Review: The Belmonte

The Belmonte     Rating: Good
There’s a palpable buzz of a party in progress as we enter The Belmonte, a three-week-old Latin fusion restaurant and lounge on Broad Street in Red Bank, site of the former Red. The music is loud; laughter and conversations louder. The high-ceilinged lower level, dominated by a large, horse-shoe shaped bar, is packed with a lively young crowd, there for drink, food, and fun. Tables line one long brick wall; there is also a second level for dining, and an upstairs lounge with DJ on the weekends. But tonight, we are here for the food; to explore the tapas and interpretations of Spanish cuisine that Chef Andrew Cenicola, formerly chef at Red, is producing in this airy and spacious setting.

Michael Lynch, owner of Red, has refurbished and reinvented the space, as well as the theme and the menu. Cenicola has broadened his horizons, venturing forth from Contemporary American fare, into Latino-style food and small plates, a welcome change from the conventional menus that populate this area.
We order a cross section of Tapas to start, and find some hits and misses. Papas Bravas ($6) are a standout. Chunks of skin-on potatoes, oven-roasted until crunchy on the outside and soft and yielding on the inside, drizzled with a garlic aioli, and set off with the mild heat of smoky paprika. Even carbo-phobes will find this dish hard to resist.
Piquillo Peppers ($16), small, sweet red peppers, were perfectly cooked; stuffed with tender short rib meat, golden raisins, and mint, providing just the right contrast of sweet and savory, making them worthy of seconds.
A small pot of Local Clams Ala Plancha ($11), with parsley, garlic, and lemon, arrived piping hot in a flavorful broth, but were inconsistent in their degree of doneness; some perfectly tender and juicy, others chewy. Had they all been of the same size, they would have cooked more uniformly and we would have enjoyed them even more.
The Olive Oil Poached Ruby Red Shrimp ($13) with chile piquin, sea salt, and grilled bread, fell a little short of our expectations; they were under seasoned and lacked distinctive flavor.
We tasted two different ceviches (both $14): the pleasant but mild Tuna Agua Chile, with lime, pineapple, and red onions, lacked acidity; and a Traditional Ceviche Acapulco with shrimp, grouper, tomatoes, citrus, and avocado, which we enjoyed even more because of the greater variety of seafood and more typical refreshingly astringent character. Both were served with Tostones (fried plantain slices) so warm, crispy and satisfying, that we found ourselves each politely vying to take the last one without appearing to be rude; we finally agreed to split it. These should be offered as a side dish!

Chicken Rostizado ($19), with oregano, lime juice, and salsa verde, was a perfectly roasted, tender and juicy bird, that needed nothing more to sing.
A nicely charred medium-rare Skirt Steak ($24), arrived with a very tasty chimichurri sauce (parsley, olive oil, oregano, garlic, white vinegar) that lent a fresh, romp-through-the-garden quality to the tender meat.
Paella For Two ($28), a beautiful presentation containing shrimp, mussels, clams, calamari, grouper, bomba rice (classic short grain paella rice), saffron, and chile de arbol, was a near miss. The seafood, fresh and plentiful, failed to absorb flavor from the cooking broth and seasonings, rendering it lackluster. Sadly, the rice was also overcooked and had become mushy.
We tasted a terrific Hamburguesa ($14), a thick patty of chopped brisket and chuck, served with avocado, chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce and pickled onions on brioche. It came with Cotija cheese (a salty feta-like Mexican cheese) which had been ingeniously latticed and melted to form a crispy frico, a cheese cracker of sorts, which we really enjoyed.
The wine list spanned the globe, including some selections from Spain, Chile, and Argentina; most bottles under $45. We selected one of our favorite grapes, a 2013 Albarino from Fillaboa ($39). The fresh acidity and crispness married well with many of the dishes, although one of the two Malbecs from Argentina would have also been a good choice.
Dark Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Cake ($10), with a fresh berry compote was a bit too dense for our taste, though the flavors were harmonious. Coconut Panna Cotta ($9), buried under coconut-pistachio sorbet, caramelized pineapple, and guava sauce was quite sweet but addictive.
We see much upside potential for this just-opened restaurant and lounge, and welcome the adventuresome spirit of this menu. Once some of the dishes have been fine-tuned and polished, we think The Belmonte will quickly morph into a compelling destination for drinks and small plates at the bar, or a full dinner at a table. Either way, we are sure it will be lots of fun to be there.
The two Bobs rated The Belmonte: Good.
Bob Sacks, wine aficionado, and Bob Sickles, owner and operator of Sickles Market, review restaurants in this bimonthly column.

The Belmonte

3 Broad St. Red Bank

732-741-3232

Website: www.thebelmontenj.com