Main Street Euro-American Bistro and Bar

It’s been 20 years since this European-styled bistro opened in Princeton, serving reliably good food for all tastes.

By: Kate and Tom O’Neill

Main Street Euro-American Bistro and Bar

Princeton Shopping Center

301 N. Harrison St.

Princeton

(609) 921-2779

www.mainstreetprinceton.com



Food: Good

Service: Indifferent, with occasional poor timing

Prices: Moderate

Cuisine: Sturdy bistro fare to innovative international selections

Vegetarian Options: Menu offers several vegetarian entrées, and servers are well informed about ingredients.

Ambience: Classy bistro

Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m. -9:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 5-8:30 p.m.

Essentials: Accepts American Express, Visa and Mastercard; wheelchair accessible; liquor license; reservations for parties of five or more; seasonal outdoor dining; ample parking.

Directions

   Don’t be deceived by Main Street Bistro’s shopping-center location. Inside year ’round and outdoors seasonally, Main Street is attractive, distinctive and inviting. When it opened 20 years ago, it raised the bar for casual restaurants in the area, and it has remained consistent, offering well-prepared cuisine, a good wine list and a menu that changes monthly.
   The bistro’s European flair — with service as late as 10 p.m. on weekends — has made it a frequent destination for us. Among the old friends we look forward to seeing are Alfred Hitchcock, Steve McQueen and Samuel Beckett, who are among the luminaries immortalized in large black-and-white portraits that line the walls. (On our most recent visit, we were pleased to be seated beneath Mr. Hitchcock’s wry gaze.)
   The paneled bar serves as a pleasant entry to the restaurant and, with several small tables, some guests go no further. The bar offers nine beers on tap, including several from microbreweries across the country. In the dining area, the grill is open to the room, emanating informality and delightful aromas, along with a spontaneity that is supplemented by its team of lively chefs.
   The menu includes solid bistro classics, good seafood and several vegetarian selections. It also proposes pairings of food and wine. The wine list itself offers a thoughtful selection. Its 30 whites ($22-$72 a bottle) and 41 reds ($26-$195) are organized not by country or type, but by character ("soft and elegant," "robust and spicy"). Add to all these features the bistro’s reputation for amiable, efficient service, and the secret of Main Street’s success is revealed.
   Alas, the Main Street magic was not working well on the night of our visit. The restaurant closes at 9:30 weekday evenings, and we arrived at 8:30 to find it bustling. Only a few tables were available, and we were seated quickly. From then on, service alternated between pressed and lackadaisical. Some sources say bistros got their name after the Napoleonic Wars, when Cossack occupiers of Paris would pound the table, shouting "bistro!" ("Hurry up!") But we doubt that even hungry Cossacks wanted to be handed a menu, then asked several times in close succession if they were ready to order.
   Studying the menu, we maintained our leisurely pace while enjoying a glass of Sicilian Arancio Grillo ($5.95), a refreshing, elegant white wine that was among the evening’s specials. Our son Tim quaffed a Stewart’s root beer ($2.50), served in a chilled glass.
   From the regular menu we ordered vegetarian ribollita ($6.95), the classic Tuscan soup, packed with tender-cooked vegetables and white beans. Enlivened with a liberal sprinkling of grated parmesan, the soup, served over crunchy, garlicky Italian bread, might have been a meal in itself. The accompanying Rosenblum Zinfandel ($6.95/glass) was robust enough to complement the hearty soup.
   The Asian spring roll ($7.95) filled with minced pork and vegetables was enhanced by its bed of crisp, dressed baby spinach and a garnish of fresh tomato salsa. We also enjoyed the "con queso" dip ($8.95), wisely recommended for two. Crunchy, flavorful blue corn chips and the more neutral yellow corn variety ringed a generous serving of layered guacamole, spiced sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and chopped green onions and tomatoes.
   While savoring the last of this appetizer, our next course arrived prematurely, presented by not one but two servers, presumably so that all entrées would arrive simultaneously. Instead of retreating, the pair adjusted items on our small table to make room for the overlapping courses.
   In the first entrée, chicken and goat cheese crepes ($16.95), the consistency of the crepes was flawless, but the flavors of chevre and chicken were masked by the heavy sauce of Madeira and shiitake mushrooms. Arctic char ($19.95) was crisp on the outside, but the fish itself was bland and somewhat dry. Steamed Savoy cabbage brought needed moisture to this entrée, and bacon added a heady, smoked flavor to a mashed potato ragout. The most perfectly balanced of the entrées was a Main Street favorite: vegetarian four-bean chili ($8.95), graced with strong, distinct flavors of cilantro and diced fresh tomatoes.
   Attracting our server’s attention for beverage refills was difficult, as she was engaged in conversation with friends at another table. Then she adjourned to an empty table to eat with a colleague, a bistro tradition that usually takes place when the clients are further along with their meals.
   On arriving, we had been tempted by the dessert tray perched on the end of the bar. From this array, each of us chose one ($6.95 each). Carrot cake was especially well executed, with a rich cream cheese frosting. The delicate coffee pot de crème was beautifully served, accompanied by chocolate-dipped wafer crafted into a Dixie-cup-like spoon. And brownie à la mode was reliably gooey and perfect with vanilla ice cream.
   Every restaurant has off-nights, and we believe that we caught Main Street at such a moment. In our past experience, the service has been unfailingly professional and pleasant, and the food generally has been as good as the best items we tasted for this review. We will return.