The Artful Diner - Pierre's Restaurant Review Harding Township NJ New Jersey

New Jersey Restaurant Review

Pierre's
995 Mount Kemble Avenue
Harding Township, Morris County, New Jersey
(973) 425-1212

By The Artful Diner
Special to New Jersey Online
11/10/03

Pierre's is one restaurant that doesn't suffer from an identity crisis. It is quintessential bustling bistro, pure and simple. While MaryBeth Peters manages the always-lively front of the house, her husband and co-proprietor, Michael, aided and abetted by kitchen manager Rebecca Eggert and pastry chef Heather Lattig, turns out an appetizing array of homespun French country classics.

There's an attractive bar to the right as you enter, replete with polished plank floor, two walls of large plate-glass windows, and plethora of tables overlooking Mt. Kemble Avenue. You may take your sustenance here, should you so desire, in a slightly more laid-back atmosphere than the several casually elegant dining rooms; and you may do so without fear of polluting your lungs, as the entire restaurant is smoke free.

Wherever you may finally alight, however, the bar/lounge is the perfect spot to enjoy a preprandial libation and a leisurely look-see at the carefully conceived, moderately priced wine list. Several favorites include: an Austrian 2002 Salomon Gruner Veltliner ($6.50 glass/$25.00 bottle); 1999 Chappellet Sangiovese ($7.50/$29.00); and the always reliable 2001 Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio from the Alto Adige region of Italy ($21.00).

Mr. Peters tweaks his comprehensive menu daily, offering a subtle variety of alternative accoutrements -- a variant vegetable here, a supplemental sauce there -- with more substantive changes undertaken on a seasonal basis. This affords the chef and his minions continuing opportunities to fine-tune their culinary skills and also keeps Pierre's loyal clientele from becoming too complacent... There's always something new and intriguing to engage the eye and the palate.

A number of items, however, seem to have taken up permanent residence on the bill of fare, and these are always worth seeking out. Among the appetizers, top honors in this regard clearly go to the country terrine ($7.50). Its rustic earthiness finds most hospitable counterpoints in a sweet/sour Cumberland sauce and zesty celery root remoulade. The Prince Edward Island mussels ($8.50), of course, are a perennial favorite. Plump, succulent, and at the peak of good health, they are gently steamed in a sensuous sea of white wine and butter awash with minced shallots and parsley.

But salads ($7.50) should also not be overlooked. When ripe, meaty Jersey tomatoes are in season, Mr. Peters teams them up with fresh mozzarella, onion, basil, and splashes of organic olive oil. And the French farm salad -- a tangle of mixed greens embellished with Roquefort, fresh bacon, and slow-roasted tomatoes -- is yet another excellent prelude.

The only semi-disappointments in the starter department proved to be a guest appearance by the salt cod ($8.50). Sequestered beneath an embankment of tomatoes, peppers, and red onion, the filet was a bit too firmly textured and "fishy" for my taste. And the marinated seafood salad with chunks of avocado ($12.50) was a bit pricey for several overdone shrimp and exceptionally chewy calamari.

Interestingly enough, however, despite these minor faux pas, when it comes to the entrées, matters piscatorial appear to be what the kitchen does best. The "Fisherman's Stew" ($23.00), for example, is an absolute standout. Tender morsels of monkfish, crunchy shrimp, and plump mussels swim to table in a zippy sauce rouille, a delicious fish stock blended with chilies, garlic, and olive oil. And the black sea bass ($24.00) is utterly irresistible. Set on a bed of braised cabbage invigorated with diminutive chunks of fresh bacon, the delicate filets are consummated in a mellifluous olive oil emulsion.

The seared sesame tuna ($26.00) is infinitely more robust but every bit as tantalizing as the aforementioned denizens of the deep. It is prepared to your liking -- in my case, medium rare -- and is wonderfully rich and meaty of countenance and is accompanied by baby bok choy and an exhilarating soy-ginger sauce. But the real excitement in this dish is generated by an East meets West blending of culinary cultures... the inclusion of a luscious wedge of rösti potato. It is everything that it should be: crisp and crunchy on the outside, delightfully creamy at the interior; and it proves a most hospitable companion to the hale and hearty tuna.

But if Pierre's has a signature dish, it is surely the roast free-range chicken accented with rosemary and accompanied by a luscious potato purée and crisp sugar snap peas ($18.50). This is the very heart and soul of bistro fare -- utterly profound in its apparent simplicity -- and Mr. Peters does it up just right. The filet mignon au poivre ($28.00) is yet another crowd pleaser and is appropriately paired with the most audaciously delicious pommes frites (also available as a side, $4.50) it has ever been my pleasure to ingest.

The grilled pork porterhouse ($23.00) wasn't quite as successful. Grilling can be the kiss of death to the "other white meat," which has been known to dry out at the drop of a fork, and that seemed to be the problem here. The quality was excellent, but the consistency proved to be slightly on the chewy side... although the spaetzle was a most agreeable consort and the mushroom sauce quite ingratiating.

Desserts ($6.50) carry on Pierre's bistro tradition in style: profiteroles with Belgian chocolate sauce; a beautiful poached peach imbued with honey; melon soup -- artistically apportioned between cantaloupe and honeydew -- garnished with coconut macaroons; delicately textured warm brioche bread pudding adorned with a rich caramel sauce; a light and airy Valrhona chocolate pudding soufflé. A sumptuous cheese plate ($7.95) is also highly recommended.

And now, a word about personnel... During both our visits, we were greeted by a host who, although he appeared to be quite affable and obviously enjoyed a very cordial relationship with many of the establishment's regular patrons, still managed to exude the unmistakable aura of benign befuddlement. The bartender appeared to be similarly cursed. Even early in the evening, with few customers present, he still managed to become thoroughly discountenanced by even a bare minimum of libationary requisitions. Given the fact that Pierre's is extremely popular, and that members of the staff must be quite accustomed to dealing with the restaurant's often frenetic pace, one would expect a bit more polish and composure in both of these vital areas. Fortunately, once one is seated, the youthful servers, though on the informal side, are both extraordinarily pleasant and exceedingly efficient.

Pierre's is the ultimate culinary escape hatch. Whether wolfing down for business or pleasure -- or otherwise nefarious amalgam thereof -- this lively, convivial eatery never disappoints. It continues to hold a prominent place in the little black books of New Jersey's knowledgeable diners.

Cuisine: French Bistro
Hours: Lunch Buffet: Mon - Sat, 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.; Dinner: Mon - Thurs, 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.; Fri & Sat, 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.; CLOSED SUNDAY
Credit Cards: All major
Attire: Smart Casual
Smoking: Smoking is not permitted in the restaurant.
Reservations: Recommended, especially on weekends
Parking: Onsite
Alcohol: License; interesting wine list
Price: Moderate
Handicapped Accessible: Yes
Web site: www.pierresbistro.com