The Ferry House - Princeton, NJ

I have to say that it has been years since I have been to the Ferry House, so since my good pal John from my home roots in Illinois was in the area, I met up with him in Princeton, and we ventured to The Ferry House. I have had a restaurants.com gift certificate for their from Christmas of 2011, and have been meaning to use it, so tonight was the night.

We arrived at the Ferry House, and walked in to see just 2 tables seated.  The host was setting up a 6 top on the right hand side of the restaurant, and we waited for nearly 10 minutes to be greeted. Another gentleman was waiting as well, and this was his table being set up. We asked him how long he had been waiting, and he had stated just a few minutes. In the meantime, a waitress came over and asked if we had been helped, and we had sad that he was getting a table ready for us. He finally came back, and seated us. What he was doing in the meantime is beyond me as there were only 3 tables sat, and all the tables were set up. Very odd.

I looked over the menu as our waitress came over and read off the 3 additions to the menu. In past visits, I had always gone with one of the specials, but tonight nothing sounded interesting. Specials included their "signature" crab cocktail appetizer served in a martini glass, a Dover sole, a pork tenderloin, and I forget what else. Nothing overly innovative or interesting. The table next to us actually ordered the crab appetizer, and I was shocked that it wasn't even jumbo lump crab meat, not to mention the fact that it was served in what looked like a rocks glass, versus a martini glass....which really isn't a bad thing considering that was played out 10 years ago.

Poor John was having some stomach issues, and only ordered soup for dinner tonight. I started off with an appetizer of calamari, which came out in a large bowl. The calamari was breaded and fried, with a soy glaze, sweet peppers, and a pesto drizzle. The rings were nicely breaded in an Italian breadcrumb of sorts, and I am guessing that these are purchased pre-breaded and frozen. While they were tasty, there is much better calamari out there, though that doesn't say a whole lot. Calamari is calamari, and there is nothing innovative about it. Unless of course you go to Chef Luis in New Canaan, CT.


While we were waiting for my entrée and his soup to come out, we shot the bull as a few more tables filtered in. One thing I noticed was the fruit flies in the restaurant. Where are these things coming from...in January nonetheless. We both were swatting them away, and this is a bit disheartening. Is the restaurant dirty? Why are there so many of them?  It's cold outside, and this seems odd to me. I actually saw this mentioned in a thread on Chowhound recently and I didn't believe it. I can however say that this is a factual statement.

At one point here, our busboy came around behind me, grabbed the ice bucket sitting next to my chair on a pedestal, filled it with ice, and proceeded to grab the bottle of cabernet off the table and put it in the bucket.  I politely told him that it was fine on the table and didn't need to be chilled, and he just looked at me and said "really?"  I do appreciate the fact that he was trying to be helpful, but someone needs to give this young chap a lesson on wine...a lesson on good wine!  This wasn't no Yellow Tail!  ;-)

For my entrée tonight, I chose the filet mignon. When we used to frequent the Ferry House years ago, their steaks were always amazing, so I figured why not. This came out glistening and smothered in a reduction of sorts, served over a bed of mashed potatoes, 2 spears of asparagus, and topped with a tomato chutney of sorts.

The first thing I noticed was the size of the filet. For $35, I definitely expected more. As I put my knife on the filet, I noticed the rock hard crust, that was possibly from a high heat sear, or quite possible from a mediocre cut. As I cut into the steak, I could see that it was overcooked as I had ordered it medium. I probably should have sent it back, but I didn't as I was using a gift certificate, and I never like to cause a scene. While it was closer to well done, there was a small pink middle on one end of the steak.

The steak itself was tough, dry, and lacking flavor. The reduction on the steak did seem to help some, as did smearing it in the mashed potatoes. Overall, this was very disappointing, and for $11 less, I would much rather go to The Farnsworth House in Bordentown for the twin filet medallions wrapped in bacon and topped with jumbo lump crab meat, but that is just me.

Overall, it was a great night out with a good friend from back home, but the food at The Ferry House has definitely gone downhill over the years. Maybe Chef Trigg is losing motivation, or maybe Chef Trigg wasn't even there tonight. I know that his sous-chef has been with him for well over a decade, and I would definitely expect more.

