Downtown Westfield, Union County’s charming community located a stone’s throw from New York and the Jersey Shore, will soon welcome Butcher Block Burgers, the newest dining concept from award-winning chef and restaurateur C.J. Reycraft, Jr., on August 6.
Butcher Block Burgers (39 Elm Street, Westfield) is Chef Reycraft’s second restaurant concept in just under three years, following on the heels of his French bistro Amuse, which he opened in 2014. Amuse will be returning to the Garden State in a new location with a liquor license, as yet to be determined.
When it opens in early August, Butcher Block Burgers will unveil an extensive menu that features a variety of imaginative dishes for red meat eaters, pescatarians and vegetarians alike.
Some of the inspired gourmet burger creations Butcher Block diners can look forward to will include a mouthwatering lamb burger slathered in delicious Greek tzatziki sauce and sprinkled with boldly flavored crumbles of feta cheese on an onion roll; a delectable duck burger patty warmly covered with spiced mango mint compote and sandwiched between sheaths of butter lettuce on a ciabatta roll; and a robust one-of-a-kind mangalitsa pork burger beneath a layer of melted smoked gouda and covered in red onions, fiery creamy habanero mayo on a pretzel bun.
Other burgers will include a shrimp burger with avocado cucumber salad and kicked up a notch with piquant sriracha mayo on a brioche bun; a vegan and gluten-free portabella burger wrapped in romaine lettuce, mesclun and roasted garlic hummus; a veggie burger covered in tarragon mayo, baby arugula, spicy peppadews and monterey jack cheese on a focaccia roll; and the signature Butcher Block Burger, which features a 6-ounce dry aged burger blend with caramelized onions, gruyere and horseradish mayo on a brioche bun.
Patrons of Butcher Block Burgers also have the option to build their own burgers with a slate of over 50 different selections, including a dozen tasty sauces, 12 various toppings, which include a mango mint chilli or black bean salsa, and 10 cheeses. All burgers have the option of being made gluten-free.
Burgers can also be paired up with some of Butcher Block’s satisfying specialty milk shakes, which will include a decadent s’mores shake filled with chocolate ganache, graham cracker ice cream and torched marshmallow; a Reese’s peanut butter cup shake filled with Reese’s peanut butter ice cream, chocolate ganache and bits of Reese’s peanut butter cups; and brownie, Oreo, and Nutella shakes.
The Butcher Block menu will also introduce an equally wide-ranging menu of non-burger offerings, including tasty handcrafted sandwiches including an overwhelmingly delicious duck & foie gras sausage with roasted mushrooms and truffle mayo, a kobe hot dog, and a remoulade-covered beer battered shrimp po boy you would swear came straight out of the French Quarter. For a little more indulgence, restaurant-goers can amp up their meal with a choice of lobster or truffle mac ’n cheese, as well as a number of other side dishes.
For those with a demanding sweet tooth, Butcher Block will boast an alluring dessert menu, featuring vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies; a creatively displayed “cup of dirt” with chocolate pudding blended with crushed Oreos and interrupted with chewy candy gummy worms; a Stewart’s root beer float; and more.
On both Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Butcher Block will also serve up a fun Butcher Block Brunch menu.
Reycraft, the proprietor of the new restaurant, was recently honored with a prestigious international culinary distinction as one of only three American chefs to be named a Leading Chef of the Future by the International Academy of Gastronomy.
