A Rod from a Different Time & Space

Jill: “What kind of food would you like for your birthday?”

Jack: “Whatever youuuuuu would enjoy, my love.”

Jill: “Why are you talking that way?”

Jack: “What doooooo youuuuuu mean?”

Jill: (silence and THAT look)

Jack: “Moo.”

And with that, my love knew what I was looking for; a good ole fashion, American piece of bovine.

Jill had given me several options without naming a specific locale. All I knew was, it would be ‘up north’ (aka, North Jersey, that is). I picked her up and she directed me to our destination. Pulling up I then realized we would be dining at Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille. This restaurant/bar is simply a CLASSIC!

The restaurant’s design features rich wood paneling and highly polished brass that lend a classic elegance to the sophisticated dining experience. They also offer an intimate and unique experience; dinner aboard the private Parlour Cars (we dined in the main restaurant). Formerly the private domain of the rich and famous, these beautifully refurbished, turn-of-the-century railway cars are exquisitely complimented by the haute cuisine of the culinary team. It’s a step-back in time to the Victorian era.

We were a wee bit early for our reservation (by design, mind you) and took a seat at the bar where we enjoyed cocktails. The bar is lively and the tenders quite attentive and friendly. Mixing our conversation with those around us, it was a welcoming environment and simply a great vibe!

In time, the hostess ‘fetched’ us escorting us upstairs to our table where we sat right along the polished brass rail looking down at the lower dining room. The ambiance is simply amazing and though some were dressed a wee bit casual, we were dressed to the nine’s! Being attired as we were and surrounded by the ‘old world’ elegance of the establishment, we felt as though we had time-traveled to another era, one where we would rub shoulders with those of Morgan’s, Carnegie’s and Rockefeller’s. It was perfect. Our server was a very attentive and engaging young man (smitten with Jill, no doubt).

We started with… wait for it… wait for it… OYSTERS! Readers of our posts surely know that oysters are ALWAYS in season for Jack-n-Jill.

(As an aside… Oysters have been considered a natural aphrodisiac for hundreds of years and are widely used to increase sex drive and desire. Oysters are extremely rich in zinc, which is essential for testosterone production and maintenance of healthy sperm. And even though women have much less testosterone than men, it also plays a key part in the female libido. Oysters also boost dopamine, a hormone that increases libido in both men and women. All this being said, we simply eat them because the sea boogers taste so yummy!)

The blue point oysters were perfectly shucked and quite inviting. After putting down a dozen or so, we moved on to our main course.

If there is one thing Jill gets weak-in-the-knees for its risotto (the site of me in all my glory is a close second!).  With that, she went with the Scallops… crispy seared-to-perfection with wild mushrooms, truffle risotto, parmigiano-reggiano and grilled asparagus. I, on the other hand, went with a piece of cow; the filet mignon (d-rool, d-rool!). As sides we had both the Brussel sprouts with Applewood bacon (because EVERYTHING is better with bacon) and the lobster mac-n-cheese (tons of lobster in smoked Gouda). It was simply divine. Of course, the ONLY thing that could go with such a fine meal is a glorious bottle of wine.

Though Rod’s offers a generous wine menu, we opted to bring our own (they charge a small corkage fee) from our ever-growing wine cellar. This evening we decided upon a special bottle we brought back from an excursion to Napa; a Robert Mondavi 2016 Reserve To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon. It offers flavors of rich black berries and black plum, dried herb complexity, sweet oak spices, vanilla bean, and toasted almonds unfolding in mesmerizing layers. Simply D-lish!

With that, we settled into our dinner with the conversation as stimulating as the table offerings. We passed the evening away laughing and sharing. It was so very enjoyable and added to the many memories we share. Passing on the ‘standard’ dessert, we focused on our grapes full-well knowing another type of dessert awaited us in short time (it’s like being a teenager again!).

Leaving Rod’s we determined we would venture back again, if anything, to pass some time at the bar enjoying cocktails and a small bite while we slipped back into another age.