No 9 Restaurant--Lambertville

[Rosie]

No 9 Restaurant, 9 Kline"s Court, Lambertville is a ten. Although it is worth the hour plus ride, I wish this restaurant was closer to my home as I would certainly be a regular there. The reasonable prices, generous portions, friendly efficient staff, and delicious food make this a "let’s get back here soon" place.

Our evening started off a half-hour before our reservation when I left our wine at No 9 to be opened so it could breathe. After window shopping along the picturesque streets of Lambertville we returned to this storefront restaurant which may look casual but serves sophisticated New American cuisine. Under the direction of the very talented Chef/owners Matt and Colleen Kane the kitchen doesn’t miss a bit even on a crowded Saturday evening. Be forewarned, the tables are close together and on a Saturday evening the noise level is high.

The menu is small but there is something for everyone. We started out with a bean soup topped swirls of balsamic and shavings of asiago cheese; a colorful potato and goat cheese tart with roasted peppers and grilled onions accompanied with a mixed green salad; and a shrimp taco with avocado salad and mango salsa. Entrees were a juicy roasted chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and vegetables; pan seared salmon with stir fried vegetables and a ginger and cucumber salad containing wasabi; and hanger steak with a red wine sauce, asparagus and roasted tomato. Desserts are not to be missed and are all topped with freshly made whipped cream. We could not pick a favorite from the lemon cake; flourless chocolate oozing chocolate when cut into; and the fresh berry tart in a free form crust. Everything we had was outstanding.

No 9 has a web site at www.NO9Restaurant.com or call 609-397-6380 for reservations.

[Tom D]

Hi Rosie, sorry I missed you last week.  Your description of # 9 sounds delicious and Denise fully agrees.

Also went to some great restaurants in Shanghai, if you and Lowell get to China, Shanghai should be part of the visit.

Tom

[Ruby]

Rosie, thanks for letting us know that No. 9 Restaurant is a 10! Can't get better than that.

I love Lambertville, the shops, flea market and all it takes is a good restaurant to get me to leave the Isle of Manhattan. Thanks. @

Ruby

[Sandra Levine]

Alan and I had an early dinner here today. The appetizers were more intriguing than the mains, and very oddly for us, we both wanted the same things. We had the creamy tomato soup, deep orange in color, served in big white bowls, with swirls of pesto and aged balsamic vinegar. Then, a salad with roasted pear, lardons locally made goat cheese and mixed greens. The cheese was very soft and fresh, the pear, meltingly tender in contrast to the smoky, chewy bacon cubes. Our third course was a southwestern appetizer plate: beef marinated in chipotle sauce, skewered on a rosemary sprig, slices of avocado, a home-made flour tortilla stuffed with cheese, spinach and jalapenos; chopped dead-ripe tomatoes, a tangle of greens, and some large dots of chile verde sauce -- a well-chosen selection, beautifully prepared and presented.

For our final course, Alan had pear (more pear) crisp and I had creme brulee.

A do-it-yourself tasting menu for under $70 for everything.

[menton1]

Ate here last week and wanted to report. A restaurant town, lots of choices here, but the reviews made us want to try this one. When I called for a res, Matt the owner answered and we had a nice conversation. I said I was looking forward to his frisee salad that was in the reviews and he said it was a special but he would be sure to have it.

The place is on a side street and is a lovely storefront with ceramic bowls of fresh vegetables all around. The service was warm and attentive the entire meal. The frisee salad was served warm with lardons that was the best salad I have had this side of France. We also had a scallop appetizer served in the shells that I have never seen before; quite beautiful Another appetizer is the potato and goat cheese tart-- wonderful.

The entrees were also a wonderful combination of tastes and textures. We had the pork chop, the short ribs were fantastic, and a trout was cooked to perfection. We had no room for dessert, but the coffee was also very good-- hot and strong.

For a terrific dining experience, I recommend No. 9 in Lambertville, just over the bridge from New Hope.

