TimeOFF looks back at restaurants reviewed in the past year. In the wake of holiday entertaining, taking a break from the kitchen may be the best way to celebrate the season. Whether you are looking to ring in the new year or get away for a relaxing lunch or romantic evening, letting someone else do the cooking always has an upside.
Compiled by Jim Boyle and Amy Brummer
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For
some lucky people, eating out is also their job, and in 2002, our restaurant reviewers
were busy finding out what was on the menu. Looking back at the tasty delights
they encountered on their culinary adventures, we see a rich culinary diversity.
They are served up both casually and formally in a variety of settings that range
from down-home diners to elegant country inns.
In a recap of some of the most notable dining experiences, there
are surely a few that will whet your appetite.
Corner
Café 16 S. Main St., Manville; (908) 685-7125
A cursory glance at the Manville restaurant’s
menu reveals the presence of a serious cook in the kitchen… Mascarpone macaroni
and cheese comes bubbling hot and crusty in an individual ramekin, and is every
bit as decadent and irresistible as it sounds… Peppercorn-crusted pork tenderloin
holds its own, with a crispy, dry-rubbed exterior and moist, tender, highly flavorful
interior… Unpretentious friendliness pervades Corner Café, as well as
thoughtfulness… Hearty fare-with-a-flair, prices under $20 for entrées
and real world, no-nonsense warmth.
Pat Tanner
Thai
Chef 24 E. Main St., Somerville; (908) 253-8300
A welcome addition to the burgeoning Somerville
restaurant scene… Wild mushroom soup sent my companion into transports of joy…
Spicy green papaya salad with shrimp was coolly delicious… My companion enjoyed
sautéed pork ginger, tender slices of pork, strips of ginger and mixed
vegetables and scallions… Good coffee provided a comfortable end to the meal.
Faith Bahadurian
Andiamo
13 Kline’s Court, Lambertville; (609) 397-6767
Andiamo in Lambertville is a personal and
personable restaurant on many levels… The Andiamo salad rises above ordinary
due to the quality of each ingredient and the brisk, clean-tasting dressing…
I particularly savored the Chicken Teli, an enjoyable dish of moist, succulent
boneless white meat bathed in a flavorful lemon-white wine sauce flecked with
uncommonly tender sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts… what the chef does
with key lime pie is out of this world, transforming this cliched, overly sweet
and overly bland dessert into a perky, zesty, creamy dream.
Pat Tanner
Panico’s
103 Church St., New Brunswick; (732) 545-6100
The antipasto Freddo is a selection of exquisite
meats and cheeses, including Parma ham, air-dried sausages, mozzarella and provolone…
Servers are groomed to the teeth, dressed in black tuxes, not a hair out of place…
Panico’s shines when it comes to main dishes featuring meat… A lamb-loving companion
declared the lamb chops among the best she’s encountered… Our group roundly
enjoyed the sampling of three homemade gelati… This New Brunswick restaurant
has a good handle on what its clientele wants.
Pat Tanner
Makeda
338 George St., New Brunswick; (732) 545-5115
Dining at New Brunswick’s Makeda is an experience
that awakens the senses… It is an effortless, fun immersion into a world of
bite-sized meats and vegetables in heady sauces that swirl with seasonings and
spices… Tibs wat boasted tender chunks of prime rib infused with the zesty flavors
of the robust sauce in which it was simmered… Gomen wat displayed a generous
heap of minimally seasoned collard greens, providing a lift from the heavier dishes
surrounding it as well as a textural change… A highly successful dining experience.
Antoinette Buckley
Tara
1410 Bridgeton Hill Road, Upper Black Eddy, Pa.; (610) 982-5457
Tara, in Upper Black Eddy brought home to
me that lush ingredients intelligently combined and treated to straightforward
Italian technique constitute one of the world’s finest cuisines… The menu reflects
the seasons, although some popular dishes always remain. Fine ingredients and
culinary skill combine in a substantial salad of roasted pear, proscuitto and
Gorgonzola. The roasting brings out the fruit’s delicate flavor which combines
beautifully with the creamy, salty cheese…The gnocchi’s color, that of wet sand,
comes from the powerfully flavored porcini mushrooms. The gnocchi are satisfying
without being heavy or stodgy, and they come very lightly enveloped in a rich,
thick, sage cream sauce…We opted for lamb Atrini, which is two thick loin chops
of excellent texture and flavor, broiled medium rare as requested and treated
minimally but effectively with a few fresh herbs, olive oil and one very flavorful
cremini mushroom.
