July 21, 2002
By Kim Rizk

The Brothers Moon is located in the center of downtown Hopewell, a charming village, home to a couple of antique shops and galleries situated along a frequently traveled route to Lambertville and New Hope.
Will Mooney, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, is the owner and executive chef. Will has spent time working in several top kitchens, including The Frog & The Peach and Stage Left.

Will, his wife Beth, and his brother, Sean (hence the Brothers Mooney), run the restaurant as a team.
My favorite part about this place is the incredibly delicious-sounding, seasonally changing menu offering exactly the right amount of choices.

A two-page menu offering seven appetizers, six salads and eight entrees, provides a well-balanced assortment of choices including several options for vegetarians as well as vegans.
The food is fresh and creative. I’d describe it as “New American” bistro fare with a smattering of both Mediterranean and Asian flavors.

A few sizeable sidewalk tables provide the option of dining al fresco. On the evening we arrived for dinner we gladly escaped the oppressive summer heat in the cool of the interior space. A whimsical yellow-and-blue moons-and-stars theme is carried throughout, creating an atmosphere that like the food is fun, fresh and contemporary.

A wall divides the space into two sections. One side is comfortably arranged with café tables and chairs for dining, while the other boasts a long refrigerated display case loaded with a selection of entrees, salads and desserts.

The food in the case looked good enough for a gourmet take-away picnic, but we were pleased that everything ordered for dinner was freshly prepared from scratch in the kitchen. My mean began on a high point with an order of the Lobster, Fennel and Orange with coconut and lime ($11).

It was a stunningly composed salad of large chunks of tender, steamed lobster picked and served alongside a crunchy mélange of fresh fennel and coconut, refreshed with lime juice and bright juicy peeled segments of orange. The flavors, textures and colors of this dish all came together to create a very delicious and refreshing summer appetizer.

The Caramelized Onion and Summer Squash Tart ($9) sounded marvelous on paper, but the end result didn’t match our expectations nor win us over. It was heavier than expected, and the sweetness of the onions overpowered any squash the tart may have contained.

Fortunately, a generous side of bitter greens judiciously dressed in good vinaigrette helped us through.
For a main course, the Roasted Tomato Risotto with Shiitake Mushrooms and Haricot Verte ($18) won my health heart.

A mountain of creamy white risotto flecked with tomatoes and mushrooms topped with a pile of perfectly cooked baby green beans arrived looking lovely and piping hot in a large white bistro bowl. It was good and fresh tasting, but lacked a bit of the richness I dream of in an excellent bowl of risotto. A handful of Reggiano-Parmigiano probably would have done the trick, but it wasn’t offered. In the end, I enjoyed the virtuous qualities of the dish.

An offering of locally “grown” wines from Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes is a thoughtful addition to the menu. We tried a bottle of the dry Riesling ($20). It was tart and citrusy, and refreshing for a warm summer evening.

My dining partner shoes the Lemon Crusted Shrimp with Mashed Potatoes, Caramelized Onions and Prosciutto Relish ($25). Seven good-sized shrimp arrived arranged like petals of a flower around a mound of coarsely smashed golden potatoes seasoned with a generous amount of olive oil. We barely detected the salty accent of the prosciutto against the sweet onions (next visit we’ll be sure to steer clear of caramelized onions all together).

The shrimp were nicely cooked with a light coating of breading seasoned with fresh lemon zest. Their flavor was good, but needed the pinch of salt we were able to add at the table. The evening’s special dessert of frozen pistachio-almond mousse ($7) was outrageously good. A tall, frozen cylinder of nut mousse arrived surrounded with a medley of fresh berries, topped with a very good shortbread cookie.
The Black Forrest Cake with lemon chamomile sauce ($70 captured our attention, but more so for the captivating sauce and fresh black cherry than the cake which was a bit dry. Homemade sorbets and vegan chocolate cake are offered on the dessert menu as well.

The food at The Brothers Moon is fresh and thoughtfully prepared with contemporary diets and palettes in mind. A great-sounding lunch and Sunday Brunch menu have enticed us into stopping by again sometime in the near future.