The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/733830
Seger also takes location into account, so that each City Perch has cocktails unique to its surroundings. In Fort Lee, patrons can find Seger's take on an old- fashioned using Philips Farm Grade B maple syrup or explore any of the aptly named "Garden State Garden-to-Glass" and "Hollywood on the Palisades" cocktails. The Patent, made with bourbon and barrel-aged apple brandy is named after Thomas Edison who invented the movie camera in New Jersey, and The Charlatan, made with Pimm's cucumber and old-school seltzer, is named after Charlie Chaplin who back in the day starred in films produced in Fort Lee. "Every location embraces something different," Seger said. "In Miami, we juice fresh raw sugarcane for our mojitos and in Los Angeles, we base our cocktails off the famous Westwood cemetery. At our New York location, which will be opening soon, we're going to channel the mid-1800s when cocktail culture really started." Equally as impressive, and just as thoughtfully crafted as the cocktails, is the food at City Perch. With Chef Sherry Yard at the helm of the kitchen, the restaurant prides itself on simplicity and getting back to the fundamentals of cooking. With the majority of Yard's success stemming from a pastry background, she uses those experiences to her advantage. "In classic cooking, you start off in the pastry department first because pastry teaches you how to hone your skills and how to be very exact. From knife work all the way to sugar work, pastry teaches you how to be a master of many different things. Transitioning from pastry to savory is so much easier than to go the opposite way. For example, can you cook a hamburger? But can you make the bun? You like fried chicken? But can you make your own waffle? Or homemade biscuit?" There are nods to Yard's pastry background in dishes such as kimchi short rib sliders, crispy chicken and waffles, and their highly recommended bread basket with homemade whipped butters and spreads. W H A T G R O W S T O G E T H E R G O E S T O G E T H E R . VUE ON DINING V U E N J . C O M 97