[Rosie]

If you haven't been to No 9 Restaurant, 9 Kline Court, Lambertville put this BYO restaurant on your "must try" list. I would just recommend that you not go on a Saturday evening as the restaurant gets very noisy. We started with a lobster seafood bisque; lobster/avocado salad; and a potato and goat cheese tart with roasted red pepper and grilled onion. Entrees were roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, wild mushrooms and vegetables; grilled hanger steak with a red wine sauce and roasted herbed tomato; fall off the bone braised short ribs with mashed potatoes, vegetables and horseradish cream; halibut with a beurre blanc sauce; and scallops with Asian stir fried vegetables. There was not a plate that wasn't licked clean! Only downside was that none of us cared for the quality of the bread. For dessert we bypassed the peanut butter brownie parfait and had a healthy slice of carrot cake. Friends had a bittersweet pot de crème and crème brulee. With tax and tip the bill was $47 a person. No 9 has a web site at www.NO9Restaurant.com or call 609-397-6380 for reservations.

[menton1]

We had dinner at No. 9 Sunday Night and I have to echo Rosie''s sentiments; it is sad that it is 90 minutes from us or we would eat there much more often-- the food here is of a level rarely seen in a New Jersey restaurant. Hope Matt continues to do well and thrive here;

We arrived with a reservation, but the place was almost full at 6 on a Sunday-- there were 3 tables of 8 people each going, and since there is only 1 waiter and 1 bus person, they were stretched to the limit and the service was a bit slow, but still acceptable.

Unfortunately, they were out of my favorite appetizer, the Potato & Goat Cheese Tart-- we started with the Baked Pear Salad instead, a great combination of cooked Pears, goat cheese, lardons, and mesclun salad with a splash of vinaigrette-- a wonderful mix of tastes and textures, savory and sweet. We also got a soup special, a lobster and crab bisque that was brimming with flavor and fresh seafood. Another nice feature of this restaurant that we appreciate is that they actually give the prices when reciting the specials!

Entrees were the Short Ribs, one of Matt's specialties-- they are braised for hours, and served with an unusual horseradish creme fraiche-- a terrific combination. Other entrees ordered were the Pork Chop, a big, thick chop served with a wonderful mustard marinade, and Hangar steak, served sliced, very tender, and perfectly cooked to our request. The sides were a very creamy mashed potatoes with a hint of garlic, and paper thin slices of summer squash.

As the large parties left, the service was more relaxed and efficient, and all in all, was terrific. This restaurant continues to standout as one of the best in NJ-- I just wish it was closer to Bergen County!!

[menton1]

We seem to get to No 9 every fall and it never disappoints. Were it closer than a 90 minute ride, we would certainly go on a regular basis.

It was a chilly Sunday night, but the restaurant is always warm and inviting. The waitress was friendly and accommodating. I had called ahead during the week and requested that Matt make his Country Salad, featured in the NY Times review a couple of years ago, and that was soo prominent in our memory from 2 years ago.

When we arrived we learned that he had made the salad, and we all ordered it, a lovely, warm, wilted frissee with lardons, goat cheese, roasted garlic, and a wonderful vinaigrette. I again couldn't resist his Short Ribs, which I learned has now won him several awards in some regional cook-offs. We also ordered a Pork Tenderloin special, stuffed with fruits and herbs and cooked just perfectly; a free-range organic chicken was small, but very flavorful and juicy. And another of our party got the reliable Pork Chop that we have ordered in the past. The vegetables were fresh and a little different for each dish, cooked to perfection and seasoned nicely. Too full again for dessert, we can chalk up another visit to No. 9 as a perfect 10!!

Edited October 25, 2004 by menton1 (log)

[Lreda]

That's a lovely synopsis of a restaurant. One that you wish were closer than 90 minutes. Also, they're willingness to make something that they no longer serve. I will try to make it out there before the first snow. Excellent.

[=Mark]

No 9 has a web site at www.NO9Restaurant.com or call 609-397-6380 for reservations.

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When I try to access that URL I am redirected to:

http://64.225.154.135/index.asp

[menton1]

Here is the website for No. 9: No 9 Website

[Jeff L]

Has anyone been recently (as in the last few weeks) We are finally getting a chance to go this Saturday. Course suggestions would be welcome indeed.

Do they still offer their tasing menu and is this the way to go here?

[Jeff L]

I thought I'd bump this thread back up after having dinner last night.

