Dining
w it h Draz
Last month, we tried a brand spanking new restaurant, so this month we thought
we would visit an established name, so off we went to the Nauvoo Grill Club. It has
been there for years and still looks as fresh as the day it opened. The Nauvoo – with
furniture – really captures the essence of autumn. It has always been on my list of
most attractive eateries on the shore. You feel like you’re in a ski lodge somewhere in
Vermont or Colorado. It’s a familiar spot for the Rumson/Fair Haven crowd and worth
booking holiday parties now along with a big, friendly bar with live entertainment on
select evenings, so there are many ways to enjoy the casual yet sophisticated vibe of
this beautiful space.
The staff is welcoming and attentive, which is so nice to see in these days of
stressed-out servers. They cheerfully got us to our table, and we settled into our seats
for a relaxing evening of good conversation and, of course, food. We selected three
chili mayo and pineapple relish. These large shrimp were juicy, and the sweet chili
mayo added a twang to their mild heat so everyone can enjoy. We also had the Mediterranean
Mezze Plate, an assortment of hummus, eggplant caponata, baba ganoush,
olives and toasted pita chips. The chips were fried hard and
very crunchy, so ask for a light toast it you like them softer,
and ask them to bring more if your party is more than two.
Our third appetizer and my favorite were the Spring Rolls.
The plump starters are stuffed with roasted chicken, corn,
avocado, cheddar jack and chipotle aioli. Despite a southwestern
line-up of ingredients, they were actually timid,
but quite satisfying and large enough to share.
We also had the Beet Salad, which was quite nice. It
comes with purple and gold beets, goat cheese, walnuts
and a honey balsamic dressing. Everything was cut just
right for easy eating. The beet-niks at the table split the
salad, and the chef was nice enough to serve it on two
plates, making it even easier to dive in.
COST – Moderate
WHAT WE LIKED – You can’t beat the décor, so warm and woodsy with its eyecatching
views from each angle. The comfortable furniture and good acoustics.
The sophisticated yet casually welcoming vibe. The friendly staff from Cynthia, our
hostess, to Jeff, our bartender to Genisis, our server.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER – A little more seasoning in general
36 OCTOBER 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LORI DRAZ
Nauvoo Grill Club
Nauvoo Grill Club is located at 121 Fair Haven Rd. in Fair Haven. 732-747-8777.
NauvooGrillClub.com. They’re open Monday through Thursday 4:30 to 10 pm,
Friday and Saturday 4:30 to 11 pm, and Sunday 4:30 to 9 pm.
We give Nauvoo Grill Club four and a half Js
Now for the
entrées. Diner one
picked the Mexican
Burger, which is actually
served as a
wrap, stuffed with
ground beef, avocado,
pepper jack
and spicy mayo.
She paired hers
with a generous
side order of the
steak fries which
were really meaty
and crispy. She loved the non-traditional wrap presentation
of the burger, commenting that all the ingredients worked
well together. She also noted that the beef was really juicy
which means that any of the other burger selections, served
on brioche buns, are sure to be just as good.
Diner two chose Cajun Mahi Mahi which comes with
sliced avocado, rice, black beans and pico de gallo. It’s a col-
-
nents reminded him of a day out of the docks. It’s a nice pick
I picked the Herb and Parmesan Crusted Cod, in a crab
and corn chowder sauce with Yukon gold potato cubes. I really
loved that corn chowder sauce. I thought it was a clever
this was a good piece. I thought it could have used a little
more seasoning, but I must say it was well done.
We ordered three scoops of chocolate, vanilla and
strawberry Gelato and two more desserts: a slice of a dense
and moist Carrot Cake and a seasonally inspired Apple Cake.
If you are looking for a traditional carrot cake experience,
this one delivers – deep and
spicy with a rich mouth feel.
The apple cake was my favorite
of the three. It had a homemade,
farmstand kind of taste
with little chunks of apple in
a vanilla cake base with just a
hint of spice.
There is a parking lot
with valet available.
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/NauvooGrillClub.com