Cupola's Hermsdorf Launches New Menus at Jones

The patio at Jones. [Photo: mhaithaca/Flickr]

Christian Hermsdorf, the Bar Bambino alum who was last seen scoring 2.5 stars for food from Bauer at Cupola Pizzeria in the Westfield mall, has now taken the executive chef post at upscale Tendernob club Jones, where he's worked up a more Italian-inspired menu than the original offering from consulting chef Ola Fendert of Oola. The entire food program has gotten a revamp, with new menus for everything from brunch to happy hour.

· Happy hour runs 5-7 pm, Tuesday-Friday, with a featured $3 beer and $5 cocktail, and bar bites like penne and cheese, mini panini, mini pizzas, and Calabrian chicken wings ($5-9).

· Dinner service features pizza and panini, housemade ravioli and tagliatelle with rabbit ragu, and larger dishes like a brined pork chop with lentils or a roasted salmon with black risotto. The dessert menu has options like tiramisu and gelato.

· For those looking for a dinner deal, there's also a $25 three-course prix fixe, which starts with a family-style platter of fries, wings, and salad; moves on to a panini, pizza, or pasta; and concludes with desserts like profiteroles or bread pudding. (Hermsdorf is no stranger to the family-style prix fixe: he offered a similar "Feast of All Feasts" option at Cupola, which no less a personage than Bauer himself deemed "the deal of the year.")

· Brunch is more traditionally American, with everything from a smoked-salmon Benedict to huevos rancheros to lemon ricotta pancakes. You can still get a pizza or panini, though.

Meanwhile, over at Cupola, former sous chef Marc Tennison took over the kitchen back in October.

· Bauer Marvels at Mall Pizza [~ ESF ~]
· Check Out the Big, Beautiful Jones Patio [~ ESF ~]