Adam’s Bistro

Glitzy touches grace the food and decor at this Middlesex restaurant, providing a plethora of lush Italian-esque dishes, deftly done.

By: Pat Tanner

Adam’s Bistro

619 Bound Brook Road, Middlesex

(732) 424-2121
Food: Very good

Service: Professional

Cuisine: Fancied-up Italian

Ambiance: Gussied-up storefront

Prices: Moderate

Hours: Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dinner: Mon.-Thurs. 5-9:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m., Sun. 2-9 p.m.

Essentials: Major credit cards accepted; no liquor license (b.y.o.); no smoking; wheelchair accessible; reservations suggested on weekends.

Directions

   FOR eight years now, this narrow storefront restaurant in downtown Middlesex has featured dishes that are fancier than either its name or outside appearance might suggest.
   Egyptian-born Ahmed Zaher is owner, chef and often host in this virtual one-man show. He is a veteran of New Brunswick’s opulent La Fontana, and it shows in his menu of lush Italian-esque dishes such as pappardelle with porcini, peas and truffle oil in a light cream sauce ($15), lobster ravioli with asparagus in a pink brandy sauce ($17) and fillet of salmon with porcini mushroom, cream and spinach dumplings ($19).
   Mr. Zaher was tending tables the night of our visit, which began auspiciously with a basket of warm, dense, yeasty rolls accompanied by a sculptured swirl of butter. I also liked that big bottles of Pellegrino water in this b.y.o. establishment are only $5, and good-size wine glasses are already set at each table.

"The
The


overall affect of the restaurant’s décor is one of calm,
despite glitzy touches.

Staff photo by Frank Wojciechowski

   A "special" soup of baby carrot bisque ($6) is not to be missed, which Mr. Zaher later told me is so popular it is almost always available. A pretty shade of pale coral, it boasts just-right creaminess and a nutmeg accent. In taste, it is more like winter squash than carrots, which is fine with me.
   House-made buffalo mozzarella salad ($7) is another winner, with roasted garlic, superior black olives, sweet red onion and ripe, red tomatoes that, at least at this time of year, rival those in my garden, all swathed in excellent balsamic vinegar dressing. The loose texture and wateriness of the cheese took some getting used to, but the creamy fresh flavor did not. Caesar salad ($6) comes doused with a true classic dressing — I could detect anchovies — but there is just too much of it.
   A delicious, albeit very rich, penne dish that features generous amounts of chunky, house-smoked salmon in creamy dill sauce ($16 as an entrée) is almost perfect. If only the salmon wasn’t quite so salty.
   Salt was also a problem in the Veal Romana ($19), which features a wonderful sage demi-glace. When the saltiness of the sauce was added to the dish’s toppings — prosciutto and mozzarella — whoa! But my companion ate every morsel, most contentedly. Pollo alla Griglia ($16) represents a delicious bargain: two grilled chicken breast halves, thick, moist, tender and flavorful, topped with meaty slabs of marinated portabella mushroom over a dark, savory sauce made with balsamic vinegar.

"Adam's
Adam’s Bistro occupies a narrow storefront in downtown Middlesex.

Staff photo by Frank Wojciechowski

   The overall affect of the restaurant’s décor is one of calm, despite glitzy touches such as champagne-colored, damask print wallpaper, gold-crown light fixtures dripping crystal prisms, black lacquer chairs and a completely mirrored back wall. Some of this opulence is offset by the unavoidable view of the kitchen afforded diners on their way to the rest room. Some kitchens should be neither seen or heard.
   In most Italian restaurants, desserts are not a big deal. Here, they are prepared with care and provide a nice change of pace. Among the unusual and surprisingly good choices (each $6) are blood-orange sorbet — three balls of pretty, pale-orange refreshment with a tinge of perfume about them — and "hot rolled cheesecake," actually two tubes of Mascarpone coated in toasted coconut. Raspberries and chocolate come together in the Raspberry Cascade. Here, a brownie base is topped with chocolate mousse, in turn topped with sweetened raspberries warmed under a broiler. The whole dessert is wrapped in a polka-dotted sponge cake, providing a lovely flavor and texture combination.
   For the first few years of its existence, this restaurant was called Adam’s Café. But, Mr. Zaher says, with that name most people assumed it was a luncheonette.
   I’m not sure "bistro" captures the essence of what the menu is about, either, but the plethora of lush dishes, deftly done, has rightfully won Adam’s Bistro a loyal following.
Pat Tanner’s reviews can be heard on Dining Today, Sat. 9-10 a.m. on MoneyTalk 1350 AM and 1040 AM.
For directions to Adam’s Bistro, click here.