Category Archives: Restaurants

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.

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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.

 

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Donkey’s Place – Camden, NJ

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Donkey’s Place – Camden, NJ

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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!

 

 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

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Bo Ne Restaurant – Woodbury, NJ

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Bo Ne Restaurant – Woodbury, NJ

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I would have never thought to visit Woodbury, New Jersey to have some amazing Vietnamese food. Sitting in a small non-descript building close to the hospital is Bo Ne (BN). The staff makes you feel like family from the minute you step inside until the time you leave. They were very attentive to what everyone ordered and wanted to make sure you know what was in each dish and described them to make sure you would like it, or recommend something else that may be more to your liking. They hit the nail on the head for everyone that came. My meal would be their Thai chili glazed chicken wings that were FABULOUS and could be one of the best non “buffalo” style wings in South Jersey. Then I had the beef stew noodle soup that was fresh, flavorful, and delicious from first bite all the way to the last bite which was even more impressive than the first after all the different ingredients had time to simmer together to form on of the best bowls of this version of Pho around the area. There may not be much around the area to visit besides the hospital, or things to do, but BN is reason enough to make a visit to this part of South Jersey.

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The Inn at Pocono Manor – Pocono Manor, PA

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

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The Inn at Pocono Manor – Pocono Manor, PA

I was lucky enough to visit The Inn at Pocono Manor (IPM) which mixed luxury, history, and nature seamlessly all into one. They have been open since 1902 and are on the National Registry of Historic Places. They have a little bit of everything for everyone and a wonderful staff. You could relax and enjoy your time around the resort all day with a movie theater, very nice arcade room, activities, indoor and outdoor pools, a fun little playground for kids, and multiple restaurants. If you need to get a little deeper into nature, they have a few nature trails that were easy to walk, and a Sports Centre that had lots of things to do for every age and skill level. Best of all, at IPM many of the outdoor sports to do were included free of cost from fishing, archery, and the bb gun range. Then for those interested, for an additional charge a golf course, stables with horseback riding, or a full service spa is available on the resort property as well. Add this to being in a central location that within a 15-30 minute drive you have luxury shopping, antique shopping, small towns to explore, multiple indoor water parks to choose from, lakes, state parks to hike, and nice restaurants to dine at; IPM truly was a wonderful break from city life and the noise that comes with it. I highly recommend giving IPM a try. Below are a few pictures of my meal at “The Exchange”, one of the restaurants available to dine at onsite at IPM and I thoroughly enjoyed every course.

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Abby’s Café – Pennsauken, NJ

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Abby’s Café – Pennsauken, NJ

Cooper River Park has had a dramatic transformation with a fancy new restaurant, running trials, bridge, dredging of the water, ice rink in the winter, and more. I decided one morning to try Abby’s Café (AC) for breakfast. The area surrounding AC may be up and coming, but AC seemed a little behind the advances. The gentleman behind the counter could not have been nicer with a bubbly personality and extrememly friendly and welcoming, but the food was surprise for me.

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I would go with bacon, egg and cheese on rye. The eggs were cooked on an electric griddle that was giving some problems and took longer than desired, but the real downfall came when the sandwich was topped with prepackaged bacon out of a box sitting on the counter. It was such a shame as AC is now sitting on prime real estate in my mind with all of the new happenings going on a Cooper River Park and the man behind the counter was nice as pie and outgoing, but location and charm only go so far with me. Hopefully something can be done to upgrade the cooking method and use more fresh ingredients, and if so, AC could be a breakfast destination to the new crowds coming to the area.

 

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Society of Burgers – Sewell, NJ

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Society of Burgers – Sewell, NJ

With a catchy nickname SOB, I was hoping Society of Burgers stood out from the crowd. What I can tell you is that the service was very friendly, interior fresh and modern, and a large variety of things to eat with SOS Society of Salads in the same space SOB/SOS has a little something for everyone. I would get their BBQ bacon cheese burger with applewood bacon, American cheese, haystack onions, bbq sauce and a side of crinkle cut fries.

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SOB/SOS was nice, but just did not stand out and scream a must visit for me to go out of my way to go there. I think they have a very nice concept to be able to franchise and become a new fast casual destination, but they need a little more something for me to make it a staple of my food travels. If you are in the area, certainly give them a try though, you might find a new stand-by for the nights you do not feel like cooking.

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Tiffin – Cherry Hill, NJ

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Tiffin – Cherry Hill, NJ

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I find that great service goes a long way. Great service and good food go even further. I enjoy dining with my wife and three-year-old son. Some establishments I can see the hostess, server, or owner cringe when they see a toddler walk through the door. Others such as Tiffin embrace it. The staff as Tiffin was not only impressed with my son’s palate, they treated him like family and made sure he enjoyed himself and felt right at home. That alone would make me want to go to Tiffin again, but thankfully Tiffin served up some pretty good food as well.

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I would be served fish kali mirch which was tilapia marinated with crushed black pepper and fried, garlic naan, and lamb roganjosh which was cubes of lamb leg cooked with spinach, spices, and herbs. Tiffin’s food was not the best Indian food in the area, but they held their own, were very affordable, and were the first Indian restaurant that embraced a family dining atmosphere that I have dined at. A decent meal that the whole family can enjoy is hard to come by, and I commend Tiffin for being able to deliver.

 

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The Pocono Mountains Preview

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

The Pocono Mountains Preview

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The Pocono Mountains is such a large and beautiful area with such great natural wonders and family fun around every town offering a little something for everyone. Below are some highlights of my recent visit there. The three must visits in my opinion are Boulder Field, Piggy’s Restaurant, and Powerhouse Eatery in the area I toured, but I will certainly be back to explore more of the area and its dining destinations.

Sadly I deleted the food pictures of Piggy’s Restaurant, but trust me the breakfast here is delicious, the staff is amazingly friendly, and their gift shop has tons of great shirts, toys, and other things to buy. Highly recommended!

Boulder Field – Hickory Run State Park – No food, but an amazing sight to see in person and that a picture does this place no justice. Just go there!

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Powerhouse Eatery – Fried Chicken Teriyaki Dumplings with honey mustard sauce, Colossal crab cocktail, sautéed soft shell crabs with fresh veggies and potatoes, vegetable soup. This place was from beginning to end my favorite place to eat at.

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Sunset Green Restaurant and Bar – Sunset Sea Scallops (blackened sea scallops with a saffron cream served with grilled garlic bread), Cattleman’s BBQ wings, Beef vegetable soup. Great service and good food.

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Nick’s Lakehouse Restaurant – Smoked Sea Salt Rubbed Grilled Rib Eye with smoked gouda, peppers, onions, on a garlic shallot ciabatta roll. An amazing view, very friendly, and the deck is a great place to hang out and be with the cool crowd 🙂

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Feed Mill – Portobella mushroom stuffed with claw crabmeat and topped with mozzarella cheese, mini-shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque soup, red snapper topped with lump crab meat with broccoli and fries. An interesting history and friendly service here. Snapper was tasty and crab was nice pieces of lump crabmeat.

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