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It could be that Ox is really successful. The other day, when I was looking at the menu, a bunch of people were going past me to go in.

So, I'm not sure whether or not the Ox people actually do need more business or not. Maybe they've hit a restaurant market sweet spot, and, when I think about this all a little more, maybe the kind of restaurant I want is not economically feasible here. If it were feasible, Sweet Priscilla's probably would still be serving food.

But, honestly, I think the people who did the interior design of Sweet Priscilla's, Janam, Bagua, Basic, Kitchen Cafe, Beechwood and Marco and Pepe all got the organic, brick and wood, Gen X look I prefer together really well.

Maybe one reason people are so outraged by how bad the service at Beechwood sometimes is, is because it's hard to reconcile uncaring service with such a friendly looking space.

On the other hand, I'm 42, and maybe this is a generational thing. Maybe people in their 20s like a glossier look.

Regardless: there should be room for all sorts of different types of restaurants. I just think there also ought to be room for a Cafe Nia restaurant that's open for dinner.

I think Ox compares quite favorably to other restaurants in JC on the price/quality spectrum.

alb - no one can find fault with you for having an opinion on something as subjective as a restaurant and the food they serve/prices they charge. the kind of place you want would be a welcome addition in JC, but who knows when something like that will happen.

as for the design and feel of the place, I think it is still very much a work in progress. give it some time. the lack of art on the walls seems like a temporary situation. do you remember what used to be in that space? and how it looked? Did anyone ever eat at La Primavera? I for one am very happy to see that place gone and all traces of it wiped clean.

Has anyone checked out the brunch menu? It seems like they are already on top of the whole $$$ thing. Prix Fixe brunch and other options starting at $6 and up.


Long live Ox.

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Two words for ya:

Madame
Claude's

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"Too cold and modern for jc" - are you SERIOUS sweetie? Have you MET some of the folks moving in downtown? Cold and "modern" doesn't even BEGIN to describe them.

Oh, and if what you say about being "affordable and friendly" is true, Marco and Pepe and Beechwood would have closed years ago.

Just wanted to second your opinion.
OX is good, but a bit pricey for me to go there regularly. Not a bad place to get together with a party of 8-10 for special occassions, though.

I can vouch for the steak and duck.

their ambiance is too cold and modern for jc. it feels more expensive than it should for a neighborhood place, even if the prices are reasonable. to survive, they'll have to make it feel more affordable and friendly

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That's good information. It's hard to tell from the menu whether (as I said in the Shoutbox) the salads and appetizers are tidbit size or small meal size. If they're small meal size, that makes a difference.

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Seriously, I bit my tongue for what has felt like a fairly long time, because people here who know me and know the Ox people will probably be mad at me, and, of course, there ought to be room for all types of restaurants downtown. I sincerely hope the Ox people do so well that they don't need my business.

But I just desperately wish there were a place around Jersey and Newark that was sort of like Cafe Nia that was actually open sometimes.

some explorer you are .

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For me, if I'm going to venture to the crazier part of downtown, it 'd better be for something useful like a good restaurant. I bet most residents of downtown JC will never even go to cafe nia because it is so west.

Just to dispel the "OX is super expensive" myth, here's a link to their website, where you can download their Dinner menu, which will tell you that:

a.) Their generously portioned salads and appetizers range in price from $7 to $10

b.) Their entrees range in price from $14 (for the Pasta) to $19 (the pork belly, the rabbit, and the duck) to $20 (the steak) to $23 (either the sea bass or the scallops).

Compare this to any restaurant in downtown Jersey City, such as Madame Claude, IGTM, Honshu, the Merchant, Skinner's Loft, the Light Horse, and OX is well within the current range for a night out at a restaurant.

Must you all doom everything to fail before it even has a shot?

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First, if the Ox people are successful, great for them. I sincerely hope they do well and attract a bunch of foodies who have the disposable income to pay $40 or $50 per person on a regular basis. Of course, there's room in downtown Jersey City for a wide range of restaurants, including what to me seem to be "birthday dinner" level restaurants.

Second, if the Ox people do need more business, and if they're open to suggestions, and if opening up the restaurant to bistro-budget-level patrons is financially feasible, then I'd like to plant the idea that maybe Ox could have one or two $10 entrees that are equivalent to the barbecue duck sandwich at Marco and Pepe. If it's possible to get a $15 meal at Marco and Pepe, maybe it could be possible to do that at Ox, too.

Third, I guess someone eventually will start a good, modern "plain old food" kind of restaurant around Jersey and Newark that will stay open past 3 p.m., but, so far, no one has. I understand that Jersey City is still barely cheap enough for people to follow dreams here and set up the restaurant (or boutique) that they dream about owning, but I sometimes fantasize that owners will actually try to meet obvious needs. Of course, if the owners of Cafe Nia would just open for breakfast and dinner, that would make a huge difference, but maybe there's some issue with the lease that keeps them from ever being open when I feel like eating there.

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For me, Cafe Nia would be extremely useful -- it's a casual place that serves kid-friendly food on the way to my kid's school -- but it's absolutely never open when I'm walking with my kid to and from school.

