Millburn-Short Hills Magazine Back to School 2017 | Page 57

iceberg lettuce, lightly dressed in a
gazpacho dressing, and generously
topped with slices of rich, roasted
pork belly.
South Mountain Tavern offers sev-
eral prime steaks and traditional
sides. A 14-ounce New York strip
steak was cooked perfectly to my
desired temperature. I ordered a side
of truffled smashed potatoes: fluffy,
buttery mashed potatoes are excellent
on their own, but these were pushed
over the top with a hint of decadent
truffle oil. A generous entree of
three crab cakes was crafted with
chunks of lump blue
crab and a light coat-
AT A GLANCE
• $$$
ing of panko bread
• full bar
crumbs, fried until
• closed Mondays
golden, and set atop a
• no lunch menu
ridiculously good
• family friendly
sweet corn sauce. If
• handicapped
accessible
you order it, hands
• take out
will be reaching
across the table for
the tangle of fried shoestring potatoes
on top; they were super thin and
extra crispy.
I probably would not have ordered
a chicken enchilada in an upscale
restaurant, but one of my guests was
in the mood for Mexican cuisine, and
his entree turned out to be the sleeper
surprise of our meal. It was closer to
a bulging burrito than an enchilada,
stuffed with piec es of tender adobo
chicken combined with black beans,
rice and Monterey Jack cheese. It was
generously coated in guajillo chili
sauce, both sweet and smoky and
more complex in flavor than I expect-
ed. With a healthy hit of chunky gua-
camole on top, this enchilada was far
better than some I’ve had in tradition-
al Mexican restaurants.
For dessert, a delectable homemade
apple strudel in a crackling phyllo
crust was served warm with a drizzle
of caramel sauce and a healthy dollop
of fresh whipped cream. The final
dinner delight was a childlike
confection for adults with a sweet
tooth: five cheesecake lollipops,
coated in chocolate, with more of
that excellent whipped cream and
fresh strawberries. ■
CHICKEN ENCHILADA
CHEESECAKE LOLLIPOPS
(From left) Owners of South Mountain Tavern
Ted Stampoulos and Tom McLaughlin
STEAMED PEI MUSSELS
MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE BACK TO SCHOOL 2017
55