The food here is nothing less than extraordinary. It more than makes up for the really small and really loud space.

We started with a house salad of mixed greens and the cheese plate special appetizer. The salad was good but unremarkable. The cheese plate however was spectacular. Three good sized pieces composed of a delicate brie, a beautiful mild goat cheese and my favorite, aged gouda. Rounding out the plate were an assortment of pickled vegetables, all dressed in a simple aged balsamic which worked beautifully with the cheese.

For entrees, my wife selected the lamb shank special and I had the award winning beef short ribs. My wife said she was full after the salad and some of my cheese but later on when I looked at her plate it was completely empty. She really enjoyed this dish which was slow roasted over a bed of polenta and mixed with tomatoes and carrots in a wonderful sauce made from the vegetables and lamb jus. I didn't even get to sample it.

My entree was so tasty, I still can't believe it. Slowly braised short ribs with a fine dice of parsnips and beets with an amazing beet reducution sauce over some type of potato puree. On top was a really nice touch of horseradish cream sauce.

This dish was one of my favorite dishes of the year, possibly longer. It was immediately satisfying - true comfort food.

For dessert I had the pot de crème and my wife had the apple crisp. Both were over the top and indulgent.

To wash it all down, I drank an entire bottle of 1996 Beringer Private Reserve and my wife had a few glasses of a lovely Viognier. She drove home

By all accounts, an amazing meal. I must admit I was suspect of people driving here from NYC, but after enjoying this meal, it all makes sense now and it's only 20 minutes away!

[jb_973]

My wife and I just came back yesterday (through the storms!) from a great weekend in Lambertville. First time visiting the area, we had a nice meal on Friday at Ota-Ya (which, if I get around to it, I will post about separately), then we paid a visit to No 9 on Saturday.

Armed with 8pm reservations, and a bottle of red, we turned up at No 9. We were staying at the Inn at Lambertville Station, so getting to No 9 literally involved walking out the front door of the Inn, crossing the canal, then walking in through the front door. Couldn't be more convenient!

The place was packed! Like previous posters have noted, the atmosphere and noise level could only be described as 'vibrant'. Don't come here on a Saturday night expecting a quiet, intimate dinner. That said, we were looking for something lively, and we certainly got that.

I went for the Roasted Beet salad with Goat Cheese. Now, I'm not the best when it comes to writing food reviews, but I can say that this dish had a mixture of flavors that perfectly complemented each other. My wife had the Apple/Walnut salad, and was equally pleased, although I think she was a little envious of my salad!

For the entrees, I went for the Braised Short Ribs, and Mrs JB went for the Salmon. I fell in love with the short ribs from the moment I took the first bite. Nicely charred on the outside, fall-of-the-bone on the inside. Surrounded by mashed potato with horseradish dressing drizzled on top, with carrots and (more!) roasted beets, and finished with a full bodied sauce. Loved it. That's a dish I definitely would like to be able to make at home!

I got a thumbs up from the wife on the Salmon dish - it had a strong note of ginger, which worked well for her. Served with fragrant rice, she was happy with her choice.

We skipped dessert - it had been quite a feast from the appertizers and entrees!

All-in-all, a great meal. Definitely look forward to paying them (and Lambertville) a return visit at some point in the future.

[Jeff L]

My wife and I just came back yesterday (through the storms!) from a great weekend in Lambertville.  First time visiting the area, we had a nice meal on Friday at Ota-Ya (which, if I get around to it, I will post about separately), then we paid a visit to No 9 on Saturday.

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Can't wait to get back to No. 9. If you ever get down this way again, be sure to try Ota-Ya in Newtown. PA. It's much better than the one in Lambertville.

[Lreda]

Funny this is up. I tried to make it here today on my journey from Allendale PA towards home but it didn't come up on my GPS. It started raining and figured it best to get home. I love traveling and eating in places I haven't before as I have to actually research a area for good food. Lucky I have a business lunch at Gramercy Tavern tomorrow.

Really don't miss the restaurant business any longer.

[Jeff L]

Funny this is up. I tried to make it here today on my journey from Allendale PA towards home but it didn't come up on my GPS. It started raining and figured it best to get home. I love traveling and eating in places I haven't before as I have to actually research a area for good food. Lucky I have a business lunch at Gramercy Tavern tomorrow.