In short, the highlight of the night for me was the 2008 Stefania Crimson Clover cabernet sauvignon that I popped and poured. What an absolutely stunning wine, and I cannot believe how "open for business" this wine is at such a young age. This was truly the best bottle of Stefania that I have had to date, and I look forward to many more of these.

As for The Ferry House, cross it off of my go to list in Princeton. The menu seems stale, and the restaurant needs a makeover. Call in Gordon Ramsay, and turn this back into the Princeton staple it once was! Cheers!

The Ferry House
32 Witherspoon Street
Princeton, NJ 08542
Phone: (609)924-2488
http://www.theferryhouse.com/

CoolVines Featured in New York Times!

Congratulations to Mark Censits and the CoolVines Team for their mention today in the New York Times! In today’s lead column in the Dining section, Eric Asimov talks about the new generation of wine shops, bringing interesting wines to customers in an unintimidating way. He mentions only three stores outside of New York City, one in Los Angeles, one in San Francisco, and CoolVines in Princeton!

Here’s the excerpt.... “The recent vintage of shops can be found in pockets of wine enthusiasm around the country, including DomaineLA in Los Angeles, Terroir Natural Wine Merchant in San Francisco and CoolVines in Princeton, NJ. But enthusiasm seems to burn hottest in New York City.” The full article can be found at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/dining/24pour.html

I've said it once, and I will say again that Mark and his team at CoolVines are awesome! Mark has a great vision, and took a great concept and ran with it: To bring great, small production wines to the customer at affordable prices. One of the real beauties of Mark's vision is that a lot of these wines are drinking well now, but also have the stamina to last many decades in the cellar. Some of our favorite wines that we have picked up from CoolVines include 2006 Sine Qua Non Syrah Raven Series, 2005 Downing Family Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Leviathan, 2007 Domaine Yves Cuilleron Condrieu La Petite Cote, 2007 Gérard Bertrand Vin de Pays d'Oc Cigalus Blanc, 2007 Diatom Chardonnay Huber, 2005 Jean-Michel Guillon Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, and 2006 Iris Hill Pinot Noir, which was our 2009 house red.

That being said, check out both of their locations in Princeton and Westfield! They host tastings at both stores, on both Tuesday’s, as well as Saturday’s from 2PM-5PM! Check it out, and let me know what you think! Cheers! -F. Scott

344 Nassau Street, Princeton - (609) 924-0039
23 Elm Street, Westfield - (908) 232-5050
http://www.coolvines.com/

CoolVines Tasting - 06 MAR 2010 - Biodynamic Wines

On a gorgeous New Jersey day, what better to do than a little wine tasting, consisting of some gorgeous whites as Spring Fever sets in! . Today, I took a ride over to Princeton, to visit Mark Censits and his crew at CoolVines. Mark's vision for CoolVines is to carry affordable, small production wines from many great boutique wineries from all over the world. But don't let that vision scare you, as they carry some high end wines as well. Some of those high end wines that we have acquired from Mark range anywhere from Sine Qua Non, to Scarecrow. He truly has a great selection of many wines you may have never heard of, as well as some well known heavy hitters. But if they don;t have exactly what you are looking for, someone from their friendly staff will point you in the right diection, and probably save you a few dollars at the same time. It's a win win!

Mark happened to be in-store, so I had a nice chat with him about how his new store is coming in the centere of Princeton, as well as some other stuff. He is a great guy, and his staff is great as well. Today, Thomas and Daniel happened to be in-store, along with another associate who's name I do not know, but we have seen her in the store on a few occasions.

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Today, Mark was tasting 2 different Biodynamic wines, and he gave me a quick synopsis about biodynamic wine, which I find pretty awesome. As for Mark, he is a great guy, with a heck of a passion, and a great business model. If you get the chance, I highly recommend checking out his store in Princeton, or his Westfield, NJ store!

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As for the wines today, the first of the tasting was the 2008 Domaine des Gerbeaux Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes Terroirs de Pouilly et Fuisse. This is a 100% chardonnay, and a heck of a great summer sipper. Nice lemon citrus on the nose, with hints of flint and petrol. This really had some sauvignon blanc qualities to it, and seemed like a great, light, summer sipper. On the palate, there was some more nice citrus, with hints of pear and a bit of honey suckle. The finish was short with nice acidity, and this wine is drinking very well right now. This will indeed be a great summer sipper, and at under $30, this is a nice value worthy of 90 points.

