Blu on the Hudson Featured on Forbes
Blu On The Hudson Has Wonderful Food to Go With The Grand Panorama Of The New York Skyline
By John Mariani of Forbes | July 11, 2023
There are reasons why Blu on the Hudson should not be as excellent a restaurant as it is. For one thing, it’s in Weehawken, New Jersey, set within a massive complex of mundane new buildings through whose parking lot and dark walkways it is easy to get lost. Next, the restaurant is vast—30,000 square feet—with 350 seats (and 500 to be added upstairs for banqueting). Last, but not least, the menu seems way too eclectic for the kitchen to handle.
There’s no question that Blu has its atmospheric and panoramic appeal: It’s right across from the Manhattan skyline with fine views of the midtown skyscrapers, and the interior is a well-sectioned series of spaces that include a huge white marble bar, a beautifully decorated separate sushi restaurant and a very comfortable lounge area with fireplace, and modulated lighting throughout, as created by Blu Hospitality Group led by Kosta Gianopoulos and designer Peggy Leung.
Blu On The Hudson Earns 2025 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award
—Blu On The Hudson Among the World’s Best Restaurants for Wine—
[Weehawken, NJ] (June 25, 2025) — Blu On The Hudson has been honored for its outstanding wine program in Wine Spectator’s 2025 Restaurant Awards, which celebrate the world’s best restaurants for wine.
“A wine list is a restaurant’s identity in print, and this year’s Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners reflect both deep knowledge and a passion for discovery,” said Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator. “I proudly present the 3,811 restaurants worldwide that earned a Restaurant Award this year—we raise a glass to all our winners.”
Launched in 1981, the Restaurant Awards represent the world’s only program focused exclusively on restaurant wine service. They are assigned on three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award, with 2,010; 1,704; and 97 winners this year in each respective category.
Blu On The Hudson has won the Best of Award of Excellence.
Best of Award of Excellence recipients display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation.
Wine Spectator’s special Restaurant Awards issue becomes available to readers July 15th.
Follow Wine Spectator on Instagram (@wine_spectator) and use hashtag #WSRestaurantAwards for posts about this year's awards. WineSpectator.com/Restaurants also features coverage of winners, interviews with leading wine directors, wine picks and pairing tips from sommeliers at award-winning programs. In the Restaurant Search, all winners can be searched by name, location, award level, cuisine, wine specialties and pricing. Winners are also profiled in the free Restaurant Awards app, available for iPhone and iPad users.
About Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator is the world’s leading authority on wine. Anchored by Wine Spectator magazine, a print publication that reaches around 3 million readers worldwide, the brand also encompasses the Web’s most comprehensive wine site (WineSpectator.com), mobile platforms and a series of signature events. Wine Spectator examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine’s role in contemporary culture and delivering expert reviews. Parent company M. Shanken Communications, Inc., also publishes Cigar Aficionado, Whisky Advocate, Market Watch, Shanken News Daily and Shanken’s Impact Newsletter.
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Blu on the Hudson Featured in the New York Times
Off The Menu
By Florence Fabricant of The New York Times | April 4, 2023
Dining in Weehawken, N.J., is a feast for the eyes with the panorama of the Manhattan skyline on display. This new sprawl — 30,000 square feet of generously windowed restaurant, bar, lounge, private dining rooms and a separate sushi bar seating more than 300 — features seafood and steaks by the executive chef, Juan Carlos Ortega. He can handle volume, considering his experience at places like Blue Water Grill and Catch Steak. Appetizers like Basque shrimp with garlic, caviar service and oysters can segue into fresh pastas, like gnocchi in spiced vodka sauce; a dish combining shrimp and scallops; whole branzino; and assorted cuts of steak, including several from Wagyu beef.
Wine Director, Adam Greer, Featured in Wine Enthusiast Magazine
What Does ‘Vintage’ Mean in Wine?
BY VICKI DENIG
The term “vintage” is one of the most common terms in wine. In short, the word refers to the year in which the grapes for a particular wine were harvested. It sounds straightforward, but the vintage is actually one of the most consequential aspects of the winemaking process. A given year’s weather patterns—the amount of rain a region received, the range of temperatures, not to mention hail, frost or wildfires, for example—can greatly affect the quality and quantity of wine made from that harvest.
So, understanding what happened in a given area during a particular vintage can tell you a lot about the quality and characteristics of a specific bottle. Let us explain how it works and why it matters.
A Snapshot in Time
Autumn Anderson, director of marketing for New Frontier Wine Co., likens vintages to time capsules, as vintage-bottled wines can offer a snapshot of a specific point in time.
