Plainsboro

Tre Piani
First course
Chorizo [I would label it Spanish Style] with wild mushrooms in a slightly sweet tomato sauce. The sausage had a pleasant chewy texture and a nicely hot smoked flavor. Crab and Avocado salad was a large mound of crab blended with mashed avocado. The crab had a nice initial flavor, but the crab flavor was quickly lost to the dominant avocado. I do not mean that there was too little crab, just that its subtle flavor was overshadowed by the avocado. The crab avocado mound was served atop beautiful red tomato slices that had a refrigerated mushy texture and little flavor. This salad was served with a tarragon dressing.

Second course
We also had a penne with a tomato basil sauce. The sauce made with good flavorful tomatoes and had lots of fresh basil cooked in it, but was bland and characterless. The sauce did have a nice full bodied texture. The penne was pleasantly al dente, but it had a floury taste that I do not associate with great pasta. A bistro steak was wonderful. Ordered medium rare, it was cooked perfectly. The presentation was very attractive. It was sliced, showing perfect color. The slices lapped one another forming a crescent shape [over a generous serviing of wild mushrooms] and around a cylindrically shaped serving of excellent mashed postatoes. On top of the sliced steak was butter blended with fresh herbs. The thyme was especially flavorful. I would have preferred the butter to taste less salty. I don't know if the salty flavor was from the use of salted butter or was from the seasoning on the steak. This one quibble would not prevent me from ordering this delightful steak another time or dozen.

Dessert course
For dessert we shared a hot chocolate cake with chocolate gelato in a chocolate cup. The cake seemed to be made of a fresh phyllo style dough wrapped around chocolate and baked. The chocolate was molten, when you broke into the cake and multiple chocolates at different temperatures with the resultant different textures was a new experience.

Beverages
We drank bottled water with gas and each had a glass of pinot noir. It was too late for us to drink coffee, but it would have been a great accompaniment to the dessert.

Update Summer 2007
We had two dishes we loved, a lobster blt and a crisp spaghetti.

Princeton

The Carousel is our favorite spot for breakfast in Princeton. We are particularly fond of their omelettes. Their western omelette is made with fresh peppers, onions, ham, mushrooms, and cheese. These ingredients are not in the egg mixture. The omelette is simply a plain egg omelette, with the sauteed fillings in the fold. Their homefries are french fried chunks of potato. Typically we like other forms of homefries better, but these are very good. The coffees, whether american style or espresso, based are not especially good. We like the friendly staff and enjoy the food. For a couple of months our home kitchen was inoperable and we really enjoyed breaksfast at the Carousel. We still go there a couple of Saturdays a month.

Main Street at the Princeton Shopping Center is a pleasant cafe whose menu changes monthly. New items often feature seasonal foods. The fish items on any month's menu are usually very good. The presentation of dishes is attractive. Service seems highly variable. Many of the wait staff don't seem to know much about the food or be especially service oriented. There appears to be a high turnover among them.

We recently had dinner at Le Plumet Royale for the first time. The menu seemed to have international influences, but the food was prepared in the french style. It was very good, but very rich and expensive. The waiter was attentive, answered questions cheerfully, arrange ingredient substitutions when allergies and other food sensitivities were a problem. It is at the Peacock Inn and there is valet parking.

We love the Taste of Mexico at the Princeton Shopping Center. It seems to offer food in the Oaxacan style, but never having visited that Mexican city, I can't be sure. The salad on the plates features cabbage. The beans and rice don't seem all that different from tex-mex, but the food is tasty, the guacomole is fantastic, and the mole sauce dark, faintly bittersweet, and rich. The tamales are wonderful. I see why they are known as a food for celebrations. There are a fair number of specialities that you won't find at the run of the mill mexican restaurant. Shrimp in garlic and pozole are just examples.

We also like Tortuga's Village much better than Chevvy's or On the Border, both out on US 1. Tortuga's has specialties that transcend what I find at tex mex chains. I particularly like their chipotle flavored dishes, chicken and shrimp. In catering to US tastes, they over-do the cheese like many Mexican restaurants here, but the flavors are more complex than at many places. The beans and rice are typical.

