Pairings Palate + Plate
“It's BYOB, and they are ready to hook you up with glasses of ice for your scotch, or whatever you need.”
“But in the future I would save this place for a special occasion meal or do the Wednesday night prix fixe menu for $35.”
“I had a hard time deciding on which entrée to get as many of them looked enticing.”
Pairings Palate + Plate
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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So I hadn't been here in years, then found myself here twice in a month for their Wed. night prix fixe. This is such a good deal – you get an appetizer, pasta, entree and dessert for $35/person. The portions are a great size, plus it's byob so you save money on alcohol.
I was impressed not only with the food (I got the salmon both times and it was excellent), but also that in the span of two weeks the menu changed. The service here is also exceptional. One night we were the last table there but they didn't rush us at all which was appreciated. I would happily return here for a night out, and especially on a Wednesday night. It's seriously one of the best deals in town.
First and foremost, it's pricey! $135 dinner for two at a BYO in NJ is expensive. Especially considering that they comped our dessert due to circumstances beyond their control (more on that later).
We were seated promptly at our table for 6, even though only 4 or us arrived on time. Very gracious of them. A manager (perhaps an owner) checked our coats with the confidence that no claim checks were necessary. Upon seating, our server opened our various bottles and poured everything. He was on his game. We were even brought a complementary bite from the chef which was quite tasty. I'll edit when I refresh my memory as to its exact contents.
We were given a basket of fresh bread. The biscuits were terrific! Our server took his time in explaining the menu and recommending what he felt were the strengths of the restaurant as far as both appetizers and mains.
Of the Apps that I tried, all three were excellent. The tuna tartar was fresh and flavorful, but the highlight by far was the crab cake. Very light and not too breaded, the crab was truly allowed to shine and the remoulade was a nice accompaniment. The rib, while tasty, was a little frustrating as it simply fell apart. It just felt over cooked–not to the point of being tough, but it shouldn't quite fall apart on contact.
Our entrees were preempted by near disaster. A patron ad an adjacent table had a medical episode, necessitating paramedics be brought on scene. Thankfully the person was ok and everything turned out to be precautionary. Unfortunately, the paramedics needed space to work and we needed to switch to a table on the other side of the restaurant. Adding further misfortune was that we were informed of this about 1 minute after our entrees arrived and I just about had a forkful before being asked to move. While we obliged without question, the timing of the situation was awkward. As I mentioned earlier, the restaurant cannot be blamed for this.
The pan seared halibut and diver scallops entree was spot on. Properly seasoned, perfectly cooked. I enjoyed the risotto, but it was the red pepper rouille that really brought the dish together. It was the kind of sauce that made you wish you had a light piece of bread to sop up whatever remained.
The salmon was properly cooked as well, and while it was served with brussels sprouts as the menu stated, there were way too many. Only the most dedicated of brussels sprouts lovers would want nearly that many.
We were offered complementary dessert due to the inconvenience of the paramedic incident–a gracious though unnecessary gesture on behalf of the restaurant. While I didn't particularly love any of the other numerous desserts I tried, I really did like the cinnamon ice cream. If I were pressed to choose another highlight, it'd be the peanut butter mousse torte.
All in all a positive experience and a very good meal. Not sure I'm rushing to return based on the price point, but you're certainly getting food that is a cut above the typical restaurant.
Food: I am sure you will like what you order. Everything they served seemed to be pretty well received. Our orders included the arugula salad and the crab cakes to start. The salad was somewhat elegant including what seemed to be some type of fig purée and some other spread. The crab cakes were served with two sauces. One was a bit spicy. The other might have been some type of avocado spread. I preferred the spicy one. Also, while the cakes were good, they were fried and I tend to prefer broiled. I should mention that as soon as we sat down, they gave us a goat cheese covered fig sprinkled with pistachio. We both had the braised short rib with mashed potatoes and carrots for dinner. The whole plate was delicious, but I'd mention that I've never had a bad short rib so while delicious, wouldn't say it stood out. Dessert was the apple cinnamon strudel with ice cream. I'd probably give the dessert a 7 out of 10. Could have been a little bigger for $14.
Service: overall very good. When we walked in the door we were greeted by the woman who owns the place with her husband. She was so nice and inviting. Really a great start to the evening. Our server was also very good. Polite, attentive and knowledgeable. He did seem to get a little lost when we were waiting to order dessert, but he was above average.
