Number 5 of Westfield Area

INSPIRATION
The Saturday Night Graze
By Columnist Ellie Mroz
Peeps at ...
COURTESY @ANDGRAIN
When I was a
junior at Cornell
University, I
studied abroad
in Barcelona.
The majority of
students who
wanted to expand
their knowledge of the Spanish language
opted to spend their semester at the
University-affiliated program in Sevilla. But
not me. I wanted Barcelona for its rumored
easy access to the beach, the mountains
and several of my favorite brands’ flagship
stores. I also had an unexplored love for
the concept of tapas, the region’s food of
choice. Small dishes typically served with
drinks at a bar... what’s not to like?
I loved the concept of a cozy table, crowded
with small plates shared with friends,
late at night at seaside restaurants where
tables and chairs were scarce but bottles of
inexpensive cava were plentiful. So vastly
different from the American dinner norm
of ordering three individual courses just
for yourself. The weighty responsibility of
having to choose just one dish, with all the
options on the Cheesecake-factory-sized
menu, is enough to send me into an indecisive
tizzy, or worse, order envy. The concept
of tapas, the permission to order half a dozen
or more of the menu’s bite-sized options,
was as appealing to me as an afternoon
strolling through Parque Guell.
Fast forward 15 years, back here in the
Westfield area, and I’m still doing my best
to carry that Catalonian pastime along with
me on our lunches and date nights. No, I
haven’t found a Spanish tapas restaurant
I love (but if you have a reco for a place
with to-die-for croquettes, please send it
my way...), instead I like to partake in what
I have affectionately dubbed the Saturday
Night Graze. Three or more small courses at
three or more local restaurants in just one
evening.
COURTESY @ELLIEMROZDESIGN
COURTESY @PUBLICKHOUSE
We’ll start the Graze at a favorite spot, our
go-to if you will, Publick House in Mountainside.
Here I’ll order the Tuna Crisp,
which has gone through more variations
than I can remember, but, has remained one
of my favorite appetizers, shared or otherwise,
of all time. Wasabi creme, soy, spicy
mayo, and scallions sit atop fresh sushi tuna
and pan crisped rice. Perfection in 2.5 bites.
For my second course, I’d love nothing
more than a BBQ Burger from the Stage
House Tavern. I’m partial to the restaurant’s
cozy original location in Scotch Plains, but
if you’re looking to keep the drive short
you can hop right on Route 22 from Publick
House (or call a car if you also indulged
in one of Publick House’s signature hand
crafted cocktails) and hit up the new location
in Mountainside. Snuggle up outside
by the heat lamps and order the juicy, BBQ
sauce-smothered sandwich as an entree,
and you won’t be disappointed. An added local
bonus, the meat for their burgers comes
from another local favorite, John’s Meat
Market! Supporting two local businesses
with one meal sounds like a win to me.
For dessert, I like nothing more than a
cookie. Tempt me with the finest French
pastry or creamiest gelato, and I’m going
for the cookie. Chocolate chip, to be exact.
And no one does it better than &grain in
Garwood. The perfect consistency (not too
chewy, not too crispy) and somehow the
chips stay perfectly melty. How DO they do
it?
Aside from the obvious benefit of not
having the dreaded “which restaurant do
we choose” debate with your dinner date,
you don’t have to choose! You can go to
them all! You get the added bonus of three
locales with three distinct environments. •
Ellie Mroz is the columnist for Westfield Area
magazine. She and her husband are the superhero
team behind Michael Robert Construction
and Ellie Mroz Design based in Westfield.
100 Steps Kitchen + Raw Bar in Cranford
Boxwood Coffee in Westfield Spice Bazaar in Westfield
Ginger Sushi, Fanwood
Fiamma, Westfield Scoops in Scotch Plains
Echo Tap in Moutainside
10 westfieldarea Number 5 online at westfieldarea.com