February Recap

Published March 3, 2024

I feel like it was yesterday that I was writing my January Recap from our brunch in downtown Montclair.

February was a snowy, rainy month of birthdays and busyness. Without realizing it, it was March, and I couldn’t believe that the month was over.

Looking back on the month, the February highlight was dinner at Turtle + the Wolf in Upper Montclair.

 

Turtle + the Wolf was a few stores up Valley Road from Tortas Lokas. My boyfriend and I had an early evening reservation, which seems to be the only way to get to dine at this popular American restaurant.

Turtle + the Wolf Interior

We sat at a four-top table near the door. A standing divider gave our table some privacy, while the double doors from the sidewalk to the dining room prevented the cold evening air from reaching us.

The restaurant’s size was unexpected. The ceilings were lofty and the dining room stretched farther back than I could see, offering space for large parties to gather. The light from the kitchen and the bar seating in front reminded me of SLA Thai.

The most memorable element of the restaurant was its massive wall of simple line artwork and sculptures. Little lights framed the edge of the gallery while orb lighting hung throughout the dining room. I liked that each table had a small vase of fresh flowers (ours was a tequila bottle) and a lit candle.

The Menu

The menu was a single cream colored page with small font. The sections weren’t categorized, and one could see from the minimal selections that it featured simple, fresh ingredients.

Our waitress was helpful with answering our questions about the menu. She also told us the specials for the evening.

After placing our order, a large 8-person table took the long table in the front window. A single diner — which, as a food blogger, I was excited to see welcomed — took a seat in one of the booth seats. A few bus-boys floated down the aisle between our tables and then back to the kitchen.

Appetizers

Rosemary Focaccia | $4.00

For $4.00 how can you pass up freshly made focaccia? Focaccia was an ideal appetizer for the dishes we had throughout the evening, but more on that in a minute.

The focaccia arrived in an oval bowl with four thick pieces. I was shocked to feel how squishy and light they were. The top of the focaccia was lightly golden and crisp, but the rest of the bread was warm and fluffy. A hint of salt, rosemary, and olive oil plus the text of the bread made this a delicious appetizer by itself.

Pecorino Arancini | $7.00

I wanted to try the arancini, as I felt like that was a complementary appetizer to the focaccia.

Two arancini arrived on a blanket of sauce — which was sweet and flavored with wine. The menu said the sauce was spicy, but I (luckily) did not think it was. A fresh sprinkle of pecorino cheese was on top and the cheesy filling throughout was dense and warm. The outside had a nice crunch and I enjoyed the sauce the most.

Most of the portions at Turtle + the Wolf were good for couples. If you eat the way I do, you’d have to order a few dishes for everyone to have a decent portion.

Beef Tartare | $24.00

My boyfriend and I were treating ourselves with our visit to Turtle + the Wolf. As always, we like to try dishes that are new to us.

Neither of us have had beef tartare and I have to admit, I was nervous about this one. I’ve had fish tartare, but beef? Of course, Turtle + the Wolf are a popular and reputable local business, so I figured if I was going to try beef tartare, it should be here.

I was vaguely aware of what the beef tartare would be presented as, and truthfully, I am not an expert in what goes into its preparation to reduce the risk of getting sick. Alas, my boyfriend and I agreed to try it.

As you can see, the plating at Turtle + the Wolf is beautiful. The black background makes the organized cup of tartare pop, especially with the yellow yolk and green chives.

This appetizer was served with crunchy crackers and a few potato chips. A smear of black garlic aioli divided the plate and included a small bit of mustard seeds.

I tried the tartare on the crispy cracker with some of the mustard seeds. The texture was not alarming, and was chopped in a way that it was like eating a normal steak, just smaller pieces. Most of the flavor for me, came from the mustard and not the aioli, which I was most excited to try. I also didn’t feel like the egg yolk did much for the dish (but as someone who does not like runny yolks, I could be biased).

