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/

Elements - Princeton, NJ

Yet another restaurant that I have been dying to try for quite some time, that we have driven past a half million times, yet never visited.  When my buddy Mark asked us where they should go for brunch, I threw Elements out there, and we decided to join them.

“French style” scramble - creme fraiche, our bacon, chive

Avocado & barley salad - apple, Griggstown chicken, walnut, raisins $18

Buttermilk pancakes - Vermont maple syrup, our bacon $18

Steak & eggs - "48 hour" short ribs, fried eggs, home fries




Stay tuned as there is more to come!

I do however have to say that I think we need to apologize to the staff here as the couple we were with my have stiffed our waitress.  I tossed $80 cash into the leather case with the check, along with another $20 for tip, but unortunately, I think Mark was oblivious and tipped on the amount that was charged, which should have been about $40.  If that is the case, I truly apologize to our server.  I'll see what I can find out, and make it up to her.

Princeton Soup and Sandwich Company - Princeton, NJ

So today we had to make a run over to Whole Foods to pick up some pork and turkey loins for dinner tonight, and we ended up stopping in town for lunch.

Princeton Soup & Sandwich Company is located in Palmer Square, at the old location of the Soup Man.  I had no idea that this had even changed hands, or changed names for that matter, which is pretty sad considering we drive past here almost every day.

Upon walking in, the place looks the same for the most part.  The kitchen has changed a little bit, and they have some new stationed back there.  They still have about the same amount of soups and the seating is still very limited to about 5 stools inside if that.

I placed our order at the counter as Zelda grabbed us two stools before they were snatched up.  I ordered the Chicago style hot dog, along with a kids portion of the lobster bisque.

Let me say that if this wasn't a Vienna Beef hot dog, it was a pretty good hot dog in disguise!  It tasted very nice, and there were some very similar qualitites to a Vienna Beef dog.  Although it is inspired by a true Chicago style dog, it was however lacking a bit.

First, it wasn't served on the signature poppyseed bun.  This is a staple.  Secondly, the relish was a bit different, and it wasn't your typical "neon green" relish as usually found in Chicago.  Next, the sport peppers were a bit different, and seemed more jalapeno inspired than what I am used to back home.  Finally, the onion used was red onion.  All in all, the dog wasn't bad in the least, and it was the next best thing to a real Vienna Beef dog back home.

As for the bisque, I can say that it wasn't as good as the bisque that the Original Soup Man used to serve in this location.  While the lobster bisque was good, there were definitely differences.  For one, the soup wasn't quite as thick and creamy.  The Soup Man used to have a more creamier/buttery texture, where this seemed a little more greasy and watered down.  There also wasn't as much lobster as there used to be, but it was still decent soup.  I would buy it again, but I'd like to see it a dollar or two cheaper as there is now less meat.

Zelda ordered the Newton Dog, with a turkey hot dog, with avocado, tomatoes, and pickle.  We both thought that it was so weird to see her eating ahot dog out, as there is nowhere else that either of us can think of that has turkey dogs.  Not being a beef or pork eater, this was a first for her, and a pleasant first.  She also had a cup of the bisque as well.

We also ordered chips and a soda, and when all was said and done, the bill came to $25 and change.  Not the greatest value in the least, but not a bad value either.  I can only imagine how much their rent is, and one way or another they have got to pay it.  Definitely could be worse.  But when I am in the mood for a little taste of home, I can definitely see going back here to grab a Chicago style dog!  Cheers!

Princeton Soup and Sandwich Company
30 Palmer Square East
Princeton, NJ 08542..map

Sun-Thurs: 8 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat: 8 am - 11 pm

Phone:  609-497-0008
Fax: 609-497-0088
Email: Yum@PrincetonSoupAndSandwich.com
http://www.princetonsoupandsandwich.com/

Present Day Club - Princeton, NJ

As you may remember reading, we were invited last winter to speak at the Present Day Club in Princeton, NJ.  What made this opportunity so unique was the fact that the person who found us, Ms. D'Amico, just happened across our blog, and after a few minutes of reading, she though that we would be fun to have as presenters at their prestigious Princeton organization.  Needless to say, we were very honored, and today was an absolutely beautiful day to speak to their group.

We had stopped by last Thursday to take a look at the space that we would be presenting in.  The Present Day Club has a gorgeous facility at the corners of Stockton Street and Library Place in downtown Princeton, practically on campus.  We met with Marge and Chef Christine, and took a look at the ballroom, and figured out logistics for our presentation.  Needless to say, Ms. D'Amico and Chef Christine were fabulous, and made sure that we had everything that we needed.

We arrived today, and were greeted by a few of their members.  First we met Ms. Kathleen Fluss, and then we met Present Day Club President Barbara Purnell.  Upon walking in, we went into one of their gorgeous sitting rooms, and spent about a half hour doing a meet and greet with a few of their other members who's names I cannot remember at the moment.  We sat and enjoyed a glass of white wine, and talked about ourselves a bit, and also listened to information about them, about the Present Day Club, and about Princeton in general.  There were several different topics of discussion, and it was nice to hear some little tidbits from some of Princeton's elite.

