Morris Tap and Grill- giving new meaning to The Pampered Chef

I was going to begin this entry by saying, "I don't get out often." That is completely untrue. I seem to be on the road all the time, as of late. I was ready to replace that sentence with the erroneous notion that "I rarely go out to eat." As you can see from the blog entries I made this summer, that, too, is untrue. Here it is broken down: I rarely make a determined effort to eat at a particular establishment. True story.



While planning a mini spa day with one of my BFFs, I found myself excited to make the suggestion that we have lunch at Morris Tap and Grill, on Route 10 in Randolph, NJ. MTG (as it's known by the "in" crowd) is led by my friend, Chef Eric Levine. He's a CIA grad, he was on Chopped (yes, he won!) and he's an industry leader (we've all copied his stuff) and he just authored a beautiful industry cookbook called Stick it, Spoon it, Put it in a Glass. Oh, and then there's the sorbet, Sotto Zero. He's partnering with the company on the Twisted flavors, which are alcohol infused and called fun names like "Drunken Mosquito", which I'm sure has a stinger of its own!

I told Eric we were planning on visiting and as it turns out, Tuesday was a good day for us to bug the chef, as it was a bit quieter. Let me tell you, I've heard MTG has a lot of beer. A. Lot. But, I don't drink beer and I was driving, so I have nothing to comment on. But, boy howdy, did we eat.

After greeting us, Eric asked how hungry my girlfriend and I were and we told the truth, very hungry. He asked our permission to "play" (ChefSpeak for : just send out whatever strikes his fancy aside from any ingredients that would be problematic). We would have been foolish to say no.

During the meal, Eric checked on us at least 4 times, came to say good-bye and on the way out, even took us to see the kitchen and meet his kitchen staff (so welcoming!). At that point, I was pretty food-drunk and would not have thought to ask to see the kitchen, as I kind of forgot I was a chef, not a princess. Giuseppe, our server was attentive and professional and friendly. I swear, there is such pleasure to be derived from being served by a man who is beyond his very early 20s. Please don't think I'm being discriminatory. A certain level of wisdom and experience makes all the difference in a captain. And Giuseppe is so polished. But let's get back to the food...
Eric sent out:
Mushrooms, Truffled Artichoke, Parmesan Flatbread- They make their own flatbread. Love it. This was delicious.

Sesame Tuna Tartare-This is probably my second favorite highlight of the meal (aside from seeing Eric). And I would have never pegged this, because of my nature. There was wasabi roe on the plate that both my companion and I love. Served with flour tortilla crisps and black sesame seeds, this dish is a texture-driven diners' (both of us are.) dream.

Buffalo Chicken Flatbread- We dug into this one last and it was a good thing. Just enough spice, but that spice would have dimmed the other dishes. Again, terrific and flavorful.

Crud! I forgot to take photos!

And then we discovered that I was so intent on shoveling the deliciousness into my mouth that I forgot to take pictures. So, here is the first picture of what Eric sent out:

 

We joked, "Eric, you've taken haute cuisine too far! Talk about small portions!

 

 

 

Trio of Hummus w/ Crisps- The presentation of this is so beautiful. It's worth saying again. They make their own fantastic flatbread.  The tiny Mason jars are filled with creamy traditional hummus, red pepper hummus and Kalamata hummus (hands-down fave). The garnish is snow pea sprouts. Eric said they are considered micro-greens and don't pose the same food safety risks as alfalfa sprouts. I wouldn't have cared if they were laced with arsenic, they are earthy goodness and I don't remember sharing them with my companion, but I do remember eating them all, with my fingers and forgetting I was out in public. (Giuseppe said not to worry. He told me, "Where I come from, eating is an art." Love you, G.)

 

 

Fusilli with Chicken Sausage and Portobellos (in the little pot) and Shrimp with Isreali couscous and sundried tomatoes- I was definitely food-drunk at this point and my tummy was getting full. Those shrimp were so plump and delicious and they were topped with fried leeks. The sausage had a salty edge that contrasted well with the tender pasta and the sweet mushrooms.

