Category Archives: Quick bites/Takeout

Jimmy G’s Steaks – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Jimmy G’s Steaks – Philadelphia, PA

Probably the first thing that comes to mind from anyone who is not from Philadelphia is our beloved cheesesteaks. We have become the international hub for where to get the real deal. I personally think we should make anywhere else that sells them outside of Philadelphia become certified just like chefs who have to fly to Rome to become certified in pizza making these days. Well sitting in the shadows of the Divine Lorraine Hotel is a new contender Jimmy G’s Steaks (JGS). It is not in the nicest of neighborhoods, but if the gentrification of the area happens as it has been rumored for years that could change. They have a very nice courtyard at JGS for you to sit and enjoy your meal so I hope the neighborhood does get some things spruced up to have a nice view while having a meal. On the food front, JGS has tried to differentiate themselves and avoid the argument of what is better, sliced or chopped steaks by offering both options. I would try the sliced version.

jimmy g

The meal consisted of sliced rib-eye, whiz, ketchup and fried onions on a roll with a side order of old bay fries. JGS has a HUGE sign on the front of their building proclaiming “Best Fries in Philly”. The fries were seasoned well, cooked nicely, and a jumbo version of a French fry which I have not seen around much, but they were no where near the best fries in Philly. I could tell they were frozen and can name a dozen places with better fries. Now to talk about the cheesesteak. The sliced steak gave it a little more of a luxurious feel not having to worry about the steak falling out between bites, was a bit chewy though, but they did provide a decent amount of meat. The wiz and fried onions were of your standard variety, roll was fresh, but ketchup was a little heavy handed. For being fresh on the cheesesteak radar of Philly, JGS handled themselves well. The cashier seemed new so the order took a little longer than should have, but with time JGS may have a well trained staff and sights to enjoy around them. You may want to get there before the tourists or hipsters do.

Overall

Three out of Five Stars

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Coffee Corner – Gloucester City, NJ

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Coffee Corner – Gloucester City, NJ

The other day at breakfast I saw John Wayne, Clark Gable, Betty Davis, Dean Martin, and George Burns. They all seemed nice enough, but I was much too busy to pay any attention to them. My lips were all over Mickey Rooney.

Sound hard to believe? Not at Coffee Corner (CC) whose claim to fame is where you will enjoy “breakfast of the stars”.

coffee corner outside

CC established in 1987 by Mike and Lisa Galardi has a famous name for each menu option. My order of Mickey Rooney consisted of two eggs, pork roll, peppers, and onions on a soft fresh kaiser roll for only three dollars.

coffee corner sand

CC sits at the intersection of Broadway and Market Street in Gloucester City with two gas stations next door. As such, CC is perfectly situated for locals to patronize, yet still centrically located enough for morning Philadelphia bound commuters to make a quick fuel stop before crossing the bridge to higher gas prices while grabbing something for breakfast at CC.

Those of you familiar with my reviews know that I do not rate breakfast. What I can tell you though, is that CC is a good and affordable breakfast destination with plenty of parking and a newspaper box available to grab one on the go to compliment your meal. So enjoy and afterwards brag to your friends how you had breakfast with the stars.

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Porky’s Point – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Porky’s Point – Philadelphia, PA

I love the other white meat, pork. I also loved my visit to Puerto
Rico a few years ago with their love of pork on almost every menu.
Well Puerto Rican pork is alive and well sitting in the Hunting
Park section of Philadelphia with Porky’s Point (PP). PP may be
located in a rougher area of Philadelphia than most are comfortable
to visit, but they are serving some of the best pork around.

