STAR-LEDGER STAFF

The food finally goes with the furnishings at the Hunt Club Grill.

Until June, The cuisine – while delicious – had a Southwestern accent that seemed incongruous with a polished décor that favors hunting scenes and a pianist playing tunes from "Guys and Dolls."

Now, in place of the tacos and ancho chili jam that departed with the former chef, grilled veal chops and filet mignon au poivre are being offered to ladies in pearls and silver-haired men in blazers.

That’s not to say all the patrons are so conservative, either in dress or palate. There’s plenty to interest the gourmet here, from a wild mushroom tart to seared sea scallops.

Chef Adam Scott, promoted from sous chef, also cooked at the well-respected Fromagerie in Monmouth County. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University’s culinary art program, he polished his skills at Cordon Blue in London, where he acquired a nice, subtle touch.

Something as ordinary as a shrimp cocktail ($10) took on a special panache with his preparation, which also featured a cracked wheat salad. The giant shrimp had such depth of flavor they didn’t need the citrus cocktail sauce to pep them up.

The Shrimp are prepared in a court-bouillon with onions, carrots, celery, lemons, white

wine, cracked pepper, pickling spice, bay leaves and allspice. A pinch of salt isn’t enough when preparing shrimp, Scott says. They need to swim in a liquid "as salty as the sea" to be done right.

The jumbo lump crab cakes ($10.50), too, were deceptively simple. No bread was used in this preparation, just plenty of ivory crab tied together with egg. The cakes were accented with basil mayonnaise and a roasted pepper aioli the color of turning leaves.

The complimentary starter of caviar on a wheat crisp was charming. It far outshone the lusterless rolls that appeared to have come straight from the supermarket to strike a discordant note. Why fill up on bread anyway, though, when there are better choices?

Pumpkin bisque ($5.75), sparkling with cinnamon and crème fraiche, had a real autumnal feel. So did the darkly intense wild mushroom tart ($9.50) with a heady leek sauce.

At the other end of the scale, it was tough to know why anyone would team prosciutto with Parmesan, black-eyed pea corn relish and asparagus in a balsamic vinaigrette ($10). While these are some of my favorite ingredients, there seemed to be nothing to link them. They were like strangers who had no reason to be introduced, going their separate ways on the plate.

The seared sea scallops ($9.95) on the other hand, were delightful little morsels, served with a spinach fettuccine and lemon-chive butter that made the shellfish extra perky.

Entrees range from $19.50 for a pan-roasted free-range chicken to $27.50 for the giant veal chop. This mammoth piece of meat is worth its price, but don’t go for it if you’re not a big eater. It comes with the perfect accompaniments, a melange of root vegetables and asparagus.

Herb-crusted rack of lamb ($27) is a classic with green beans and a "risotto" of mushroom barely for a dash of excitement. Another classic, the filet mignon au poivre

($25.50), is so tender and flavorful even its demi-glaze can’t intimidate it. A leek sauté and white truffle whipped potatoes added other welcome notes that tied this dish together.

On the lighter side, we had an herb-crusted snapper filet special ($26), served with a corn compote and sweet caramelized onion coulis that added oomph to the flavor of the fish.

The improved wine list starts at $22 for the beaujolais Villages or the Macon Lugny Les Charmes burgundy, but the specials are worth a look. A case in point was the 1997 Lindemann Binn 65 Chardonnay from Australia, a nice find at $6.50 a glass or $26 a bottle. (Vintages generally are not given on the wine list, but our extremely pleasant and knowledgeable server offered to get the information for us.)

Deserts ($5) are brought in from a purveyor called Symphony, and they’re generally impressive for sweets that are not made in-house. Marquise au chocolat with mango and chocolate sauces was too rich to be finished in one sitting. A warm apple tian with vanilla bean ice cream was similarly noteworthy, but the crème brulee had no luster.

Pianist George Fox, adds something to the refined atmosphere on Friday and Saturday nights and during Sunday brunch.

The former chef has gone on to a Southwestern restaurant in New York. No doubt he is finding a clientele there that appreciates his exceptional talent. But Scott’s more classical training and the European influences he brings to his cooking are better suited to the necessarily conservative dining room of a hotel. It’s a good fit for the Grand Summit and goes far beyond the type of pedestrian food we’ve found too often at New Jersey hotels.