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Dining Along the Delaware

~ Where locals come to eat

Dining Along the Delaware

Category Archives: review

Hamilton’s Grill Room a la Brian

28 Saturday Apr 2018

Posted by T.D. Inoue in BYOB, dinner, fine dining, restaurants, review

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With the sad passing of Jim Hamilton, we lost a legendary man. Jim was admired and respected, both for what he created and for all he contributed to our area. Many local chefs started in Jim’s kitchen or under his tutelage, going on to make names for themselves – carrying on our region’s foodie tradition by propagating Jim’s legacy. Not to mention his famous daughters, Gabrielle and Melissa, each known globally for their culinary contributions.

Many worried about what would happen to Hamilton’s Grill Room without Jim’s  presence. But that fear turned to excitement when we heard that Jim had passed the baton to Chef Brian Held (of Brian’s restaurant and Bistro Rouget).

If you read my post about Brian’s, you know how much I respect Chef Held. In a  region with hundreds of restaurants, Chef Held’s restaurants consistently rank among the best. But can he do it again at Hamilton’s?

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Aztlan Mexican Grill – Outstanding Mexican with a Twist

10 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by T.D. Inoue in dinner, Ethnic, food, Hidden gem, restaurants, review, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Burritos, dining, dinner, fish tacos, food, hidden gem, Lambertville, Mexican, Nachos, patio, restaurant, restaurants

I love good Mexican food.  It’s something of a guilty pleasure – fried chips, cheese, mounds of meat, spicy sauces. Though after taking Mexican cooking classes with Shelley Wiseman at The Farm Cooking School, I’ve become very hard to please!

Aztlan raises the bar, serving up a huge variety of Mexican and Tex-mex dishes, both familiar and new. Chef/owner Edgar Castro, who was the chef at the popular Tortugas before buying the restaurant, has crafted a new menu. The dishes, heavily influenced by his youth in Mexico City, artfully melds dishes and flavors from all over Mexico as well as retaining many of the familiar Ameri-Mex that we’ve all come to know.

In fact, Aztlan has done something so special that they received a “very good” from the New York Times food reviewer. The Times is known for their tough reviews, so this is high praise! Based on our dining experiences at Aztlan, they’ve earned their accolades.

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Brian’s Reinvented

08 Sunday May 2016

Posted by T.D. Inoue in BYOB, dinner, fine dining, Poorly Kept Secret, restaurants, review

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Tags

BYOB, dining, dinner, foodie, Lambertville, restaurants

It’s not often that a restaurateur chooses to reinvent an already successful restaurant. But that’s exactly what Brian Held, chef-owner of Brian’s in Lambertville and NoLa in Stockton has done. The new (May 2016) Brian’s has melded the best of both restaurants into his eponymous restaurant in Lambertville creating a wonderful new and unique fine dining experience.

We applaud Brian’s thoughtful evolution. While Stockton is a charming town for NoLa, we feel like Lambertville is the right location for his flagship offering. With convenient parking and its central location, Brian’s is an easy destination for more diners. I know we’ll be coming more often!

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Brian’s – Why did we wait so long to go back?

16 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by T.D. Inoue in BYOB, dinner, fine dining, Hidden gem, restaurants, review

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

French, hidden gem, Lambertville, restaurant

Have you ever felt like you’ve missed out on years of joy after “discovering” something that others have known about forever? Tonight, Evy and I kicked ourselves, because we’ve missed out on so many amazing meals at Brian’s in Lambertville, NJ.

That name probably sounds familiar because last week I wrote glowingly about Chef Brian Held’s new place, NoLa, in Stockton, NJ. After having such a great meal there, and spending some time with Brian himself, Evy and I decided we had to head over to Brian’s eponymous restaurant in Lambertville.

Before going, we checked out some other reviews of the place. In particular, this review in the New York Times caught my eye. When the first line of a review talks about setting out for Lambertville, in the rain, for a fondly remembered dish, you have to take notice. In this case, the dish was sweetbreads Milanese, something I normally would not eat. But tonight, I made an exception… Continue reading →

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Hamilton’s Grill Room – A Gem Hidden Down a Little Alley in Lambertville

15 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by T.D. Inoue in dinner, Hidden gem, restaurants, review

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

grill, meat, oysters, patio, seafood, steak

Ask locals to name their favorite place to go for the best grilled meat and fish and the name you’ll hear most often is Hamilton’s.

Hamilton’s is truly a Hidden Gem. In fact, if you don’t have clear directions, you might never find it because it’s hidden at the end of driveway between buildings, on a back street in Lambertville. But keep looking, because it’s worth the trip. Find the Neon Sign for Finkles Hardware then look across the street and you’ll see the tiny sign for Hamilton’s attached to the red brick wall of the right building along the alley. To say their marketing is understated is an exaggeration!

Take the time to find this little alley and walk down to the end where you’ll be rewarded by a great meal prepared by a staff that clearly loves food as much as the owners, Jim and Melissa Hamilton.

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Stimulate Your Tastebuds with this Hidden Gem

08 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by T.D. Inoue in BYOB, dinner, fine dining, Hidden gem, restaurants, review

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Barbacane, BYOB, Fine dining, hidden gem, New Hope, restaurant

Tastebuds Restaurant in New Hope is a true hidden gem that even locals need to be reminded of periodically. It’s located just across the street from The Raven, next to the gas station. You’ve probably driven by without noticing, so here’s what you’ll see as you come up the street.

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Tastebuds is low key on the outside, but once you’ve dined there, you’ll wonder how you’ve missed it all these years because the food is perfectly prepared and truly delicious.

Owner John Barbacane has a simple philosophy, as stated on Tastebuds’ menu:

“Our goal is to serve the highest quality food. We are devoted to finding the finest ingredients. The menu focuses on seasonal produce, humanely raised meats, and wild seafood. We support sustainable agriculture and local farmers. Because we select only the freshest ingredients, our menu changes with the season”

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Hidden right in the heart of Lambertville – Dish at Lambertville House

01 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by T.D. Inoue in dinner, dog friendly, food, Hidden gem, Monday, Poorly Kept Secret, restaurants, review

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Tags

bar, brunch, caterer, catering, dog friendly, hidden gem, Lambertville, Michele Pulaski, restaurant, restaurants, Sunday

Lambertville House Hotel has long been a favorite place to stay. Ultra-conveniently located right on Bridge Street in Lambertville, the Inn has received numerous accolades including the prestigious AAA Four-diamond award. Their streetside-patio is a great place to grab a drink and dine on a summer night. Inside, you’ll find their classic bar, replete with comfy seating and decor that takes you bake to a time when things seemed more relaxed.

Evy struts by Lambertville House during the Parade. Are we having fun yet?

Evy struts by Lambertville House during the Parade. Are we having fun yet?

While Lambertville House is well known, the source of their food hasn’t received the attention it deserves. Their collaboration with Dish Catering and owner Michele Pulaski was true genius. Pulaski has been bringing outstanding catering to our area with her company, Dish Catering, since 2002. Everybody who has had the good fortune of dining with Dish knows that Pulaski delivers delicious food of outstanding quality.

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Tasting the Good Life at Zoubi

19 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by T.D. Inoue in dinner, restaurants, review

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Tags

braising, cheese, Justin McClain, pork belly, short ribs, Tasting Menu, wine pairing

Menu1
We had the good fortune of participating in the first of Zoubi’s new offerings, planned to be held monthly – the Chef’s Tasting Menu with Drink Pairings. All told, an extravagant meal experience consisting of, I think, 12 different food items.

(In case you don’t read the entire post, keep an eye on Zoubi’s Facebook page to learn when the next Tasting will be.)

We learned afterwards while talking with Elizabeth Bordner (Liz), the General Manager of Zoubi, she and Chef Justin McClain worked together to create the dinner. She chose the drinks for each course while McClain crafted courses to complement the drink. As it turned out, every food item we were served mated perfectly with the paired drink.

The night started with an explanation of what lay ahead with a little history of the vineyards and vintners. As we progressed through the meal, they described each drink, it’s characteristics and why it was chosen.

On to the food!

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Zoubi – An Unexpected Gem in the heart of New Hope

10 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by T.D. Inoue in dinner, Hidden gem, lunch, restaurants, review

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bacon, cheese, cowboy steak, creme brulee, dining, dinner, food, hidden gem, lunch, New Hope, pasta, patio, pork belly, restaurants

Starting the meal with the cheese board

Starting the meal with the cheese board

How we ended up at Zoubi

After a day traveling around the area, admiring the spectacular gardens of the yearly Historical Society garden tour, I was not expecting to be treated to a great dinner at a restaurant that I had written off years ago. However, I was very pleasantly surprised when our perfect day was capped off by rediscovering the beautiful patio at Zoubi, a restaurant that once again deserves our patronage.

It’s been many years since I’ve dined at Zoubi because, frankly, it used to be overpriced and inconsistent. If you browse the review sites, you will find them littered with negative reviews. But that is all behind them now and Zoubi appears destined for a rapid ascent through the culinary ranks of the finest restaurants along the Delaware.

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Teaberry’s Supper Club

02 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by T.D. Inoue in dinner, Hidden gem, restaurants, review, specials

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

desserts, dining, dinner, dinner club, English tea, Flemington, foodie

Once in a great while, I encounter a “new” restaurant that is so special, that I become somewhat obsessed with it. Teaberry’s is *that* place for me now.

I’ve already written about Teaberry’s once in my Hidden Gems feature, but after dining there for the Thursday Night Supper Club, I knew I had to rush home and write another post.

If you read my first post, then you’re already familiar with how impressed Evy and I are with Teaberry’s food, so we were looking for an excuse to try the Thursday Supper Club. Fortunately, our dear friend Boyd recently celebrated his birthday, so we had a perfect excuse to return to Teaberry’s. Thank you Boyd!

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