Also: I hardly ever go to Marco and Pepe or Beechwood these days, just my routine has changed and I don't walk up the south end of Grove Street as much. But one thing that's great about Marco and Pepe is that, if you're very careful, you actually can get a great little dinner -- maybe the barbecue duck sandwich and an ice tea -- there for less than $15.

But, unless the cheese trays at Ox or some other appetizer there is really big, I don't think you can eat at Ox for less than $20, or maybe $25.

One solution for Ox, when it comes to attracting people like me, would be to add one or two bistro food kinds of dishes.

On the other hand, maybe the high prices there are, essentially, a defensive mechanism to keep people with kids and down market sorts of people from coming in. If that's the strategy, then my idea would be a bad idea.

I guess another consideration is that maybe what Ox is telling us that the only way to run a profitable restaurant on Newark without breaking the law is to generate something like $30 or $40 per seat per seating. (Or whatever the metric is when professional restaurant people talk about this sort of thing.) Maybe all of the other new restaurants that charge less are somehow fudging some rule or another.

Did I miss something, or did OX occupy the last remaining viable storefront on Newark Avenue? Is it necessary (let alone relevant?) to slight a promising new business for not being what you personally find the most useful, as if there aren't plenty of other locations for your pancake houses and your organic markets?

Ask yourself the following question: If OX does well, are your magical dream 'useful' shops more or less likely to follow?

Yes, "birthday price" is a perfect term for that kind of place for me. And I agree with you about its usefulness. I'm one of the two people who voted Cafe Nia as best new restaurant, not onlyigns because I think the food is quite good, but because it's the most useful to me. Sawadee is decent, but I can find better Thai in the city for cheaper, and the others are "birthday price." I'm already perfectly happy going to Marco & Pepe or Madame Claude for anything I need to celebrate or else going somewhere even better in the city.

Of course other people obviously find Ox useful, or else it'd be empty all the time. As long as we get some more cheap eateries too, I don't have a problem with expensive restaurants coming in.

I live right by Ox, and I know the people who started it are wonderful people, but, for me, honestly, it's about as useful as a nail salon.

I might need a "birthday price level" restaurant twice a year, but I actually need a place like Paulus Hook's Harvest Cafe (?? probably getting the name wrong) that serves reasonably healthy, moderately priced, kid-friendly comfort food two or three times a week.

What I really, really want on Newark is a healthy version of a the pancake house and a restaurant that would serve soup, salads and sandwiches and find some way to make low-fat and low-sodium options available for people who are too tired to cook but need to cut down on salt and fat and are afraid of all of the chemicals that you see even in "organic" frozen prepared foods.

I went there over the weekend for the first time. The food, decor was great, even though food service was slow the waiter was nice, apologized and even comp'ed some items. They were packed, lots of groups over 6... it has been awhile since I've been to a restaurant in JC where the client?le was so ethnically homogenous.

I agree that high priced is relative. I don't get out much, and I rarely go to upscale places, but I thought Ox was really reasonable for what you get. The service was slow, but they recognized it and apologized and gave complimentary drinks.

High - hell yeah. Cuz that's what you got to be to eat there.

But then again, people put their babies in yoga classes, so what the hell do I know.

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High is relative, but for most people $20 is expensive for an entree, even if it's not especially high for a restaurant of its class in this area.

grovestor: I meant price would be worth it if the service was better.
molly: you need to make less assumptions about those who post. Enough said.

by JC_Resident on 2007/12/2 5:36:28"
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I'm just wondering if you meant the price is high for excellent food (as in overpriced) or if you meant the prices are high, period, but the food is excellent so it's worth it?

I mean, I've been to restaurants that I would proclaim are "expensive" as in only-worth-it-for-a-special-occasion, but the food is worth it, so it's a "high priced but worth it" restaurant.

Or, did you think it was overpriced?

Price high? Someone needs to get out more.

Food: Excellent
Atmosphere: Simple, bare and appealing but a little too loud when crowded.
Service: Very friendly and professional but unfortunately slow as sin (at least when I was there)!
Price: High.

One of the better eggs benedict I've had: properly poached eggs. Bloody Marys could use some spice.

Ox is now serving brunch!

Ox in Jersey City blends flair and charm in its offerings

Sunday, November 18, 2007
BY CODY KENDALL
For the Star-Ledger

As one might expect, the words "ox tail" leap out from the list of appetizers at Ox, a trendy new restaurant offering food with a winning combination of rustic charm and sophisticated flair.

Take the ox tail -- please. It's shredded, tender braised beef swirled atop done-just-right pan-fried polenta ($7) for a contrast of soft and slightly crisp. Like nearly everything we tried at Ox, there were extra touches that gave the dish character and complex ripples of flavor. In the case of the ox tail, those were a shallot jam and a parsley emulsion that made for a delightful journey of exploration. (The restaurant is located at 176 Newark Ave., Jersey City, 201-860-4000, www.oxrestaurant.com, ** 1/2)

Bourbon is what makes a difference in the steamed mussels ($10), combined with tasso ham for a down-home quality unexpected in conjunction with shellfish. Rich roasted tomatoes and sofrito with hints of garlic, cilantro and peppers among its other elements gave this dish so much more personality than the standard issue mussel preparation in white wine. Corn bread was a nice touch, but there wasn't enough of it to sop up the sauce, which was too good on its own to waste.

