Northstar Café

With Mediterranean food, live music and tapas served until 2 a.m., this upscale New Brunswick eatery has captured a following.

By: Antoinette Buckley

   NORTHSTAR Café is smooth as silk, from food to music and aesthetics. In the front room, bare tables, carved chairs, built-in shelving and a prominent bar echo the lustrous look of sleek hardwood floors. Dark wood shelving displays hardbound books and smart-looking vases.
   On most nights, jazz plays in the background, reinforcing the part-study, part-nightclub feel of the front room. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Northstar Café brings in live jazz, funk, blues or salsa. The back room, where tables are dressed with white linen, is more formal.
   The menu is primarily Mediterranean with a strong Spanish and Moroccan influence. Tapas, a Spanish version of small cocktail snacks, the restaurant’s claim to fame, fit in perfectly with the trendy café. They are festive, fun to share between two or more and usually very well done.
   The wine list, too, is top-notch. Its most distinguishing characteristics are the variety of wines and the large number of wines that are offered by the glass. Some eye-catching sections are "adventurous whites," "Chardonnay/white Burgundy" and "Spain." Tastings of wines (for $3.50 to $7) are offered. A scant glass of wine seems most fitting for its small-food counterpart, tapas. However, I particularly enjoyed a full glass of the house’s Sangria.
   The meal is kicked off with bread accompanied by a fashionable bottle of olive oil infused with thyme, peppercorn, garlic and spices that are visible from the outside.
   There is something about Cabrales (Spanish blue-veined goat cheese) that I am drawn to. When I spotted the mixed green salad with Cabrales, walnuts, figs, crispy pita strips and port wine vinaigrette, it was mine. The sharp, nutty, sweet, salty and spicy tastes were delightful together. The only failing was that I couldn’t finish it at a relaxed pace. Our server brought out our tapas prematurely, creating an annoying interruption in the natural stride of the meal. Other than this one glitch, she was an asset to our experience. We particularly appreciated the way she guided us through the menu like a pro.

Staff photos by Frank Wojciechowski
		In the Northstar Café’s front room, bare tables, carved chairs, built-in shelving and a prominent bar echo the lustrous look of sleek hardwood floors. Dark wood shelving displays hardbound books and smart-looking vases.

   Even more compelling than Cabrales is a crepe. There is something about that flat little pancake stuffed with just about anything that I find irresistible. Some do disappoint. Northstar’s chicken and vegetable crepe ($8), however, satisfied my crepe craving. As one portly crepe lazily draped over the other, the velvety filling nonchalantly seeped out a bit — chunks of chicken, fresh julienne strips of zucchini, carrots and peppers, all bathed in a mild and creamy white wine sauce. The dish was delicate and sultry.
   Sautéed beef tenderloin tips ($9) were tender nuggets of joy. A beef demi-glace on the bottom of the plate and a generous squiggle of saffron aioli sauce on top of the tips displayed the desired level of embellishment.
   We only sampled two tapas, but a popular way to dine at Northstar is to bypass the entrées and order only tapas. On a return visit I would do just that. There are so many appealing tapas. Chicken empanadillas, pita pizzetta and fattoush (Middle Eastern bread salad) are on my mental list for next time. It’s not that the entrées are not worthwhile. They certainly are, although they are pricey. It is more that the entrées tend to lose the momentum that only little snippets can sustain.
   The Moroccan pan roasted filet mignon ($27) showcased a piece of meat about 2 inches high. The accompanying Rioja demi-glace was the meat’s best boost. The spicy tomato jam that topped the filet was an uncomfortable pairing against the buttery meat. Herbed mashed potatoes and the same fresh-tasting julienne vegetable medley that was in the crepes nicely rounded out the dish.
   Two hearty pieces of well-seasoned red snapper ($26) came filleted with a layer of crispy skin left on. While the skin was tasty, I found it a little intrusive. The side of Israeli couscous ragout incorporated fresh herbs, vegetables and plenty of mushrooms, creating a complexity that was irresistible.
   Desserts ($8) pleased. Strawberry Mascarpone empanadillas felt like an extension of the tapas menu, partly because they were best eaten with your fingers and partly because the dessert was not that sweet. Two pastry pockets were filled with warm Mascarpone cheese, and a strawberry sauce was the perfect companion, although an accompanying sweet sorbet seemed misplaced against the warmth and subtlety of the dish. The more traditional Chocolate Treasure was a gem. A round disk was made up of a layer of chocolate ganache, on top of a light hazelnut praline mousse served on a chocolate biscuit. Topped with a berry sauce and crème anglaise, it was everything a decadent dessert should be.
   Northstar Café is an attractive, upscale New Brunswick hangout. Thanks to a 2 a.m. closing time and a large tapas menu, Northstar has cornered the market on New Brunswick’s late night dining scene. Experienced chef Dan Rothman has done a good job creating food that translates to both table and bar.
For directions to Northstar Café, click here.