I went for a nice business dinner a couple of months ago in New Jersey. It is in a restaurant offering contemporary American fare with Italian influences. The “Water” part of the name comes from the fact that it is located by a lake, with a beautiful view of the water.

The inside was quite open, with large stone fireplace with some lounge sofas. Across from it was a good size bar with few TV screens. It is not a wide bar, but tall enough shelves to hold all the liqueurs.

Then it extends into a dining room. I was thinking “it is kind of small…” until it kept going, going, and going. It was so much larger than it looked from the outside, and also from inside at a quick glance. But the dining rooms kept expanding to the side, alongside the lake.

We finally got to our table at the last room, which I assume is the main dining room since it is the longest, largest room. We sat at the table closest to the entrance to this room, we could see how much this room stretches to the back. our table was next to a large window with a perfect view of the lake.

 

It was before the lunch rush, so it was quite empty. But, it did get filled up nicely pretty quick. One of the staff brought out some complimentary bread with olives, olive oil, and butter. Getting actual olives with bread is not very usual, so it was a nice touch. I am not a big fan of olives, but we had some olive lovers at the table, so they disappeared quickly. They seemed to like the olives a lot.

This is not considered “cheap eats” spot, but they do offer attractive lunch special, 3-course Prix Fixe ($24). I decided to get the prix fixe. One thing to note is that they specifically say “No Substitutions.” For appetizer, I chose Garlic Shrimp, cooked in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and white wine. It had four plump shrimps that are good size, not big but not small. It came piping hot, which I appreciated. The only thing is that I prefer getting shrimp without tail, only because it is easier to eat them without the tail still on it. I understand they look better with tail on, but… Anyways, the sauce had great flavor, loved the garlic and white wine. I think this was on favorite out of the 3-course menu.

One of my co-worker went with Fresh Mozzarella & Prosciutto, which comes with tomatoes, roasted peppers, and basil-olive oil. It was nicely presented. I thought it was interesting that the tomatoes and mozzarella are put together like a sandwich or burger, instead of spread out like most other restaurants do. A side of rather small prosciutto was a nice touch, but I thought it should have more than just that small amount, since it was featured on the title of the item. It did not say “Fresh Mozzarella” and a side note that says “comes with side with Prosciutto.” Anyways, the “Fresh” part was very true, and was a tasty and refreshing appetizer.

For the main course, I chose Organic Scottish Salmon. This one comes with lobster gnoccho, roasted mushrooms, cippollini onions, yellow pepper coulis, and crisp basil. It was a nice thick fillet, and a pretty good portion. It was nicely plated. I liked the color of yellow pepper coulis, giving the salmon its own halo.

When I moved the salmon, I discovered that it was sitting on a bed of lobster goccho. It was almost like a fried tater tots, but softer and chewey-er. It didn’t really have strong lobster flavor. I did like the texture of the gnoccho, it added nice contrast to the rest of the ingredients. The salmon was flaky and tasty, and mushrooms had really nice flavor as well. I especially liked the crisp basil. It provided the crunchy texture to the rest of rather soft texture ingredients, and was very tasty.

My co-worker went with Cavatelli with a Pesto of Broccoli Rabe. It was made with sweet Italian sausage, roasted garlic, and toasted pignoli nuts. It was a good portion, and the color of the pesto was bright and vibrant. My co-worker seemed to like the dish. I was told pasta cooked just right, and Italian sausage had a really nice flavor.

For dessert, I had Mascarpone Cheese Cake. It was plated nicely, and even though it was not a large piece, it was tasty. The top of the cake was brûléed, which I really enjoyed. It had a fresh raspberry on top, and the raspberry sauce added a nice flavor as well.

I also ordered a cappuccino, which came in a tall glass with a side of biscotti. Pretty good coffee, always nice to end a meal with a nice hot cappuccino.

I was pretty full before the dessert, so I took some of the salmon home. The server quickly took it away to get it wrapped, and came back with a little green laminated note. It said “please pick up food from the coat room.” That was really interesting. Maybe they don’t like the look of to-go bags placed on their tables, or simply extending extra kindness and consideration to the customers. It is kind of annoying to have left over bags at the table or by your seat, depending on how much space you have around you. Also, it ensures that you won’t forget to take the leftover food with you. I have forgotten my leftover food right on top of restaurant tables a few times. After putting your coats and what not on, get your purse, get your phone, and then walk out without your to-go bag… So, I liked their system here.

Overall, we had a nice lunch, lively but quiet enough for business lunch. The staffs were on point, very polite and efficient. Our server was really nice, and he was always around, so that if we needed something, it was easy to catch him. Very good spot for a business lunch or dinner. And the view of the lake gets extra points.

Water & Wine – 141 Stirling Rd, Watchung, NJ 07069