Dining
Janet Curran Perlman visits Johnny’s on the Green, a Short Hills landmark with a revamped menu...

Bon Appétit By Janet Curran Perlman, photos by Dan Epstein SCORES A HOLE IN ONE henever I hear the words, "We hearty version of these little potato dumphave a new chef," my ears perk lings—allowing them to stand up nicely up like a culinary detective on to the intense, flavorful truffle butter and the prowl. Recently, those words came from sherry wine cream sauce, enhanced with roJohnny Marrone, the dapper owner of John- mano cheese and served with wilted shallots ny's on the Green restaurant in Short Hills, and spinach—an interesting variation on the as he spoke about Executive Chef Marco usual gnocchi/tomato sauce theme. In his Salmone Bianco, D'Amico tweaks D'Amico. Even before D'Amico's arrival there a lovely fillet of salmon by quickly panwas much to like about this restaurant, the searing it in light Cajun spices that allow the restored former clubhouse of the adjacent full flavor of this market-fresh fillet to shine East Orange Golf Club—and a point of through, and serves it with a creamy spinachgreat pride to Marrone, who transformed the and-shallots sauce. Fork-tender veal starred gloomy, turn-of-the-century building into in the $24 Veal Toscana—sautéed veal mean intimate and charming dining venue with dallions in a garlic white wine demiglaze the look and feel of a Victorian gentlemen's with diced tomatoes and shitake mushrooms. Traditionalists will enjoy a perfectly executed club. Chef D'Amico, a native of the Abruzzi classic Chicken Francese, $19, thinly sliced region of Italy and graduate of the Villa San- chicken breasts sautéed in a light lemonbutter and white wine ta Maria Institute, one sauce. Like all our enof Italy's oldest culinary trees, the Chicken Franschools, talked about cese was served with his approach to food. "I a colorful mélange of like clean flavors and use fluffy mashed potatoes, the best condiments in 440 Parsonage Hill Road, Short Hills haricots vert, and baby my sauces," he said, de973-467-8882 JohnnysOnTheGreen.com carrots. scribing the new menu Marrone has suras "modern Italian with Hours of operation: Tues: 11am-9pm rounded himself with an Old World flair." Wed-Sat: 11am-10pm able team that includes A tip of the hat to Sun: 12-8pm not only D'Amico, but D'Amico: Our first apLiquor license Marrone's daughter Jespetizer, the $14 Shrimp sica and manager JenAcapulco, was a fivestar blast off. The sweet rock shrimp, crunchy nifer Ponzini-Ramos, who was the winner— outside, tender-light inside, served with with her "Bing-a-Ling" cocktail—of this wasabi sauce and spicy cilantro mayo for a year's National Cocktail Challenge, held at little bite, with gorgonzola morsels on the Manhattan's Javits Center. Desserts range in price from $7 to $9 side, went down like candy. The outstanding Panko-breaded Mozzarella Fritta, $12, in a and include Ricotta Cheesecake, outstandroasted garlic, tomato, basil, and white wine ing cannoli, and Chocolate Confusion—a sauce, showed off the ability of these Japa- crumb-bottomed, three-layered chocolate nese bread crumbs to transform dishes by winner. Johnny's offers a full range of entertainlending a crispier, airier texture to coatings. Mushrooms stuffed with lump crabmeat in ment, from soloists to quartets and even a citrus and herb scampi sauce, $11, was an- 16-piece orchestras, so mark your calendar soon and bring your favorite date for a perother "compliments to the chef " appetizer. Gnocchi al Tartufo, $18, featured a fect evening of dining and dancing.  Johnny's Johnny's on the Green W Johnny's on the Green 48 Vicinity MAGAZinE November 2009

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