Restaurant Nicholas   

160 State Route 35
Red Bank, NJ 7701
732-345-9977
www.restaurantnicholas.com

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Nicholas is the kind of place to save your pennies and hoard your appetite in anticipation of a visit. Assign to it the most extravagant and romantic occasion for pagan rejoicing you'll be encountering in the next year. Nicholas Harary was the sommelier of Jean-Georges, a first-rate New York restaurant, before opening his own showcase to rapturous applause. Harary and his wife Melissa, herself a former New York City sommelier, have a direct hand in every part of the meal; they see it to that the highest standards of both preparation and presentation are observed. The menu changes with the seasons and is served in varied prix-fixe offerings, one of which is vegetarian. A typical dish might pair foie gras with bing cherries and almond foam, settle a Long Island duck breast on a pool of pureed dates with a corn pancake, or drape pickled Honshimejii mushrooms on a plate with Icelandic cod and smoked fingerling potatoes. Aside from a wine list that favors small, independent producers and unusual grapes (viognier, tempranillo, gruner veltliner) without neglecting Louis Jadot or Chateau Margaux, there is a selection of mostly French cheeses to accompany the tasting menu. Lavish your attention on light desserts like honeydew melon soup with sour cream ice cream or decadent options like Vahlrona chocolate cake or banana souffle.