A Toute Heure
“However, keep in mind that it's BYOB and you're paying for ingredients that the team sources locally and buys fresh.”
“Dessert was apple tart with roasted almond ice cream and chocolate flourless cake.”
“We love ATH…farm to table restaurants are everywhere now but this was one of the first ones that I knew of, when they first opened.”
A Toute Heure
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Love this place every time I go! Love that it's locally sourced…you can tell!
Finally found an excuse to go here with two other couples this past Saturday night. With so many dining options in Essex county, we weren't sure if it was worth a quick drive south on the parkway! But after reading so many glowing Yelp reviews, we had been looking forward to our reservation (which, just FYI, needed to be held with a credit card) for weeks.
This French bistro/farm to table hybrid is truly interesting in concept and the farmhouse feel of the small space, despite being on the "main" street in Cranford, was lovely. The service was so welcoming and personal…the owner who oversees the sibling restaurant across the street came over after our meal to chat and ensure we had a nice dining experience. We sat by the French doors open to the street on what was a gorgeous spring night.
To start, the marinated mixed olives were scrumptious-plump, juicy and seasoned beautifully. The homemade rolls glistened on the tray and the coarse sea salt which adorned them was spot on. Do not skip the bread! And I always forego the bread in favor of dessert!
We ordered the lobster dip with toasted points (not my thing-creamy and a little odd in texture/presentation) and two different pots of mussels, an obvious specialty as they have 4 different broths from which to choose. We had the Kara and Nick which garnered mixed reviews. Portions were gigantic and they give plenty of bread to soak up the broth, but the seasoning was just meh and the shellfish themselves were small and not as tasty as we expected.
The swordfish filets were the catch of the day and were spectacular. Cooked to perfection and garnished with a salad of julienned carrots and greens from the garden. Yum! I tasted my friend's steak frites, meat was cooked nicely and medium rare, but was on the tough side. The cups of frites both with the steak and mussels did not disappoint. All three guys had the crispy poussin. Good, not knock your socks off. The side of grilled broccoli rabe with anchovies and chili flakes was absolutely the standout for me in terms of the entree course…wow! I have never had anything like this as a side of greens before-perfect spice, just enough fat, really wonderful.
Dessert was a mixed bag…the crepes were disappointing but the apple torte cake, caramel gelato and the cocoa nib homemade ice cream were amazing. Yes, worth ordering an assortment of the homemade ice creams. Our pot of French press coffee was also wonderful and the steamed milk perfection. BYO makes this place such a bargain and we thoroughly enjoyed.
This place has a lot going for it and given the difficulty of getting a prime time reservation and the packed house we observed that night, it is obvious they're doing many things right. I just wasn't blown away by the signature mussels or entree courses enough to warrant four stars. That said, we would make the 25 minute drive again and hope to have an even better meal next time. Thank you, ATH!
Food: I had dinner with my wife and we split two "bites" (smaller than app) to start. The first was a small bowl filled with hummus, goat cheese, beets, some other veggies and a soft boiled egg. I liked it, but my wife wasn't big on it. It is certainly a unique dish, but I'm not sure I'd get it again. We also split the fresh mozzarella. It was served with some type of green sauce and toast. This was pretty delicious and probably something we'd get again. Main courses included the tomahawk bone-in ribeye for my with with fries on the side and I ordered the scallops which were served over quinoa cakes and a yogurt purée with root veggies on the side. Both were delicious and something we'd order again. To finish, we had the peach and apple cake with vanilla ice cream and we added a scoop of salted caramel ice cream on top. Awesome. Might double up on this next time.
Service: well above average. You're greeted by the owner after you take your seat. He goes through the menu and just makes you feel very welcomed to be there. The servers are polite and know the menu.
Atmosphere: small, most would describe as cute, clean, welcoming, tight, but not stuffy, fair amount of Windows, comfortable, good for a date night or dinner for four, but not larger groups.
Misc: BYOB. It's easy to see why it's near impossible to get a Saturday night reservation. We'll definitely be back, but only for special occasions. $150 after tip.
The farm to table, locally sourced, idea is always a refreshing find in a restaurant. The location is very small and incredibly popular so make a reservation well in advance. I hear they add tables outside in the warmer months so it's a little easier to get a table. Service was top notch from the moment we entered. This is a BYOB place so plan accordingly. The menu is a little eclectic so if you are, or are dining with, a picky eater check the menu before you go. Everything we ordered was delicious. This is one of the few places I've seen affogato on the dessert menu and it was presented so nice.
