Category Archives: Restaurants

Parkway Corner Deli – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Parkway Corner Deli – Philadelphia, PA

The Parkway and arts district in Philadelphia is booming with new buildings, restaurants, stores, etc. The Parkway Corner Deli (PCD) is near the intersection of Spring Garden and the Parkway. PCD took over little while ago and gutted the space of a deli that was in the same location for many years. The makeover PCD did is remarkable as the old deli was quite old and beat down, and the selection of beers and things to buy at PCD is a large improvement compared to the last tenant as well. PCD is bright, stylish, and their ordering system for hot foods it completely digital. I would go with a chicken cheese steak with fries.

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The meal was quite average in all aspects, but the prices at PCD are extremely reasonable compared to others places to eat near PCD. You are not going to get any surprises on the menu or find a new trend, but PCD had friendly service at a great price and some neat little foodie and beer finds in their aisles. If I am in the area and looking to dine on a budget and grab a few items to go, I will not hesitate to stop in PCD again.

 

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Nunzio Ristorante Rustico – Collingswood, NJ

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Nunzio Ristorante Rustico – Collingswood, NJ

You already know that MANY – MANY restaurants line Haddon Avenue in Collingswood, New Jersey. Some are better than others, and some have been in business much longer than others. During a lunch time visit to this town, I would end up in Nunzio Ristorante Rustico (NRR) one of the restaurants that have been there the longest. The interior of NRR is very formal and I did like the feel of walking into an European neighborhood with NRR’s décor, but it did feel a bit dated and stale. I would start things off with the lobster bisque with lump crab.

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The soup was a little thinner than I enjoy my bisques, and it was a tad salty, but it did have many nice pieces of lump crabmeat throughout which always helps. For my entrée I would have Ravioli alla Aragosta.

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The Ravioli alla Aragosta in easier terms was lobster ravioli in vodka sauce. I had high hopes for NRR with the semi-upscale setting, staff dressed to impress and proper, and price points setting the stage for something special. Sadly NRR, did not impress. The presentation of the dish was a mess, the sauce and raviolis were bland, and service was sometimes non-existent with drink and bread refills. The service also disappointed when I asked for the check, I had to ask for it again fifteen minutes later, and it finally arrived past the twenty minute mark of my first request. NRR may have tried to recreate that European atmosphere and flair in their dining room, but the meal and service need to take a trip back to basics.

 

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Agave Mexican Food – Bellmawr, NJ

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Agave Mexican Food – Bellmawr, NJ

I love finding little hidden gems whenever I go out to eat. Well in an unassuming parking lot with a Laundromat next door I found Agave Mexican Food (AMF). When you walk into AMF, the décor is nothing to write home, the place is huge and definitely underutilized, setup kind of strange, but the minute I set food next to the counter to order and looked over at the fridge and spotted Refrescos O-KEY bottle of Mexican Orange soda sitting there I knew nothing else ever matters except for the food, and AMF was headed in the right direction. To go along with my tasty orange soda of choice, my order would be four tacos.

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The taco order consisted of two pastor tacos and two beef tacos. The waitress started things out with a beautiful complimentary basket of fresh chips and dipping accompaniments, but I ate them so quickly and they were so delicious, I forgot to even take a picture. The beef tacos would continue the trend of being fabulous at AMF with crisp onions and nice cilantro topping the tacos with a squirt of lime to go along with a hearty portion of beef in each taco. The pastor tacos were just average, but better than most places and after the success of carrying a soda I enjoy, to join forces with fabulous chips and beef tacos that were just amazing, I will give AMF a pass on the pastor. I cannot say enough good things about this small family operated gem of a Mexican style restaurant. So if you are in the area, you should give AMF a try.

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MTQ Café (Old City) – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

MTQ Café (Old City) – Philadelphia, PA

Taking a walk around Old City Philadelphia, one is not only entrenched with some of the city’s most interesting and important history, but also a tasty stroll as well with the variety of eateries around. MTQ Café is one of those places and I decided to pop in and give them a try. I would go with their Banh Mi Beef.

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The sandwich was your standard Banh Mi variety, and was very good for the location, but with it being slightly grisly and flank steak a tad tough, not the best version around town. The insdie of MTQ is nice and the staff was friendly, but service was a bit slow and they were so slow to take the check I had to walk it up to the counter myself. All in all, MTQ is a nice change of pace for this touristy for of Philly and I enjoyed them for the most part.

 

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Charlie’s Country Ribs – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Charlie’s Country Ribs – Philadelphia, PA

On the outskirts of the Temple area sits Charlie’s Country Ribs (CCR). This area of Philadelphia lacks any al fresco dining, walking around the neighborhood once done eating, or entertainment venues to make it a dinner and a show sort of night. What CCR does offer though is down home service with unfiltered conversation being had in the establishment. I do not wither when non-politically correct things are being said about or around me. If you do, be aware that CCR may not be for you. I embrace it and find that you can instead find the pulse of how people really feel or what is on their mind. I will admit it is best to say no comment at times on some of the subjects, but for what it is worth; CCR is at least entertaining with a crowd inside. The dining space is neither large, up to date, nor astatically appealing, but it is real. I would order fried chicken, cabbage, and mac and cheese as the ribs were still cooking and I did not feel like waiting.

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CCR is not cheap by any means, which is surprising for its location. The food was good, better than average, but not great especially for the price point with other locations offering a superior product and a more friendly dining atmosphere. The chicken was moist, but seasoning was a tad bland. The mac and cheese could use just a little more something to it as well as the cabbage. For where CCR is located, they are by far the best around. It is just a shame that nothing else is around them to make a trip there appealing. Would I go back? I certainly would, but next time to try the ribs that they are named for to find out if they are worth staying on my radar.