As soon as I walked up to PP’s windows to order, I knew I was in
the right place for me with a sign that states, “We do not sell
lean pork”. What they do sell is tasty pork, as well as many other
specialties like tostones, mofongo, pastellios, rice and beans,
relleno de papa, and platano con carne. My order would be a pork
sandwich with hot sauce.

porky's point

The roll was fresh with a nice crisp exterior that enabled the
interior to suck up all the pork juices and hot sauce, while the
roll did not become soggy at all on the outside. The pork was a
mixture of pieces from all over the hog, skin and all, then put on
a butcher block and chopped to perfection allowing each bite to be
uniform with very generous serving of pork in the sandwich. The
hot sauce gave the sandwich just that extra flair, while not
overpowering the pork’s fantastic flavor.

Service was very friendly, but the menu seemed a little erratic in
a mix of some things only listed in English and others only listed
in Spanish with some items crossed out on both and additional
signs dotting the windows of other options to possibly order. The
prices were very reasonable and line moved quickly at the rush of
a lunch crowd. If PP could put the time into making two excellent
signs of their menu offerings, one in English and one in Spanish
to hang in the windows, they could really help out a lot of
prospective customers to choose wisely and returning customers to
try new things. I would not recommend a night-cap at PP to give
them a try, but a mid-afternoon lunch should be a must for any
pork lover out there.

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Maxwells Caribbean Take-out – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Maxwells Caribbean Take-out – Philadelphia, PA

Getting to Maxwells Caribbean (MC) is not one of the most scenic routes in Philadelphia. Sitting in a depressed area of North Philadelphia a couple of blocks from the Temple University campus MC sits. Temple has had up upswing of dining establishments popping up throughout the years to feed the hungry student base, but MC has been here long before that trend started.

MC is strictly a take-out location. No chairs, no stools, but lots of thick glass to protect its workers from the harm of the outside world and signs posted to leave your weapons outside. The staff at MC was so friendly and helpful it is such a shame they are located in a part of town where a sit down restaurant is challenge just for safety reason alone. With my weapons left outside, I ordered a medium sized Jerk Chicken platter.

maxwells

The chicken was a little more stuck to the bone than I enjoy for my jerk chicken. One of the benefits of jerk chicken usually is the luxury of a slow cooked meat that has the meat falling apart right off the bone. It was not under-cooked, but it just made it a tad bit more work than usual. The spice of the day was SPICY and I mean SPICY. The overall flavor had the signs of jerk chicken, but without any visible smoke taste applied to meat. I would have to say the MC only bakes the chicken. The plantains were cooked nicely, but I could have gone for a larger portion and the cabbage mix was nice, but again just a very small portion of it. Plenty of rice was provided, but it was not seasoned in any way.

I really enjoyed the staff at MC and hope that they are not given a hard time too frequently by the locals loitering across the street who seemed like they could get unruly at any moment and enjoyed what I can only hope was medical marijuana from New Jersey since Pennsylvania is not one of the states that offer it. They have been in business for quite sometime at their current location so they must be doing something right. My meal was good, but not great. With that being said it is hard for me to recommend an out of the way ride to get their offerings, but if you happen to be in the area or are a Temple student living around campus looking for a change of pace from fast food, food trucks, cafeteria food, and pizza joints, MC could be the spot you have just been looking for.

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Tommy DiNiC’s at The Reading Terminal Market – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Tommy DiNiC’s at The Reading Terminal Market – Philadelphia, PA

When your sandwich shop gets awarded to have the “Best Sandwich in America” by Travel Channel program “Man vs Food”, you must be doing something right. Well that honor was bestowed upon Tommy DiNiC’s at The Reading Terminal Market (TD) for their pork sandwich.

