Monthly Archives: August 2019

08-25-19 Small Bites Radio

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Bluejeanfood

08-25-19

Small Bites

08-25-19

D and L Coffee Service Inc. presents the #1 listed “Food Radio show Philadelphia”, Small Bites with Donato Marino and Derek Timm of Bluejeanfood.com on Wildfire Radio Podcast Recording Studio this Sunday, August 25th at 635pm EST with a stellar lineup.

After globetrotting for the past 3 weeks Derek finally returns to studio so we figured we’d have someone serenade him with a welcome back. Well we couldn’t think of anyone better than Opera Philadelphia to do this, and we will have Frank Luzi the Vice President of Marketing Opera Philadelphia to pick the right song to sing to Derek and also talk about Festival O19 which brings 12 days of opera to Philadelphia from September 18-29th. Opera Philadelphia is committed to embracing innovation and developing opera for the 21st century by delivering outstanding productions of traditional and new repertoire that engage our public and propel our genre forward. The third edition of its festival, O19, which comprises two world premieres, two company premieres, and a series of special presentations, events, and recitals at multiple venues across the city in September. Next, the season spotlights renowned Jack Mulroney Music Director Maestro Corrado Rovaris, who leads three productions at the The Academy of Music to mark the 20th anniversary of his company debut. As the Washington Postobserves, “Opera in Philadelphia really can claim to offer something for everyone”. They even have their own beer to celebrate the event Opera Philadelphia Ale (OPA) by Flying Fish Brewing Company. Now it sounds like a party!

Talking about a fun time, named the “best seaside amusement park in the world,” Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Water Parks goes beyond serving funnel cake and hot dogs, making a trip to the Wildwoods, New Jersey boardwalk a full culinary experience by adding a dash of gastronomic flair to classic boardwalk fare. We will have join us Morey’s Piers Executive Chef Wally Jurusz the person responsible for making sure it is more than just salt water taffy and fries on their boardwalk while putting a creative flair that tastes delicious and is innovative. Morey’s Piers, located on the boardwalk in the Wildwoods, New Jersey is a classic seaside amusement park, family owned and operated since 1969. Voted the best seaside amusement park in the world by Amusement Today and #1 Best Beach Boardwalk by Family Vacation Critic, Morey’s Piers has over 100 rides and attractions spanning over eighteen acres along six beach blocks and includes three amusement piers and two beachfront water parks.

Then born in Visit Japan Go Tokyo to Chinese and Jewish American parents, we are thrilled to welcome Eric Silverstein to talk about his new cookbook “The Peached Tortilla: Modern Asian Comfort Food from Tokyo to Texas” from Sterling Publishing. He shares 100 recipes for delicious Asian street food . . . with a modern Southern and Southwestern twist including many of The Peached Tortilla’s most-beloved dishes, like the Banh Mi Taco, JapaJam Burger, and Bacon Jam Fries, which has gained rabid fandom. This is Asian fusion at its best, delivering soul-satisfying comfort food with a kick! Erich has been featured in The New York Times, People, Kiplinger, Food & Wine, and DETAILS, as well as on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Food Network, and The Cooking Channel. Silverstein opened his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, The Peached Tortilla, in Visit Austin, Texas in 2014 (named by The New York Times as “One of the Five Places to Go in Austin”). In 2016, Silverstein opened Peached Social House, a one-of-a-kind event and catering space, and in 2018, he opened The Peached Tortilla’s first fast-casual restaurant in Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Last, but certainly not least we welcome in studio Amato Bros. Restaurant – Bar – Deli & Catering in Oaklyn, New Jersey Haddon Township. Amato Broswas my Best of South Jersey pick for cheesesteak on Dining on a Dime cheesesteak throwdown episode and the famous Philadelphia Cheesesteak Adventure man himself James Pappas said that their cheesesteaks were amazing. They have South Philly roots now planted in South Jersey and an interesting story to tell of a rise and fall and glorious rise again of their original location along with serving some of the tastiest sandwiches around. We can’t wait!

