Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
I am a fan of Chef Anthony Pino who I got the chance to meet recently at Porter Collins, his new restaurant in Uptown Hoboken. I simply love his restaurants, including Bin 14 where we went quite a few times for brunch. So I was excited when I got invited for dinner at Anthony David's, his very first restaurant in the mile square city. It is not as big as Porter Collins, but has its charm and benefits from quite a number of seats outside, and from a large private room that I only saw from outside, a party taking place when we went. At Anthony David's, Chef Pino crafted a menu composed of Italian classics as well as seasonal dishes, with a nice choice of vegetarian options.
This place if BYOB so I decided to bring a Pommard from Blason Louis, a 100% Pinot Noir from France that was perfect with the meal I ordered.
They started off by bringing us some bread and a spread that was probably made with beans and sat in olive oil.
We then got our appetizers. Jodi went for the grilled asparagus, topped with a sunny egg, prosciutto, pecorino and black truffles. The yolk was perfectly runny on the deliciously grilled asparagus and the generous portion of prosciutto.
On my side, I could not resist the charred octopus, served with fennel, cannellini beans, tomato and garlic. The octopus was beautiful, perfectly cooked and delicately charred, not rubbery at all. It came with a sort of bean ragout that was very comforting.
For our entrees, Jodi ordered a vegetarian dish: the eggplant Bolognese where the eggplant replaces the meat, made with bucatini, mozzarella, pecorino, tomato and chilies. That was a good dish that was also comforting. The pasta were cooked al dente and the chilies added a slight kick that I really liked.
I decided to go with the duck breast, served with a very creamy polenta, arugula and cherries. That was a succulent dish: the duck was perfect cooked, being pink in the center, and with a crispy skin. I loved the pairing with the cherries that added a bit of sweetness to the gamey taste of the duck.
Last was dessert. We tried their Bourbon glazed donuts that were amazing and a bit like crack: once you try one, you cannot stop!
The second dish was a chocolate budino or chocolate pudding that was quite dense and very chocolatey.
We left full and amazed with our meal where every dish was sublime. Anthony David's is a fabulous restaurant that has its place in Hoboken and has its own character, being different from his sister restaurants. This is definitely a place that I recommend for brunch or dinner.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Anthony David's - 953 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030