Author Archives: Bluejeanfood

2nd Annual South Jersey Bacon and Beer Fest

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfoodcritic.com written by guest contributing writer William Knowles. He highlights his passions of of trying something new whenever the opportunity presents itself, or possibly something old, but new again since it has been a while. I hope you enjoy his very special perspective that I am sure many of you can relate to. Follow him on his exciting journey “Around Town”)

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The Collingswood Grand Ballroom at the Scottish Rite Auditorium was the setting, on the night of August 20th, for the 2nd annual Bacon and Beer Festival.  This is an event that is held for a great cause and inspires local chefs to get creative with one of culinary’s finest offerings.

Over 15 local restaurants took part, some presenting more standard recipes while others used imagination to involve bacon in any way possible.  The Tortilla Press, located right down the road from the ballroom in Collingswood, put a twist on their normal fare with bacon flavored guacamole.  Local BBQ notable Famous Dave’s presented a barbecue burger wrapped in bacon and soaked in beer; another favorite, the Pop Shop, doled out bacon wrapped fried pickle.  The Robin’s Nest, located in Mount Holly, supplied some delicious potato, cheddar and bacon soup.  And Trattoria Figaro of Mount Laurel had an awesome desert prepared – chocolate cake with homemade buttercream and bacon on top.  Other local participants included Aunt Berta’s Kitchen, Bistro DiMarino, Braddocks Tavern, Kitchen 519 and Ott’s Tavern.

Beer, the other wonderful thing about this night’s party, was abundant with the presence of numerous local breweries.  Evil Genius, Flying Fish, Neshaminy Creek, Saucony Creek, Smuttynose, Troegs and Weyerbacher all had a nice selection of their craft suds to try.  Evil Genius previewed their Trick or Treat Chocolate Pumpkin Porter, a must try if you haven’t already…

The most important accolades for this event go to the job well done by Michael Snyder, the CEO of Crossroads Programs, and his team.  The non-profit organization frequently hosts fundraisers in Southern New Jersey to help run homeless shelters for abandoned and abused teenagers, and in turn try to provide them with a fulfilling life by finding them foster families.  The beer and bacon event is one of their biggest money makers, and I encourage you to visit their website atcrossroadsprograms.org to learn more about their fine work.

See you at the 3rd annual Bacon and Beer Festival next year, and much sooner than that “around town”…

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Jalapenos Grill – Haddon Township, NJ

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Jalapenos Grill – Haddon Township, NJ

I must admit that Mexican cuisine is not one of my strengths at ordering or eating something I like, so sadly I usually skip this type of food. It is odd because the seven or so odd times I have visited Mexico I have enjoyed my meals quite a bit there, but struggle finding the same at home. After enjoying a family show at The Ritz Theatre Company situated right next door to Jalapenos Grill (JG) I decided to give JG a try. The staff was extremely welcoming and warm the second we stepped foot inside JG. Language was a slight barrier, but was able to manage. Things started off with a complimentary basket of chips with dip.

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JG was off to a very good start, as I enjoyed the dip and the chips were nice as well. Taking baby steps, I decided to try their pork carnitas taco, plain and on a hard shell.

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Again JG shined with pork that was seasoned beautifully, moist, a generous serving, and very affordable. Feeling a bit more adventurous, my next order would be Pollo borracho drunk chicken served with rice and chipotle fries. (sorry for the blurry picture, the camera was not cooperating)

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Let me start by saying the chipotle fries at first glance just seemed like run of the mill potatoes, but they were fabulous. They were cooked nice and crisp and seasoned to perfection. I always enjoy being surprised while dining. The rice was nice, but could have used a little more of a serving of it and a few more veggies possibly. The chicken sauce was very powerful. It was a mix of sweet and sour flavors with a punch of tequila in every bite. It was good, but overpowered the chicken completely. Also, the chicken was a bit on the dry side. The dish overall was good, just not grand. I enjoyed my time at JG and I will certainly be back to try more things on their menu.