One of my favorite topics of this conversation was talking about The RIVERLine, and how nice of a resource it is to have.  From here, one of their members started talking about the train in Princeton that runs from campus, to the Princeton Junction NJ Transit station.  This train is affectionately called, "The Dinky" because of its small size.  It's actually funny to see that someone has even created a Facebook page dedicated to saving the Princeton "Dinky!"

From here, we were rounded up, and went into their smaller formal dining room.  I say smaller and formal as I don't want to confuse this with the gorgeous ballroom that we will be speaking in after lunch.

The table was set with nice China, and had a gorgeous centerpiece of fresh cut flower.  Nice name place signs had our names hand scribed in wax pen letting us know where to sit, and it was all done very elegantly.  A server came out of the kitchen and offered us coffee or tea, and just a few minutes later our came out lunch.

Lunch came out, and it was a stuffed chicken dish, that seemed to be pounded thin, stuffed, and rolled.  This was then topped with a gorgeous sauce, and the plate was garnished with fresh carrots with a nice sweet glaze on them.

The flavors in this dish were just what the doctor ordered for an overcast and chilly fall day.  The chicken was very flavorful and tender, and the stuffing paired very nicely.  The stuffing was made from fresh bread crumb, mozzarella, and pancetta.  The flavors from the sauce and the pancetta that topped the sauce was just couldn't have gotten any better, and it was pure joy on a plate.  The sauce was a roasted plum tomato puree, with garlic, tarragon, and cream.  That being said, I would love to get this recipe from Chef Christine, and this would make a great dinner for one of our dinners that we host throughout the year at our home.

Conversation continued over lunch, and everyone seemed to have an enjoyable time.  From judging everyones plates, they also enjoyed their lunches!  This was the perfect portion, and we even had room for dessert, which came out a few minutes later.  This was a baked apple cake of sorts, with a very nice sauce, and this too was wonderful.  In short, lunch was very enjoyable, and our stomachs left the table very happy.

From here, President Barbara Purnell escorted us to the ballroom, which looked to be filled with 60-70 members.  This was definitely a diverse crowd, and we looked forward to speaking to them.  Ms. Purnell read a short introduction, and to the podium we went.

We had a PowerPoint that we had customized to this event, and they supplied us with a laptop and projector.  As always, the PowerPoint wasn't really necessary, but we know how people like to look at visual aids. 

Some agenda items from our presentation included:

• Personal Introductions
• The beginning of our foodie adventures
• The F. Scott and Zelda reference
• What is a BLOG, and what do bloggers do?
• What is a “Foodie”
• What is an “Oenophile"
• Being a “food critic"
• How do we choose restaurants
• How we write our reviews
• Social media to promote our blog
• Features
• Cooking
• Wine

Once I can figure out how to upload files here, I will upload our PowerPoint, as well as our script.  One thing I will note, is that for the first time, I uploaded my script to the iPad via e-mail.  All I had to do was e-mail the file to myself at the address I have linked to the iPad, and there it was!  This worked wonderfully, was easy to read and scroll through, and it saved trees and paper as well!  Awesome!

From here we did a question and answer, and we were amazed at all of the questions that we received!  All in all, I thought this was yet another successful event, however, you could tell that there were some people in the audience that were not all that interested, but this was their Wednesday activity, and this is what they do every week.  That said, we were not offended in the least, and we never claimed to be that entertaining to everyone!

All in all, we have nothing but great things to say today, and we can't thank the Present Day Club enough for their hospitality!  From Ms. D'Amico for reaching out to us, to Chef Christine for such a great menu, to President Barbara Purnell, and Kathleen Fluss, we cannot thank you all enough!  We had a great day, and we were truly honored to be a part of your weekly luncheon!  Thank you!  -F. Scott and Zelda

The Backyard Bistro - by F. Scott and Zelda Fitz

As many of you know, Zelda and I love to entertain.  Not only do we enjoy sharing great wine with good friends, but we love to cook.

With Zelda and many of her creative French bistro inspired dishes, to her simple and absolutely tasty comfort foods, we just really enjoy spending time in the kitchen.  My specialties are simpleties like Maryland Crab Cakes, to shrimp scampi, but most recently things from the smoker.  Regardless of what we are making, we just love to cook.

So with that said, nothing says summer like dinner with friends on the deck, and this year we have created a new outdoor dining room in what we call the "backyard bistro."

So here are a few pics, and stay tuned as I add more pictures, as we add new elements to our outdoor dining room, and as the gorgeous gardens grow in!  Cheers!  -F. Scott

MoC MoC - Princeton, NJ

Zelda and I stopped in over the weekend to check out MoC MoC, and see what all the buzz was about after a quick stop at the Princeton Corkscrew for a 1/2 bottle of 2007 Domaine Corsin Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes to enjoy with our sushi.


