Gratella

A nightly buffet and pleasing Italian-influenced Continental specials make this restaurant in Plainsboro well worth a trip across Route 1.

By: Faith Bahadurian

   THE Doral Forrestal Hotel in Plainsboro is situated on 25 wooded acres and offers a more aesthetically pleasing, serene setting than many large hotels or conference centers.
   Tiny white lights outline the tree trunks in the courtyard, where you can park your own car or indulge in valet parking.
   Once inside, the arts-and-crafts-inspired décor offers soft lighting, warm, neutral tones and a cozy welcome. The civilized feeling follows you downstairs to Gratella, one of two restaurants in the facility. (At present, the upstairs Homestate Café is only open to the public on Saturday nights, when its high-quality seafood buffet reigns, and on Sundays for its equally popular buffet brunch. Both cost $29.95.)
   On a mid-week evening, Gratella is less than half-full, but even with a full house the large L-shaped room with amply spaced tables and plenty of sound-absorbing surfaces would remain comfortable. Even the ladies’ room is roomy and well appointed.
   Doral Executive Chef Wayne Hoekstra has been at the helm since April 2000, having come from the Sheraton in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the Brown Palace in Denver. While Gratella offers a nightly buffet ($29.95), we chose from the à la carte menu.
   For starters, my companion ordered the Roast Duck Breast and Exotic Mushroom open-faced ravioli ($12). There was plenty of fairly tender braised duck and succulent mushrooms among the soft folds of a pasta sheet, all bound by the rich sweetness of the balsamic-based brown sauce. It could have been an entrée, but we managed to finish it.
   I opted for a stacked shrimp and lobster salad with puff pastry and fennel vinaigrette ($10). It was dense, with finely chopped seafood, red and green peppers, and lightly bound with the dressing, which needed more of a fennel taste to live up to its billing. Crisp sheets of puff pastry separated the layered salad and added crunch. Other appetizers offered include sweet prawns in crispy noodle coating and twice-baked crab cheese cake. There also were interesting salads available. Rolls were brought to our table but were not warm.
   After debating over entrées such as Sautéed Veal Cutlet with grilled vegetables and garlic-fried sage gnocchi and Tilted Oven-Baked Salmon and Shrimp with dill and shallot compound butter, my companion ordered a robust Seared Sirloin of Lamb, crusted with rosemary and stone-ground mustard ($21). This unusual cut was pleasantly chewy and full of excellent lamb flavor, making us wonder why all the fuss about rack of lamb, which is comparatively flavorless until seasoned. Several chunks of the mustard-marinated lamb were propped around acceptable mashed potatoes, napped by rich brown gravy with sliced mushrooms. Vegetable sides were barely steamed — as in too crunchy — carrots and broccoli. Something a little more interesting in that department would have greatly elevated this dish.
   I chose the evening’s special, Fettuccini with Lobster and Scallops ($26.95), and it was another warm-weather winner — a generous amount of sliced lobster tail and scallops nestled in tender pasta. The dish was adorned with very mild and tender broccoli rabe, and suffused with a wonderful sweetness from the addition of lightly caramelized julienned butternut squash touched with sage. I have often found pasta and seafood dishes too dry, but this one was pleasantly brothy and all the seafood was moist.
   The wine list is unexciting. For the whites, there is an emphasis on California Chardonnay and no less than three kinds of White Zinfandel. The red wine selection is more well-rounded but with frustratingly few by-the-glass selections. Bottle prices are quite reasonable, however, and there is also a selection of ports and sherries by the glass. My companion chose a Gallo of Sonoma Pinot Noir ($6/glass) that was a good partner to her lamb.
   In a show of service "above and beyond," our server offered to get me a sample of the Trimbach Riesling ($6) I was considering, as it is a classic pairing for rich seafood. I quaffed my sample and indeed found its merest touch of sparkly sweetness the perfect accompaniment to lobster and scallops. This willingness was typical of the accommodating service throughout our visit.
   House-made desserts are on one of the buffet tables, and for $4.95 one can sample as many as one wishes. We found them fairly standard, although I was quite taken with a nicely tart lemon cake with buttercream frosting and a chocolate cake of exceeding lightness. A dense chocolate torte, however, was too heavy. My companion’s cappuccino was mild enough not to need sugar, and my own decaffeinated coffee was just fine.
   In recent years, with management (and facility name) changes and increased competition, the Doral restaurants have seemed to fade from the Princeton-area consciousness as a dinner destination. With Chef Wayne Hoekstra’s arrival, the food has once again become something to merit a trip across Route 1.
For directions to Gratella, click here.