. When I spend the sort of money required to dine as deliciously as one may at Cafe Matisse (plus whatever nice wines we bring), I have only one more wish: to be able to enjoy conversations with my tablemates. The parabolically arched ceiling at Cafe Matisse, in combination with the the tightly-packed tables, creates a din which makes tabletalk inaudible unless one is prepared to shout -- which is, of course, what everybody else is doing to be heard. Result: pain instead of pleasure.

However: While the weather's still decent, try reserving a table in the outside garden in back, and you'll have a much nicer experience. Sadly, I'll pass up on this otherwise splendid restaurant until late next spring, when the great outdoors beckon once again.

-s.

Edited October 2, 2006 by Soda (log)

[phaelon56]

Work obligations prompted me to move away from Rutherford back to my NY state hometown two years ago but I always follow these threads with interest.

Corrado's always got good reviews... Mignon was relatively new when I was there but I heard good feedback about them. I had serviceable Italian food with nice atmosphere and good service on several occasions at Paisano's.

Technically speaking Park & Orchard is in East Rutherford but it's directly across the street from the edge of Rutherford proper and is much closer to downtown Rutherford than it is to downtown East Rutherford.

I tried Village Gourmet on three separate occasions and found it consistently disappointing. I went to Eros many, many times for coffee and dessert - okay desserts, acceptabel coffee and medicore espresso drinks but nice atmopshere. We did eat downstairs at Eros in the restaurant section once. Stick to the Greek items and avoid everything else.

And New York Pizza still makes about as good a pie as you can get anywhere (they bring their dough in from their original Brooklyn location - which overcomes the issue crappy water quality that impacts other NJ pizzerias).

[ghostrider]

We got our first meal last night from the recently opened Greek Town Gyros, and I just gotta say WOW! They are a most welcome addition to our town.

We ordered a takeout meal - it was Friday, had to watch "Numbers." I had the chicken souvlaki platter w baked lemon potatoes - nicely grilled & spiced chicken with a proper amount of char, good taters, and the best tzatziki sauce I've had in a long while, redolent with dill.

My SO had the falafel platter, with homemade fries. She loved the falafel, and omigosh, what fries. Clearly the best in town and, I'd wager, the best within a 9-mile radius. (I haven't gotten to Amazing Hot Dog yet to have a standard for comparison, hence the specificity of 9 miles .) They weren't at their peak as a takeout; in a closed container, they'd gone a bit limp, but they were still beautifully browned, full of flavor and irresistible.

Both dishes came with big Greek salads, tasty oil/vinegar/herb dressing on the side, nice feta. Excellent fresh pita on the side which also, alas, lost a bit of crispness in transit. We also had hummus, a nicely garlicked, generous portion. We have enough falafel, hummus, pita & salad left over for a lunch.

Greek Town Gyros is at 65 Park Ave., same block as Village Gourmet. Open till 9 on Sundays, 10 every other night. They've brought some very good & reasonably priced Greek food to town. We'll be back.

[danivance]

We got our first meal last night from the recently opened Greek Town Gyros, and I just gotta say WOW!  They are a most welcome addition to our town.

...

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I have also ordered from Greek Town Gyros quite a few times recently. They have free delivery! My husband and I are both vegetarian, so we usually just get the falafel platters. They are delicious. Their fries are excellent, but their lemon potatoes are from heaven! Their hummus is delicious also, but it is expensive. For $4, you don't get much at all. But the falafel platter is delicious.

[jwjojo]

Agreed...we go there all the time and really enjoy it. The chicken kabob sandwich, the falafel and hummus, even the chicken burger and fries...all quite good and the owner is a nice guy.

[ghostrider]

I have also ordered from Greek Town Gyros quite a few times recently.  They have free delivery!  My husband and I are both vegetarian, so we usually just get the falafel platters.  They are delicious.  Their fries are excellent, but their lemon potatoes are from heaven!  Their hummus is delicious also, but it is expensive.  For $4, you don't get much at all.  But the falafel platter is delicious.

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Nice to hear. I was too full last night to try the falafel.

We rec'd what I consider to be a huge glob of hummus, almost twice as much as you get at the grocer in one of those containers for $2-something. Maybe I lucked out because it was the very end of the evening.

[Cook456]

Went to Spring Grill on Friday evening and had a great meal.

It's a family owned business and Sara, our hostess was eager to please.

For starters we ordered the vietnamese summer rolls with duck. Very good, indeed.

For his entree, my friend asked if they could make a dish called "drunken noodles", as it was not on the menu. It's his favorite thai dish and he was looking forward to having it. Sara informed us that her mother would definitely make it..and did he want it spicy. He said, yes, and it was "spot on" in terms of just the right spice, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

I choose one of the specials" Red Snapper" prepared with ginger. It was presented beautifully with a mound of veggies on top. Included were chili peppers which gave it a nice "kick".

Dessert was a pumpkin custard. Delightfully refreshing after a spicy meal.

It's a wonder why this place is not packed. Perhaps it is their limited menu. Now we know that if you don't see it on the menu, just ask and they would be happy to prepare it.

We have told "MOM"..next time, no menu..she just cooks for us.! GO and enjoy!!

Edited November 5, 2006 by Cook456 (log)

[gia]

Thanks for the great reviews! Haven't been to either...yet!

[ghostrider]

An update on After Athens - we wound up going there a couple of weekends back for dinner with friends who'd come out from NYC for the day. We got several of their Pikilia platters wth various grilled items, all really tasty. One of our friends, who'd lived in Greece for 2 years, deemed the Keftedakia the best she'd ever had. I've always liked the way After Athens does those little meatballs but that was high praise indeed.

Edited February 12, 2007 by ghostrider (log)

[paul jaouen]

Cafe Matisse was superb but I haven't been there in a while. I understand they went to a small plate (tapas) type menu but this is second hand. The outside garden was always fun in the nice weather.

Park & Orchard still has an outstanding and reasonably priced wine list. Food is OK.

Mignon is decent but nothing special.

Spring Grill is a pathetic excuse for a Thai restaurant IMO. I think they may have the talent but they pander to the American "chinese takeout" mentality.

I've been to Village Gourmet but don't remember it so it must not have made an impact either way. Then again I haven't returned.

Since I now work in East Rutherford, I'll have to try some of the other recommendations.

[ghostrider]

A couple more changes in town (in addition to Sabor Peru) -

Trattoria Corrado is now "Volare's Restaurant." There may be new owners, their weekly newspaper ads seem to imply that. Haven't tried them since the change.

Spring Grill has expanded its menu a bit to include a few more Thai staples such as Pad Prig Khing. Wish I could have seen the new menu before we ordered takeout last night! (It's not on line yet.) Anyway I'm sure I'll be reporting on this soon.