Crystal Garden

Went to the comedy club at the hyatt with my wife a couple of years ago and had dinner at Crystal Garden. It felt a little strange for a nice place to be in a hotel but yes, it’s a nice place. We liked he decoration. The service was great and she still talks about the pistachio encrusted salmon she had that night. I dont remember what I had but I remember that I liked it.
I’m writing about it now because I’m thinking about going back in May, for her birthday. it’s an hour ride for us, but worth it. Within one hour we can go to AC, New Brunswick, Newark, NY and anywhere in between so you know this place rates pretty high to us. I wonder if it’s possible to request that salmon again?

This is a place i like to eat at-​if there’s a special ocasion.
I have never had a complaint about the food, it’s good and fresh.
It is pricey, sort of priced like a steak house.
I thought the ambiance was okay. It’s usually quiet, which gets it a good rating in my opinion.
The thing that really made me like it, though, is that they are very accomodating. Many members of my family are vegan, and they were able to accomodate us with some fresh roasted veggies. They were very tasty and prepared however we wanted– with rice, pasta, on a sandwich, etc.
Always good service everytime i’ve been here.
=)

If you have a burning desire to eat in a hotel lobby that feels like a leftover set from «Logan’s Run» — the TV version, not even the movie — well, you’re in luck because you can take that trip in the Wayback Machine and land at the Hyatt Regency in Princeton. The hotel itself feels somewhat decayed since its obvious heyday during the Watergate years, but I don’t think I should penalize a restaurant for its dated surroundings. No, I’ll just be snarky and talk about how I couldn’t find a table that didn’t have dirty dishes on it.
You see, at 9:30PM, I was the only one in the cavernous lobby ready for a meal. I think I caught the waitstaff off-​guard because they spent the first ten minutes looking utterly confused. Once they cleared a table for me, I ordered big since I was on an expense account. First came the $ 10 Caesar Salad with Oyster Croutons, overpriced given there were only two croutons that barely tasted like oysters, but it did offer two anchovy fillets. It was also overdressed and presented on an absurdly large glass plate.
Before I could finish, my $ 15 Angus Burger arrived, which came with a too-​abundant bouquet of French Fries and some kind of herb dip. The half-​pound burger saved the meal, especially with a thick slice of melted provolone on top. It proved satisfying after a too-​crowded train ride on the NJ Transit down the Northwest Corridor. It was a bit sad to be eating alone in such a large lobby, but that’s the loneliness of the long-​distance business traveler for you.
FOOD — 3 stars… good burger, overdressed Caesar
AMBIANCE — 2 stars… Logan’s Run returns!
SERVICE — 2.5 stars… I heard the echo of my stomach growling
TOTAL — 3 stars… where else are you gonna go when you don’t have a car?