Overall

Three and Half out of Five Stars

 

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The Red Hen – Swedesboro, NJ

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

The Red Hen – Swedesboro, NJ

Once you travel outside the cities of Philadelphia, Collingswood, and Haddonfield, which I call the Triangle of Tasty, the list of notable dining destinations seems to dwindle quite considerably. I decided to take a trip to the historic town of Swedesboro, New Jersey for some fun at the beautiful Swedesboro Lake Park also known as Lake Narraticon Park and a bit of shopping along the main street.  After an afternoon of fun, the need to eat hit. I saw The Red Hen (TRH) and remember hearing of a new spot called Travo 13 when Terence Feury was cooking there, but TRH looked much more appealing with my two year old son in tow and advertised as a family friendly establishment, so I decided to give them a try. Family friendly TRH is indeed. Besides the bar area, eighty percent of the diners present had a family in tow, games and toys for purchase as soon as you step inside and kids eat free Monday thru Thursday. The décor is modern, hip and fun with the right mix of music playing. Service was friendly and efficient. The menu is a bit eclectic and they have a very nice craft beer selection. I would start things out with French Onion Soup.

The French Onion Soup was your standard variety and better than average, with a nice amount of cheese and bread throughout the bowl, but the onions could have been caramelized a little more. Next up would be calamari.

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TRH would serve one of the better calamari dishes I have had in a long time. The calamari was so fresh, moist and cooked perfectly. Every bite was heavenly and was seasoned with Parmesan, pickled hot pepper, and lemon aioli. This dish alone paired with the Shock Top Banana Spiced Wheat beer I was drinking, I could leave TRH happy, but I pushed through for an entrée of grilled shrimp.

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The dish consisted of shrimp marinated in a light teriyaki, lime and chili sauce accompanied with fresh summer vegetables. The dish had a great concept and flavor profile, but was executed terribly. The taste of sauce and rub on the shrimp was fabulous, but sadly the shrimp were so overcooked I could have used them as bouncy balls. The veggies were overcooked as well. The broccoli had no snap, while the squash and peppers were mush. Also, besides the top layer of broccoli, squash and peppers the rest of the pile was onions, onions, and more onions not cooked well. I can see where they were going with this dish and respected the combination except for the amount of onions, but was very disappointed after eating the perfectly prepared calamari.

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TRH had a bump in the road with my main entrée, but I was so pleased with every other aspect of service, ambiance, menu, drinks, and meal, I will happily return. Hopefully next time they will just be a little more careful to pay attention to what they are serving for each course. Two out of three ain’t bad, but the with the shrimp dish it made them go from OMG to SMH IDK.

Overall

Three out of Five Stars

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Cameron’s Seafood Market – Philadelphia, PA (Broad Street Location)

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

2015-01-22_12-41-17_414Cameron’s Seafood Market – Philadelphia, PA (Broad Street Location)

Seafood is by far one of my favorite categories of food. It has so much variety and flavor. Yet it is probably the most ruined type of food around by poor execution, lack of freshness, and most times small portions due to its high costs. With a few locations in Maryland and two in Philadelphia, I decided to give Cameron’s Seafood Market’s (CSM) Broad Street location a try. As soon as you step inside CSM you are welcomed with a beautiful array of fresh looking seafood with decent prices on display in ice at the tiny market section of their store. I did not want to cook myself, so I decided to order a bowl of lobster bisque, fried scallops and shrimp, with a side of fries at the restaurant side of things.

As dreamy and wonderful as the market seemed, those few steps away into the restaurant side was more of a nightmare with what I was served.  The lobster bisque lacked any sort of flavor except salt, extremely thick and pasty, did not seem fresh at all, and I have had better lobster bisque come out of a can from my local supermarket. The scallops were beyond over cooked, dripping with grease, and were so rubbery they would have been better suited to be a child’s bouncy ball then anything resembling something to eat. The shrimp were of decent size, but were overcooked as well causing them to be dry. Also, the stiff and tasteless breading was three times the size of the shrimp negating anything the shrimp could have offered if they were cooked properly. To add injury to insult, CSM then threw double-breaded fries to my meal, which everyone already knows my feelings on this atrocity done to potates and is the bottom of the barrel French fry with the only reason to buy them is because you are cheap and worried about your bottom line.

Would I ever go back to CSM? Never to eat, but the market did look nice and service was friendly so at least that had that going for them.

