Tucked on the corner of Garden and 14th streets in uptown Hoboken is the newly named Dino and Harry’s steakhouse, formerly known as Frankie and Johnnie’s.
While the name has changed, the ownership hasn’t. The restaurant is still run by owner Dino Panopoulos, who has crafted the restaurant into a place that has long gained rave reviews for its excellent cuisine and service.
Many have enjoyed the thick porterhouse steaks in an atmosphere that is reminiscent of Hoboken’s past.
Yet, steaks are only a few of the items on the menu.
Chef Gerardo Leal, who has worked at the restaurant for seven years, has created a menu that includes items one might not expect, like crispy striped bass or the light crabmeat au gratin.
The atmosphere The spacious bar area is one place that is reminiscent of Hoboken’s past. With a large, beautifully crafted bar that almost spans the room, a piano in the front corner, and much of the original details intact like the tin ceiling, it is easy to imagine times when a meal was an event.
On busy nights, the room hums with music from the piano, and there is happy chatter from the well-heeled bar crowd.
The restaurant yields a simple elegance with the white tablecloths and the shimmering candlelight throughout the rooms that lends itself to an intimate dining experience.
Appetizers On a recent night, my companions and I went to sample some of Chef Leal’s innovative cuisine.
We started with a sampling of treats including the creamy potato leek soup, the shrimp over avocado appetizer, and filet mignon empanadas. The shrimp had plenty of flavor from the diced avocado that gets a slight kick from the cilantro, olive oil, and jalapenos. Everyone at the table raved about the empanadas. They had a rich taste from the sliced filet mignon, wild mushrooms, and spicy chipolte dipping sauce.
“It was one of the best [empanadas] I’ve ever tasted,” said reporter Jessica Rosero. “I loved the filet mignon, as opposed to the regular ground beef.”
Then we tried a few dishes that showed Chef Leal’s skill at mixing flavors and textures. We had the excellent smoked bacon over oven charred brussel sprouts and apples.
Not to be missed is the crab cake, which is paired with coleslaw. The crab gets much of its flavor from the capers. But like any good cook, he layers the flavor to enhance. One tastes the delicate crab first, then the spice, and the coleslaw adds a nice texture to each bite.
Other appetizers include fried calamari, chilled oysters, shrimp cocktail, a selection of salads and more. Prices range from $8.50 to $16.50. Entrees For dinner we tried the roasted chicken and skate wing fish dish.
The skate wing fish, which was white and boneless, was crispy and delicious. The dish was an ensemble of flavors. The delicate fish was paired with crushed red potatoes that are made with a touch of heavy cream and topped with the slightly salty caviar. The dish was balanced with the light cream sauce.
Yet, as Chef Leal will tell you, an excellent chicken dish really demonstrates cooking skill: “When you get a really good meat like a Filet Mignon, you don’t need to do much with it to make it taste good. But when you get something humble like a chicken and make something good with it – then you can call yourself a cook,” he said.
The half boneless chicken was cooked to perfection. The crispy skin was lightly seasoned and gave way to the tender white meat. It was paired with his own Mac and cheese – which is a masterpiece. One could get lost in the rich mix of cheese.
Other entrees include striped bass, salmon, pasta, and of course, the fine selection of steaks including the porterhouse, Filet Mignon, among others.
Prices range from $24.50 to $41. In addition, there is wide selection of sides that may be ordered including baked potatoes, fresh spinach, broccoli, asparagus, string beans and more. And… While diners are sure to enjoy each bite of the food, you don’t want to skip dessert. All the desserts are made on the premises and carefully prepared. According to Chef Leal, the desserts are changed each season.
There is much to choose from including the bread pudding, apple crisp, a trio of mini cheesecakes, white chocolate panna cotta, poached pear, and the “Snowboken,” which is vanilla ice cream, chocolate cake, and hot fudge.
Although there was a lot to enjoy, we each had our favorites.
The poached pear had a heady mix of flavors from the blend of cabernet wine and spices and was topped with mascarpone.
“The richness of the sauce and the sweetness of the pear made it a complimentary combination,” said Current Editor Sean Allocca.
The trio of cheesecakes offers just a taste of pumpkin, cranberry, and maple walnut. The pumpkin was slightly sweet with a light hint of pumpkin, the cranberry was a little tart, and the maple walnut was rich yet not too sweet.
Also good was the bread pudding that was rich with flavor and texture from the peaches, cranberries, and hazelnuts and topped with cream.
Reporter Rosero favored the white chocolate cake: “It is very rich. Very decadent. A feast for the eyes and the senses,” she said.
In addition to the desserts, there is also a fine selection of port wines, coffee, tea, espresso and cappuccino.
The restaurant is open seven days a week for dinner, and reservations are recommended for large parties and on weekends. All major credit cards are accepted, and validated parking is available. For more information, call (201) 659-6202. Comments on this story can be sent to: current@hudsonreporter.com.