Seafood is the main attraction at a new establishment in Somerset County, which also offers plenty of meat and fowl choices, along with a good range of desserts.
Seafood appropriately is the specialty at Bedminster's Lumi Zi, which is Albanian for Black River, named after a local tributary of the Raritan River's North Branch.
Owner Antonio Berisha from a well-known area restaurant family of Albanian heritage (Vine, Bistro Seven Three) partnered with chef Roy Marin for the new venture, which opened during October in the renovated former home of Twofiftytwo.
Berisha, who is hands-on at Lumi Zi, worked with Marin for years, first at the old Aquila in New Providence and then at Tre Vigne, Vine's predecessor. Most recently, Marin cooked at Focacceria in Liberty Corner.
Although fish accounts for about 75 percent of the offerings at the 38-seat BYOW establishment, meat and fowl also are available on a menu that combines Italian, Latin and French influences. Ceviche ($13) is a regular appetizer, as is Portuguese-style charred octopus ($13) and tuna tartare, cleverly enhanced by guacamole and a wonton ($15). Entrees range from zuppa de pesce ($35), that classic seafood melange, to braised beef short ribs with parsnip puree ($35).
The best way to start a meal here is with the reliable creamy lobster bisque ($12), brightened by sherry and a touch of Armagnac to give it both character and flavor.
Ethereal Dover sole ($38), tender and sweet, gets an expert tableside deboning by Berisha. Playing to its delicacy is a light lemon/butter/almond sauce, served on the side. A special of pan-seared rainbow trout ($28) was the sole's equal, flattered by brown butter, mushrooms, spinach garlic and oil.
In contrast, the $35 pan-seared sushi-grade tuna served rare, wasn't trimmed properly, arriving at the table with a tough sinew that had not been removed.
Buccatini ($11/$21), with a well-balanced mix of anchovies, capers and garlic, works either as an appetizer or a main course, an alternative to the major league seafood, meat and fowl dishes.
Tender braised lamb shank ($38) with a natural jus and parsnip puree defined satisfying.
While many items are as outstanding as the lamb, we found the dishes we tried somewhat uneven. A pricey pork chop ($32) with caramelized apples and crumbled Gorgonzola looked lovely (all the dishes are well-plated) but turned out to be a big disappointment; it had been under-cooked, with an unappetizing streak of blood visible. The dry exterior of braised duck confit ($15) wasn't offset by a Grand Marnier glaze.
There is a good selection of desserts ($8), something too often lacking elsewhere. A pear poached sweetly in Port benefits from a two-pronged textural context with cannoli cream and roasted pistachios, while lemon mousse over shortbread with decorative swirls of raspberry coulis is a nice sequel to fish.
There are some service kinds: On our arrival, we were taken aback when the server who opened our bottle of wine made a snippy remark about our selection. True, it wasn't high end, but it was perfectly respectable, and while he tried to smooth it over, the comment was out of place.
Shortly after we sat down, a staffer brought tapenade and olive oil, but it took some minutes before the appearance of very ordinary bread to go with them.
Other problems we witnessed shortly after the restaurant's debut (example: one staffer reciting only two specials, another offering the entire list that included several other items) were resolved after the place got a few more weeks under its belt.
The restaurant aims high and has improved since its inception in the effort to match its prices with commensurate food and service. The ingredients are all there, so Berisha and his associates, should be able to guide Lumi Zi on its path to consistency in both the kitchen and the front of the house.
Note: There are steps at both the front and the back, which means the restaurant is not wheelchair accessible.
IF YOU GO
Lumi Zi, 252 Somerville Road, Bedminster. 908-470-0400. lumizirestaurant.com. Hours: Noon-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 5-9:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Closed Sundays. 1/2
Cody Kendall may be reached at CodyDine@aim.com. Follow Cody on Twitter@CodyDine. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.