Overall

One Star out of Five

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Lemongrass – Cherry Hill, NJ

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

I was invited to attend a preview press dinner at Lemongrass. The owner Danny Dang was very welcoming and he stated that this was a dream come true for him to open his own restaurant. I do not review previews, but what I can tell you is that I had a great time there. Below each course is a description from Danny of the dish.

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1) To begin, we start with a Lobster Roll for each individual to show off our creativity, as well as presentation, since the Lobster Roll is our creation.

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2) We will follow up the Lobster Roll with the world famous phở from the Vietnamese people. This is as traditional as it comes, and any chef who is competent in Vietnamese cuisine should be able to prepare a phở properly. The broth must be hearty with a nice balance of ginger and herbs. We are quite proud with our phở.

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3) Banh Xeo. We choose this dish to display our finesse as it is very difficult to cook the Banh Xeo and keep it nice and crispy.

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4) Basa Fillet is a recent hybrid of fish, and it is not French-influenced, but rather, American-influenced. We are, perhaps, the only restaurant that offers the Basa this way.

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5) Flank Steak to demonstrate the French influence on Vietnamese cuisine.

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6) Mì Quảng, which is a traditional tossed noodles bowl from Central Vietnam, where I come from. Mì Quảng is a meal, like phở, that properly demonstrates the traditional Vietnamese culture and values. And as with phở, Mì Quảng will test a chef with his or her patience, care, and dedication.

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7) And to end on a lighter note, we serve our twist on the traditional dessert, Flan, to show off our creativity, and a rich and healthy tea to show our quality. As a tea-drinker, I have tried many, many teas. Some are quite expensive; however, we choose this particular tea because of its taste, quality, and aroma.

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Jazz Age on the Delaware

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

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(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfoodcritic.com written by guest contributing writer William Knowles. He highlights his passions of of trying something new whenever the opportunity presents itself, or possibly something old, but new again since it has been a while. I hope you enjoy his very special perspective that I am sure many of you can relate to. Follow him on his exciting journey “Around Town”)

On Saturday, August 8th, a special event was held at the historic mansion known as Glenn Foerd on the Delaware.  Located just at the edge of Northeast Philadelphia city limits in the Torresdale neighborhood, the hidden estate on the banks of the river was the scene for a Roaring 20’s party known as Jazz Age on the Delaware. This celebration of almost a century gone by was innovative, spirited and fun.

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Upon walking up the long driveway to the main grounds of the estate, you instantly felt that you were transported to the past.  This was not only due to the theme of the event, but the location itself as well.  Torresdale was long ago the home to many wealthy individuals who were deeply involved in town civics.  It is where many notable mansions were built prior to the Main Line coming into prominence.

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The sounds of big band and jazz immediately hit you as you entered the main grounds of the estate, led by  such live acts as Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society, the Gin Canaries and the Red Hot Ramblers (with lead singer Chelsea Reed).  A wood dance floor permitted the guests, almost all dressed in period appropriate garb, to cut the rug at their leisure.  Additionally, such professional acts like the Old City Sweethearts and the Minsky Sisters performed the dances of the day.  The emcee, Dandy Wellington, kept things exciting and moving at a fast pace.  Numerous food and drink vendors set up shop, and a pie contest was held with prizes awarded to the best baker by a panel of judges.  Apparel, jewelry and art with a 20’s theme was also available for purchase.  After the day’s events concluded, an after party was held in downtown Philly, at the great Prime Rib restaurant located in the old Warwick Hotel.

As I touched upon though, the true star of the show was the location itself.  Normally open for tours, the staff of the Glenn Foerd allowed guests of the party to walk through parts of the old home as part of the festivities.  The incredible art and architecture that has been preserved, along with what was then modern technology, presents a window into how life truly was different in past centuries.  The scenic view of the river is breathtaking.  For those that enjoy history as much as I do, it is a must to visit this part of Americana, and can be considered as vital as seeing the Liberty Bell or Independence Hall as far as our city’s past is concerned.