The look of Karen's Chinese Restaurant is a little dingy, but we love two of their vegetarian dishes, green beans and eggplant with garlic sauce. It's a friendly place in the heart of Princeton and their food seems reliable and tasty, but we haven't tried a large range of menu items.

Teresa's offers very good fish, chicken, pasta, and pizza. It is often difficult to get a table without a long wait. We tend to go when the University is not in session. We like both lunch and dinner specials. Their bread is from the Witherspoon Bread Company. The pizza is thin and crispy. One makes a satisfactory appetizer for two or three people. A single pizza will also work as an entree, but you are missing some really good pasta that way.

We enjoy the food at Ferry House. The staff is bit stuffy. They do know the menu and the food and are helpful, answering questions knowledgeably. The emphasis on presentation on the plate is overblown. Sometimes it seems like everything is a tower of stacked food. This effect can be visually interesting, but it can make eating the food less enjoyable. The Ferry House does fish very well. the vegetables are never over-done and are always tasty. Their desserts taste wonderful.

Masala Grill and Kalluri Corner are two other Princeton restaurants worth a visit. They both prepare food characteristic of the Indian Sub Continent, but I believe that Kalluri is actually Pakistani.

We tried Masala before we became regular customers at Palace of Asia in Lawrence. We had liked it in it's more eclectic former persona, Twist Rojo. When they became Masala we were unfamiliar with a lot of Indian food. We knew we liked Naan, but were novices. Somehow we made our way to Palace and became very fond of the cuisine. Since then, when we return to Masala, we like the food, but not as much as at Palace or Vasanta Bhavan. Their Naan we still find excellent. The food is always well spiced and tasty, but I think we miss Twist Rojo. The service is often not the best. The occupants at some tables are ignored. The wait staff can be erratic at refilling water glasses. Some of the staff seem to dislike college-age customers, especially when the group is all female and not Asian. A recent visit in June 2006 found me more satisfied with the food. The sauces and spicing is more richly complex than at many Indian restaurants. It may be that as our palates gain experience with Indian food, we have become more discerning.

Kalluri offers a buffet on Sunday and Tuesday evenings. But, there are just some Sunday evenings when that buffet seems the right choice. In good weather, you can eat outside the upstair dining room. We like the spicy character of the food. Tandoori Chicken and their tomato soup are both stand outs. Their carrot pudding is one of the best desserts at any similar restaurant. We will revisit and describe more completely.

Restaurants in and near Princeton with which we have experience

Princeton
Main Street
Carousel
Ferry House
Teresa's
Mediterra
Le Plumet Royale
Zorba's Too
Kalluri Corner
Taste of Mexico/Sabor de Mexico
Tortuga's Village
Karen's Chinese Restaurant
Blue Point Grill
Masala Grill
Tre Piani

West Windsor/Princeton Junction
Big Fish
Macaroni Grill
Sunny Gardens
Charlie Brown's
Quizno's
Chevvy's

Hightstown
Americana Diner
City Streets Cafe
Basil's Legends

Cranbury
Hannah and Mason's
Cranbury Inn

Lambertville, Stockton, Frenchtown, & Rosemont
Full Moon
Lily's on the Canal
The Inn at the Hawke
The Cafe at Rosemont

Lawrence
Palace of Asia
Vasanta Bhavan
Passage to India
Simply Radishing

Lawrenceville
Acacia
Fedora's
Vidalia's
Lawrenceville Inn

Hamilton
Rats

Somerville
Martino's Cuban Restaurant
Origin

Montgomery
The Tiger's Tale

The Delaware River

Frenchtown:

