Located in the W Hotel in Hoboken, New Jersey, Halifax has a wall of windows that overlooks the water with the Empire State Building, a shining beacon beckoning from the shoreline of Manhattan. The ambience is contemporary sophisticated elegance with its high ceiling, light hardwood floor, and artsy chandeliers. Stylish chairs flank bare wood tables accessorized with tall gold table lights that softly illuminate the guests, while piped-in music keeps the atmosphere lively.
Chef Seadon Shouse and Debra C. Argen
The menu is divided into For The Table, Raw, To Share, To Start, Mains, and Sides, with enough diversity in each of the sections to intrigue and appeal to a variety of palate preferences. The restaurant has an excellent wine list with wines offered by the bottle in price ranges from moderate to connoisseur level, and also has a selection of wines by the glass, perfect for pairing wines with courses. The cocktail menu is inspired and creative with infused and housemade ingredients that are well crafted and beautifully presented to complement Chef Seadon Shouse’s delectable culinary style.
Cured & Smoked Fish
We had dinner at the restaurant on Saturday, November 18, 2023, and began our gastronomic journey with a selection from For The Table section, with the Cured & Smoked Fish, which consisted of maple smoked salmon, smoked rainbow trout, and smoked mussels. Chef Seadon Shouse grew up in rural Nova Scotia in Canada, and this stunning selection emphasized his culinary roots. Gorgeously presented, and accompanied by thick cut grilled artisan bread, stone ground mustard, peppers, and pickles, this course could have been a meal in itself.
Cocktails – Kingfisher Manhattan & Queen of the Nile
We paired our seafood selections with two of the restaurant’s inspired cocktails, the Kingfisher Manhattan made with Aberfeldy 12-year Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Housemade Vermouth, Amaro Montenegro, Angostura Bitters, and Maraschino Cherries, and the Queen of the Nile made with Thyme Infused Redemption Bourbon, Grappa, Malbec Syrup, and Lemon Juice. Both cocktails showcased the bar’s expertise with well-crafted and balanced cocktails and their deft use of housemade ingredients.
Sea Scallop Carpaccio
From the Raw section, we had the Black Sea Bass Tartar with cucumber, citrus, Fresno pepper, seaweed, sesame, shallots, and espelette cracker, and the Sea Scallop Carpaccio presented with kohlrabi slaw, horseradish remoulade, local cucumbers, dill oil and lemon. Chef Seadon’s culinary school training, along with his culinary cooking roots growing up in Nova Scotia, were evident in these well-prepared selections.
Black Sea Bass Tartar
The Black Sea Bass was stunning under its espelette cracker “hat.” Thin and spicy, the cracker lent texture along with flavor to the flavorful sea bass. The scallop carpaccio was also wonderful, tissue paper thin, very fresh, and delectable, and presented with culinary artistry.
NJ Sea Scallops
We continued with three selections from the Mains section, the NJ Sea Scallops with sea truffle butter, pickled chard, toasted barley and leeks, the Saffron Rigatoni with local lobster, coral butter, lemon, and trumpet mushrooms, and the Cavatelli with lamb ragu, spicy nduja (a spreadable pork sausage), and ricotta salata (pressed, salted, and aged ricotta).
Saffron Rigatoni with Lobster
The scallops were sensational with their golden crispy crusts presented on a bed of barley and vegetables and garnished with herbs. The saffron rigatoni had a generous amount of local lobster and was richly exotic with its coral butter sauce (made with lobster roe). The cavatelli with lamb ragu topped with shaved ricotta salata was a decadent addition that also worked well. A culinary artist, Chef Seadon’s use of unusual ingredients along with his culinary style and artistic presentations made each of the dishes we tried a standout.
Cavatelli with Lamb Ragu
We shared one more cocktail, the Ol’ Captain made with brown butter Appleton Rum, High Rye Whisky, Benedictine, and garnished with a piece of honeycomb to pair with The Sides, which were too luscious to overlook. The Smoked Carrots were perfectly crisp tender and painted with a honey yoghurt sauce and dusted with chopped pistachios to add texture, flavor, and protein. The Brussels Sprouts were halved, grilled, and presented with pickled onions and vermouth, and were topped with microgreens. Like the previous courses, the vegetables were beautifully presented with a mélange of flavors and textures to entice and engage the palate.
Smoked Carrots
Brussels Sprouts
We ended the evening on a delightfully sweet note with two of their decadent desserts, an apple dessert that was almost too pretty to eat, and a mouthwatering plum pavlova with hazelnut cream and hazelnut brittle. Paired with small glasses of their housemade Vermouth, it was the perfect ending to a gastronomic evening of dining in Hoboken, New Jersey, and we cannot wait to return!
Cocktail – Ol’ Captain
Of course, no matter how excellent the food and drinks, it is the service that ultimately makes a restaurant shine, and the Halifax team more than upheld their part in servicing not only a fully engaged dining room, but also managing the service of a celebratory party in their private dining room. Well done.
Apple Pie Cheesecake
Plum Pavlova
Until next time, Bon Appetit!
Restaurant Hours: Halifax is open for Breakfast Monday through Friday from 7:00 am until 10:00 am, and on Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 am until 10:00 am, Brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm. Lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm, and for Dinner Monday through Sunday from 5:00 pm until 10:00 pm.
Grab a drink, have dinner – See you at the Halifax Restaruant
For more information or to make a reservation, please call the restaurant at +1-201-253-2500 or visit their website: www.halifaxhoboken.com.
Halifax Restaurant
At the W Hotel
225 River Street
Hoboken, New Jersey 07030
Telephone: +1-201-253-2500
Email: Info@halifaxHoboken.com
Website: www.halifaxhoboken.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/HalifaxHoboken
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/halifax_hoboken
Until you can personally visit Halifax the restaurant, you might enjoy purchasing Chef Seadon Shouse’s cookbook and memoir, From The Hill By The Sea which is filled with wonderful recipes, beautiful photographs, and interesting stories about growing up, fishing, and foraging in Nova Scotia.
From The Hill By The Sea: A Book by Seadon Shouse
Publisher: Ironstate Holdings, LLC
Publication Date: July 26, 2023
ISBN-13: 979-8218207397
$50 US.
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