Category Archives: Restaurants

Whole Hog Cafe – Cherry Hill, NJ

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Whole Hog Cafe – Cherry Hill, NJ

The influx of BBQ restaurants in the Philadelphia/South Jersey this past year was phenounal. It was a long time coming, and the region finally seems to have embraced it.

Whole Hog Cafe (WHC) comes to Cherry Hill, New Jersey by way of Little Rock, Arkansas. Coming along with them is a spotlight on competition BBQ style of cooking. They came to Jersey on a mission to compete and accomplished a huge one by taking first place in the pork division outshining all other competitors at the New Jersey Championship BBQ 2013 Event held in Wildwood, NJ. Not a bad way to say hello to bbq enthusiasts and to those of us around the area not familiar with them. With their focus on competitive cooking, the restaurant features the most poplar competitive meat categories to chose from being pulled pork, pork ribs, pulled chicken, and beef brisket. With a huge sign profiling the wonders of their pulled pork sandwich as soon as you walk in the door of WHC, I decided to go with that for my order.

whole hog cafe

I went with the jumbo sandwich which serves 7 ounces of pulled pork on a bun, one of their many sauce options to choose from, and coleslaw all included. My sauce of choice would be their traditional which along with the coleslaw I asked for on the side. The sauce was very good. Not too thick and not too thin, while having a nice flavor that was robust, but not overpowering the smoked meat flavor. The meat was cooked to perfection and I can see why they have won so many awards for their pulled pork. They season it beautifully, while the meat is nice and juicy throughout and not the slightest hint of being chewy at all. Even after adding the sauce to top the sandwich, the bun held up admirably without falling apart at all. WHC knows what they are doing and their finished product is proof enough.

As great of an experience that I had at WHC, the only thing that gives me concern is that somehow they are not getting others to join in on the fun. I arrived slightly past noon which is normally a busy time for a lunch crowd at any restaurant, but sadly I was the only diner at WHC during my stay. I even had a sampling of WHC’s ribs which I thought were fantastic as well, but only a sample as that is why I did not review them. Even with just a sample though, WHC has made me believe they have a superior rib offering to accompany their award winning pork and I would gladly grab an order of ribs next time I am there. If WHC can get the word out, they have plenty of parking available, a gorgeous large room perfect for private parties and events, friendly staff, great competitive style bbq menu, and a location that is easy and accessible to get to from most major roadways. I am sure WHC is used to the ups and downs of the bbq world being competitors and shown they can win the big one. So here is hoping for them to keep on swinging and possibly come out on top in the South Jersey bbq restaurant market as well.

Overall
Four and One-Fourths out of Five Stars

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Misson BBQ – Glen Burnie, MD

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Misson BBQ – Glen Burnie, MD

Concept restaurants worry me. I feel that whenever I step foot inside one, that the concept is usually larger than the food. I am happy to report that at Mission BBQ (MB) the food was just as good as their great concept. It is said that the founders of MB traveled across America sampling the many different varieties of BBQ this great country has to offer in order to provide patrons of MB a little bit of everything BBQ. The concept portion of MB comes in with homage to individuals who serve this country to protect our lives, liberty, homes and community with their interior decor dedicated to honor these professions and a portion of sales directed to various charities of these groups.

mission outside

MB provides each table with a large selection of sauces from each region of BBQ. I tried each and every sauce, and I must admit there was not a bad one in the batch. Half the fun at MB was trying all sauces, and letting every person find what works for them is a great idea. In my opinion, if you go to MB, choose a few different meats and then find the correct sauce for each meat and you could have yourself one of the best BBQ experiences in a long time.

mission sauce

The meal I selected was a half rack of Bay-B-Back Ribs with sides of Baked Beans with Brisket and Green Beans with Bacon. The ribs were simply fantastic. Cooked perfectly with not too much pull on the bone, but also not falling right off of it. Then add the Bay-B Que sauce and it was a heavenly experience. Sadly both bean dishes were not up to par of the ribs though. The green beans were too watery and tasted like canned green beans to me, and the baked beans while having nice chunks of brisket in it, lacked any sort of defining taste to push it over the edge of average. As I have said many times, sides are usually overlooked at BBQ places, but thankfully MB hit all the right spots with the meat. I literally crave the flavor they provided on all fronts of ribs and sauces at MB. Mission Accomplished on the the ribs and sauces fellows.

mission ribs

The staff was very friendly and accommodating throughout my time there from ordering my meal and being thanked for upgrading to the 9-11 tribute cup, to the waitstaff making sure anything I needed was provided. The sides may have been a bump in the road, but I was pleasantly surprised and had a great time. Now my only wish is since they are getting close to Philadelphia with a new MB in York, PA just having their grand opening this Monday, I hope that they make it down soon to the City of Brotherly Love with another MB outpost.

