Rat's at Grounds for Sculpture

[sara]

Hi

Has anyone been to Rat's at the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton NJ??

How is the food? A friend and I are driving to Maine in a few weeks and she wants to stop there...Is it worth it?

Thanks

[Rosie]

Yes, it is worth it and the food is excellent, although it is very expensive. Rat's is also the most beautiful restaurant in NJ. Be sure to leave a few hours to tour the 23 acre Grounds For Sculpture. They also have a cafe there if you prefer not to dine in the restaurant. More info is on their web site at: http://www.ratsrestaurant.org/

[scarlet knight]

I've eaten there. The restaurant is very good and the grounds are pretty to walk, but why the unappealing name for the restaurant?

[menton1]

This restaurant has been covered in greater detail Here

[Rosie]

The restaurant is named for a character in the Wind in the Willows.

[Rail Paul]

Dee and I recently visited Kafe Kabul, the bistro of Rat's. I was underwhelmed.

I had a quartet of mezze, Dee had a tajine of chicken with lemon and olives and a pate. Chicken was OK, light on the spices, but very pleasant. Pate was acceptable, but had no distinguishing features at all. None.

Red peppers were tasteless, right out of the bottle. No flavor, not even oil. Lamb sausage wrapped with grape leaves was good, spicing was even and mild, tabbouleh was the winner. Cool tiny chunks of cucumber, onion, mint, lemon, maybe pepper. Perfect for a 90 degree day.

With tip, LaChouffe Golden ale and two fire waters, the bill was $120. Maybe the kitchen was stretched thin with three weddings that day plus regular service, but I was distinctly unimpressed. The food was clearly not up to the art environment, IMHO.

Edited to add: with a receipt from the kafe or rat's, admission to the sculpture garden is free. The neighborhood is filled with serendipitous art, some of which is visible from the train. A bold series of polygons near a flooring factory. St George astride his charger by UPS, etc. Definitely go for the art.

Edited August 3, 2003 by Rail Paul (log)

[sara]

Wow--that's a steep price for a cafe!

I looked at the menus online and wasn't convinced that the cafe looked like a real alternative to the restaurant, as the menus are quite different...

Also, for that amount of money, wouldn't it be better to eat at one of Philly's great restaurants on our way to Maine, rather than taking a detour (i.e. my DC cousin is picking me up here in Philly-so that part's not a detour)? That's partly what I meant when I said 'is it worth it'? For that price we could eat at Pasion, Morimoto (perhaps), Pigalle, etc.. What is the value-added of Rats--other than the sculpture and maybe the wine list? Anyone who has more details on the food, I'd be grateful.. thanks

[Rosie]

There is also a place to eat on the Grounds For Sculpture inside one of the Arts Building. It's run by Souffle Caterers.

[rockhopper]

[deletia]

on our way to Maine, rather than taking a detour (i.e. my DC cousin is picking me up here in Philly-so that part's not a detour)?

It is less than a mile off of 295 so that's not much of a detour unless you're taking a long route to Maine.