Worth your Weyl's Guide to Princeton Cuisine

Quality

0 Paws: Toxic 1 Paw: Avoid 2 Paws: Tolerable 3 Paws: Worth returning 4 Paws: Outstanding 5 Paws: World's best

Cost

$ Inexpensive $$ Moderate $$$ Expensive $$$$ Very expensive $$$$$ Unconscionable

Five Places Every Tiger Should Try

1. The Bent Spoon: 4 Paws, $$; Palmer Square West. The Bent Spoon specializes in what may be the best ice cream in the state of New Jersey. Complimented by truly world-class cookies, rich hot chocolate, light and all-banana banana whip and some of the best traditional chocolate cake around, The Bent Spoon is several cuts above the more traditional offerings at Thomas Sweets and Halo Pub. The always friendly staff, fun atmosphere and delightful décor complete the package at this not-to-be-missed spot that tops my Princeton list.

2. The Ferry House: 3.5 Paws, $$$$; Witherspoon Street at Spring Street. The Ferry House well deserves its reputation as Princeton's finest haute cuisine, offering a variety of often creative and sometimes delicious French-American dishes. Though the entrees are not as impressive as their prices, the fried calamari and crab martini (mainstays of the menu) are outstanding, and the specials of the day are consistent winners. To impress a date or extort a parent, this is the best place in town and certainly one that every student should sample before walking out of FitzRandolph Gate. The extraordinary prices, however, limit the regular crowd to the set of wealthier adults who can be seen every evening populating its Witherspoon Street windows.

3. Tomo Sushi: 3.5 Paws, $$; Nassau at Olden by the E-Quad. In a different class than the other Princeton sushiyas, Tomo (which opened earlier this year) offers consistently excellent fish as well as rolls whose quality matches their creativity. They excel in cooked dishes as well. Staffed by a prominent New York chef with a delightful disposition and enormous talent and served in a fast-food atmosphere at eminently reasonable prices, this is the Princeton's one-stop-shop for Japanese lovers. You can't go wrong here and, if in doubt, don't hesitate to ask the chef, who will be more than delighted to recommend the best of the day's catch.

4. Old World Pizza: 3.5 Paws, $; Nassau at Olden by the E-Quad. Built on the foundation of delicious, rich bread, topped with the freshest tomato sauce, lightly covered with the most delicate mozzarella and finished off with only the highest quality toppings, Old World is the upper crust of Princeton pies. Its sophistication offers a sharp and refreshing contrast to the traditional New York and New Jersey styles that most Princeton pizzerias execute with varying degrees of mediocrity. It is no wonder that the most elegant/shameless club meetings eschew Papa Johns for this delivery-oriented exemplar, sure to draw hungry gourmands.

5. Witherspoon Bread Company: 3.5 Paws, $; Witherspoon Street between Hullfish and Paul Robeson. Serving the best pastries and fresh breads in town, Witherspoon Bread Company is an under-patronized Princeton knockout. Their melt-in-your-mouth challah and impressive selection of croissants make them a favorite destination for the sadly diminishing group of carb-loving Princetonians. While its parent company, Terra Momo, also owns the enjoyable Teresa's and Mediterra (both also Princeton classics), this simple bakery is the crown jewel.

Also Notable

Mehek: 2.5 Paws, $$; Nassau at Washington. Within the thoroughly disappointing world of Princeton Indian food, Mehek shines through as the only enjoyable option. While certainly nothing to write home about, especially if home is India, Mehek consistently serves passable classics at reasonable prices. The lamb korma and tandoori chicken are quite good, and free papadam chips and the only recognizable naan in town are pluses as well. Mehek is the best available antidote for the Indian hankering that often besets me, but maybe not worth visiting in general. Avoid the downstairs fast food, which is bland and overpriced.