My love of the Reading Terminal is no secret as it is one of my favorite places in all of Philadelphia. As much as it is a tourist destination, it is just as great for the people who live around it as well. No matter what food mood you may be in that day, you are sure to find something to fit your needs there. They just completed a very nice renovation of the terminal and it is looking better than ever. One of the parts of the renovation was a new spot for TD. TD’s new digs are hands down better than their old location. The wood counter sit down area is gorgeous, the prep area is clean and has much more area for the employees to move around, and the take-out line at TD now moves light years faster than it did in the past. The area to place your order is now very defined where everyone needs to stand and pay, and for the most part the patrons who want to eat at the counter don’t have to push their way over to the counter and get into arguments for those just wanting for take-out. It is a dream come to for everyone who stops by. For my visit, what’s good enough to be America’s best is good enough for me to eat. So a roast pork with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe would the order of the day.

dinics reading term

 

The sandwich was perfection. TD has this thing down to a science. From the roll being able to hold the wonderful juices of the pork while not becoming soggy, to the broccoli rabe sauteed to its most delicious flavor profile available, and the sharp provolone providing the ying to everything else’s yang the combination here is superb. I do not know if TD has been this good since they first opened, but I do know that what they are serving is hands down one of the best roast pork sandwiches ever. Even with lines wrapped around the place and them serving their sandwiches in mass, they are able to provide a sandwich that tastes like it was made from scratch just for you. This sort of accomplishment did not just happen overnight and the entire staff of TD should be commended for the hard work and precision they provide their customers on a daily basis.

Is it the best sandwich in America? I do not know, but I do know one thing. Philadelphia is known as a cheesesteak town, but with what TD is putting out, the cheesesteak may have a fight on its hands to hold on to its crown.

Overall
Five out of Five Stars

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Del Rossi’s Cheesesteak Co. – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Del Rossi’s Cheesesteak Co. – Philadelphia, PA

Del Rossi’s Cheesesteak Co. (DR) looks hip and young the moment you step inside. From the signs of order online at grubhub.com to make sure you get your mobile alerts from them, to joining their many social media pages. They want you to know they are not your grandfathers cheesesteak joint of years ago and welcome those who live in the digital world.

The menu is quite large compared to other steak sandwich locations around the city as some of their competitors only offer a steak sandwich to order and nothing else. With cheesesteak in their name, I went with a cheesesteak wit (that means with cheese and my choice was american), fried onions well done, and ketchup with a side order of spicy cajun fries that included a cup of melted american cheese.

del rossi

The cheesesteak was definitely of a higher quality cut compared to your average pizza shop cheesesteaks, but the meat that was given to me had a lot of gristle in it and made my sandwich very chewy and tough throughout. I could have just been unlucky, but whoever was cooking should have noticed this and corrected the problem and used a different batch of meat. The onions were grilled nicely and they were generous with their cheese portion, but they were a little heavy handed with the ketchup. The fries were fresh cut which is a nice thing to see and the seasoning was nice, but again they went a little overboard with the amount they applied. The melted american cheese cup is a welcome site and enhanced the french fry experience greatly compared to pizza shop fries.

DR has the makings of being a great steak sandwich location, but they need to focus a little more on execution. If they can work out the kinks and perfect something all their own without being too cliche, they could be the place to beat since they offer more than just cheesesteaks, but with cheesesteak the largest portion of their name, they need to work on that first.

Would I go back? Yes, I would at least try them one more time hoping the bad meat portion I received was just a fluke.

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Kevin Parker’s Soul Food Cafe – (Reading Terminal) Philadelphia, PA

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Kevin Parker’s Soul Food Cafe – (Reading Terminal) Philadelphia, PA

Kevin Parker’s Soul Food Cafe (KP) at the Reading Terminal Market takes the spot formally held by Delilah’s Cafe who was there from 1984 until their sudden closure in 2012. Delilah’s Cafe was a media darling for a little while with the spotlight shining bright from a proclamation by Oprah Winfrey on her show “Oprah” that they had the best Mac and Cheese in America, but financial problems ruined their empire. With taking over this location KP has big shoes to fill, but Kevin Parker himself is no stranger to the high profile soul food scene with his already successful venture Ms. Tootsie’s Restaurant Bar Lounge on South Street.

