"In Quest of Perfection, a Menu to Please" - The New York Times, June 2008

A FRIEND laughs about the last time she asked for a restaurant recommendation on a recent trip. Not only did I tell her where to go, but I also told her exactly what to order. She still delights in the memory of that meal.

Now I will do the same for you, for your visit anywhere near Warren, in Somerset County. Go to Stone House at Stirling Ridge. Ask the valet parking staff to direct you to the restaurant, since the place, owned by veteran restaurateurs Jeanne and Frank Cretella, is also a special events venue. Order the grilled asparagus salad, the veal Milanese, the potatoes rösti and the zucchini “spaghetti.” For dessert, get the strawberry-rhubarb puff. Though the menu changes seasonally, most if not all should be available through summer.

This ideal meal was assembled over two visits that were very different, primarily because of the action around us. The first afforded a fine view of a busy kitchen’s choreography on one side and, on the other, a man and woman gazing lovingly at each other, and at her engagement ring, between bites.

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