Grand Cafe Restaurant -
Review below-By Wilma Hurwitz
Special to Morristown This Week-
The Grand Cafe.
42 Washington Street,Morristown,NJ.
Ph-973-540-9444
Hours: Monday through Friday, 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Sundays: Available for private parties.
Cuisine: Blend of French and Continental cuisines.
Price range: Lunches from $10.50 to $16. Dinner entrees can range from $19.50 to $38.
Outdoor dining: Space for 24-30 guests in the small patio next to the restaurant. Flower planters and shrubbery surround wrought iron chairs and tables with glass tops.
Specialties this summer: Tian (layers of) tomato and buffalo mozzarella with roasted bell peppers and grilled portobello mushroom with a balsamic glaze.
Lunch: Kobe burger, duck sausage, Grand Cafe smoked salmon, pan seared panko crusted tuna, grilled chicken breast with truffle, macaroni and cheese.
Dinner: Alaskan crab and avocado roll, warm lobster salad, pan seared fresh foie gras du jour, Grand Cafe’s classic steak tartare, steamed East Coast day boat halibut, grilled center cut swordfish.
Owners/managers:
Desmond and Alice Lloyd, owners;
Walter Hansberry, general manager;
Kevin Slean, maitre d’.
============================================
Wonderful dining experience. Professional service, excellent food! A few classic dishes, but also some very innovative dishes, try the lobster salad app and the Tuna entree. The decor is historic. Mahogany and oak with several private rooms that you should just ask to see. Its not cheap, but the value is there, no $9.00 baked potato etc. Wine list is impressive, you can go deep, but there is also a lot of reasonable choices. We will go back.
========================================
One of the last outposts of civility. Grand Cafe is what it is; classy and polished; best service in New Jersey with Walter the catering manager and Kevin the maitre d’. Gorgeously decorated during the holidays, and warmed by the piano player on the weekends. Terrific smoked salmon, pork chops, among others. Nicely balanced wine list to cater to different pocketbooks
=======================================
Finally I found a restaurant that gets it. Excellent food, beautiful setting, professional service. My business brings me to restaurants all over the US and Europe, and The Grand Cafe is second to none. I was told about this place by a business associate. When I walked in I thought it was a new restaurant, I was surprised to see they have been in business for 26 years! Many of the same emploees from day one, that says something. I brought clients here who ended up bringing in thier wives a few weeks later. The maitre d’ remembered them and treated them like gold, which has helped me tremendously. If you have an important business meeting and want to ensure its success, go to The Grand Cafe, if you want to impress friends, go to The Grand Cafe. Try the warm lobster salad app. its a one of a kind, also the sauteed veal entree, the rackof lamb, or if they have it the dover sole (they do it right, not like some other spots) and you must have a soufle for dessert.
Pros: Professional service, excellent food, beautiful setting
========================================
Everything stands out at The Grand Cafe…
First, and most importantly, the food is great. We had the Stir Fry Duck as an appetizer. It was a good amount of duck with a very tasty and interesting combination of peanut sauce, mint, and citrus flavors. If that was made larger, it could have been an excellent dinner entree. I had the dover sole, which was a special item that night. It was prepared perfectly in a wonderfully light sauce in addition to great servings of mashed potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, and green beans. My wife got the pork chop which came with risotto. It looked great and the serving was a generous one.
Second, the service. The waiters all are in tuxedos and really put 100% effort and impeccable service into each face-to-face encounter (from the bread, to the menu, to the wine pouring, etc. Excellent. Also, there was no rush, as they told us that they were doing one seating at our table that night. We had the whole night to really soak everything in and relax.
Third, the decor. It is old-world style. A bar, a fireplace, lots of wood every where. Really maintained well. Without proper care, this could look dated. However, they have done a really wonderful job with keeping this looking great.
Dress. For men, wear nice shoes, nice pants, and a jacket. Ties weren’t required. It isn’t a formal place, but it was very dressy there.
Reservations. I don’t know if it is required, but I would most certainly call ahead. The place was at capacity.
Duration : 0:7:25
