When Dream Cuisine Café opened seven years ago in the Tuscany Marketplace off Route 70, co-owner and chef Vincent Fanari’s goalwas to bring a taste of his hometown to New Jersey,
A native of Nice, France, Fanari has created a Restaurant Week menu harkening back to the Southern France and the Mediterranean region where he grew up. However, he has been able to add a local twist to many dishes.
“We have a lot of local flavor,” he said. “Most of our produce is local. We do it as much as we can.”
Fanari said Dream Cuisine is able to bring in fresh ingredients from local farms such as Springdale this time of year. Some of these fresh ingredients are included in appetizers such as the goat cheese salad and entrees such as the grilled sea scallops.
What makes Dream Cuisine stand out from other restaurants is the décor. Red velvet covers all the chairs in the dining room.
The booths and tables are also painted red.
Another unique aspect is the abstract art on the walls. French native Denis Grue created all the works.
“He was a customer of our restaurant a few years ago,” Fanari said. “He asked if we could hang his art on our walls and I told him yes.”
All Grue’s art is for sale at the restaurant. Repeat customers won’t see the same works either as Grue frequently switches his paintings out.
Paintings are the only form of art filling Dream Cuisine. Singer and guitarist Stephen Crespo performs for diners ever Friday night. Fanari said he has become very popular, drawing large crowds of diners.
Dream Cuisine’s Restaurant Week menu will offer customers one appetizer, one entrée and a dessert for $35.
