Belford Bistro [NJ]

![image|644x699](upload://pesieqtQMgu0cCY5Lq4SN47bPEq.jpeg
Nice dinner here tonite. Seated immediately with 7:30 reservation. Place was full. Party of 4 shared the pork belly appetizer …was very good however portion was tiny and the mussels (pictured) really good! Wife had the angry shrimp with gnocchi. Gnocchi was particularly good very creamy and rich. Boy had short rib special really enjoyed it. Daughter had the crab cakes probably largest dish. I had duck confit and really liked it. Shared desserts of bread pudding and flourless chocolate cake .
Overall all dishes really well done however all portions including dessert a little on small side. Service was also really good. Definitely a quality meal and BYOB!

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We went to belford bistro last night for dinner. Everything was alright but nothing but the bread pudding was really wow level. Started with a shrimp salad (2) with watercress, cabbage, “roasted” corn and “spicy” citrus dressing. I put all that in quotes because we got zero spice or roast flavor. The shrimp needed seasoning and the whole thing needed more dressing to stand up to the sturdy cabbage and peppery watercress. $17 for this salad seemed a bit steep. Also, started with crab cake which is always good. No complaints here.

Entrees, split hanger steak which was fine but a bit chewy. Served with mixed mushrooms, whipped potatoes with a thin sauce. I liked the mushrooms the best. They had a pasta special that sounded tasty with lots of veggies but they wouldn’t do a half portion and we thought that a full portion would be too much food. We forgot the comical portions of the half size. We order the half size of the bolognese which was served with large tube noodles instead of pappardelle which I vaguely remember it being last time. I’m not kidding. It was at the very most 12 noodles. It was very tasty but very, very tiny. We commented to the waitress who made an excellent show of being surprised of this comment. I am 95% sure I made this exact same comment to her 3 years ago and they brought me more, HA.

Dessert was bread pudding with ice cream. Highlight of dinner (besides, of course, the sparkling conversation with my husband and being able to eat with 2 hands!). I had told my husband we should check out Nicholas Creamery afterwards, but then this had ice cream and I lost the urge, but still sad today. I know @CurlzNJ has reached this part and is saying “OMG, BUT IT IS SO GOOD AND WHATEVER YOU GOT AT BELFORD WAS ABSOLUTELY SUB PAR”. I know and I agree!

I doubt we will be back anytime soon. I’m still bummed that Semolina couldn’t get us in…

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Wow, 2 shrimp is pretty weak.

My theory is that salads are so expensive because restaurants know that people who are trying to eat something healthier will pay more.

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Yup! :laughing:

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I swear I heard your voice hahaha!!!

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We are going this Sunday for dinner. Anyone been lately? Are there any dishes we have to try?

Did you see @gracieggg 's post?

I did see @gracieggg s post but I am still hoping for a good meal Sunday.

I haven’t been in a while Dave. I would try the pork belly app. I believe it is a different recipe, but the one I used to eat was top notch. I need to get back soon.

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It wasn’t a BAD meal but don’t be like us and order the smaller size of pasta. You will be very sad. I hope you enjoy!

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It’s been more than 10 years since we last ate at Belford Bistro. There’s a rack of lamb listed on the website’s menu. I recall having a rack there that was excellent. So, that’s what I would order if I went now. I did notice that 4 of the 7 main courses, including the rack, are accompanied by whipped potatoes. To me, that’s the sign of a lazy chef. A better — and classic — accompaniment for the rack would be a potato gratin. Still, this wouldn’t stop me from ordering it.

I see that they’re open on Mondays. There are times when we’d like to have a nice dinner out in NJ on a Monday. But Monday is the most common restaurant closure day, so we may give BB a try, especially when we’re looking to dine out on a Monday in NJ.

I hope you have a wonderful dinner on Sunday, seal. Looking forward to reading your report.

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Thanks Roz. It’s been too long since we all used to dine together. I’ll post, hopefully with pictures. Best to your family.

Sorry it took a few days, but here is my report on our visit to BB. I need to get a new phone or maybe new eyes as again none of my pictures came out good. Well, I’m including them anyway.

We arrived at 6 and the small room was about halfway full. It would remain that way until we left. I think they should expand their great bargain 3 course prix fixe dinner to include Sundays.

I started with an excellent crock of French onion soup, possibly the best I’ve had since dining at Balthazar in NYC:

We also all shared a single order of the pasta special of the night with a mushroom cream sauce:

For mains I shared an order of perfectly cooked lamb chops and an order of angry shrimp with gnocchi. The lamb was great but the gnocchi was just so-so. I was dissapointed in the lack of heat in the shrimp. Forget angry, they weren’t even mildly annoyed.


and

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Glad to see you had what I guess was an above average experience at BB. While I have never been, they are a long standing staple of the area and I guess sooner or later I should experience it for myself.

Just out of curiosity, (since you are giving it such high marks) did you molest that onion soup before you took the picture? I can’t for the life of me figure out how they could prepare an onion soup to come out so disheveled. (Unless the waitress spilled it and placed it back in the crock)

Funny my favorite local onion soup is at The Pour House, not so much because the soup is the best, but their presentation is. (spoiler alert - they use Frenchies fried onions on the top, such a simple silly thing but the extra crunch really goes well, I have adopted this presentation method for my own onion soups)

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Lol. Yes, before I could take out my phone for a pic, my wife already had opened the thick layer of cheese covering the crock and was eating a bit.

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Those lamb chops look beautiful, and a nice generous portion. It looks like you have 8 lamb chops there. Most places I go to, you are lucky to get 2 or 4 chops, and probably for more money.

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2-4 single cut chops? @seals are single cut which would be 4 double cuts, while still generous most place serve 2-4 double cut, not singles. If you are getting 2-4 single cut chops I would have a big issue with the place. (assuming they are charging normal prices)

I had the aged lamb chop appetizer at Nettie Spaghetti’s and while it was delicious and more or less a double cut (one bone though) @ $24 for 1 lamb chop although good, I couldn’t justify ordering it again.

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If I paid 24 for a single lamb rib, I wouldn’t be a happy camper. That is on the same level as the 8.00 chicken wing

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Wing?

As in a single wing for $8???

Yup! A flat and a drum so one chicken wing for 8 bucks. …7.95 to be precise. You know this place well too :wink:

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