Category Archives: Restaurants

Iceland

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Iceland

church

geysir

 

waterfall

Iceland is the truest form of Fire and Ice. Freezing temperatures outside, but thermal outdoor pools to still be able to go swimming. Frozen lakes and streams, but hot steam seeping threw the cracks with hot molten lava below your feet. Close to twenty-four hours of darkness in the winter and twenty-four hours of daylight in the summer. They are a country of constant opposites, but they create Iceland’s beautiful and quirky uniqueness that I fell in love with.

airwaves

airwaves artist

 

ice view

You have to visit Iceland for yourself to even begin to appreciate it. I will provide a quick synopsis of a thoroughly engrossing experience I was able to enjoy. Reykjavík was clean and welcoming and I was lucky enough to be a part of their 2014 Iceland Airwaves concerts throughout the city with some amazing music to be found around every turn such as at Lucky Records Reykjavik. The church Hallgrímskirkja is a must visit as is the Golden Circle a must trip to complete to see some of the most amazing natural sights ever. I stayed for the majority of my stay at the Best Western Hotel Reykjavik in a very modern and comfortable suite at the very end of the third floor which they so graciously upgraded me to. I am going to list and show the pictures of some of the places I had some very nice meals. I am not going to review them as each and every one was delicious. No need to say good or bad as I enjoyed each one from start to finish and if you ever visit Iceland I highly recommend you visit them as well. Last but not least, no trip is truly complete without a visit to one of the wonders of the world, The Blue Lagoon. Hope you give Iceland a try, and ENJOY!!!!

3 Frakkar a MUST go to with a Iceland sampler of Puffin, Mackerel, Whale, and raw and smoked Shark. Plate is Filet of Lamb

frakar sign frakar plate fraker lamb

 

Reykjavík Fish and Chips

 

 

rey fish and chip rey fish dish

 

Lobster Hut Reykjavik

lobster hut lobster hut soup

 

Noodle Station Reykjavik

noodle station noodle beef

 

Hot Dog House Reykjavik

hot dog house hot dog

 

Yummi Yummi Reykjavik

 

yummi yummi yummi noodles

 

Dons Donuts Reykjavik

 

dons doughnut truck dons doughtnut make

 

Gullfoss Waterfall Lamb Soup

 

Gullfoss Lamb Soup

 

Cafe Loki Reykjavik – They serve fermented shark

 

cafe loki

 

Brennivin – Nickname is Black Death, good way to warm up in the cold weather, just do not drink too much.

 

brenivan

 

Is it ever too cold for ice cream?? NEVER!!!

Paradis Ice Cream palor Reykjavik

 

 

iparadis paradise milkshake

 

 

 

 

 

Comments Off on Iceland

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

Sang Kee Peking Duck House – Philadelphia (Chinatown), PA

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Sang Kee Peking Duck House – Philadelphia (Chinatown), PA

Sang Kee Peking Duck House (SK) in the Chinatown section of Philadelphia is the original location since 1980 of the many different variations of the Sang Kee brand all over the Pennsylvania and New Jersey region now. With wanting to see what put SK on the map, I decided to go with their namesake, Peking Duck in their Peking Duck Dinner for two option. The dinner consisted of Wontons with Vegetable Soup, chopped Peking Duck with Pancakes and Hoisin Sauce, Shredded Duck Meat with String Beans in a XO Sauce, and their House Special Fried Rice.

sang kee
Let me start out by saying the dinner was flat-out phenomenal. The wontons in the soup were light yet flavorful with a nice selection of vegetables throughout. The chopped pieces of Peking Duck were very meaty with the skin nice and crispy and not too fatty like a lot of places that serve duck and once put in the fresh warm pancake covered in the hoisin sauce, every bite was like floating in a cloud of wonderful tastes. The shredded duck with string beans in XO sauce was also a nice surprise. The spices of the sauce give the dish a slight spicy kick, yet it did not drown out the duck flavor or take away from the crisp string beans and other fresh veggies sautéed in the dish. To finalize the dinner, the house special fried rice really brought it all together. I am not usually a fan of these sort of rice dishes, but SK really pulled it off with high quality and fantastic flavors.

The staff at SK was very friendly and the pace at SK is very fast. Everything seems to be moving at the speed of light, from servers bouncing around to food being brought out to tables being bused for the next round of diners to sit down. It was very loud in SK and with the fast pace surrounding me got to be a little much to me. SK is perfect to eat your meal there, but also perfect to bring home with you as well at a very affordable price for what you seem to be getting here. SK has been around for over thirty years and has grown into a name brand destination for many patrons in many different towns now, and if they keep up doing what they are doing I see them getting thirty more years and many more locations to come.

Overall
Four and Half Stars out of Five

Leave a comment

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

Miles Table – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Miles Table – Philadelphia, PA

The burger was once a quick and cheap lunch option. That was in the past, before the burger revolution. Now it seems like everyplace I go touts they have the perfect burger and charge a price that demands perfection. I happened to stop in Miles Table (MT) with their sleek and modern décor and hipster vibe to try their burger rendition.