Pat Tanner
Maxine’s
120 S. Warren St., Trenton; (609) 392-0022
Henry Page, co-owner with his wife, the eponymous
Maxine, does the cooking and brings real flair and skill to it all… Fresh mozzarella
in warm butter and herb sauce turned out to be an improbably delicious combination
featuring balls of warm, soft, fresh, milky cheese, braised shiitake mushrooms,
sun-dried tomatoes and shallots in a white-wine cream sauce… We found the Caribbean
jerk-roasted salmon, a thick hunk of wonderfully fresh fish, worth lingering over.
Its powerful flavors were as pleasing as the portion was generous… Among Henry
Page’s specialties are sweet-potato pie, apple cobbler and bread pudding. Decaf
coffee, which we did manage to find room for, proved excellent.
Pat Tanner
The
Frenchtown Inn 7 Bridge St., Frenchtown; (908) 996-3300
What could be more pleasant on a summer evening
than a leisurely drive along the New Jersey side of the Delaware, through Lambertville
and on to picturesque Frenchtown? Having a fine dinner waiting at the historic
Frenchtown Inn was the cherry on top of the treat… Oysters warmed with sherry,
bacon, spinach and shallots were marvelous. The pronounced taste of sherry in
the sauce was wonderful, the oysters meltingly tender, and the strands of crispy
potatoes and spinach leaves in the center of the plate provided contrast… Elegant
Dover sole in puff pastry with crabmeat stuffing was finished in a pale yellow,
fresh herb beurre blanc. The delicate fish, the texture of the crab, then the
crispness of the pastry contrasted with creamy sauce, all combined into a luxurious
whole… The Frenchtown Inn manages to be the perfect special-occasion restaurant
without being stuffy.
Faith Bahadurian
Acacia
2637 Main St., Lawrenceville; (609) 895-8995
Brian Brodowski, chef/owner of Acacia, knows
his customers well… Seasonal greens came topped with fried pecan-crusted goat
cheese buttons, marinated roasted red peppers and red wine-Dijon vinaigrette.
The cheese rounds were so dark and crunchy looking that at first I took them for
mini-crab cakes. But inside was all creamy goodness, perfectly set off by the
vinaigrette. The red peppers provided sweet contrast to the tangy cheese and dressing…
Grilled marinated swordfish with garlic mashed potatoes and julienne vegetables
was moist and tender… Decaffeinated coffee was strong and dark, and my companion’s
iced tea came in a tall pilsner. No wonder Acacia remains such an enduring local
favorite.
Faith Bahadurian
Chapala
Mexican Restaurant 811 Highway 33, Hamilton; (609) 631-0062
The food is satisfying in the best sense
of the word. It warms and wows you… The Chorimexico Tricolor was outstanding
with homemade grilled chorizo sausage, sweet red bell peppers, firm poblano peppers
and onions, all intertwined with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese still
sizzling in the skillet when brought to the table… Tender mussels on the half
shell sat in a mouth-watering butter-garlic mojo sauce and were arranged in a
circle on a cheerful oversized plate… Quesadilla de Camarones combined forthright,
spicy seasoning with the more gentle ingredients of shrimp and vegetables… We
walked out happily balancing a stack of take-away containers filled with the remainders
of Chapala’s generous portions.
Antoinette Buckley
Russian
Tea House 111 Buck Road, Holland, Pa.: (215) 364-2200.
The shurpa was a dark brown, intensely flavored
meat broth with tender chunks of carrot and lamb. It was richly seasoned and delicious…First,
we were brought the pelmeni stuffed with veal. We were won over by each tender
piece. The noodle covering was cooked to chewy perfection and the evenly-browned
veal inside was delicately seasoned, allowing the natural flavor of the meat to
shine through…The lamb shashlyk contained several chunks of roasted lamb bayoneted
on three sharp skewers. The meat was fragrant and juicy. We happily cut off bite-sized
chunks and dipped them in the accompanying relish. It added just the right amount
of peppery sharpness to the meat’s naturally strong flavor.
