Dine as if in Provence, under Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ sky, as warm aromas from the kitchen scent the air.
By: Kate and Tom O’Neill
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Manon |
Manon makes it possible for lovers of Provence and its cuisine to satisfy their longings with a quick trip to Lambertville. The diminutive restaurant, which seats 36, recreates the atmosphere of the cozy bistros of Provence, where conversation is lively, the mood casual, the food simple and the ingredients fresh from the market. At Manon, it’s all about fun and food, with no pretense, from the bare wood floor to the eclectic mixture of silverware patterns at each place setting.
Executive chef Jean-Michel Dumas, who founded and co-owns Manon with his wife, Susan, learned his trade in leading restaurants in the south of France. They included the famed Oustau de Baumanière, but the cuisine at Manon is more like cooking for friends: Mr. Dumas and his staff make everything they serve appetizers, breads, entrées and desserts.
On a snowy winter evening, the warmth of Provence somehow pervades Manon, even though, at first, the lace café curtain in the front window seems to be the only thing holding back the frozen streetscape. Then, entering through the small foyer, warm aromas from the kitchen scent the air with garlic and yeast and cheese and seafood and butter, a promise of the robust and oh-so-French meal that is to come.
We were seated by the front window in the restaurant’s most romantic spot, a table for two, its marble top reflecting the glow of a single candle and graced by a vase of fresh pink roses. Other guests, including some parties of six or more, were seated along the banquette that flanks one wall or at tables in two short rows that stretch back toward the kitchen. The walls, in sun-drenched yellow and bright blue, are hung with posters from Arles and other Provençal locales. The ceiling is painted with the swirling constellations of Van Gogh’s "Starry Night."
Service at Manon is smooth, prompt, friendly and professional. As we arrived, our wine bag was whisked away. The bottles were opened and returned to the table with the white tucked into an ice bucket, and the red neatly placed on the table. Throughout our leisurely meal, even on that bustling Saturday evening, the service reflected our pace, not theirs. One of three servers regularly checked to ensure we were content, and no course was served before its time.
Each table was pre-set with a bowl of wonderful olives green, black and white and small, marinated onions, redolent of garlic and dried herbs. A basket of warm, yeasty rolls appeared with a cruet of olive oil for drizzling.
Manon offers weekly and daily specials, depending on the fresh products available. (Bravo to the Dumas for the much-appreciated courtesy of listing those specials on a menu insert.) The concise menu offers two pasta choices, including a tempting saffron risotto with grilled shrimp, roasted peppers, basil and carrot oil ($14 appetizer, $26 entrée). The soupes du jour were French onion gratinée ($8) and purée of butternut squash ($7). Venison au rouge with celery root purée ($30) sounded excellent. The duck ($30), a daily special, was "à l’orange."
Manon’s popular appetizer, country paté ($9.50), was rich and mild, studded with pistachios and served with crisp toasts. Two generous slices were ample for sharing and came with cornichons and mustard. Tender grilled baby octopus ($13), a special appetizer, was served on a bed of sweet young arugula tossed with a light vinaigrette. The shy flavor of the octopus called for some coaxing and might have perked up with a spritz of fresh lemon. Lacking that, we reached for the salt shaker (how un-French!) and added a few grains, which did the trick.
The fish du jour was a trio of pan-seared scallops ($28) garnished with fresh herbs, tomatoes, olive oil and capers. Though sweet and juicy, the scallops arrived in a slapdash presentation, with the largest of the trio at nine o’clock on the plate. Its smaller mates sat across the plate, at two and four o’clock, with nothing but a light splash of the aromatic cooking sauce to unite the dish as a whole.
The hearty cassoulet ($26), sported a jaunty sprig of fresh rosemary that decorated a juicy confit of duck leg, tender morsels of lamb, and impressively spicy chunks of andouille sausage, all snuggled into a warm bed of tender white beans. The vegetables du jour accompanied both entrées: creamy au gratin potatoes, roasted peppers with herbes de Provence, and sliced, buttery carrots. Although the two entrées were quite different robust versus refined the vegetables enhanced the flavors of both.
Dessert choices (all $8) included a dense, delightful chocolate terrine, with peppery overtones, in a light raspberry coulis. We also enjoyed the mango mint sorbet sweet, fresh and the perfect foil for some of the more robust entrées then ended on one more high note, with good French press espresso ($5).

