Edward’s Steak House, tucked on a quiet residential street in downtown Jersey City, has been catering to locals and gourmands alike since first opening several years ago. Now under new ownership, Edward’s is continuing its reputation as one of the area’s top steakhouses. Dan de la Vega, the new owner, was a former guest of the restaurant. He took over operations of the restaurant in July.
A commodity trader by day and restaurateur by night, de la Vega has always been passionate about cooking – so much so that he enrolled in a course at the French Culinary Institute in 2000.
“I’m very proud of the food we have here,” he said. “And I’m not saying that because I own it. The steaks are New York quality.”
Comfortable dining
After purchasing Edward’s, de la Vega renovated the restaurant and bar area, which is reflective of his commitment to high quality food and service, in a comfortable atmosphere.
The downstairs bar area features a long old-fashioned wooden bar that caters to a well-heeled after work crowd. The upstairs has two rooms, both of which can be used for private parties. It is decorated in warm creams, sage green, and accents of rich dark wood. Guests can dine in either location or enjoy a cocktail at the bar, which features a selection of premium whiskey and fine wines.
The restaurant has the charm of a speakeasy, yet service you’d expect from a four-star establishment without any stuffiness.
The service is professional and friendly, without considerable time given between courses so guests can savor their food.
Fresh seafood
On a recent Wednesday night, my dining companion and I visited Edward’s to sample some of their seafood creations and their steaks.
We were warmly greeted by the very friendly de la Vega, who personally greets diners the nights that he is there. With a “hands on” approach to his business, he oversees the staff from the front of the house to the back, where he works with executive chef Edward Gozdz to create tempting dishes.
We began our meal with a full-bodied Riesling, which paired well with the appetizers. As we progressed, we savored an excellent bottle of the Yamhill Valley Vineyards 2003 Reserve Pinot Noir.
We started with the jumbo lump crab cake, the tuna tartare, and the beef carpaccio. The crab cake consisted primarily of fresh crab – about 99 percent fresh meat, no bread fillers – and finished with a delicate lemon butter sauce.
My companion loved the tuna tartare, which was served with a honey wasabi sauce. She described the tuna as “juicy, with just the right burst of flavoring spices.”
Meat lovers will be thrilled with the beef carpaccio, which consists of Filet Mignon pounded into paper-thin slices and topped with truffle oil, shaved parmesan and served with flat bread. This tasty starter melts in the mouth.
Next we sampled a few of the jumbo shrimp ($6 each) that are a meal in itself. The shrimp are simply the largest we’ve seen and need no more flavoring than a squeeze of lemon. The appetizers are reasonably priced from $7 to $14. Other appetizers include: baked clams, steamed clams, oysters Rockefeller, and others.
Salads
Edward’s has several different salads including their house and the classic Caesar salad. Our waiter told us not to miss the tomato and fresh mozzarella salad. The tomatoes are slow roasted in the oven for eight hours and paired with fresh mozzarella.
One bite is all you need to taste the difference that slow roasting makes. The robust flavor of the tomatoes is balanced with the mozzarella, which has a light texture and slightly sweet finish. A light drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette finishes this dish.
Also good, was their chopped salad, which is a combination of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, olives, green beans, mushrooms, and crumbled blue cheese.
We also sampled their “salad of the day.” On that night we had their fresh beet and goat cheese salad that was topped with walnuts. We loved this salad, which was a beautiful work of art that we almost didn’t want to bite into.
All the salads are priced from $6 to $10. Chicken, shrimp, or steak can be added to any salad at lunch for an additional charge.
Entrees
Next we sampled de la Vega’s creation of the “Shrobster,” which looks like it sounds – a cross between a shrimp and a lobster. This lightly breaded and fried fish is an inspired creation that is served with Asian vegetables and spicy dipping sauce.
For our main course we opted for the fish of the day – an Australian John Dory and the 16 oz. sirloin steak. The steak was pure perfection! The thick steak was grilled and flavored in its own sauce, which required no additional seasoning.
We also loved the fish, which came with a fantastic sauce that consisted of a white bean ragu, roasted corn, and bay scallops.
For sides we opted for the roasted garlic mashed potatoes and the creamed spinach, both of which came in portions for two. Other side dishes include: broccoli, French fries, sautéed mushrooms or onions, or asparagus. Other entrees include: pork mignon, “flat iron steak,” Filet Mignon, Veal Chop, Porterhouse for two, rack of lamb, sesame crusted tuna, sea scallops, Chilean Sea Bass, stuffed shrimp, stuffed lobster, and others.
And…
After all the delicious food we couldn’t fit anything else, but we were tempted by the rich desserts, which include homemade cheesecake and crème brulee topped with seasonal fruit.
Edward’s, located at 239 Marin Boulevard in Jersey City, is open six days a week for lunch and dinner. The hours are 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday; and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday.
Reservations are recommended and all major credit cards are accepted. For more information, call (201) 761-0000 or visit: www.edwardssteakhouse.com.
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