Cuisine:

• American

Ninety Acres Description:
Dining at Ninety Acres is an act of faith---especially in the dead of night when just getting there demands turning onto a dark and lonely road. The winding one-lane pike wends left then right through field and wood with nary a twinkling light to guide. Then, luminescence in overhead branches gives hope, a few more yards and at last the imposing Ninety Acres is gained. Opened by Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire owner of Virgin Group, and his partner Bob Wojtowicz, the restaurant is nestled within a 492-acre estate called Natirar that once belonged to the King of Morocco, and is situated in a handsomely remodeled carriage house and garage. Inside, guests are greeted with a warming modern fireplace, a towering bar and a rustic candlelit dining room. The sleek open kitchen is within sight but designed so as not to dominate---no, copper-topped tables and plush banquettes, soft conversation over food and wine does that. An ever-changing menu offers dishes made with fresh regional foods. A starter, fluke---abundant in New Jersey coastal waters---arrives on a convex dish as a wafer-thin raw slice spread with a bit of sweet cider paste and topped with bits of Jonathan apple, tapioca and kohlrabi. Wood-roasted butternut squash flavors a thick soup fortified with aged sherry cream, Brussels sprouts and Surryano-style ham---the prized Virginia smoked ham made from Berkshire pigs. Entrées may include Barnegat Lighthouse scallops, sweet and succulent presented on a bed of chestnuts, frisée and olives in vin jaune, while sides might feature vanilla-glazed carrots and turnips. One may also find fried chicken with cheddar biscuits and mashed potatoes and gravy or shrimp and Maine lobster macaroni and cheese. Like the food, most of the wine is biodynamic, organic or sustainable. Wines are listed as such in categories that span the world's top wine growing regions, and from wineries great and small.


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