By Sally Deering

Alice Troietto and Mattias Gustafsson are familiar faces to the Downtown Jersey City crowd; their Madame Claude Café on 4^th & Brunswick brought French cuisine to the urban dwellers who wanted something more than the usual neighborhood fare. Madame Claude Café has since closed its doors and reopened a bigger and better version of herself just down the street from her old digs.

Meet the new Madame Claude Bis just a few steps off Newark Avenue and down a small stairway where a red curtain beckons hungry city dwellers. Madame Claude Bisâ€s basement bistro casts low lighting and warm wooden tables and chairs that create a warm and friendly atmosphere. Where Madame Claudeâ€s Café seated 32, the Bis (named for how Paris streets are numbered and not “bistro”) seats 80. The Bis also has a wine list and cocktails, unlike the Caféâ€s BYOB policy. And on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 7:30 pm, Gustafsson transforms from restaurateur to balladeer when he and his band, Manouche Bag take to the stage to play gypsy jazz a la legendary Jhengo Reinhardt. The songs are in French and Gustafsson writes most of the bandâ€s repertoire.

Gustafsson and Troietto, who designed the interior, want Madame Claudeâ€s diners to feel comfortable and relaxed, the same feeling diners get in a neighborhood bistro in Paris, Gustafsson says, where the food comes from regional farms. “The restaurants in Paris; nothing comes from Paris.”

Madame Claudeâ€s menu, designed by Gustafsson and Troietto is meant to give diners a taste of the French regions, like Duck Confit from the Southwest of France; Bouillabaisse that hails from the Southeast, a Pork Chop dish inherent of Normandy; and so on.

“Everything is regional,” Gustafsson says. “A typical French bistro will take from different regions.”

Madame Claudeâ€s menu offers Salades, Plats Principaux, Les Assiettes (appetizers) Les Galettes (crepes), and Les Moules Frites (mussels). A sampling from the salad menu includes La Salade de Lentilles aux Pignons (lentil salad with apples and roasted pine nuts); La Salade dâ€Endives aux Betteraves (endive salad with beets and goat cheese or blue cheese). ($9-$11)

From Plats Principaux, there are La Steak Frites (Hanger steak with pepper, shallot or Roquefort sauce); Filet de Saumo au Basilic (sautéed salmon filet served with a basil sauce and vegetables Julienne). ($23-$24)

The Assiettes feature Le Plateau de Fromage (assortment of cheese with apple and grapes); Les Escargots (snails with garlic, butter and parsley sauce); and Brandade Pannee (Cod Fish Cake served with a Chipotle Sauce. $9-$12)

Les Galettes (crepes) include La Vegetarienne (ratatouille and goat cheese) La Sud Ouest (smoked duck breast, apple and caramelized onions); and La Cochonaille (garlic sausage, Swiss cheese with a fried egg on top. ($15-$16)

There are Les Crepes Sucrees (sweet crepes) on the dessert            menu, too, like La Bronzee (chocolate, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce); La Choco Bannane (chocolate with bananas); and La Normande (baked apple and caramel sauce). ($9)

The menu will be updated soon, Gustafsson says, not drastically, though.

“My wife and I designed the menu,” Gustafsson says. “We know what we like, and we can find all the ingredients we need right here. We do specials like Coq au Vin (chicken in red wine), Pot au Feu (beef with veggies) and Cassoulet (casserole). Maybe some of the ingredients arenâ€t exactly as we would have them in France, but theyâ€re doable. The system of distribution in the Tri-State area is great.”

The restaurant is low-key and relaxed; and so are the owners. Gustafsson doesnâ€t seem flustered at all, juggling a restaurant and performing as a singer/songwriter and musician. He actually seems like heâ€s having a ball.

“We perform Tuesday and Thursday nights,” Gustafsson says, “all my original songs and old French songs. Every time we play, thereâ€s good energy in the place. A lot of people say it reminds them of Paris.”

If you go

Madame Claudeâ€s Bis

390 4^th St, JC

(201) 876-8800

www.madameclaudebis.com

Hours: Tues-Wed, 5 pm-11 pm

Thurs-Fri, 5 pm-12 am

Sat, 5 pm-12 am; Brunch, 10 am-4 pm

Sun, 10 am-4 pm; Brunch, 10 am-4 pm

The post CHERCHEZ LA FEMME   Look for the New Madame Claude Bis on 4th Street in JC first appeared on River View Observer.