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Blueplate – Mullica Hill, NJ

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Blueplate – Mullica Hill, NJ

Culinary greatness it not the first thing that comes to mind When I think of Mullica Hill, New Jersey. I relate this town more with farmland, old houses, antique shops, and Route 322. Well Blueplate Restaurant (BR) is looking to change all of that. Chef James Malaby opened the place in 2005 and has gained an occult following, with many people singing their praises for delicious breakfasts and dinners. So of course I decided to go to BR for lunch.

The buzz at BR should also be about lunch. I started out with a french onion soup that made my knees buckle with robust flavor. I have had a lot of french onion all over the Philadelphia area, and I do not know if I just caught BR on their greatest made soup day, but they served me one of the best french onion soup I have ever had. It hit everything you look for in a good version of this soup and then some. I almost wanted to break my way into the kitchen, steal the entire crock and make a run for it. It was that good!

blueplate french onion

Up next was an order of Chicken Tenders. I could tell that the tenders were fresh and breaded in-house. They were juicy, pulled apart nicely, and had a nice flavor to them. My only complaint is that they did not come with any sauce to dip them in and when I asked for a side of BBQ sauce, what came out was obviously the jarred variety of bbq sauce. With Chef James’s eye for detail and fresh ingredients shown with the soup and tenders, that surprised me a little bit. Making a few homemade sauces to accompany the tenders, this could be a knockout appetizer.

blueplate chicken tenders

I could have left happy after my first two dishes, but being extra hungry I pushed the envelop with the Blueplate Steak Sandwich which is Andouille Sausage, Steak, Sweet Peppers and Provolone with a side of fries. All I have to say is “Wow”. I can not believe the precision and perfection BR has with this sandwich. The bread was the right texture holding everything in and not being too starchy, the peppers sliced so very tiny and thinly to hide in every bite, the Andouille Sausage giving it just that little bit of spice to made it stand out, and the steak was such a nice cut that not one bite of my entire sandwich was chewy at all. The only gripe, is that even though the fries were good, I would have went bonkers if they were fresh cut french fries.

blueplate cheesesteak
People may be talking about breakfast and dinner at BR, but I am hear to sing their praises for lunch. I can not recall a more enjoyable and surprising lunch experience than I had at BR in a long time. It started out rough with just a few lags in service that came with the waitstaff switching from breakfast to lunch. Being given the dinner menu instead of the lunch menu causing me to change my order all together, and disappointed over the jarred bbq sauce, but BR’s kitchen staff made anything that seemed wrong at the moment all right again with dishes exuding fantastic flavors and once the waitstaff regrouped service went beautifully. With BR now on my radar, I will have to see what all the talk is about the other two meals of the day, but in the meantime you should try them for lunch.

Overall
Four out of Five Stars

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Benny’s Burger Joint – Collingswood, NJ

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

UPDATE: Benny’s Burger Joint and all of Chef Alex Capasso’s restaurants are closed as he was arrested for child molestation 

Benny’s Burger Joint – Collingswood, NJ

Chef Alex Capasso is like a phoenix rising from the ashes in Collingswood, New Jersey. Just when one of his eateries close, he opens another one in this tiny town to take their place. His critically acclaimed Blackbird restaurant has had two locations, both now closed (he is currently in the process of opening another Blackbird in Philadelphia this time), and another casual restaurant West Side Gravy that was held in the same building of the later Blackbird incarnation.

Both Blackbird and West Side Gravy closed simultaneously, and he replaced the vacant space a month later with Benny’s Burger Joint (BBJ). BBJ is very laid back, extremely family friendly, and a throwback to the 1980’s with old school arcade games throughout the place and paintings depicting that era adorning the walls. The place was packed with diners of varying age, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I would order the Let the Apline Play burger which is an 8oz angus beef burger with sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, and Alpine Swiss cheese with a side of hand cut fries.

benny burger

The flavor profile was spot on and a very nice combination. The roll held it all together without getting soggy, while being soft throughout, onions were like candy and the mushrooms were cooked perfectly for a burger. A minor error was that my burger was split in half. I do not know if it just fell apart when they were taking it off the grill or if they purposely did it to check how pink it  was in the middle. Either way it was a slight inconvenience as I had to make sure to balance the roll and hold it with both hands at all times so that one side of my burger never fell out. The other misstep would be the fries were overcooked. I know a lot of people love extra crispy fries, but the allure of hand cut fries allows for them to be a bit on the softer side and have that fresh potato taste that lacks in an ordinary french fry. Even though they were extremely crispy, they were better than your ordinary order of fries.