You say you STILL NEED MORE!!! Don’t forget we still have our regular weekly segments from Courier-Post nightlife correspondent and The New York Times recognized for Blog Eating in SJ, John Howard-Fusco for his news of the week and please remember that John’s book “A Culinary History of Cape May: Salt Oysters, Beach Plums & Cabernet Franc” from Arcadia Publishing The History Press is available, Chef Barbie Marshall who is a Chef Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen Season 10 finalist, appeared on Season 17 of FOX Hell’s Kitchen #AllStars, as well named Pennsylvania’s most influential chef by Cooking Light will delight us with her tip of the week, and a joke of the week from legendary joke teller Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling of The Howard Stern Show fame and his autobiography “The Joke Man: Bow to Stern” from Post Hill Press is available for purchase on Amazon.com.D & L Coffee Services Inc. and Bluejeanfood.com hope you will use the TuneIn app to listen worldwide or also catch Small Bites Radio syndicated on KGTK 920AM, KITZ 1400AM, KSBN 1230AM, KBNP 1410AM, iHeartRadio, Salem Radio Network, ScyNet Radio, Stitcher Radio, PodOmatic, Indie Philly Radio, Player FM, iTunes, and TryThisDish Radio which is the only independently owned and operated international chef-driven foodie and lifestyle radio network in the world.

D & L Coffee Services has an expert staff of highly qualified, certified, and experienced office, technical, and sales personnel. D & L Coffee Services are able to provide your business, home, or special event the absolute best from the beans they sell, vendors they work with, Italian delicacies available for delivery, catering on-site for any sized affair, hands-on barista training, equipment available for purchase, and maintenance/repair services for your espresso and coffee machines. You can stop by their warehouse at 7000 HOLSTEIN AVE, SUITE 3, Philadelphia, PA 19153 during business hours or call the office at 215-365-5521 for an appointment, consultation, or any questions. Also be sure to tune in at 5pm for Dining On A Dime’s 50th episode party.

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Pocono Mountains – Jim Thorpe area – 2019

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Bluejeanfood

Pocono Mountains – Jim Thorpe area – 2019

What a fun and beautiful area to visit with plenty of outdoor adventures to be had around every turn. They also have quite a fun little culinary scene going on.

Moya – Jim Thorpe, PA

This was such an enjoyable meal. Every course was delicious and the atmosphere is divine with impeccable service. Highly recommend. Had Ecuadorian style braised lamb shank in beer sauce, boneless beef short rib in port wine sauce, fresh orecchiette with mushrooms and spinach, sautéed vegetable medley with shallots and olive oil, order of flatbread, shrimp with red curry and ginger in coconut milk, crab cake with cilantro vinaigrette, and scallops with green onions in an orange sesame oil vinaigrette.

Cafe Arielle at the Stabin Museum – Jim Thorpe, PA

A great quirky museum with the work of Victor Stabin is housed in the same building as the restaurant. We were lucky enough to be seated for dinner with a stream of water underneath the table that you can look at through glass. Once you order food you can stroll around and look at the art and then enjoy a nice meal. We had sweet and spicy shrimp with ginger noodles, baked brie and pear, chicken piccata, and mussels in champagne cream sauce.

Bonnie & Clyde Pub and Grill – Lehighton, PA

The food here was pretty good and service was top notch. The desserts are made in house and our waitress was actually the pastry chef as well. Cool décor, nice setup, and great beer menu. Had clam chowder, colossal lump crab meat swimming in a creamy butter with sautéed veggies and brown rice, and crème brulee.

Muggles’ Mug Coffee Shop – Jim Thorpe, PA

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A cool little hangout with lots of Harry Potter themed things going on here. Enjoyed this cookie while playing a game of chess on a Harry Potter chess set.

Big Creek Bar-B-Q – Lehighton, PA

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A fancy food truck type of setup with quick service. All the food was tasty, meat was moist, and prices extremely reasonable. Had full rack of ribs, 3 chicken drumsticks, pulled pork, and beans.

Sunny’s Pizza – Lehighton, PA

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This pizza place had some of the friendliest service around, price you can’t beat with specials, and they even have a nice miniature golf course that they let you play in the back of the restaurant while your food is cooking. If in the area and want pizza, you definitely should stop by here as the pizza was delicious as well.

We also hit up all the ice cream places. Wood’s Ice Cream was good for soft serve, Bear Appetite Cafe for hard serve, and Curiosities Coffee and Ice House for a delicious milk shake from fresh homemade ice cream.