Walked up to the restaurant and the first thing we noticed on the exterior of the restaurant was the fresh stone facade. Upon walking in, you see the decor, from the nice, dark, fresh hardwood, to the scrolling slats of wood white and dark twisting and turning up the walls and across the ceiling. You can tell that they spend some time working on the decor of the restaurant, and I think it came out nice. Realistically speaking though, had a friend not mentioned this restaurant, we never would have known it was even here as this is not a street we drive down often.

There were 3-4 other tables seated, and a few more tables came in as we dined. They definitely get some traffic in here, and for good reason as the fish is good, and fresh as well. Maybe they need a stand up sign or something on Nassau Street so more people know it's here, but they seem to be doing just fine.

Service was prompt as we sat, our wine was opened, and we were brought some moist towlettes to wash our hands. Water glasses were brought over along with menu's, and we started looking to see what we should have.

I opted for my staple, the shrimp tempura roll, which was similar to other places, and just plain tasty. I went for the Transformer roll as well consisting of tuna, salmon, and white tuna, which was fried and topped with a nice spicy sauce of sorts. This was a big roll, and worth every penny of the $14 they charge for it. I thought it was absolutely delicious, and would definitely order it again.

Zelda opted for a spicy salmon roll, as well as a Boston roll, and these too were good. the fish had great colors, and I really enjoyed the spicy mayo that this we served with.

All in all, another great Chowhound selection, and it made for an enjoyable afternoon with my gorgeous bride in lovely Princeton. We'll be back for certain, so thanks to the other Chowhounds on here for the suggestion! Cheers!

14 South Tulane Street

Princeton, NJ, 08542
Phone:  (609) 688-8788
http://mocmocsushi.com/home

Restaurant Underground - Princeton, NJ

After reading about Underground on Chowhound, today we decided to give it a shot for ourselves, to see what it was all about.  Underground has a nice Bulgarian/Middle Eastern flair to it, and that is what they pride themselves on. 

We actally tried to come here I would guess 2 years ago, and I remember walking down the lit stairs, and going inside to a dark, but gorgeous room.  We stood there for probably 10 minutes, and were never helped, so we ended up leaving.  Today, we walked down the steps, and were greeted right away.

The restaurant was bright, with all the light shining in the two long windows in the front.  The first thing I noticed was the glass floor and steps, and we were seated at a table along the wall.  A long bench seat wraps around and adorns the entire wall.

The tables are made of cracked glass, and there is a stacked stone bar with some nice fiber optic lighting elements worked in.  A large piece of fabric drapes a portion of the ceiling, and adds an elegant touch.  It is nice to look at, and adds a nice Middle Eastern element to the restaurant.

Our server David came over and took our drink order.  He also told us about the specials, and brought us samples of the Spinach and Sirene with Feta Cheese Croquettes.  Wow were these tasty, fried to a golden crisp, with incredbile spice and flavors.  I would go back for these along, as they were so tasty.  The also put samples outside, to draw in the customers.  Not a bad thing in the least, and we could see many people grabbing them as they walked by.

After we ordered, David also brought over a taste of the Chicken Paprika Soup, their signature soup.  This had a nice rich, red stock, with large chunks of chicke, vegetables, and rice mixed in.  To me, this didn't have as much Middle Eastern flair as I would have expected, but it was still a nice soup.  The paprika seemed really subdued, but I don't think that is a bad thing.  To me, the soup had more of a Tuscan influence, but again, it was tasty.

For lunch, we opted for sandwiches today as not to spoil our dinner tonight at a restaurant that we have been asked to review.  Zelda, always on the search for the perfect falafel, ordered the Falafel sandwich.  This was a traditional style falafel sandwich with lettuce and tomato, served in a pita with Bulgarian dressing on the side.  It also came with homemade chips.

From the bite that I had, the falafel was fried up nicely, and had some really nice spices to it.  Zelda really enjoyed this, and I cannot blame her in the least.  It was some of the better falafel I have had in this area.

Against my better judgement, I opted for the gyro, in hope that it would be the traditional, spit cooked meat, shaved off fresh, and put onthe sandwich.  I really should have asked, but figured I would take my chances.  Unfortunately, it was the processed meat, and was a 50% mix of lamb, and 50% beef.  It definitely did have nice flavor, but could have used more meat as there were only 3 or 4 thin slices on the sandwich, along with some lettuce, tomato, and shaved red onion.  I will however say that the tzatziki was by far the best I have had in this area, with nice garlic and cucumber flavors, with a really nice flavor.

All in all, a good lunch, and a good place.  I would be really interested to go back and try some of their entrees from their dinner menu, as it looks like they have some great stuff.  David provided us with great service, and was very knowledgeable of the menu.  Good flavors and nice spices make it worth a trip back in the future, but I will be ordering something other than the gryo.  Cheers!  -F. Scott

Restaurant Underground

4 Hulfish Street

Princeton, NJ  08542

Phone:  (609)924-0666

http://www.princetonrestaurantunderground.com/