A new restaurant in Scotch Plains is impressing diners with defined tapas, French-Mediterranean plates and a stunning cocktail list.
The word “tapas” derives from the Spanish word “tapar,” meaning “to cover.” There are several theories as to how the bite-sized appetizers got their name, but my favorite one is this: in Spanish taverns, specifically in the region of Andalusia, bar-goers would snack on thin slices of bread with a variety of toppings. In between sips of their regionally abundant sherry, the bar-goers would cover their glasses with their bread-assembled bites. The practice became common to prevent fruit flies but morphed into somewhat of a right of passage when drinking at these taverns. “Tapas” they would exclaim, and the name has stuck ever since.
Is it true? Not sure. But, I choose to believe it is.
The larger story here is that as the tradition of tapas has traversed the globe, the idea behind it has stayed pretty much true to its (alleged) roots. Tapas are food meant to be enjoyed with a drink, informally, and preferably with a group of friends. That’s why I love tapas so much. Whether it be the traditional style from the south of Spain or more complex varieties found in the Mediterranean region of France and beyond, tapas are about having fun while you eat.
So, when I hear about new tapas restaurants popping up around the Garden State, it’s always a welcome addition to our dining landscape. That’s because tapas excel where other foods don’t: dining should be fun—have we forgotten what it’s all about? It’s certainly not forgotten at Bernadette, Scotch Plains’ newest restaurant which specializes in French-Mediterranean fare, donning the traditional tapas format.
When you walk into Bernadette, you are immediately greeted with a beautiful wrap-around bar, and a sleek design and table format to match it. It completely teleports you to somewhere else. New York City? France? Some fictional place where tapas rain from the sky? Maybe it’s some combination of the three.
The bar’s grand stature is important because it is as important to the operation as the food itself. Bernadette is a place where locals can come sit at the bar, sip a cocktail and have a bite or two to eat. This might take the form of a sugar-rimmed Sidecar and a half-dozen oysters. Or, maybe you go for a complexly alluring barrel-aged Boulevardier, coupled with a plate of fried, bleu-cheese-stuffed olives.
With larger groups, it would be in your best interest to start with the pissaladière—a crunchy, flat-bread style pizza that is topped with an array of Mediterranean toppings. The crust is coated in coarse Semolina, offering a textural definition that is absent in other versions of the appetizer. The toppings include cured Cailletier olives (sometimes called Nicoise olives), sweet caramelized onions, garlic, fines herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil), and creamy ricotta.
Because Nicoise olives are so dominated by salt and the wine-like flavor characteristic of the variety, the pairing with jammy onions is a no-brainer. The intense flavors work to balance each other out—muted by the rest of the chorus into a perfect encapsulation of Southern French flavors. Bernadette doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, but they do the classic service.
Scallop ceviche is a perfect segue away from the richness of the pissa. Diced scallops are marinated in lime and served studded with jalapeño, rhubarb, pickled green strawberry, and arare—a Japanese pearl-shaped rice cracker. The scallop’s freshness is easily complimented by the rest of the makeup. The arare, in particular, adds a pleasant crunch to the otherwise soft bite, but it’s the tart green strawberries that elevate the dish to another level.
In-season asparagus is charred on a grill and served splattered with a miso paprika butter. Alongside it, a beautifully crisp croquette, filled with melted leeks and raclette cheese and an herby tarragon aioli. These two dishes in particular served as great veggie options. And though you might be tempted to go for the mushroom or jamon croquettes (which are still great), you really cannot understate the power of leeks. One of nature’s greatest alliums.
Braised pork belly comes swimming atop a pool of carrot-butter emulsion and harissa. The pork belly hits the oven before going out—the top caramelized to the point of burning—the good kind of burn. It lends texture and a slight bitterness, which plays well with the uber-fatty pork belly and sweet-and-spicy butter. No knives are required for this superb bite.
Though every course to this point has been a form of tapas, Bernadette does boast a few full-sized entrees. Like the rest of the menu, sharing is still recommended. Pan-roasted bavette is my choice. The steak comes sliced, revealing a cool-red interior and with a side of julienne fries and frisée. On the side are two sauces for dipping: a pungent chimichurri and
Piperade—a sauce made from onion, pepper and tomato. Both sauces stand out in their own right, but it is the latter that was incredibly tasty when paired with the steak. The choice between the two is what is fun, and giving the option is something I applaud.
Bernadette’s approach to Mediterranean tapas is a welcome addition to Scotch Plains, where the restaurant brings a truly unique dining experience to Park Ave. It’s a restaurant where the experience can be anything you’d like it to be: a drink with a bite to eat, date night, or a celebration with the family, complete with a table of shared dishes. This concept excites diners and will undoubtedly turn Bernadette into the neighborhood favorite it is already becoming.