Really don't miss the restaurant business any longer.

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Try plugging in Bridge Street in Lambertville as Kline Court is really a small side street, even more of an alley.

Edited April 19, 2007 by Jeff L (log)

[lastmika]

going this weekend so I'll be sure to post something significant. It has been 'on the list' for quite some time. I don't get out much!

[Kim WB]

going this weekend so I'll be sure to post something significant. It has been 'on the list' for quite some time. I don't get out much!

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as a lambertville resident, I am never quite sure why this place gets a second glance..over reductions, dated menus...I gave it up lat year, but am interested in others perceptions.

[Mano]

Four of us ate there about six months ago. So loud it's uncomfortable. Good waiter. Food was fair, at best. Their trademark short ribs were a bit dry and when my wife and I agree that we've made better, we know this is not a place we'd go back to. The other two people are very easy to please, but they thought it wasn't very good.

Maybe it was an off night?

[Kim WB]

I'm just not ready to wax poetic over a restauant b/c its my hometown advantage..I think that is a prevelant state of mind on egullet...

No 9 has a few good dishes, on a few good nights..that won't make me an advocate. Perhaps a customer, now and then, in the hope that things improve....but not an advocate.

I suggest that the only dependable meal in town is deanna's for pasta, Inn of the Hawke ( food only.... rude bartenders and a refusal to accomodate the customer), Ota ya for sushi, and Lilly's for lamb chops. Thereis anew thai place on n. Union, jury is still out, and while I have many neighbors that love Bell's Tavern, I think it is more asate of mind than a state of taste.

[Jeff L]

Four of us ate there about six months ago.  So loud it's uncomfortable.  Good waiter.  Food was fair, at best.  Their trademark short ribs were a bit dry and when my wife and I agree that we've made better, we know this is not a place we'd go back to.  The other two people are very easy to please, but they thought it wasn't very good.

Maybe it was an off night?

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Agree about the noise level and I hope it was indeed an off night. We have found the food to be great both times we've gone but the space really is confining and the noise is bad. I'd go again for sure but maybe early or late on a weekend night or perhaps midweek.

You should try it again, must be a reason why so many people who post here and others travel so far to eat there.

[Mano]

Four of us ate there about six months ago.  So loud it's uncomfortable.  Good waiter.  Food was fair, at best.  Their trademark short ribs were a bit dry and when my wife and I agree that we've made better, we know this is not a place we'd go back to.  The other two people are very easy to please, but they thought it wasn't very good.

Maybe it was an off night?

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Agree about the noise level and I hope it was indeed an off night. We have found the food to be great both times we've gone but the space really is confining and the noise is bad. I'd go again for sure but maybe early or late on a weekend night or perhaps midweek.

You should try it again, must be a reason why so many people who post here and others travel so far to eat there.

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If you'd said this to me two weeks ago I would've seriously considered it, but since going to Andiamo (right next door to No. 9) I've had an epiphany which leads me to conclude I won't.

Several friends raved about Andiamo and we went with two of them. Reasonable sound level and good service, but all four of us were dissatisfied with the food! My wife and I had worked in the restaurant biz years ago, so we're very forgiving of faults and understand how hard a business it is. We also realize most small bistro type places are a labor of love.

Two of us had the fish (cod?) and while it was a fairly large piece and adequately cooked, it lacked much flavor and the putenesca was bland; again, I've made better. Both of us left over more than half and I noticed two other patrons did the same. The third person complained his crab ravioli was dry and lacking in flavor. My wife's shrimp dish was average and at $28 for seven shrimp, was overpriced. Prices were high! Our fish was $28 and they charge $24-26 for pasta and chicken. I believe the chef/owner Jean Giunta, takes pride in her food but it simply wasn't very good. The couple who recommended the place were apologetic.

Mayson charges about the same as No. 9 and Andiamo, but there's no comparison in the food.

The epiphany is that I'm realizing that there are a lot of BYO's that charge a lot and don't deliver the goods. In the past year, I've been to restaurants throughout Bucks county, in Philadelphia and in Montco and have left feeling let down after spending $50/person, for food only.

Is anyone else feeling the same way?