***4 1/2 stars***
The last time I was at Cafe Pierrot was probably close to seven or eight years ago, and all I remember is that it involved nice weather and an excellent flavored latte. This visit was more dinner than brunch, but also luckily involved a pleasant sunny afternoon and still delivered some high quality shizzle - I don't say it lightly, but this is a Kingdom of Sussex staple.
We came here for a late lunch/early dinner (I'm trying to mainstream the term lunner but I just don't think it's happening) this past Saturday after my Number One Honorary Young Pup Chum's stage debut down the street, which unfortunately premiered over a week after the Tony nominations were announced so the timing just wasn't there this year. Even though we got there right at the transition to the dinner menu, you can definitely still hit up the pastry/bakery area located right at the main entrance. The Honorary Young Pup Chum happily ordered a Red Velvet macaron on our way out that didn't survive the trek out of the parking lot.
The interior of Cafe Pierrot has a ye olde vibe - lots of wooden floors and rustic decor - but after sitting inside for a few hours of stagecraft it felt very important to take advantage of the outdoor seating in front of the building. This is a weird, not weakness per se, but something that could definitely be improved: the outdoor seating is on top of unstable stones/pebbles, so by definition your table and chairs are uneven and there's a lot of shifting involved to minimize the buckling. I think the solution is to just replace the rocks with a different, more consistent material without waving the white flag and paving it (which feels extreme). You want to keep the natural vibes going, but not at the expense of your literal balance while you're eating.
We were planning to get a little naughty later on at Krogh's, so I unfortunately behaved throughout this endeavor. I got the Potato Sole entree, which was really good. It's been a while since I had a potato-crusted fish (literally over a decade during a fascinating Block Island excursion), and I remain surprised that the concept isn't on more menus. The portion was decent, and the mashed potatoes really hit. Everyone at the table was pleased with what they ordered.
The service was a LITTLE off. I mentioned that we showed up during the transition from lunch to dinner, and I think that may have played a part in this. It took a long time for the waitress to come out for our orders, to the point where the Young Pup brazenly declared that she was going to find the waitress during a bathroom visit to order her outside (that didn't happen, which was unquestionably a positive for all involved). She was nice though, and it ultimately wasn't the biggest deal in the world. Something for the restaurant to be aware of though during that awkward 10- or 20-minute period where the menu shifts.
A strong recommend for the Kingdom of Sussex; the only near-term downside is that it's not the easiest place to get to with the sinkhole drama. Fix Route 80! read more