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Next up was the 2007 Gérard Bertrand Vin de Pays d'Oc Cigalus Blanc, and yet another great summer sipper, composed of 80% chardonnay, 15% viognier, and 5% sauvignon blanc! The first thing I notice on the nose of this wine is "Pal bubble gum." Yes, I said Pal bubble gum. What a fun smell. There is also some nice hints of lemon, and peach, with a good mineral aspect. Finally, sublet hints of passion fruit and nectar round out the nose. On the palate, the viognier adds a really nice element to it, and the sauvignon blanc, although only a small percentage really comes through as well. More citrus and passion fruit on the palate, with hints of a sweet nectar of sorts, and again, a nice acidity. This wine is crisp and refreshing, with yet another pleasant finish. 91 points!

Say what you will about biodynamic wines and biodynamic farming, but these two hit the nail on the head. For some, the prices on these might be a little higher than you usually like to spend, the first at $45, and the second at $32, but these are wines that are well crafted, and to me, they exceed the price tag, and do qualify as good QPR's (quality to price ratio).

In short, what can I say about a gorgeous, sunny, almost 60 degree day in March in NJ? These were nice wines that I look forward to drinking with Zelda on our bistro this summer, and I can see going through several of these over the course of the summer season.

As for CoolVines, as always, thanks to Mark and his great team! His store is a nice breath of air in the area, and he couldn't have a better staff selling great affordable wines! Stop in, say hello, and tell him that F. Scott and Zelda sent you! Cheers!

PRINCETON 344 Nassau St

Princeton, NJ 08540

(609) 924-0039

WESTFIELD 23 Elm Street

Westfield, NJ 07090

(908) 232-5050

http://www.coolvines.com/

Conte's Pizza - Princeton, NJ

So after hearing about Conte's Pizza in Princeton for the last year and a half or so from friends, as well as reading about Conte's on a thread on Chowhound for "Best Pizza in N.J.," tonight was the night that we finally gave it a whirl.

As Conte's website states, "During the snow season, we recommend that you call ahead to confirm that we are open." That I did, and was told that the kitchen was open until 8:30PM sharp.

So we arrived at Conte's around 7:45PM, and there was parking out front, which kind of surprised me given the mystique of this establishment. Regardless, we walked in, and grabbed two seats at the bar.

If it is ambiance that you are looking for, then I suggest looking elsewhere. Like Delorenzo's on both Hudson Street and Hamilton Avenue in Trenton, you are going for the pie, not for the ambiance and decor. It's all about the experience. In all honesty, this place could easily be converted into an Elk's or VFW lodge with no modifications other than changing the name on the sign, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

We ordered a couple of Bass Ale's as the magnums of vino behind the bar didn't look all that interesting, but after ordering our beers, we did notice that they do have a full bar. Not a bad thing at all, and good to know for the next time we visit.

We ordered our pie, and waited for the Olympics to come on one of the 3 large flat screens hanging on the wall behind the bar. We opted for a large pie, half plain, and half sausage. About 20 minutes later, the pie came out piping hot, and looked really nice.

After hearing all the hype about how Conte's has a better pie than Delorenzo's, the first thing I noticed was the simple fact that the crust didn't even compare, and was much thicker than that of Delorenzo's. To me, this is not a tomato pie, and more in the style of a true pizza than Delorenzo's. The next thing I noticed was the sausage, with the nice fennel seeds in the sausage that looked ridiculously tasty. Finally, I noticed all of the cheese on the pie, which was quite a bit more than you get on a tomato pie in Trenton. This is not a bad thing in the least.

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After giving the pie a minute or so to cool, I cut into my first piece, and noticed that the crust didn't have the crunch to it that a tomato pie has, which proves the fact that this is more of a pizza, than a tomato pie. Maybe some of you will disagree, as many people have said on the different boards when talking about Conte's. Call me crazy, but this is a thin crust pizza, not tomato pie. Even the Conte's website calls it "thin crust," so now that that is established, let's get down to the nitty gritty.