MT seems like a restaurant, but everyone must order at the front of the establishment. The order process was slow and tedious with others in front of me in line asking everything imaginable about what they were about or not about to eat. The girl behind the counter was obviously frustrated with the steady stream of nonsensical questions while yelling into the kitchen or the dining area to alert new food orders or orders that were ready for pick up while music is blaring throughout the restaurant. With such confusion and loudness it really took away from the feeling that I think MT is trying to exude, which I assume they are aiming for soothing rather than shocking. Once able to order I asked for the Miles Burger which consisted of ground chuck, apple wood bacon, remoulade, brioche, cheddar, and hand cut fries.

miles t

It was a good combination and the fries were absolutely fabulous, but the burger had some big misses. First I ordered the burger medium. I did indeed get medium on half of my burger as well extremely rare on the other half. The odd part as visible in the picture as well is that the bacon was the same exact way. One piece was nice and crispy and the other soggy as hell. It is almost as if only half of my burger was on the grill and very odd the way it came out. MT seems to have the right mix going on from the food to their beautiful interior. They are just missing out due to the execution and delivery of what I think they are trying to provide on both fronts. A few tweaks and MT could go from OK to oh you have to go.

 

Comments Off on Miles Table – Philadelphia, PA

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

The Pop Shop – Collingswood, NJ

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

The Pop Shop – Collingswood, NJ

The Pop Shop (PS) became an adult hot-spot the minute they were featured on Food Network “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”. What PS is truly known for is a fun filled meal for the young and young at heart. With lines wrapped around the corner most weekends with throngs of children just as rambunctious as they are hungry, PS has been off my radar for quite some time. That was until I had a rambunctious hungry little one myself. We visited for lunch one weekday, and PS was still a packed house. Now I know why PS is expanding to Medford, New Jersey to the former Farmers and Mechanics Bank on Main Street there.

The interior of PS is bubbly, loud, bright, and friendly. The staff was just great especially with the amount of wildness a house full of children provides. They really focus to make sure each child is enjoying themselves, while also being able to keep service moving and lag time minimal between ordering and food being served. My order would be Swiss Mushroom Burger with fries.

pop shop

It was not the best burger I have ever had, but the mushrooms were plentiful, and bun was toasted nicely. The burger was a decent size, but could use a little seasoning and maybe a better blend of meat to give it a better texture. I enjoyed how they put the bbq sauce on the side to allow me the ability to put as much as I would want on the sandwich, and the fries were nice as well.

After the meal a balloon was giving to my dining partner, which just made his day. PS is a nice change of pace to the normal stuffy dining establishments we visit most times. On a rough day or week, it is nice to get out of your element and bring the kid inside yourself out again. I would not or could not go to PS on a regular basis, but for a special comfort food meal with a crazy and fun atmosphere mixed in, it is a treat and the childlike behavior that comes out of us we all need sometimes to get out of a funk.

 

Comments Off on The Pop Shop – Collingswood, NJ

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

Little Tuna – Haddonfield, NJ

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Little Tuna – Haddonfield, NJ

Situated right in the heart of Haddonfield, New Jersey’s bustling downtown is Little Tuna (LT). You walk through a small, yet charming seafood market in order to get to the restaurant. Once inside the décor is modern and fresh and a nice change from the usual fishing nets and ocean paraphernalia found hanging around most seafood establishments. LT had a decent sized crowd for lunch the day I visited and I would start my meal off with a bowl of roasted lobster bisque with sherry.

little tuna soup

This might have been one of the top five lobster bisque soups I have ever had. If this soup tastes this good every day, I wonder how LT does not have a line of customers out the door with bowls in hand waiting for a ladle full of this liquid gold. It was creamy, sweet, extremely flavorful and generous with portions of lobster meat. The only thing I would change would be that I would like a jar of large oyster crackers to accompany the soup instead of two packets of the smaller crackers. Up next would be honey jalapeno sea scallops.

litte tuna scallop

The scallops came served in a metal sizzling dish topped with a honey jalapeno sauce and stuffed with crab meat. The meal also included carrots, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. I really liked the flavor combination of the honey jalapeno topping the scallops and the crab meat added was delicious and portion generous. The vegetables were crisp and cooked nicely as were the mashed potatoes. The scallops were overcooked just slightly, but were of decent size. The service at LT was efficient and friendly and the prices were reasonable for a nice seafood restaurant. LT served me one of the better lunches I had in some time and I look forward to trying even more things from the in the future, unless I just fill myself with that amazing roasted lobster bisque with sherry.

