The website hasn’t been updated. Still has Chef Peter as owner and chef.
Going there with friends in about a week. I pass it all the time but we have never dined there. Seafood byo is hard to find.
I’ve been going there on and off for about 20 years. It was never a ‘seafood’ restaurant although there were seafood dishes.
I am confused - the name of the restaurant is PF Seafood Market? And looking at the menu and it is mostly seafood. Is this the same place?
My mistake. I thought you were talking about Cafe Matisse.
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Yes. PF market IS a Seafood restaurant, or at least 90% seafood. The sign outside the restaurant simply says “SEAFOOD “. I recommend the grilled octopus with EVOO and Italian long hot peppers as an appetizer. There is more than 1 octopus dish on the menu so make sure you order the correct one. There’s always some specials, with the soft shell crabs being one this time of year, as well as a couple of fresh caught fish.
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PF Market is one of my favorite seafood restaurants in the area.
Happy to meet you there, Mike.
Has anyone been to Matisse (now called Matisse 167) since it was sold?
Ethan, yes. My wife and I went with a couple other board members about a month ago. Extremely disappointing. Huge step down from how good it used to be.
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I thought it was terrible before so amazing it got even worse.
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It had been years since we went. I thought it was very good back in the day. Maybe Chef/Owner just got tired.
Back in the late 90s we would take the whole restaurant over for some huge wine dinners.
Food just felt incredibly dated, lots of gloppy sweet sauces, too many ingredients on the plate. Also terrible service and awful wine glasses. Cruise ship food, if you will. Does look like the menu is still the same unfortunately.
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I mentioned this in another thread but Ram and Rooster in Metuchen needs your attention. Excellent meal and service.
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For 30+ years Cafe Matisse was rated as one of the top few restaurants in NJ by Zagat and other critics. Peter Loria, the original owner/chef created uniques dishes. he combined ingredients that one wouldn’t think would go together, yet together, it played like a symphony orchestra in the mouth
It was our “go to” for special occasion.
After 37 years, Peter sold earlier this year.
My wife and I had dinner there at the end of June. While it was not as good as it was we enjoyed it and would go back. When we do, I will add to this thread.
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Two Fish - Was there last week. Wonderful. Best meal I’ve had in ages.
Park Place - Equally as good. Different style.
I don’t live in NJ but visit friends there frequently.
Delighted to see this thread, as we struggle MIGHTILY to find worthwhile BYOB in NJ, especially Union county et environs. (MikeS1 and Jay, we second a lot of what is on your lists.)
A few random comments:
Can someone please explain to me why so many people talk about Jessica’s Cafe being great? We thought it was same-old NJ Italian for very high prices. (It is 5 min away from us.)
Bistro d’Azur in South Orange doesn’t seem to be on the radar. Beautiful inside! Also, nice outdoor seating in good weather. My only quibble with them is that the menu doesn’t really change, but what is on it is tasty, quality, and has a lot of variety (mostly French with touches of Moroccan, etc - they regularly have venison…). (I also really need to give them an extra shout-out because they offered the loveliest, most reasonably priced Rosh Hashanah take-out menu I’ve ever seen. We are too far to do take-out from them, but I have to give them props!)
Prime & Beyond is THE BEST steakhouse! We’ve known the owner “Q” for 15 or so years, ever since they first started serving meals in what was a butcher shop. The meat is fabulous, the sides are better than the usual steakhouse stuff, and it’s BYOB! Only problem is it’s tiny.
In Garwood, Black Sheep Provisions is terrific and offers reasonable corkage. Seasonal and someone in the kitchen cares. Affiliated with a local, outstanding butcher (only for aged beef).
Can we please keep this thread going and current for any other gems folks find? TIA
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Welcome to the Board Eden.
Jessica’s Cafe moved and expanded and is now Jessica’s Restaurant. 7 of us had a delicious meal there last night drinking a bunch of ‘99 burgundies and some champagne. Blood sausage (new on the menu) was one of the best I’ve had. Meatballs and seafood crepe are always good. Octopus was so-so. I had the duck special for my entree which was outstanding.
I’m a fan of Bistro d’Azur but like you said the menu doesn’t change much.
The butcher you speak of, F.A. DeRose, will be moving to a larger location in Mountainside in a couple weeks. They will also be expanding their selections with lamb and pork. I can’t wait to try their lamb. The prime beef is so good. Going there tomorrow to get a porterhouse and some beef bones to make beef stock.
Hi Paul! I think you’re over in Cranford? We’re in Scotch Plains on the south side.
Maybe we need to dine out at Jessica’s with you some time, so I can have the experience that everyone else seems to have had. 
Thanks for the scoop about F.A. DeRosa. I saw the sign on the old Daimatsu (in mourning over their closing - their specials menu was phenomenal!) but wasn’t sure the details. Their ribeye is GORGEOUS. Excited to hear that they are going to be expanding their options!
Sounds good. We can drag Jay down too.
Hi,
I too am an outlier on Jessica’s. Granted I haven’t been there that many times, but it has always felt like a quantity over quality place to me.
I’ve never eaten at BdA but I’ve looked at the menu and it looks very old school French which I would I probably wouldn’t enjoy…and if I’m going that far, I’d probably just go to Montclair.
Prime and Beyond - never heard of it…now super interested. Editied to add that I see it’s in Fort Lee. I’m sure it’s great, but before I’m heading to Fort Lee, I’m going to NYC.
Black Sheep - 5 minutes (or less) from my house. I think the food is very good. I never even thought of BYO. Will have to do it. Hard to get a reservation though. As an aside, the GM at Black Sheep really knows hospitality. A few days after having a stunningly bad meal at Bernadette’s in Fanwood with maybe the worst service I’ve ever experienced anywhere, we went to Black Sheep. My wife ordered the burger and it came cold. I was so gun shy from our Bernadette experience that I hesitated to send it back. But I did…the GM came over right away and handled it perfectly.
FA Derosa - Prices not for the faint of heart. Quality is off the charts. Huge fan.