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For a pizza, this had a nice flavor. The crust was good and airy, and the sauce has nice Italian spices to it. The sausage was good, but definitely not as tasty as my favorite sausage from City Beef in Trenton. The cheese was also good, and piled on, and overall, it was a good pie. All in, 2 Bass Ale's and a large pie with sausage on one half came to just over $25. Not bad.

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Now, would I go out of my way for this pizza? Probably not. But I would definitely go back there in the future. It didn't knock my socks off or blow my hair back, but it was a good pizza for what it was. The flavors were nice, and it was just an all around good pie. But that being said, Delorenzo's on Hudson Street or on Route 33 in Robbinsville still has my heart for the best pie in New Jersey. Cheers! -F. Scott

. Conte's Pizza

339 Witherspoon Street

Princeton, NJ 08540

Phone: (609)921-8041

http://contespizzaandbar.com/

Princeton Present Day Club - Wednesday October 6th, 2010

 I am very excited to share that I recently received and e-mail from the Program Co-Chair of the Present Day Club of Princeton, asking us to come and give a lunchtime meeting at their October 6th, 2010 meeting.

She would like us to come and meeting with their President over a glass of wine and a few of their members, then give a 1/2 hour presentation to 80-100 of their members on "Being a foodie," as well as writing restaurant reviews. From there, we will do a question and answer with their membership.

I can say that we are very excited, and all of our hardwork and dedication to visiting as many restaurants in the area, as well as maintaining this blog, and posting our reviews on Chowhound, Yelp, and many of the wine communities has paid off.

Zelda and I are truly humbled, and we hope that this is just the start of many new adventures to come. Stay tuned for the latest and greatest for this awesome opportunity! Cheers!

Kaliente Mexican Grill - Princeton, NJ

It was a gorgeous January day in in New Jersey today, and nice to see the hustle an bustle of people taking advantage of the gorgeous weather in Princeton. It was a beautiful day for a drive, so Zelda and I decided to check out Kaliente Mexican Grill, located in the what used to be a sushi inspired restaurant on Nassau Street.

Upon first walking in, you'll notice the still Asian inspired decor on the ceiling, with what looks like an Asian sort of canopy on one wall, and the Asian inspired grid like structure hanging from the ceiling. To the back left is a counter, and forward of that are abut 8 or so small tables. To say that the place is a little tight is an understatement, but if it works for them, then so be it.

We were a little confused as to how the ordering works. There is a big menu hanging on the wall in the back. It gives you a choice of burritos, ensalata de burrito, taco's, quesadillas, and Enchiladas. In the column next to that, you then pick your protein, and the column next to hat you pick your salsa. It took a few minutes, but we figured it out.

We placed our order with the gentleman behind the counter, who definitely could have been friendlier. Service with a smile really isn't that hard. Zelda opted for a chicken burrito, and I opted for a steak burrito. We also got a side of chips and salsa.

From here, I figured that we would tell them what we wanted from their burrito bar that is behind the counter. It has a wide array of two different types off beans, two kinds of rice, chicken, steak, beef, lettuce, tomato an onion, cheese, guacamole, salsa, etc.

After a few minutes, Zelda grabbed us a table, and I waited to pay. After waiting a few minutes with no instruction, I too went and sat down, and we enjoyed the chips and salsa, along with some bottles Coke's from their cooler.

A few minutes later a Spanish woman called out "Burrito," and Zelda and I went up to the counter. She picked out here rice, beans, chicken, and other items to go into her burrito. The woman shoveled everything in, rolled it up, and that was all she wrote. I did the same thing, and opted for steak, orange rice, cheese, tomato and onion, cilantro, sour cream, and a medium salsa.

As we sat down to eat, these burritos are absolutely massive, and for under $7, the prices really are not bad at all. Unfortunately, there really was nothing to differentiate this burrito from a typical chain. The steak was OK, but it didn't wow. The items seemed fresh, but it was just your typical burrito. No wow factor whatsoever, but also not offensive in the least. It was very palatable, but there really was nothing to make it special.

