Ferry House

I found myself in Princeton, NJ for lunch one day and wanted to treat my in laws and family to something special. Also, I had a coupon that needed to be used. I have always wanted to go the Ferry House because I've heard very good things about it. It's normally recommended as a dinner destination but I only had time for lunch.

The portions here are pretty large so we all opted to only get entrees. After we ordered, they gave us bread though the bread service was quite strange. The waiter came over with a basket of bread and served a sliced piece of bread to each of us. And that was it. Each slice was pretty small similar to the size you would get from crudite. Luckily, our lunch entrees were close by. Mrs. Executive Chef had the Sauteed Crab Cake and Portobello Mushroom ($15). The crab cake was nice and crispy and inside held plump pieces of crab. The tomato salsa, asparagus, and lemon butter brightened up the dish while the portobello mushroom added earthiness and the mashed potatoes added creaminess.

Mrs. Pastry Chef joined us from work and had the Sauteed Medallions of Chicken ($11). Each juicy piece of chicken was nicely cooked and lightly sat on top of creamy mashed potatoes and sherry mustard butter. The dish was finished with sauteed wild mushrooms. Again, a good balance of meat to fresh vegetables, to earthy mushrooms, and creamy potatoes and sauce.

I really wanted fish that day so I ordered the Pan Roasted Fillet of Salmon with Red Beet and Baby Arugula Saute in Saffron Butter and finished with fresh herb drizzle ($13). The salmon was cooked perfectly being raw on the inside as I requested and a pale pink on the outside. The piece of meat was juicy and flaked off as I pushed my fork through it. The accompanying vegetables and light sauce was nicely paired with the rich fish. The only issue I had was that I found a bone in the meat. Just a small one. This issue wasn't big enough to dislike the dish whatsoever.

Mr. Sous Chef had the Blackened Jumbo Shrimp ($15) with Spanish rice, avocado salsa, and citrus butter. The six large shrimp served in this platter were very large. And giving six for lunch was very generous. They looked plump and juicy. The fluffy rice and avocado salsa rounded things out along with the citrus butter.

And finally, Mr. M&P had the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin ($13) with Sour Cream and Green Onion Mashed Potatoes and Roast Garlic Au Jus. The pork tenderloin was cooked to medium so it was pink inside. This is not for everyone but ever since the FDA reduced the safe cooking temperature for pork, people have been more daring to order it like their beef steaks. Again, a nice balance of meat, to vegetables, and sauce.

The meal at the Ferry House was nothing short of delicious. The food was fantastic and the service attentive. It was nice to enjoy something special for lunch. The only disappointing part, with no fault to the restaurant, was that my coupon wasn't valid. I had misread the terms and it was only valid for dinner. Oops, my fault. So I handed off the coupon over to my in laws so that they could enjoy a nice dinner together.

If you're looking for a good place to have dinner in Princeton, NJ then go to the Ferry House. If you're looking for something more affordable, then try it for lunch. The dinner prices are more than double and reservations can be hard to come by at prime time. However, lunch was very affordable and tables were easily available.

The Ferry House
32 Witherspoon Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
(609)924-2488
theferryhouse.com