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Belize – 2019

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Bluejeanfood

Belize – 2019

Ever heard of Belize? If you said NO, you’re not alone and I was surprised before I left how many people have not. Maybe it’s because they were previously named British Honduras until the 1980’s or maybe it’s because they are a tiny little country hard to find on map since they are the same size as the state of Massachusetts. Either way, it was a wonderful place to visit and hope to return again sometime soon. My base camp in Belize would be Hopkins Village which is a coastal village in Southeastern Belize. Hopkins is a Garifuna village on the coast of the Stann Creek District in Belize and is considered by some Belizeans to be the cultural center of the Garifuna population in Belize (that last part was from Wikipedia to make this post sound smart). I’m all about the food, not the history, so below are some of the places I visited during my stay around the area, book a vacation for yourself, tell them I say hello, and hope you enjoy now that you have heard about Belize.

Nice Cream – Hopkins, Belize

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I can’t believe I don’t have a single picture of any of their ice cream here as I visited Nice Cream EVERY single night I was there (except Monday as they are closed) as their ice cream is AWESOME and the owner was such a joy to get to know. This is a MUST stop for anyone visiting Hopkins.

Ella’s Cool Spot – Hopkins, Belize

This is a really COOL SPOT with delicious lobster coconut curry. This was the first time I ever had breadfruit fries and I must say they were really good. They have a swing that was able to fit my entire family right at the waterfront for us to relax until the food was ready and service was top notch.

Maxim’s Bar and Grill – Hopkins, Belize

Hidden a bit down the main road is a good meal waiting to happen. We had fresh plantain chips that were to die for and I would love to see some spots in the states add this to their menu, fish fingers that were finger licking good, and an entrée of coconut milk shrimp with rice and beans. This place was hopping with all tables filled and a smile on everyone’s face.

Geckos – Hopkins, Belize

This was such a treat eating here. The jerk chicken was being smoked with wonderful scents floating around everywhere as we sat at the table and the chicken and sautéed veggies were awesome. The owner was really nice and even let us be at the restaurant even though he wasn’t open yet. We’re sure glad he did!

Lucky Lobster Bar and Grill – Hopkins, Belize

A little further down the main road in the Sittee Point area of Hopkins is a nice stop. You have Lucky Lobster and right next door is Oasis Fitness Gym & Café. They are both owned by Gary and Kathy. We were LUCKY enough to run into Gary the night we were there and he was so kind and such a joy to hear his story of how they ended up in Hopkins. He also provided us a flyer map of the Hopkins area that after receiving it I took it everywhere as it was AMAZING and even better than Google Maps. Not only was the company good, but the food was good as well as I had the grilled lobster tail, sautéed mixed veggies, and double baked potato.

Driftwood Beach Bar and Pizza Shack – Hopkins, Belize

They have a nice setup here with a good bar, plenty of games to play while waiting for you food, and beach volleyball available. The food was delicious as well, so that never hurts. I really liked the vibe here. I had a plain small pizza and lobster tacos.

Tina’s Kitchen – Hopkins, Belize

With a great wide open view of the beach, church, and playground area is Tina’s. They even have a few Garifuna dishes as well. I went with a chicken quesadilla that was really good and the traditional Bundiga topped with a whole fish. The fish was so TASTY!!!

Innies Restaurant – Hopkins, Belize

Sitting right on the main street makes dining here a good spot to people watch and see what’s going on around town while eating. I had their chips with fresh salsa and stewed chicken with rice and beans.

Shadel’s Magic Pastry Shop – Hopkins, Belize

This is a tiny little shop with a bunch of different choices that you may not expect from them. I had the vanilla and chocolate cake and lemon meringue pie.

Jashlenn’s Corner Bakery – Hopkins, Belize

Some of the friendliest people you will meet run this bakery. They have a nice variety and I only wish I could have tried everything, but they were going on vacation for 3 weeks. I had the fresh glazed donut with sprinkles and it was great.

MeetU – Hopkins, Belize

Once you tire of eating outdoors and want a little comfort, air conditioning, television to watch, and modern ambiance then MeetU has you covered. The service was very friendly and they brought the food out extremely quick compared to other dining destinations in Hopkins. I had the Spicy Ginger Beef which was extremely tender, flavorful, and overall just phenomenal and an order of wonton soup.

Che’il Mayan Chocolate – Cockscomb Jaguar Sanctuary, Belize

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Sitting at the foot of the Cockscomb Jaguar Sanctuary is a delicious little treat to get you ready to hike the trails. I had the orange mile chocolate and it was divine. The chocolate was so creamy and rich and just melted in your mouth immediately. I even bought another bar leaving the Sanctuary.

