The New York Times-20080127-For Starters- Salads- But Don-t Stop There-- -Review-

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For Starters, Salads. But Don't Stop There.; [Review]

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IN these times of short days and long nights, I crave vast quantities of raw greens, amended with a few nuts, a little cheese, maybe some perfectly ripened slices of fresh fruit ...I want salads.

At Oliver a Bistro, I can satisfy my desire.

I think of the mountain of squeaky-clean and piquant arugula, judiciously complemented with slim slices of Parmesan, a simple lemon vinaigrette and two hot-from-the-pan artichoke croutons. Or the salad that begins with a similar portion of field greens, adorned with juicy grape tomato halves, warm bacon bits and almost too much Amish blue cheese. Or the luscious duck confit laid over more of those field greens with Asian pear, everything sprinkled with dried cranberries and spiced pecans and dressed with a sweetish housemade pomegranate vinaigrette.

If I had eaten my fill of greens on two visits, however, I would have missed the truffle-scented risotto, masterfully paired with slices of perfectly seared ahi tuna, a couple more of those sassy, slightly acidic grape tomatoes (these softened by a slow poach in butter) and a balsamic-port wine reduction.

I also fit in a serving of the lobster macaroni and cheese, a great classic that didn't need the luxury seafood and was oddly placed in the appetizers category; in my book, macaroni and cheese is a side dish. Better placed were the mussels, which proved to be plump and clean, with just a little too little fragrant white wine-garlic-shallot butter sauce for dipping and sopping.

A special appetizer of gigamoto oysters, six for $19, was delicious, but their exceedingly small size (think of a snack on a toothpick) makes this a very pricey appetizer; most oyster fans I know would eat at least a dozen and a half before pausing for conversation.

And Oliver is good for conversation, enjoyment and relaxing. The restaurant inhabits a long, narrow storefront with inset display windows that wrap around a recessed door. Matthew McElmoyl, the chef, and his wife, Danielle, bought the former lunch spot and opened their restaurant there in June 2006.

The third player is James Berry, who makes the desserts and doubles as an excellent waiter when Mrs. McElmoyl needs help at the front of the house.

Both my visits, one on a crowded weekend night, the other on a quiet weeknight, were marred by the endless recitation of specials, each with myriad components. Among them, I particularly enjoyed a slab of salmon, pan-seared to succulence and paired with thyme-imbued lentils. Scallops, too, were nicely pan-seared and presented, with a green pea risotto under one lonely strand of bright green broccolini, the mustard-colored shellfish cream sauce adding a fanciful touch. The rack of lamb was well roasted and well paired with mashed potatoes with goat cheese (but not enough broccolini), and another well executed sauce, this one a port wine reduction.

The bacon-wrapped filet mignon was equally matched -- mashed potatoes with horseradish and sour cream -- and a hearty sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions and mushrooms. Unfortunately, the meat was raw inside, despite its appealing mahogany exterior, but that was nothing a little skillet time couldn't fix. The real waste was the roast pork loin, so overcooked that it was dry and tough. Luckily, the braised cabbage and the Gruyere gratin alongside were lovely.

The restaurant menu is simple, with aforementioned appetizers and salads on one page and six main dishes on the other. The cheese tortellini from the main dishes category was off balance: It needed more broccoli rabe and more roasted peppers, less sweet Italian sausage (and a more interesting variety) and only about a third of the Parmesan cream sauce.

Mr. Berry served two standout desserts: Key lime pie so fresh that its graham cracker crust was still properly crunchy and flourless chocolate cake, as dark as dirt and so much like fudge that it stuck to the spoon. Those alone are reason enough to return, and good balance for all those delicious salads.

Oliver a Bistro

218 Farnsworth Avenue

Bordentown

(609) 298-7177

www.oliverabistro.com

GOOD

THE SPACE Narrow, pleasant storefront. Wheelchair accessibility.

THE CROWD Noisy and dressy-casual; personable servers; very few children (though they are welcome).

THE BAR Bring your own wine.

THE BILL Lunch sandwiches, about $8 to $10. Dinner entrees, $15 to $34. All major credit cards.

WHAT WE LIKE Ahi tuna over white truffle risotto, baby arugula salad, field greens with bacon and blue cheese, mussels in white wine broth, salmon with lentils, scallops with green pea risotto, rack of lamb with goat-cheese mashed potatoes; Key Lime pie, chocolate cake.

IF YOU GO Lunch: Wednesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner: Tuesday to Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday to 10 p.m. Reservations recommended on weekends. Street parking.

Reviewed Jan. 27, 2008

[Illustration]PHOTOS: STYLISH STOREFRONT: Oliver a Bistro, a place for relaxation and conversation, offers entrees like, top left, the pan-seared scallops with sweet pea risotto. (PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAURA PEDRICK FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES)