 Due Terre Enoteca in Bernardsville is Somerset County’s newest hot spot, offering a hip NYC vibe in a welcoming, comfortable, and understated space.
Diners can expect a tale of “Two Lands”—Italy and France with a combination of new and old-world charm offering great food and drink a reasonable prices.
Owners Michael White, formerly of Fiamma & Vento; Daniele Sbordi, originally from Italy and Francois Rousseau, a native of France, recreated the best of their collective restaurant backgrounds to deliver an authentic Modern Italian menu boasting fresh, organic ingredients.
 The menu is focused and familiar, yet altogether fresh and vibrant. Highlights include starters such as frisée and escarole salad with anchovy-garlic vinaigrette and tossed focaccia croutons for a fresh spin on Caesar salad.
A variety of handmade pastas include the lush garganelli quills with parma prosciutto, spring peas and truffle butter, and a robust fresh chitarra spaghetti with Maine lobster, fresh tomato, garlic, and chiles.
Seasonal seafood and meat dishes round out the secondi, including roasted wild king salmon with Roman artichoke ragu scented with basil; and grilled lamb chops Scottadita with spring pea panzanella, radicchio and salsa verde.
Wine and spirits comprise the other half of Due Terre’s world. A collection of 260 wines and champagnes (170 Italian, 60 American and 30 International) at all price point’s offers 20 varieties by the glass daily.
With an emphasis on fine service, it’s reassuring to know that the overall vibe is still casual and lively, serious food presented with professionalism and panache. At Due Terre, city and suburb, great food and drink, and casual yet formal all coalesce seamlessly into an elegant, enjoyable dining experience.—Kaitlin Spreitzer
Due Terre Enoteca
107 Morristown Road, Bernardsville, NJ
908-221-0400
www.dueterre.com
 Mehndi
The sumptuous interior takes its colors and patterns from the Indian art of henna tattooing for which the restaurant is named. The food is updated Punjabi and Mughalai, with appetizers such as maachli koliwada (deep-fried tilapia with spices and lentil marinade) and entrées including chuza lajavab (baked Cornish hen with garlic, ginger, saffron and roasted poppy seed powder). Entrées $17-$28.
 SM23
Before you let your imagination roam, the initials are those of Shaun Mehtani as well as of his mother, Sneh, and his father, Satish, and the numerals are his birthdate as well as the age he turned on opening night in February. SM23 is a sophisticated lounge with an onyx bar backlit in blue, small tables, black leather banquettes, and loud Indian-tinged music. Inviting pan-Asian nibbles include squid in garlic and chili and steamed shrimp dumplings. Appetizers $8-$10.
 Ming II
Sister to the original Ming, one of five restaurants the Mehtanis own in Edison. Red carpeting and tablecloths, black chairs and banquettes, and a curved ceiling paneled in pale poplar. The food is pan-Asian, including Ming hits such as lobster in black pepper sauce and crispy duck with barbecue sauce. Entrées $17-$29.
All three restaurants share an intriguing list of 33 cutting-edge cocktails created for the Mehtanis by Sydney-based “mixologists” Grant Collins and Michael Enright. The drinks employ various foams, juices from grilled fruit, and spices. —Eric Levin
Nightclub Pick
Elements Sea Bright NJ
Owned by Matt Bongiovi (brother of Jon Bon Jovi), Vincent Rizzo, and recently joined partner Demetrios Mallios. Chic décor, representing all five elements—water, wood, fire, metal & earth. A new chef and a full menu coming this fall makes this the place to be. Check out www.elementslounge.com.
top album
“One”— Heather Leigh West The debut release of the soulful singer whose voice is recognized from the dance hit “Feel It” shows her versatility with this album, which will also be available with all-chillout mixes. Both versions are fantastic!
Top Dance Singles
“I Can Be” featuring Jess King—DJ Dove remix. Amazing vocals, incredible melody & superb production. “Toto”—Brazen. A great club track with melody of the 80’s hit “Africa” by Toto. “Zero”—The Timewriter. A very good minimal track with a sound that’s timeless.
All tracks are available at beatport.com.
 Micah Sherman is not your typical rock star. Sure, he’s got the jeans, the faux hawk, and the MySpace following. And he’s known to electrify a crowd in nightclubs and parties. But, his instrument of choice? A violin. Eliminate the high school orchestra mental image from your mind. His collection includes a five-string electric “jazz-fusion” violin, one that spits fire, and another that is loaded with LED lights. No wonder fans go crazy, and You Tube videos of him generate thousands of hits.
“The biggest thrill is seeing the reaction of the crowd when they see the violin and the synergy of the music,” says Sherman. “Evoking emotions in people is what fuels me.”
The “rock star violinist” started playing at the age of two, and when he was thirteen, his talent brought him to the Philadelphia Academy of Music, where he performed with Liza Minnelli.
