Halifax recently opened at the W Hotel in Hoboken, the only hotel in downtown Hoboken, NJ ,a city that is seeing quite a resurgence with many eateries and bars popping up as scores of young New Yorkers are flocking to the area with several luxury living options, many with views of NYC, with only a 15 minute PATH train commute to midtown.
A creative collaboration between owner Michael Barry and Executive Chef Seadon Shouse, who hails from Nova Scotia himself. Halifax is a taste of the Northeastern coast with land and sea options that are locally sourced from the Mid- Atlantic to New England.
Architect and designer Gwathmey Siegel and Peter Bentel of Bentel & Bental, whose other past projects include Le Bernardin, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park and Craft, to name a few collaborated in creating a space that fits the concept the owner and chef envisioned. The decor at Halifax captures the essence of the menu which evokes the sea, sky, and coastal farmland with light blues, light greens, whites, and grays.
Our dinner began with a serving of popcorn dusted with smoked seaweed and horseradish along with warm house baked rolls served with butter and sea salt personally harvested by Chef Shouse from the atlantic ocean.
The first course on the tasting menu, or ala carte if preferred is the highly recommended smoked fish, charcuterie and cheese boards for the table. There are options to choose from one category or from all three for your party. Our favorites were the maple glazed smoked wild salmon, the duck liver pate and Slyboro goat cheese.
The raw bar selection is extensive with East and West Coast Oysters, Long island Littleneck Clams, Poached Shrimp, and Seadon’s house smoked mussels. The selection of Crudo changes depending on the season, with the current section being the Montauk fluke, topped with lime, fresno chillies, radish and sun chokes.
For the entrees the Maine Lobster Rigatoni was a favorite with large chunks of lobster meat, trumpet mushrooms and lemon. For land lovers the Smoked Amish Chicken, brined and lightly smoked in-house, then roasted, served with warm salad of toasted bread and local greens, with currants, pine nuts and scallions was deliciously prepared and served. Other guest favorites were the NJ Lamb Ragout with ricotta cavatelli, tomato confit and chanterelles.
Pastry Chef Stuart Max who has worked with Chef David Burke at Fromagerie and with Dominic Filoni at Avenue created a dessert menu with Northeastern inspirations including Boston Cream Pie, Maple Cream Brûlée, Strawberry Rhubarb and white chocolate parfait and Apple Fritters with caramel sauce.
Halifax has a rich wine menu that can be paired with dinner with a knowledgeable Sommelier at the helm. Wines come from upstate New York, the vineyards of Long Island including The North Fork and other locations along the coast along with traditional wine choices from California, France and Italy. Beers on tap come from Departed Soles in Jersey City, Singlecut Beersmiths from Queens and other local breweries.
Halifax is open 7 Days a week. On weekends the Bubbles Brunch with unlimited small plates and a bottle of Champagne is served from 11am -3pm
Halifax at the W Hoboken 225 River Street Hoboken, NJ (201) 253-2500 http://www.halifaxhoboken.com
FashionsWeek: Beauty, Fashion, Travel, Tech & Dining By Maya Litovsky 