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Slowly

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Samlawali
Samlawali
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5 out of 5
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Slowly

  • May 15, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Samlawali from Lincolnton, North Carolina
Slowly

On a recent birthday, a girlfriend of mine offered to treat me to dinner at a new restaurant that had opened in the last year or so. We picked a fairly early 5:30 pm Thursday evening hoping to avoid the weekend crowds.

We took the elevator to the second floor eatery and a lovely waterfall next to the host desk in the tiny foyer greeted us. We were seated immediately at a table overlooking Main and Washington Streets in downtown Toms River. The décor was classy and inviting with slate floors and warm reds, browns and yellows making up the color scheme. The kitchen was located at the far end of the room opposite the entrance and in full view of the patrons. A private "VI"" booth that could seat approximately six people was located in another corner. There was a privacy curtain that could be pulled for extra intimacy if desired.

Our evening and time choice was excellent as there was only two other tables occupied. There was a room off the foyer that was hosting a business party, but we did not hear a peep from them during our entire visit.

We decided to each choose from the $21.00 price fix menu which included a bread, soup, salad, entrée and dessert. The menu changes from season to season. My friend, Carolyn, chose the butternut squash soup and I chose the Cuban black bean soup to start. The bowls were huge and the soups delicious. The butternut soup might have been bland except for the red pepper flakes and the black bean was meaty with chorizo and seasoned with lime and sour cream.

We each tried the house salad, which was tasty but not spectacular. What was the highlight was the brisket we each decided on for the entrée. It was served in a red sauce with julienne mixed vegetables and a wonderful cornmeal encrusted potato pancake on the side. The vegetables were cooked just right and the potato was deliciously crunchy on the outside with a warm and soft middle. The brisket was so good and so tender you did not even need a knife.

Again, for dessert we agreed and chose the "house special" s'mores. A wonderful graham cracker ice cream, homemade marshmallow on the side and a delectable drizzle of chocolate sauce completed this bit of dessert heaven.

Slowly has taken a step away from the fast food business of many restaurants today and is trying to bring back the art of conversation and the enjoyment of tasting each component of a meal. There is a whole movement to bring this type of eating back to the public and can be delved into more fully by visiting www.slowfood.com. Make sure you have a couple of hours to spend here, as the food takes time, but is well worth the wait.

www.slowlynj.com

From journal My Second Hometown - Toms River

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