LOVIN’ OVEN, FRENCHTOWN
We were certainly in a delicious mood upon arriving at Lovin’ Oven as the scenic drive to Frenchtown took us down a charming bucolic country road. If you go via Route 513, as we did, stop at Peaceful Valley Orchards, 150 Pittstown Road (Rt 513) Pittstown, which is a farmstand that on weekdays uses an honor system for payment. The shed is manned on weekends. Let me tell you how it works, so you don’t go walking around the farm lugging bags of produce like we did looking for someone to pay. Just add up your purchases and leave a check or cash in the lockbox. What we bought was farm fresh and fabulous.
Upon arrival in town, visit the home furnishings import store called Two Buttons and browse about the Buddhas and curios. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM and owned by Elizabeth Gilbert author of Eat Pray Love and her husband José Nunes. Also check out the courtyard with tables and large umbrellas by the restaurant, which has a beautiful long Buddha Wall that was hand carved in Indonesia.
When entering the restaurant, we saw flowers on the tables in 8-ounce glass milk/cream bottles and hefty wooden, handcrafted mismatched chairs and clothless tables. What looked like a glass garage door allowed in lots of light. Foccacia was brought to our table in a metal bucket and 4 ounce juice glasses were given to us for our wine.
Lovin’ Oven dining room.
While steak, scallops, salmon, pulled pork, shrimp and a burger were on the menu, there were more enticing vegetarian options and we opted for four appetizers and one entrée which we shared. Mixed lettuces served as a base for a grilled peach salad with kernels of sweet corn, avocado, and dots of basil dressing; a palate pleasing dish. Ultra crispy, pan-fried mashed potato and zucchini latkes were paired with lusty preserved lemon sour cream. Grilled marinated eggplant served with feta cheese, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives and grilled bread was too vinegary, while the vinaigrette was perfect on the Panzanella salad made with local yellow and red heirloom tomatoes and chucks of the focaccia bread. Local chanterelle mushrooms, kernels of sweet corn and bits of tomato were in a seductive cream sauce served over house-made linguini. It needed a sprinkling of pepper to give it more appeal but was a satisfying dish. The winning dish of the night though was a large, luscious serving of blueberry crisp that was chock full of blueberries. All the baking is done on premises using local ingredients. After dinner, if time allows, walk off your meal on the scenic towpath and/or walk through Frenchtown and check out the interesting boutiques.
Grilled peach salad with sweet corn.
A four-course farm-to-table dinner from 5 to 9 PM for $50 will be held on October 16. Call the restaurant for information and reservations. Lovin’ Oven is open Tuesday 9 AM to 3 PM; Wednesday through Saturday 9 AM to 9 PM; and Sunday 8 AM to 3. PM. No reservations.
Blueberry crisp.
Photos courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
Lovin’ Oven
62A Trenton Avenue (Rt 29)
Frenchtown
908-996-7714
BYO
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