Cocina del Sol
This little basement restaurant is unlike most Mexican restaurants in central Jersey. The flavors are bolder, but not necessarily spicier. We recently ate dinner there. It was crowded, noisy, and slightly hot. We ordered an avocado/watercress salad, beef sopes, cheese enchiladas with a red sauce, and acapulco enchiladas [shrimp and crab]. The watercress salad was a little overdressed. The sope was delicious. Sopes are small hand made corn tortillas with the edge crimped up to form a saucer or tart like shape. In this instance, it was filled with black beans and shredded beef with some garnish [lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and cotija cheese]. We agreed that this was the best dish of the evening. The cheese enchiladas were not quite headted through, a disappointment. The salsa roja was tomato based rather than chile based, a very different taste that I liked, but my partner did not. The acapulco enchiladas had a buttery, cheesey, jalapeno flavor that I liked, but my partner found less palatable. We were both struck by how different the flavors were from some of our other favorite mexican restaurants, like Sabor de Mexico in Princeton. If you are tired of the over-cheesed chain fare of places like Chevvy's, Chi-Chi's, and On the Border, you may find the different flavors of Cocina del Sol a welcome change. August 7, 2006

Lambertville:

Full Moon
When we frequently camped years ago at Bull's Island, breakfast at Full Moon was a treat. We always liked their mexican breakfasts and their variations on eggs benedict. Rumor has it that the food has declined. We haven't tried them in years, so we don't know.

Lily's on the Canal
Not memorable; Indifferent: More to come.

Church Street Bistro.
We liked this restaurnant on one visit a few years ago, but haven't been back.

Inn of the Hawke
We had a very pleasant lunch in this restaurant's courtyard. It was a warm bright sunny March Saturday. The courtyard is paved with slate flagstone. There are large shade trees in each corner. The tables were glass top bistro style with green painted "wrought iron" tables.. There were a few animal sculptures in the garden edges of the courtyard. We found the courtyard to be a peaceful oasis in a Lambertville absolutely bustling with day visitors to the galleries and antique shops. Although there were several tables occupied while we were there, it was not crowded and there was a lot of space between the tables.

We shared an appetizer of lemon baked scallops. There was a lot of scallop character. They were served on a bed of baby greens and were accompanied by a tasty spicy remoulade. The mustard in it was stone ground. The greens were topped with slice tomatoes that were not entirely ripe. The scallops would have been better served without the tomatoes. We prefer seared or grilled scallops to baked, but these were good and had a vivid lemon flavor provided by zest.

My partner ordered a grilled salmon salad. The salad greens were dressed with a tarragon vinagrette without much tarragon. The greens were varied and were accompanied by canned mandarin oranges, onions, pitted greek olives, and tomato wedges [that weren't worth eating]. The salmon was nicely grilled, slightly rare. My partner would have preferred another 30 to 90 seconds on the grill.

I got a pulled pork sandwich on a kaiser roll. The pork had cheddar cheese on it, as described by the menu. That addition had made me curious, but I don't believe it added an iota of interest to a decent basic pulled pork with a slightly sweet barbecue sauce. The kaiser roll could have been a lot crustier and less cottony, but the flavor was reasonable. The sandwich was accompanied by a nice crips lettuce leaf [not iceberg] and a wedge of sour pickle that I liked a lot. The sandwich was served with fresh homemade potato chips. When they came they were warm and crisp. By the end of the sandwich some of the chips became soggy, but some were still crisp. They were nicely salty.

We shared a brownie topped with butter pecan ice cream. The brownie was lighter, less denser than today's typical brownie. Chewy enough that I wouldn't call it cake like. The chocolate character and the walnut pieces made this a successful brownie, if not an exceptional one. The butter pecan ice cream was a nice sidelight, but the flavor added little. The creaminess was nice on the tongue and balanced the texture of the brownie.

The food was good, but the best part of the meal was the courtyard. We would definitely go back for tea or coffee and a good afternoon sweet.

Rosemont
One of our favorite restaurants in New Jersey is the Cafe at Rosemont. Located in a small New Jersey town near the Delaware river and Lambertville, The Cafe is in a historic general store, built in the 1800s. They use fresh, in season and local, ingredients. The delightful desserts change frequently and are freshly made at the Cafe.