Atmosphere: I think this is one of the reasons the place is so busy. Clean, crisp, romantic, white tablecloth, big windows open to busy streets which kind of brings the outside in.
I get it. I can see why many people like this place as much as they do. But for me, despite all the nice things I can say about it, including the fact that it's a BYO, $161 after tip will prevent it from being in the rotation. If they had a killer steak on the menu, that would help tremendously for us. Good luck. Thanks for a nice evening.
Carrot ginger spoonful to start – delightful cleansing of my palate. Bread was warm, soft, and the butter had a lovely equation of thyme, lemon zest and parsley – my goodness, what a start.
Appetizer- pork belly and scallops – the pork belly was heaven in a cube. The scallops, served on a sea shell, a round delight of meaty-full greatness; I wish there was more.
A sorbet palate cleanser followed suit.
I had the duck, medium. A plate mad for god(desses). My goodness. My fireman ordered the rissoto bolognese – also delish, although I do believe mine was better.
Dessert: sundae. Boom. Latte to top of that off.
Oh did I mention BYOB – dear lord. I can't wait to come back.
Our waiter? Andrew. The bomb, extremely knowledgable in all pairings fractions and every single freakin item on the menu.
Couldn't ask for a better Friday night. Thank you!
Pairings does it right in every aspect, from ambiance to the details of every plate's presentation.
**BYOB** and pricey – just off the start. You get what you pay for in every respect here.
I came here for dinner with my wife last weekend as a gift, and we were just blown away by how great every aspect of this experience was for us. You enter into a well-decorated place; professional in every way from the maitre d' greeting you, to the waiter's prompt service throughout the night.
Note: We also received two "gifts" from the chef at the beginning and end of our meal: one was two samples of the spinach puffs, which were delicious. The other were two coconut macaroons for dessert, which were also fantastic.
+Bread
You know this is a deal breaker when I give it its own category in a review. This bread they served was among the best we'd ever had. They serve you two scone biscuits and two pieces of dinner bread with butter. The biscuits were delicious, but the bread melted in your mouth. Coated with a nice soft touch and heated to perfection, these were delicious.
+Appetizer
I got the honey braised ribs and they were unbelievable. The chef cooked all three of them just right. I didn't have to use any force to get the meat off the bone, and the dressing was delicious. Tender, hot, and done perfectly. Nothing to complain about here.
+Entree
I was flirting with the lamb and the bolognese pasta for a few minutes, and ended up letting my ITALIANO side out by going with the bolognese with pancetta. It didn't disappoint in the least.
As I mentioned, this is a pricey place. But you get what you pay for – the presentation of every meal was great (which is where a lot of places fall short), the detail was done perfectly, and the service and feel of Pairings is great.
The negative reviews about price shouldn't be checked out because if you Yelp'd the place prior, you'd see everyone says it's pricey!
If you want a really nice meal (special occasion), or if you just have the money and want to splurge, come here. It won't steer you wrong for a really nice dinner.
I have to give them 5 stars because the food and service continue to be great but for $140 per couple for a salad and an entrée and 1 shared dessert among 4 people, they are about to price themselves out of my "market". Thank goodness for BYOB.
I had the Fig Caesar Salad and it was excellent. I also tasted someone's tuna tartar with guacamole and it too was outstanding. For my main course I had a pasta dish with Bolognese sauce. The sauce was good but not great, and the pasta itself was great. I also tried a friend's halibut over risotto and this dish was incredible.
For dessert, the 4 of us shared the flourless chocolate cake and it was truly a wonderful dessert. In fact, since we were one of the last couples in the restaurant, I thought about trying to make a deal for a couple of more pieces.
Our server Andrew was top-notch too.
They do have a mid week prix fixe menu that may be a more reasonable alternative to the high-priced weekend menu. Yeah I know that for great food I should expect to pay more but that doesn't mean I need to be glad to do it.
Definitely a special occasion place.
I'm updating to 5 stars because I've been a handful of times now and this has easily become my favorite place in town. The service and the extra touches they provide really make it a top notch experience. I've never had a dish I didn't love and the atmosphere is so relaxing and romantic.
This is a great spot if you're looking to impress. The atmosphere is very sophisticated. Service was excellent from the moment we walked in the door. The menu changes daily but I think they have something everyone will enjoy. Very pricey but nice for a special evening. There is plenty of street parking in the area.