One thing that the place could truly use is a bit of decor, and a good scrub. There was a table st up with silverware, water pitches, napkins, etc, to the left of the counter on the way to the bathroom. It had cheap vinyl table clothes on it, and it definitely did not help with the ambiance. The tables could use some updating, and the napkins tucked under the legs of the tables to keep them level could use some changing. They look as though they have been there for weeks. Other than that, a good sweep, mop, and scrub and the place would look better. Finally, add a bit of friendliness to the service, and it would make for a more enjoyable experience.

Note that they also have some specialty items that seem to have some Indian influences to them as well. These items included Samosas, Khatti Rolls, Somosa Chatt, Bhel Puri, and Aloo Chatt.

I went back to the counter to pay, and the bill came to $21 and change for the two burritos, chips and salsa, guacamole, and the two soda's. All in all an average meal, and I wouldn't go out of my way to go back. As Zelda said, and to which I agree, I would rather go to A Little Taste of Mexico in the Princeton Shopping Center off of Harrison Street.

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Katiente Mexican Grill

235B Nassau Street

Princeton, NJ 08540

Phone: (609)688-8916

Mon-Sat 11AM-3PM and 5PM-10PM

Sun 12AM-3PM and 5PM-9PM

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They also have a website listed as http://www.kalientemexicangrill.com/ however, the link is not active.

2003 Château Malmaison Baronne Nadine de Rothschild

Brought to La Mezzaluna - Princeton tonight, and allowed to open up for about an hour on the table. Nice dark color in the glass with hints of dark fruit, mainly blackberry.

On the palate, this wine has really mellowed out from the first one that we had, which I find a little hard to believe, but maybe it was bottle variation, or maybe it was because of the rumor that others have stated, that there are different bottlings done at this Chateau, and the labels are then put on later. I wish I knew.

This wine did a complete 180 from the last one that we had. The acidity and tannin were nicely integrated, and the fruit was shining with more dark fruits, with hints of jammy raspberry, strawberry, and a bit of oak.

The finish was much smoother than the last bottle, and I actually would not have guessed that this was an 80% merlot to 20% cabernet sauvignon blend. I thought that the cab had dominated. All in all, a nice wine with a smooth finish worthy of 90 points. Cheers!

2007 Domaine Fichet Bourgogne "Tradition"

Tasted today at the CoolVines Princeton tasting! Finally, a nice under $20 Burgundy, and leave it to CoolVines to find it and carry it! This producer actually got his start back in 1976, and is now run by his two sons. Tons of ripe cherry on the nose, with a hint of earth. This is not your typical California, fruit forward nose. This is a classic Burgundy nose! On the palate, more ripe cherry shines through, with a bit of acidity, which I expect to settle down with some more time in the bottle. After all, this is still a young 2007. There is still a bit of a tannic backbone, but again, this will settle out in time. We picked up two, and plan on trying one after another year in the bottle. At this point, I will not rate this wine, but I can see this being a 90 point Burgundy in the future, which is nice for this price point. Cheers!

Penang Malaysian and Thai Cuisine - Princeton, NJ

Well, we've never been fans of big restaurant chains, but last night we heard a few people talking about Penang's in Princeton, so since we were out and about running errands, we figured why not. Upon entering, this place was nothing like I had pictured it. I pictured a very small, bright place, with a dirty white tiled floor, ala Chinatown in Chicago, but we were pleasantly surprised. The restaurant was rather large, with Asian décor throughout, and the place was packed! We were seated right away, with a good view of the open kitchen that seemed to be pretty busy. It took a few minutes for our server to come over, but we started with some appetizers. First out was the: Rice Net Spring Roll ( 5 PCS) 6.95 Fried spring roll with shrimp and crab meat, onions, glass noodle skin and taro crusting with plum sauce for dipping. This was a nice dish, and had me intrigued from the get go. It had a nice crunch to it, but the true flavors of the shimp and crab did not come through. Had I not known, I would have sworn this was chicken, but it was still delicious. Out next was the: Thai Spring Roll 6.95 Deep fried rolls stuffed with cabbage, bean thread, carrot and shrimp served with plum sauce. This too was fried to a nice golden brown, and came out of the kitchen smokin' hot! Regardless, it was tasty, and made with good vegetables. I would order either of the appetizers again. For lunch, we went the comfort food route and ordered the Sesame Chicken 12.95 White meat chicken sauteed with sesame seeds & brown sweet & sour sauce, as well as an the Chicken Fried Rice 7.95. The sesame chicken had a nice crust to it, and the brown sauce was delicious. It had a very nice sweetness to it, and it was cooked beautifully. The rice had great flavors as well, and you could tell it was made with lots of garlic and onion. Regardless, both dishes were delicious. The one negative thing I will say about Penang is that their service could use some improvement. The staff was slow, and they were not friendly in the least. Regardless, the food came out hot and fast, and that is what made it worth the trip. Will we try Penang again? Sure, the food was good, and fast, and reasonably affordable, but I won't go out of my way to go back there. In short, worth checking out for the food, but prepare yourself for mediocre at best service. www.penangcuisine.com 635 Nassau Park Blvd Princeton, NJ 08540 Phone: (609) 897-9088

