It’s been a long time coming and it’s early days yet, but if my first visit to visit to Northridge Restaurant is any indication, it has been well worth the wait.
Northridge is located in Stockton on the grounds of the Woolverton Inn, a 1792 stone manor house that offers eight tastefully appointed rooms plus six charming cottages. The circa 1830 stone barn that houses Northridge was essentially a ruin until a four-plus year restoration / reconstruction by current owners Mary and Mario Passalacqua breathed new life into the structure.
Retaining original features and using materials and construction techniques true to the period, Northridge has been re-imagined as both an event space accommodating up to 200 guests and an intimate dining spot seating 60 in an indoor dining room that features a stone floor, soaring stone fireplace, and exposed timbers. There is an outdoor terrace as well, for alfresco dining in the warmer months.
At the helm of the kitchen at Northridge is Executive Chef Lance Knowling. Originally from Kansas City, Knowling made his mark in Texas before moving to the Northeast. In 2002, he opened his first restaurant, Indigo Smoke in Montclair. Featuring southern cuisine and Kansas City barbecue, Indigo Smoke earned “Best of” and “Critics Choice” awards in New Jersey Monthly for 10 years in a row. To find out more about Chef Knowling, including his support for numerous charitable organizations, visit his website, lanceknowling.com.
While the event space at Northridge has been open for some time and the dining room has been open to guests at the Woolverton Inn on a limited basis, it is only recently that reservations have been available to the general public.
A sweeping stone staircase affords a grand entrance to the separate event space, while diners, yours truly included, enter the public restaurant through the double doors at ground level to a reception area. Arriving early, my dining companion and I were warmly welcomed and invited to take a seat while our table was being readied. A short wait, then into the soaring candlelit space to a table by the rustic stone fireplace.
Subdued lighting, exposed timbers, stone floor, the pleasant murmur of conversation among the well spaced tables, and the sound of cool jazz playing softly in the background set the scene.
We were soon in the capable, informative hands of co-servers Tracy and Makita. As we took our first sips of wine (Northridge is BYO) and perused the menu, we were served a tasty amuse of capers, goat cheese, diced tomatoes, and a chiffonade of spinach, served on a round of toasted rustic bread and drizzled with a balsamic reduction.
The compact prix fixe menu that evening was priced at $55 for two courses or $70 with dessert, with a $10 supplement for the dry-aged rib eye (the price may very, depending on that evening’s offerings). Appetizers consisted of Yukon Potato Soup (Maine lobster, truffle, herbs); Baby Romaine Caesar salad (house made brioche croutons, frissee, shaved Parmesan, Caesar vinaigrette); and Roasted Butternut Squash Tart (goat cheese, puff pastry, arugula, blackberry reduction).
The evening’s entrees included Mary’s Eggplant Stuffed Peppers with Herbed Rice (family recipe served vegetarian, or with charred cantabrian pink anchovies); Wood Smoked Salmon Filet (finished on the grill, warm green bean potato salad, roast tomatoes, white balsamic); Tender Braised Boneless Beef (au gratin potatoes, honey glazed carrots, red wine sauce); Kansas City Barbecued Ribs (home grown recipe, smoked deviled egg, pickled tomatoes, grilled toast, house made fries); and that dry-aged rib eye I mentioned earlier (wood grilled, roast shallot marmalade, Woolverton steak sauce, onion rings).
All tempting choices, but I had to test Chef Knowling’s Kansas City roots and try the ribs. I was not disappointed; tender, succulent, falling off the bone, finger lickin’ good. And despite a carb-restricted diet, I could not resist the siren call of the house made fries. And the satisfying crunch and char of the grilled toast.
My dining companion chose the salmon filet; lightly seared on the outside, moist and tender inside, the green bean potato salad and roast tomatoes a perfect accompaniment. And the light and flaky buttermilk “buttons” with honey butter added to our enjoyment. And the two of us were favorably impressed by the portion sizes (neither too large or too small) and the seasoning of our entrees as-presented (just right).
A pleasing Chef’s Cobbler (apple, in keeping with the season), Chocolate Mousse and Donuts (house made donut hole, toasted almond crumble, vanilla cream, raspberry sauce), and freshly brewed coffee made for a gratifying coda to our visit to Northridge. As we exited into the chill of a fall evening to the sound of Ray Charles singing “Georgia on My Mind,” we began planning a return visit.
Northridge at the Woolverton Inn, Woolverton Road, Stockton. Open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday, 5 to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 4 to 7 p.m. Open for Sunday brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Bring your own bottle. 609-397-0802, sheep@woolvertoninn.com, or www.woolvertoninn.com/northridge-restaurant.
