When two very talented chefs decide to team up and create a tasting menu dinner, you can expect something special. And that is exactly what occurred recently when chef Chris Calabrese of Nettie’s House of Spaghetti of Tinton Falls and chef Bradley Rodriguez of Spring Lake Seafood joined forces to offer a seven-course Seafood Tasting dinner at Nettie’s. The comfortable setting and tasteful décor of Nettie’s made it an ideal location for this adventure.
For starters, their spin on Tuna Tartar made it unique. The appetizer has become a staple of many restaurants, but here it was a cut above. The tuna was dry-aged for two weeks, and then plated with capers, fresh herbs, tonnato sauce and cured egg yolk; a crispy, house-made semolina cracker accompanied the presentation. The dry-aging created a depth of flavor and richness to the tuna which set it apart from those similarly named dishes served elsewhere. Chef Bradley demonstrated to us that fish that has been properly aged tastes better. He explained that this centuries-old method, rooted in Japan, begins with a special relationship with the fishermen who have come to appreciate the superior quality of dry-aging. The freshly-killed fish is kept in a cool, perfectly-controlled environment without moisture, which enhances the umami (savory) flavor. The result is remarkable. The addition of Maldon Sea Salt with its pyramidal shape lent an intriguing subtle crunch to the Tuna Tartar preparation as well.
The basic charge for the dinner was $150 per person and for an additional $80 per person, a complementary wine pairing menu was offered. A NV Tarlant Brut Nature Rose provided a crisp, red berry fruit-driven with nice acidity to contrast the richness of the tuna.
A Scallop Raviolini, served with marinated 24-month-old parmigiano Reggiano and chili flake in a fresh tomato brodo, had a creamy texture and a mild spiciness to offset it. The tomato sauce was so light and fresh that a 2021 Immich-Batterieberg Riesling from the Mosel region of Germany, with its flinty spritz, was a good pairing which complemented the dish.
The satisfying, 10-Day Dry-Aged Wild Branzino, served with kale sprouts and a fresh wasabi salmoriglio (a variation on an Italian briny, lemon and olive oil sauce) was a truly original taste sensation. The fish was meaty and deeply flavorful and had a perfect texture. A 2022 Jolie Laide Cabernet Franc & Gamay Rose Blend from California was paired with this dish, but the consensus at our table was that while pleasant on its own, it was too light in weight to complement the delicious, meaty branzino. Perhaps a Sancerre or Vermentino would have provided more substance and mouthfeel.
Clams and Cavatini (a traditional pasta from Puglia) was simply plated with white wine, EVOO and parsley. The heirloom wheat-based pasta, was just a tad too firm for my taste, but was an excellent foil for the tender strips of clams from a flavor point of view. This course was paired with a 2021 Julien Brocard Chablis which provided a nice touch of acidity to the dish, much as a spritz of lemon would.
Another highly creative presentation, delicious Blue-fin Tuna Meatballs prepared with Benchmark sourdough bread that had been soaked in milk, in a red sauce made with Sofrito (an aromatic blend of spices and vegetables used a sauce base), offered us a tender but not mushy presentation of tuna as a very interesting alternative form to the traditional meatball recipe. A 2021 Halara Rosato, a rose blend of the less common Parpato and Catarratto grapes, was rich and fruity and an excellent choice for pairing as a white would have been too light and most reds, too big.
Surf and Turf pieces of Monkfish Tail and a slice of perfectly rare Prime Rib Eye, was served simply with a red wine demi-glace to allow the flavors of the fish and meat to each shine through. A 2021 Day Wines Pinot Noir from Oregon, with good fruitiness and gentle tannins, provided a good complement to the tasty dish.
On to dessert! A cube of Raspberry Semifreddo, topped with crumbled candied pistachio and EVOO, made for a light but very tasty finale. The creamy texture of the semifreddo and the crunch of the nuts, were well paired with a 2017 Marco de Bartoli Marsala from Sicily. This dessert wine was sweet, but not overly so, and it worked well with the cool and tangy dessert.
This was a great opportunity to taste a themed seafood menu that was brainstormed by these two creative chefs, and to draw upon their resources for the highest quality fish and seafood. I was especially enamored of the results of the dry-aging process and will seek out more examples of fish cured this way. If Chefs Chris and Bradley ever do a Chapter 2 of this dinner, I will be one of the first people to sign on.
Nettie’s House Of Spaghetti Of Tinton Falls
Bob Sacks, longtime food and wine buff, writes about food, wine and restaurants in this column. Follow him on Instagram @dinnerwithbob.
The article originally appeared in the May 18 – 24, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
