Category Archives: Restaurants

China House – Woodbury, NJ

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

China House – Woodbury, NJ

Good Chinese food is a difficult find for me in South Jersey. Being in and around Philadelphia’s Chinatown district so often, I am thoroughly spoiled. I decided to take another chance and visited China House (CH) in Woodbury, New Jersey. When I walked in, CH looks like three different locations in one. The one lane leads to a heavy take-out business, the second isle is just tables and chairs for a sit-down Chinese experience, and the third row in CH is a sushi bar and Japanese area of the restaurant. It was a little mish-mash of an experience all in one. I would go with the sit-down Chinese version of CH.

1china

1chinah

I had the wonton soup, egg roll, shrimp with broccoli, and fried rice. They would all be categorized strictly average and slightly overpriced for what I was served. Maybe CH is better at Japanese menu, but with no one in my party ordering from that menu I can only answer for what I had. The service was friendly and attentive, but with the odd décor, high prices and setup to go along with my meal, it may be a long time before I try CH again.

Comments Off on China House – Woodbury, NJ

Posted in Restaurants and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

River Park Pub -Gloucester City, NJ

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

20161119_164338

 

FYI – HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT RIVER PARK PUB NO LONG HAS CHEF GILHAM OR CREOLE FOOD, THEY ARE JUST A BAR MENU AGAIN 03-2018

River Park Pub – Gloucester City, NJ

Had a fantastic Creole inspired meal at The Mansion House in Gloucester City, NJ from Chef Jeff Gilham formerly of Creole Cafe. Delicious crawfish bisque, Creole pieroge, beer battered onion rings, and seafood jambalaya. Yummy! They will be a guest on Small Bites Radio Show on January 8th.

Comments Off on River Park Pub -Gloucester City, NJ

Posted in Restaurants, Small Bites Radio and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Nha Hang Xelua Pho Viet-Thai Restaurant – (Chinatown) Philadelphia, PA

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Nha Hang Xelua Pho Viet-Thai Restaurant – (Chinatown) Philadelphia, PA

20160624_160543

Better known as the restaurant with a train on the sign is quite a mouthful to say and a mouthful to things to choose from on the extensive menu. The interior could use a little bit of a spruce up, but the food was delicious. I had the bbq pork chop on white rice and the pan fired egg noodles with shrimp and vegetables. Everything was cooked nicely, very affordable, and service was top notch and friendly. They have a very intriguing menu that I am interested to try, so I will definitely be back.

20160624_160534

 

Comments Off on Nha Hang Xelua Pho Viet-Thai Restaurant – (Chinatown) Philadelphia, PA

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

David’s Mai Lai Wah – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

David’s Mai Lai Wah – Philadelphia, PA

There are so many great places to eat in and around Philadelphia, yet Philly Chinatown always draws me in. For my next destination it would be to David’s Mai Lai Wah (DMLW) which has been known to have Iron Chef Jose Garces dine there many times and has been named by Esquire Magazine as the Best Late Night Restaurant in America as DMLW is open until 3am. I was hungry and gave DMLW a quick visit for what else, a late night snack to go.

20160622_170748

I would have a simple order of pork fried rice which was very nice and one of the better versions of this dish in Chinatown, and their Salt and Pepper chicken wings which were tasty as well, but not the best around, but very good for a place that serves you late at night. DMLW is a decent location with friendly service, a diverse menu and bar if you want something to drink, as well as being one of the best options around to dine late night, so I can see why so many celebrities dined here since they tend to live a later lifestyle and the awards are well deserved.

 

Comments Off on David’s Mai Lai Wah – Philadelphia, PA

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

A.P. J. Texas Weiner – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

A.P. J. Texas Weiner – Philadelphia, PA

Sitting a few steps from the Pennsylvania Convention Center and a block away from the Reading Terminal Market sits A.P.J. Texas Weiner (APJ). Make no mistakes, APJ is not high-end, let even medium-end cuisine, they are an old style lowbrow affordable luncheonette with very friendly (even though are little rough around the edges staff) efficient, and likeable service. What would I get? Hot dogs of course.

20160401_122620

The hot dogs and the especially the special sauce topping hit all the right notes and was a delicious and cheap lunch. Many other places around the area may be much fancier or have higher quality food, but sometimes a lowly old tasty hot dog cooked well and spruced up nicely with a few special touches can be all you need sometimes. If in the area APJ is certainly an option and they won’t break your wallet.

 

Comments Off on A.P. J. Texas Weiner – Philadelphia, PA

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Parada Maimon – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Parada Maimon – Philadelphia, PA

So many parts of Philadelphia change so quickly it is hard to keep up any longer. Where Parada Maimon (PM), a Dominican restaurant sits is one such area. What used to be abandoned factories are now thriving condos, apartments, businesses, bars, and the Underground Arts center. PM was very vibrant, festive, and employees happy the day I stopped by for a visit. I would go with half rotisserie chicken with yellow rice and beans.