Angelina’s Restaurant Offers Fine Cuisine in a Cozy Hideaway

The post Bayonne’s Best Kept Secret! first appeared on River View Observer.

Traditional Portuguese Dining and a Bar Lounge with Flair

By Sally Deering       Photos by David Bayne

 If you’re looking for a hip and sexy bar lounge or a great place for Portuguese dining, Port-O Lounge Tapas & Wines on First and Newark Streets fits the bill. Located close to the Grove Street PATH Station in Jersey City, Port-O Lounge Tapas & Wines serves traditional and flavorful Portuguese fare in a sexy and alluring atmosphere just right for dinner with friends or a date with that special someone.

 Filipe Costa, who was born in Portugal, opened the Port-O Lounge in June 2010 and created the beautiful and cozy downtown Jersey City restaurant out of an old Newark Avenue  warehouse. He exposed the red brick, painted the original tin ceilings and added suede-covered chairs, glass-top tables and cozy sitting areas in the lounge. The dining room is formal, yet warm, with linen-topped tables where guests dine by candlelight. The bar is long, sleek and roomy enough for friendly conversation and the kitchen is located at the end of the bar, where the chef prepares traditional Portuguese cuisine and the aromas fill the lounge and restaurant with the scent of  freshly cooked garlic that teases the palate.

 “The idea was to make it as comfortable as possible for our customers,” Costa says.

 Along with a fantastic atmosphere, Port-O Lounge offers a large selection of traditional Portuguese Tapas on its menu that are as yummy as the décor. Tapas, which originated in Spain, are small appetizer-style dishes of pork, seafood, beef and vegetables that can be enjoyed over cocktails, a bottle of wine or a pitcher of Sangria.  As a sampling, Port-O Lounge serves Chorizo Flambe, a smoky, succulent sausage that’s crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside ($9) Fresh Cockles, a small clam dish, very tasty and very traditional in Portugal ($11.50) Fresh Asparagus wrapped with Smoked Salmon ($11.50) and a very typical Portuguese dish, Shredded Codfish with Onions, tiny chopped Potatoes and Scrambled Eggs ($9.50.)

 The dinner menu ranges from $12 to $21.50 and entrees include Seafood Linguine with Scallops, Shrimp and Clams ($14.50) Paella made with Lobster, Shrimp and Clams ($18.95) the traditional Portuguese dish of Marinated Pork Cubes sautéed with Clams and Potatoes ($14.50) Veal Scaloppini and sautéed Spinach topped with Mozzarella with Portuguese Risotto ($19.50) and a Sizzling Strip Steak topped with sautéed Mushrooms and Maitre d’ Sauce ($18.50.)

 For dessert Port-O Lounge serves the Serradura, layer cake with Maria cookies infused with Espresso ($6) the classic Portuguese Almond and Egg Yolk Pudding ($6) White Chocolate Mousse ($6) and the Orange Tart ($6.) Special dessert coffees are just right for after dinner and Port-O Lounge serves Spanish, Italian, Irish and French Coffees ($6-$7.50) and the House Special Port-O Coffee made with Espresso, Portuguese brandy and Portuguese liqueur.

 The Wine List features Portuguese wines from five different regions that range from $20-$180, French wines including a Pinot Noir and Bordeaux from $30-$80 and Italian wines, Chianti and Pinot Grigio from $28-$80.

 Familiar with the many Portuguese restaurants in East Newark, Costa specifically chose downtown Jersey City for his restaurant’s location.

 “I like Jersey City,” Costa says. “I like the feeling of the neighborhood. There’s a lot of activity in the downtown area.”

 And very few downtown restaurants that serve authentic Portuguese cuisine.

 “Portuguese cuisine incorporates many of the ingredients of Mediterranean food,” Costa says. “The ingredients have to be fresh and then we prepare them as simple as possible. We don’t overdo it with ingredients, spices and sauces. If you’re having fish, you have to be able to taste the flavor of that particular fish.”

 Port-O Tapas & Wines

286 First Street

Jersey City, NJ

201-420-9550

www.portolounge.com

Hours:  Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sun: 12 noon-Midnight

Fri, Sat: 12 noon-3 am

Kitchen is open noon to 11 pm, Tues-Sun

The post Port-O Tapas and Wines Lounge in Jersey City is a Sexy Hotspot Serving Fine Portuguese Cuisine first appeared on River View Observer.