Dinner in Atlantic Highlands

[bgut1]

The wife and I were considering trying one of the many restaurants in downtown Atlantic Highlands. Up for consideration were Bobo 33, Bella's, and Copper Canyon. After checking out all three web pages (Bella's is now down for some reason), we decided to try out Bella's. Its menu seemed more appealing to our tastes - raw bar and various fish preparations. We arrived downtown at about 8:30 pm and had to park what seemed to be a half mile away from the restaurant (not so much of a problem except it was quite cold last night). We were pleasantly surprised to find many shops still open at that time and had noticed that both Bobo and Copper Canyon were packed with customers. At this point we were quite excited to be dining at Bella's. We arrived at Bella's to find the restaurant half empty. Trying not to prejudge we decided to keep an open mind and proceded to review the menu. Our concerns quickly vanished. The menu was awesome with every item sounding more delicious than the other - cioppino, braised lamb shank with polenta, john dory, whole roasted branzino, seared scallops with risotto, and on and on. The wine list on the other hand was a disaster. The typical kind of list you find at a Mom and Pop establishment. I could not recognize more than one or two wines on the list. The good thing however was the wines were quite reasonable in price and they offered many by the glass. Deciding to have fish we ordered a couple glasses of a Gewürztraminer/Riesling blend for $6 a glass (how bad could it be?). Pretty bad. On to the food. We started with a dozen mixed oysters (bluepoints, malpeques, and fanny bays), then tuna tartare and seared scallops with scallion risotto for appetizers, and the john dory (with mashed potatoes and chanterelles) and lamb shank for the entrees). Now for the good - The oysters were very fresh tasting presented with a nice mignonette and cocktail sauces (however we were charged for 12 fanny bays at $2 each instead of the less expensive bluepoints); the tuna tartare (classic preparation with seaweed salad on top), and the john dory (the highlight of the evening). The bad however ruined it for me. The scallop and risotto dish while sounding beautiful didn't turn out that way. While nicely seared on the outside, the scallops were "cool" on the inside and the risotto was not creamy in the least. The lamb shank was the biggest disappointment. It came delivered in a "pool" of sauce and tasted so gamy I could barely tolerate it. Don't get me wrong, I love lamb, but this was too "lamby." I'm still tasting it the morning after. Even though the fried pound cake (with Nutella) and the banana cake desserts sounded good, we decided to leave (we instead enjoyed a piece of the ultimate chocolate cake from Wegmans we were saving at home). On our way back to our car, we walked by Copper Canyon and Bobo (both continuing to buzz at that hour) regretting our decision. All in all, I would try a different restaurant in the Atlantic Highlands.

Edited November 20, 2006 by bgut1 (log)

[McFoodie]

Bgut- I'm sorry to hear your dinner at Bella's was so disappointing. My husband and I had wonderful meals there on several occassions (the nightly specials were the standouts) but were less than satisfied by a recent brunch experience (both because of food and service). Hands down, Copper Canyon continues to be our favorite restaurant in Atlantic Highlands - the clean and casual Mexican food and perfect margaritas are the best in the area - though it can be a bit loud and the wait, as you saw, can be annoying. I suggest going on a weeknight or making reservations in advance (something I'm not always good at). Bobo's, on the other hand, has the coolest digs, but the food and service just miss.

[bgut1]

Bgut- I'm sorry to hear your dinner at Bella's was so disappointing. My husband and I had wonderful meals there on several occassions (the nightly specials were the standouts) but were less than satisfied by a recent brunch experience (both because of food and service). Hands down, Copper Canyon continues to be our favorite restaurant in Atlantic Highlands - the clean and casual Mexican food and perfect margaritas are the best in the area - though it can be a bit loud and the wait, as you saw, can be annoying. I suggest going on a weeknight or making reservations in advance (something I'm not always good at). Bobo's, on the other hand, has the coolest digs, but the food and service just miss.

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We will definitely try Copper Canyon next time. While I've tried "fancy" mexican/southwestern cuisine (e.g. Coyote Grill & Frontera Grill) the menu at CC didn't do it for me. The Tequila Bar on the other hand sounds fantastic. BTW, how was Market in the Middle tonight? Did you try their awesome ribs? Sorry I couldn't come but I could only get a sitter for last night. Trust me, I would have rather eaten at MIM. Sometimes I would rather eat at old faithfuls as opposed to trying new places. But what fun would that be. Be well.

[Taboni]

We were going to go to Copper Canyon on Saturday but had a babysitter malfunction. We are going to try for this weekend again. I haven't been there since they moved into Blue Bay Inn. Is the space bigger than the old one? Mcfoodie will they take a reservation for 2 people or is it like the old place where you were pretty much resigned to eating at the bar?

[McFoodie]

Is the space bigger than the old one? Mcfoodie will they take a reservation for 2 people or is it like the old place where you were pretty much resigned to eating at the bar?

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The space is double or triple the size of the old one, though I still prefer to sit on the more "happening" bar side, rather than in the more ordinary (and surprisingly, sometimes louder) dining room. And yes, their reservation policy has gotten a lot more accommodating since moving into the larger space, but waits without reservations can still top an hour. Don't miss the fantastic homemade fire roasted salsa (if you can stand a whole lot of heat) or the best margaritas around, which are made with only fresh juices.

[bgut1]

Is the space bigger than the old one? Mcfoodie will they take a reservation for 2 people or is it like the old place where you were pretty much resigned to eating at the bar?

←

The space is double or triple the size of the old one, though I still prefer to sit on the more "happening" bar side, rather than in the more ordinary (and surprisingly, sometimes louder) dining room. And yes, their reservation policy has gotten a lot more accommodating since moving into the larger space, but waits without reservations can still top an hour. Don't miss the fantastic homemade fire roasted salsa (if you can stand a whole lot of heat) or the best margaritas around, which are made with only fresh juices.

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I finally got the chance to dine at Copper Canyon on Saturday night. The restaurant was unusually half empty when we arrived which added to the enjoyment of our evening. Interestingly, Bobo's was closed that night. Anyway, I found the decor to be very nice and and I really enjoyed the comfortable high back leather chairs. With regard to the food, our dinner party ordered as follows:

APPS

1. Chips with salsa and guacamole - the chips, salsa and guac were excellent and freshly prepared.

2. Baked Brie with garlic - an appetizer recommended by friends. Truly exceptional.

3. Southwestern spring rolls - recommended by the server - okay but nothing too special.

4. A salad of some sort with grilled shrimp - I didn't get a chance to try it so can't comment

5. Tuna Carpaccio - passable - nothing special

ENTREES

1. Sesame crusted Tuna - Pretty good - nothing earth shattering but solid

2. NY Strip Steak with Fries - Didn't sound too exciting on the menu but came highly recommended. Very very good. Top notch french fries.

3. Crab Cakes - Okay - again nothing special.

4. Grilled Shrimp w/ mango sauce - quite good.

DESSERT

1. Chocolate ganache cake - very nice and chocolatey. Satisfied my sweet tooth.

All in all a very good meal. I would not hesitate to return. BTW, the margaritas were good but not great. I asked for more lime juice on my second and it was much better.

Edited January 2, 2007 by bgut1 (log)