Suddenly, empanadas are everywhere. A reason to give thanks. It's true that chef Maricel Presilla always celebrated the empanada. At her iconic Hoboken restaurants, Zafra and Cucharamama, the empanadas are small but fat, crispy hot with sophisticated fillings and superior ingredients. It's also true that you'll find homemade empanadas on the menu of most new Latin restaurants, such as Raval...
Suddenly, empanadas are everywhere. A reason to give thanks.
It's true that chef Maricel Presilla always celebrated the empanada. At her iconic Hoboken restaurants, Zafra and Cucharamama, the empanadas are small but fat, crispy hot with sophisticated fillings and superior ingredients. It's also true that you'll find homemade empanadas on the menu of most new Latin restaurants, such as Raval in Jersey City, which also takes pride in its ingredients.
But the humble empanada is now showing up in unexpected places. On fine-dining menus. In Italian pastry shops.
The empanada was a favorite at Ursino, the recently shuttered white-tablecloth restaurant at Kean University. Chef Peter Turso fell for empanadas thanks to his mentor, who fell for them thanks to his ex-wife. And the homemade empanadas at Bella Palermo in Kenilworth are downright spectacular, outshining many of the Italian pastries in the shop.
At Emma's, the empanada ($9) is not unexpected; the sharply focused menu features many Latin influences. These homemade empanadas have a crisp, crisp crust; the kitchen thoughtfully cuts each in half for ease in handling. Or perhaps as encouragement to share. They will remind you of your grandmother's cooking, crisp and hot and with that welcome hit of oiliness that comes from the fat rendering off the beef.
Poached eggs are on restaurant menus everywhere too, another reason to give thanks. The poached egg is the most exciting reason to order Emma's chicken and egg appetizer ($10), which is created to appear as a nest, beginning with a circle of warm grains, surrounded by chicken, topped with egg. The chicken is billed as a confit, but isn't necessarily luxurious. The nest is clever and architecturally interesting, and arugula adds some woodsy notes. This dish is a great idea, but lacked spark and still seemed like an improvisation.
Dinner is in another gear entirely. The brined chicken, with its swoosh of butternut squash puree, and the skirt steak, with its slices stacked like Jenga blocks, are Instagram ready. They're also delicious.
First the chicken dish ($19), featuring cuts of tender breast meat standing tall, one decorated with a sprig of rosemary, planted like a flag. The chicken is surrounded by the butternut squash puree, sweet, nutty and creamy, the warm autumnal taste of Thanksgiving itself. And then, crispy Brussels sprouts, which may be the best Brussels sprouts you've ever had. This is outstanding, warm and cozy and also refined, and you'll easily understand why it's the restaurant's most popular dish.
And the skirt steak ($26)? Perfect. That's not a flip statement, nor is it hyperbole. Skilled chefs often reach delicious with skirt steak. But perfection from this humble cut of beef? Near impossible. Part of the reason for success here was in the butchering, these slices were thin and expertly cut. The meat tasted like velvet, and was, no lie, nearly as buttery as filet. The accompanying potatoes and asparagus were not as exceptional.
The chocolate espresso sauce that accompanies the flan is intense and exciting (the flan needs some energy), and the crepe dessert is another adorable architectural wonder, with a dolce de leche sauce that is also intense and exciting.
Another "everywhere" approach to the restaurant experience is a decreased attention on dinner itself. As if dinner isn't the reason we all go out to dinner. As if appetizers and small plates were paramount. At Emma's, dinner clearly is the thing, and you're best advised to head straight to it.
IF YOU GO
Emma
34 E. Palisade Ave.
Englewood
(201) 227-6013
1/2
emma34.com
Find Teresa Politano at teresapolitano.com and on Twitter @TeresaPolitano. Find NJ.com Food on Facebook