BBJ was very affordable, family friendly, service above average, and a fun ambiance floating throughout the place. If they tightened the few details I mentioned above they really could set themselves above and beyond the influx of burger joints that seem to have invaded the Philadelphia area recently. I enjoyed my stay at BBJ and just have to remember to bring a roll of quarters with me next time so I too can play a few songs from the jukebox and play a few games after I am done eating.

Overall
Three and Three-Fourths Stars out of Five

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Nom Nom Ramen – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Nom Nom Ramen – Philadelphia, PA

With the cold weather coming back to meet us again, what better way to warm up then with a bowl of steaming goodness. Looking past the normal option of soup, I stumble into Nom Nom Ramen (NNR) who in their own words offer “Authentic Hakata Style Tonkotsu Ramen in Philadelphia! A masterful bowl whose superior ingredients and magnificent, robust flavor would truly stand out for you to savor to the last slurp!”.

I ordered the Shoyu version of their ramen in which soy sauce is infused in their tonkotsu broth that is produced by them boiling pork bones for more than twenty-four hours, and topping it off by adding their Hakata style noodles, chashu pork belly, bamboo, kikurage mushrooms, naruto (cured fished cake), and seaweed. Below is the before and after broth pictures.

nom nom b4

 

nom nom after

 

The space holding NNR is just a tiny little location, but it has quite a nice bit of charm to it. The staff was extremely helpful, especially since I am a ramen beginner, and the menu is pretty straightforward after you get a hang of how things operate at NNR.

The flavor was amazing with my fist spoonful. The mix of each and every ingredient is evident in each serving, and the profile of the bowl changed while eating as everything starting permeating together beautifully. The portion of each item was spot on, as I thought their were just enough of everything to create a well balanced meal.

If this is what I can expect from ramen each time I eat it, then I have been missing out on this culinary treasure for way too long. I must admit though, I am not a fan of a lot of soups or soupy things, so I have to be in the mood for eating this type of meal. What I will say is, that when I have an itch for tomato soup and grilled cheese, I know that I want Campbell Soup version of tomato soup and their version only. I may have just begun my journey into the ramen world, but with what NNR provided when I have that itch for ramen, I have a feeling I will be looking exactly for what NNR served me again.

Overall
Four out of Five Stars

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Hey Everybody! Check out that “Fat Pig”

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Fette Sau – Philadelphia, PA

It seems like Philadelphia has gained an affirmation for all things Brooklyn, New York related lately. The Piazza at Schmidts held a Brooklyn Flea Market it seemed like every weekend this summer and before that Philadelphia’s restaurant mogul Stephen Starr recruited Brooklyn based BBQ restaurant owner Joe Carroll to open another Fette Sau (FS) here in October of 2012 connected to another Stephen Starr location Frankford Hall and just a few blocks away from the hipster hideaway Piazza.

I do not know much about Brooklyn, but what I can tell you is that if there are more restaurants up there as good as FS I hope more and more of them transplant their way down to Philly for their second locations. As you will see in the pictures below I got a little bit of everything at FS. Nothing I had there disappointed me in the least except for one particular thing, but their were some ups and downs. FS stands for fat pig, and if I could go there more often I just might become one.

