Last Monday I got the privilege to experience the first Meatless Monday at 9^th and Coles Tavern. It was the first time I had ever gone to 9^th and Coles so the experience was an overall new one. Owner Tony Frier sat down with me before I began my five-course meal and explained his reasoning for wanting to participate.

Frier, previously an omnivore made his change when he and husband, Greg Gude, purchased a 25-acre farm in the Catskills in upstate New York. The Bat Farm is currently home to two dogs, one which is blind and deaf, two deaf cats one which is a mountain kitty… three pigs, a Jersey Cow, 2 goats, 16 ducks and 70 chickens. Greg’s best friend, Wattles, a 900+ pound spotted pig of the Wattles breed and Wattles’ half-brother Woodrow Wilson, a 50-pound pot-bellied pig. Wattles encouraged Frier to become a vegetarian and he doesn’t regret the decision.

According to Frier, Red Wattle hogs are endangered and don’t normally live very long because they are bred for food. “Wattles the pig is now one-year-old and six months and weighs over 900 pounds, and Red Wattle hogs are meant to be slaughtered after four or five months. You don’t know love until you’ve spooned with a pig,” he said. “I converted because of humane reasons and you know what your expectations are.”

The Buy Fresh, Buy Local movement has begun a rapid spread throughout Jersey City encouraging shoppers to buy local foods. From a recent pamphlet from the Jersey City Department of Human Health and Services (HHS), eating fresh and buying local “Stimulates community engagement, promotes better health, increases food access, and supports sustainability.”

Each course carried with it the freshness, warmth, love of 9^th and Coles Tavern, Frier, the Bat Farm, and the man behind the scenes, Chef Dan.

The first course was the Bar Beets. Roasted beets drizzled with a mint pesto and a balsamic reduction; it combined a sweet and tangy flavor that left you with an electrified tastebuds.

The second course was one of my favorites—Butternut Square and Cauliflower Soup with a garlic and herb crouton. The soup was so warm and hearty; each spoonful left me yearning for more until the entire bowl was scraped clean.

The third course was a plate of Fried Brussel Sprouts served on local honey with lemon zest. The Brussel sprouts’ char combined with its sweet and sour garnishes cleansed the palate and left a fresh feeling just in time for the fourth course.

Served next was the Mushroom Bourguignon topped with whipped potatoes. The dish reminded me of Salisbury Steak, and despite being an omnivore, I would give up a steak any day to eat Mushroom Bourguignon crafted so beautifully.

Finally, the five-course meal came to its end as the Flourless Chocolate Cake met my table. Each bite resonated on my tongue and concluded a delicious five-course meal.

“My goal is to ease everybody into it (Meatless Mondays). We want to do this every Monday and we are committed to this. All of our vegetables are grown on the farm and as far as the dishes themselves, Dan base[s] them on farm-to-table,” said Frier. He also explained that some of their freshest root vegetables were picked about a month ago!

Had a long weekend and want to cleanse your palate? Head on down to 9^th and Coles Tavern for your sitting of Meatless Monday. The menu will change continually and will leave participants with the expectations of trying something new. Meatless Monday is once a week and worth giving a chance.

“Our produce is fresh produces, we don’t use chemicals, and organic farmers owned the farm before us. We’re a generation of organic produce. No meat is one day a week and it could add days to your life,” said Frier.

Director of Health and Human Services, Stacey Lea Flanagan said, “The City is excited to see “non-health” focused businesses engage in small steps to provide healthier options to residents. As a local farm-to-table restaurant, this is a dynamic way to put health on the table, literally.”

Frier’s restaurant is the first local farm-to-table restaurant in Jersey City to participate in Meatless Mondays. Meatless Monday at 9^th and Coles Tavern is a vegetarian five-course Prix Fixe Menu that will change every week. Last Monday’s menu consisted of Bar Beets, Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Soup, Fried Brussel Sprouts, Mushroom Bourguignon, and the choice of a slice Flourless Chocolate Cake or Crumb Cake. Each participant of the first Meatless Monday received a tote bag from the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation that came with a the HHS pamphlet which lists farmers markets in each of Jersey City’s neighborhoods, reasons to participate in Meatless Mondays and a 3-piece salad shaker set.

For more information: http://www.mondaycampaigns.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/TMC_overview050814.pdf