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This organizers of this event indicate that it will be an annual affair, and I look forward to enjoying it again next summer.  It truly was an experience in a time warp, and here is to hoping that there are more get-togethers such as this that are as innovative and thoughtful to form.  See you soon “around town”…

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Woksabi – Collingswood, NJ

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Woksabi – Collingswood, NJ

The streets of Collingswood are always a treat to stroll with all of their fun shops and eateries. I happened to be there around lunch time and happened to be right in front of Woksabi  (WOK) which I had never been to before. The interior of WOK is very nice and set me at ease with a relaxing vibe that was felt immediately. They had a decent sized crowd for lunch, but everyone seemed to be on a Zen level as it appeared you could hear a pin drop it as it was that peaceful in there. The order of the day would be their sushi lunch platter.

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The presentation of the lunch was quite appealing, everything I had to eat had a nice quality and freshness to it, and to top it all off it was very affordable. The service was attentive and friendly and I would definitely recommend giving WOK a try for a decent sushi lunch. WOK caught me by surprise, but they will be in thoughts for another visit and to try a wider array of their offerings next time. They did the basics well and have gained a fan.

Overall

Four out of Five Stars

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George’s Famous Roast Pork and Beef – George’s Luncheonette – Italian Market – 1007 S 9th Street – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

George’s Famous Roast Pork and Beef – George’s Luncheonette – Italian Market – 1007 S 9th Street – Philadelphia, PA

This is one of the few times I have to be very specific where I ate since this one block of the Italian Market has two of same named spots. George’s Famous Roast Pork and Beef – George’s Luncheonette (GFR) which is the one I went to and George’s Sandwich Shop up the other end of the street. GFR is a no frills, old school, but my kind service place. They do not mess around with any modern trends, deal with cash only, and has a charm that the Italian Market is losing every day. I would go with the pork sandwich with provolone.

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The pork was chopped nicely, sat in a nice gravy, just the right amount of cheese, and the roll did the job quite nicely. The pork was fresh and all the tasty fatty parts were included, which is the way all pork sandwiches should be served.

I like atmosphere in GFR, even though it is extremely dated and worn down. I just miss this kind of neighborhood eatery which was very common in my youth growing up in Philadelphia, but is going the way of newspapers and corded telephones. You are not going to get gourmet at GFR, but you will be nostalgic for the past when you are done eating.

Overall

Three Stars out of Five

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The Bakeshop on Twentieth

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

The Bakeshop on Twentieth – Philadelphia, PA

I am always on the lookout for something new and exciting to eat. Even when I am not hungry, I somehow can always find room for a snack or treat along the way. That is what happened to me one day while strolling around Rittenhouse Square, I stumbled upon The Bakeshop on Twentieth (BOT). Very small, yet big on smiles and friendliness inside I decided to go with the neighborhood treat “The Rittenhouse Square”.

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This incarnation of brownie consisted of fudge chunks, pretzel crust, and caramel topping. It was good, and a chocolate lovers dream come true. I would have preferred if it was a little on the fluffier side and a tab bit less gooey, but I know I am probably in the minority on this thought. I enjoyed BOT and would not hesitate to go back and try a few other treats there.

Overall

Three and half stars out of Five

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Under The C Seafood – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Under The C Seafood – Philadelphia, PA

There is no doubt about who the king of Philadelphia is. COMCAST! With their larger than life skyscraper sitting at 17th and Arch Streets and another skyscraper in the works, the Philadelphia skyline leaves no doubt who the force to be reckoned with is. With such a large presence, someone has to feed all the people who work there. Well sitting in the belly of the Comcast Center building sits a nice dining hall of all sorts of tasty places to try. My visit would take me to Under The C Seafood (UTC). Their display cases are things of beauty to look at and I wanted to try everything there as it all looked fresh and delicious. I would choose their very affordable for fresh seafood lunch special teriyaki salmon steak, green beans, mac and cheese, and a side order of soft shell crab.

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Things started out really well with the very tasty and meaty soft shell crab. It was cooked nicely and each bite was moist. The salmon was really nice as well and the teriyaki sauce complimented it perfectly. The downside of the meal were the sides. The mac and cheese was to me almost flavorless and the green beans were way too much on the crunchy side, almost seemly borderline like raw green beans. UTC specializes in seafood and they seemed to do that portion of the meal admirably to go along with an amazing display of seafood shown. IF UTC can get some good sides going, they may go from under the c to on top of the world.

Overall

Three out of Five Stars.

 

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