REVIEWS

F. Scott & Zelda – New Jersey Restaurant and Wine Critics

The New York Times

South Jersey Magazine

The Times

Princeton Packet

The Burlington County Times

www.thegrapeescape.net

The New York Times Sunday, January 28, 2008 By Karla Cook For Starters, Salads. But Don’t Stop There. In these times of short days and long nights, I crave vast quantities of raw greens, amended with a few nuts, a little cheese, maybe some perfectly ripened slices of fresh fruit ...I want salads. At Oliver a Bistro, I can satisfy my desire. I think of the mountain of squeaky-clean and piquant arugula, judiciously complemented with slim slices of Parmesan, a simple lemon vinaigrette and two hot-from-the-pan artichoke croutons. Or the salad that begins with a similar portion of field greens, adorned with juicy grape tomato halves, warm bacon bits and almost too much Amish blue cheese. Or the luscious duck confit laid over more of those field greens with Asian pear, everything sprinkled with dried cranberries and spiced pecans and dressed with a sweetish housemade pomegranate vinaigrette. If I had eaten my fill of greens on two visits, however, I would have missed the truffle-scented risotto, masterfully paired with slices of perfectly seared ahi tuna, a couple more of those sassy, slightly acidic grape tomatoes (these softened by a slow poach in butter) and a balsamic-port wine reduction. I also fit in a serving of the lobster macaroni and cheese, a great classic that didn’t need the luxury seafood and was oddly placed in the appetizers category; in my book, macaroni and cheese is a side dish. Better placed were the mussels, which proved to be plump and clean, with just a little too little fragrant white wine-garlic-shallot butter sauce for dipping and sopping. A special appetizer of gigamoto oysters, six for $19, was delicious, but their exceedingly small size (think of a snack on a toothpick) makes this a very pricey appetizer; most oyster fans I know would eat at least a dozen and a half before pausing for conversation. And Oliver is good for conversation, enjoyment and relaxing. The restaurant inhabits a long, narrow storefront with inset display windows that wrap around a recessed door. Matthew McElmoyl, the chef, and his wife, Danielle, bought the former lunch spot and opened their restaurant there in June 2006. The third player is James Berry, who makes the desserts and doubles as an excellent waiter when Mrs. McElmoyl needs help at the front of the house. Both my visits, one on a crowded weekend night, the other on a quiet weeknight, were marred by the endless recitation of specials, each with myriad components. Among them, I particularly enjoyed a slab of salmon, pan-seared to succulence and paired with thyme-imbued lentils. Scallops, too, were nicely pan-seared and presented, with a green pea risotto under one lonely strand of bright green broccolini, the mustard-colored shellfish cream sauce adding a fanciful touch. The rack of lamb was well roasted and well paired with mashed potatoes with goat cheese (but not enough broccolini), and another well executed sauce, this one a port wine reduction. The bacon-wrapped filet mignon was equally matched — mashed potatoes with horseradish and sour cream — and a hearty sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions and mushrooms. Unfortunately, the meat was raw inside, despite its appealing mahogany exterior, but that was nothing a little skillet time couldn’t fix. The real waste was the roast pork loin, so overcooked that it was dry and tough. Luckily, the braised cabbage and the Gruyère gratin alongside were lovely. The restaurant menu is simple, with aforementioned appetizers and salads on one page and six main dishes on the other. The cheese tortellini from the main dishes category was off balance: It needed more broccoli rabe and more roasted peppers, less sweet Italian sausage (and a more interesting variety) and only about a third of the Parmesan cream sauce. Mr. Berry served two standout desserts: Key lime pie so fresh that its graham cracker crust was still properly crunchy and flourless chocolate cake, as dark as dirt and so much like fudge that it stuck to the spoon. Those alone are reason enough to return, and good balance for all those delicious salads.
…From the pages of South Jersey Magazine… Soup’s On Spooning your way through winter’s icy nights never tasted so good. Now that it’s January, people are looking for meals that will not only comfort them through cold winter weather, but will also fit the pesky parameters of their New Year’s resolutions to keep their healthy eating on track. Soup is just the food to fit the bill on both counts.
For more soups t be enjoyed in a homey atmosphere, you won’t want to miss Bordentown’s Oliver: A Bistro, which is under the guidance of chef Matthew McElmoyl, a graduate of Atlantic Cape Community College’s culinary school who opened Philadelphia’s Lacroix and worked as executive chef at the Renault Winery. Oliver’s lobster bisque is served in white china with bite-sized chunks of sweet lobster, while an incredibly refined butter-and-lobster-infused broth is poured over it tableside. “It’s not heavy [like traditional bisques] because it only simmers for 45 minutes,” says McElmoyl.
Another offering is a comforting roasted potato soup topped with cheddar cheese and applewood-smoked bacon. More the consistency of a porridge than a broth, it’s also the chef’s top pick. “That’s my favorite,” he says. “I think I have a bowl of that every day.”

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Last year, Danielle and Matthew McElmoyl were proof of the resilience of youth. In a short span of time they took three major steps in life: they married, had a baby and took over ownership of the bistro Oliver on Farnsworth Avenue in Bordentown City.

The couple met at the last restaurant where they worked together, Sails in Somers Point, he as a chef and she as a server. Both have years of restaurant experience; his include time at Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, La Croix at Rittenhouse and the Brasserie Perrier in Philadelphia.

"Each place was a learning experience," he reports. Buying Oliver with the help of family financing was a longtime dream come true, he said.

Matthew McElmoyl started by following the previous owners' menu as a lunch-only restaurant, with little success.

"He was trying to run someone else's menu and it just didn't work," says Danielle McElmoyl.

The well-received dinner menu, which they added last October, is made up of Matthew McElmoyl's creations. When they debuted their own lunch menu, their repeat lunch business jumped.

They call their cuisine global, quickly rattling off a list of influences: Italian, French, Asian and traditional. All are represented on the short but compelling and varied menu.

Soups are made fresh at Oliver, and a crab and roasted corn chowder, $3.50, was a good example of using the season's best. The small bowl of soup was light and velvety, and the corn held its own with the lumps of fresh crabmeat.

Salads are large enough to share, and the kitchen will be happy to split one, says Danielle McElmoyl. A baby arugula salad, $9, was filled with tender, peppery greens and a generous portion of the chef's delightful artichoke croutons. Lightly fried and batter-dipped, these raise the concept of croutons to a new level. Shaved parmesan and a mild lemon vinaigrette finished the dish.

Lobster macaroni and cheese, $16, was a rich, grownup version of the childhood favorite. Hefty enough to serve as a small dinner entree, it came with chunks of lobster in a thin, spoonable cheese sauce. Paired with a salad, it would be enough for a meal.

An appetizer special for the evening, a classic mussels a la meuniere, $14.95, was a heaping bowl of shellfish prepared in a mild sauce of browned butter, parsley, garlic and white wine.

McElmoyl is fond of classic recipes, which was demonstrated in one of the night's dinner specials, broiled scallops, $20.95. He served five perfectly grilled scallops with shellfish cream, which he made from a classic recipe that involves roasting the shells while adding tomatoes and cream. "It takes a long time to make, but it's worth it," he says. He's right.
 
Seared black angus sirloin, $24.50, was a tad pinker inside than the medium requested, but we were forewarned; Danielle McElmoyl worked to explain that her husband had a set temperature for the excellent cut of meat that did not vary. Cooked with a nicely seared crust and served with horseradish and sour cream mashed potatoes and red wine sauce, it was a fine treatment for an admirable cut of beef.

An Asian stir-fry special, $18.95, was dark and tangy with chunks of beef and crisp, tender vegetables served over brown rice.

Crab cakes, $18.95, were thick with crabmeat with no sign of filler. They were served with a fresh and tangy pineapple salsa, atop fragrant, lightly nutty jasmine rice.

Desserts, $5.95, are made in-house by the staff pastry chef. A lovely mixed berry crisp, warmed before serving, came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, as did a surprisingly light slice of chocolate pecan pie. A slice of mild key lime pie was missing the expected kick from the lime, while a bowl of four scoops of icy coconut sorbet was accompanied by a crunchy biscotti.

Youth, energy and enthusiasm are abundant at Oliver but, happily, there is experience as well. McElmoyl is 33, his wife is 27, but they have many years in the restaurant business, and it shows in how they have built their menu and operate the front of the house.

This is a restaurant that is worth a visit, but be warned, it may become addictive; it's that good.

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Princeton Packet
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
By Antoinette Buckley

The chemistry is just right here, with a skillful menu
and a location in the burgeoning heart of Bordentown.

I’m smitten — and not only with Oliver, but with Bordentown too, with its lovely little main street hidden from the rest of central New Jersey. The street accommodates a few restaurants, art and antique shops, an old-fashioned ice cream store, the local hairdresser and people who know each other by name.

Oliver a bistro is a perfect fit for such a charming town. About a year and a half ago, husband-and-wife team Matthew and Danielle McElmoyl bought Oliver and turned it into a classic bistro. What once was roast beef and cheese on sourdough is now a Flat Iron Sandwich ($9.50) with pan seared steak, creamy cheddar cheese sauce, crispy onions and overnight tomatoes on artisan bread. That’s the kind of thing you’ll find for lunch at Oliver now. But in the era of McElmoyl, you’ll also find dinner.

