New Jersey Restaurant Review
Fat Kat
201 Main Street
Little Ferry, Bergen County, New Jersey
(201) 814-0234
(Restaurant Now Closed)
By The Artful Diner
Special to New Jersey Online
April 12, 2004
My wife grew up in Little Ferry, and she would be the first to admit
that this sleepy little burg is hardly in the running as one of the Garden
State's more illustrious dining communities. So a quick jaunt down Main Street
might lead you to believe that the Fat Kat is just another one of those
all-too-typical neighborhood greasy spoons serving up an eminently forgettable
array of semi-ingestible Italian/American fodder -- au contraire!
Granted, the venue may strike you as a bit on the iffy side -- the Kat
cozies up to a chicken and rib joint and Suds 'R Us coin laundry -- but don't
be fooled; once across the threshold, you've entered a galaxy far, far away.
The interior boasts soft lighting & equally soft jazz, walls adorned with
original artwork, and a blazing fireplace in winter. The restroom is tastefully
appointed and sparkling clean; there's even a vintage phone booth that serves
as diminutive cloakroom.
And chef/proprietor Antonio R. Goodman, former sous chef at Café Panache in
Ramsey and ten-year veteran of the Citrus Grille in Airmont, New York, keeps
his ever-expanding clientele happy with generous portions of reasonably priced,
casually sophisticated New American cuisine. Proof once again that
knowledgeable diners will always seek out fine food and pleasant surroundings
in even the most unlikely of locations.
While you peruse the menu, a compact affair supplemented by several
well-chosen daily specials, you may assuage your hunger pangs with a wedge of
crusty fresh bread that comes straight from the oven. No butter here, but feel
free to dip the scrumptious morsels in olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar.
Preludes are particularly noteworthy and, along with desserts, demonstrate
both flair and finesse. If Mr. Goodman has a signature dish, it is surely his
incomparable warm duck and wild mushroom strudel ($10.00). And the chef enjoys
livening things up by transposing the accompaniments upon occasion. Recent embellishments,
for example, included a bed of baby greens, tangy herbed mustard butter, and
red beet crisp. Whatever the adjuncts, however, you will find the phyllo flaky
and crisp, the duck tenderloin rich and succulent, and the duxelles of
sautéed mushrooms delightfully earthy.
Another worthy contender is Mr. Goodman's take on the classic BLT, his
"PBLT" ($8.00), tiers of roasted portobello, arugula, tomato, and a
crunchy crouton drizzled with vibrant hickory-smoked bacon/shallot vinaigrette.
The homemade mozzarella ($8.00) is also an excellent starter. Reclining on
slices of tomato and surrounded by an armada of greenery, the cheese itself
exhibits a lovely texture, its flavor delightfully counterpoised with splashes
of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic syrup.
The Fat Kat also tempts your taste buds with its "Pasta of the
Day" ($10.00 appetizer/$20.00 main course). On one occasion, you may
encounter the chef's gnocchi carbonara, ethereal potato dumplings commingled
with a rich sauce of sweet onions, bacon, snow peas, baby tomatoes, and basil;
on another, a lusty pesto broth awash with tender mushroom ravioli may take
center stage.
Entrées are a good deal more robust in nature than appetizers -- perhaps
aimed specifically at members of the "Clean Plate Club" -- and, in my
opinion, lack the same degree of savoir-faire as their predecessors. All
the offerings sampled are "good" -- though not on a par with the
superior starters (or the desserts) -- but with just a bit of fine tuning, they
would be excellent, indeed.
The tilapia ($15.00), for instance, is beautifully sautéed, moist and
flaky... but its natural attributes are smothered beneath a topping of
tomatoes, capers, and black olives that is both too abundant and too assertive.
And the difficulty with the veal scaloppini ($17.00) is similar in nature.
Piled high on the plate, the tenderloin medallions are slender, delicate
specimens infused with an evocative lemon-Parmesan. But, once again, the
intriguing flavorful possibilities are successfully obviated; in this case, the
culprit is an acidic rush of balsamic-marinated tomatoes.
The special shrimp-encrusted salmon ($20.00) is a marvelous idea, but its
execution is problematic. The filet is of the highest quality, done to a turn, and
the warm lemon-fennel vinaigrette a most engaging accompaniment. The
crustaceans, however, are overcooked and rubbery and their coating is decidedly
soggy.
In my experience, the highlight among the main courses is clearly the sliced
hanger steak presented with a fabulous fricassee of mushrooms, onions, and
peppers ($17.00). Hanger steak, also known as "hanging tender" and
"butcher's steak" is the same as the French cut of beef known as
"onglet." It is comprised of two small muscles joined by an
elastic membrane that supports the cow's diaphragm.
All the rage of late -- undoubtedly because it is such a bargain for
restaurants -- hanger steak is a grainy, fatty cut of beef that can be
inordinately tough if improperly prepared. But you need have no fears, as Mr.
Goodman's version is benchmark. The meat is just a touch chewy -- precisely as
it should be -- sensuous & succulent, and anointed with an extraordinary
homemade steak sauce. I quizzed the chef at length, but he refused to divulge
all the ingredients of his secret recipe and could only be coaxed into
revealing that the sauce contains, among other things, Worcestershire,
tarragon, and -- are you ready for this -- a hint of anchovy.
Since I freely confess to being an incurable potato addict, I would be
entirely remiss if I failed to mentioned Mr. Goodman's winning ways with the
lowly spud. On one visit we were treated to a luscious square of scalloped
potatoes, on another, a wedge of rösti, crisp and golden on the outside,
marvelously creamy at the core. These entrée accompaniments may be relatively
simple gastronomic pleasures, but they add immeasurably to the overall
enjoyment of your meal... as do the chef's various vegetable medleys, which are
always properly prepared and engagingly seasoned.
Desserts ($6.00), like the appetizers, are quite subtle in their approach.
And since I am also something of a peanut butter fanatic, I couldn't resist the
decadent peanut butter-chocolate mousse crunch cake garnished with chocolate
ice cream. My wife, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed the beautifully
textured and appropriately tangy lemon pudding cake embellished with fresh
blueberries. But if you'd prefer something a bit more homespun, I highly
recommend the warm apple strudel with cinnamon ice cream.
Mr. Goodman is obviously an extremely talented chef, and there is little
doubt that his restaurant brings a touch of class to an area that has long
suffered from an acute case of culinary deprivation. When his entrées
demonstrate the same degree of elegant restraint as his incredibly palatable
preludes and postludes, the Fat Kat will truly have it all.
Cuisine: Creative American
Hours: Lunch: Mon - Fri, 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.; Dinner: Mon - Thurs,
5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.; Fri & Sat, 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.; CLOSED SUNDAY
Credit Cards: AX, MC, V
Attire: Casual
Smoking: Smoking is permitted at outdoor tables only.
Reservations: Required
Parking: Street parking; parking lot in rear
Alcohol: BYOB
Price: Moderate
Handicapped Accessible: Yes
