Martinis, seafood with a view

Hoboken’s newest hotspot: 3 Forty Grill
With a welcoming atmosphere and high-quality food, 3 Forty Grill reaches for the pinnacle of Hoboken nightlife venues. With a line outside of people waiting to get in at night on the weekends, 3 Forty offers a quality menu, a modern bar with friendly singles at a wonderful location.

On the corner of Sinatra Drive and River Street, it has a clear view of the Empire State Building through enormous windows, which adds a trendy ambiance that is both romantic and exciting. It is an ideal location for a restaurant and I even found parking pretty close on a Thursday night.

With doormen and surprising amenities reaching into the ladies room, 3 Forty offered an upscale atmosphere, but managed to be unpretentious at the same time. The wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable. They always had smiles on their faces, and were available, but never overbearing.

The dining room was comfortable. The space consists of high ceilings and an open floor plan. The decorative lights are dim, but the tall beige walls and the windows give the room a certain brightness. The tables are situated spaciously, a welcome reprieve from the tired trend of packing tables tightly (like in New York City).

“Our food selection is excellent, and we have a great nightlife scene,” said manager Addie Torres. “Hoboken was waiting for a place like this.”

The martini bar is a modern space with stainless steel and comfy lounge chairs. The martini menu includes about 20 selections. It included common choices along with more creative fare such as Hard Candy, a combination of three stolis and cranberry juice, and the Nutty Martini, featuring amaretto, frangelica and Ketel One. Desert martinis include Chunky Monkey, a mixture of Stoli Vanilla, Banana Liqueur and Crème de Cacao. It also featured an extensive wine menu. I tried a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon, both with a bold flavor.

The restaurant’s raw bar consists of an impressive variety of oysters. We tried oysters from around the world, including Atlantic, European and two different kinds of Pacific oysters. They tasted incredibly fresh, each with its own distinct flavor. Although 3 Forty accentuates seafood, it has adequate appetizer and entree offerings of steak, chicken, pasta and lamb.

The menu is not large, but it serves up large portions. In fact, dishes were sizable enough for us to try several appetizers. The tuna sashimi was tender and fresh. The spring rolls were deliciously spicy. And the salads were light and fresh.

Do you believe in Mahi?

For an entrée I tried the almond grilled Mahi Mahi, which came with mussels and jasmine rice. The fish was tender and scrumptious. The sauce, with ingredients like curry, gave the plate an eclectic taste. I also tried the rack of lamb, which came with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The lamb was perfectly cooked. The meat was juicy and melted in my mouth. Other entrees offered are braised oxtail and potato dumplings, and seared shrimp and Serrano ham with pasta.

For dessert, I went with the caramel and cinnamon apple crepe. The ice cream was sweet and delicious, and the warm apple and crepe were a great finish to my meal. I also tasted the crème brulee. It was sprinkled with raspberries, and tasted rich and creamy. The waitress told us the lava cake is too die for, but with everything I had eaten already I decided to leave that for next week.

The 3 Forty Grill is at 340 Sinatra Dr. in Hoboken. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. They offer half price martinis on Wednesdays. For information call (201) 217-3406 or visit www.3fortygrill.com. q

Pullout:

“Our food selection is excellent and we have a great nightlife scene.” – Addie Torres