September 2002
Mystery
Muncher: Utopia
From
soup to nuts…literally, Utopia has it all
From
the title of this column, you can see that, for the one-year anniversary
of the Trenton Downtowner, my assignment, and I have chosen
to accept it, was Utopia, on West Front Street. I invited a good
friend to go with me just so we were sure about the results. We
picked the date only the day before, since we have busy schedules.
Friday
morning, I was having a coffee and reading the op-ed of the Trenton
Times when, lo and behold, in a letter to the editor, there's
a positive commentary on Utopia! I immediately called the Munchkin
and said I was going to call for reservations.
Well,
they told me it was not necessary to call ahead, but all I can
say is when we arrived at 12:30, the place was packed and there
was only one table left.
The
letter I'd read in the paper indicated that the décor was
charming, and it was correct: it's an environment of warm yellow
walls and several lovely watercolors. The bar, straight out of
the deco era, is an outstanding piece where many perfect martinis
have been served.
We
ordered a selection from the menu, beginning with the New Jersey
crab chowder ($8). Nice chunks of backfin, not too many potatoes
and served in a delicious sourdough bread bowl. We skipped the
salads, but the selection ran from the house salad of standard
greens ($6) with Utopia's house dressing, a classic Caesar ($7)
to the orange almond Asian salad ($8), which consists of grilled
bok choy, mandarin oranges and spicy soy dressing topped with
toasted almonds.
For
the appetizer I have previously had the seared yellowfin tuna
wontons ($8), which are out of this world. Garlic, green onion,
hoisin sauce, teriyaki and soy wrapped in wonton with an orange
chili glaze. It's one of my favorites. I keep hearing about the
B-52's ($8), so I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
Okay, now I get it…very deep-fried wings with a sort of honey
barbecue sauce, really nice crispy onions and diagonally sliced
cucumbers. Those were great, and I will be ordering many more
of those in the future.
So,
on to the entrée! I had the jerk chicken ($14) with beans
and rice. Well-prepared chicken, crispy skin and even though a
tad dry, the flavor was great. The beans and rice were like none
that I have ever tasted. This was paired with the house red, a
delightful Bodega merlot that coasted well through out the meal.
Munchkin
had the baked cod ($12), lightly crusted with just enough coating
to hold the fish for presentation. The accompanying red mashed
potatoes could have been warmer, but again were still very good,
as were the veggies that accompanied them. Munchkin had the house
chardonnay that did well in complement.
During
the meal we glanced over the menu. Entrees range from $19 to $24;
soups, salads and appetizers from $6 to $8 and sandwiches and
lunch menu items go from $8 to $11. These are wonderful prices
considering the quality of what is delivered, the presentation
and the friendly and courteous service. Plus it's topped off with
general manager Boyd Wilson's smiling face.
Finishing
up, we just looked at each other…we said what the heck…bread
pudding and crème brulee for dessert. The bread pudding
looked remarkable, but I can't say personally how it tasted, as
Munchkin was not giving any of it up. The crème brulee,
served with the tangerine slices and sauce, was plated beautifully,
as was the entire meal.
All
in all, if it seems like I did not want this review to end, I
didn't. I had the same sensation while enjoying the meal. My compliments
to Chef L. Dametrious Sadler and Boyd Wilson on their recent one-year
anniversary…you will have many more to come. And thank you
for coming to Trenton.
Utopia
International Bistro
11 West Front Street
Trenton, NJ, 08608
609-394-1991
