For over two decades, Maxwell’s has been famous for the quality of musical acts that perform on the small stage in the back room. But to get to that far end portion of the club, show goers have to walk past one of the best sections of Maxwell’s – its restaurant, where the portions are large and the prices are reasonable.
Maxwell’s, located at 1039 Washington St. in Hoboken, has been serving premium veggie burgers, quesadillas and tuna steak sandwiches for years, but recently Chef Frank Caracamo was hired and appointed head of the kitchen staff. This new head chef has kept the classic menu at Maxwell’s, but has expanded the selection with a few of his own clever concoctions. The Current was invited by Caracamo himself to swing by for dinner last week to sample of his savory specialties.There was one problem. Not only do I not eat beef or pork, but I’ve been in the “Zone” for the past few months, so I had to invite a few friends and colleagues to dinner to pick on some plates. David, our Hoboken reporter; Jon, or Jersey City reporter; our vegan friend Scott and I all joined at a table on the window wing of the restaurant.
We all started out with a round of beer and, except for Scott, a cup of the shrimp bisque ($3.95), which was exceptionally light and mild instead of rich and fishy. Then came a large order of the hummus and pita with fresh, uncooked vegetables ($4.95). Scott was pleased and found its garlicky flavor rather appetizing. Our final appetizer was the new Andouille sausage in puff pastry ($7.95). Jon and David enjoyed the crumbly French pastry wrapped around the juicy sausage that they dipped in the spicy mustard sauce.
Dinner
When we ordered our entrees, David was brave enough to ask to be surprised, while Scott asked Chef Caracamo if the Vegetable Lasagna with b