Restaurant News

There is nothing ordinary about Mistral in Princeton. The food is exciting, the décor dramatic and the service attentive. Our visit was a “ladies that lunch, disregard the diet day,” where we feasted and had a most delicious time.

MISTRAL, PRINCETON
Everything impressed at Mistral. Even the paper napkins with the blue and turquoise Mistral logo caught our eyes. What also captured our attention was the food prepared by chef de cuisine Ben Nerenhausen, who previously worked at the Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena and was a James Beard finalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2014. Under the direction of executive chef Scott Anderson, who was nominated for Mid-Atlantic’s chef of the year by the Beard Foundation and also owns Elements (which will be reopening upstairs from Mistral) it is no surprise that this restaurant was also named one of the 25 Best Restaurants of 2014 by New Jersey Monthly.

Mistral has a liquor license but does not charge for BYO. We started with a bottle of Albarino from the wine list. Housemade non-alcoholic drinks are available such as a carrot and ginger kombucha and pear chamomile soda.

The menu, which also serves as a placemat on the bare table, has five sections: From the Fields, From the Land, From the Water, Small Bites and Desserts. We had something from each. Shrimp toasts with horseradish mustard were crisp with chunks of shrimp. The roasted sunchokes came with an arugula pesto, boquerones (anchovies) and a fried quail egg and the roasted duck ramen had duck confit, pumpkin, scallions, ramen and a soft boiled egg. All were delightful attention-getting dishes. Tender squid in the charred squid salad was so delicate, it was unlike any other rendition of this inkfish that we have ever eaten. The burger was juicy and enhanced with spicy house-made ketchup and a side of sweet potato fries. It was reluctantly shared. Hen-of-the-wood mushrooms that were roasted in chicken fat were accompanied by prunes, cockscomb jus and polenta; an earthy, hearty and filling dish. Another winner was the rye sourdough pancake with smoked cod butter, caviar, and sauerkraut, as the combination of ingredients created a multitude of flavors and textures. Roasted-apple crepe with horchata ice cream and sweet mole and a chocolate pot de crème with hazelnuts and thyme ice cream completed our “little” lunch. Just know that all dishes are served in small tapas-size portions and are meant to be shared. Eat as much or little as you like, but my guess is that the ever-changing seasonal menu will seduce you and you will eat like the “ladies who lunch” did.

Mistral is open daily from for lunch and dinner.


Rye sourdough pancake.
Photo courtesy of Rosie Saferstein

Mistral
66 Witherspoon Street
Princeton
609-847-4664
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