Blue Bottle Cafe

Blue Bottle Cafe
101 East Broad Street
Hopewell, NJ
(609) 333-1710

Restaurant Review

This eclectic, American (New) BYOB restaurant is one of the better restaurants in the central/western NJ, area having established a soild reputation for serving well prepared dishes with bold flavors and sauces, using local fresh (and organic) ingredients whenever possibei.

Run by co-owners Aaron Philipson, who oversees the kitchen, and his wife Rory who oversees the desserts by day, and the the wait staff and the front of the house during dinner, they have teamed up to create a top, fine dining experience.

Aaron attended the Culinary Institute of America and has honed his skills at while serving as an apprenticeship at La Cote Basque in Manhattan,and more recently as a charcutier at the Ryland Inn, Whitehouse NJ, a saucier at Rats, Hamilton NJ, and a chef de cuisine for Piccola Italia, Ocean NJ.

Rory also attended the Culinary Institute of America. and honed her skills at Bistro Bis, Todd English’s Olives, and Kinkead’s, in Washington, D.C. Despite her brassy personality and resonant, often smug tones, she does an outstanding job of running the front house and ensuring that the dining patrons are pleased.

The exterior of The Blue Bottle Café is a fairly nondescript cape cod style house, though as you enter the interior you will be pleased to see an attractive eclectic bistro-like, Mediterranean setting with white walls and blue bottles of Saratoga Spring water. The restaurant seats 65 people in three small dining rooms. The main dining room, the Blue Room connects with the two smaller dining areas, The Terra Cotta and The Trellis room, an enclosed greenhouse overlooking a stream and tree line.

The food is prepared with the freshest ingredients and imaginative combinations, blending local fare with menus that change seasonally. Local ingredients come from Terhune Orchards, Blue Moon Farms, Griggstown Quail Farm, and Cherry Grove Farm.

From the beginning, with their serving of three varieties bread, – a crusty French/Italian, a multi grain, and the Irish soda bread with caraway seeds and dried fruit - to the conclusion of your dinner with the made in house dessert, the creativity of the preparation and flavor of the dishes are outstanding.

For starters, when available, the popular selections are; Pan Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, with roasted butternut squash, toasted macadamia nuts and Lingonberry Vinaigrette; and the Pan Seared Crab Cake with Jersey corn relish and roasted red pepper coulis.

For dinner entrees, when available, the popular choices are: The Pan Seared Day boat Sea Scallops with butternut squash, Raisin and apple chutney, sautéed turnips, toasted pumpkin seeds and sage brown butter sauce; and The Roasted Red Pepper Gnocchi with Japanese eggplant, wilted arugula, toasted pine nuts and goat cheese cream.

Save room for dessert, they are sumptuous. Try the Banana Almond Financier with butter rum sauce and house made amaretto ice cream; or the White Chocolate and Raspberry Bread Pudding with raspberry coulis and white chocolate ice cream.

The service at the Blue Bottle Cafe is warm, attentive, and knowledgeable.

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