a step full of surprises: the kitchen step in jersey city

The Grove Street area of Jersey City is well into a welcome culinary renaissance.  New restaurants are arriving monthly, many rivaling the best of the New York City dining scene. Plenty are worth the trip from the city or nearby New Jersey towns, and Ryan DePersio’s The Kitchen Step is no exception. The Kitchen Step does “step” away from the elevated classic Italian of chef DePersio’s highly regarded Fascino, moving us towards a more modern eclectic menu and vibe. While the ever-present farm-to-table trend makes an appearance, chef de cuisine Robert Carnero doesn’t let the same old, same old dominate the offerings. We are instead traveling through a series of turns and twists on traditional American favorites that naturally respect our food seasons.

photo used with permission by Rebecca Ferrier Photography

Normally I don’t spend a lot of time on the ambience and decor of a restaurant, but at The Kitchen Step, it’s worth a moment. The high-ceilinged, bright interior, filled with pops of bright color, is somehow cool and chic yet warm and inviting at the same time. Like your chic best friend’s apartment, it insists you should relax with a cocktail before dinner. Thankfully, The Kitchen Step’s cocktail menu is excellent, hitting my preferred sweet spot of balanced eccentricity and familiarity. I loved the “I’m a Barbie Girl” mix of vodka, lemon, orange mint, burlesque bitters, and of course, glitter. The wine and beer menu is small but thoughtfully crafted.

photo used with permission by Rebecca Ferrier Photography

The menu naturally rotates and stays fresh, but in our visits, a few favorites seemed to stick around. In my view, they are the dark horse winners — they don’t jump off the menu screaming “choose me”, but if you give them a try, you’ll be glad you did. The Duck Confit Frisee salad with Blue Cheese and Grape-Elderflower Vinaigrette takes ingredients that are certainly delicious on their own and elevates them to new heights. If you claim to have tried Grape-Elderflower Vinaigrette before, you are lying; the flavors transport me to wine country every time. The Kale Caesar surprises with Gouda, walnuts, barley and fresh mint, and makes eating your greens a delight.

photo used with permission by Rebecca Ferrier Photography

The Kitchen Step menu lends itself to ordering multiple dishes to share, as over half the items are “snacks” or “small plates”.  Even those designated as “large” are portioned reasonably and easily shared, so go ahead and order a few appetizers. I love the Honey-Sriracha Barbecue Wings, mostly for the Thai Peanut Chutney piled high on top.  It is so thick it sticks to the wings as you gobble them up. Thankfully, it can also be eaten straight up with a spoon. The Eggplant and Manchego Empanadas are not always on the menu, but if they are, order them. They are even more delicious in reality than they sound on paper. The only dish to disappoint was the Truffle Maccheroni and Cheese with Herb Butter and Bread Crumbs; while the truffles smelled divine, it seemed to lack the balanced cheese flavor we were expecting.

photo by jenn kosar

The Kitchen Step’s performance really shines in the first course, and while the large plate offerings are good, they are not the star of the show. Their best large plate options actually serve well as a continued family style meal. My advice? For dinner for two, consider sharing the Mussels with Crispy Sunchokes. The crispy, almost bacon-like Sunchokes made the Green Curry and Coconut base come to life. Even Gary didn’t miss the usual meatiness of a chorizo base. If you are with a larger group or just hungry, the Buttermilk Baked Chicken Breast with Wild Mushroom Sauce is another dark horse menu item not to miss.

photo by jenn kosar

For my dessert fans, the clear choice is the Ricotta Zeppoles with Nutella Ganache.  [Nutella.  Enough said.] The warm chocolate chip cookies may be the victim of occasional recipe modifications, but when they are good, they are delicious. Who doesn’t love warm cookies straight from the oven? Finally, The Kitchen Step serves brunch, featuring many of the favorites from the dinner menu. You can get your Nutella fix in their Nutella-swirl Buttermilk Pancake, or go savory with the delicious RD Burger with aged cheddar and onion compote.

photo used with permission by Rebecca Ferrier Photography

The Grove Street area of Jersey City has come alive with a number of excellent restaurant options. My foodie sense tells me this is only the beginning.  Chef DePersio joins good company with his latest venture, and I look forward to seeing what culinary future awaits us as this group of talent takes on a new neighborhood. In the meantime, there are plenty of delicious surprises to enjoy here at The Kitchen Step.

The Kitchen Step

500 Jersey Avenue⋅Jersey City, NJ⋅(201) 721-6115⋅www.kitchenstepjc.com⋅book it on OpenTable

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In the neighborhood?  Join us at the brand-new SOMA Eats Local for a discussion on the best of the dining out scene in South Orange, Maplewood, and surrounding towns.