Today, he tours around the world, and is a fixture at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. So, if you’re looking for a little culture without the stuffiness, the Mixx (at the Borgata) is the place to go. Just watch out for that fire. (www.micahsmusic.com)
singled out
Robert
Raju
 Birthdate: May 11
Occupation: CEO/Founder of Axiom Sports & Entertainment; www.axiomsport.com.
Hometown: Born in St. Louis, MO… Grew up in Jackson… currently split my time between North Caldwell and Los Angeles.
What three words describe your personality? Loyal, witty, wise.
What is that one pet peeve you can’t deal with? Being around shady or dishonest people.
Describe your perfect night out on the town. First, I would get together with a group of my most distinguished buddies for a nice meal. We would then follow dinner with a night out on the town to take in the sights. While taking in the sights we usually enjoy indulging in a few libations. Subsequently, this often results in the transformation of this once refined and distinguished group of gentlemen into a riotous gang of berserkers.
What are your favorite restaurants and clubs?
In NYC:
- Mesa Grill
- Philippe
- Gotham Bar & Grill
- Angelo & Maxie’s on Park
- Sushi Samba
- Mr. Chow’s
- Tao
In NJ:
- Breakfast at Cianci’s Montclair, NJ
- Steak: Sweet Waters Steakhouse in Westfield, NJ
- Sushi: Sushi House in Hoboken, NJ
- Italian: Bellissimo in Little Falls, NJ or Lu Nello in Little Falls, NJ
- Chinese: Cheng Du 46
- American Classic: Ryland Inn
- Diner: Park West, Little Falls, NJ
- Pizza: Three Brothers from Italy, Seaside Heights, NJ
I despise going to clubs in any city or state that I am in. The whole scene is disingenuous to me. I prefer to find a watering hole away from all the nonsense. A place with its own unique character, no egos, no dress code, puddles of beer on the floor, Yankees game on the tube, stimulating or stupid debates about everything and anything, great food for when you get the munchies, and last but not least the type of place where a girl looks amazing in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. It’s weird, I always seem to forget the names of these types of bars but the memories last forever.
What do you do for fun? Wow… I actually have to think about this and that is scary. My life is cyclical; sometimes I spend a lot of time doing things with family and friends, while other times I get engulfed with something I am excited about with work. Lately I have been working a lot because I am expanding the focus of my business into television and film. How many people in the world can say that they actually look forward to going to work in the morning? I love what I do, so regardless of how dismal it sounds, I am at a place in my life where I am having a ton of fun with my work. Pathetic…I really need to get married and have a family.
What are you scared of? Waking up in another city and not knowing how I got there…Only kidding.
Not accomplishing all the things I hope to.
What do you do to relieve stress? I hang out with a riotous gang of Berserkers…Only kidding again.
Teaching my Bulldog Junior a new trick or doing some writing.
How would your fourth grade teacher describe you then? As a multi-talented, polite, and well mannered kid who protected and defended his classmates against diabolical fifth graders that attempted to steal their lunch money.
Since you are so connected to sports and entertainment is there someone who would you would still love to meet? I am old school, so on the sports side I would love to have had the opportunity to thrown down a few with a true Berserker like Babe Ruth. On the entertainment side, I would say, having the opportunity to pick the brain of a Hollywood legend like Robert Redford would be priceless to me.
Do you ever get star struck? No. We all put our pants on the same way!
Lauren Jill
Sisselman
 Birthdate: May 10
Occupation: General manager of Atrium Livingston
Hometown: Livingston
How would you describe your perfect day? I relish my days off with my busy schedule so the perfect day would be at my very overcrowded shore house in Mannesquan. All of my friends and I spend the day at the beach and then head out to either Parker House or Osprey. If I am not at the beach, I am usually shopping at our NYC store and walking around Soho.
What are your vices? I cannot live without high heels, Dunkin Donuts coffee, and my sports car...
What inspires you? Working on a project or starting with a company that has tremendous potential that I can help become something successful.
What is your perfect night out? A good night is with my closest friends out for drinks. We always go to Madison’s Bar and Grill and the roof deck of City Bistro is fun too, both are in Hoboken.
What makes you cry? I get upset when I watch the news and see all of the poverty and disease in this world.
If you could please anyone in the world who would it be? My parents, they have given me unconditional love and support.
How did you get you passion for fashion? Since I was a little girl I used to draw gowns that the First Lady could wear to the Inaugural Ball...I have always been inspired by the way beautiful clothing can accentuate a woman’s features.
What attracts you to people? I have always been a people person; I find it easy to connect with people and exciting to surround myself with a large social circle. Most importantly a great sense of humor!!!
Three words your friends would describe you as? Driven, cheerful, and loyal. |
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