You know you're in for a feast when the dishes take longer to describe than to eat.
"It's seared ahi tuna served over wontons with a tangy mustard sauce and pickled ginger," explained a Chart House staffer Thursday night, "and it has a teri-glaze underneath the wontons."
It sounded like a mouthful - and it was.
Scores of gourmands stuffed their faces at Lincoln Harbor's food court area in order to raise thousands of dollars for programs at the Weehawken Public Library. The third annual "Taste of Weehawken - Meet the Chefs" event allowed visitors to pay $25 to $50 to try food from more than a dozen restaurants in Weehawken and neighboring waterfront communities.
It was good for the restaurants, who wanted to lure new patrons, and good for diners who got to sample dishes like duck quesadillas from Arthur's Landing or giant stuffed mushrooms from Houlihan's.
Mayor Richard Turner was particularly impressed with the crespelle at Rigoletto on Park Avenue. It was pasta with crabs and ricotta, and 60 squares of it had disappeared within a half hour.
"I love it," Turner said, casting an appreciative eye at the staff. Rigoletto has only been open since August, so they definitely had a need to show Weehawken all that they had to offer (which also included cups of delightful chocolate mousse).
In fact, several restaurants from Weehawken's interior turned out to complement the usual brigade of waterfront favorites. Gino's Italian Delicatessen on Palisade Avenue served up pasta and chicken dishes, including orecchetti Bolognese (pasta and meat sauce), and fresh mozzarella. Patagonia, a coffee shop on Park Avenue, presented an array of delicious baked goods.
There were also delicacies from neighboring Hoboken's most renowned restaurants, including LaScala on 14th Street (not very far from Weehawken after all), Amanda's on Washington Street, The Brass Rail on Washington Street, and La Isla, a Cuban restaurant on Washington Street.
Some eateries tried out a new dish to gauge the audience reaction. Spirito Grill's executive chef, Joseph Mortrella, watched people savor his tasty chilled tropical fruit gazpacho soup, which was served in martini glasses. From the response, it's likely he'll be offering it at his Weehawken waterfront restaurant this summer.
But surprisingly, the most original dishes had been created by mere high school students.
Weehawken High School's culinary arts pupils oversaw a long table filled with mouth-watering eats like poached pears and smoked salmon timbale, the latter of which contained scallops, lobster and avocado. It was a favorite of high school junior Michael Rendine, who hopes to be a chef one day and would like a job in a restaurant this summer. Junior Jessica Perez helped patrons try the truffle foie gras.
There were also students from Hudson County Community College's renowned culinary arts program serving up shrimp in mango sauce and other dishes.
Pleased to eat you
At a table inside Lincoln Harbor's food court, Shippen Street resident Anna Marie Iacono said she had a few reasons for appreciating the event.
"It's fun," she said. "It's great to taste everything, and to visit all your friends and neighbors."
"It's a great library event, and a great social event," said Mayor Turner.
Library board Vice President Leona Nersesian said, "It's doing really well. I'm surprised at all the new restaurants. It's different from the last two years."
The event usually raises $3,000 to $4,000 for the library, but Nersesian said it will take months to find out how much they amassed at Thursday's event.
The money will go to educational, historical and other programs at the library.
Other participants included Riverview Gourmet, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, the Horizon Cruise Line, dessert creator Ganache of Hoboken, the Aruba Tourism Authority (which has offices at Lincoln Harbor), King's Fresh Ideas supermarket in Hoboken, and Hoboken-based The People Magnet, which creates and sells chocolate fondue fountains.
To drink, the Weehawken Pathmark offered their company's soda, as well as bottled water. Sparrow Wine & Liquor, with two locations in Hoboken, doled out several types of wine.
New Jersey Assembly Speaker Albio Sires, who also serves as mayor of West New York, was there to partake of the festivities.
"I'm very impressed with the culinary efforts of the high school," Sires said. "The presentation is beautiful, and the food is delicious. The school district should be very proud. I hope they invite me for lunch one day."
Us, too.