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PIEHOLE: RICH EATS ON THE SORTA CHEAP

dbfromagerieDavid Burke Fromagerie manager Alexander Loehing walks us through the limited-time fixed price lunch menu at the Rumson dining institution. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)

PIEHOLE logoWhen he isn’t talking about cooking a turkey in a dishwasher, star chef David Burke runs a number of high-end restaurants, including one in Rumson, that are out of reach financially for some food lovers. But for diners with champagne tastes and beer budgets, there’s a tried-and-true way to eat as the swells do: the prix-fix lunch special.

PieHole popped in at David Burke Fromagerie to see what $29 will get you at midday – and to make sure it doesn’t come out of the dishwasher. Now serving here.

RUMSON: FINE DINING ON THE CHEAP… SORTA

dbfromagerieDavid Burke Fromagerie manager Alexander Loehing walks us through the limited-time fixed-price lunch menu at the Rumson dining institution. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)

By JIM WILLIS

Among eaters with champagne tastes but beer-bottle pockets, lunch has always been the secret to experiencing good restaurants without blowing the budget. The lunch menu at a top-notch restaurant is generally similar to the dinner menu, only with lower prices.

That’s certainly the case at Rumson’s David Burke Fromagerie. And the time to give it a try is right, too, since the iconic restaurant only offers a prix fixe lunch seating during the holiday season. From now through January 3, Fromagerie has a three-course, fixed-price menu for $29, Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Owner David Burke – now appearing in People magazine offering tips on “how to cook a turkey in a dishwasher” – hails from Hazlet, but his name and cooking have spread well beyond Monmouth County, especially with his recent appearance on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters. That kind of reputation finds more than a few in-the-know area eaters waiting with anticipation for Burke’s “lunch season” to begin.

Piehole checked in with Fromagerie manager Alexander Loehing to get the details and his suggestions.

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