First Friday Luncheons are open to Professional and Fellow members only; the menus appear in Previews.

In our overcrowded corner of this overcrowded planet, an oasis is a difficult thing to find. But in the unlikely setting of Short Hills, New Jersey (which most New Yorkers know for its giant mall), chef Walter Leffler has managed to create one. The Dining Room at Hilton Short Hills is a Garden State oasis of luxe, calme and volupté that Zagat has called "absolutely the best place in New Jersey."

Instead of palm trees, the elegant Dining Room offers mahogany, burgundy, and classic English prints. And did we mention the harpist? "Heaven with a harpist," as Zagat described the place. Rather than feasting on dates and water, spoil yourself with Leffler's polished Continental cuisine. Under Leffler's direction, The Dining Room has become a destination restaurant for demanding New York diners. AAA gave it New Jersey's only 5-Diamond rating, and New York Times writer Fran Schumer rated it "Very Good."

Leffler spent time as a juggler before he began his culinary training at Johnson & Wales. We suspect his juggling talents remain useful now that he has to juggle the many demands of a busy hotel operation; in addition to the The Dining Room, he is responsible for all of the hotel's food service operations, including the highly rated Terrace Restaurant. Leffler trained at a series of prestigious East Coast hotels and restaurants, including the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel in Washington, D.C. At The Dining Room, he prepares sumptuous food that earned the restaurant a four-star review from Rene A. Mack of the Bergen Record. Her advice? "Eat slowly to extend as long as possible this culinary dream come true."