Conte's: 3 Paws, $; Witherspoon past Princeton Medical Center across from the municipal building, between Valley and Guyot. Despite a slightly off-putting, pub-like atmosphere, an absence of menus and a staff that sometimes borders on rude, Conte's is the only place in town that serves up real, New Jersey-style pizza. And it does so quite well, consistently drawing a packed crowd of professors and townies supplemented by the occasional, adventurous student. Certainly worth trying if you can't make it to DeLorenzo's in Trenton (or better yet, Pepe's, Sally's or Modern in New Haven, which have much the same style). Conte's above-average fare could make the hike past PMC worth it.

Blue Point Grill: 3.5 Paws, $$$; Nassau at Murray, just past the E-Quad. Having recently received the highest rating from Zagat's of any Princeton restaurant, Blue Point Grill has become one of the hardest places to get a table in Princeton — and for good reason. Offering tasty, fresh fish from its next-door market served simply with a slight cajun flair, the Blue Point Grill offers a somewhat more affordable and lively spot for a date or parental visit than the usual Witherspoon Street offerings. Despite lacking the creativity and sophistication of the Ferry House, Blue Point is worth a visit for seafood lovers.

Thomas Sweet's: 3.5 Paws, $; Nassau just past Washington. From pictures taken during movie shoots in town, to advertisements for film festivals this favorite ice cream shop sponsors, to the fun house mirror deposited in the middle of this colorful store, Thomas Sweet's shows all the markings of the true Princeton institution it is. Boasting bountiful and shifting flavors and beloved mix-ins, as well as bargain basement prices, T-Sweets is unlikely to lose its enormous popularity anytime soon, even if its excellent ice cream doesn't measure up to subtle beauty of the category winner.

Halo Pub: 3.5 Paws, $; Hullfish at Palmer Square East. It is unfortunate for this delicious glacier with unbeatable prices and an adorable adjoining ice cream patisserie (it boasts of being the only one in the country) that, at the height of popularity, its smooth and rich ice cream has been outclassed by the newcomer The Bent Spoon. But despite its declining stature, Halo remains a safe bet for classic offerings in a charming setting.

Worth a Drive

The Frog and the Peach: 4.5 Paws, $$$$; New Brunswick, (732) 846-3216 for directions. Almost certainly the best food closer than Philadelphia, the wonderful name is only the beginning of the delights at this superlative Nouvelle-French restaurant in the heart of underwhelming New Brunswick. Boasting a swank décor, excellent service, a superbly creative and broad menu and near-perfect execution, The Frog and the Peach manages to earn its wallet-searing prices. If you want to go beyond the impressive standard fare, chef Bruce Lefebvre will prepare you an impressive six-course, seasonal tasting menu, with or without wine pairings. If you are looking to propose marriage, dazzle a guest or just treat yourself to a spectacular meal, The Frog and the Peach is the best around.

Red Hen Café: 4 Paws, $$$; Medford, (609) 953-2655 for directions. Tucked away in an unassuming and more-tasteful-than-usual suburban shopping center and kept by an even less assuming husband-wife pair, Red Hen plays home to a quiet, tasteful environment and unusually delicious cuisine. Harnessing the best of underexploited Eastern European cooking (the spaetzle, potato pancakes, steaks and Wiener schnitzel are all to die for), Red Hen manages to keep prices reasonable while still offering food well worth the half to three-quarters of an hour drive.

Siri's Thai French Cuisine: 4 Paws, $$$; Cherry Hill, (856) 663-6781. The somewhat discombobulating drive and positively ugly strip-mall-against-construction-site exterior that preface any visit to Siri's belie the charming atmosphere, excellent service and exceptional haute Thai food served within. Siri's distinguishes itself as easily the best Thai food in the state, from their scrumptious crab-and-shrimp-filled golden bags to their complex Pad Thai, all served at edible prices. You won't regret the forty-five minute drive that is sure to impress a date, but you will regret getting lost (trust me), so get very clear directions along this somewhat counterintuitive route.