Ultimately, my boyfriend ate most of this appetizer, as the texture of the runny egg yolk freaked me out. I am happy to report that we were both fine, so if you want to be an adventurous foodie and try tartare, my experience at Turtle + the Wolf was good. I can check beef tartare off my foodie list of dishes to try.

Entrees

By now the back of the restaurant was filling up and everyone who came into the restaurant had a reservation. The lights dimmed for more ambiance as the sun set.

The timing between our appetizers and entrees was fabulous. We were able to try the different appetizers and dip our bread in the sauce before our plates were exchanged for fresh ones and our entrees arrived.

Berkshire Pork Shank | $64.00

The pork shank was one of the two pork specials for the evening. The second option was pork belly. We decided to share the pork shank because it was designed for two people, and it also sounded warm and hearty.

This was a massive cut of pork and it arrived on a bowl-like platter. It rested on top of smooth, creamy polenta — literally, the best polenta I’ve ever had in my life. Braised cabbage with a hint of apple cider vinegar draped around the edge of the plate.

The pork was so tender that the bone pulled away from the meat easily and I used a spoon to break off chunks for serving. A sliver of fat on the other side of the pork melted like butter. I loved this dish the most and we had more than enough leftovers for the next day.

Ricotta Meatballs | $28.00

My boyfriend wanted to try the meatballs, so we ordered that entree to share as well.

I was skeptical about ordering meatballs, as I don’t typically like anyone’s meatballs except my own.

Y’all, not only were these meatballs on top of that unbelievable polenta, but they were fantastic! The inside was moist and flavorful and the sauce was divine. These meatballs reminded me of my family’s recipe and I would 100% order them again.

I thought the addition of the broccoli rabe was also a nice contrasting flavor to the savory meatballs and smooth polenta. My boyfriend loved the (pesto?) on top of the meatballs as well. Luckily, we each had a slice of the focaccia leftover and we ate that with the meatballs and polenta.

Dessert

Every table in the restaurant was taken as we packed up our leftovers and received the dessert menu. Our waitress offered coffees from memory and we decided on two desserts to try.

Cappuccino | $6.00 each

We both went with the cappuccino, though I was tempted to try a latte. I’m surprised Turtle + the Wolf doesn’t list their drink options on the menu. As we looked around the room, most tables had metal buckets of ice for BYOBs.

The cappuccino size was fair to me, and I liked the consistent foam atop both of our mugs. The flavor was strong and slightly bitter which complemented our sweet desserts.

Maple Pot de Crème | $9.00

Pots de crème are similar to creme brûlée. I was excited to try this dessert for its maple syrup flavor, which I thought was unique.

A ramekin of vanilla custard was literally topped with a sweet maple syrup and a dollop of crème fraîche, which added a tang to the otherwise sweet flavors. I loved the rich, custard texture and thought the strong cappuccino was a good contrast for this dessert.

Brioche Doughnuts | $8.00

I was most excited to try the brioche donuts.

A bowl of four normal sized donuts and several donut holes arrived alongside a gravy boat of orange caramel. The donuts were piping hot, rolled in sugar, and light. They were the most glorious donuts I’ve had in a while and I loved the unique flavor of the orange caramel sauce.

The donut holes were the easiest to eat and dip. We ended up taking two of the normal sized donuts — and a fresh container of the caramel sauce — home to have the next day.

Overall, our visit to Turtle + the Wolf in Upper Montclair exceeded my expectations. I loved the spacious, minimalist room with its matching menu. The meals were plated thoughtfully and featured simple, well-prepared ingredients. All of the staff throughout the evening were friendly and attentive and did not rush us during our meal. I would love to return to Turtle + the Wolf again to try more of their menu.

What’s your February Highlight?

Do you have a favorite adventure, meal, or highlight from February? Tell me about it in a comment below.

If you’re looking for other New Jersey restaurants and activities to do, click here to read my other New Jersey posts, on the blog.