90th Birthday Brunch or Lunch in Princeton Area

[nancyl126]

Looking for a place for a family brunch/lunch celebration for my mother's 90th birthday. We will be 8 people including a toddler (with a chowhound palate already). Any cuisine except Indian and price is not an issue. We just want somewhere that will feel celebratory and not too loud.
If there was a Peter Kelly style restaurant nearby (Restaurant X, X20, Xavier's) that would be perfect.
What are your thoughts on Peacock Inn? Bearnards Inn? The Manor?

[ambrose]

Nancy, you mention lunch or brunch in the Princeton area but then ask about the Bernards Inn and The Manor. Both restaurants are quite a distance from Princeton so I'm wondering how far you are willing to travel?

[nancyl126]

We'd probably be willing to travel about 45 minutes. Thanks.

[Foody4life]

Your criteria for celebratory, not too loud and Peter Kelly style would be best met by either the Peacock Inn or Elements in the Princeton area. Both offer brunch.

http://www.peacockinn.com/dining/brunch.html

http://www.elementsprinceton.com/menu...

The Peacock is similar in style to the Bernards Inn so no need to trek so far away. Another to consider for your brunch/lunch special occasion would be Rat's on the Grounds for Sculpture in nearby Hamilton.

Teresa's mentioned above is a casual and rather cramped pizza/pasta cafe. Mediterra also mentioned above is OK, but we've never been a fan of their food and service is frequently cold and indifferent. Ferry House is another spot that may pop up, but suffers from being long overdue for a renovation both in the front of the house and the kitchen.

[glutton]

The Peacock Inn is a very good suggestion both for the setting and the food.

[glutton]

What day of the week?

[nancyl126]

Sunday, but we could be flexible.

[glutton]

Mediterra and Teresa's would be options. They are right on Palmer Square. Mediterra would probably feel a bit more special than Teresa's, given that Teresa's is a pretty utilitarian space and it gets pretty crowded, so you don't tend to linger over the meal as long. However, I personally give a slight edge in food to Teresa's.

Unfortunately, my favored restaurants in the area are not open for lunch/brunch on Sunday. I was thinking about Blue Bottle in Hopewell, Hamilton's Grill Room in Lambertville, and EnoTerra in Kingston. If you were open to changing to an early dinner, then you could go to one of those places (possibly with the exception of Blue Bottle, which is closed on Sundays if my memory serves me correctly).

[BigGeorge]

If you mother uses an assistive device, walker or cane, or a wheelchair, Eno Terra would be the best option. They have handicapped parking right in front. and there is a clear path to the dining room.

[zoe111]

I think I would bypass Teresa's. This was my third visit there in the last year. The food at the first two visits were good. This past weekend's visit was disappointing. A slice of mortadella from the antipasta mixto was 'off.' the linguini vongole's clams were overcooked. Hopefully the kitchen had a bad night. There are so few decent places to eat in Princeton.

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Teresa's Caffe
21-23 Palmer Square East, Princeton, NJ 08540