Mediterra

Mediterra
29 Hulfish Street, Princeton
609-252-9680,
mediterrarestaurant.com

Hours: Lunch: Mon-Sat, 11:30 am-4 pm; Sun, noon-4 pm. Dinner: Mon-Thu, 5-10 pm; Fri and Sat, 5-11 pm; Sun, 4-9 pm. Taverna: Mon-Thu, 11:30 am-11 pm; Fri and Sat, 11:30 am-midnight; Sun, noon-10 pm.

Price: $$

Style: Upscale but casual Mediterranean cuisine featuring locally sourced ingredients and an ever-changing international wine list. Seasonal alfresco dining replete with a bubbling fountain overlooks Princeton’s Palmer Square.

Don’t Miss: Though a glass of wine off Mediterra’s renowned list is a great way to start the meal, consider a pitcher of the popular red sangria with peaches, apples, pears and oranges. For starters, try the jumbo lump crab cake with an apple slaw and lemon-caper aioli ($15), or the mussels Provençal with a garlic-saffron broth and Pernod, a Southern European pastis ($13). Entrées include pasta, meat and fish, such as the fresh sweet-pea cannelloni with roasted garlic, baby carrots, cipollini onions, ricotta and Jerusalem artichoke ragu ($23); or the Greek chicken, from Princeton’s Griggstown Farm, served with crispy potatoes and feta-Swiss chard ($27). For dessert, try the olive-oil pound cake ($9) or the Bent Spoon trio—a tasting of three ice creams from the artisanal store across the square.

Heads Up: As you enter the restaurant, on the right side are a bar and a handful of secluded tables and chairs dubbed the Taverna. With its own hours and menu, the Taverna offers cocktails and tapas that change nightly, such as the baby octopus with fingerling potatoes, nicoise olives, capers and paprika.

The Scoop: Mediterra is part of the Terra Momo Restaurant Group that also owns Eno Terra in Kingston, and Teresa Caffe and Witherspoon Bread Company, both in Princeton.