VUE

A t Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, NJ, the property's Executive Chef Anthony Bucco has been working hard for the past two years to refine a unique culinary experience: dining as a destination. Crystal Springs Resort at its essence is a scenic getaway for those who want to play some golf, ski or just blow off some steam, but the resort offers so much more than just the culmination of these activities. Thanks to Bucco and his team, you can add dining to the list of reasons to visit. "There's not a lot of places like Crystal Springs in our state, yes there are hotels, and there are some other places to experience fine dining, but what we can bring here is such a unique product for the New Jersey market," Bucco told me during my latest visit. "For us, it's about continuing the uniqueness of who we are and what we do in New Jersey. A lot of it is dictated by where we're doing business because this is such a unique place." At Restaurant Latour, the resort's fine dining restaurant, Chef de Latour Martyna Krowicka says that the average guest sees about seven plates. But it's not just the courses, fine dining at Latour means pulling out all the stops such as wine pairings, frequent silverware changes and service that leaves one astonished—lengthy (and welcomed) experiences that don't happen everyday in New Jersey. "We're trying to recapture that element where, dining is theater. It's a night out. You can get in and out in 40 minutes at the [Crystal Tavern], but Latour is an experience. We have a six figure wine list, and with that, we've positioned ourselves as a destination restaurant. You should have high expectations. We want you to be respected as a guest and know you're being taken care of," Bucco explained. V U E N J . C O M 105 VUE ON DINING

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