Local Star Chefs Tell Us Where They Dine

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. - April 3, 2015 - PRLog -- Where do top chefs head when their kitchens close? We asked some of Bergen County’s brightest culinary stars to dish about their favorite local spots for grabbing a quick bite, date-night drinks, and more.

CHRISTINE NUNN – CHEF AT PICNIC ON THE SQUARE

Family Dining: A great place to go with the family is The Dutch House Tavern in Fair Lawn (http://www.dutchhousetavern.com/). Their burgers are amazing as well as their chicken fingers. And it is a great place to go in the warm weather because it has a large porch for outdoor dining.

Dinner with Friends: A great place to hang out with friends is Axia Taverna (http://axiataverna.com/) in Tenafly. They have the best snacks and small plates which are great to share with friends. I love their Greek spreads such as taramosalata and hummus. I also really like their zucchini chips appetizer.

Best Cocktails: I mostly drink wine, but when I go out with friends who love having cocktails they all seem to really enjoy the hand-crafted cocktails at Park West Tavern (http://parkwesttavern.com/) in Ridgewood.

Date Night: Best place to go on a date is Due in Ridgewood (http://dueridgewood.com/). Why is this the perfect place to dine for date night? Well, the food just looks sexy…and of course tastes delicious too.

Favorites from your Menu: As an appetizer I love our Parisienne gnocchi with wild mushroom sherry cream sauce and buttermilk ricotta. This is light, creamy and rich but the portion is a smaller size so it doesn’t feel too heavy after you eat it. My two favorite entrées are our sea scallops and our rabbit.

JAMIE KNOTT – CHEF AT SADDLE RIVER INN

Family Dining: One of our favorites is Angelo’s in Lyndhurst. It has been around for 60 years. I’ve been going for 25 years and my kids will carry on the tradition. I get the same thing every time, shrimp and a biscuit (spicy) and the manicotti.

Dinner with Friends: My kitchen crew and I like to grab a bite after work when we have an early night. Two of our favorites are Shake Shack in Paramus and Juicy Platters in Fair Lawn. When you spend twelve hours with one another it can’t be business all the time. We all need a little down time and eating together is a great way to get to know someone.

Best Cocktails: For me Employees Only always had the best cocktails, bartenders, and vibe. I enjoy their signature cocktail called The West Side. It’s Meyer lemon vodka, lemon juice and crushed mint served chilled.

Date Night: It’s tough with three small children to get a night out, but when we do, we scoot into the city and go to Marea (http://www.marea-nyc.com/). It’s an Italian seafood restaurant that has amazing food, beautiful ambiance and across the street from Central Park. We order 6 to 8 appetizers and share everything.

Favorites from your Menu: I really enjoy raw food, so my favorites at the Inn are the tuna carpaccio, and steak tartare. The tuna is very light and has a ton flavor. The steak tartare is smooth, creamy, and has a nice pop from the capers and mustard. I could eat those two dishes everyday.

ERIC WOODS – CHEF AT 14 & HUDSON

Family Dining: The Farmhouse in Cresskill (http://farmhousecafenj.com/sample-page/). This place is so cute, we love the atmosphere. On a cool, fall day, it’s just perfect. They have a great kids menu and we love their milkshakes!

Dinner with Friends: Now that we have 14 & Hudson, a lot of our friends come to us. In the past, we’ve enjoyed St. Eve’s in Ho Ho Kus (http://stevesnj.com/). It’s a cozy, hidden gem with friendly service and good food. Plus it’s BYOB.

Best Cocktails: Definitely Il Fresco (http://www.il-fresco.com/) in Orangeburg, NY. Their mixologists make some delicious concoctions. Great cozy martini bar, delicious summer sangrias, and homemade infused vodkas.

Date Night: When we can steal away a night out from the kids, we like Zestt in Tenafly (http://www.seafoodrestauranttenafly.com/). The atmosphere is warm and contemporary and the food is fresh and presented beautifully. Some of our favorite dishes are the Greek salad, rack of baby lamb chops and the delicious plate of grilled pita, feta dip and olives that you get before your meal.

Favorites from your Menu: Jumbo sweet chili chicken wings – the sweet chili sauce is unique and the chicken wings are rubbed and cooked in a non-traditional way. I also love our yellow fin tuna tartare with sriracha, avocado, soy, ginger, and wontons – ours stands out because we use sushi-grade tuna. Our pappardelle, slow braised short ribs with kale and hon shimiji mushrooms is also a favorite and of course we use fresh pasta so it really is delicious.

CARLOS VALDEZ – CHEF AT THE OCEANAIRE HACKENSACK

Family Dining: We recently discovered a small bistro in Ridgewood called Le Bon Choix Café (http://lebonchoixcafe.com/). My kids absolutely love the shortbread dough they first bring out (in shape of a rooster) to decorate with sprinkles and then they bake them for dessert. It’s a small menu revolving around local Goffle Brook Farm organic rotisserie chicken. Everything takes a little while but it’s because it’s done right from scratch. Their french onion soup is great. I would recommend the chicken sandwich on ciabatta with cole slaw and a curry peanut sauce (it’s crazy good).

Dinner with Friends: I always end up doing dinner with friends kind of casual and BYO is usually fine. We like it upbeat, with something that will lure you back in. My best friend took me to Ani Ramen in Montclair it is in a small location, small menu, high quality ramen noodle soups, pick a meat, a broth, and you can enhance your soup. Its got a mixed clientele from all generations but foodies for sure.

Best Cocktails: I like to drink wine and suck down oysters as often as I can.  Since I don’t drink at work, I sometimes go to Oceanos in Fair Lawn (http://oceanosrestaurant.com/). I can grab a glass of wine and they have a small selection of oysters but that’s fine for me. The Bartender Christine is very nice and I love that she remembers your drink and is very knowledgeable. Ambiance is good.

Date Night: Without a doubt, Cafe Matisse in Rutherford (http://www.cafematisse.com/) (http://www.cafematisse.com/).  Chef Peter does a great job with ambiance.  I like the back terrace when the weather is nice. The menu is always changing due to the chef’s creativity. I would do a disservice attempting to describe the dishes I get because they are so intricate and dynamic. Its grazing menu in which you are recommended to order 3-5 courses (3 is not the way to go) - Go for 4 even 5 if you love food.

Favorites from your Menu: First up I mentioned oysters and how I love them with a crisp glass of wine. We currently carry a selection of 12 different oysters and clams. I am a chef and chefs love foie gras. Our foie gras is always a focus because whenever it is on the a menu I order it so I want to deliver for those who go out and are pleased to see this on the menu cause it’s my last meal with a nice glass of Pinot Noir. I love being able to procure the freshest fish with traceable origin point which I know are eccosustaineable and good for me. Two of my favorite snacks here that we serve on our Admiral Hour Menu are our shrimp and cheesy grits and our fish tacos.

To find out more on where local chefs dine and other information, visit http://bergenmama.com/.