The first review is in: Roots in Morristown was worth the wait

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When James H. Maynard heard that a Roots SteakHouse was coming to Morristown, he knew where he had to be on opening night.

“I wanted to be the first one to dine there,” said the Morristown attorney. And so he was, at 5 p.m. Monday, with his wife Holly and their colleague, Mary Mehling.

james h. maynard
Morristown Attorney James H. Maynard was the first guest at Morristown's new Roots SteakHouse.

Dining is their passion, and over the years they have become fans of other establishments in the Harvest Restaurants chain, James explained.

“I’m familiar with the Roots in Summit, and have come to know some of the people that work for that company,” he said, describing his wife–classically trained as a chef at the French Culinary Institute in New York–as the real foodie of their household.

“We both live and work here, and when we heard a high-quality restaurant was coming, we were very interested and wanted to be there at the very beginning,” James said.

Days of rehearsals by the staff resulted in a smooth opening night, said Roots Senior General Manager Scott Eadie.

“The energy is just amazing,” added Andy Silverstein, general manager. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Feb. 15, and a companion restaurant, Urban Table, is scheduled to open in early spring.

Roots is the centerpiece of Shoppes on the Green, the retail space at the site of the former Epstein’s department store across from the historic Morristown Green.

“We are really excited about it. It adds a whole new caliber of dining experience to the community,” said Debra Tantleff of the Roseland Property Co., developer of the site.

The first guests at Morristown’s Roots SteakHouse decided to try…the steak.

James ordered the 12-ounce filet mignon, while Holly went with the strip steak and Mary had the prime rib. They shared, of course.

“We all agreed it was very high quality,” said James, managing partner for Maynard & Sumner LLC. The steaks “were all prepared to order with a degree of cooking that is one of the hardest things to get right.”

He also fancied the praline sauce that accented the carrot cake dessert.

dave and mj geis
Dave and M.J. Geis of Morristown are all smiles as they await their first dinner at the new Roots SteakHouse. The couple lives upstairs in the 40 Park luxury condos. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Mary, a Morris Township resident who works for the law firm, described her thin-cut prime rib as “juicy and tasty.” She also gave high marks to the waitstaff.

But her biggest kudos were reserved for the crispy onion rings, artistically displayed as a tower. “They were unbelievable,” she said.

While not inexpensive, Roots prices are a bargain compared to steak dinners in Japan, where James spent more than three years working for the Japanese government.

Steaks from horse- and whale meat were the norm over there; Kobe beef was a special treat that would cost several times what you pay for a meal at Roots, he said.

If you buy your wine by the glass, James said, you can dine well at Roots for $50 to $60 per person. At Roots in Summit, he and Holly sometimes make a meal of a seafood appetizer for two, he said.

Later on Monday, Dave and M.J. Geis scarcely could hide their excitement as they prepared to place their dinner orders at the new restaurant.

They recently moved upstairs–the 40 Park luxury condos above Roots Steakhouse– from Long Valley.

“We like the fact that we don’t have to drive anywhere. This is just a natural,” said M.J., who works for Samsung. She particularly liked the “welcoming” 1940s-look of the uniformed staff. “Morristown is primed for something like this, there is nothing else like it.”

“I couldn’t wait to come here,” said her husband, who works in the pharmaceutical industry. “It’s absolutely beautiful. I’m glad it’s here.”

MORE COVERAGE:

Morristown’s new Roots restaurant has local roots–and no commercial interruptions

Podcast: Filling condos is one thing; filling retail space in Morristown, now that’s hard

roots opens in morristown
Roots SteakHouse opened for business in Morristown on Jan. 31, 2011. Photo by Kevin Coughlin


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