Overall really nice atmosphere and great food. It is pricey and ridiculously loud inside. The crowd is a little on the uppity side. Go at least once.
I finally got myself here!
Stopped in for lunch on a Tuesday at noon (when they open) and had the place to ourselves. It's a small but adorable place. Simple rustic decor that was well lit with natural light from all the windows.
Our server was lovely and personable.
I ordered the tomato soup with a side of frites with garlic aioli. It was just enough in terms of quantity. The food was good. But. I was underwhelmed. I have always heard such amazing things about this place yet I felt my meal was just average. I will certainly give it another shot – dinner next time. Perhaps it was the lunch menu that didn't grab me.
Here's to a great second visit!
My first foray into North Jersey was a pleasant one, getting brunch at A Toute Heure in Cranford. It was a rainy Sunday morning so it was super easy to park and walk in right as the restaurant opened. A Toute Heure holds brunch on the last Sunday of each month. Apparently reservations go fast but we were lucky to be seated as a walk-in with no wait. I had the Croque Madame, described on the menu as a "grain croissant, topped with mustard, prosciutto, gruyere mornay sauce & a sunny-side-up egg, with a side of ATH frites and roast garlic aioli." Delicious! Probably the best brunch I've had since moving to NJ. We also had the beignets and duck croquettes. It's a cute little bistro worth the nearly hour drive to get to.
This place doesn't deserve the hype…
The ambiance and simple rustic decor is sort of what you would find in the provencal countryside, but the food is pale in comparison.
They flaunt the best local ingredients Jersey/NY have to offer…Griggstown, Tamarack, Happy Valley. But even these ridiculously amazing ingredients can't make this food good.
They feature their mussels and I've tried all of them. The mussels are fresh, it is just that the sauces are clunky with no flavor focus or kapow, which is what you would expect for $16 (half) and $30 (full) a portion. Kara's mussel pot with spicy chorizo sausage, saffron cream sauce is I guess supposed to be a southern spain/french/mexican tribute. For me it was inedible with chunks of sausage floating in a miserable take of cream sauce.
The ATH steak frites is a marinated + grilled (thank you for doing your job) Happy Valley strip steak (party) with house-made steak sauce (doesn't steak frites come with bernaise, or red wine or even an au poivre sauce with cognac – don't reinvent the wheel unless you can do it better) black pepper onion jam (ok) + a side of ATH frites (hmmm – what is so special?) with a roast garlic aioli // 42 (Really?)
The local sea scallops, cauliflower-leek puree, seared onion agrodolce, roasted Tammarack Hollow Farm's cauliflower, rosemary // 34 (Boring and heavy at the same time?)
Some stuff like the pate is a value for what it is. But for the most part this place is an attempt at french.
if you want french go to Verjus in maplewood. The decor is funeral home circa 1987 but the food will blow your mind.
Ok, and my last point is this… don't name yourself "at all hours" if you need an abacus, calculator and lunar tracking device to figure out your hours. Grr….
Wonky hours works in Europe, but in NJ…C'mon.
See below if you care…It's hilarious.
When are you open?
Lunch: Tuesday – Friday (12 noon – 2 pm); walk-in seating, reservations accepted for larger parties of 5 or more only.
Dinner: Tuesday – Saturday (5 pm – 10 pm); reservations recommended.
"2nd Saturday":
The second Saturday of each month, we offer extended daytime hours, we are open from 12 noon – 10 pm with our full menu!
"Last Sunday Brunch": The last Sunday of each month, we offer an a la carte brunch from 10:30 am – 1:30 pm.
*For all services, except lunch, we recommend reservations!
This place is amazing! Everything that I've had from here has been excellent. The menu changes every month, which gives you a reason to come back and experience the different tastes of each season.
On a recent trip in October 2014, I ventured out of my comfort zone and ordered the goat. The dish was served in a large bowl with Brussels sprouts and had a whey broth at the bottom. At first I wasn't sure what to expect, but I trusted that ATH never fails! When taking a bite of the goat, Brussels sprouts, and whey all at the same time there was so much flavor unlike anything I've ever had before.
The muscle pots are excellent. Once you finish the muscles you will want to keep spooning out the broth or soaking it up with bread. It's just too good to leave behind!
If you are visiting ATH during the fall, definitely order the apple cake. It's a perfect ending to your meal on a autumn night. The cake was served warm a la mode style with a delicious homemade berry ice cream.
The ambience is romantic and quiet in a little cozy room. They decorate very nicely for each season. ATH focuses on the local vendors for their ingredients which adds to the charm and freshness of the food.