The line at KP was brisk, but moved quickly and the new decor looked amazing and makes their location seem like a miniature restaurant inside the Reading Terminal which has added a nice flair not seen by other vendors. The order consisted of fried chicken, mac and cheese, and cabbage.

kevin parker

My first bite into the fried chicken was an immediate success. The meat was juicy, skin crisp yet loose, in every way cooked to perfection, and the seasoning was spot on. I do not know if I just got one of their best batches ever produced, but this was one of the best down home versions of fried chicken I have enjoyed in quite some time. With such a strong start I hoped for the trend to continue, but the sides just could not compete. They were both good, and slightly above average for each of them, but nothing really stood out about them. The cabbage was a little too crisp and under-seasoned for my tastes and the mac and cheese was a bit overcooked. Even with the sides deficiencies, the chicken really compensated for their downfalls. The price for the entire meal was about $15 which is a tad high for soul food compared to other locations around the city, but the other locations are not in the heart of the Reading Terminal.

KP has a good thing going in one of the greatest food terminals in the world, and if they focus some energy on their sides they could be one of the terminal’s must go to locations for any citizen or visitor of Philadelphia. They are a welcome addition to this storied locations legacy, and I hope they have just as long of a run if not longer than the previous tenant.

 

 

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Food Trucks Driving Philadelphia’s Food Scene Even Further

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Jamaican D’s – Philadelphia, PA – 3rd & Spring Garden Street Truck

Philadelphia’s food truck movement has been growing exponentially the last few years as highlighted in many published articles on the subject such as this one (click here) for uwishunu.com by Allison Stadd. Some trucks are mobile at all times, others are stationed at specific locations year-round. One resource to find information about the food trucks is Philly Mobile Food Association, but as of the date I wrote this article their website had not been updated since October 2012 and their Facebook and Twitter feeds seem to be used quite infrequently thus not making it easy or convenient to patronize their members. The food truck scene is by no means new in Philadelphia now, but their allure and ability to promote seem to have faded slightly after many roaring success in 2012 with the exception of The Food Trust’s wildly popular “Night Market Philadelphia” events like the next one planned at 5th and South Street on Thursday, August 15th.

My food truck visit would bring me to Jamaican D’s (JD) at their 3rd and Spring Garden Street outpost for an order of Jerk Chicken with fried plantains and cabbage. JD is a stationary truck here Monday through Friday as this truck is one of the many JD trucks in their fleet throughout Philadelphia. You may recognize the name from one of their most prolific and long standing trucks at the Community College of Philadelphia campus at 17th & Spring Garden Streets.

jam D

I ordered the medium sized platter which was nine dollars and the portions were very generous in all aspects of the meal. The plantains were cooked nicely with a decent amount of sweetness to them. The chicken was seasoned well along with being moist and tender while the skin had a good crisp firmness with the meat still easily coming off the bone. The rice was covered in a jerk sauce while the chicken was topped with an additional sauce of some sort with the option of mild or spicy giving the entire dish a nice mix of flavors in each bite. The only aspect of the dish that I was not thrilled about was the cabbage. The cabbage seemed it was not cooked long enough and could have been chopped a little smaller. It was tough and too chunky for my liking. The flavor seemed OK, but too much crunch in every bite for me.

The meal JD provided was as good if not better than some I have had at full blown Caribbean restaurants. The service was quick and friendly with portion size very generous and affordable. If you drive to order something from JD, just be aware that parking is not the easiest thing to find near them at this location. With the experience I had at JD I see no reason why the food truck movement can not grow even larger. The days of having to go to a singular location to eat something specific could easily come to an end with these trucks ability to go out and about where the crowds want and need them. I only hope they can band together to get their message out to the masses in an effective manner.