Lets just get started with the great. The short rib is hands down AMAZING! Go to FS just for it. Eat it in all of its wonderfulness, it is that good. I have never had a better one yet, and I have eaten a lot of BBQ. Just look below at me eating it in all my glory and you will have picture of how happy it can make a man.

me eating rib

The baked beans were fabulous as well. Very nice chunks of burnt ends, beautiful combination of spices thrown in, and just a delight to eat. The ribs were cooked perfectly and of excellent quality, texture, and taste as well. Just when put up against the short rib it had some big expectations to follow. The pork was good, but just not anything notable and I have had better at much cheaper rates other places and the mushrooms were a dud. They were nice, but I was sort of over them after popping four to five of them in my mouth. They would be great for free as a mini-side, but not something I would pay for.

fette sau

With the good must come the bad though. FS is a carnivore paradise and a damn good BBQ joint at that. What they are not, is somewhere that has any resemblance of good BBQ sauce makers. I enjoy my BBQ wet or dry, but some people insist on having to have some sort of sauce on their meats. If you are one of these people you may want to bring a cup of your own sauce to FS. FS’s sauces to me and the person who joined me were so hands down terrible, they actually made me second guess if the meats were as good as I thought they were until I took another bite without sauce on them. I hate to admit it, but I would rather have some mass produced corn syrup infused BBQ sauce sitting on the table instead of what they put out there. It is shameful and completely unacceptable for the quality of meats they are producing that someone could actually leave there thinking that FS is not making good BBQ if they can not enjoy eating their meats dry only. I actually thought maybe it was just the container on my table, but the sauces tasted exactly the same on the other tables as well, so I do not know if the entire batch was bad or if that is really what they serve on a daily basis. I know what I said was harsh. Just know what you are in for with the sauces, but other than that you must go to FS for some of the best BBQ meats in the Philadelphia region. Be aware also that FS is not cheap to eat at, and even with the sauce debacle, mushrooms not being that great, and pork only being ok, FS has my heart with short ribs I feel in love with.

Overall
Four out of Five Stars

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La Esquina Del Bronco – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

La Esquina Del Bronco – Philadelphia, PA

Sitting just a few blocks from the Market-Frankford Septa EL Dauphin/York Street station is La Esquina Del Bronco (LEDB). The inside of LEDB is very subdued compared to the craziness on their steps. LEDB sits in a rough part of town and having the local boys hanging around their front step with the intentions of doing nothing to support the betterment of society I am sure is a deterrent to many would be patrons of LEDB.

The service was very friendly even with their limited English capabilities, all areas seemed clean, and it had a nice vibe with the music at the perfect level unlike other Spanish restaurants I have visited.

I ordered the stewed chicken. The meat just feel apart with each fork poke, the rice was seasoned nicely, and the salad provided looked crisp and fresh. LEDB is providing meals it seems like someone’s grandmother used to make. You feel like you are eating at their house with dishes that have been handed down for generations.

spanish

At LEDB they are not serving the best Spanish food I have had in Philadelphia or breaking any new barriers in the food frontier, but what they did serve was more than adequate to quench my thirst for Spanish food that day. It was a successful visit and all of this was provided for only six dollars.

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Captain Kidd – Cape Cod, MA

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Captain Kidd – Cape Cod, MA

With Cape Cod having so many marinas and docks, Captain Kidd (CK) fits in perfectly for any boat lovers pirate persona hidden inside themselves. The charm of CK really sits inside the restaurant which is very large with a happening bar scene and lots of pirate themed decor. I was lucky enough to snag a seat on their waterfront dining area which is one of the nicest waterfront dining areas around the Woods Hole area.

Things started out nicely with their homemade clam chowder. It had a nice texture to it with a decent amount of clam and variety of vegetables making it one of the best I had in Cape Cod.

cap kid chowder

 

The fun slowed down quite a bit with the main course though. I ordered the Fisherman’s Platter which was all fried seafood and consisted of Cod, scallops, shrimp, and clams. I will start out with the good. The clams were highlight of the dish and I could have eaten an entire plate of just them. The scallops were a good size and cooked nicely leaving them crisp on the outside yet moist on the inside. The fries were just average as they were not fresh cut fries, but better than the dreaded double breaded fry. Now to the portion of the meal I could have gone without. The cod was mushy and inedible and the shrimp was as hard as rocks. I think I could have skipped the shrimp across the water to the other side of the marina. It really was a mixed dish and had a little bit of everything whether good or bad.

cap kid meal

My visit to CK has me thinking this of them. CK is a nice spot for a drink at their bar or a nice bowl of clam chowder or fried clams sitting on their waterfront dining area as a little snack while enjoying the view. I do not think their claim to fame is their food, but what pirate tale did you ever hear of that talked about pirates eating well. I can not think of any, but I can think of many references to pirates enjoying a good drink and that is exactly what you can do at CK to bring your inner pirate out.

