Millburn-Short Hills Magazine Spring 2019 | Page 49

CHEF MATTHEW RUZGA WITH OWNER DAVID MASSONI
include four pasta dishes ($17-$19),
pan roasted chicken with sautéed Swiss
chard and chicken jus ($23), and grilled
prime ribeye, served in a duxelles sauce
with roasted maitake mushrooms ($39).
It was difficult to choose, but we
ultimately decided on the fluke crudo,
prepared with fresno chili, pine nuts and
herbs ($15) and the fried fennel, paired
with dijon tarragon aioli ($11), to start.
The crudo was excellent; it was fresh
and flavorful, and the pine nuts added
an interesting texture. The fennel was
something of a surprise. Very delicately
battered in a thin tempura-style coating,
it was crispy and lacking in grease. So
far, so good. Top marks for great food
and simple, pleasing presentation.
The entrees came out a touch too
soon after we had taken the final bites
of our appetizers. But the gratin of root
vegetables, spinach and roasted garlic,
topped with breadcrumbs and feta ($21)
was piping hot and very tasty, a large
serving of comfort food ideal for the
gloomy evening. The black bass filet,
served with salsa verde and caramelized
fennel ($26), was exceptional, a thick
filet grilled to perfection and comple-
mented by the salsa verde — dark green
and full of the flavor of fresh herbs.
The side of roasted Brussels sprouts
($8) that we ordered with it was
glistening with chili and lemon oil,
which gave it a welcome kick, though
a few sprouts were undercooked.
The dessert menu, created by in-house
pastry chef Mikey Ascencio, is mouth-
watering, though pricey. If you don’t
want to pay $16 for an ice cream sun-
dae, consider the SOMA blackout cake
($10) or the Apple Brown Betty ($10),
which I ordered. It was, put simply,
spectacular — a not-too-sweet apple
filling nestled in a pastry base and
topped with crumble, delivered to the
table in a skillet, with a scoop of vanilla
gelato on top. What’s not to love?
Pub fans who enjoy seriously good
meals will find much to love at The Fox
& the Falcon. I’m one of them; you’ll see
me trying the new brunch menu, cozy in
one of the comfy chairs by the fireplace
in the snug, reading the Sunday
papers. ■
GRATIN OF VEGETABLES
FLUKE CRUDO
THE RAHWAY RIVER
APPLE BROWN BETTY
MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE SPRING 2019
47