Rexy’s Restaurant and Bar – West Collingswood Heights, NJ
Certain restaurants gain notoriety because of good food, others
gain it because of their patrons. Rexy’s is one of the places that
became famous because of who was there. Rexy’s became the place to
be in the early 1970’s to spot the hockey team Philadelphia Flyers
players after games. Rexy’s really became a landmark after the
Flyers won the Stanley Cup Championship and the team was to go
there to celebrate at Rexy’s, but with over 8,000 screaming fans
awaiting their arrival closing the streets, climbing on Rexy’s
roof and causing mayhem, the local police were required to call
in the riot squads to subdue the crowds and then owner of Rexy’s
Pat Fietto had to divert the party to Compton’s Log Cabin instead.
After the win Fietto created a sort of shrine room of the Flyers
and all of the players who hung out at Rexy’s with memorabilia and
pictures of the players hanging out at Rexy’s adoring the walls of
the room from floor to ceiling.
In 2008 Fietto decided it was time for him to step away from the
restaurant business and sold Rexy’s to the Lembesis Family. The
Lembesis’s kept Rexy’s as it was until 2011 and then did a
complete overhaul of the location changing the entire design of
the interior and exterior giving it a Tuscan flair and adding a
new outdoor patio. Being a Flyers fan I used to love to dine in
the shrine room, but let me tell you the change really was for the
better. This place is gorgeous. The only resemblance of the old
Rexy’s is about four pictures from the shrine room hanging on the
wall where the new bar sits.
I started out with their Cheesesteak Spring Rolls. The rolls were
nice and crisp on the outside, with a nice spicy ketchup provided
to dip into, and frizzled onions on the side. It was not only
executed nicely and tasted good, it was a decent enough sized
appetizer for two people.
To get the actual meal started our server brought out fresh and
warm bread. The bread really was a step above most bread offered
at other dining locations and really was a bright spot. It is
sometimes the smallest thing like bread that can start the meal
off on the right foot. Next came out my Crab and Corn Chowder.
I began the soup thinking it was not that good, but after a few
bites I changed my mind. The seasoning was very minimal which at
first made me think the chowder was too bland, but then after a
few bites, I noticed the bowl was generously filled with nice
pieces of lump crab meat. With the chowder having such a light
flavor, it really allowed the sweetness of the crab meat to shine
instead. Not everything needs to be bold, and this is one of those
times. The only down fall of this dish would be the one piece of
garlic bread sitting on the side of the bowl. It was burnt beyond
recognition, and I would have been much happier with a small
amount of oyster crackers. My main entree Pork Italino is what
followed.
This was a dish of major ups and downs. The fresh vegetables were
phenomenal. Sautéed and seasoned beautifully other places should
take note of how a nicely cooked vegetable dish can truly enhance a
meal. The pork on the other hand was a tad dry and the broccoli
rabe that topped it was so bitter I thought I someone hid sour
patch kids under the cheese. The mashed potatoes would have been
better suited as just a scoop or two on the side of the dish as
opposed to sitting the pork on top of a pile of them, but the
gravy was delicious.
So Rexy’s meal was a little roller coaster like, but I must say it was the best meal I was ever served there. I used to go to Rexy’s for the memories of Flyers glory days and look at all the great pictures, but now I may have a reason to go there just to eat. The entire staff was friendly and service went seamlessly, now only if the kitchen can do the same. It was a good meal, but I know if they apply themselves they could serve something great and maybe one day have all of us over to celebrate another Flyers Stanley Cup victory.
BlueJeanFood 