As much as ever, midterms are unleashing their full force on the Stevens community, whether through tests, due projects, or pushing overtime on co-op. As Jack Torrance once wrote over and over, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” So, to break up the current daily grind, I decided a treat was in order.
Court Street Restaurant & Bar, located on 6th Street between Washington & Hudson (you’ve all walked past it a hundred times), is an upscale, family-owned restaurant tucked into the narrow alley Hoboken calls Court Street. Since 1981, it has offered a variety of steaks, chops, seafood, and libations (mostly wine) that typically appeal to Hobokenites looking for something special in a meal. The restaurant is laid out two parts: the bar, with high tables and stools, and the adjoining dining room, an environment more suited to a menu loaded up with such upscale offerings. As my guest and I were seated at a table for two in the back corner; our collective first thought was that this would have been perfect for a date.
After ordering drinks, we were forced to wave the waiter off a couple of times while we scoured the menu and specials of the day; as an aside, a significant portion of their menu is in the specials, and as such, changes daily. After figuring out the spread that came with the bread was in fact capers and not olives, we started with the fried calamari for an appetizer, which while not particularly impressive in presentation, was absolutely delicious. The batter was much lighter than I was used to, but equally flavorful and well prepared. I also sampled the French onion soup, and while the cheese on top seemed to be hand torched, giving it a nice crisp, the actual soup didn’t quite blow me away; it was good, but I’ll stick to Arthur’s for French onion soup in the future.
For our entrees, Ian ordered the Leg of Lamb entree special; my experience with legs of lamb had left me expecting an actual leg of lamb, but given the classy nature of Court Street, that was probably not the right expectation. Instead, the leg had been carved with the meat sliced off and tastefully arranged on the plate with potatoes au gratin, cauliflower, and an artsy dollop of a beet-mashed potato puree. I had the filet mignon pork medallions, which were generously smothered with a tomato sauce and sauteed onions. After tasting each others’ entrees, we came to a positive consensus on the proteins (absolutely wonderful), but with the sides we had some disagreement. I felt the vegetables were properly cooked so as to not be too hard, but also not be too soft; Ian found them on the harder side, but still decent. We both loved the beet puree, especially with the cauliflower; with the potatoes, not so much. By themselves, though, the potatoes were excellent.
Court Street is not quite the typical college student restaurant. With a very upscale menu and prices to match, it’s really not that affordable for the average Stevens student – we ended up splitting a $90 bill between the two of us. They do have prix fixe offerings during the week, Prime Rib Night on Mondays, and Lobster Night on Wednesday, which do lower the bill a bit. The menu also has a couple of relatively affordable low-end options like burgers and simple pasta dishes, but if you’re at Court Street, chances are you’re not looking for a burger. Overall, it’s not an everyday restaurant unless you have some money to burn. However, the food is delicious, their menu is well thought out and the staff are friendly, so if you’re looking for a place to take your parents or a significant other, want to impress a guest, or even just trying to treat yourself after a long week, Court Street is just the thing.
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