Tastebuds - New Hope, PA

Well, my first Friday night home in almost 2 months, and you bet I wanted to have a great dinner!  I was craving a steak, so Zelda recommended we head back to Tastebuds in New Hope!  Great call, and once again, we were super impressed, and our stomachs left very happy!  This place has a solid meal dinner in, dinner out, and at VERY affordable pricing for the quality of food you get, it's amazing that they are not reservation only on the weekend!  Add BYO to that, along with great service from the two man team on the floor, and you have a recipe for some serious success!  Stay tuned for another shining review in the next day or two!

ARTICHOKE FLAN, BURRATA, ROASTED TOMATO COULIS, ANCHOVY OIL $9

AVOCADO AND WILD MUSHROOM DUMPLINGS, TAMARIND-SOY SAUCE, CILANTRO $9

ROMAINE, HERBED CROUTONS, GARLIC LEMON ANCHOVY DRESSING $8

Again, this is one of the best cuts of meat you will find at a restaurant in this area.  The grade of beef rocks, and the flavors here are awesome!  FILET OF BEEF TENDERLOIN, ANCHO CHILI RUB, PEPPERY GREEN BEANS,  WHIPPED POTATOES, CUBAN ESPRESSO SAUCE $33

CASHEW CRUSTED COD, BRAISED FENNEL, CILANTRO, SPARKLING GRAPEFRUIT SAUCE, LIME $25

Coffee Creme Caramel?

Cherry bread pudding?








Tastebuds
49 West Ferry Street
New Hope, PA
Phone: (215)862-9722
http://www.tastebuds-newhope.com/

Tastebuds - New Hope, PA

Well, this year we agreed to celebrate Valentine's Day a few days early, so we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Under the Moon in Bordentown this past Saturday night. But with our busy schedules, and the fact that I was feeling a bit lazy today and not feeling like making lobster tails or something elaborate, I decided to test my luck to see who might still have room tonight for a nice dinner out.

First I checked Open Table, and then I got the brilliant idea that I would try calling Tastebuds in New Hope, PA, where we spent our Valentine's Day last year, just to see if by chance they had room for two. Low and behold, today was our lucky day, and they had a cancelation, and room for us at 7:30PM.

It's actually hard to believe that it's been a year to the day since we have been to Tastebuds. We loved our meal here last Valentine's Day, and I am almost embarrassed that we haven't been back in the 365 days that followed. What a shame, and we definitely need to move Tastebuds up on our list.

We arrived in New Hope about 20 minutes early, and I found parking just up the block at the top of the hill. By the time we walked down, we were about 15 minutes early, and were greeted by the gentleman who was our server last year. Funny enough he remembered us, mentioned the fact that he remembered our blog, and even mentioned the fact that he saw us featured in the NY Times. What is there to say about that other than awesome, and what a great memory.

He seated us at a great 4 top in towards the rear of the first dining room when you come into the old house. The room is rustic, and dimly lit, with gorgeous orange lights hanging from the ceiling, that is composed of old exposed beams, and the underneath of the hardwood floors from the second floor. It really is a beautiful room, and very romantic.

We sat and I grabbed the Riedel XL's from the carrying case and a 2007 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast pinot noir, which was fitting for a variety of reasons. First, what is there not to love about pinot noir on Valentine's Day? The only thing that could be more fitting would be a little Champagne. Secondly, I need to order my 2009 Kosta Browne appellation wines tomorrow, so I figured it would be fun to check in on the 2007's for the first time! Needless to say, I am glad I did, and this was in a gorgeous place.

Our server came over and filled the wine glasses on our table with some sparkling water, which we asked for when given the choice as we perused the menus. One of the things that I love about Tastebuds is the fact that there is no "gouging" on Valentine's Day, and they have their regular menu. How can you not respect a place that doesn't try to take advantage of you on Valentine's Day? Gotta love it!

The other gentleman came over and was our server tonight. I can't remember his name for the life of me, but they are both great guys, attentive, friendly, and just downright great servers. But they represent Tastebuds, so they should be! We ordered our starters, enjoyed our wine, and just had a nice romantic evening.

Zelda ordered the Baby Spinach salad with endive, wonton strips, and a honey-ginger dressing. These were gorgeous leaves of spinach, and the honey-ginger dressing was light and elegant. If I remember correctly last year, they used and sourced fresh local lavender honey for one of the dishes we have, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was the same. The wontons had a really nice crisp to them, and overall, this salad was a winner.

I started with the steamed mussels in a curry-coconut milk broth with granny smith apples, ginger, and lemongrass. The mussels were cooked perfectly, and the flavors in the broth were very nice. The apple was prominent, and it added a succulent sweetness to it, and the broth was nice and creamy. This was the perfect starter also, and didn't fill me up, yet it held me over until our entrees came.

For entrees, Zelda had the Herb-Roasted French cut chicken breast with spinach, yogurt mashed potatoes, and a lemon pulp jus. This was a gorgeous, thick cut chicken breast that was juicy, and had great flavors. All of the elements of this dish complimented each other very well, and this too was a winner.