Overall
Three and half out of Five Stars

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Put a little Soul in your party

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Aunt Berta’s Kitchen – Oaklyn, NJ

This is a review that got lost in the shuffle. Aunt Berta’s Kitchen was called upon to cater for a Wrestlemania 29 viewing party. The person holding the party wanted good food at reasonable prices and stumbled on Aunt Berta’s Kitchen (ABK) at a previous get together of friends and family that ABK catered and I was lucky enough to be invited to their party that ABK catered for them. The order of the day was sixty-four pieces of fried chicken and a large tray of mac and cheese and cabbage.  (Note: in picture is only thirty-two of the sixty-four pieces)

aunt berta

ABK is owned and operated by Alberta Ferebee who has enjoyed cooking for others since childhood. She started her career in the culinary world as a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant and worked hard until finally reaching head cook. She learned how to run a business through her management skills picked up from being a food service supervisor as well during her storied career, until she finally opened up ABK in Oaklyn, NJ and has another ABK to opening in the Berlin Farmers Market in the very near future.

Now this review will be a little different since only the food is the only factor, but what ABK provided was phenomenal. The chicken was plump and juicy throughout while having a beautifully seasoned crisp  skin surrounding each piece. The flavors were just right in every bite while not being dried out like fried chicken I have had at many other places. The cabbage was soft with vivid tones of sweetness bypassing that cabbage taste most people do not like, but should have been drained just a little more as the tray was filled with liquid. The mac and cheese was creamy in each bite with a hardened top layer while providing a delicate balance of cheeses mixed in and I can see why ABK has been invited to the Food Bank of South Jersey Mac and Cheese cook-off numerous times.  Not one person at the party went home hungry or disappointed and the amount of food ordered was plenty for over twenty people as there was even a tiny amount of food left over. I do not know how the service and experience would be eating at ABK’s actual location, but what I do know is that ABK provided one heck of an affordable catered event for all to have.

Overall

Four out of Five Stars

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(856)Puf-Puff the Magic Cream Puff

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Napoleon’s Creamepuffery – Lindenwold, NJ

NC Box

I have always wondered what separates the good from the great in the food world. I think it has to come from a true passion and desire of what you are making, and Charlene Napoleon’s story reflects this. A dream of owning a bakery started an early age while she whipped up delicious treats throughout her life for friends and family. Even with the encouragement of friends and family, she did not pursue her true love though. Instead, she began a career as a hairdresser climbing the corporate ladder all the way up to National Education Trainer for Redken Hair Products. One would think such acclaim would satisfy the soul, but this was not the case with Charlene. She longed for the days of doing what she really cared about, baking delectable treats. So she dug in her heels and in 1985 set out on her own going from markets and festivals in an old ice cream truck selling her beloved cream puffs while creating a devote following of fans waiting to see the truck roll around again. Well the hard work paid off and in 1995 she was able to put down some roots by moving into an old farmhouse and have people come to her instead opening Napoleon’s Creamepuffery (NC). It was not only a bold move, but obviously the right one as eighteen years later, she is still in business and making cream puffs with a love you can notice the moment you bite into one.

The cream puffs I ate were soft and moist on the inside while having the light crisp exterior shell with a cream that just melts in your mouth. I had the bakers dozen with the pistachio, strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla which came with thirteen cream puffs for only ten dollars. I know of a bakery in South Philly that charges close to four dollars for only one! NC is not only a steal with prices like that, but the flavors beside vanilla were really the stars, especially the chocolate. Now do not get me wrong, the vanilla was amazing as well and fine on its own, but if you go to NC, you will do yourself a disservice by not getting a mix of flavors.

puff

NC is a nice country sort of place with a down home feeling being in an old farmhouse and just their phone number alone intrigued me, 856-PUF-PUFF. It sounds more like a medical marijuana dispensary than a bakery, but I know I will never forget their phone number and a brilliant marketing strategy. Finding about NC was a treat and I can only imagine how Charlene’s friends and family must have felt when she brought some of her goodies to parties, because if they tasted anything like what I had, she made the right move changing careers for all of us to enjoy what she truly loves to do, making delicious magic cream puffs.

Overall
Four out of Five Stars

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