Mustard and tarragon cr?me fraiche highlighted pappardelle ($19) with braised rabbit. Yes, it tastes like chicken, but the preparation of this dish, with roasted pearl onions and the aura of white wine, gave it a glamorous glow. A black currant gastrique ($19) dresses up sweet and sour pork belly, which gets its savory edge from braised lentils and grilled scallions.

More about the food in a minute; it's time we got to the name of the place. It certainly may seem odd, particularly since there is no other ox tail dish or for that matter, ox anything-else on the rest of the menu.

But as manager Sondra Elkas explained it, the restaurant's owners liked the fact that an ox is "unassuming, but does all the work, just strong and steady."

This restaurant is so much more than that, though. Ox opened last month in the narrow space previously occupied by La Primavera. The chefs and co-owners are Nicole Puzio and Edward Radich, who met during a stint at Marco and Pepe in Jersey City. Both chefs have New York experience; Puzio worked at Gramercy Tavern and Radich at Monzu.

Each of their dishes is fine-tuned, such as the perfect, snowy olive oil-poached sea bass ($23) standing tall with a dusting of red tobiko in a spiced lemon broth punctuated by fennel and perfectly roasted fingerling potatoes.

If you must have a plain old steak, rather than the pan-roasted scallops with spaetzle ($23) or the maple-glazed duck confit ($19), the grilled flat iron ($20) is your ticket. It's served with style over au gratin potatoes and wilted watercress with a Madeira truffle sauce for a touch of flash.

Elkas devised the unusual cocktails, such as a cranberry sparkler made with Prosecco ($8), a cucumber cooler of sake and mint ($7.50) and a version of a Margarita ($8) concocted with a base of muddled pink grapefruit that is just different enough to be interesting, but not off-putting. The roster of mixed drinks is categorized as tart (the Margarita), savory (the cucumber), sweet, savory and sweet and savory (the cranberry fizz), making it easy to find the proper match for your meal.

The wine list has a little something for everyone, whether value or finding an interesting bottle is the key concern. The prices start at $21 for the Pirineos Mesache Blanco from Spain, and there's plenty of other choices for less than $30. The offerings are global, and by-the-glass options start at $5. Should you prefer to spend big-time, there are opportunities for that, too, as on the Puligny Montrachet-Jen Chantron ($98).

Beers include a wide range of possibilities. There's the Southampton Double White ($5) from England on draft, while at the other end of the scale, you can pay $6 for Young's Chocolate Stout, also a British import, or the Adventinus Weiss ($8) from Germany.

Desserts are impressive, whether you choose the chocolate nutella tart or the dense yet light fig and nut spice cake ($8) that happily is not too sweet. Gelato and sorbets ($4) are made in-house. The gelato flavors were too predictable; chocolate, vanilla, pistachio; but the sorbets included a fantastic green apple that cooled the palate and tingled it at the same time.

While the food is first class, the service is not quite there. I thought it was odd that the bread, pita triangles with a sturdy hummus dip, appeared before we got bread plates. Actually, we never got bread plates, which was rather awkward.

One of our appetizer orders lagged behind and arrived after the salads. I had to request that some spilled food be wiped up before the next course was put in front of us. Also, they lost our reservation (made in the name of a friend, of course; all reviews are done anonymously). I will say, however, that an effort was made to get us seated on time anyway, quite a feat considering the place seemed to be booked solid. But when you are led to your table, try to avoid being seated by the entrance. Winter is on the way, and there was a chill every time the door opened.

My biggest issue with Ox, however, was the noise. The terrazzo floor is coupled with the white leather booths and shaded overhanging lamps for a snazzy industrial look. But the sound bounces off the terrazzo, and when the place was at its capacity of 65 or so, I really had to raise my voice to be heard by my dining companions over the uncomfortable din.

It was a little quieter in back at the bar, which opens at 5 p.m. and closes at midnight.

Parking is anything you can find on the street, or in the municipal lot next door. Bring quarters -- that's what the meters in the lot take, and even on a weekend, we noted that parking is not free until after 9 p.m.

I liked the food, the energy and the prices at this new hot spot. Ox is another bright beacon in Jersey City's continuing rejuvenation and quite a fun place.

Cody Kendall may be reached at CodyDine@aim.com.

went to ox last night, everything was delicious and our waitress was very good. we had the mushroom soup (which surprisingly is veggie and dairy free!) and steak tartar (which i did not taste, but my bf reported was teriffic). i had the sea bass which was light, a bit sweet which i like and bf had the scallops which were rich with little german dumplings and brussel sprouts. we had the apple cranberry crisp, lots of apples. ambiance was also pleasant, lots of people, and i would have expected it to be louder, but the sound dynamics were ok.

They got a lot of buck for their bang.

Stopped in Saturday night and I can report the Beer is very good.