The piece de résistance tonight hands down was my filet of beef tenderloin, with an Ancho chili rub, under a bed of peppery green beans, that was sitting on top of whipped potatoes that were surrounded by a Cuban espresso sauce. This was hands down the best filet I have had in probably the last 3-5 years. In all honesty, I can't remember the last time I had such a delicious filet, with such a great, tender cut of meat, that was cooked to absolute perfection.

The inside of the filet was cooked as perfectly to medium as possible, and from the first slice into this with my knife, it was as tender as tender could be. This was actually fork tender, but being so thick, there is no way a fork could cut through it. If I could cook a steak this well, I would be in heaven, and would have no need to ever go out to dinner. The inside was steaming hot, juicy, and perfectly cooked! All I can say is WOW!

The spice from the Ancho chili rub was very nice, but not for the faint at heart. It definitely added some heat, but was not offensive (to me) in the least! It also did not overpower the great flavors from the grill, and from the meat in general. The whipped potatoes were smooth and creamy with great flavors, and the green beans had a peppery spice and great snap to them! Finally, the espresso sauce was nice as well, and added some good smoky flavors to the dish. All in all, this was amazing, and again, the best filet I've had in years!

I actually asked our server where they got their meat from, and he told me, but of course I didn't write it down, and can no longer remember. I do remember that they were located in Newark though, so if you are reading, feel free to shoot us the name again! ;-)

After dinner we were both happily satisfied, with no room in our stomachs for dessert, but as the trends seems to be as of late, we ordered dessert anyway, and went with the crème de caramel, which was almost like a flan, but made with cream opposed to milk. Both the texture and the flavor were great, and I am glad we ordered it.

At the end of the day, we had another great experience at Tastebuds, and I truly hope that it's not another year before we make it back! But I am going to put a meeting reminder on my calendar to call and get another Valentine's Day reservation for 2012! From the great service, to the great steak, to the romantic environment, to my beautiful companion, it was the picture perfect Valentine's Day meal! I hope that yours was as well! Cheers!

Tastebuds
49 West Ferry Street
New Hope, PA
Phone: (215)862-9722
http://www.tastebuds-newhope.com/

