YUM! Taste of Flemington Restaurant Week begins Sunday, March 8th through Friday, March 13th
Flemington Restaurant Week is back, offering diners the opportunity to sample over 15 restaurants with local, seasonal, and vegan menu items all at great prices, including prix-fixe dinner menus for $25 or $35.
“Flemington is a robust destination for people who love great food,” stated Robin Lapidus, Executive Director of Flemington Community Partnership whose organization produces Restaurant Week. “We are in the heart of Hunterdon County, surrounded by 1600+ acres of farmland. This is as fresh and local as it gets.”
In addition to featuring locally grown food, restaurateurs get an opportunity to showcase their creativity in the kitchen.
“The restaurants in town get really inventive preparing menu items to ‘wow’ new customers,” says Matt McPherson, owner of Matt’s Red Rooster. “We love participating in Restaurant Week for this reason, as well as getting to meet people who love food as much as we do,” he says, adding he’ll be offering special Restaurant Week dishes like petite filet mignon with green peppercorn demi-glace, and walnut and mustard crusted salmon with maple beurre blanc.
Diners may be pleasantly surprised at some of the menu items they encounter. Santiago Cuellar, Jr. of the Flemington Coffee Shop brings Latin flair to his menu. “One will find the comfort foods they’d expect to find in a coffee shop, but we offer additional items like sweet and savory empanadas, Cuban sandwiches, and homemade flan, which pairs perfectly with a cup of freshly brewed coffee,” he says.
For those seeking plant-based fare, many restaurants will be offering vegetarian or vegan spins on classic dishes like Vegan Korean “Chick’n” Tacos at Hardy’s Coffee Bar; stuffed bell peppers with pesto roasted cauliflower, lentils, smoked tomato broth and fresh mozzarella at Matt’s Red Rooster; or zucchini noodles (‘zoodles’) with Beyond Burger crumbles, roasted vegetables, pesto and coconut milk from Platform One.
For those craving decadence, 55 Main has you covered with menu items like duck Bolognese with sweet potato gnocchi and shaved parmesan, fried oyster chowder, short rib pot pie, and warm apple turnovers topped with caramel sauce for dessert. However, before you dive in, one must plan ahead.
“Reservations are recommended as we tend to fill up during restaurant week well before we even post our menu,” says Jonas Gold, chef and owner of 55 Main, who opens an additional day (Tuesday) during restaurant week to accommodate guests.
“It’s a great opportunity to showcase new dishes and give people a reason to get excited to try new things,” says Gold. “It’s fun to show people what you’ve got – and to surprise them with creative dishes prepared exclusively for restaurant week.”
For more information on Taste of Flemington, visit loveflemington.com. There you’ll find Restaurant Week menus as well as other special promotions. Many of the participating restaurants are BYOB (except Chimney Rock Inn), so be sure to stop by Central Liquors, or Lone Eagle Brewing for your favorite accompanying beverage.
Participating Restaurants
An * indicates restaurants offering 3-course, table service, prix fixe dinner, reservations are strongly recommended for dinner.
*55 Main, located at 55 Main Street
*Blue Fish Grill, located at 50 Mine Street & Stangl Road
*Capuano’s Ristorante Italiano, located at 67 Church Street
*Chimney Rock Inn, located at 41 NJ-31
*Dolce Ristorante Italiano, located at 161 Main Street
Factory Fuel Co., located at 2 Stangl Road
Flemington Coffee Shop, located at 23 Reaville Avenue
Garden State Salad, located at 32 Main Street
Hardy’s Coffee Bar, located at 31 Bloomfield Avenue
Jersey Mike’s Subs, located at 75 Reaville Avenue
Kombucha Bar, located at 6 Bloomfield Avenue
*Matt’s Red Rooster Grill, located at 22 Bloomfield Avenue
Market Roost, located at 65 Main Street
Mi Sabor, located at 21-25 Central Avenue
*Platform One & CTO Catering, located at 41 Route 12
Pita Grill and Creperie, located at 100 Reaville Avenue
*Viva Mexico, located at 14 Turntable Junction.
