No. 9 Restaurant

The emphasis here is on locally grown and fresh ingredients, adding spark to well-loved classics.

By: Antoinette Buckley

   Less is more at No. 9, situated at — you guessed it — 9 Kline Court in Lambertville. From its no-nonsense name to its streamlined menu, simplicity characterizes this restaurant. But its most endearing attribute is the personal touch infused in the food and delivered fresh from the kitchen to the table. It’s as if you can sense the labor of love that is making somebody’s dream, back there in the kitchen, a reality.
   That someone is Chef Matthew Kane, co-owner with his wife, Colleen Kane. Matthew is committed to using local ingredients whenever possible and freshness is always top priority. His routine trips to food markets (and the local farmer’s market in season) allow him to hand pick his produce, and in some cases meats, as well. As a result, his menu changes frequently and offers a limited number of choices. Mr. Kane’s cooking style does not reinvent the wheel, but concentrates more on solid quality with sparks of interest.
   The walls at No. 9 are a blank canvas for some lucky local artist to turn into a gallery on a rotating basis. On the evening we visited, the work of featured artist Donald Becker displayed an introspective look at texture and form in his black-and-white photography. Local art suits this restaurant extremely well. Fresh flowers and butcher paper on white-linen-covered tables help to create a bistro effect.
   Service on the evening of our visit wavered between efficient and absent-minded; hospitable and overly familiar. Our server, whose true calling is the stage, brought a level of theatrics to our meal that quickly became too much of a good thing.
   That aside, the meal begins warmly with the basics of rustic bread and sweet butter. Appetizers are comprised of mostly salads and the soup of the day. From that offering, the roasted beet salad ($9) caught our eye. On the plate, the concept delivered beautifully with bright chunks of sweet beets paired with the saltiness of blue cheese and placed against a backdrop of greens and red onion that had all been tossed with a simple red wine vinaigrette. The same harmony was not evident in the Caesar salad ($8), a judgment I make despite the regulars’ insistence on it remaining on the menu. A creamy Caesar dressing that is intense and too plentiful bogs down what once was crisp romaine lettuce. And anchovies nakedly laid on top is just too much reality for this salad.
   Service accommodated our party of two by splitting a half portion of the only pasta dish. We chose to enjoy it as a sequel to our appetizers and a precursor to our entrées. I’m still dreaming of that penne ($18) bathed in a velvety sherry cream sauce jeweled with the earthiness of wild mushrooms, toasted pistachio and the freshness of snappy, local asparagus. Just a little more salt and a dream becomes a fantasy.
   Grilled hanger steak ($22) is a homey dish using a cut of meat that hangs between the last rib and the loin. Butchers once saved this cut for their families, as it is very flavorful despite its grainy texture, which can be marinated into submission. Today, hanger steak is a secret with a slow leak. It is trendy in the world of beef, and a certain amount of chewiness is unofficially proclaimed "forgivable." In my book the occasional extended chew is still more work than I’d like to do. Cut across the grain, the slices served at No. 9 are indeed deeply flavorful, but the texture does not escape its nature. A sprinkle of blue cheese and a red wine demi glace brings the dish to the next level, while traditional mashed potatoes and asparagus round out the plate.
   Mr. Kane’s Asian take on salmon ($22) is quite exceptional. In fact, it’s one of the best preparations of salmon that I’ve had at a restaurant. The fish is pan-seared perfectly (leaving the center just slightly underdone), and topped with a refreshing cucumber salad. The stir-fry tangle of cabbage, bok choy and broccoli that the fish rests on creates a delightful Asian broth from which the entire plate benefits. Ginger and wasabi are considerately left to the side, for the diner to incorporate into the plate at will. This dish is a pleasure and I commend Mr. Kane for lifting salmon out of its restaurant rut in which dull seems to be the usual preparation of choice.
   Even more compact than the dinner menu is the dessert menu offering just three choices, all made in house. The rhubarb and apple buckle ($6) served warm with vanilla ice cream is reminiscent of a cobbler and is completely satisfying. And the pot de crème ($6) is a cup of nirvana for chocolate lovers falling somewhere between a chocolate mousse and a set chocolate ganache. Or, as our waiter so colorfully personified it, it’s as if a chocolate mousse got all dressed up for a night out on the town.
   I’m sold on No. 9’s minimalist style. And I understand and support the succinct, ever-changing menu that is a direct result of using what’s available and cost effective. Given that, it is a perfect time to visit No. 9 while the season brings a bountiful supply of fresh local produce. Still, while it feels like I’m eating at the home of a great cook, I’d like to add a pinch more ingenuity to the menu so it feels more like I’m eating out.