Mockingbird Cafe Opens on South Finley

Longtime Basking Ridge residents Tom and Kathy West opened their new cafe on Thursday, Aug. 5 at the corner of South Finley and Henry Streets. What was briefly the Wild Goose Bakery is now the Mockingbird Cafe, complete with the option to dine al fresco.

The Wests recently owned The Limestone Cafe in Peapack, which they closed in June to prepare for the new venture in Basking Ridge.

"We've always liked this corner," said Tom West . "It is smaller and more manageable than The Limestone, and just right down the street from home."

Tom West considers the cuisine "American" and many of the recipes are his wife's originals. Kathy West is also the powerhouse behind the baking. All of the desserts and pastries are her creations, "made-from-scratch."

On a recent visit, truffle brownie bits were out for tasting — they were a melt-in-your-mouth sensation. The Yellow Layer cake with a chocolate cream cheese butter cream was on display alongside a Gingered Peach Tart Tatin.

The cafe opens daily for breakfast and lunch (brunch on Sundays) but dinner is served only Thursday through Saturday. The Wests have made minor modifications to the space by painting the interior an appealing lemon-grass green, and placing tables, chairs and umbrellas out front in true cafe style. Pastel-clothed tables inside are covered with white paper, accompanied by jars of crayons to keep younger diners busy while ordering. High chairs are also on hand for the tots. Various pieces of art and mirrors complete the unpretentious decor.

Some of the menu items are carry-over favorites from the Limestone Cafe while others are new creations. Breakfast offerings include innovative "Rumbles," described as "a bit like a messy omelette, or eggs scrambled with lots of goodness;" "Dutch Babies," which are "fluffy, puffy oven baked souffled pancakes filled with fresh berries, served with whipped cream;" and "Peapack Porridge," which is "wild rice porridge with hazelnuts, dried cherries and cranberries, a touch of citrus zest."

Kathy West's famous homemade muffins and sticky buns are always on the menu for consideration with either a French press pot of coffee, latte, espresso or a cappuccino.

From the lunch menu diners can choose from soups, salads and sandwiches, many named for New Jersey towns. The 'BR' BLT, for example, is a BLT on brioche toast with sirachi mayo, and the BayHead is the Wests' well known crab cakes on a brioche roll with their lemon caper cornichon tartar sauce. An innovative Tuna Burger sounds intriguing: "freshly chopped Tuna mixed with ginger, scallion and soy, with tomato, arugula and wasabi mayo, served on a pepper brioche roll."

The dinner selections are impressive. A Summertime Pork Duo includes both baby back ribs and pork tenderloin with a sweet potato peach and rosemary salad or a Lamb Sirloin Steak. For lesser appetites, diners can order from the Casual Meals portion of the menu, where they will find some of the mouthwatering dishes from the lunch menu. And, not to be overlooked is a decadent Lobster Macaroni and Cheese.

While busy serving customers in their new South Finley establishment, the Wests also provide full-service catering. Stop by and welcome them to the neighborhood.