Chef-owner McElmoyl stays true to a bistro menu. It’s nothing fancy, but the combinations are elevated to a sophisticated, but unpretentious level. The interior is attractive in its modern take on the colors of love. The stylized red paint job, black wainscoting, white stucco and gold trim combine to form the look of romance. A red rose on every table reinforces that sentiment. But there’s more to it than that — this restaurant is filled with laughter and glee. There are happy people eating and happy people serving. It is a pleasure to be at Oliver, regardless of the small quarters that make the constant movement of a busy staff noticeable.

The restaurant is a combined effort of many. During off-peak hours, James Berry is pastry chef and at peak restaurant hours he is the host. Ms. McElmoyl skillfully waits tables several nights a week and there are very capable, helping hands in the kitchen. Mr. McElmoyl is there just about 24/7. While the food can appear effortless on the plate, there is a labor of love behind most dishes. The veal sauce alone takes three days to make. As with many of the sauces and reductions, there is a time-consuming process behind the depth of flavor that comes through.

While menu choices are inviting, the specials list is so substantial that it tends to overshadow that which is on the printed page. The meal starts with a fragrant rose- mary-infused olive oil dip and bread that might be nicer if it were crustier or served warm. Still, it is an adequate tool to sop up not only the preliminary oil dip but also the delicious brown butter, garlic and white wine sauce in which the mussels from the specials menu ($14.95) swim. These mussels are cooked to perfection, which is fortunate since there are about 50 of them in a single serving.

Not all portions are monstrous, however. Most are a comfortable size. Mushroom bruschetta ($9) is sautéed button mushrooms on top of what poetic license calls “an extended Boursin crouton.” In actuality, they are two long pieces of toasted Italian bread cut on an angle and spread with Boursin cheese. On top are those sautéed mushrooms, shaved parmesan and a hint of truffle oil to deepen the flavor of a simple, yet spirited combination. Dressed arugula on the side provides a fresh offset.

Mixed greens ($9) become a sweet and salty marriage underneath a generous ladle of port wine vinaigrette and embellishments of pear, candied pecans, “bloomed” cranberries and Amish blue cheese. This is a salad that you could really sink your teeth into.

 From the regular menu, seared Black Angus sirloin ($26.50) is cooked to the ultimate and comes with a gravy that matches its superior flavor. The green beans are just right, but the mashed potatoes falter a bit as the incorporation of sour cream and horseradish tends to cloud that which we crave with this dish — good old-fashioned mashed potatoes, nothing more, nothing less.

Sauces are a highlight at Oliver. The pan seared diver sea scallops ($21.95) of the evening come as seven placed ever so deliberately in a shallow pond of the most incredible seafood cream sauce. This sauce is the product of many steps and in the end, roasted shrimp shells, scraps of scallops and vegetables combine to form an intense extraction of flavors. The sauce is rich and full; it is, in fact, bisque-like. And the plate just gets better with broccolini draped over an outstanding mold of truffle risotto on the side.

White plates of all shapes and sizes make up the backdrops upon which all food is placed. It is a simple and beautiful way to present bistro cuisine.

Don’t skip dessert. The repertoire looks great positioned together on an oversized tile. The key lime pie is as good as it looks, but the biggest surprise of the evening was by far the chocolate chip cheesecake. Of all the choices, this is the one I found least tempting, but with a nudge from our server, I ordered it and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. The crust is essentially a chocolate chip cookie. It is filled with a dreamy cheesecake filling with bits of chocolate chip cookie worked into it. The concept seems juvenile, but the taste has ageless appeal.

There is a harmonious relationship going on here with the quality and style of food, the comfortable service, and the warm atmosphere. The McElmoyls have definitely gotten the chemistry right at Oliver a bistro.

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www.thegrapeescape.net

Oliver a Bistro is a wonderful unexpected surprise that we recently discovered. This restaurant and this chef are destined for great things. Incredibly daring dishes are served in the most quaint of restaurants. There are not a lot of seats here, so be prepared to make reservations early.

Chef Matthew McElmoyl and his wife Danielle have created a standout in this cozy downtown Bordentown location. If you haven’t been to Bordentown for dinner lately, Oliver a Bistro is a must stop. It’s perfectly situated downtown, within walking distance to a couple of bars for a before dinner drink and a cigar lounge (Ashes to Ashes), for that after dinner cigar.

The New York City caliber menu and specials are wonderful. For starters, the mushroom bruschetta is outrageous. The beet and goat cheese salad are perfectly balanced and flavored. What a masterpiece of flavors in that dish. The scallops are some of the best we’ve had. Don’t be shy about pouring a Pinot Noir with those scallops but to play it safe, go with a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay if served with a butter sauce. And we have to mention the fresh rare tuna appetizer…we are still talking about that dish. Perfect tuna…PERFECT.

Make sure to tell Danielle that The Grape Escape sent you and enjoy this wonderful find. Oliver a Bistro will be invited to host a couple Open Houses next year at The Grape Escape…so you will hear more about them in the coming months.

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Burlington County Times Review