Highland Place

I want to like it, I really do. It’s got so much potential but when I go (two or three times a year) it falls short. I’d go a lot more often if not for some basic misses. Went last night. First thing I noticed was the table was rickety and it turned like a lazy Susan! My chair literally rocked — the legs were so loose. Worse was the dust and grit on my bread plate. Food was much better than the environment. Salads were good and fresh. Had the wedge — tomatoes were fresh, bacon was crisp, although the blue cheese dressing was too pasty. Three of us had steak and it was cooked as requested and tasted great. One guest had the steak/​mushroom pie and it was delicious. With so much free advice on TV (Kitchen Nightmares and Bar Rescue) I wish the owner would pay more attention to details at Highland Place — not the least of which is to clean it and keep it that way. And one last tip — clean the floor to ceiling mirrors behind the performance stage — hard not to notice when watching Ellis Paul — who despite that, was fantastic!
Running a restaurant is hard. I get it. I’ve met the owner of this one a couple of times around town and I get the sense that he genuinely tries to make HP a success. He’s almost there…he just needs to focus on the things that bring people back — great food and a great experience…especially a clean one!

i had the mini sliders with cheese. so yummy! the bread was toasty and the meat was juicey. it came with onion rings. they were greasy but so good! so soft! on the side i got fries which were cooked perfect and i got wild rice. the rice tasted buttery omg so good! everything was great. i would go back again for sure!

Saturday night 7:00 pm. 5 tables open, but hostess says they have reservations. We eat at the bar and now it’s 830 and those tables have never been filled. They turned clientele away for some phantom reservations. Unbelievable.
As for the food it was good overall. Service was slow. French onion soup was tasty and hot. Stuffed dates with bacon tapas were excellent. Crab cake good and all crab — no unnecessary breading. Tuna ordered without wasabi arrived with wasabi, but not so much that it was unenjoyable.
Burger enjoyed by good-​looking patron next to us looked delicious. We will order that (and him) next time.
Bar tender was good.

While I wouldn’t declare this as a «steak house» (When I think steakhouse, I think Smith and Wollensky or Roots or Ruth’s Chris), their steaks are delicious. I would recommend the Strip with the house spice rub — delectable.
The best part of Highland place is the bartender Nick, he knows his stuff and he’s quick with a joke or to light up your smoke. But seriously, not only is he friendly and accommodating — but he legitimately cares about you and how you’re doing. He has quite a cool story himself, so make sure you ask.
Nick does have the advantage of working with a full bar. There’s quite a complement of beers on tap — and a good happy hour selection.
The best part of Highland Place is the staff. Whether there’s no on in the restaurant but you, or the packed to the brim — you always get awesome attention and feel like you’re the only one there.
Love this place.

We were under impressed. The bus staff service was good and was the music. Other than that, not much to talk about. Our party’s experience with this wait staff left something to be desired. It was not horrible, but was lacking. We thought food was «enh.»
Dont get me wrong; It’s not that it’s a bad place; it’s was just ok for us… it just was’t good enough to merit a return visit or more favorable review.

I give it four stars for nice bar vibe, friendly staff and Chimay on draft! The bolognese is pretty good. Then I had a filet and it was thin and tough. It is hard to make a tough filet. I assume it was frozen. But overall it has as good a bar vibe as you can get in a rich bedroom community. Nice people go a long way… and Chimay on tap! Some other well thought out beers as well.

Food was overpriced and not good. My steak frites ($ 19) consisted of two tiny pieces of oversalted meat and some french fries and my wife did not like her salmon ($ 22) either. We had a party of six and nobody was impressed, although my Guinness was good.

I had lunch here yesterday with my mom and her boyfriend. We were walking by, took a look at the lunch menu and were instantly sold. My mother got the chicken pot pie, her boyfriend got the cubano sandwich and I opted for the roasted pear salad – everything was delicious as well as reasonably priced. Our waiter was very attentive without being overbearing.
All in all, a great meal. Will definitely return for lunch, and maybe even try dinner sometime.

If you are planning to spend $ 30 on a steak, go somewhere else. this place lacks on many things. food quality and value for your dollar are just two of them.

We’d have higher stars if I hadn’t visited with friends who pointed out the design identity crisis of this place. Mismatched chairs. Strange table placements. It’s under new ownership and used to be an Italian restaurant so they still have the roman columns, fresco paintings and a few law statues of David.
The service is spotty at best. We were seated in the back right next to a large children’s birthday party. I have no idea why a child would want to have thier birthday here. Must be a New Jersey thing. When asked if she could shut the curtain to provide a little more privacy and visual break from children picking their noses and running in circles, our server just could not be MORE put out.
The food, however is quite good. You cannot go wrong with the bacon wrapped dates. I make a similar dish at home and these are crowd pleasers. I LOVED my mushroom fettucine and my dinnermates enjoyed the mussels, chicken palliard and spaghetti and meatballs.
Make a reservation on the weekend and hope that they figure out the last two steps to providing a well rounded dining experience.

This place Sucks!!! I experienced «Hurricane Sandy» that week and was out of power. The boyfriend wanted to watch the game, so we decided on this, «hell hole». The glasses of wine we had are the only thing that probably keeps this place afloat. I was like damn if Hurricane Sandy didn’t kill me, their freaking wings will LMAO. The wings were very salty. We ordered the jerk wings. They really need to hire a new cook .
P. S. Children should not be in the bar area.

The menu has diversified considerably since my last review. Better steak offering. Still mostly all dishes are quite good.
The bar menu in particular holds a number of treats. Be sure to try the Steak & Mushroom Pie, from a recipe of the owner. Also, the Tortilla is a yummy steal $ 6!
And, they’re open for lunch. Enjoy!

I love Crane’s.
The Cubano sandwich is to die for. The soup, a perfect hangover (shhhh!) cure. My only complaint is that – unless I’ve taken a vacation day from work and stop by at lunch – Crain’s isn’t open when I need it most. I work in the city and never get back to town before 630.
Believe me, I’m glad Crain’s is still here. There was a time earlier this year that it looked like they had to close up shop.
That said, I wouldn’t mind one late night per week at Crain’s that caters to working stiffs like moi. And perhaps a nice post-​work night cheese tasting class? Oooh, pair that with a wine tasting at Highland Place? Follow up with a cheese buying back at Crains. Yum.

Pros:
(1) Really tasty food — we had the meatball and Spanish taco tapas as appetizers, and the steak frites and scallops for dinner. They were all excellent, although I think the meatball tapas were a tad pricy (two meatballs for $ 6).
(2) Atmosphere — we sat near, but not too near the bar. There was a great piano player and lots of life. Still, we were able to carry on a conversation without screaming. A fun place!
(3) Service: Our server and the person who brought us our food (why were they different?) were knowledgeable and personable. Their recommendations were mostly spot on.
Cons:
(1) Dessert — It was just ok — apple pie a la mode. When we mentioned to the owner, he recommended we get the chocolate mousse next time — as they make that on premises.
(2) Host — When he seated us, he didn’t pull out the seats. It seemed a little rushed.
Overall — a BIG improvement over the Italian restaurant that had inhabited the site. Would make a great place for a private party.

Small deli and cheese shop located in the heart of maplewood village. Interesting menu with sandwiches, paninis and wraps at about $ 8 price point. Seating is pretty sparce.
Went with the bbq pork sandwich. Nice sized sandwich on a roll, came with a tangy slaw and bbq sauce. Good sandwich, tough to find a good pulled pork sandwich in this area. Potato salad was pretty awoesome, creamy, tangy with a little kick, lots of scallions and chives. I’d order this by the bucket. Will be back to try some more sandwiches.