Local, seasonal, and packed with flavor — that’s what you can expect from The Kitchen Step’s new fall menu, which made its debut earlier this month.
Executive chef Ryan DePersio and chef de cuisine Nick DeRosa are currently serving their new autumn dishes and invited JC Upfront in for a tasting.
Below is our take on some of the restaurant’s new entrees.
Chicken fried cauliflower w/ sweet peppers, farro, and plum sweet & sour ($12)
-Cauliflower has never tasted this amazing. Each cauliflower “steak” has a perfectly crisp exterior that’s neither oily or soggy. It’s a generously sized appetizer, which makes it great for sharing. (Take note: this dish appears as “chicken fried broccoli” on the menu, but cauliflower was used instead).
NJ tile fish w/ delicata squash, ginger gold apples, sesame, and miso-coconut ($28)
-I’m a seafood lover, so I will always gravitate toward seafood dishes. The tile fish was sweet, delicate, and buttery with medium flakiness. (Tile fish in general is more firm than it is flaky). The crispy skin was a nice contrast to the delicate meat. The delicata squash (which like its name suggests has a delicate skin) along w/ the miso-coconut gave the dish a nice fall-like flavor.
Octopus w/ giardiniera, local potatoes, black olive puree, and “Italian vinaigrette” ($16)
-I love octopus, and The Kitchen Step’s octopus is excellent with crispy exterior bits and a soft, meaty interior. Unfortunately, I’m not an olive fan and this dish is served on a bed of black olive puree (which makes for a beautiful presentation since it looks like ink on the plate). Loved the octopus, but I didn’t like the taste of olives, which was present throughout the dish.
Zucchini “cannelloni” w/ mushroom bolognese, bell pepper, and cashew “ricotta” ($21)
-This vegetarian dish is tasty, filling, and good enough for meat eaters. The “cashew ricotta” (top) is odd looking, but gives the dish a wonderfully nutty flavor. The mushroom bolognese tastes like a traditional meat-based bolognese.
Duck Confit w/ local grains, apple, zaatar, cashew, cumin, tamarind ($27)
-Saving the best for last. Everything in this dish from the duck to the apples and grains are sourced locally in New Jersey. The duck is fatty, juicy, and deliciously tender. It’s not gamey at all, but instead has a mild flavor. Everything about this dish was a win.
The Red Head From The Orchard w/ Misunderstood Whiskey, apple cider, mesquite, lemon, pumpkin seed bitters (served frozen or hot; $14)
-You cannot dine at The Kitchen Step without trying one of their excellent cocktails. (Possibly the best cocktails of any JC restaurant). I’m already a Misunderstood Whiskey fan and this drink has fall vibes all over with a gingery and apple cider-heavy flavor.
Croissant bread pudding w/ red plums, bosc pears ($10)
-How do you make bread pudding tastier? You add croissants. Heavy, creamy, and delicious in every good way possible.
