Two bells for Buckminster’s, Point Breeze’s new ‘neo-bistro’
The corner of 21st and Federal was transformed from a dilapidated building that once housed Burg’s Lounge, to a new-and-improved corner restaurant and bar which opened in November.
Now Craig Laban has weighed in on this “neo-bistro” from the owner Michael Pasquarello and chef Rob Marzinsky, giving Buckminster’s two bells for it’s “intriguing” concept, also saying that “Point Breeze’s emergence is for real.”
Laban notes the changing landscape of Point Breeze, with Buckminster’s opening in an area otherwise occupied by things like “cheap cheesesteak shops and Chinese take-out corners cooking behind bullet-proof glass.” The food and drink menus at Buckminster’s are meant to be affordable, with most everything costing no more than $20.
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It’s not that his menu at the intriguing new “neo-bistro” called Buckminster’s in Point Breeze offers such a wide variety. In fact, he serves just one, the mild-mannered but beautifully fresh Sweet Amalia, a jewel of Delaware Bay sea flesh sustainably cultivated near Cape May.
What’s impressive is the variety of ways in which they’re cooked. They come gleaming on the half-shell, with just a squirt of lemon to perk their delicately briny snap. They’re roasted just a breath past raw beneath a tangy gloss of house-cultured butter speckled with lemon thyme. They’re also superb quickly fried inside toasted corn flour and perched atop a perfect omelet. Even the velvety folds of rolled egg are infused with oyster liquor, and are an ideal match for the light funk of green hot sauce from house-fermented jalapeños.
Laban also notes some negatives, with some small plates that “suffered from overzealous pickling, and a few other items that didn’t quite hit the mark. He also notes that maybe the number of entrees is too limited.
Other positive dishes noted in the review included Marzinsky’s “original presentations for local cheese,” the comfort of the stuffed cabbage, along with the pierogies that “hit another level.”
Have you been to Buckminster’s? What do you think?
Stopped by last night (Saturday) with a group of 4 for dinner and drinks around 8pm. It was about an hour wait, and it was packed (not much room to hang out inside and wait) so we put our name in and walked a few blocks to Sardine Bar for drinks. They texted us after about 40 mins and our table was ready when we arrived back.
The beer list was decent and the cocktail prices were great (most were $7). We we’re ordering around 9pm and unfortunately a few items were sold out by that time, but we were still able to find a bunch of things for the table. Oysters, charred squid, warm carrot salad, bologna and cheese sandwich (a BEAST), and some local cheese melted onto a coffee cracker. Everything was great and priced well enough to get a few plates.
Also loved the decor, the vibe, and the music.
I’d go back but try to avoid Saturdays at 8pm.