“Some vintages are considered to be better than others due to weather events, and that varies from region to region,” she explains. Vintage conditions are extremely important, as they play a big role in determining how a wine will taste.
As a general rule of thumb, a year marked by excess heat and ample sunlight will likely produce wines that are riper, jammier and higher in alcohol than other years. On the contrary, cooler climate conditions will generally offer higher levels of acidity and more restrained levels of alcohol in the wines produced. On the other hand, extreme weather events, such as hail or frost, can greatly reduce the number of grapes on the vine, resulting in smaller yields for a given year.
But, like everything related to wine, it’s not so simple. Decisions made by the winemaker—such as when to pick and how to process the grapes—also greatly impacts what ends up in the bottle.
When Should Consumers Care About Vintage?
While the vintage certainly plays a role in how a final wine will taste, not every wine purchasing situation requires meticulous attention to it. Adam Greer, wine director at Blu on the Hudson in Weehawken, New Jersey, reveals that for everyday bottles, the goal is consistency from year to year. Vintage doesn’t really matter for the wines you’re picking up for a Tuesday night dinner.
It becomes significantly more important in the realm of wine collecting. Climatic conditions greatly impact the overall structure of a wine, which becomes far more noticeable over time. As a result, “vintages become more critical when it comes to wines sought after by collectors for aging,” Anderson says.
From a purchasing perspective, Greer notes that great vintages can drive up prices in certain years. “It also makes wine a commodity, and while there is certainly an investment aspect to great wines, it can turn a great bottle of wine, filled with the sweat and talent of so many dedicated persons, into the equivalent of a collectable baseball card,” he says.
What Are the Rules for Vintage Champagne?
Champagne is another category where vintage really means something. Though most other wine regions indicate the vintage on each label, “Champagnes are most often made from a blend of grapes from different years in order to ensure consistency in the final product,” says Greer.
When you see a vintage on a Champagne label, it indicates that the wine was made from grapes picked in a single year, which implies the producer considered it a particularly outstanding growing season. These vintage-bottled Champagnes “adhere to stricter production standards,” says Anderson, usually resulting in a higher-quality final bottling.
In addition to above-average standards, Greer notes that vintage-bottled Champagnes must age for a minimum of 36 months on the lees, whereas non-vintage bottlings require only a minimum of 15 months. “During this cellaring [period], vintage Champagne will develop even more intense toasty and brioche nuances that give it superior depth and quality, so a consumer can expect more intensity and layers from vintage Champagne,” he says.
The Takeaway
If you want to splurge on a high-quality Champagne or hold onto a bottle for decades, pay attention to the vintage. While most drinkers aren’t going to notice the difference between, say, a 2019 or 2020 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir, getting more in tune with what was happening in a given year can give drinkers a deeper appreciation of what’s in their glass.
“A vintage acknowledges the skills and labor that an entire team has bled into the winemaking process for each harvest,” says Greer, noting the extreme number of variables that the seasons can bring. “In the end we are left with a vintage—a unique expression of the wine based on the varied challenges, conditions and calculated choices to bring forth the very best expression possible that year.”
Diners' Choice 2024 Winner
Diners' Choice: Hot spot restaurants in Hudson
The Diners’ Choice program recognizes outstanding restaurants based on feedback from thousands of local diners. OpenTable diners globally have provided over 30 million ratings and reviews, all confirmed to have dined at a restaurant.
By OpenTable, September 5, 2024
Looking for restaurants that are the best hot spots in Hudson? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!
Blu on the Hudson Featured on NJ Monthly
The Best New Restaurants in New Jersey
Here are the hottest additions to our state's vibrant dining scene that you won't want to miss this year.
By New Jersey Monthly | | January 23, 2024 | Appears in the February 2024 issue
Blu On The Hudson
Weehawken
While some diners may come to Blu on the Hudson for its wondrous, unobstructed view of the Empire State Building, they will come back for its standout food, service and ambience. The menu is diverse and delectable, with luscious, well-made sushi, seductive, shareable starters, and masterful seafood and steaks, all finessed by executive chef JC Ortega. Cocktails are impeccably crafted, and wine pairings, by sommelier Adam Greer, are just right. Gratifyingly, desserts are generous and indulgent. Blu’s glamorous, modern design, all plush and shimmer, fosters an urbane, chatty air, like a big cocktail party. A very big one. Blu has nearly 400 seats, indoors and out. And they are all getting filled. —KT Harrison
1200 Harbor Boulevard, 201-636-1200
@lauragramnyc Reviews Blu on the Hudson
@lauragramnyc (196K followers), one of the influencers who attended Blu’s NYE event, raves about Blu on the Hudson.