 

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Cooperage Wine & Whiskey Bar – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Cooperage Wine & Whiskey Bar – Philadelphia, PA

Walking around jewerlers row is a delight and a nightmare as your wallet can shrivel instantly. Looking a lunch I stumbled upon Cooperage Wine & Whiskey Bar (COOP). The interior of COOP is very warm and welcoming and the staff was bubbly and efficient. For my meal I would go simple and order a French dip with chips.

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As shown in the photo, the roll was slightly stale and crumbly, chips not at the peak of freshness, and meat portion was a tad light. It was a little bit of a disappointment as the staff and ambiance of COOP definitely has a positive vibe and experience. Now the kitchen just needs to join the party.

Overall

Two and half out of five stars

 

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02-21-2016 “Small Bites Radio with Scott Macom and Derek Timm”

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

02-21-2016

The debut episode of “Small Bites with Scott Macom and Derek Timm of Bluejeanfood.com” aired last night on Wildfire Radio. We had segment host Barbie Marshall in studio, John Howard-Fusco call in for his Eastern Jersey food and drink report, Fit with Philabundance call in segment, and Darnell Hicks and Angela Cottone-Hicks in studio to talk about and share amazing food from Vera, Cherry Hill.

To listen to episode – CLICK HERE

Small Bites Radio Show – Food. Dining.Travel. Hospitality.
“Small Bites with Scott Macom and Derek Timm of Bluejeanfood.com” is an innovative, captivating, and funny new program airing live Sundays from 6:35 PM to 7:35 PM. This show is about food, beverages, travel, nightlife, and all topics related to the hospitality industry. To be a guest, advertise, or any other questions or comments please email smallbitesradio@gmail.com

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Szechuan Hunan Chinese Restaurant – Philadelphia, PA – Rittenhouse Square Area

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Szechuan Hunan Chinese Restaurant – Philadelphia, PA – Rittenhouse Square Area

The Rittenhouse Square area of Philadelphia is one of the nicest places to just go for a stroll in one of the most upscale areas of town while having a beautiful park to separate you from the urban jungle. While I enjoy fine dining just as much as the next person, sometimes you just are not in the mood or have the monetary means to do so, and this area is not budget friendly for the most part. Situated about a block away from the park I found Szechuan Hunan Chinese Restaurant (SHC). The interior was a little dark and dated, but the extremely friendly service overcame any of that. I would try their shrimp and chicken in peking sauce.

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I started with the egg roll, which was very nice and not greasy at all. For the entrée, the chicken was nice chunks of white meat and the shrimp were cooked just right and of decent size. Where SHC really shined was the extremely fresh and large portion of veggies. Nice crisp zucchini, carrots and celery were in the mix. One downfall was there were an absurd amount of water chestnuts in the dish. It just seemed like someone dropped a whole can of them in my dish. My major complaint with SHC would be the rice served to me was your standard Chinese take-out variety, which was a shame. SHC was a nice surprise and even better on my wallet.

Overall

Three out of Five Stars

 

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Jasmine Rice Thai Culinary– Philadelphia, PA

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Jasmine Rice Thai Culinary– Philadelphia, PA

Walking the streets of Philadelphia you pass so many restaurants that the options seem endless. I do not remember what caught my attention, but Jasmine Rice Thai Culinary (FRTC) summoned me to give them try. I would start things off with the Salt and Pepper Shrimp Roll.

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The roll consisted of jumbo shrimp marinated with sea salt and white pepper, wrapped in a thin spring roll shell served crispy with tangy chili dipping sauce. The shrimp was a really nice size and cooked well, but the dipping sauce did not seem homemade and overall the dish had a bland flavor to it all. I would have rather just had the shrimp by itself. Up next would be Drunken Duck.

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This dish is roasted semi-boneless duck served in a spicy rum chili garlic sauce over noodles and Chinese broccoli. The duck was a really nice portion and each bite was tender, but the sauce was much too pasty and thick and drowned out any flavor from the duck or anything else in the dish. The noodles were nice, but again the sauce just overpowered everything and seemed to have a syrupy consistency to it. The other downfall was there was practically no Chinese broccoli present either. Again, I would have been happier just have the nice pieces of duck on their own.

FRTC certainly had good intensions as the service was very friendly, décor modern, and provided nice quality pieces of seafood and meat. What they need to focus their attention more on is quality control of their sauces and overall flavor profiles of their dishes.

Overall

Two out of Five Stars

 

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Mac’s Tavern – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Bluejeanfood

Mac’s Tavern – Philadelphia, PA

Having visited Skinner’s Tavern many NYE’s parties throughout the years as one of the closest locations to catch the fireworks on the Delaware River, I was a little saddened when they closed. In their place Mac’s Tavern (MT) opened and brought with it a dou, namely Rob and Kaitlin McElhenney of one of my all-time favorite shows “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. The design of the interior of MT stayed pretty true to Skinner’s but a thorough cleaning and update of the place was certainly had when MT took over as the old Skinner’s was not known as one of Philadelphia’s cleanest establishments. On my stop at MT I would go with their pulled pork sandwich.

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The sandwich consisted of slow roasted Italian style pulled pork with garlic sautéed broccoli rabe, and aged provolone cheese on a ciabatta roll with a side of gravy and hand cut fries. I must admit that I was a little skeptical at first with MT being run partly by comedians and not well known restaurateurs, but they certainly have put in the right staff to handle MT’s daily duties as the meal was very nice and tasty. Now I am not proclaiming greatest at MT, but I will admit it was much better than just your standard variety of sandwich and I was certainly pleased with my experience at MT. So whether you are a fan of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” or you are just looking for a decent bite in Old City Philadelphia, it is safe to say that MT should have you covered on both fronts.

Overall

Three and Three-Fourth Stars out of Five

 

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