PRINCETON, NJ Restaurant Dining Guide Press Releases

New Jersey Brunch Hotspots for Fall Feasting

The countdown begins every Monday morning for the highly-anticipated weekend; our two-day hiatus from all things quick-paced and scheduled.  As the time to relax and indulge is almost upon us, we struggle to find the perfect brunch spot that will restore us for the upcoming week.  With an overwhelming number of options from which to choose, it’s easy to get brunch fatigue, so for a breath of fresh dining air, head to one of these New Jersey restaurants.  These inventive menus are guaranteed to restore your faith in brunch and re-energize you for those upcoming five days.
 
All the necessary elements come together for an idyllic afternoon at Princeton’s elements (163 Bayard Lane, Princeton, NJ, 08540, 609.924.0078, www.elementsprinceton.com): an outstanding brunch menu, an intimate gathering of friends, a warm setting, and an empty agenda for a few hours.  Chef Scott Anderson has fashioned the perfect combination of ingredients in each well-constructed dish, including popular breakfast dishes with an authentic twist, such as the “French Style” Scramble with crème fraiche, bacon, and chive ($18) or the Corn Beef Hash with tropea onion, local potato, poached egg, and foie gras ($24).  For an exotic taste, order the Middle Eastern Chickpea Falafel with yogurt, kaska, purple onion, and salsify ($18) or the Local Fluke Sashimi with Asian pear, cucumber, tomato, and white soy ($14).
 
Leave the chaos of the city behind you and escape to the countryside for a day.  Enjoy a long leisurely brunch at Ninety Acres at Natirar (2 Main St, Peapack-Gladstone, NJ, 07977, 908.901.9500, www.ninetyacres.com), a lush property tucked away in the breathtaking farmland of Somerset County.  With ingredients as seasonal as they come, Ninety Acres boasts a gourmet farm-to-table pre-fix brunch menu for $35.  Chocolate lovers will go haywire for the Chocolate Baked French Toast with corn flake crust, thick bacon, and bourbon maple syrup.  For a uniquely seasonal dish, sample the menu’s Personal Pizzas, like the one topped with pumpkin, ricotta, kale, nutmeg & sage.  The Natirar Eggs Benedict, prepared with an English muffin, crispy chicken, poached egg, and hollandaise is the perfect balance of creamy and crispy.  And for those who are not afraid to veer away from the more traditional, the Chicken Liver Terrine with pickled pearl onions or the Wild Boar Ragu with pine nuts, guanciale, Lacinato kale and garganelli will please their risk-taking mentality.
 
Not in the mood for the traditional benedict?  What about dedicating your day to an Italian style “linner” at Ridgewood’s Radicchio? (34 Franklin Ave, Ridgewood, NJ, 07450, 201.670.7311, www.radicchiorestnj.com).  Feast on classics like the Fusilli Salciccia made with homemade fusilli, wild mushroom, peppers, sweet and hot sausage ($16) or the Fresh Black Linguine, a slurping compilation of homemade black linguine, clams, mussels, and shrimp ($18).  If you’re leaning closer to the lunch side of “linner,” Radicchio offers a stellar line-up of homemade Italian sandwiches served on freshly baked bread.  The Chicken Chipotle with grilled chicken, avocado, melted swiss, and chipotle sauce ($14) or the Shrimp Aurora with grilled shrimp, smoked prosciutto, arugula and aurora sauce ($15) extend far beyond our notions of conventional Italian cuisine.