Chef JC Ortega Featured on Broadway World
Chef Spotlight: Juan Carlos Ortega of BLU ON THE HUDSON in Weehawken, NJ
By: Marina Kennedy
Executive Chef Juan Carlos “JC” Ortega of BR Guest Hospitality’s Blue Fin, Blue Water Grill, and most recently Catch Steak has brought his years of experience working with seafood and Steak to create a menu composed of simple, clean ingredients that elicit complex flavors by drawing on a variety of influences from the Mediterranean and beyond. His cuisine is elevated yet approachable, offering selections for every diner.
Chef JC hails from Ecuador and moved to New York City in 1995. He began his culinary journey as a line cook at small restaurants throughout the city before landing his first job with BR Guest Hospitality in 1998. He worked his way up the ranks at Blue Water Grill, starting as a line cook and eventually being promoted to Sous Chef and Executive Sous Chef. In 2010, he oversaw the opening of Atlantic Grill Lincoln Center and was appointed Executive Chef at Blue Fin in 2014. From there, he joined Blu on the Hudson as their executive chef to launch their opening in 2023.
Broadwayworld had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Ortega about his career and Blu on the Hudson in Weehawken, New Jersey for our "Chef Spotlight."
What was your earliest interest in cooking?
I was always in the kitchen from an early age, watching my grandmother and mother cook. Whether they were preparing breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I enjoyed being in the kitchen as it was peaceful and created a sense of warmth.
Who were some of your career mentors?
I started working in NYC kitchens when I was 17 years old. While working alongside some talented chefs, they all mentored me knowingly and unknowingly shared culinary insight and expertise, making me the chef I am today.
What culinary styles have influenced your career?
Working in the restaurant industry for the past 27 years, traveling throughout Europe and Asia, and being Latino and married to a Greek, I have understood, appreciated, and adapted many culinary cooking styles. Every culture has something unique to contribute to the world, and sharing a meal is the most bonding human experience.
What are the most distinguishing features of your work as a chef?
I am a big fan of global cuisine as I incorporate my knowledge and travels, which brings a unique vision to Blu on the Hudson’s menu. It features many cultural touches from Japanese to Latin to Italian to New American. From the Hot Appetizers, I showcase Thick Cut Wagyu Bacon, which uses Japanese Wagyu beef; pastas are house-made which incorporates the Italian touches; New American is highlighted by our top-flight steak selection; and Whole Branzino for Two is inspired by my Greek wife. The dessert menu highlights Flourless Chocolate S’mores as well as Classic Tiramisu.
What is your favorite meal or meals?
One of my favorite dishes, cooked by my mother, is shrimp ceviche. However, my next choice would be dinner at Blu on the Hudson, starting with Chilled Shellfish, Crudos, and Nori Tacos, followed by Spanish Octopus and Basque Style Shrimp, Gnocchi, and as a main, Delmonico Steak with Whipped Potatoes.
Tell me a little bit about your restaurant for our readers.
Blu on the Hudson is a Modern American restaurant that brings a New York City-style dining experience to the Weehawken, New Jersey waterfront with stunning views of the Hudson River and the New York City skyline, land and sea come together on the seafood forward menu accented by a top-flight steak program, a one-of-a-kind cocktail program, world-class wine program, and a soon-to-open rooftop event space.
Blu on the Hudson is located at 1200 Harbor Blvd in Weehawken, NJ. The restaurant provides convenient valet parking for their guests for a nominal charge. It’s nice to know that they offer take-out and delivery on Grubhub and Uber Eats. For more information, menus, and hours of operation, please visit https://bluhospitalitygroup.com/ or call 201.636.1200. Follow Blu on the Hudson on Instagram @bluonthehudson
Blu on the Hudson Featured on Patch
5 New Restaurants To Try In North Jersey That Opened In November 2023
What's new for the season? From sushi brunch to Turkish eats, here are new offerings to try in North Jersey as you do your holiday shopping.
By: Caren Lissner, Patch Staff
Blu On The Hudson And Blu Sushi Bar, Weehawken
Blu on The Hudson, which faces the Hudson River waterfront, opened in Weehawken earlier this year, but it only began offering brunch recently. They've kicked off the season with new dishes, including ricotta stuffed pancakes with blueberry compote and halloumi and cheese soft scrambled eggs. Drink options include a seasonal black truffle bloody Mary. Blu is a surprisingly short stroll on the waterfront walkway from Hoboken, and a place to hold an event, impress a date, or bring the family. Other menu items range from a smoked salmon scrambled eggs to steak and eggs. Learn more here.
Blu on the Hudson Featured in Restaurant Development + Design
Blu on the Hudson was featured in Restaurant Development + Design’s winter print issue. Blu was featured in its interior design decision for restaurant openings.