20150915_161351

I was extremely pleased with not only meal as the chicken was moist, beans tasty, and rice cooked perfectly, but the price point was very affordable. PM is certainly not for everyone as the majority of food offerings at PM is nowhere near mainstream enough for the masses, but if you are in the area and wanted a little something different with a smile I certainly recommend giving them a try. I know I will again.

 

Comments Off on Parada Maimon – Philadelphia, PA

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Mike’s Steaks Comcast Center – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Mike’s Steaks Comcast Center – Philadelphia, PA

The market and shops and the Comcast Center provide a diversified picture of what Philadelphia has to offer. It may not be the greatest selection of what we have to offer, but a decent showing and possibly the best food court in town. At one of the far ends of the market sits Mike’s Steaks (MS). MS is a no frills sort of operation, with higher than normal menu prices for their basic offerings, but I am sure the rent is not cheap in this part of town. The service was nothing more than herding the lunch crowd through taking an order, giving a receipt, and waiting for your name to be called. With my turn in line finally, I would go with a cheesesteak with fried onions, American cheese, ketchup, and a side order of spicy Cajun fries with a cup of melted American cheese.

2015-04-27_11-50-26_341

MS provides food for the masses, and they do it quickly like a well-oiled machine. Cheesesteaks are the original fast-casual food and MS has that part down to a science. The fries were tasty and cheese hit all the right notes, but fries were not fresh and cheese I am sure probably came out of a can. They fill a niche for the office workers who do not want to take a chance on a food cart or have a sub-par cheesesteak from an average pizza-joint, so for that I commend them.

 

Comments Off on Mike’s Steaks Comcast Center – Philadelphia, PA

Posted in Quick bites/Takeout, Restaurants and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Donkey’s Place – Camden, NJ

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Donkey’s Place – Camden, NJ

20160725_155749

Some places are so over hyped with so many awards or foodies telling you that you have to try somewhere that sometimes I do my best to avoid going there as I usually avoid the places where everyone else wants to be. Well I can tell you that Donkey’s Place (DP) in Camden, New Jersey is worth every good piece of good press or positive word of mouth they have ever received. I am not going to delve into is it the best around, as I am not a believer in “best”. What they are though is damn good, delicious, fun to be at, and someplace you have to experience in person to really “get it”. I had the cheesesteak with fried onions, fries, and used their house hot sauce on both that made the meal flat out AMAZING! It is an adventure to get there, the neighborhood is rough, the patrons are a colorful group, and the staff is great. Take one of these components out and I believe DP would not be what they are, and what they are is a full-fledged foodie experience. I know DP has a Medford, New Jersey location as well, but part of me just does not think it could not be anywhere as great as their Camden spot. Then again I did not think DP in Camden was worth the trip and boy was I incorrect. For someone who is always right (insert joke here) I would find it unbelievable to be wrong twice about the same subject. If I am wrong, I know why. It is because DP is a special place, with a mindset that only the owners of DP could duplicate. So until I visit their Medford location, just take my word along with the thousands of others who sing DP’s praises. GO, GO NOW, and ENJOY!

 

 

Comments Off on Donkey’s Place – Camden, NJ

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Woodbury Station Café – Woodbury, NJ

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Woodbury Station Café – Woodbury, NJ

I always find old train stations to be an interesting look into the past. What I find most interesting about the old train station that sits in Woodbury, New Jersey is that is has been transformed into a dining destination called Woodbury Station Café (WSC). I did not expect too much from WSC, but I can say that I was thoroughly impressed.

20160316_174345

I would go with a simple dish of chicken marsala, but WSC provided an delicious spin on an old favorite. Everything was cooked to perfection, with fresh giant chunks of mushrooms, asparagus, and potato wedges to go along with juicy chicken breasts topped with one of the better marsala sauces I have had in quite some time.  Add to the mix a friendly and efficient service throughout the meal, and WSC has me planning to visiting them again sometime soon and hoping next time to catch a glimpse of a train riding by during my stay.

Comments Off on Woodbury Station Café – Woodbury, NJ

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Schileens Pub – Westville, NJ

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Schileens Pub – Westville, NJ

You can drive through the tiny town of Westville, New Jersey so fast that if you blink once, you may have missed the entire town on your journey. Well I am here to tell you that when you are getting near this mini-municipality you may want to keep your eyes open to see the sign for Schileens Pub (SP) and turn in and enjoy some of the best roast beef sandwiches in South Jersey.

20160221_201224

They bring out some fresh hand cut roast beef on a perfectly puffy Kaiser roll with American cheese and delicious Au jus on the side. The sign outside SP at times keeps a tab on the number of roast beef sandwiches that have been sold there, which numbers in the hundreds of thousands, and after you have one you can see why they have sold so many and then wonder why the number sold is not in the millions, because I could have eaten ten of them by myself. They are that good.

The service was quick and efficient, and they are certainly a close knit neighborhood pub as the majority of patrons were welcomed on a first name basis. Their motto is “There are no strangers here, Just friends that never met yet” and I certainly felt that way the day I visited and left happier than I arrived.

 

Comments Off on Schileens Pub – Westville, NJ

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →