The Cassidy

we stopped in to the bar last night, and it was packed, and it was pretty loud.  It wasn't so loud that you couldn't have a conversation at the bar with the person next to you, but it was difficult to hear the bartender at times.  Anyhow, had the brussels sprouts and the buffalo cauliflower which were both very good.  We also had a sangiovese/cab that went very well with the sprouts.  We split a grilled cheese sandwich, and it's the first dish I've had there that was kind of meh.  Not bad by any means, but it was nothing special. Now on to the much-maligned ketchup.  The sandwich came with a side of fries, that were very good. Came out of the kitchen nice and not, and not greasy.  They are served with a side of what the house calls ketchup.  It would probably be better described as a "steak sauce."  All that said, I really liked it even though it's not really ketchup.  It's a little sweet, and we were trying to figure out the spices.  I thought there might be clove in it.  My wife identified another flavor as tarragon.  I never eat ketchup on fries, only on my burgers.  But I really liked the Cassidy ketchup with my fries.  Other people might as well (as long as they're not expecting "ketchup.")

we had our 1st dinner last nite.  sat in the back just past the kitchen window.  noise level there -no issues. food was very good-we had both salads, both very good and a generous portion.  I had the brisket which I enjoyed-the potato pancakes were very crispy & tasty ( but a little too salty)  red cabbage was ok.  my wife had two sides for dinner-brussel sprouts and the cauliflower, both pretty good.  the bar was hopping and very noisy as I walked to the mens room.  mens room-I cannot believe that there is only one urinal and 1 stall.  there had to be over 100 people there, that being said, I did not have to wait.  I thought the prices were very competitive for dinner.  I had two beers and wife had two $10 glasses of wine.  also thought the pour (little carafe) was a good amount.  I think the menu could be expanded though-dinner choices are limited.  looks like we will add to the rotation.

oots

Went about 2 weeks ago - the cocktails are the best part of the place. Also had a bunch of appetizers with our drinks including the Brussel sprouts, House Fries, Crab Cake, Drum stick Chicken and the Hummus. The Crab Cake was outstanding, the sprouts and fries were pretty good, but the Chicken and Hummus were just bland and ordinary. IMO they really need to up the flavor quotient and expand the menu a bit to compete with Coda. We also had the tiniest dessert - a dark chocolate cranberry tart. It was good, but was it tiny! 

All in all, a good vibe in there, and we didn't find it too loud in the dining area. Loved watching the trains pull in to the station! 

I wasn't going to write a review, but here it goes.

Went about a week ago for some drinks and something to eat. It was pretty much exactly what i thought it would be...

The menu is nothing I haven't seen before, and I would hardly categorize this place as a "farm-to-table" anything.

I had a chicken sandwich, which was literally 3 small pieces, when I took off the bun and cut it up. This is just wrong! The hummus was, well hummus, and I'm convinced that the pita that came with it, was purchased at Kings, across the street. Nothing special here.

The fish that we tried was un-inspired and un-seasoned.

The wine, this has been covered here, already. For $14 a glass, Tom, don't be stingy with your pour and try to pass off the exact measurement as part of the presentation. IMO, this is just being cheap and showing your customers that you don't really care about them—just pour the wine!

Bottom line:  If you like CODA, you will LOVE this place. I don't like either, and won't be back.

Good luck though

Zeus2112 said:

I had a chicken sandwich, which was literally 3 small pieces, when I took off the bun and cut it up. This is just wrong! 

It was three small pieces ... when you cut it up. Clarify?

DaveSchmidt said:

Zeus2112 said:

I had a chicken sandwich, which was literally 3 small pieces, when I took off the bun and cut it up. This is just wrong! 

It was three small pieces ... when you cut it up. Clarify?

I took the bun off.

The piece of chicken was so insultingly small, thin and meager, that I was able to  literally cut it into 3 tiny pieces. Plus, it was just tasteless, like the other dishes we tried.

Won't be going back.

Zeus2112 said:

I took the bun off.

The piece of chicken was so insultingly small, thin and meager, that I was able to  literally cut it into 3 tiny pieces.

OK, thanks. It was just that it put me in mind of someone who made his complaint about undersize food only worse by tearing it into smaller pieces.

When and why did "inspired" and "uninspired" become part of the lexicon of restaurant reviews? I don't go to restaurants and bars to be "inspired," so when people say a dish wasn't particularly inspiring, it seems to me they're looking for something negative to say without really saying anything.

I will agree, it's not a five-star restaurant that will make national news and earn Michelin stars, but I'm not aware that ever was the intention and it's certainly not what they promise.

apple44 said:

When and why did "inspired" and "uninspired" become part of the lexicon of restaurant reviews? I don't go to restaurants and bars to be "inspired," so when people say a dish wasn't particularly inspiring, it seems to me they're looking for something negative to say without really saying anything.

FWIW, it’s not the diner who is meant to be inspired. It’s the chef.

apple44 said:

When and why did "inspired" and "uninspired" become part of the lexicon of restaurant reviews? I don't go to restaurants and bars to be "inspired," so when people say a dish wasn't particularly inspiring, it seems to me they're looking for something negative to say without really saying anything.

I will agree, it's not a five-star restaurant that will make national news and earn Michelin stars, but I'm not aware that ever was the intention and it's certainly not what they promise.

I agree about those terms, they are over-used, and I probably should have chosen a better way to describe the menu that is just not interesting in any way, shape or form. Every dish on there is mundane and it's a smattering of stuff. If someone asked me to describe it, I really couldn't. 

Furthermore, I DO go to a restaurant to be "inspired". I go out to eat, so that i can really enjoy the experience, and hopefully some amazing food that I've not tasted before, and that will be memorable—in a good way!

This was supposed to be a "farm-to-table", whatever that means these days. If it is, that description now needs to be re-defined. If it's something else, then I have no idea what it is.

Bottom line for me, the menu/food was sub-par, especially for the price. I'm fine paying good money, if the food is there to back it up. The Cassidy isn't that place. 

"Farm-to-table" has become a bullsh$t term in the restaurant industry.  Very few restaurants fit the true definition.  Restaurants like to use the term even if they are only sourcing a few things "locally."

Zeus2112 said:

apple44 said:

When and why did "inspired" and "uninspired" become part of the lexicon of restaurant reviews? I don't go to restaurants and bars to be "inspired," so when people say a dish wasn't particularly inspiring, it seems to me they're looking for something negative to say without really saying anything.

I will agree, it's not a five-star restaurant that will make national news and earn Michelin stars, but I'm not aware that ever was the intention and it's certainly not what they promise.

I agree about those terms, they are over-used, and I probably should have chosen a better way to describe the menu that is just not interesting in any way, shape or form. Every dish on there is mundane and it's a smattering of stuff. If someone asked me to describe it, I really couldn't. 

This was supposed to be a "farm-to-table", whatever that means these days. If it is, that description now needs to be re-defined. If it's something else, then I have no idea what it is.

Bottom line for me, the menu/food was sub-par, especially for the price. I'm fine paying good money, if the food is there to back it up. The Cassidy isn't that place. 

Zeus2112 said:

This was supposed to be a "farm-to-table", whatever that means these days. If it is, that description now needs to be re-defined. If it's something else, then I have no idea what it is.

It probably won't make any difference to you, because you didn't seem to like anything about the restaurant, but "farm-to-table" was the developer's description, not the owners of the restaurant.  They called it a "“a community craft bar and kitchen where everything is made in-house daily and everyone is welcome.”

https://villagegreennj.com/business/maplewood-couple-open-cassidy-restaurant-clarus-fall/

In traveling through various place with our then young grandson,  we stopped at a few Bed and Breakfasts run by farmers as a novelty for kids and their parents.  The little ones helped with things like collecting chicken eggs and went on hayrides etc.

The breakfast we were served was as "Farm to table "  as you could get.  The milk practically moood and the scrambled eggs clucked.  That week end we had one happy grandson

Just spent a week in LA. Since it was a vacation we ate out a lot. Just about every place we ate at name-dropped their farm "sources". And most places added a 3% surcharge to pay for employee health care (I am all for employee health care but I hate "surcharges", just build it into your pricing). And just about all the places were primarily hard surfaces and a result sounded like being next to a jet engine.

Tried the back room tonight, just across from the open kitchen. Yes, it's quieter than down front, and empty at 5:30 on a Tuesday. Alagash White on tap was excellent. The brisket entrée was only edible, though (lacking real tang or smoke); the red cabbage lacked any kick, and the potato cakes were flat-out flavorless. An expensive and disappointing meal, but hey: it's an interesting space...

-s.

They posted that they'll be open all day today ...

I haven't eaten there yet, but have had drinks there.  Pretty lively place and a bit loud.  We enjoyed ourselves though. 

I remember being in New England and it seemed that every bar made their own ketchup.  I tended to like that stuff *Shrugs*

Our Men's Book Club met there last night. My overall experience was wonderful. I really felt like I was in a New York eatery despite some of the quirks of it being a new restaurant. I mean, let's not over romanticize NYC restaurants, they're not perfect either.

The Maplewood cocktail - I make Manhattans at home, and I probably add more bitters than most bartenders, so this was only slightly different. We have an orange flavored bitters that would probably get close to this, plus there is a significant cinnamon flavor with a whole peal of citrus where traditional "zest" might be used. I arrived early and met some friends - one of which had sent her Maplewood back because she didn't like it. I liked it enough that I had two.

Service -  We ate in the bar area in one of the larger booths. Our group did not arrive, seat, or order in any kind of traditional or orderly way. The wait staff handled this well given it was a busy Friday night. Unfortunately, my pet peeve about "waiter" and "server" separation was amply demonstrated. At one point, our group ordered drinks for about 8 people. Some draft beers weren't available and the waiter suggested similar alternatives, and he was quite knowledgable about the beers and their fruitiness or bitterness or hopiness, and so people accepted his recommendations despite their order not being what they had originally had in mind. Then some other person, who we had no interaction with before or after, arrived with a tray of 8 drinks and didn't know who got what. Since the orders had been so directed by the previous waiter, no one knew the names of what they had ordered, and they were speaking to this stranger to try to re-create the understanding that had happened with the other waiter. "Mine was supposed to be the one that's like Michelob, but with a slight citrus?" It was classic server auction and my persistent discontent with the waiter -> server disconnect was once again proven. Please, just assign one person to the table and have them deliver the orders they take. When that old tradition is modified, it's inevitably a mess.

Sound - we were supposed to be discussing a book and had seated ourselves in a booth in the bar area, which is notoriously loud. It was still possible to hear one another, but by the end of the night I could hear myself getting hoarse from yelling. I walked through the dining room area and thought it would have been quieter for a book discussion, but might have lacked the social experience we had in the bar, which was a continuous stream of familiar people stopping to say, "hello" to one or another person in the group. 

Atmosphere - It completely matches current trends in Modern Dining. We eat at De Novo often in Montclair and despite appropriate comparisons to Coda, I think it matches De Novo's atmosphere, cocktail flair and vibe, right down to the proximity to a train and the bearded, suspendered bartenders. The music was hard to hear, which reminded me of many NYC restaurants, where you can turn to someone and challenge them to recognize the song from only the baseline and drum beat that is audible above the ambient chatter. However, the songs were familiar enough that the baseline and drum beat were mostly recognizable to me and the style was eclectic enough to have more personality than a Pandora channel would provide - Rolling stones, then Digable Planets for example. What really made this nice was seeing so many familiar Maplewood and South Orange people, and watching other people coming and going stop to say "hello" to friends and neighbors. You can drive to many nearby towns for the food and not get that. For me, that adds much more than the value of the gasoline saved.

Food - We had a few appetizers that were universally enjoyed. It wasn't a dinner proper, so I'll just say it completely matched our needs. I ordered the chicken drumstick appetizer and then someone else ordered two more for the table. It was a riff on buffalo chicken wings, but way more curry-ginger spiced, but served on a plate with an orange colored (traditional buffalo wing sauce?) that you could rub the drumstick in and on a bed of a white (blue cheese?) that cooled the spice. It was a nice variation for someone who wants bar food that is Buffalo Chicken inspired (there's that word!) For actual Buffalo sauce the brussel sprouts nailed it and  were a shockingly good appetizer. I mean, come on. Brussel sprouts? Who knew?

