Bernards Inn

With a new chef, this restaurant lives up to its reputation as one of the finest in the state.

By:Tom and Kate O’Neill

Bernards Inn

27 Mine Brook Road

Bernardsville

(908) 766-0002



Food:Excellent

Service:Deft, friendly, well-informed

Prices:Expensive

Cuisine:New American; innovative preparations

Vegetarian Options:Several seafood options, no purely vegetarian menu options

Ambience:Stylish bar; elegant clubby dining room

Hours: Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Dinner: Mon.-Thurs. 5:30-10 p.m., Fri.-
Sat. 5:30-11 p.m., Sun. 4-9 p.m.

Essentials:Accepts major credit cards; wheelchair accessible in front of inn; liquor license.

Directions

(TIMEOFF/FRANK WOJCIECHOWSKI)
    Long recognized as one of the state’s finest restaurants, the Bernards Inn lies a half hour north of Princeton via Route 287. Dinner there is worth the journey. Last year, the departure of its longtime chef sparked concern about maintaining the high quality of food and service. A recent dinner made it clear that the Inn, now with Corey Heyer as executive chef, remains outstanding, with a cuisine that displays freshness and verve. But, as the Michelin Guide observes about its two-star restaurants, "First-class quality will be reflected in the price."
    The Inn offers a bar and two dining rooms. The bar is particularly welcoming, with a pianist, lively atmosphere, and the full, fine-dining menu available as well as simpler fare. The dining rooms have a clubby feeling, and the staff’s welcome immediately makes the guest feel like a member of the club. Dark beams and woodwork, arched mirrors and brass chandeliers complement the ivory walls, which are hung with oil paintings in gold frames. Particularly striking was a portrait of an 18th century hunter, bewigged, dressed in a red jacket and carrying a fowling piece, who looked down on us from above the stone fireplace. The napery is crisply white, while flatware and table appointments are heavy and lustrous in the light cast by a candle in an amber Murano glass lamp. When the piano playing in the bar stopped during our meal, eclectic, well-chosen recorded music began, including the music of Gershwin, the voice of Norah Jones, and even the Moonlight Sonata.
    The menu, while straightforward and relatively brief — six appetizers, three salad choices, two soups and 10 entrées — repays study and consultation with the well-informed server. The description of each dish is deceptively simple: chicken with mushrooms, polenta and summer squash; or roasted beets with frisée, goat cheese and walnut vinaigrette. In fact, each selection delivers fresh ingredients and achieves an orchestration of tastes, and is presented with style, but without pretense. Service is both expert and friendly. The wine director, Terri Baldwin, stopped by our table for an insightful explanation of the magnificent wine list, though our server already had guided us well. She pointed out the availability of inexpensive choices that offered high quality and directed our attention to less common varietals from Romania and Greece.
    The tasting menu offers a useful introduction to the Inn’s style and variety. It is available three ways and with many choices. Without the wines selected to complement each item, this six-course menu is priced at $85. With six wines, the less expensive menu is $135; the more expensive is $185. Five of the appetizers and salads and three of the 10 entrées from the regular menu are available on the tasting menu.
    The tasting menu ($85) we chose began with baby beets, both golden and red varieties. Roasted to bring out their sweet earthiness, they were dressed with walnut vinaigrette that added zest to the flavor and crunch to the texture. Scallops were sautéed to a golden brown, enlivened with crispy ginger, soothed by the accompanying edamame (soybean) purée, all brought together by an emulsion of carrot and yuzu (juice from a Japanese citrus fruit).
    Confirming the chef’s emphasis on providing contrasting tastes and textures, the salmon had a strong flavor that played well off baby artichokes and cashews and was enriched by a chamomile emulsion that was sweet and buttery. Saddle of rabbit was the essence of autumn, served with red cabbage and smoked bacon, topped with basil pesto for a reminder of summer.
    We had selected two wines by the glass to complement this wide variety of dishes. The white was an Irsai Olivier ($7.50) from Hungary, which has the floral qualities and hints of apple often found in Alsatian Rieslings. The red was a David Bruce pinot noir ($16.25), an exemplar of the Russian River style with black cherry aromas and long finish.
    The regular menu offers delights of its own. The foie gras appetizer ($18), from the Hudson Valley, was drizzled with honey, meltingly sweet and savory with a taste more reminiscent of steak than of liver. At the suggestion of our friendly and knowledgeable server, the foie gras was accompanied to great advantage by a glass of sauternes ($12). Massachusetts day boat cod ($30) proved bland on its own, but mildly spicy andouille sausage gave it a much-needed kick. It was served on green lentils and accented by truffle-scented apples. The same David Bruce pinot noir proved an apt partner for the cod.
    A sampler of three artisanal cheeses ($12) preceded dessert and included a buttery, raw milk Fanny Mason from New Hampshire, a sweet Caprino Pura Capra from the Italian piedmont and a sheep’s milk Ossau-Iraty from the western Pyrénées. We shared the three dainty helpings of dessert from tasting menu: apple cherry bruleé, rich valrhona chocolate tartlet and a delicate almond plum tart. We completed the meal with fine espressos ($3.50) and warm memories. The Inn offers a complete range of after-dinner drinks and an enviable selection of sherry and Madeira to accompany the cheese course.