Years ago, while working at my very first job out of college, I was part of a group of co-workers who regularly went out to dinner on Friday nights after work. It was a fun way to wrap up the work week and begin the weekend!
One of our regular spots to eat was a small, local restaurant called the NewBridge Café located just north of Boston in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The Zagat-rated NewBridge Café had a reputation for making fantastic steak tips and an excellent antipasto salad that was served with a fantastic vinaigrette!
Fast forward 20+ years later – and I decided to take my husband Jack out to eat at the NewBridge Café for the first time a few weeks ago. The steak tips were just as good as I remember – but what really captured Jack’s interest (and taste buds) was the red wine vinaigrette served with the antipasto!
(And of course – like we often do – we were determined to try recreating that vinaigrette at home!)
This red wine vinaigrette is totally unique! It is quite sweet and very tangy (and perfect with the zesty and salty antipasto), and we also noticed how it quickly and naturally separated in the cruet on the dinner table – much more so than a typical vinaigrette.
We suspected that the NewBridge Café’s red wine vinaigrette was made with something other than just oil and red wine vinegar (plus a generous amount of sugar and seasonings). A big flavor clue for us was that the antipasto salad had pickled red onions on top with a similar sweet and tangy flavor – so we guessed that the dressing might have pickle juice in the mix!
So – I don’t know for sure how close we’ve come to recreating the original – but our Copycat NewBridge Café Red Wine Vinaigrette is very, very similar to that delicious vinaigrette we enjoyed last month.
(If you are local to Boston and have eaten at the NewBridge Café – let us know what you think!)
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Copycat NewBridge Café Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a cruet and shake to combine.
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Steak Tips with Caramelized Onions
My first of many visits to the NewBridge Cafe was in the early 80s. When we got there, the parking lot looked in better shape than the ramshackle building did from the outside. But once in? My, of my! It’s certainly had a facelift, and the food is still scrumptious! I love all of your recipes. I’m in the process (right now as I type!) of making the faux Willow Tree chicken salad–again! It’s so good! Thanks for being here. I tell all my friends about you, too!
★★★★★
Thank you so much Cary – so glad you are enjoying the recipes! I was there for the first time in the late 80s! (Same building!) 🙂
You nailed his recipe! We have been going to the New Bridge since the 70’s. It our children’s favorite place … we took them there as babies! Thank you so much 🥰
★★★★★
You’re very welcome Liz! I miss eating out at the NewBridge!
I just came across this and can’t wait to try it. We live 20 minutes from the Newbridge and went there a couple of weeks ago. I have been trying for a long time to copy it and yes it is the best dressing out there.
We hope you love the recipe Bob! (Let us know if you think we came close!)
I know this was left a long time ago, Laurie and I went today and it is always good. We will try your recipe.
We hope you enjoy our copycat recipe as much as the original!
I’ve move to o Florida and can’t wait to try it
We hope you love it Donna!
Hi Martha & Jack,
I made this dressing the other day and you totally nailed the New Bridge Cafe’ dressing! We love the New Bridge and that dressing, now that I can make it at home everyone is thrilled. I must admit I was a little skeptical with the pickle juice but it works!
Thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you so much Pam! I thought we came pretty close too – but it’s very nice to have an objective opinion such as yours! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for writing to us today!