Turkey and ham might dominate dinner tables between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, but that’s not stopping two talented chefs from reminding local foodies that there are plenty of other delicious dishes to unwrap this holiday season with their debut restaurant, Porter.
Opening Tuesday, December 8, in Weehawken, this modern-American gastropub is the brainchild of co-chefs Christopher Lim and Tara Glick, who met while working at Marc Forgione’s American Cut in Atlantic City. With such a prestigious pedigree, the expectation for them to deliver something special to our local dining scene is definitely high, but based on what we’ve heard through the grapevine so far (and there’s a lot of good buzz about this place), we believe Porter might just be able to pull it off!
So, what’s the deal here, you ask? Start with a dinner menu loaded with shareable small plates, coal-fired entrees, wood-fired pizzas, and more. Standouts include Grilled Avocado with kaluga caviar, sorrel, and yuzu dressing; Foie Gras Butter & Toast with white chocolate, gooseberries and almonds, and Potato Tortelloni with brisket, leeks and black garlic broth. From there, it just keeps getting better, with a mix of traditional, hand-crafted pizzas – like the Black and White Pizza with cauliflower, fior di latte, fontina, and black truffle paste; and The Mott Street with sausage, peperonata, cherry peppers, provolone, and aged mozzarella – each delivered to the table straight from Porter’s wood-fired oven. Other entree highlights include the dry-aged Porterhouse with salsa verde and pommes dauphine, and Duck Breast served with farro, baby turnips, and burnt honey gastrique.
Besides those savory selections, there’s also plenty of sweet to be found on the dessert menu, all made in-house by Glick, Porters’ executive pastry chef. Plates to watch include the flourless Candy Bar Cake with chocolate ganache, toasted marshmallow, and hazelnut, and Tiramisu Affogato, served with zabaglione ice cream (it tastes kinda like eggnog) and espresso pour over. And just in case you didn’t manage to save room for dessert (shame on you!), get it to go or stop back another time to the restaurant’s in-house cafe and bakery, Porter Provisions, which showcases Glick’s house-made pastries and ice cream, La Colombe coffee, and a nicely curated assortment of gourmet and small-batch condiments, jams, sauces, and more.
Equally tasteful is the 4,000-square-foot dining space with plenty of perfectly socially distanced seating, live-edge wood tables, a wood-burning pizza oven direct from Italy, a charcoal-burning Spanish grill, and views of the kitchen. There’s also an elegant bar area, where guests can imbibe a robust selection of domestic and imported draft beer, wines from around the globe, and seasonal signature cocktails. Additional seating can be found on the outdoor patio, which boasts plenty of heat lamps to keep everyone comfy during a cold snap.
For now, Porter is dinner-service-only, but rest assured, weekend brunch is coming soon. We can’t wait to see what they’ll whip up when the time comes.
Porter 1100 Ave at Port Imperial, Weehawken (551) 258-0648
For more information, please visit www.porterportimperial.com, call 551-258-0649, or email info@porterportimperial.com. Follow Porter on Instagram at @porterportimperial.