We love weekend breakfasts at this place. They always have great specials as well as the regular menu. Their breakfast potatoes [described accurately as potatoes from heaven -- grilled with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, onion, and a touch of cayenne] are the best I have had. We like their breakfast burrito - made with softly scrambled eggs and monterey jack cheese rolled in two flour tortillas with sour scream and fresh salsa. Their omelets are wonderful, made with seasonal ingredients. The black bean chili is a spicy vegetarian treat. On their weekday menu, we are fond of Ruth's Addiction - grilled chicken breast with monterey jack cheese, salsa and sour cream in a flour tortilla. Their breakfast bread basket [a homemade muffin or scone, a croissant and a slice of the day's bread, served with sweet butter, jam or marmalade] is wonderful, freshly baked and varied. They make a fabulous butterscotch pudding [not always available].

The antique shelving, tables, china, and "silver" are eclectically old fashioned. The old wood floors, varied chairs, china, flatware, vintage salt and pepper shakers, cream pitchers, sugar bowls and vases will charm those who don't find it chaotic.

There is continuing art exhibit that is new every few weeks. The works can be purchased. The Cafe also retains it's general store character with a few exceptional organic groceries, teas and jams. The staff is warm and friendly, as well as knowledgeable.

Wednesday dinner at the Cafe always represents a specific national cuisine. Based on the cuisines with which weI have first hand experience, the menus are authentic and the food is fresh, well prepared, and always a tasty learning experience. It is an extraordinary value, typically $22 for a wonderful three course meal.

Somerville

The Origin French Thai Restaurant at 25 Division Street Somerville N.J., 08876 Tel: 908.685.1344 Fax: 908.685.1610 is a reasonable drive from Princeton.

It has a reputation for preparing better tasting food than the other Thai restaurants in central New Jersey. We went for lunch, arriving just as they opened. Three groups entered just at that time. Within minutes, one dining room was very active with customers. Service was friendly and competent, but a little overwhelmed by the quick rush. No mistakes were made, there were just more customers than they could begin service for quickly.

The dining room on the entrance, where we were seated, was very attractive with a tin ceiling and some exposed brick. The place settings were nicely composed and used stylish dishes.

We ordered thai mussels as an appetizer, beef and asian vegetables with a coconut milk based red curry, and Pad Khing shrimp with mushroom, snow peas, and onion ginger sauce. The luncheon entrees came with soup or salad and were served with white rice and a thin spring roll. The soup was a cream of mushroon soup with yellowish cast, perhaps saffron or tumeric. We weren't sure. My partner liked it very much. I was less enthusiastic and stuck to the spring salad with a balsamic vinagrette. I liked the beef curry very much. My partner was less enthusiastic. There was a parallel response to the Pad Khing, although we both thought that the shrimp were well prepared. We examined the dessert menu. The selections seemed pleasant enough, but we decided to postpone trying anything until another visit.

Martino's Cuban Restaurant on Main Street in Somerville offers a menu of inexpensive food of high quality. We enjoyed lunch there. The restaurant has two cream walled and small dining rooms with rustic timber accents painted red. There were also some brown plank shelves, with Cuban geegaws displayed on them. The tables and chairs are black. At the back of the dining room on the main entrance is a wall full of framed reviews extolling Martino's. In our dining room there was a television tuned to ESPN. The tv sound was muted, but music was playing in the background.

The two of us each had a small cup of hearty black bean soup. The soup was thick, rather mild, with lots of black bean flavor. It was topped with chopped fresh onion. I added some hot sauce, which enhanced a very good basic soup. We then shared two empanadas. The crust was an extraordinary crisp corn meal, with lots of corn character. The crust was beautifully crimped. The filling was finely minced pork and potato, nicely seasoned. The empanadas were cut in half and served with a spicey dipping sauce that was sweet and had some heat and a slight cumin flavor. We loved these. We both ordered cuban sandwiches of ham, roast pork, swiss cheese, and pickle. These pressed toasted sandwiches were on particularly good bread and came hot and crisp. The toasting created a hot, crispy, sandwich that we both enjoyed. We followed this very filling lunch with a shared tres leche cake. This was tasty but the least successful item that we selected. It was a vanilla flavored sheet cake soaked with the traditional three milks and topped with whipped cream. We enjoyed it but we have had better ones. The whole lunch for two cost under $23, before the tip. We only drank water. We will return for dinner sometime soon. It was a great lunch.

We will return.