Review: Poached Pear Bistro Delivers Fine Dining Without the Fuss

When a restaurant embraces understated simplicity as the cornerstone of its visual design, it means one of two things: either they simply don’t care, or they are so confident in the quality of what the kitchen puts out that they need not distract you with anything garish.

The latter is the case at the Poached Pear Bistro, a well-established BYO hero in Point Pleasant Beach’s fine-dining scene that has earned high marks from patrons since it made its debut more than a decade ago. 

The Pear specializes in New American cuisine, offering imaginative takes on everything from veal to soup, all presented in an elegant and simple two-room dining space decorated sparsely with a handful of framed paintings. The simplicity of the atmosphere really lets the work of chef Scott Giordano shine. Giordano opened the restaurant in 2014 with his brother Marc, offering diners a change of pace from the hordes of traditional seafood restaurants and tourist traps the town is best known for.

It had been a few years since I had dined here, and a return trip was certainly in order, so I managed to snag a reservation in late spring, just before the craziness of the summer season took hold.

A quick perusal of the menu led me to start with the Jersey corn bisque, and a better choice I could not have made. Lush and velvety, this hit like butternut-squash soup’s sweeter warm-weather cousin, equilibrated by the smokiness of a few bits of applewood-smoked bacon. But the true hidden treasure of this dish was the submerged crouton of goat cheese, which ended up being the single best mouthful. 

Less rich, but still lovely, the restaurant’s namesake Poached Pear salad made for a light and bright precursor to the main courses, as its peppery arugula base played a perfect straight man to the aromatic, subtle sweetness of the Bosc pears and honey white balsamic it came dressed with.

Entrées were tempting from all sides, and items like the pan-seared diver scallops, served with a zucchini and cherry-tomato risotto, and the apple cider-brined pork chop, teamed with caramelized apples, red cabbage marmalade and crispy spaetzle, were both strong contenders. In the end, the server sold me on the filet mignon special with marinated grilled shrimp and smashed potatoes. 

Speaking of the server, she brought down any possible stuffiness that one might expect from the fine-dining vibe of the Poached Pear by being spunky, speedy and personable, with just the faintest touch of prickliness (in the best possible sense of the word). She had a direct and to-the-point cadence—a less gruff version of your favorite no-nonsense diner waitress. Her style was refreshing and fun and really enhanced the experience.

The steak arrived at the table a perfect medium rare, and the wildly flavorful and creamy bourbon peppercorn sauce that accompanied it ended up being the key to the dish. The smashed potatoes, however, were overly garlicky. Though versatile, few ingredients demonstrate the concept of “too much of a good thing” more obviously than overzealously used garlic, no matter what Emeril Lagasse says.

On the other hand, the mashed potatoes that came as a side to the pan-roasted French-cut chicken breast were far milder and worked quite well. This chicken dish showcased Giordano’s natural skill, as the layers of flavor were strong and stacked high—cipollini onions, bacon lardon, roasted fennel—but each shone bright without masking the subtle savory notes of the chicken itself. 

For dessert, don’t miss the homemade cherry-vanilla gelato—another excellent recommendation from our server. It was utterly out of this world. Huge chunks of real cherries swirled in sweet vanilla gelato needed no further toppings to earn some of the highest marks of the night. Talk about a literal cherry on top. When do I get to go back?