The restaurant espouses a remarkably egalitarian approach, thanks to a variety of dining experiences.
ON DAY 8 of our best choices in American cuisine, we offer ...
NINETY ACRES
Our fellow countrymen, those who maintain a certain disdain for New Jerseyans, ought to spend an evening in Jackie O country, at the estate of Natirar -- to see not only the pastoral grandeur and historical beauty of this state, but also to bear witness to our visionary attitude.
To note the 14 acres of farmland, the 1,200 wine choices, the Berkshire pigs and Romney sheep. To eat something that's been plucked from the garden or foraged from the woods just hours before, a local harvest that's often presented three ways on the plate, to offer an intensity of tastes and textures.
PLUS: More of 30 Best Meals in N.J. 2015
Ninety Acres was a revolutionary concept when it opened in 2009, the farm at the table, and it remains true to its original mission.
Many of the folks on the opening team -- the chefs who drew up the plans in a basement -- are still, happily, there. And despite the undeniable grandiosity of the estate, the dining room isn't about exclusivity or food as a fetish.
WEDNESDAY: Stockton Inn, Stockton
Ninety Acres is not a place for a $42 carrot, but espouses a remarkably egalitarian approach, thanks to a variety of dining experiences.
Order a more complex a la carte dinner -- cardamom-rubbed quail or artisanal garganelli. But also a sourdough pizza, and spiced and salted nuts at the bar.
Each receives the same reverence from the kitchen. (In fact, chef David C. Felton has a soft spot for pizza.)
Every guest is an aristocrat. This, friends, is what Jersey can be.
• Ninety Acres | 2 Main St., Peapack and Gladstone | (908) 901-9500 | natirar.com
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