THE CASSIDY BAR + KITCHEN
dining out
Creative Cuisine The Cassidy Bar + Kitchen adds a delicious spin to popular dishes WRITTENBYJOYCE VENEZIASUSS PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY NEWMAN
HOUSE-SMOKED BRISKET
While we walked back to our car after a recent dinner at The Cassidy, Icommented to my husband that dining out has been much more rewarding in recent years. Many chefs are enjoying the challenge of tweaking old-school recipes, transforming ingredients, and turning traditional cuisine into something completely different.
Take, for instance, the concept of ravioli, typically served in tomato sauce. The Cassidy’ s chef, Tom Carlin, made abeautifully composed starter of house ricotta ravioli— a single large square of fresh spinach pasta that was filled with fresh ricotta and loosely folded over. It was surrounded by cubes of tender pumpkin and a swoon-worthy portobello mushroom sauce that was so rich, I asked if it was infused with beef broth. The waiter noted proudly that it was not.
Chopped salad was also elevated with a mélange of creative additions. It started with sturdy leaves of butter leaf lettuce, gently mixed with small, uniform cubes of avocado, sunchoke and aged Gouda cheese; thinly sliced hearts of
Maplewood
THE CASSIDY BAR + KITCHEN
160 MAPLEWOOD AVE.,( 973) 762-5433 THECASSIDY. NET palm and English cucumber; radish matchsticks; chick peas, sunflowers and capers, all lightly cloaked with a fresh herb ranch dressing. Our waiter kindly had it divided into two bowls, making it easier to eat.
Among the entrees, Iron Skillet Chicken is a lesson in simplicity: ACornish hen that was dressed and split open was crisped to golden perfection in a skillet, then served atop a mélange of roasted root vegetables with a foamy reduction of truffle jus. If you view chicken as boring, order
70 SPRING 2018 MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE