Restaurant Review: The Grand Tavern

1241

The Grand Tavern

Rating: Good+ 

We usually avoid restaurants that practice a no-reservations policy; 40 minutes had passed and we were still waiting to be seated at the 3-month-old Grand Tavern in Neptune. We were just about ready to admit defeat and leave, when a table opened up and we were seated. What a good thing we stayed – the food was worth the wait!
The restaurant is owned by Paul Holzeimer, chef/owner, and Ashley Coyte, both of whom worked at Pascal and Sabine in Asbury Park. Chef Paul studied at the French Culinary Institute, cooked at Sirena Ristorante in Long Branch, and was executive chef at Porta in Asbury Park.
The interior of the small, 45-seat restaurant is an improbable mix of hipster/hunting lodge/country French, but it works….high, exposed beam ceilings, green patterned wallpaper, and burgundy leather banquettes with a large U-shaped mahogany bar surrounded by stools, and animal heads mounted on the walls, complete the look. There is an open view of the kitchen. Outside seating at communal tables is available in good weather.

Grilled Octopus
Grilled Octopus with Flageolet Beans

From the Small Plates section of the menu, meant to be shared, we chose Grilled Octopus ($16), a generous portion of seared, tender tentacles, toothsome stewed flageolet beans, and ‘Nduja (spicy, spreadable Italian pork sausage). This was good enough for us to consider a second order, but sanity prevailed and we forged ahead with House Ricotta ($10); a scoop of which arrived with fungi sott’olio (mushrooms pickled in oil) atop two thick slices of grilled bread. The ricotta was delicious but the dish was marred by excessive vinegar in the mushrooms, and the bread made limp and soggy by far too much olive oil.
Nothing short of superb was the House Agnolotti ($16), the tender ravioli-like pasta filled with more homemade ricotta, plated with a smoky Sauce Americaine (a classic French lobster sauce of tomato, garlic, butter, wine), chunks of lobster, bacon, and fragrant fresh tarragon. Rich, but not at all heavy, it was memorable.
Half Chicken ($26), roasted to a burnished skin, sitting on a bed of broccoli rabe, was very good , but made even better by the accompanying sauce of yogurt and chermoula (North African sauce of fresh herbs, garlic, and preserved lemon.)

House-made Agnolotti with Lobster
House-made Agnolotti with Lobster

We were a bit puzzled by the Local Tile Fish ($26). Cooked perfectly, and served with a vibrant green spinach puree and woodsy tasting mushrooms, it had been coated with an overly thick crust of chorizo, which was rather salty as well. We are purists to some degree, and prefer to see fin fish presented without the addition of meat. This allows diners with dietary restrictions to have adequate choices.
However, with a nod to those folks, there was an excellent vegetarian offering that was rated best dish of the night. Summer Squash Curry ($16); firm, not mushy beluga lentils, aromatic coconut, toasted pine nuts, and cilantro, made for one of the best vegetable dishes we have had in a long time. Every ingredient was identifiable in the taste, yet they blended together perfectly. Bravo! Diners should consider ordering one for the table and sharing it as a side dish, it’s that good.
Local Scallops ($28) seared perfectly, juicy and moist inside, were classically paired with summer corn kernels and sweet corn puree, squash, chile, bacon, and lemon balm. There was much to like here in this light, very flavorful dish, but some diners might find the degree of heat from the chile excessive.
There are a number of special cocktails which change periodically, as does the food menu, but we opted for wines from the reasonably priced and well-crafted wine list. An N.V. Escudo Real Vino Verde ($8/32) citrusy, with green apple and grapefruit notes and 2014 Ch. Pilet Bordeaux Blanc ($9/36); fresh and fruity with good lemon-like acidity.
Oddly, there is only one dessert offering: Pancake ($10) with vanilla butter, fresh strawberries and blueberries, and maple syrup. A lovely choice for breakfast or brunch, but in our opinion, far too rich and heavy to end a meal of such nuance and elegance. A bite or two was all we could muster before we set down our forks. We would have welcomed some sorbet or gelato, or even some fresh fruit with a crispy cookie instead.
If you don’t mind sitting at the bar and relaxing with a drink until a table is available, or even eating at the bar, perhaps Grand Tavern’s no-reservation policy will not be an issue for you. That would be a good thing, because their innovative food is prepared by a chef who clearly knows what he is doing.

The Two Bobs rate The Grand Tavern:  Good+

The Grand Tavern 

1105 Sixth Avenue

Neptune City

thegrandtavern.com

Bob Sacks, wine aficionado, and Bob Sickles, owner and operator of Sickles Market, review restaurants in this bimonthly column. Read their reviews here.