Lunch at Prune

By Pat Tanner

As noted in this space recently, Jersey girl Gabrielle Hamilton is among the nominees for this year’s James Beard award as best chef in NYC. A recent lunch at her Lower East Side restaurant, Prune, provided ample confirmation why she is a contender.

Her competitors for the award are ensconced at Gramercy Tavern, Picholine, WD-50, and The Modern. That’s pretty heady company for a what started out in 1999 as a quirky, unpretentious restaurant that seats about thirty but which Frank Bruni of The New York Times describes as “a small restaurant with a large footprint” because of how influential Hamilton’s robust, highly personal style has become.

How quirky is it? Before I share some examples, let me assure you that every morsel was superb. If you haven’t dined here, take my word for it that you will enjoy, e.g., the onion sandwich with fried chicken livers, or bacon and marmalade on pumpernickel toast. Another sandwich combines prepared oatmeal with peanut butter, brown sugar, and fried Trenton pork roll.

Hamilton hails from a talented culinary family. She is the daughter of Jim Hamilton of Lambertville’s Hamilton’s Grill Room, and her sister, Melissa, was an editor at Saveur magazine. Gabrielle, whose childhood nickname was Prune, writes occasionally for The New York Times and her first cookbook - “Blood, Bones and Butter” – will be published soon.

Not everything at Prune is as out-there as the oatmeal sandwich. Take the grilled tuna sandwich with aioli and arugula, above. Only half a sandwich is pictured because the other half was demolished in the time it took for me whisk out my camera. The same held true for a bowl of crispy-skin cod in saffron broth and a dessert of brandied, beer-battered cherries.

The dinner menu is even more exciting, and brunch is exceptional. Check them all out at: prunerestaurant.com

And the Winner Is…New Jersey!

David Burke Photo courtesy of davidburke.com

By Pat Tanner

You may have read by now that the nominees for - and some winners in non-competitive categories of - this year’s James Beard Awards were announced last week. If so, I hope you took pride in the fact that two of New Jersey’s own have already been named winners and two more Jerseyans are among the nominees in very prestigious categories. Here’s the rundown:

David Burke of David Burke Fromagerie, etc.
The Beard Foundation inducts the crème de la crème of the food and beverage world into its Who’s Who, and this year Jersey boy David Burke is among the chosen, cited for his groundbreaking restaurants, innovative product development (including signature GourmetPops), cookbooks, and long list of culinary accolades.

Mustache Bill’s Diner, Barnegat Light
Each year the Awards committee names as “America’s Classics” five small, regional eateries that have been serving good, down-home fare for generations. Several years back Atlantic City’s favorite sub shop, White House, was one. This year, Bill Smith, the owner of Mustache Bill’s (who, by the way, has never sported a mustache), is being recognized for his 35-plus years of making good food from scratch (!) at his diner.

Maricel Presilla of Cucharamama (and Zafra), Hoboken
Let’s hope the third time’s a charm for this Hoboken restaurateur, who is nominated once again for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region. Presilla also happens to be a scholar and world authority on chocolate. Her two restaurants have been very favorably reviewed in the pages of New Jersey Life (oh yes, and elsewhere).

Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune, NYC
No, I am not under the delusion that New Jersey has annexed the East Village, which is home to the restaurant Prune. But owner/chef Gabrielle Hamilton, who is nominated for Best Chef in New York City, grew up in Lambertville and is the daughter of restaurateur Jim Hamilton of Hamilton’s Grill Room.

Winners of the 2009 James Beard Awards will be announced at a ceremony and gala in NYC, open to the public, on May 4th. For ticket information and the full roster of nominees visit jbfawards.com.