2007 Donna Laura Ali Toscana IGT

The first of two wines at the CoolVines Princeton tasting today, and a very young '07 to say the least. I am not and have never been a big fan of 100% sangiovese wines, but this wine was a bit surprising based on its price. Nice QPR to say the least! Nice ruby color in the glass, thinning towards the rim and showing it's young age. Very fragrant on the nose with floral notes, plum, and dark or black fruits. On the palate, this wine again shows very young, but will develop with some more time in the bottle. Lots of strawberry and cherry on the palate, with some hints of plum. This wine really reminded me of a wine we have tried called Canalico, but with a lot more fruit, and a much better structure. This wine really reminds me of a grape sucker without the sweetness. Short, non-complex finish, but this wine is still a joy to drink. This would be a killer every day wine with pizza. 83 points now, with 2-4 points in the future with more time in the bottle.

2006 Belle Vallée Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

Enjoyed at Thai Village in Princeton tonight after a quick trip to CoolVines for their "End of Bin Sale." Popped and poured, this is a very nice pinot after being open for 30 minutes, but even the first glass was enjoyable. The nose revealed somce nice notes of raspberry, cherry, and plum, with that distinctive Oregon earthy smell and a subtle hint of spice. The palate is surprisingly fruit forward for an Oregon, and this '06 is showing nicely now, but will develope some more with time. More cherry and raspberry on the palate, with a very smooth, albeit short finish. This is definitely one of the '06's that is showing it's stuff nicely right now, and is a pleasure to drink. Look forward to enjoying some of the Reserve offerings from Bellee Vallee in the future. 90 points! Cheers!

CoolVines - END OF BIN SALE THIS WEEKEND! Princeton and Westfield, NJ Locations

This is definitely worth checking out! Be sure to check out their website at: http://www.coolvines.com/ This is an awesome store that we are thankful to have discovered with a great selection of wines that you won't find at many other stores if any, and the staff there is great! Drop in and tell them that we sent you! I'll write up a full review on these guys soon!

Friday January 23 at 3:00PM - 8:00PM Monday January 26th, 2009 4 DAY SALE!!!!!!! Get them while they last!!!!!!!

CoolVines Princeton

344 Nassau St

Princeton, NJ Phone: (609) 924-0039

and

CoolVines Westfield

23 Elm St

Westfield, NJ Phone: (908) 232-5050

It's CoolVines "Gotta Make Room Sale"- with end of bin clearance prices of 10-25% off! Today's tasting will feature some great bin-end wines that are on sale to make room for new Arrivals! Samples open all day - try before you buy!! 10% off individual bottles 15% of 6-11 bottles 20% mixed cases 25% of specially marked cases...and 25% off any wine if you buy the remaining bottles Sale runs from 3 pm Fri Jan 23 til 8 pm Mon Jan 26

2005 Jean Michel Guillon Bourgogne Rouge

Had this wine first today at a tasting at CoolVines Princeton, and it just didn't stand a chance in comparison to the other Burgundy they were tasting. This was wine number one, and it seemed very closed down on the nose. Some classic hints of Burgundy, but now WOW FACTOR, but this could also be a very young wine, and might still need time to settle down. Regardless, if you are going to pop one now, I would suggest a 3-4 hour decant, at cellar temp is possible, then allow it to warm up in the glass. I don't remember much about the nose other than some strawberry and cigar box, but I do remember some strawberry on the palate. The finish was smooth, but nothing to write home about, and had nicely integrated tannin. In my opinion, this wine might be in a weird closed phase, and could benefit from a few years in the bottle. Drink 2012 plus, or decant for a few hours. 85 points. Cheers!

