One of the newest quality restaurants to call Hoboken home is quickly winning over the city’s downtown residents.
Buskers is a place where the comfortable coziness that you might find in a bed-and-breakfast meets the coolness and varied cuisine of the big city. And let me assure you, it is a real good time to hang out at Buskers.
The new bar and grill, on Bloomfield Street, is a hard place to label and peg down, but my suggestion is to visit as many times as you can.
The restaurant, which just opened in the end of October, manages a festive atmosphere and quality menu. The name comes from a term that means street performer, and the charming decorations throughout the restaurant include memorabilia that might belong to such a person, like the violin one passes to get to the dining rooms.
Everything in Buskers is from Ireland: the chairs, the floor, the bar, and the list goes on. There were pieces in there from the Guinness brewery and Belfast docks. The design creates a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere. Each dining room has a fireplace. People love the high benches, where you sit a good head above the rest of the dining area, and there is also a long comfortable bench along one wall in the back room and large comfortable chairs.
Executive chef Joel Faber created the menu to serve wide tastes, and he infuses something of everything like Italian, French, Asia, and American creations.
"Something for everyone is unusual in Hoboken," Faber said. "I want to cater to everyone, so everyone can appreciate the food."
Faber previously worked in the Cub Room in Manhattan as a sous chef. He wanted to move out of the city and found shelter at Buskers.
His control over the kitchen extends to the individual tables of the restaurant; Faber also selected the plates and silverware. The bowls come in marvelous shapes.
Japanese eggplant, Thai shrimp risotto
I started my meal with the crisp lobster roll ($12) served with jicama slaw and lobster sabayon. Jicama is a vegetable used in Latin American cuisine, and tastes delicious. The roll if stuffed with lobster meat. I also tried the grilled lamb sausage ($9) with Dijon and chipolini pickles. This is a great starter. The sausage was delicious, and the two sauces offer terrific variety.
Buskers features an extensive menu of starters, salads and small meals like Japanese Eggplant ($15). The salads include Buskers Caesar ($8), and panko goat cheese ($9).
For the entrée I opted for the Thai shrimp risotto ($21) with red Thai curry, coconut milk and lemon grass. There was plenty of risotto, and the shrimp was very spicy. I also tried the filet mignon ($27) with a coarse Dijon sauce. The meat was cooked to perfection. It was served with potatoes and mushrooms. The fall menu offers heavier dishes like braised lamb shank ($22), seared tuna ($26) with wasabi masked potatoes and a chicken breast ($17) stuffed with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese.
I was not going to let dessert pass me by. I finished my terrific meal with the apple cranberry tarte tatin with cinnamon ice cream ($6). I even chanced it with cinnamon tea to top it off. The apples and cranberries were tart and flavorful. I also tried the valrhona chocolate lava cake ($6). The lava cakes are made from scratch, and they are certainly worth it.
While Buskers is part Irish bar, it would be a mistake to label it as such. Buskers is an energetic bar, a wine-lover’s respite, a hungry person’s dream and a great way to spend the night.
The new venue is at the corner of First and Bloomfield streets. For information call (201) 604-1380 or visit www.buskersbarandgrill.com. q