Bunches of Fun Banana Farm Tour – Stann Creek, Belize

You are able to tour a working Fyffes banana farm that was spotlighted on HGTV and see how their daily operations work. The tour is extremely informative, well done, and definitely worth a visit. Once the tour is over, you get to enjoy fresh green banana chips that were cooked while you are there. They were SOOO good!!!

Martha’s Restaurant and Bar – Pomona, Belize

Sitting in the tiny little town of Pomona is Martha’s where the locals dine. I ordered the coconut rice and beans and stewed beef, and it was out of this world wonderful. Highly recommend.

Hibiscus – Armenia Village, Belize

Just a few minutes North of St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park and Caves on the Hummingbird Highway sits Hibiscus. They place was filled with people the day we stopped and the delicious food and prices couldn’t be beat. I had the baked chicken that fell right off the bone with rice and beans.

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Pirate Crab – Voorhees Township, NJ

Posted on August 20, 2019 by Bluejeanfood

Pirate Crab – Voorhees Township, NJ

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Pirate Crab is a restaurant within a restaurant as you have to enter in the doors of OkiMaki Sushi Burrito and walk to the rear of Oki Maki to get to the hostess of Pirate Crab to be seated there. It’s an interesting concept and two very different crowds of who is walking through the doors for what. I had the shrimp with head on and crawfish boil with the pirate sauce that includes potatoes, corn, and sausage. This is a messy meal, but it was enjoyable and tasty. The presentation could use a little assistance as they serve you your meal in a plastic bag. Prices are reasonable and competitive for seafood, but not budget by any means.

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Concerto Fusion Cuisine – Morrisville, PA

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Bluejeanfood

Concerto Fusion Cuisine – Morrisville, PA

You can tell Concerto Fusion has had a storied past from the awards and medals shown as soon as you step in the door, but things change at times. The decor and setting is trendy, but could use a little touch up and maintenance in certain areas. We had four appetizers which were baked scallop Hong Kong flavor, steam shrimp dumplings, baby back ribs, and soft shell crab. I would skip all four the appetizers altogether if I ever visit again as I don’t like like to go negative, but needless to say I wasn’t happy and I would instead try their sushi as others in the restaurant seemed to be enjoying their sushi selections as an app. What I wouldn’t skip was my entree which was really good. I had the Thai Salsa Black Pepper Beef. Every bite was tender and extremely flavorful and would highly recommend going here if they consistently make this dish this well as an entree.

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08-11-19 Small Bites Radio

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Bluejeanfood

08-11-19

Small Bites

D and L Coffee Service Inc. presents the #1 listed “Food Radio show Philadelphia”, Small Bites with Donato Marino and Derek Timm of Bluejeanfood.com on Wildfire Radio Podcast Recording Studio this Sunday, August 11th at 635pm EST with a stellar lineup with special guest co-host Chef Michael Dangelo of Ocean Casino • Resort. Chef Michael is an experienced pastry chef with a demonstrated history of working in the food and beverages industry with a Culinary Certification focused in Culinary Arts/Chef Training from Academy of Culinary Art, Atlantic Cape Community College. Chef Michael is also the Chef Coordinator at The Salvation Army USA where he works on special dinners to raise funds to feed those in need with a group of Volunteer Chefs to prepare Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for Thousands of needy family’s every year.

We are thrilled to welcome Micheal Sparks the CEO AND CO-OWNER of UGK bringing one of the hottest culinary events to Philadelphia on Saturday, August 17th called The Underground Kitchen “The New Americana” Tour with Homer Laughlin China Collectors Association – HLCCA. This experiential dining society, is known for hosting high-style, multi-course dinners in secret locations with renowned and up-and-coming chefs. The tour, inspired by Netflix’s “Chef’s Table,” will tell the diverse American stories of our chefs through their dishes, each carefully selected to convey personally memorable moments from their life. The featured chef in Philadelphia is Michael Stuckey of Southern Way Catering, the premiere catering company of Columbia, South Carolina. “Part of Underground Kitchen is us getting to know our chefs personally – getting to know their hearts and souls and not just their heads and hands,” adds Sparks. “This tour is about our chefs telling their unique personal stories – from childhood to adulthood… sometimes tragic, more times triumphant – all prepared and plated in an intimate, evocative, community-connecting, no-holds-barred multi-course dinner.” Sounds like a great time to us!

