In the words of the great catcher and philosopher, Yogi Berra, it was “déjà vu, all over again” when we walked into the Fromagerie in Rumson and were transported back to our first visit there in the 1970s. Although completely updated, even the main dining room looked and felt almost the same, with its widely spaced tables, soft amber glow from the lighting, pretty place settings, and white-jacketed waitstaff. It’s a real challenge to preserve the food and feel of such a fiercely loved, iconic restaurant, and still allow it to change with the times, but based on my recent visit there, the new owners have done a very good job.
Under the 30-year stewardship of Hubert and Markus Peter, it was a paradigm of the classic, fine French/Continental restaurant, with very good food, and warm, gracious service. Steven Botta, who also owns Osteria Cucina Rustica in Marlboro, and Brando’s Citi Cucina in Asbury Park, along with Paul and Enilda Sansone and Angelo Bongiovanni, have captured the essence of what was, and put a contemporary spin on it to make it even more relevant.
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Caesar Salad ($14/26 for two) prepared tableside, but on the night of our visit, server Jon DeCamp did a masterful job, and produced a savory mix of romaine hearts, anchovies – both the milder, less salty, Spanish whites, and the cured brown type – garlic, egg yolk, parmigiana, and house made croutons. A longtime standard, it was elevated to something special.
The Escargot ($18), served out the shell, were plump and garlicky; tender and earthy in a good way, they were delicious.
Pleasant, but unremarkable, was the Chopped Salad ($12); chopped greens, red onion, tomato, cucumber, sliced almonds and a surfeit of dried cherries was dressed with a creamy roasted garlic vinaigrette.
We really liked the Polenta with Truffled Mushroom Fricassee ($15); the creamy, comfort food texture of the cornmeal nicely set off by a mushroom/Marsala sauce, making for a memorable dish.
As much as we enjoyed the warm appetizers, we hope to see some lighter choices added to that section of the menu in the future, as many of the offerings tended to be on the rich side.
There are five different pastas available; we chose perfectly al dente Bucatini ($21); also called perciatelli, this spaghetti with a hole in the middle was sauced with a very good, fresh tomato sauce that was light yet full-flavored.
Swordfish Chop ($42), a novel presentation of a large, thick cut, bone- in chop; nicely crusted, with a dusting of herbs, it shared the plate with cannellini beans and a beautifully red, sun-dried tomato puree. I was very impressed with this.
Jaw-dropping large, the Tomahawk Pork Chop ($39) was tender and moist. The double cut, long bone Berkshire chop was breaded, stuffed with asiago cheese and prosciutto, and sauced with mushroom, truffle, and Madeira. Good roasted potatoes also graced the plate, but the Pork was the star attraction.
Another generous-sized entrée, Halibut Oreganata ($42) topped with breadcrumbs and fragrant oregano, came with a lemony, white wine sauce, clams, artichoke hearts and heirloom tomatoes. Delicious.
The wine list was a bit of a challenge, not in variety, but rather in organization and price points; $40 bottles were randomly intermingled with $300 bottles, with not enough choices in between. I prefer a list with ascending prices within each category or region; the least expensive to the most expensive, etc. That said, we really enjoyed a couple of whites by the glass for aperitifs which were fairly priced: Saget La Pierre Sancerre ($14), crisp, fruity, and dry; and Paul Buisse Sauvignon Blanc ($11), more herbal, slightly grassy, and fuller. No vintages were listed for the wines by the glass selections; I would hope this oversight is corrected in the near future.
A bottle of 2011 Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino ($90), was reticent at first, but developed a nose of red cherries and leather after decanting; soft tannins, good acidity, and of medium weight, it paired well with the pasta, pork and even the fish preparations.
The excellent glassware for both red and white wine service made it a pleasure to drink from them; a nice change of pace from the small, clunky glasses too many restaurants use.
After the very generous entree portions it was a challenge to find room for dessert, but Pistachio Ice Cream Cake ($12) sounded too interesting to miss, and we were very glad we tried it. A disk of pale green ice cream, drizzled with caramel sauce, sat atop a thin graham cracker crust, surrounded by roasted pistachio nuts. Cool and refreshing, this was light enough to provide a nice finale to the meal.
In its last iteration, under different ownership, the Fromagerie blazed new paths, but now it is back, and it feels good. The original ambience and hospitality has been recreated, with an updated menu, offering many classic favorites plus some new additions.
Who says you can’t go home again?
Fromagerie
26 Ridge Road, Rumson
732-852-2650
Bob Sacks, longtime food and wine buff, reviews restaurants in this bimonthly column. Read his reviews here.
