If you are looking for a refreshing change of pace from the seemingly endless number of Italian, Mexican and Greek restaurants in the area, The Golden Horn, on Route 66 in Tinton Falls, is a great alternative. Billed as a Mediterranean restaurant, it is owned by a Turkish family and the menu reflects their culinary heritage in great depth. The large, nicely decorated space is in a shopping center in proximity to the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets.
The appetizer section of the menu is so extensive one could choose an entire meal from it and be very happy, but we wanted to get a taste of the other offerings, so we used a modicum of discretion in our ordering. The variety of appealing appetizers made choosing among them a daunting task, but happily, the Mixed Appetizer Plate ($28.95) solved our problem. An assortment of six different dishes included Hummus (chickpeas mashed with lemon juice and flavored with tahini), Babaganoush (eggplant, tahini, mayo, garlic and olive oil), Spinach Tarator (pan-fried spinach with labneh, garlic and spices), Beets Tarator (beets, labneh, garlic and spices), Spicy Ezme (thinly chopped onions, tomatoes, pepper, walnuts, herbs, pomegranate sour and Turkish spice) and Sauced Eggplant (pieces of eggplant in a sauce of tomatoes, green peppers, onions and garlic). This very generous offering came with a totally addictive balloon bread (Balon Lavas). It looked like a large blown-up pita and was impossible to stop tearing off pieces.
An entree of Chicken Shish Kebab ($24.95), chunks of marinated chicken grilled with herbs and spices and served with rice and sauteed vegetables, elevated chicken to a whole new level. It was juicy, tender and deeply flavorful.
A large Grilled Whole Branzino ($33.95) was served intact and not filleted after presentation, which made it a bit challenging to separate the skin and bones from the meaty white fish, but it was juicy and moist and worth the work to dissect. It was placed in the center of the table for everyone to enjoy.
There are a number of vegetarian choices on the large menu. Grilled Veggie Shish ($19.95) combined eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, onions and pepper with a side of rice pilaf and a large mixed green salad. This would be a great side dish for a meat or seafood entrée but was totally enjoyable on its own.
Another vegetarian choice, Eggplant Kashkaval ($19.95) featured pan-fried eggplant, tomatoes, parsley and kashkaval cheese, with sides of rice and sauteed vegetables. This resembled an Eggplant Parmigiana, but Turkish style, making it a much-liked dish by the whole table, which was apparent when every bit was finished.
There were many, many, more choices of entrees: Eight lamb dishes, including Beyti Kebab ($27.95), ground lamb seasoned with spices, wrapped with lavash bread and served with rice and yogurt sauce on top, which is on our list for the next visit. Many beef-based entrees were on the menu for meat lovers, and a selection of Pide, a rolled flatbread with various toppings resembling a folded pizza, with feta cheese, spinach or Turkish sausage, to name but a few of the variations offered.
Happily, the super-friendly waitstaff is on hand to explain any and all of the dishes on the menu and guide you with your ordering.
There is even a nice assortment of pastas offered, as well as a children’s menu.
However, the Dessert Menu called to us. There were 17 choices, which made it a formidable task! A rolling serving cart of the assortment made it even harder to limit our selections. Somehow, we narrowed it down to two kinds of Baklava: Classic ($11.95) and Twist ($10.95), and Brown Top Pudding ($10.95). We really liked both styles of Baklava; they were light and crispy, studded with nuts. The pudding, known as Kazandibi, is milk-based, with a burnt sugar top layer. It tasted like a toasted marshmallow and lasted two minutes before our foursome happily demolished it.
The Golden Horn is BYO. This is interesting food with which to pair wines, but the broad scope of dishes allows for many choices. For a white, we brought an offbeat choice: 2019 Domaine du Pelican, Arbois En Barbi Chardonnay. This estate in the Jura region of France is owned by Domaine Marquis d’Angerville, a famed producer of Volnay, so it has an excellent pedigree and it did not disappoint. It was full-bodied, not oaky, and had a long fruity finish. It paired well with the cold appetizers.
The red wine was another interesting choice: 2015 La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou. This is the second label of Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and was quite delicious. Fully mature, it improved even further in the glass. If you can track this down, it will not disappoint!
Even if you have no experience with Turkish cuisine, The Golden Horn will make it easy to find a wide variety of delicious dishes to please every palate. It is impossible to sample everything in one or even two visits, so a return dinner is essential to get the full scope of this excellent addition to the Jersey Shore dining scene.
3595 Route 66
Tinton Falls
goldenhornmediterranean.com
Bob Sacks, a longtime food and wine buff, writes about food, wine and restaurants
in this column. Follow him on Instagram @dinnerwithbob.