When you're a guest at MTG, after your entree plates are cleared, they entice you with a beautiful dessert cart. We got glimpses of S'mores and other sweet delights. I sweated a little, worried about having to choose one. I needn't have worried, Chef was taking care of us. No stress, No decisions. All good.

Eric sent out a dessert sampler. Oh my goodness. Left to right: Chocolate Mocha Cake with ribbons of ganache and light, but very flavorful mousse. Cantaloupe/ Lime Vodka Sorbet (my favorite part of the entire meal). Served on top of dehydrated pineapple slices (referred to as flowers or blossoms in the biz). I am still dreaming about the whole combination. I honestly think it was garnished with mint, but somewhere I got a whaft of basil on my palate and am now thinking of how I can make a pineapple basil sorbet. Let's not forget MTG's Carrot Cake, just as delicious as its neighbors, I love the garnish of fried carrots with white chocolate shavings. 

My companion and I were truly blessed to have Eric and the staff of Morris Tap and Grill pay us such undivided attention. He's a really busy guy with a lot of exciting projects going on. I'm loving the copy of his book that I purchased (and he was kind enough to sign). I can't wait to see where his journey continues to take him. Thank you, my friend.

Is it reality or is it fake?

I took a little break from producing food media. It wasn't on purpose...exactly. I thought, at the time that it was just the ways the stars aligned. Before the high-catering season of the holidays hit, I pre-recorded several radio shows, which also coincided with WNTI's move into a brand-new studio. Right before Christmas there were changes made in one of my writing contracts and then the holidays hit. AngelFood was too busy preparing and serving food for me to even want to think about writing/producing interesting, witty words to promote better planning, buying, cooking or eating. Almost a whole month passed, and all of a sudden, my exec producer at WNTI was barking up my tree..."We need your stuff by xxx!" That was one week, two large parties and two snowstorms away. It was just not gonna happen. But really, did I honestly think she would let me just fall off the face of the radio earth? Not her. I took myself to a quiet place and dug deep for a topic that interested me. Sometimes, very little about the food world interests me. Right now, I'm so busy enjoying other aspects of my life, such as getting physical exercise daily, eating in the name of fuel instead of lust, stringing sparkly beaded jewelry, and hanging with my family that there is very little passion or energy left for trendy dishes, whether on the page, on the air, or on my plate. I chose to interview Chef Eric LeVine, a buddy from a popular professional caterer's internet forum. I admire him, as so many do, for his trailblazing level of creativity and his generosity in helping others with ideas and answers. His newer claim to fame is that he was a contestant on the Food Network's competition "Chopped". I don't get a chance to view television often and when I do, I usually do not choose shows about food (it's a great big world out there!). So, after Eric agreed to be interviewed for my radio segment, I had to find the episode "Prove it on the Plate" in order to conduct a thorough interview. I found it on itunes. I love reality TV. So many naysayers will point out that the shows are edited and I appreciate that. My contention is that there are things you cannot fake and editors cannot change. If the words do not come out of your mouth, they cannot be recorded. If you body language isn't displayed, it cannot be filmed. The editors may move it around for a more dramatic story, but the heart of the actor is clearly on display. I knew from reading Eric LeVine's posts regarding cooking and catering that I would like this guy. Then I knew from watching his "Chopped" episode that his radio debut on WNTI would be fantastic. After I actually got him on the phone, I knew we'd end up being friends for a long time. So far, I'm winning two out of three. And I'm willing to bet we'll be friends for a long time, too. He took me to a place filled with hope (he's a cancer survivor and he just opened a restaurant). He took me to a place of inspiration (he pulled off an apparently delicious sauce with Bosc pears over New Zealand mussels). But best of all, he reminded me that his and my world is a place of belief. Belief that hard work, an attitude of gratefulness and graciousness, with a heaping dose of talent can provide a lifetime of rewards, even if you need to take a little break, here and there. And you can't fake that.