Restaurant Review: Above Restaurant & Bar

If you love seafood, and in particular lobster, you’re going to love Above, the new restaurant atop Eden Gourmet in South Orange that had its “soft” opening on Aug. 4. The appetizer selections include mushroom fondue with lobster croutons, crab cake, calamari with polenta crust, gulf shrimp cocktail, and even a lobster mac-n-cheese. For a main dish, you can choose from pan-roasted halibut, grilled wild salmon, crispy ginger sea scallops, red snapper, a spaghettini with shrimp and lobster, or a soup-and-sandwich style “lobster tasting,” featuring lobster corn chowder and a New England lobster roll.

For a fish lover like me who’s been disappointed with the local offerings for a while now, the opening of Above is very happy news indeed. 

Not that the menu stops at seafood. This sophisticated but unfussy “contemporary American eatery” also offers a full array of meat dishes—steaks, chicken, ribs, pork chops, lamb and duck, as well as the essential burger for $11. We tried the pan roasted duck breast ($24), which was tender without being greasy, served with summer cherries (not as sweet as it sounds) and scallion griddle cakes, which, though a tad tough to cut, were tasty and a nice surprise.

Above takes food seriously, but it’s not above having a little fun. We were delighted to find kobe beef “sliders"—tiny savory burgers—featured among the starters ($7) and celebrated by trying one. The roll was puffy and crisp at the same time, the burger perfectly seasoned and seared; this has got to be the new hip comfort food. The mushroom fondue ($8) was a subtle blend of cremini, shiitake, oyster and morels, with aged gruyere cheese that managed not to overpower the mushroom flavors. Our one complaint: it was served with only three delicious lobster croutons, and we could have used six to scoop up our fondue. Not a biggie: The artisanal breads that come with the price of entry served as a nice backup.       

It’s refreshing to find a restaurant in the burbs that keeps an eye on details. The summer blend salad ($7) had just the right amount of a delicate balsamic dressing. The grape tomatoes have been roasted, and those croutons that taste just a touch sweet are really slivers of toasted croissant. The fresh Jersey tomatoes featured in several dishes taste like they came from your neighbor’s backyard, and the mashed potatoes here have a swirl of Cabernet in them (yes, the wine). Diners are even served two types of butter: sea salt and maple.

If you have room for dessert, the offerings are generous and original. The wood-fired summer fruit crisp with a dollop of Tahitian vanilla gelato ($8), in addition to tasting sublime, was more than enough for two to share, and the grapefruit sorbet ($6) is a bittersweet heat-buster.

To be sure, Above has some kinks to work out before its grand opening in October. The red snapper entrée ($24) was a little rubbery, and the crab cake ($9), while crabby (as opposed to bready), could have used a little crispness. The interior décor, which combines exquisite stone mosaic tiles with frou-frou “oil” paintings and faux Tiffany lamps, feels somewhat confused, and the lighting in the casual bar area is way too bright to feel cozy and at ease. And no one should have to wait 15 minutes for water and bread when they sit down.

But as soon as the weather cools off a bit, I’ll be back. I’m already thinking about how those sliders will taste on the patio, along with some roasted Jersey corn on the cob.           

Above Restaurant and Bar is located at 1 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ. Open Tuesday to Thursday: 11:30am -10pm, Friday and Saturday: 11:30am-11pm, Sunday: noon-9:00pm. Closed Monday. Telephone: 973-762-5900, ext. 3, or go to www.opentable.com for reservations. Free parking at rear of building.