High-end Dining: Expectations and Reviews

[BretWeir]

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if anyone ventures to northern NJ, might I recommend Lorena's. First-rate and reasonable. Chef from March, Daniel, Nicholas (also in NJ and likewise worth the trip).

http://restaurantlorena.com

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Lorena's is great -- high-end NYC quality at NJ prices.

Another wonderful place along the same lines is Cafe Matisse in Rutherford.

They don't have traditional courses; instead, it's a "small plate" menu that you can mix and match. So you can pick a six-plate dinner and essentially design a mini-tasting menu of your own.

Also, they don't have a liquor license (Rutherford is a dry town), but there's an attached wine shop with a fantastic selection of bottles and no restaurant markup. Last time I was there I picked up a Leeuwin Estates Art Series Chardonnay for about $85.