Brunch

The Hilton Hotel in Short Hills, NJ, just across the Parkway from the
mall, offers a Sunday brunch experience to be remembered. The price is
steep - $45 per person but it includes wonderful champagne and bloody
Marys. In our opinion the buffet ranks right up there with the Water
Club in New York and the Furama in Hong Kong (which we can't go back to
because it has been demolished to make room for a 40-story skyscraper).

There are two seatings: 10:30 and 12:30. The first is in the Terrace
Room where the buffet tables are located. The 12:30 seating is in the
Dining Room which, unfortunately requires the patrons to carry their
food through the hotel lobby. But even when seated in the Terrace Room
it can be a long hike as the buffet tables are at the far end of the long room, 
past the hotel elevators.

The buffet tables are attractively arranged with an elegant array of
sumptuous morsels including the usual breakfast foods with omelets
cooked to order, tasty appetizers, freshly cooked meats, pastas, and
vegetables. Then of course it all ends with a mouth-watering selection of
desserts.

There was a good selection of seafood, although we found no oysters, and
the large peeled shrimp had been laying in iced water long enough to
become waterlogged. The smoked salmon and boneless whitefish were
exceptionally good, as was the seared tuna. The condiments served with
the seafood were excellent although it was puzzling that there was no
wasabi to go with the tuna. The crab legs looked delicious
but we didn't try them. Hey, there is a limit to how much one can
consume - some things just had to be left for another day.

We found the meats, pastas, and cooked vegetables all rather ordinary,
but who cares when you have so many other exciting foods. There is just
no way we could eat it all anyhow.

The dessert tables were laden with delicacies like Bananas Foster,
many tarts, Baba Rum, cannolis, and fresh melon, We wanted to
try it all, and what we did manage was quite worthy. But we had to cry
"uncle" as we could consume no more.

The service was congenial and helpful. When we returned to our table
after each trip to the buffet, we found the used dishes had been whisked
away, and most of the times our napkins had been refolded. Further, our
Champagne flutes were adequately refilled although we did have to ask
for a refill of water.

Last reviewed 8/02
Grumpy Gourmet