John Frade, owner of Cinders Wood Fire Grill in Mine Hill, bought the restaurant on Route 46 about four years ago and rebuilt it into the establishment it is today. He came up with the name by surveying his guests at his other restaurants.
Familiar to the restaurant business, Frade, who also owns Black River Barn and Pizza Pub in Randolph, worked his way up from dishwasher and busboy in the seventies, to creating dishes like crab-stuffed tomato martini (tomato and jumbo lump crabmeat in a martini glass with mango lime dressing, served with jicama and asparagus wedges, $13) and the Mexican top hat (Mexican-spiced filet mignon topped with portabella mushroom in a Fuji apple chipotle BBQ sauce, $9).
"I started out making potato and macaroni salad and worked my way up," said Frade.
He said Cinders offers items and specialties that other restaurants in the area don't have.
John Hodson, in charge of running the front of the house during the evening, says, "You'd be very hard pressed to find something you don't like here." From tapas to sushi, a variety of menu selections makes for an eclectic evening.
Restaurant patrons can sit inside on the main level, in the upstairs dining area or the outside patio. Although the views are spectacular from all three locations, the main floor holds a class and charm all its own; glass cabinets filled with wine, a stonewall fireplace separating dining areas, warm burgundy walls behind the liquor at the bar, a cathedral ceiling with thick wood beams, and Cinders' signature feature, the wood fire grill, which guests can see when they look past the wine racks into the kitchen. The red cinders on the grill are a colorful addition to the shining steel shelving and crisp white uniforms of the cooking staff.
One of Frade's favorite dishes is the pork chop, made with a tamarind date sauce. As for his guests, they have a number of favorites.
The Ginger Berry Salmon, made with wood-grilled Alaskan-caught salmon, fresh berries, soy sauce and melted brie on top, ($16) has been a long-time favorite, as well as the Mozzarella & Tomato Blast, ($6) one of the unique items on the menu. Picture an eye dropper filled with aged balsamic and served with buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes and roasted yellow peppers.
Frade keeps a garden in the back of the restaurant to add freshness to his menu. Although he's been a little busy to have a full garden this year, he still managed to grow a couple of things such as melons and zucchini. His fresh zucchini gave him the inspiration to create his special shrimp-stuffed zucchini flowers, which is shrimp mousse filled inside a zucchini flower, deep fried in champagne-tempura batter and served with black truffle aioli ($11).
When visiting Cinders, guests enjoy reading the menu section titles. Frade adds a pinch of humor with such meal descriptions as, 'Rather Fancy Soups,' 'In a Category by Itself' and 'Superbly Lite Lunch.'
The restaurant offers catering for lunches, co*cktail parties, sporting and school events, Sweet Sixteen parties and small weddings.
"A lot of catering places won't even talk to you if your guest list is under 150 people," said Frade. "We offer wedding catering for up to 165 guests on premises. We want it to be affordable and elegant for our clients."
With two wedding packages to choose from, the bride and groom will have plenty to choose from. Both packages are offered with a cold station, hot station, hors d'oeurves, salad course, entrée course, dessert, five-hour open bar and champagne toast. A carving station is offered as an option with the second package.
Cinders also has live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
As the dinner hour approaches on a recent Friday afternoon, Frade and his cook and wait staff gear up for another busy night.
"I love the ability to create new dishes and have guests enjoy them," said Frade.
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CINDERS WOOD FIRE GRILL
Address: 319 Route 46, Mine Hill
Phone: 973-928-7000
Internet:www.cinderswoodfiregrill.com
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight for dinner; Sunday brunch 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday dinner until 10 p.m.; Happy Hour, Tuesday to Friday, 3 to 6 p.m.; bar open until 2 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Owner: John Farde
Cuisine: Ecclectic American
Prices: Tapas $5 to $15; Sushi $6 to $20; Salads $6 to $17; Burgers $11 to $15; Sandwiches $9 to $14; Pasta $16 to $24; Fish & Shellfish $19 to $28; Entrees $19 to $30; Chicken & Fowl $16 to $35
Delivery: Yes, minimum $35
Reservations: Yes
Catering: Yes
Occupancy: 310
Vibe: Family dining with an extensive menu
