Mediterra Restaurant, Princeton New Jersey

There's a whole bunch I like about this restaurant. I think I'll list them.

1. It's on Palmer Square in Princeton, which makes taking a walk after a huge and delicious meal mandatory, Princeton is one of NJ's greatest treasures.

2. They've got a hostess who is off the charts beautiful. It takes absolutely everything I have not to stare (she looks like a healthier and happier version of Kristen Davis).

3. Their menu changes frequently and always reflects the season and the fresh ingredients they're buying from local family-run farms.

4. They've got Forth Vineyard's 2003 "All Boys" Cabernet Sauvignon on their wine list.

Now, in a regular circumstance, I'd have blown a gasket. We at www.avawine.com really go to great lengths to keep our producers small, and off the national distribution list. I contemplated ringing up Jann and graciously backing out of our deal to market their wine. But then I came to my senses. They're not any immediate threat to Sutter Home, they're not setting up promotional tents next to the stacked cases of Budweiser at Billy Bob's Liquor and Beer Emporium. They're just a boutique winery that got picked up by an award winning restaurant, to compliment their award winning wine list. Stay calm... deep breath... everything is ok.

Being angry is stupid anyway, had I not come to my senses I would have missed how this cabernet is so friendly to the palate. This wine can come out as fruity, then gets reigned in out of nowhere by this great big splash of toasty oak. It's perfect with food, especially tomato based stuff.

Then I ripped into a vat of Mussels that were made especially for me (without garlic). This appetizer dish is a monster, and comes in what looks like a great big wok, and these little babies taste like delicate ocean pearls of love. Calamari at Mediterra isnt like calamari at TGI Friday's. These squid are big and round and bounce back when you poke them. They're fresh fried and sometimes the light batter just cant hold onto the slippery texture of the circle, so you're left with this perfectly cooked ring of squid that reminds you of beaches, and meals you've had while sitting on them.

Main courses are great. I always order one at Mediterra, but I'm usually so perfectly set after the two huge appetizers, that I just pick at it. This restaurant is a favorite of mine for dates. The supermodel hostess can usually be persuaded to let me take a 4-top, instead of shoving us into some cramped deuce, which is nice.... she's nice, and I have a mad crush on her. The decor is very cool, and the service is almost always very good. In the summer you can sit outside, which rocks.

So, in conclusion, let me break down again why this place is great.
1. Seriously good food.
2. Interesting decor.
3. Superior wine list (as is any list with one of my producers).
4. The hottest hostess of all time.
5. Outdoor seating

I recommend this restaurant to all who have the ability to reach it. After dinner, walk straight out the door until you hit Nassau Street and take a left. Keep an eye out of the Triumph Beer Company on your left. Stop in. Drink a pint of very well crafted micro-brewed beer. You deserve it for the 1/4 mile hike you made to get there.

If you want to give Jann and Gerry's "All Boy's" Cabernet Sauvignon a try, give this a click.
http://www.avawine.com/forth-vineyards-2003-boys-cabernet-sauvignon-p-314.html
We always pay for the shipping and you simply cannot go wrong with selections from this winery.
http://www.avawine.com/wineries-forth-vineyards-c-42_143.html

If you need help finding Mediterra:
http://www.terramomo.com/restaurant/mediterra/index.html

Best wishes on the New Year everyone, and thanks for tuning in.

/wm