FOOD

Archive: Restaurant review: Saddle River Inn

NorthJersey
Bare windows allow sunlight to kiss the wood-paneled two-story dining room at the Saddle River Inn.

This article was published on Sept. 6, 2013.

Chef Jamie Knott and front-of-the-house veteran David Madison had big ambitions when they bought the Saddle River Inn early this year. They wanted to bring modern dining to the Bergen County icon. And they wanted to do so while retaining the loyal clientele of founding owner Hans Egg, who had run the inn for more than three decades "with the precision of a Swiss watch," according to a four-star Record review in 2007.

After reopening in February, the menu started off "very safe and French," Knott said. But soon he realized customers trusted him to go further.

Now diners are presented with a New American menu full of ethnic influences, but rooted in classic French techniques. They dine in the same old barn on the 19th-century estate, but with its windows stripped of the old awnings and lace curtains to let sunlight stream into the two-story dining room, along with views of the reflecting pond and serene courtyard.

The new Saddle River Inn reflects its new owners, who both left high-profile corporate jobs to chase their real restaurant dream. The food is ambitious and the mind-set more contemporary, even in the classic setting.

Some customers may miss the days of clockwork — particularly in the service, which is far less practiced than the "crisp and sharp" experience detailed in the 2007 review.

But anyone longing for Egg's signature dishes need only start by ordering Knott's reinventions. The two we sampled were spectacular, expertly balancing sweet and savory. Egg's scallops with maple butter have been updated with marcona almonds and scallion oil ($17 as an appetizer portion), while the well-known "maribar" ($42) is now a plump center-cut filet mignon energized with a lively béarnaise sauce, chestnut purée and a buttery potato gratin that manages to be rich yet strangely airy (thanks to Knott swapping the old Idahos for Yukon golds and whipping in some cream, among other subtle changes).

Or you can go right to where Knott is pushing the envelope: in a perky appetizer of sliced octopus tentacles set against a stunning backdrop of piquillo peppers and saffron aioli ($16), or tuna carpaccio that alternated between the heat of jalapeños and cooling chunks of avocado ($16).

His explorations don't always work out. Two dishes overreached: A delicate cod filet overwhelmed by its fiery accompaniment of chorizo and shrimp ($36), and a beautiful duck breast confused by too many unfocused side flavors ($35).

But I found nothing to complain about in more straightforward offerings: crunchy-crusted foie gras foiled by red grape purée ($20); escargot that held nothing back when it came to garlic or herbal flavors ($15); and a silky-smooth dry-aged sirloin paired with intensely flavored asparagus and mushroom bordelaise ($45). And I was overwhelmed by the sweet summer treasures that filled my risotto ($34): hunks of lobster, huge peas, local corn and tomatoes.

The Saddle River Inn has one of North Jersey's few restaurant pastry chefs in Christina Labate. The best desserts ($11) were simple — a mild peanut butter mousse and a classic warm chocolate cake; a comforting peach crumble baffled us with its rock-hard dollop of frozen crème fraîche that we couldn't even get a spoon through. My favorite was actually the complimentary triple-chocolate cookie given as a take-home gift.

Our solicitous servers obviously knew the menu well. But with food this good, I occasionally wished the staff would make it a little easier to enjoy the meal. On one visit, one staff member was overly anxious to clear dishes, trying to take bread plates and then entrées while someone at the table was still eating; coffee arrived in a puddle on the saucer. On the next, dessert was delivered without utensils.

Given this, why is the rating so high? Because the "new" Saddle River Inn is serving dishes that are much more exciting and memorable than I've seen in a while. When all was said and done, the maribar alone was one of the most satisfying dishes I've eaten on this job.

Here's my advice for the curious: Try to go this fall, when the trees are ablaze with autumn colors. Reserve a table early in the evening, because the dining room is far less appealing in the dark (it seems more austere and lodge-like). Bring a good bottle in your best bag — the bench near the entrance is like a wine-tote fashion show.

Once seated, have the octopus and the maribar, a good example of new and old. Hold on to those plates! After dinner, take a perch on a bench in the courtyard and watch the candles flicker in the dining room. You might even make a wish that the Saddle River Inn's best days are actually ahead of it.

Saddle River Inn *** 1/2

2 Barnstable Court, Saddle River
201-825-4016
saddleriverinn.com

Hours: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. (last seating) Tuesday through Saturday.