July 29, 2005
TIMEOFF; food
By: Kate and Tom O'Neill

This Hopewell spot offers fresh food, welcoming service and a neighborhood feel that borrows from the past.

Historically, a village market was the center of the community. Those markets have disappeared from most of our older villages, but in some towns, high-quality, independent restaurants have filled more than the physical gap. The Brothers Moon in Hopewell, which occupies the spot where the Village Market stood for years, provides a 21st-century version of the market hub: fresh food and a chance encounter with a neighbor, whether you are dining at the restaurant or picking up a high-end meal to enjoy at home. Or weather permitting, you might join up to 20 guests sitting at sidewalk tables, meeting and greeting passers-by and catching up on the news. Even the leisurely pace of the welcome and service at the Brothers Moon seems to borrow from the past.

We visited under a glorious full July moon, but that was pure coincidence. The Brothers Moon derives its name from the restaurant's co-founders, chef-owner Will Mooney and his brother Sean. Today, Will Mooney and his wife, Beth, co-own the expanded 75-seat restaurant. Chef Mooney brings impressive credentials: a Culinary Institute of America graduate, he worked at the Hotel Pierre in New York, The Frog and the Peach, Stage Left and the Peacock Inn. On the night we visited, chef de cuisine Gilbert Hodge was in charge and did a superb job, as did our server, Mary Beth, who has been with the Brothers Moon since its founding in 2001.

The celestial theme recurs throughout the restaurant, with a mix of good taste and whimsy. Gold moons and stars emblazon the sapphire-blue water glasses. In the new dining area, where we were seated, Mars-red floors are matched by garnet swags above lighter-than-air curtains, sheathed at the center in cylinders dotted with swirling asteroids. Another misty curtain, mysteriously starlit, divides the room into intimate dining areas.

We appreciated having, along with the seasonal menu, an extra printed sheet describing the daily specials. Year-round, the seasonal menus at The Brothers Moon feature locally raised fruit, vegetables, game and chicken from producers such as the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association's organic farm, the Griggstown Farm and Simply Grazin'. In late July, the spring menu was in its final week, but by early August, said Chef Hodge, the summer menu would be in full swing.

Our two fine appetizers were boosted by the freshness of their ingredients: a bracing gazpacho was graced with diced zucchini and featured a spiral nebula of dense avocado cream ($9). A mixed salad, composed of mache, spring potatoes, shallots and smoked salmon, boasted a delicate lemon caper dressing ($12) that enhanced the delectable sweet smokiness of the fish. On this hot night, these choices won out over richer appetizers, such as sautéed foie gras ($15) or morel mushroom risotto with duck confit in mushroom broth ($12).

With the entrées too, we steered away from selections such as Muscovy duck breast with duck confit in red wine demi glace ($31) that would best be saved to mark the first frost. Instead, we selected sesame seed-encrusted yellowfin ($28) and roasted chicken breast ($25). The chicken was accompanied by chanterelle mushrooms, nappa cabbage and smooth-as-silk mashed potatoes pulled together by a savory red wine reduction. The end of the crisp-skinned chicken's wing bone had been snipped off — or Frenched — and the breast was divided into three chunks for easy carving. A thick slice of pancetta suffused the chicken with smoky essence. Not only do we love roast chicken, but we also find it is a good test of the skills of the kitchen. In this case, we awarded an A to the chef and all who helped create this dish.

The yellowfin sat at the center of a pool of golden carrot broth, flavored with ginger oil — think rings of Saturn. A simple blend of black and white sesame seeds, enlivened with grindings of black pepper, coated the tuna, which was perfectly cooked between rare and medium rare. The accompanying emerald green vegetable slaw was reminiscent of Japanese seaweed salad, with all ingredients sliced matchstick-thin and tossed with a light dressing. Like the chicken, this entrée came with silky mashed potatoes.

At The Brothers Moon all desserts, even the ice creams, are made on site. When it's available, a scoop of Chef Hodge's creamy dolce de leche ice cream should not be missed. And pray that he has made another special: crème brulée. What is the endless fascination of this dessert? No matter how many times you try it, you experience a moment of delight as you pierce that brittle caramelized crust and discover the crème de la crème of custards underneath. At The Brothers Moon, the addition of coffee to the custard dulled the pleasing sunny color of traditional crème brulée but lent a marvelous tang to the dessert. After dessert, we topped off the meal with a pair of deep, rich decaffeinated espressos.

The Brothers Moon? In a word: heavenly!
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