I never knew what it was like to have a “neighborhood place”. You know, the place where everyone knows your name. Well, that’s until now. I found “my spot”, or to put it another way, my spot found me. Maybe it’s because I live around the corner and I find myself at the restaurant 2-3 times a week most weeks. The White Star on Warren Street in Jersey City is everyone’s favorite place to be – food, cocktails, people, beer tastings to the plethora of craft beers on tap this is the place to be.
It’s a Friday night. I went out with the girls for drinks on the waterfront (that’s another story) and we found ourselves back at the White Star for dinner. On a recent visit I tried one of the burgers which was absolutely delicious. To highlight one would be a crime because they are all good. There is a burger with “secret sauce” which leaves you breathless. Yes, breathless because your hands are moving so fast and you’re working so hard to shovel it into your mouth. I’ve also had the Half Chicken dinner which is just as delicious. The chicken is juicy and very moist but the skin, the skin is out of this world. It’s very flavorful and crispy. The chicken comes with smashed, crispy fried potatoes and root vegetables that are perfectly caramelized. If I could face plant and lick the plate I would but I have some restraint…some.
So, not quite sure what to order I leave it up to the bartender (who is personable, bubbly, funny and knows how to pour a healthy drink). He says “You have to have the Pork Chop!” I say, “the Pork Chop it is.” It takes a little longer to cook, but that was fine because the girls and I were catching up and chit chatting about life and people watching as well. In no time the dish arrives and its massive. It’s a double chop that looks too beautiful to eat. It has the most perfect char on the outside. I suppose that char comes from the bourbon glaze that was used to bathe the chop while it was cooking. The pork chop comes with apples and caramelized Brussel sprouts and aged cheddar grits.
The perfect bite? It’s a piece of pork chop, a schmear of apples and a caramelized Brussel sprout to top off the spear of the fork. Absolutely delicious. The meat was so moist. It made me think of all of the other pork chops that tried to come out of other restaurant kitchens and failed miserably. This pork chop was juicy, so juicy that when you cut into the chop juices seeped out so that each bite was marinated once again. The aged cheddar grits are not like the Southern grits that you may get from a diner they are a little more grainy – but just as good.
So, do I recommend White Star on Warren? Absolutely, its perfect for solo dining, groups, girls night out and dates.