Tastebuds - New Hope, PA

For Valentine's Day this year, I wanted to check out yet another new restaurant that we haven't visited, and tonight, Tastebuds in New Hope, PA fit the bill. I made our reservation about 3 weeks ago, and had nothing but great customer service on the phone, returning my call the same day I called for a reservation. I also received a nice greeting his morning, to confirm our reservation. . I first remember walking past Tastebuds a few years ago, and can remember it looking nice from the window. Unfortunately, at the time, they were not opened for lunch, and it kind of slipped my mind over the last 2 years. Even today they are still a dinner only restaurant. Two other things worth noting,which were pointed out to me on the telephone, are 1) The restaurant is BYOB (surprise, I know), and 2) the restaurant does not take credit cards, so be sure to hit the ATM before your visit. . Upon walking in, the front dining room was full. The first thing I noticed were the exposed beams, revealing some old wine planked hardwood floors up on the second floor. This had a nice rustic look to it, yet the dining room has some modern elements as well from the hanging orange lighting over the tables, to the curtain along the back and side wall, to the white leather bench seat as you walk in. . We were greeted shortly after arriving, and brought to our two top in the right side dining room. This room has rustic painted white hardwood floors, exposed beams on the ceiling again, and a fireplace filled with river rock and candles. I think there were 3 other tables in this room. Behind this room, there is yet another dining room, with a large, white, round swanky looking fabric like ball hanging like a chandelier over one of the tables. . I reached into the Riedel carrying case, grabbed our stems, and was torn between a 1975 Château Léoville Las Cases, as well as a 1998 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Jennifer's. Needless to say, I went with the old Bordeaux, and was sure glad that I did. What a surprising treat, so feel free to read my review below. . One of the nice bonuses tonight was the fact that there was no special menu, and tonight's menu was the same as last nights, and the same as it will be next Wednesday. This menu can be seen online. No high priced menu, no markups, etc. This was a nice touch, and I can definitely appreciate a place that didn't raise their prices for Valentine's Day. . For starters tonight, Zelda opted for the ARUGULA salad, with Avocado, Heirloom Grape Tomatoes, and a Spicy Corn Vinaigrette. This salad seemed very intriguing to her with the different elements, and was a nice surprise. The arugula was nice and fresh, and cleaned nicely with no grit or funk whatsoever. It had a nice pungent aroma, and some good spice as well. On the salad were small pieces of avocado, and the arugula was tossed in the very light dressing. . I was actually expecting the dressing to be more like a creamed corn, but instead it was nice and light, with very subtle corn flavors. The dressing itself was not over done in the least, and the salad meshed together very nicely with the fresh grape tomatoes. . I on the other hand opted for a hot appetizer, and went way out of my comfort zone and ordered the Wild Mushroom Strudel with Goat Cheese, pistachios, and Carousel Farm Lavender Honey. . For the longest time, I haven't been a big fan of mushrooms, mostly because of the texture, but lately I have been trying to overcome this. I really don't know why I want to like mushrooms so bad, but this was nice as the mushrooms were meaty, yet had a very light flavor to them. They didn't overpower the dish in the least, and combined with the goat cheese, this really made for a nice dish. But as I have said in the past, and as Zelda will confirm, how can you not like anything wrapped in puffed pastry? . The lavender honey also added a very nice element. I will say that I am no a huge honey consumer, however, this was very tasty. The lavender was so subtle that I had a hard time picking it out. But the flavors of the honey were very vibrant, and very fresh, with a nice sweetness to it. I think I am going to have to order some soon. In short, this was a nice dish, and I would definitely order it again. . Zelda opted for the Crunchy Paillard of Chicken Breast with soy shitakes, whipped potatoes, and a tarragon jus. This came out, and was a nice chicken breast, pounded thin, with nice shitake mushrooms on the side, served over a bed of whipped potatoes. The chicken itself was breaded, and cooked very nicely. There was a nice even browning on the breading, and the chicken was cooked through perfectly, and was nice and juicy. Sometimes, you will order a breaded chicken piece like this, and there will be charred spots from where the chicken has been overcooked. This was not the case at all here, and all of the different ingredients melded together very nicely. The mushrooms were good and soft, and the tarragon sauce added a very nice, and flavorful element to it. As perfect as the filet would have been with the mature Bordeaux, I was in the mood for seafood, and opted for the Firecracker Gulf Shrimp, with coconut basmati rice and toasted cashews, with a tangerine honey. The sweetness on this dish was elegant, and not overpowering in the least. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and were the furthest thing from firm. They had a really nice texture to them, and the rice was a nice match. I really enjoyed the sweetness of this dish, and that is something that I do not say very often. The coconut was barely noticeable, and that was appreciated. The last thing I want my dinner to taste like is a Caramel Delight Girl Scout cookie. Not the case at all here, and this was nice. Surprisingly, we saved room for dessert, and ordered a special that was not on the menu. This was a chocolate espresso mousse with a framboise sauce and whipped cream, and was nice, light, and tasty. They make this from decaf espresso, so be not worried about staying away all night after this one. The chocolate was nice and rich, and was the perfect portion for the two of us to share. It was light, and just capped off a really nice meal. So overall, I am very happy that we came to visit Tastebuds. For just over $71, we each had a starter, an entree, and we split dessert. That is a small price to pay in my opinion for food of this quality, on Valentine's Day nonetheless, but as I have said in the past, that is the beauty of visiting a BYOB. . The service tonight was outstanding between our two servers. They were both very pleasant, quick, and attentive. I didn't feel rushed in the least, and we were not pressured in the least. Unfortunately, I didn't get either of their names, but kudos to the staff for giving us great service on this lovely Valentine's Day. Kudos to the chef as well . I also thought the decor was nice, with some rustic charm, as well as some modern elements. Parking however is not super convenient, but you really cannot fault the restaurant for that, as everywhere in New Hope has this same issue. We were lucky and parked a 1/2 block up the street. . All in all, the service was great, and the food was good. Was it the best meal we've ever had? No, but all the dishes were well thought out for the menu, and well executed. A very pleasant Valentine's Day, and I look forward to going back and re-visiting Tastebuds this summer! Cheers! . Hours: 5:30PM Wednesday-Sunday Closed Monday and Tuesday B.Y.O.B Credit Cards NOT ACCEPTED - CASH ONLY 49 W. Ferry Street New Hope, PA 18938 Phone: (215)862-9722 http://www.tastebuds-newhope.com/

1975 Château Léoville Las Cases

I was very skeptical about this bottle, but knew that it has been well stored in our cellar for the last few years. Popped and poured tonight, Valentine's Day at Tastebuds in New Hope, PA. This was a classic example of a mature Bordeaux, from what was supposed to be a weak vintage. Regardless, this showed well, and had a good fill well into the neck. Cork was soaked 80% of the way through, with the faintest sign of mold under the foil. Nonetheless, it came out in one piece, which surprised me...or maybe our server was just that good with the corkscrew! Regardless, we gave him a nice taste, and he seemed to appreciate and enjoy it. Good on ya! Nice to see someone with a nice appreciation for the nectar of the God's at a BYOB! Deep garnet color in the glass, with the slightest bit of bricking, but this was more of a purple color with a slight fading around the rim, which surprised me. A bit of band aid on the nose, with some nice hints of cherry, pencil lead, wet slate, tobacco, leather and cedar. There was also the slightest bit of sweetness on the nose. On the palate, I was absolutely shocked, not expecting much in the least. Very nice mature cherry and strawberry on the palate, with a little bit of spice and cedar/leather. Some other red fruits were on the palate, but didn't really dominate, and were hard to identify, but had some berry like qualities. Overall, I was surprised there was as much fruit on the palate as there was. The finish was nothing to write home about, and albeit a bit short, it was smooth, the acidity was nice, and the tannins were well integrated. It was no 1982, but it was nice and pleasant, and worth of 92 points. Happy Valentine's Day! Cheers!