Perfect for any occasion! Birthdays, Anniversaries,
Holidays, Business Appreciation,
Employee Recognition
 | ||||||
Jeffrey's of Westfield
Restaurant & Bar
114 Central Avenue
Westfield, NJ 07090
908-232-4517
Reservations Accepted and Appreciated
| ||||||
Jeffrey's of Westfield
GIFT CERTIFICATES
Available at the restaurant
or by telephone
908-232-4517
Jeffrey's of Westfield Restaurant & Bar
By Cody Kendall
If I had to pick one dish to characterize Jeffrey's, it would be the escargot sautéed in garlic herb butter served with a star-shaped pastry shell ($7).
The star echoes the patriotic theme of the cozy little restaurant. The carpet has a star pattern; the plates are red, white and blue, and so are the servers' ties. You might feel compelled to salute when you look around.
As for the snails, they are toothsome morsels, nicely produced and priced. They fit in with chef/owner Jeffrey Rust's vision for his enterprise. The Culinary Institute of America graduate is intent on offering a place where people can stop by several times a week and get high-quality, imaginative food without paying exorbitant sums.
The restaurant opened last December in a space best known for its long run as The Town House. It has a neighborhood feel, with pine paneling and a separate barroom.
Rust, whose résumé includes stints at Chez Catherine in Westfield and the former Heights Cafe in Berkeley Heights, works with a "melting pot of cuisines." France is represented by dishes such as the escargot and beef sirloin steak au poivre ($22). The Asian-inspired fare is sesame-crusted salmon with Japanese sticky rice and a soy ginger sauce ($17), while neatly grilled chicken breast with black beans, nippy chorizo sausage and a vivacious lime cilantro sauce pays homage to the Latin influence.
Choices are intriguing and well-presented. A citrus vinaigrette sparks grilled shrimp over field greens ($9). The steamed mussels ($8) are served in a sauce that incorporates cream with thyme and white wine, for a different take on an old favorite. Kicky whole grain mustard sauce is the right partner for meaty crab cakes ($9).
A cheddar bisque special ($7) was just heavy enough on the cheese. It made a good preamble for a baby arugula salad topped with goat cheese and dressed with balsamic vinaigrette ($7). The baby spinach salad ($8), with a pear champagne vinaigrette that practically dances over the green leaves, is slightly heavier eating. It includes Brie, pecans and dried cranberries, with the fruit cheese and nuts playing off each other in a convincing spectrum of tastes.
Entrees were as engaging as the appetizers, but I was most impressed by the pork tenderloin with a maple glaze that heightened the charms of the meat ($18). It teamed with braised savoy cabbage and roasted garlic mashed potatoes, comfort food taken to new levels of contentment.
A grilled veal chop special ($26) luxuriated in a tangy sour cherry port sauce, but adding sautéed foie gras to the equation was overkill. That combination was uncharacteristic of Rust, who generally hits just the right note. Another special, grilled swordfish ($24), was really a seafood bruschetta, a pleasing concept featuring chopped fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil sauce, with fish in place of bread.
Vegetarians can choose from two main courses. There is risotto with wild mushrooms, stylishly finished with Parmesan and truffle oil ($14), or grilled and roasted vegetables over couscous ($15). In addition to wines by the bottle, some 10 choices are available by the glass, such as the Forest Glen Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay for $6, or the Yellow Tail Shiraz from Australia ($7).
Desserts, including the ice creams, are made in-house. The effort that has gone into them is obvious - and appreciated.
The signature sweet is lavender ice cream, with a luscious color and a light taste that that may grow on you. Give it a chance. Almond cream filling gives the apple tart ($7) a welcome twist. A cinnamon saboyan sauce does the same for a pumpkin cheesecake ($7). But the most exciting dessert is the chocolate celebration ($8), a chocolate firecracker filled with chocolate mousse and pistachio crème Anglaise. That rich combination doesn't have to take a back seat to the outstanding visual effect of this dish, which could easily overshadow less interesting contents.
Jeffrey's downside is the noisiness of the room when it is full. I was having trouble hearing my table mates until the place started to empty out. It also was disturbing to find that, while we arrived on time for our reservation, we had to wait 35 minutes because the place was overbooked. Our excellent server was far more apologetic about the inconvenience than the host.
Aside from that, Jeffrey's offered a fine evening, with first-class cuisine. I like a place where the dress is casual, but the food isn't.
April 7, 2002
Jeffrey's of Westfield
114 Central Ave.
Westfield, NJ 07090
908-232-4517
Reservations Accepted and Appreciated
"A fine evening, with
first-class cuisine."
Cody Kendall
For the Star Ledger
Please note that we have a seasonally changing menu.
Not all featured dishes are available at all times. Thank You!
