Magic Moon

Surrounded by art and secondhand wares, the owners of this Pennington restaurant serve creative, Mexican-inspired food flavored with a dash of philosophy.

By: Antoinette Buckley

Magic Moon

9 N. Main St.

Pennington

(609) 730-1010
Food: Good to very good

Service: Good

Prices: Moderate

Cuisine: Mexican-influenced

Ambiance: Whimsical

Hours: Lunch: Tues.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Dinner: Thurs. 5:30-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5:30-9:30 p.m. (open until 10 p.m. during the summer)


Essentials: Credit cards not accepted; no liquor license; no smoking; wheelchair accessible; reservations not accepted.

Directions

   "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind."

— Bob Marley
   This quote is handwritten on a blackboard in the restaurant’s dining area amid large psychedelic paintings of sunflowers and stars. It captures the philosophy at Magic Moon in Pennington.
   The quote changes from time to time, but nurturing the soul’s free spirit is a common theme. Having a strong passion for music and art, owner Scott Fort often quotes the words of his favorite musical artists. Bob Marley surfaces a lot.
   I respect and admire what the husband-and-wife team has done with Magic Moon. Andria and Scott Fort have put their interests and talents together to create a restaurant that is uniquely their own. She has a passion for cooking and garage sales. He has a passion for art and music. And so a restaurant was born with second-hand stuff for sale, striking paintings (mostly done by Scott) on the walls, and a thought-out mix of music that plays in the background.
   Magic Moon challenges its customers to think differently inside its walls, and people do. A big blackboard on the wall in the restaurant’s single bathroom invites customers to create and/or speak their mind. The paraphernalia for sale is haphazardly displayed at the entrance and consists of everything from lamps to kitchen gadgets, and people do shop. Using the space for more tables is always an option, but Andria is realistic about how many tables she can service while keeping the same quality of food that is always fresh and fun. Besides, she enjoys the garage sale part.
   Art for sale also hangs near the entrance. A different artist is featured every month. However, Scott Fort has done most of the restaurant’s permanent art. He signs his paintings with a whimsical logo that mimics the outline of his head and humbly calls it the "Bone Head." He describes it as "a cross between Dilbert and Bart Simpson." Cut-up credit cards litter the bottom of one bold painting that stands out among the rest. It celebrates the couple paying off the credit cards that they used to get the restaurant up and running about seven years ago. They had been refused a small-business loan but successfully circumvented the system by maxing out their credit cards. Ironically, the restaurant does not accept credit cards.

"Interior

TimeOFF/Frank Wojciechowski
Andria and Scott Fort have put their interests and talents together to create a restaurant that is uniquely their own… And so a restaurant was born with second-hand stuff for sale, striking paintings (mostly done by Scott) on the walls, and a thought-out mix of music that plays in the background.


   The vibrant, Mexican-inspired food puts convention aside. Traditional wraps such as enchiladas, burritos and quesadillas make up the bulk of the menu. Mexican sauces (ranchero, ancho and tomatillo green) are used liberally. However, stuffings (many of which are Mediterranean) are fair game. Spinach, roasted red peppers, black olives, smoked trout, artichoke hearts and roasted portabella mushrooms are just some of the more untraditional. Most combinations are quite pleasant, but there is the occasional klunker.
   On another visit, I’d be more likely to bypass the soup of the day, since the corn, tomato, rice chowder on the evening I visited was uninspiring. However, the lobster bisque that is sometimes on the weekend menu could make me eat my words. Chips and salsa are not complimentary. They cost $3. If your party is in the mood to do some serious munching before entrées, I recommend the nacho platters that come with more "stuff" on it.
   There are the house nachos ($7.50) topped with melted cheese and jalapeños or the healthier veggie nachos ($8). We opted for the messier ground beef nachos ($8.50) that came topped with melted cheese, a pile of spiced ground beef and black beans. The ground beef was only mildly spiced and made a warming combination with the black beans and cheese. The chips on the bottom of the heap miraculously remained crisp. Fresh, vibrant salsa beautifully offset the bulk of the nachos. It’s an appetizer to sink your teeth into, for sure. Be careful, it alone can fill you up.
   Most entrées are delightful and hearty, so save plenty of room. A tortilla chip in the shape of a star adorns each plate, creating a presentational spark while pulling in the celestial theme of the restaurant. Chunks of chili chicken, which again are mildly spiced, and the same ground beef that was on the nachos, turn up in a few different entrées. There are also a number of enticing vegetarian options.
   I didn’t want my sea scallop enchilada ($17.95) to ever end. A flour tortilla was stuffed with succulent sea scallops, roasted red peppers, a forthright cilantro pesto and three gooey cheeses (Jack, Cheddar and Feta). Enhanced by a topping of ancho pepper red sauce, sour cream and a sprinkling of corn, it was a marvelous dish. Most entrées are served with Spanish rice and black beans, so the plate is packed.
   We visited on a Thursday night, when the above scallop enchilada dish cost $17.95. After comparing Thursday’s menu with the weekend menu, it seems the weekend prices are higher. Yes, some things on the Thursday menu (the only weekday the restaurant is open for dinner) seem more special, which could explain the higher prices, but even the dishes that equal Thursday dishes in content are priced a few dollars higher. Weekday entrées range between $12.95 and $17.95. Weekend entrées range from $15.95 to $20.95.
   The veggie and shrimp quesadilla ($14.95) surprised and disappointed me. The flour tortilla was bursting with boulder-sized chunks of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots zucchini and onions that had all been lightly steamed and under seasoned. They were too crisp and too healthy for this venue, overshadowing any pleasure that the shrimp and three cheeses might have offered. Andria tries to keep things healthy where she can to please some of her regular customers. Personally, I prefer down-and-dirty to spa food when I go Mexican.
   On a subsequent lunch visit, I had the chili chicken and spinach burrito. It was just as big and satisfying as most dinner portions and came with the same sides of rice and beans, but for half the price at $7.50. Perhaps the spinach would have been tastier if it had been sautéed first. Instead, it was stuffed into the burrito raw and peripherally cooked by the heat of the chicken and melted cheese. Still, it was a fresh and delicious pairing with the kick of the chili-chicken chunks, melted cheese and ranchero sauce.
   Desserts are homemade by Andria and made on the fly. Flan, a chocolate chip cookie sundae, and a fruit crisp are staples. A bananas Foster-type dessert is offered if there are enough bananas in the kitchen. On the evening we visited, I enjoyed the special dessert of the day, Kahlua chocolate mousse pie with chocolate cookie crust.
   Andria and Scott know many of their patrons by name. On the night we visited, both were waiting tables. (Assistant chef Brian Ciesielski was behind the wheel in the kitchen.) In between taking orders by memory and delivering food, they will stop to chat a bit. Still, service is efficient.
   Magic Moon does a lot of things right. Read the menu carefully, order according to your true desires for the evening, and you won’t be disappointed. Who knows, you might even pick up a philosophy to live by — or an antique toaster.
For directions to Magic Moon, click here.