I'd been seeing "Coming Soon" on Sugar and Plumm in Bergen Town Center for awhile and couldn't wait for it to open. I didn't know exactly what it was going to be but it looked like something fun and interesting. I did have a chance to run in when it first opened, but I didn't really understand what it's supposed to be. Now I do.
When I first went in, I saw the candy and the pastries. The pastries are STUNNING. Really beautiful. And I was totally intrigued that they make crepes. There is only one place locally that makes crepes, that I know of, and I really like crepes. I'd never been to the other place because it's just not a place I think of going. There is nothing around it I need or want to go to, so it's out of the way. But, I'm always in one or more of the malls, so this sounded really great.
I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed in Sugar & Plumm's loose candy section though. I happen to be a Jelly Belly junkie and they just don't have enough flavors. I'm very particular about my Jelly Belly flavors and they only have maybe one or two of my favorites. But, if you just want a quick candy fix, it definitely has enough of a variety to satiate you. They also have a cool selection of retro candy and gift stuff. As we were walking out I saw some fun gift baskets and they had Halloween themed items as well. It looks like the kind of place that would be cute to do a small party for a child under nine years old. I don't really know what kids that age are into but nine and under just seems like a good age range to me.
We were in the mall to get a shirt for B and decided on a whim to eat dinner there. I'd heard from my friend Melissa on FB that she and her family had a good experience for dinner there. I hadn't known that they served "real" (adult) dinner there. I'd thought of it more as a dessert place. So, I was anxious to try it out.
We walked in there around 7p. There was a short wait which was fine, especially on a weekend, and my only complaints (and I use that loosely because it wasn't that big of a deal) were that there was no real waiting area- nowhere to sit. If someone had to wait longer than the 10-15 minutes we had to wait they might be irked that they had to just stand there. They have some room to put a few chairs or a bench so hopefully they'll do that in time. Lastly, they have been open about six weeks and they're still really slow on turning tables over. The table I knew we were going to be seated at was empty for too long before it was cleared away. When there are people waiting and a table gets up, there should be a bus-person that immediately comes by and swipes everything off the table and someone else ready to set it up for the next group. It just felt like it took a lot of unnecessary time.
BUT- that is IT for complaints. I love that there is enough room in most table areas to keep your stroller with you vs putting it somewhere else in the eating area. It looks like almost all the tables have extenders to make them bigger, and if all were open, it would be a little tighter. As a whole though, you're not on top of the people dining near you. I hate having to leave the stroller somewhere- I have to take everything out, then I'm worried about someone stealing my stroller and it's a whole scene. Annoying. But, there was plenty of room for me to keep it next to the table.
Our waitress, Avery, was FANTASTIC. Very personable, helpful, friendly, and as quick as she could be. The food seems to take kind of long to make, but it's extremely fresh, plated beautifully, and the portions are perfect. It's not the Cheesecake Factory where you're getting a giant plate and taking enough home to feed you for two more days. It's just a more normal portion where you're not left hungry but you're probably not needing a doggie bag either. I had the crispy skin salmon with mashed potato and green beans. It was perfect. B had a shrimp & avocado crepe and tomato soup. He was thrilled with both. E had the kids meal sliders and he ate both of them. For dessert B and I both had crepes and B said if no one was around he'd have licked the plate. Like I said, I feel like we were there for a really long time- definitely over an hour. The food took long, but for such good food it was worth the wait. I definitely wouldn't have rather been at a diner!
I don't normally get dessert when we go out for dinner but I wanted to try something there because everything looks so amazing. I am surprised that there aren't cupcakes on the menu, but I could've sworn they brought out a cupcake for someone's birthday. I'll have to investigate that further. I'm usually too full to get dessert but they don't serve bread prior to the meal so I was able to fit it in. I might want to come back JUST for dessert also and try more than one thing. All I DO know is that we'll definitely be back as a family and I would go there with a friend to catch up and eat dessert.
The bill was around $70 for the three of us with E getting a kids meal and both of us getting dessert. B had an appetizer and I didn't. It seems a little high. Bensi is usually around $50 for the three of us and we always take food home. Then again, at S&P, B and I both had some kind of seafood which is always more expensive. It wasn't "too" high, but it's not a cheap night out. With the decor, the offerings, and the price, it would seem like more of a fit for Riverside Square over Bergen Mall. Bergen Mall is now known as the "discount/outlet" mall so it's kind of odd to have this place and a burger place (Bobby's Burger Palace) that sells $12 burgers. But, I'm pretty sure if it was in Riverside, it would have a consistent 45 minute wait and that would completely suck with with children. As it is, I love Houstons but I only go when I'm meeting a friend- WITHOUT Ethan.
I definitely recommend giving it a try for either dinner or dessert sometime soon before it really catches on and you do have that really long wait.
http://www.sugarandplumm.com/
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