A pretty end of summer day prompted an impromptu jaunt across the river to one of those bedroom community suburbs NYC is somewhat renowned for. The Garden Conservatory organization opened to the public the “Mountsier Garden,” a two-acre backyard in Nutley, NJ crammed with lush bushes, trees and flowering plants with little brick paths winding through and interspersed with cute statues and small more ancient obelisks, we were told was designed over thirty years by the renowned Richard Hartledge. At the entrance we learned five hundred people signed up for the experience of wandering through this small park, which would explain the numerous cars lining the tree-lined street in front of the house, which somewhat cramped the bucolic nature of the neighborhood. The main house was originally built in the 1890s with another two little houses on the property, one seemingly devoted to being a big kitchen. You could make out the ancient brick in the older building but on top of all three were new siding as well as new windows with those large brimmed frames. The gentlemanly owner of the place mingled about with his little dog, which though very friendly, felt compelled to mark his territory repeatedly in front of us, as if you to say you can look but don’t forget, this is Mine. My friend who is smart about such things noted to our host that all the plants were of the easy to grow variety, which elicited a nose wrinkle from him. It’s an old tradition of the wealthy and the somewhat wealthy to open their gardens to us hoi polloi, and in the past that came with offers of lemonade and cookies. No longer, it seems, so we found some outside seating at Chris & Angies, a local diner with a Greek heavy menu that served delicious tzadziki in tiny shot-sized cups alongside several of its mains, and will add it on if you ask. In the evening, back in the City, I found outdoor seating again on this lovely newly Fall night which I read a comment was “9/11 weather,” a reference to how beautiful a day weather-wise that day was. I went back to a local place, Cibo & Vino, to again have one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in a while, “cappellacci al funghi,” a mix of homemade cheese stuffed pasta puffs lightly dressed in cream and fancy mushrooms. We also split the roast chicken so we could feel a bit healthier, a suburban sized portion with a giant pile of mashed potatoes, kind of a bit too American for the Italian flair of the place, but well made. We paired it all with a very reasonably priced organic pinot noir from France. Several people on my feeds have been posting about their vacations to Italy, Greece, France and other more exotic places, and yet without going very far I could have a taste too.
Garden State for Garden Tour, Greek Diner, Italian Dinner & a French Wine