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Wicked Restaurant and Wine Bar – Cape Cod, MA

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Wicked Restaurant and Wine Bar – Cape Cod, MA

Walking into Wicked, it has a bold and adventurous look about it. They tout a fresh and organic tagline for their food, but sadly the only thing exciting about Wicked was the decor. I will say that our server was extremely bubbly and since he formerly worked for one of the towns in Cape Cod, he knows how to deal with tourists and where they should go. He was a wealth of information and was a fantastic server, just too bad the food was not as great as he was.

We came for lunch, and I ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich that called for Antibiotic-free sweet, chili glazed chicken breast, served with grilled pineapple on a house baked organic sweet potato roll with fresh cut fries. When I ordered though, I only stated I wanted the grilled chicken sandwich. What came out was a chicken wrap that did not resemble anything I ordered. I mentioned this error immediately and the waiter gracious asked what I was looking for and he stated someone gave me the dinner menu and that both sandwiches are called grilled chicken sandwich in the computer, but computer doesn’t recognize my option until dinner time.

I do not know if what my waiter brought out would have been better, but what started out as a bad omen became one. The roll was as stale as anything I have been served in quite a long time and just fell apart upon touch. The chicken was rubbery and overcooked, the glaze had the taste of something out of a jar, and fries so dried out I think they were trying to serve me potato chip sticks instead thus ruining any resemblance of fresh cut fries. The only saving grace was the pineapple was cooked to perfection and delicious.

wicked
It is sad as it looks as if Wicked has a wicked bar scene that they cater to late at night, but they were wickedly bad during my stay. Their claim to fame it seems is their fire grilled pizzas, but I do not see myself heading up to Cape Cod again to give them another try anytime soon to find out. If you want a drink with friends with a nice ambiance, Wicked has a nice bar to sit at, but other than that unfortunately I do not have anything else to say.

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Piston Diner (Review) – Westville, NJ

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

There are two things that Brooklawn, New Jersey had been synonymous for from 1979 until 2011. The Brooklawn Diner and the Brooklawn Circle. The Brooklawn Diner sadly went out of business suddenly in 2011 and had rumors of a re-opening in late 2012 that never materialized. The other, the Brooklawn Circle still stands strong, but sadly it seems if someone just even whispers the word rain, the entire circle becomes a watery swampy mess and backs up traffic horrendously. The only thing these two now have in common is while driving through the flooded Brooklawn Circle you can see the still abandoned shell that once was the Brooklawn Diner.

What was Brooklawn’s loss seems to be Westville, New Jersey’s possible gain. The former owners of the Brooklawn Diner, Gus and Aliki Miliaresis’s son Danny Miliaresis is now the owner of the Piston Diner (PD). PD also made a name for itself five months ago when a front loader construction vehicle drove through PD and forced its previous owner Jason Kramer to close PD for good after only being open just slightly past three months. I had never visited PD before so I do not know what if any changes were made by Danny Miliaresis to the interior of PD during my visit, but I can tell you the roof and ceiling are fixed as I sat in a booth that used to have a sky view. I liked the vibe and feel of the interior. It was bright and cheery with lots of old school nostalgia of legendary Hollywood stars hanging on the walls. The furniture seemed new and modern unlike some diners around whose glory days happened too long ago to even remember what unworn seating looks like.

PD started out with an Italian Minestrone Soup. The soup was a solid interpretation of this classic. From the broth, beans, pasta, and vegetables it was all seamlessly balanced with a decent flavor throughout. If all of their soups are this good, they may be a great place in the winter for a good soup and sandwich to warm up to. They also provided nice fresh rolls and butter to start the meal.

soup

The main course was Chicken Croquettes atop mashed potatoes drizzled with chicken gravy with sautéed string beans and apple sauce as sides. The croquettes were a generous size and better than some I have had in the past. The green beans were a little too al dente as well as being under seasoned and the apple sauce was your standard out of a jar variety. It is not the best meal I have ever had, but it is by far not the worst either.

pison chicken

All in all my assessment of PD is that they are exactly what everyone who loves a Jersey diner loves about them. They provided me a decent meal at a very affordable price and a menu that is six pages in length giving you the ability to order almost anything your heart could desire at anytime of the day. At ten dollars I could not expect gourmet, but what they did give me was a very tasty soup, fresh rolls, a dinner in quality that was better than your standard chain restaurant, and in an atmosphere that was friendly and fresh. If PD continues in this direction and construction vehicles avoid driving through PD, Danny Miliaresis’s legacy in the diner business has the ability to last as long if not longer than his parents.

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