New Jersey Restaurant Review
Atrio Café
515 Bridge Street
Stockton, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
(609) 397-0042
By The Artful Diner
Special to New Jersey Online
October 8, 2001
(Restaurant Now Closed)
If you've had your fill of rubbing elbows (and various other parts of your anatomy) with the invading weekend hordes fighting for a decent table in the frenetically touristy New Hope/Lambertville area, you might consider a pilgrimage to Stockton, a sleepy little village just a few miles to the north. Here you will discover a bit of peace and quiet, an exceptional wine store, and one first-rate eatery. Indeed, the Atrio Café is just the sort of restaurant that every diner should have safely tucked away in his/her little black book. The atmosphere is bustling yet decidedly comfy, and chef/owner Ricky Franco whips up an intriguing eclectic amalgam of traditional favorites and innovative specialties.
The clientele is a convivial mix of regulars and first-timers, and a most amicable atmosphere pervades among the blue & white napery and wrought iron railings. A low ceiling increases the sound of good-natured hubbub, but, even when the room is filled, you may still carry on a normal conversation without placing undue strain upon your vocal cords.
The select menu is comprised of just six appetizers and seven entrées. But Mr. Franco, a native of Brazil and graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City, will always throw in one or two additional items in each category just to liven things up a bit.
Especially recommended is a zesty puréed Cuban black bean soup spiked with morsels of chorizo sausage ($4.50). Another winner in the specials department is the crab and lobster salad set over a seabed of field greens and spruced up with roasted beets, Brie, and an invigorating balsamic vinaigrette ($12.00).
In point of fact, seafood holds a very prominent place among the starters. The sautéed scallops ($8.25), for example, wonderfully firm and meaty of texture and set on a delicious tangle of spaghetti squash, are some of the best I have sampled in recent memory. Their rich flavor finds the perfect counterpoint in a racy black and green olive vinaigrette.
While the aforementioned appetizers come highly recommended, the crab cakes ($9.50) simply steal the show. Their light breading is especially crispy, and the creamy interior is the result of a delicious marriage of sweet flaky crabmeat, cream cheese, and a host of secret seasonings that the chef -- despite my cordial cajoling -- sees fit to keep to himself. A pungent mustard sauce provides the perfect crowning touch to this delectable state of affairs. Truly a marvelously innovative approach to a wonderful old menu standard.
Entrées demonstrate the same eclectic flair as their predecessors and, for the most part, acquit themselves with reasonable aplomb. In addition, the presentations display a robust rusticity that assuages the psyche as well as the appetite. The linguine tossed with strips of blackened chicken breast ($16.50), for example, is simplicity itself. The pasta is al dente, the chicken moist and tender with just the proper hint of spice, and the tomato broth light yet flavorful. Add bits of roasted pepper, olives, tomatoes and mushrooms, and you have a most satisfying integration of flavors and textures.
The salmon ($18.50) is another excellent choice here. It is pan seared, dressed in a tangy scallion soy sauce, and embellished with a roasted onion, eggplant & mushroom salad and tender rosemary potatoes. The braised monkfish medallions ($19.00) are rich and meaty, garnished with a watercress, tomato & cucumber salad, curried potatoes, and finished with a provocative sweet pea purée.
As you have undoubtedly noticed, Mr. Franco has a penchant for incorporating a number of intriguing salads with his entrées, providing a welcome respite from the usual assortment of vegetables, however artfully prepared they may be. Two perfectly moist pork medallions ($19.00) finished with cabernet sauce, for instance, are matched up with a tantalizing roasted pepper salad. Additionally, the medallions are set on a luscious mound of garlic mashed potatoes. One caveat, however... Should you be a bit too zealous in the exercise of your cutlery, you are apt to find yourself wearing rather than ingesting the aforementioned potatoes.
Other than the above, the only minor glitch that I have encountered is the fact that the chef has a tendency to send forth his creations slightly underdone. The special pan-seared halibut ($22.00) swam to the table in a delicate saffron broth embellished with a colorful array of diced potatoes and vegetables... but would have benefited from another thirty seconds on the fire. The garlic-rubbed grilled twin filets with a heady red wine/soy/garlic demi-glace ($22.00) were ordered medium rare. While they didn't actually arrive bleeding on the server's socks... they were close enough to give me pause.
Because of the diminutive kitchen facilities, a majority of the desserts ($6.50) are made off campus. You are still in for a treat, however, as they are produced in the local kitchen of Didi Mercier, whose talents far exceed those of typical commercial bakeries. The pick of the litter, in my opinion, is the wildly decadent triple chocolate mousse cake. The vanilla Bavarian sponge ring comes in a close second, followed by a delicious custard tart with fresh seasonal berries.
The Atrio Café is one of those delightful restaurants with which you inevitably strike up a long-term relationship. The cuisine isn't perfect, but it always seems to hit just the right note: traditional enough to put your appetite at ease and innovative enough to stimulate your palate... And the comfy yet vibrant ambiance is equally inviting. This is one engaging eatery that will always keep you coming back for more.
Cuisine: Eclectic
Hours: Tues - Sun, 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.; CLOSED MONDAY
Credit Cards: AX, MC, V
Attire: Casual
Smoking: Smoking is not permitted in the restaurant.
Reservations: Recommended, especially on weekends
Parking: Street parking
Alcohol: BYOB (Phillip's Wine Store just a few steps away)
Price: Moderate
Handicapped Accessible: No
