This year for my birthday I couldn't decide what it was that I wanted to do. Usually I have an idea, or sometimes I think I'll just wait and see what happens, but even then the waiting and not making a plan is a choice. But for some reason this year, though I wanted to make a plan, I kept feeling like I just had to wait because all of the things I was thinking about doing didn't feel just right. In a way you could say I was living like Goldilocks when she comes to the house of the Three Bears, I'd come up with a thought and I'd think, that place isn't quite right, or I'd think maybe I'd have a big party but I couldn't think of the right place where, or then again I'd think that maybe I'd just do something small, but again the places that came to mind weren't hitting the feeling of just right.
As the month wore on, friends started to invite me out to dinner to celebrate, to send and give gifts and do all the things that make my birthdays so special, and so for a time I was thinking that maybe I'd just wait and see. But all the while I kept feeling as if I needed to make a plan and so I kept thinking and looking at possible places to go. For a while I had the vision of going somewhere with a fireplace, or maybe going away for a few days, but I kept coming back to the idea that I just wanted to take some relaxing time around the day and not have to think about traveling far. Finally a few things happened that helped me decide that I wanted to do something very small and quiet and special, and to invite just one very special friend to celebrate the day with me. He and I have birthdays that are near each other and in other years he has always been a part of my celebrations large or small, and so this year with so much uncertainty in our world and people I know who I have invited to larger parties in the past not wanting to gather in groups, I decided that this one special friend would be the perfect person to spend a much more in depth and personal time with.
When I was looking online at possible restaurants, I found a listing for a place I had not heard of before called Maritime Parc. When I looked at the website and saw that it was in Liberty State Park, I realized I had walked by it one day when I was on a long summer afternoon journey with the same friend I was planning to enjoy my birthday with. At the time when I had seen it I hadn't realized it was a restaurant and had thought it was a place for events, but though it is in a location that is perfect for weddings and other parties and they do lots of them, there is also a regular restaurant with an indoor and outdoor dining room and bar. The Executive Chef and owner is Chef Chris Siverson, who had designed the space and the menu with care to create a special environment to enjoy local foods and the freshest ingredients in the finest of dining experiences. When I looked at the menu I noticed that the night of my birthday was the night of the week when there is a burger night special with oysters, both things that I love, and the rest of the selections sounded like all of the things I like. I sent a quick message to my friend and told him I'd made my choice, and said that the burger special was so reasonable we could order other things too.
The day of my birthday was a very cold one, and my friend and I bundled up and walked through Jersey City and over the footbridge into the park as the sun set. We arrived for an early dinner and from the moment we walked in we felt right at home and welcome, in the way that an excellent restaurant can be both elegant and casual, welcoming, beautiful and warm. The staff are delightful and friendly and professional, showing true hospitality to guests and making sure the evening is an enjoyable one in every way. The menu is excellent and every item on it was something that I wanted to try. We did have the burgers, and ordered some appetizers and sides, grilled oysters, roasted delicato squash, grilled octopus, and Brussels sprouts in a wonderful Caesar sauce. Everything was served beautifully and tasted the way that truly excellent fine dining is, giving moments of pure enjoyment that stop conversation to just taste and say how good it is. We shared a beautiful bottle of sparkling rose, and had an excellent bottle of red wine with our burgers. The desserts were inventively delicious and lovely too, and a wonderful way to end this very special evening.
Maritime Parc is one of those places that makes you feel like you've gone somewhere special for a vacation, and it's a restaurant that is so beautifully designed in every way and has such an excellent Chef and excellent staff that every moment is an enjoyable one. I'm looking forward to finding reasons to return to try more things on Chef Siverson's menu and enjoy the lovely views in different seasons. With a restaurant like this, the idea of fine dining is lifted up to reach new realms.
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