Tiger Noodles - Princeton, NJ

It's been a long time since we have visited Tiger Noodles, so after a night of running errands, it seemed like a great place to stop for a quick bite. We had a great view on the outside patio of Nassau Street, and the entire patio was packed to the gills with diners enjoying wines they brought, as well as college students with 6 packs on the table. Unfortunately we for us, I didn't bring a bottle of wine as I didn't know we'd be eating there, but I wasn't really in the mood for a cocktail anyway. There is however a liquor store right next door, as well as another within walking distance, but we opted to go without the vino tonight. Lots of diners out in their gorgeous courtyard, and it was a great night to sit out. Service was fast, and that is always a good thing, but you can tell they are all about turning tables...smart thinking! We started off with 2 orders of vegetable spring rolls, and they came out within minutes, and were scorching hot out of the fryer. A nice egg roll wrapper with crisp veggies made these a pleasure to eat. For entrees, Zelda opted for the General Tso chicken, and this had a nice crisp coating to it, with a delicious sauce, with fresh peppers abundant. I opted for the Kung Pao Chicken, which had nice little bits of chicken, green and red peppers, peanuts, and chili's. This too was good. This is fast Chinese food at its best, but it did hit the spot tonight. It's not truly authentic, and it's not to die for, but it's good when you're in a pinch and hungry!

2005 Cloudline Pinot Noir

Tonight we had this wine at Witherspoon Grill in Princeton, and it did not disappoint. I've ready many reviews on this wine, so it was nice to see it on the menu.

From the beginning, this wine smelled like Willamette Valley with hints of raspberry, black cherry, and the faintest hints of cinnamon on the nose. You could tell from the smell alone that this wine was not going to be a fruit bomb, and would be in a more Burgundian, old world style...not a bad thing at all. On the palate, this wine shined with more hints of cherry, and not the typical California candied cherry, as well as undertones of raspberry, and the faintest hints of mushroom and earth. The finish was short and very simple, yet very pleasant. All in all, a nice wine at a good QPR, and worthy of 88 points! Cheers!

Witherspoon Grill - Princeton, NJ

A lovely June 2nd night in Princeton, and my birthday to boot, so tonight Zelda took me to Witherspoon Grill in Princeton. This is somewhere that we have been meaning to try for quite a while, and it as not to disappoint.

We got to the grill early tonight, and got a great table outside overlooking the library courtyard. What a great setting!

Tonight we started with 2 glasses of the 2005 Cloudyline pinot noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon. What a treat! We skipped out on the appetizers tonight, and for entrees, Zelda ordered the Lobster Rissotto. This was cooked as perfect as lobster could be, with a generous portion of lobster meat and portabello mushrooms. The mushroom added a very nice flavor to the rissotto, giving it a very meaty flavor. This was also a good sized portion, so Zelda even has some leftovers to bring home for lunch tomorrow.

Our server did a good job selling us on the fact that Witherspoon Grill is a steak house, but after having a great filet at Tavern on the Green, I opted for the braised short ribs, and I am very glad that I did! This could not have been cooked any better, and was served over a nice bed of mashed potatoes and gravy. The seasoning was perfect, and you did not even need a fork to cut it. The meat was falling off of the bone, and it was a true pleasure to eat. The mashed were a perfect consistency, and the gravy was absolutely tasty. I also had a side of onion rings, that were large cut, with a nice beer batter on them. These paired perfectly with the short ribs, however it was too much food. I would have been better off not ordering them, but I am glad that I did.

We opted to pass on dessert, as Zelda has a lovely cake for me tonight. Another great local restaurant that we have been meaning to visit, and another restaurant that I am glad we did. I look forward to visting Witherspoon for lunch in the future!

Tre Piani - Princeton, NJ

Review coming soon!

Lobster Club Sandwich $20.00 pancetta, vine-ripened tomato, and bibb lettuce on toasted bread with wasabi mayonnaise and crispy fried potatoes

Rigatoni with Filet Mignon Tips and Gorgonzola Cheese