Moe's Bistro

The quality of Moe's Mediterranean food was a pleasant surprise considering its location, which is in a strip mall wedged between a now defunct Weight Watchers store front and a Hertz car rental office.  They refer to themselves as a California/Mediterranean restaurant...Med part makes sense, but I'm not seeing the California connection, but who cares.  The generously sized portions of both appetizers and entrees are served on over sized platters.  In fact, the dinner plates could be used to sled on if there was a sudden blizzard and both the wait staff and diners seem to struggle when picking them up.  I ordered an appy and entree from the list of the evening's specials.  The smoked trout appy was good but not described entirely accurately by our waiter...never did he mention the lump crab meat that was served with it which was a pleasant surprise.  Not sure (and I doubt) the trout is smoked in house but it was still of good quality.  My entree was a trio of grilled spare ribs, hangar steak and I think filet mignon served with roast potatoes and sauted kale (i think it was kale, waiter didn't describe the whole dish again) which was over salted and chewy...probably under cooked...i only took one bite. I would rate this restaurant higher if they improve on a couple of things since I really had no major complaints about the food. First, they need to improve the professionalism of their wait staff. The place is not huge, maybe a dozen tables, but one waiter is not enough.  He was very pleasant but he messed up a few things. For example, he never asked to what temperature I wanted my beef cooked; he didn't bring an appy one of my dining partners ordered...totally missed the order; didn't do a very good job of describing the specials.  The one waiter did have two servers in the dining room "helping" him.  These were  two young teens who seemed to be Moe's kids...the boy definitely was his son.  But these kids were serving dishes to the wrong tables, vanished for a while with a credit card and just don't have the professionalism needed to do the job.  "You done with that?" never seems to be the right thing to ask diners. Oddly, through the course of the evening Moe could be seen from the kitchen talking with the waiter and pointing to our table, not sure why.   The second problem is that if you sit along the wall as we did, it is awfully dark.  There is only sparse lighting in the place but fortunately the lights that illuminate the sidewalk of the strip mall came on and provided the needed visibility through the front windows.  The decor is pretty uninspired in general but it is a strip mall after all so didn't have hight expectations.  Moe himself is in the kitchen and comes around to greet diners.  He doesn't look like a typical chef with his gym shorts and Brazil soccer shirt, but he's doing something right because the food isn't too bad.  Prices are not inexpensive but seem in line.

Never will you meet a chef that "creates" a meal with such flair...and more importantly, a meal that you will savor. Moe is there ALL THE TIME, he will come out and explain the dish--which is never anything less than fresh and delicious. Beautifully presented and one of the most enjoyable meals you will have locally in Hunterdon County and elsewhere. Every salad is delicious. Pulled Pork amazing. affordable and wonderful.