Other - there is a large foyer that separates the cold outside from the hostess podium when you enter, then inside there are some long standing bar tables in the center and bar stools at the bar and booths at the edges by the windows. In the winter everyone has a coat. There didn't seem to be any place for the coats. I would humbly suggest a wall of hooks on the solid wall of the foyer as soon as possible, and a coat rack for the opposite glass wall of the same area that can be seasonal. For the high tables in the center of the space, hooks should be mounted on the underside of them for short jackets and purses to keep them safe and to keep the valuable space on top for food and drinks. Adding hooks under the bar is always a good idea for purses also, and short jackets and scarfs would end up there in winter months rather than on the back of barstools which tends to make them fall over.

Overall, I think it's a great addition to town, the beer and cocktails are thoughtfully selected, the service is attentive (but provokes my waiter-server peeve,) and the food is creative and INSPIRED. I'm young enough to not be bothered by the noise, but old enough to be appreciative of the font size of the menu. I will definitely be back multiple times. 

I ordered the fries and tasted the "ketchup" and I LIKED it! Although, I think calling it something besides "ketchup," would manage expectations. "Cassidy dipping sauce," would do the trick. Then have some bottles of heinz for the rubes who require it.

jersey_boy said:


....
   suspendered bartenders. ....

I always say, never trust a man who doesn't trust his own pants.

JB - Thread drift.  Please list your top 5 books from your men’s book club.  I used to have one too. It was called the Members Only Book Club.  Knyuck knyuck.  

jersey_boy said:

Our Men's Book Club met there last night. My overall experience was wonderful. I really felt like I was in a New York eatery despite some of the quirks of it being a new restaurant. I mean, let's not over romanticize NYC restaurants, they're not perfect either.

The Maplewood cocktail - I make Manhattans at home, and I probably add more bitters than most bartenders, so this was only slightly different. We have an orange flavored bitters that would probably get close to this, plus there is a significant cinnamon flavor with a whole peal of citrus where traditional "zest" might be used. I arrived early and met some friends - one of which had sent her Maplewood back because she didn't like it. I liked it enough that I had two.

Service -  We ate in the bar area in one of the larger booths. Our group did not arrive, seat, or order in any kind of traditional or orderly way. The wait staff handled this well given it was a busy Friday night. Unfortunately, my pet peeve about "waiter" and "server" separation was amply demonstrated. At one point, our group ordered drinks for about 8 people. Some draft beers weren't available and the waiter suggested similar alternatives, and he was quite knowledgable about the beers and their fruitiness or bitterness or hopiness, and so people accepted his recommendations despite their order not being what they had originally had in mind. Then some other person, who we had no interaction with before or after, arrived with a tray of 8 drinks and didn't know who got what. Since the orders had been so directed by the previous waiter, no one knew the names of what they had ordered, and they were speaking to this stranger to try to re-create the understanding that had happened with the other waiter. "Mine was supposed to be the one that's like Michelob, but with a slight citrus?" It was classic server auction and my persistent discontent with the waiter -> server disconnect was once again proven. Please, just assign one person to the table and have them deliver the orders they take. When that old tradition is modified, it's inevitably a mess.

Sound - we were supposed to be discussing a book and had seated ourselves in a booth in the bar area, which is notoriously loud. It was still possible to hear one another, but by the end of the night I could hear myself getting hoarse from yelling. I walked through the dining room area and thought it would have been quieter for a book discussion, but might have lacked the social experience we had in the bar, which was a continuous stream of familiar people stopping to say, "hello" to one or another person in the group. 

Atmosphere - It completely matches current trends in Modern Dining. We eat at De Novo often in Montclair and despite appropriate comparisons to Coda, I think it matches De Novo's atmosphere, cocktail flair and vibe, right down to the proximity to a train and the bearded, suspendered bartenders. The music was hard to hear, which reminded me of many NYC restaurants, where you can turn to someone and challenge them to recognize the song from only the baseline and drum beat that is audible above the ambient chatter. However, the songs were familiar enough that the baseline and drum beat were mostly recognizable to me and the style was eclectic enough to have more personality than a Pandora channel would provide - Rolling stones, then Digable Planets for example. What really made this nice was seeing so many familiar Maplewood and South Orange people, and watching other people coming and going stop to say "hello" to friends and neighbors. You can drive to many nearby towns for the food and not get that. For me, that adds much more than the value of the gasoline saved.

Food - We had a few appetizers that were universally enjoyed. It wasn't a dinner proper, so I'll just say it completely matched our needs. I ordered the chicken drumstick appetizer and then someone else ordered two more for the table. It was a riff on buffalo chicken wings, but way more curry-ginger spiced, but served on a plate with an orange colored (traditional buffalo wing sauce?) that you could rub the drumstick in and on a bed of a white (blue cheese?) that cooled the spice. It was a nice variation for someone who wants bar food that is Buffalo Chicken inspired (there's that word!) For actual Buffalo sauce the brussel sprouts nailed it and  were a shockingly good appetizer. I mean, come on. Brussel sprouts? Who knew?

Other - there is a large foyer that separates the cold outside from the hostess podium when you enter, then inside there are some long standing bar tables in the center and bar stools at the bar and booths at the edges by the windows. In the winter everyone has a coat. There didn't seem to be any place for the coats. I would humbly suggest a wall of hooks on the solid wall of the foyer as soon as possible, and a coat rack for the opposite glass wall of the same area that can be seasonal. For the high tables in the center of the space, hooks should be mounted on the underside of them for short jackets and purses to keep them safe and to keep the valuable space on top for food and drinks. Adding hooks under the bar is always a good idea for purses also, and short jackets and scarfs would end up there in winter months rather than on the back of barstools which tends to make them fall over.

Overall, I think it's a great addition to town, the beer and cocktails are thoughtfully selected, the service is attentive (but provokes my waiter-server peeve,) and the food is creative and INSPIRED. I'm young enough to not be bothered by the noise, but old enough to be appreciative of the font size of the menu. I will definitely be back multiple times. 

I ordered the fries and tasted the "ketchup" and I LIKED it! Although, I think calling it something besides "ketchup," would manage expectations. "Cassidy dipping sauce," would do the trick. Then have some bottles of heinz for the rubes who require it.

It's actually a Book and Film club. Below are my top 5:

1."The Yellow Birds" by Kevin Powers. I read this one twice before our discussion dinner, and almost crashed my mother's book group when they read it, just to talk about it more. Loved! Cried.

2."11-22-63" by Steven King,which was adapted to an Amazon Video mini-series, by James Franco.* MOL's own Library Lady saw me carrying it and said, "It's the best book I've ever read. I called in sick so I could finish it." I hope that doesn't get her in trouble. Cried.

3."No Better Time: the Brief, Remarkable Life of Danny Lewin, the Genius Who Transformed the Internet" by Maplewood Resident, Molly Knight Raskin

4."The Disaster Artist" by Greg Sistero and Mark Bissel (We also watched a Midnight Showing of "The Room," upon which the book is based, at SOPAC. (It was my pick, before it was cool.)  We're planning to also see the movie adaptation of the book that's based on a movie (also James Franco, maybe we should invite him to join the group?)* That one will be a book and film club trifecta. 

5."Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline, which also has a film adaptation coming up.*

We also read "The Girl on the Train," which was made into a movie too.* So, I'm rooting for Molly Knight Raskin's book to get a film adaptation. 

*Although we are a Book and Film club, all books were selected and read before their film adaptations. Weird, huh? (Also, a top 5 list will sometimes do that.)

JB, i’ll Keep this thread on topic but thanks.  Loved 11/22/63.  The rules for our club was that there had to be sex and/or violence in he first 50 pages, but we still attempted to read good literature.  

Bit of a drift, but if you don't like the Cassidy, stay far away from the Common Lot in Millburn.  The smallest servings I've ever had in a restaurant and very pricey.  Hard to make a reservation nonetheless.  

But a funky chef wearing a cowboy hat to cook.