Without Derek Timm in studio, the Small Bites crew were in a pickle so they decided to call upon Lee Lawley the owner of Delco Dills to help out and come in. Delco Dills – In a Pickle? Get it? Oh, nevermind. Delco Dills LLC is a small, family-owned pickle business operating in Collingdale, Delaware County PA. After much experimentation, a perfect combination of brine and ingredients produced a fresh and flavorful pickle that Lee along with his wife Elaine Lawley began to share with family and friends. An overwhelming and humbling response of positive feedback and support inspired them to continue in their pickle-making efforts and share the product with others. They began selling their product at local fairs and festivals and now can be found in local markets, pizza places, and restaurants in Delaware and Chester counties as well as a farmer’s market in New Jersey.

Then also joining in the fun will be Mike Ammirati of Ammirati Coffee who is based in New York and Enrico Marchionni who is the east coast sales manager for Toschi Vignola. Ammirati Coffee is a 56 year old family owned coffee importing & distribution company in the NYC area supplying the foodservice industry with some of the finest Italian products on the market today and they have partnered with Toschi Vignola. Toschi Vignola is a 75 year old family owned Italian company located just outside of Modena, Italy and Toschi specializes in flavored syrups, ingredients for gelato, sorbets, & confectionary, along with the world famous Amarena cherry to name just a few. Ammirati is proud to announce that they are the first company in the United States to import & distribute Toschi to the foodservice industry. Mike Ammirati & Enrico Marchionni are working effortlessly to grow Toschi in all key cities around the country by offering a straightforward key approach network of distribution by offering full support. Give them try!

Last, but certainly not least is Chris Parsons of Waffles4Tourette’s and Hobbs Coffee. Their product is the Liège sugar waffle which is popular in the streets of Brussels. They have been making the waffles at Hobb’s Coffee for the past five years as well as at the Swarthmore Farmers Market. Chris along with Marc Schmidt a neuroscience teacher and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania who founded Waffles for Tourette’s with an aim to produce these delicious treats from Belgium while also raising awareness for Tourette’s syndrome (TS), a fairly common tic disorder that is often misunderstood. A large percentage of their proceeds go to the national and local chapters of Tourette Association of America and they have donated over $11,000 since 2013. Something that tastes great with an even greater cause for good!

You say you STILL NEED MORE!!! Don’t forget we still have our regular weekly segments from Courier-Post nightlife correspondent and The The New York Times recognized for Blog Eating in SJ, John Howard-Fusco for his news of the week and please remember that John’s book “A Culinary History of Cape May: Salt Oysters, Beach Plums & Cabernet Franc” from Arcadia Publishing The History Press is available, Chef Barbie Marshall who is a Chef Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen Season 10 finalist, appeared on Season 17 of FOX Hell’s Kitchen #AllStars, as well named Pennsylvania’s most influential chef by Cooking Light will delight us with her tip of the week, and a joke of the week from legendary joke teller Jackie Martling of The Howard Stern Show fame and his autobiography “The Joke Man: Bow to Stern” from Post Hill Press is available for purchase on Amazon.com. D & L Coffee Services Inc. and Bluejeanfood.com hope you will use the TuneIn app to listen worldwide or also catch Small Bites Radio syndicated on KGTK 920AM, KITZ 1400AM, KSBN 1230AM, KBNP 1410AM, Salem Radio Network, ScyNet Radio, Stitcher Radio, PodOmatic, Indie Philly Radio, Player FM, iTunes, and TryThisDish Radio which is the only independently owned and operated international chef-driven foodie and lifestyle radio network in the world.

https://small-bites.simplecast.com/

D & L Coffee Services has an expert staff of highly qualified, certified, and experienced office, technical, and sales personnel. D & L Coffee Services are able to provide your business, home, or special event the absolute best from the beans they sell, vendors they work with, Italian delicacies available for delivery, catering on-site for any sized affair, hands-on barista training, equipment available for purchase, and maintenance/repair services for your espresso and coffee machines. You can stop by their warehouse at 7000 HOLSTEIN AVE, SUITE 3, Philadelphia, PA 19153 during business hours or call Donato Marino the office at 215-365-5521 for an appointment, consultation, or any questions.

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Double Knot – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Bluejeanfood

Double Knot – Philadelphia, PA

With its sleek ambiance and exceptional service Double Knot really shines, but they go above and beyond when they create the perfect trifecta with amazing and delicious food to boot. The chefs tasting is the way to go as why not let the chef send out what they think will be the best thing to serve that day. Every course was delicious and can honestly say each was fantastic. I highly recommend a visit here and make sure to dine downstairs if possible.

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