Dined at Stone House again, but this time in the beautiful dinning room. Last visit there was for a corporate party.
When describing Stone House to friends who were joining us for dinner I told them that Stone House was a combination of a sharply designed NY hotel like Tribeca Grand in a perfectly restored country farm house. When they arrived they readily agreed as they feasted their eyes on Stone House's warm, artfully contemporary yet, organic interior.
We enjoyed drinks at the bar, a delicious dinner and some very nice wines.
The approach to Stone House is breathtaking, after leaving Route 78 you motor through the pastoral countryside of Watchung into Warren where you are surrounded by a forest of trees embracing the winding road. You round a bend and see on a rise a beautiful, sparklingly lit, and inviting stone building with architectural details reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright. I felt like I was in Europe or maybe the Northwest. New Jersey has many unknown pockets of beauty like this that I love to discover.
Our evening started chatting with Tim the friendly bartender. Tim knows how to shake a mean martini and attends to his bar with simple intensity.
As we talked with Tim about wine and life he introduced us to Stone House's passionate and talented Maitre De and Sommelier, Carlos. We asked Carlos for a recommendation for a red wine for dinner. After a short discussion of our wine preferences he invited us into the spectacular wine storage area. Here he showed us with great pride a Sicilian wine that he had just got in. I will come back to the wine in a moment but the wine storage area is worthy of comment.
In one corner of the dining room near the spacious bar is a tower of wine, a significant walk in room, surrounded by glass, and cooled to a perfect 56 degrees, it is floor to high vaulted ceiling, 20 feet tall perhaps. In the center of the towering racks of wine is a library ladder that rotates to provide access to the 100s of bottles. It is quite a site to see.
In our conversation with Carlos I mentioned my preference for Pinot Noir, Sangiovese and Shiraz. His eyes lit up and said "I have a perfect wine for you." The wine he presented in the wine tower was a beautiful Sicilian called Benuara by Cusumano a blend of Nero d'Avola 70% and Syrah 30%. It is a wine of subtle complexity. An array of delicate flavors abound, a perfect wine with the meal. Picture wine that comes from this land and sky and you will get the idea.
We also really enjoyed a Riesling from South Australia called "Promised Land" from the Wakefield Estate in the Clare Valley.
"Promised Land is off-dry, bringing tangible but not cloying sweetness. The wine balances the sweetness with some excellent citrus acidity (lemon and grapefruit), warm floral notes (rose and apple blossom), some good peach and apple pulp, a touch of spice and slate minerality." Elliot Essman
One note of caution, this wine does not fulfill its promise until it has been open for 20 or 30 minutes. If you are opening a new bottle let it sit for awhile before enjoying.
Beyond the decor, wine, and in a moment I will discuss the food, the staff of Stone House are trained to a level of professionalism rarely seen in New Jersey. Our wait person Amy was an exceptional example of how to deliver a perfect dining experience. From coordination of seating, delivery of bread, water, wine, menus and then through the eloquent presentation of the kitchen's special offerings of the day Amy was comfortably accomplished. As a frequent NY diner I appreciate this beyond measure in New Jersey where many restaurateurs do not attain a high level of performance from their staff. This was not the case at Stone House.
Gerry Villa, the Executive Chef, is very inventive in the kitchen and prepares a cuisine of many influences. Using locally farmed seasonal offerings when available, the food is always of fresh natural ingredients.
Our selections for this evening were a simple salad of organic greens and accompaniments, with a lovely dressing, and fresh oysters from Washington State, some of the best oysters I have ever tasted, served with a perfect riesling mignonette sauce.
We also enjoyed soft shell crabs, beautifully prepared and t-bone lamb loin chops with "zucchini" spaghetti, Tuscan potatoes and cilantro-mint pesto. Both very good. My pick was a special bison rib-eye done in a smoky hot pepper rub with mashed potaoes and peppers. Magnificent.
We tried two desserts a banana wrap and a 3 nut tart, these were good, but not oustanding. We were also disappointed by the selection of dessert wines. We shared this with Carlos and he assured us he would endeavor to have a better selection in the future and of course removed the wines from our tab.
All in all our dinner at Stone House was exceptional. A short 30 - 35 minute drive from Montclair, I suggest you give Stone House a try.
Stone House at Stirling Ridge. 50 Stirling Road, Warren Township. Dinner: 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 5-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 4-9 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays. Full bar. Major credit cards. Neat casual dress. Reservations recommended: (908) 754-1222.
Things to do, places to see, with food and booze
I would probably visit this artful place. :) The food and wine sounds delicious as you described them. I get more excited to visit the place when I learned that they serve cilantro-mint pesto which is my favorite. BTW, nice photos!
Posted by: Megan Payne | 12/30/2011 at 14:57
The Yodel dessert I had at Stonehouse was very good while my entre of pork chops was unremarkable.
Posted by: Joanne E | 07/03/2008 at 15:06