Judith Norkin
Carversville
Inn Aquetong and Carversville roads, Carversville, Pa.: (215)
297-0900.
The rooms are homey and reminiscent of an
earlier era. The food, on the other hand, is modern, extremely good and abundant…Wild
mushroom ragout with Gruyere came to the table in a good-sized au gratin dish,
artfully presented on a shaped white napkin with a few sprigs of watercress..The
roasted rack of lamb was done precisely to order, medium rare, and came with a
fine rosemary demi-glace and an extremely flavorful wild rice pilaf…The Carversville
Inn is a little out of the way, about 10 to 15 minutes outside New Hope, Pa.,
but in this case, the journey is part of a memorable experience…Bring a big
appetite and a taste for uniformly delicious food.
Richard Burns
Cross
Keys Diner, 4125 E. Swamp Road (Route 313), Doylestown, Pa.: (215)
348-4911.
The surroundings were pleasant almost
charming with black-and-white linoleum floors, cheery red gingham valances
on the windows, framed old advertising prints on the walls and interesting vignettes
such as clusters of old-fashioned syrup bottles, old-timey tins and unusual hot
sauce bottles decorating corners and shelves…Campfire soup was a tasty, hearty
version, with chunks of carrots, tomatoes, peas and other vegetables, and lots
of bits of ground beef in a clear beefy broth…A cold homemade meatloaf sandwich
was garnished with crisp pieces of romaine and topped with a chunky homemade chili
sauce, the owner’s family recipe, that pushed the package beyond ordinary diner
fare…The staff takes pride in their homemade cuisine, and the fact that they
use fresh Bucks County produce as much as possible…The food is fresh and hearty,
and all the charm and hominess make a good meal even more wholesome.
Sally Silverman
Zoubi
5-7 W. Mechanic St., New Hope, Pa.: (215) 862-5851.
I started with the baby octopus salad…Five
tiny, tender octopi were grilled to perfection with just a hint of olive oil…They
were underscored with a Mediterranean mix of chopped, fresh tomatoes, olives and
Feta cheese…The special tomato salad with peach escabèche allowed the
freshest local tomatoes to shine with just a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar,
offset by sweet and spicy peaches plucked from an orchard right down the road…The
duck duo just might have been served in the heart of the French countryside…The
confit leg and thigh was classic, as tender and moist as can be, with a light
grilling that served to bring the flavor of the cured meat to life…The bread
pudding was dense and not overly sweet, topped with a drizzle of chocolate sauce
and a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar…I would run back to Zoubi for the ambiance
or the food. That one restaurant can boast both makes it a real find.
Sally Silverman
Victorian
Wycombe Inn 1073 Mill Creek Road, Wycombe, Pa.: (215) 598-9600.
The menu, wrapped in a collage of Victorian
cut-outs reminiscent of antique Valentines, listed many interesting dishes…A
dish of bacon-wrapped shrimp contained big fat specimens, broiled in sizzling-hot
bacon and served with a fresh-tasting raspberry currant dipping sauce…A bowl
of Old World Snapper Soup was not the creamy bisque I expected, but a dark, richly
seasoned and highly satisfying concoction…The Sauerbraten was a thick slice
of eye roast with the tender texture that comes from hours of marinating and cooking…Though
the meat was very good, the side dishes were exceptional…Overall, we were warmly
received with attentive but not overbearing service and so very well fed that
the inn has earned the top spot on my list of local personal favorites.
Judith Norkin
Turkish
Restaurant 388 Bristol Pike (Route 13), Bristol, Pa.: (215) 781-9686.
Everything about this restaurant is authentic…A Manco salad
was a combination of eggplant, zucchini, green peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic,
and came with either tomato sauce or garlic sauce…Some of the best bread we’ve
encountered came to the table with the salads. It appeared to be freshly baked
and was chewy and flavorful, with a marvelously light crust…Spicy salad was
indeed spicy, with finely chopped tomato, onion, parsley and hot peppers…The
bean salad was a mixture of white beans, onions and pepper in a simple olive oil
and vinegar dressing very refreshing…This is a new ethnic restaurant
that offers not too familiar but delicious food at very reasonable prices in an
attractive and responsive atmosphere…We only scratched the surface of the extensive
menu and will be back probably many times.
Richard Burns