Sophisticated flavors for an evolving summer clientele at Matisse

Sophisticated flavors for an evolving summer clientele at Matisse

By CHRISTOPHER THUMANN
CORRESPONDENT

With its sand and surf and beach-facing bars and restaurants, Belmar's a fun Jersey Shore community. But back in the '80s, it was a party town. The type of place where you'd rent a house with five of your friends, park on the lawn, and throw shindigs that prompted whole pods of dolphins not to surface until they crossed into Avon.

And on your staggering way to McDonald's on the beach at 13th Street on a sticky post-party Sunday morning, you'd walk by some guy passed out on a porch (yeah, that was me) and think, "Someday I wanna live here.''

Since then, Belmar's evolved some. Its drinking laws are tighter, its quality of life is better, its population is more residential, and that McDonald's is now Matisse, an upscale bistro right on the boardwalk that serves up an often dazzling New American menu in a building that's none the worse for its fast-food wear.

From its unique location on the Belmar boardwalk along Ocean Avenue, Matisse offers unbeatable views of the ocean, along with an inventive menu that builds not just an experience of flavor but frequently one of color as well.

My partner and I started dinner with a couple of appetizers. One of the best items on the menu has to be the Vermont Goat Cheese Ravioli ($11). In this wonderful starter, delicate, thin-rolled pasta dough is wrapped around an artisanal New England goat cheese, drizzled with
a macadamia-flavored syrup and seasoned with sea salt infused with vanilla, all set over slices of pineapple. The flavors that result pair the mellow tanginess of the cheese with a round mouthful of subtly sweet vanilla, which is intense but doesn't overwhelm the rest of the
dish.

I also tried the Grilled Calamari with Arugula, Fennel and Lemon Preserves ($11). Here delicately crusted squid pieces roughly 1 inch square were served over julienne fries and arugula greens. The pungent peppery tastes are all the more infused with the warmly spiced flavors of the preserves and the licorice essence of the fennel.

The Cast Iron Skillet-seared Day Boat Scallops ($34) was both a feast of flavor and color, with a green summer pea coulis painting a plate that's also studded with fresh, bright yellow corn kernels. Six sweet sea scallops, seared on both flat sides as promised, were nested in that puree, all surrounding an attractive centerpiece of a chive-potato tart with an inventive crisp crust crafted from a wonton wrapper. The tasty tart contained chunks of potato in a creamy potato puree and was sprinkled with fresh-snipped chives. The scallops were cooked just a hair past how I like them, but they were still acceptable, and the pea coulis added nice summery flavors to them.

The "No. 1'' in the Chili Spiced No. 1 Tuna ($32) refers to the sushi grade of the fish in this equally colorful entree that decorates the plate with vibrant salad greens and a purple pinot noir sauce. Flavors here were good, with the sauce adding a hearty backbone to the
robust fish. But I was disappointed overall with the entree because the fish was a bit overcooked. We'd ordered it to be cooked medium, and it came out medium well. However, with such a good grading, why didn't our waiter recommend how the fish should be served in the first place? If the kitchen is going to showcase a top-quality ingredient, it should also make sure that the customer has the opportunity to enjoy that ingredient in its optimum preparation.

More popular than ever on menus this year, the Key Lime Tart ($6.99) at Matisse is a nice version of this Florida favorite. Contained within a pleasantly tender crumb crust, the filling was sufficiently limey and not overly sweet. The Homemade Chipwich ($6.99) paired two delicious, warm homemade chocolate-chip cookies, studded with a generous amount of chips, with a soft-serve vanilla ice cream, all drizzled with a raspberry sauce. The colors were as vibrant as the flavors were comforting.

The tuna service issue notwithstanding, Matisse has plenty of pleasant surprises going for it, ranging from its imaginative ingredient choices to its pretty plate-ups. For what it's offering, Matisse's prices are reasonable, and the fact that you can walk in with your own wine means that this is a summer-at-the-Shore dining experience that won't cost you a fortune. Bring five of your friends and have a party. Just don't try to park on the lawn.

Christopher Thumann, a graduate of La Salle University in Philadelphia and Jersey City's Culinary Arts Institute, is a former food editor at Woman's World magazine. He has also edited and written for Weight Watchers, Chocolatier magazine and Pastry Art and Design magazine. You
can reach him at cthumann@hotmail.com. Restaurants are rated in relation to comparable establishments and reviews are based upon an anonymous evaluation of food, service, price, value and ambience.