Starting with warm rolls and ending in chocolate mousse rolled in toasted hazelnuts all served with friendliness and style under an historic roof a meal at this chef-owned inn delights the senses.
By: Antoinette Buckley
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The Harvest Moon Inn |
From the moment you lay eyes on the historic stone building located just past the blink of a town called Ringoes in rural Hunterdon County, you just know something special waits inside. The entranceway is framed by manicured landscaping complete with shrubs and flowers of the season. The building was built in 1811 and was formerly a school for boys before the restaurant business called it home.
The interior decorating bypasses the opulence that an upscale restaurant such as this has the right to claim. Instead, simplicity prevails along with the sense of longevity that its age naturally imparts. As a result, the restaurant feels welcoming and unpretentious.
Three separate dining rooms sport their own individual style. The most relaxed is the tavern room, where the strength of dark wood trim, deep green walls and an expansive bar surround. The formal dining room has a feminine approach. It is intimate and complete with fireplace and floral drapes to match the floral wallpaper. The third room is normally used for large parties. It is handsome, but undefined. Fixtures are fairly standard at the restaurant. The two most endearing elements are the exposed rustic ceiling beams running through the whole restaurant and the use of old-fashioned sewing tables with wrought iron, scrolled legs as dining tables.
If the setting lacks grandeur, the food makes up for it. Chef and owner Stanley Novak has been in the kitchen for 25 years. During that time period he has moved from dishwasher to owner/executive chef and has done just about everything in between, including formal training at the Culinary Institute of America. Prior to opening The Harvest Moon Inn about nine years ago, he was executive chef at the renowned The Frog and the Peach in New Brunswick.
His experience has culminated in The Harvest Moon Inn, where Mr. Novak does a phenomenal job presenting innovative American cuisine. We got first crack at his new spring menu on the evening we dined. It, of course, uses the freshest seasonal ingredients and comes across as imaginative, but resists going over the top. According to Mr. Novak, he takes an almost scientific approach to cooking. In order to achieve peak flavors he works with different ingredients and experiments, experiments, experiments.
On the plate, Mr. Novak seems to be fond of using scallions to flavor; fried, crispy onions to dress-up a plate; and dollops of what he refers to as "vinaigrette" to please the eye and delight the tongue. (His "vinaigrette" translates to a sauce with body and rich flavors.) He is unabashed at using salt in all the right places, and his risotto is supreme. I only wish to see more diversity in the menu when it comes to the accompaniments that support the main component of a dish.
Chicken and wild mushroom sausage ($8.95) comes in the form of two traditional links. They are mild, but distinct and become regal when put with all the plate’s accoutrements. The sausage lays on a perfectly round hump of risotto that is speckled with wild rice, wild mushrooms and scallions. A wild mushroom and sage vinaigrette that is creamy and a beautiful light green color surrounds the plate, to add depth to an already scintillating dish.
The crisp squid appetizer ($9.25) is served with risotto as well. However, this risotto has a much different flavor than the one served with the sausage. The theme of the dish is smoky. The risotto takes on a smoky flavor from the chopped ham hock that is worked through it. Black barley speckles it and crisp, sweet peas perk up the dish’s weighty nature. The smoked tomato vinaigrette that dresses the perimeter of the plate has body and strength. As for the fried squid rings, most veered toward chewy, but the one crowning piece complete with tentacles was exemplary.
Arugula salad ($8.95) is zesty and bright, dressed with a respectfully quiet, creamy lemon garlic vinaigrette. It is the crisp slivers of duck confit that take the place of more common bacon bits, which make this salad distinct.
The specials menu is printed on a small card and presented as an addition to the more permanent menu that is slipped into a traditional portfolio. It offers almost as many choices as the regular menu, which causes more confusion than intrigue. A few recited specials would be just right. From the regular menu, rack of lamb ($34.95) is served with roasted Yukon gold potatoes flavored with rosemary, unadorned broccoli and grilled portabella mushrooms, all of which are kissed by a traditional red-wine demi-glace. The dish does not intend to be ingenious. It is the most basic of all the dishes we sampled and shows off no more than fine quality. The dish’s familiarity may delight some and disappoint others.
Grilled beef tenderloin medallions ($33.95) are excellent. The dish as a whole has a visual resemblance to the above rack of lamb, but it is more exciting. The beef itself slices like butter and delivers ultimate satisfaction. It is served with shiitake mushrooms, roasted garlic gnocchi and bite-sized pieces of snappy asparagus. A darkly colored demi-glace flavored with caramelized onions, wine and the freshness of thyme is exceptional, as are the homemade gnocchi pillow puffs that wallow in it.
Portions are generous and service is delightful. From a friendly hostess, an approachable and knowledgeable server, to an efficient support staff, we were charmed. Meat is cooked with precision, accommodating diners’ desired doneness. (That is a talent in itself.) Napkins are re-folded, water glasses and wine glasses are maintained, and across-the-room eye contact can always be made with the server to signal a need at the table. At Harvest Moon you get first-class service minus the upturned nose.
In fact, there are two separate menus to accommodate everyone: the à la carte menu from which we ordered and the tavern menu that offers more casual, less expensive fare such as sandwiches, salads, homemade pizzas and pasta dishes. The tavern menu is only served in the tavern room, but the à la carte menu can be enjoyed there as well.
The wine list is award winning and grand. There is a large selection of French wines, second only to the plethora of California wines offered, complementing the restaurant’s eclectic American menu. I like the concept of the "Cost Plus 5" section of the wine list. In keeping with the restaurant’s unpretentiousness, this lists a few wines that are offered to diners at wholesale cost plus $5.
Food presentations are built using color, shape and dimension. All dishes are visually fitting. The best is saved for last. Dessert presentations are the most dramatic. Chocolate mousse rolled in toasted hazelnuts ($8.25) comes in the shape of two cylinders placed side by side with a cookie in the shape of a sign bridged between them, reading, "Harvest Moon Inn" in chocolate lettering. A sprig of mint and puddles of white chocolate crème anglaise complete the picture. It tasted just as good as it looked. Harvest Moon’s rice pudding ($6.25) reminds me of Mr. Novak’s risotto, only in dessert form. Using sushi rice, it is creamy, lush and unaggressively sweet. The crisp phyllo cup in which it is served, the topping of whipped cream, the sprinkle of sliced almonds and confectioner’s sugar make the whole dessert a play on white.
When quality is concerned there is no cutting corners. Many dishes involve time-consuming prep work. All pasta is made in house. Even the warm rolls served in the beginning of the meal are made at the restaurant. Put fine quality with discerning combinations, serve them graciously under a historic roof, and you’ve got a winner.
For directions to The Harvest Moon Inn, click here.