French State Inn Eating – The Silver Spring Farm French Cafe in Flanders, NJ
Lately, the movie “Julie & Julia” has debuted on silver screens throughout the nation and has reignited in lots of of us our enthusiasm for extraordinary cuisine. While Julie and Julia of the movie investigate the enormously difficult tasks of mastering French cuisine at residence, my wife Fran and I experienced our palettes reignited for the similarly fulfilling joys of taking in at a good French cafe.
But in which to go?
Residing 48 minutes from Midtown Manhattan and its seemingly endless stock of tasteful French dining places, bistros and cafes certainly has its strengths but this time we determined to goal our GPS West to see if we could discover a additional “region inn” style of institution to fill the monthly bill.
We understand that our Garmin Novi GPS is, in fact, a wonderful digital Ouija board. We contact the monitor, request a concern:
“Hermione, (that’s what we contact our GPS mainly because she speaks with a British accent) is there a fine French place inn inside a half tank of gas west of our house below in Maplewood, New Jersey?”
“Re-Calculating… at the bottom of the driveway – flip – remaining.”
And in an quick [well, more like 45 minutes], we arrived in Flanders, New Jersey and Silver Spring Farm French Restaurant. This charming Inn is conveniently located incredibly near to Route 80 close to Budd Lake and the hamlet of Mount Olive.
Arriving an hour previously than our 5:00 reservations, we were being, none the considerably less, greeted by the “Grande Dame” of the Inn herself, Jacqueline Ivaldi. Standing with best posture at the reservations station, she smiled and claimed, “Bienvenue! Welcome to Silver Spring Farm.”
“Thank you, we are an hour early and we’re thinking if we could get an early seating.”
Feigning, seriousness she actually walked back into an empty dining home peered all-around and then returned to the station. “Sure, you are in luck” she mentioned, “We can squeeze you in.”
We all had a great giggle and knew straight away that we had built the correct determination to go to with Jacqueline, her partner Chef Male Ivaldi, and their son Jean-Jacques (who skilled at the renowned Hotel School of Lausanne, Switzerland) They have been operating The French Restaurant at Silver Spring Farm considering that the early 1940’s. Below refugees from a devastated Post WWII France could get out of their unusual and unfamiliar New York City environs and “vacation” not as well considerably from the city for a weekend or from time to time longer with conviviality, bonhomie and, of system, incomparable French delicacies.
Silver Spring Farm has a website, so I won’t waste time listed here listing their one of a kind and distinguished menu right here. I will, on the other hand, give two parts of guidance. Very first, go there hungry. The portions are generous and irresistible and, have faith in me you do not want to discover oneself entire before the dessert. 2nd, request about off-the-menu specials. I experienced a rooster, beef, lamb sampler in a few unique sauces that I can re-working experience times later on by just closing my eyes and touching the suggestion of my tongue to my palate, yum.
