Heritage Food & Drink is a special kind of restaurant, under careful hand of a special kind of chef. We could pick from so many dishes to showcase, but when it comes to the beet salad, while it’s surely simple, it also doesn’t get much prettier than this, folks.
Paul Verica plates microcosms: Each of his dishes is its own little world. This one’s a carefully constructed mound of earth: Roasted baby beets, paper-thin dried beets, plentiful walnut crumble, and elegant dollops of bleu cheese make up the centerpiece, while broad strokes of parsley purée and beet purées draw the eye into Verica’s focal point. It has an undeniable allure: Even the most staunch of beet naysayers may find themselves trying to move this mountain.
With his beet salad, Paul Verica proves yet again that his Heritage Food & Drink is a real treasure for the area. And with the farm-to-fork staple moving to Elizabeth soon, we’ll be able to treasure it, and dishes like this one, far more often.
