The Metuchen Inn

This restaurant, occupying a 150-year-old white house, gives and understated appearance, which gives plenty of room for the excellent food to steal the limelight.

By: Antoinette Buckley

   METUCHEN — Once upon a time, well before the turn of the 20th century, The Metuchen Inn was actually an inn. It is now a restaurant and catering business occupying this 150-year-old white house that sits along the edge of Route 27 in Metuchen.
   Its looks are unpretentious, outside and inside, especially when you consider the building’s rich history. Its understated appearance leaves plenty of room for the food to steal the limelight. In fact, the most memorable part of making our way to the front door was the wonderful smell escaping from the kitchen.
   Once inside, co-owner Constantine Papanicolaou, greeted us warmly. From that moment on, he treated us as if we were his most important customers. He showed all the signs of a good businessman. His staff follows his lead. Service was cordial and efficient, and a follow-up phone call to the restaurant a week later showed that all employees are very accommodating.
   The Metuchen Inn certainly has a quiet kind of charm since the space is still laid out in the arrangement of a home. The undulating hardwood floors creak under your feet, revealing a house seasoned with age and character. The low ceiling shows exposed beams and conservative looking oil lamps softly light every table. The décor has a Victorian slant with drapes and wallpaper sporting a busy floral and orchard motif. Most importantly, the space gives that comfortable feeling of being in a friend’s living room.
   Still, the creative American food is the reason to make the trip. Every plate seemed multi-dimensional in its ingredients and flavors, however, the menu offers lavish descriptions that won’t necessarily make their way onto the plate.
   For example, you may not be able to find the celery root puree that was supposed to accompany the rabbit. It may or may not be part of the dish. Just place your trust in experienced executive chef Donald Reeves. He knows what he’s doing, delivering the kind of food that offers a real reason to go out to a special dinner.
   For starters, crispy warm rolls came individually served, accompanied by a smart platter of roasted garlic, sweet butter and olive oil. The special soup of the evening, a Lobster and Goat Cheese Bisque topped with crispy smoked shrimp ($7.50), was set up for grandeur in its elegantly tiered presentation. It was served in a bowl rimmed with an elegant gold pattern, which was placed on a plate rimmed in the same gold trim. As a final touch, the appetizer came nested on yet another gold oversized plate.
   The soup lived up to its grand presentation. The flavor of the goat cheese melded into this velvety soup, making this bisque uniquely divine. The fried, smoked shrimp on top added an opposing texture and taste that was a phenomenal compliment.
   The Quail Appetizer ($13.50) was equally gripping. Tiny quail thighs were stuffed with crab meat and set on a curry cauliflower puree. The curry in the puree was only barely noticeable, and the cauliflower was one of those ingredients in the description that we didn’t catch and didn’t care. We needed a spoon to polish off the last of the puree once the quail was finished. The dish was imaginative and excellently rendered.
   "Crisp Pasta Wrapped Colossal Shrimp with dried fruit, mango, apple chutney and cilantro, ginger emulsion" ($11.25) was interesting, mostly because of the chutney. Its sweet-yet-tart flavor pressed you forward, highlighted by the little nuggets of fruit. The shrimp were beautiful by themselves, but didn’t marry the flavors of the chutney as you might expect. Also, the crispy spaghetti noodles that were wrapped around each of the two shrimp seemed a bit of a stretch.
   For our entrées, the Rabbit Special of the evening ($23.50) was impressive in its fresh and labor-intensive preparation. Rabbit loin was stuffed with asparagus spinach and carrots. The result was little disks of meat wrapped around tiny bits of vegetables; each cooked to their optimum firmness. The meat got most of its flavor from the vegetables it surrounded. All these stuffed disks of rabbit were arranged in a circle, hiding a glorious mound of mashed sweet potatoes that was perhaps my favorite part of the dish. Sautéed spinach topped the mound. Vivid oranges and greens colored the plate, and a dark wine-based demi-glace on the bottom, gave the simple flavors of the dish some strength. The dish was marvelously clever.
   The Dijon Glazed Rack of Lamb ($22.50) was an inspiration. The meat was textured like butter, and the wine based demi-glace flavored with garlic and shallots was a bonus for an already flavorful lamb. For extra sweetness, a lightly fried side of polenta had an outer coating that was pleasantly crisp. Carrots and spinach rounded out the plate.
   For dessert, the Chocolate Caramel Napoleon ($7.50) was unlike a traditional Napoleon, but elegant and different just like the rest of the meal. Triangles of crispy chocolate phyllo were layered with a caramel mousse that was rich and lovely. A Crème Brulee Trio ($7.50) displayed a sampler of the traditional vanilla flavor bordered by an orange and a honey jasmine. All had a perfect texture. Mr. Papanicolaou reveres the Fallen Chocolate Cake as one of the best desserts. However, its description on the menu is negligible and as a result we were not compelled to order it.
   Prices are the higher end of moderate, but seem very fair considering the intelligent food. The Metuchen Inn might be a bit of a trip, but it’s worth it.