Overall

Four and quarter Stars out of Five

Comments Off on Little Tuna – Haddonfield, NJ

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

Iron Hill Brewery – Maple Shade, NJ

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Iron Hill Brewery – Maple Shade, NJ

Situated a little off the main roads sits Iron Hill Brewery (IHB). It was a zig-zag of roads it seemed to get there, and their sign popped out of nowhere. Once inside the place is gigantic. It is a good thing as a large crowd was already there and they were hopping for lunch service. I can only imagine what happy hour or the weekends look like at IHB. It is no secret IHB’s big draw is beer, but I came here to eat, was with my toddler aged son, and for his mother to approve of this lunch I did not think drinking would be advisable having to drive him home. After a brief overview of IHB from the bubbly server, the order of the day would be their House Smoked Pork Sandwich.

iron hill

The pork sandwich consisted of hickory smoked pulled pork with St. Louis style barbeque sauce on a toasted bun. I must admit that I was not expecting much, and was pleasantly surprised. The pork was moist, not chewy in the least, and had a nice even consistency throughout while the sauce really enhanced and was a joy to eat. The fries were above average, cooked perfectly, and portion size was not an issue in the least.

One of the things that surprised me the most about my visit to IHB was the amount of children present. I second guessed bringing my son there, but once inside they treated him like a rock star, provided him with his own crayon set to keep, and they have one of the best children’s menus I have seen around at a very affordable price.

This was my first time to any IHB as they have many locations, but it will certainly not be my last. They have intrigued me with their menu, quality, fast and friendly service, and most importantly their unique beer selection which I will try next time without bringing the little guy with me.

 

Comments Off on Iron Hill Brewery – Maple Shade, NJ

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

Cap’N Cats Clam Bar & Tavern – West Deptford, NJ

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Cap’N Cats Clam Bar & Tavern – West Deptford, NJ

Cap’N Cats Clam Bar & Tavern (CNC) feels a bit out of place in West Deptford, New Jersey. The exterior and interior of CNC seems more fitted for an on the water back-bay sort of local seafood bar, not a landlocked standalone establishment. Doing the best they can with no water around them, I give CNC credit for doing it up in the middle of nowhere. I just wish they would have given as much thought and energy towards the food as they did the decor.

Ever hear of the saying what goes up, must come down? Well that is how my meal went at CNC. Things started out quite nicely with an order of Steamed Shrimp. They were generous in size, seasoned beautifully, steamed to perfection, and came with a nice cup of melted butter that most places do not give with an appetizer of shrimp. The sweet shrimp combined with the warm salty ooze of the butter had the shrimp just melt in my mouth.

captin cat peel shrimp

The downhill spiral started to begin my cup of Snapper Soup. The soup was extremely light in any aspects of snapper or seasoning being in the soup and it almost had a taste of being thinned out. I do not know if they were running out of the soup and decided to stretch the last bit out for me or if this is how it is always served. If this is how CNC always serves it I would recommend anyone who has never had snapper soup to try it here first as it is a light version of a very thick and hearty soup that I am used to and if you like CNC’s version of the soup you will love other places that do it even better.

captin cat snapper soup

To finish the evening, my scallops with a side of french fries were served. I will begin my rant by stating they were served with double-breaded french fries. Anyone who has followed me in the past knows my feelings of a restaurant copping out by using these cheap incarnations of something resembling a french fry, but are far from it. To make matters worse, the scallops were so overcooked it might have been easier to digest a bouncy ball instead of these things. Scallops are such a wonderful treat to eat when done well, and a terrible tragedy when done wrong. I had such high hopes for CNC after the steamed shrimp, but sadly things ended much worse than they started out.

captain cap broiled scallops

CNC has a nice bar area and an even nicer seafood display as soon as you open the door to enter. I have a feeling I may have ordered completely wrong at CNC. They call themselves a clam bar and I shied away from eating even one clam from them. If someone was to invite me to have a drink at CNC, I would order the steamed shrimp again and try my luck with something clam related. I could even see myself just buying some fresh seafood from the display case and taking it home to enjoy. I just can not see myself ordering the snapper soup or scallops again.

Leave a comment

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

Honey’s Sit N’ Eat – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Honey’s Sit N’ Eat – Philadelphia, PA

With the gentrification of South Street west of Broad Street came along Honey’s Sit N’ Eat (HSE) just as a HSE came to North 4th Street with the gentrification of the North Liberties neighborhood many years ago. HSE touts an American comfort food menu with breakfast served all day and dishes heavy on nostalgia with locally sourced ingredients. The crowd the day I visited was quite eclectic and seemed HSE was more of a place where to be seen instead as opposed to what should be eaten. I decided to go with the Patty Melt.

honey

The Patty Melt consisted of a burger with swiss cheese and caramelized onions on marbled rye and a side of fries. The burger was nice, but slightly dry and completely overcooked as it was well done and I asked for it to be medium. The fries also were overcooked in a major way as instead of having the consistency of a French fry they had the feel of potato stix as they were beyond crispy, they were dehydrated and hard.  It was such a shame as the caramelized onions were beyond wonderful. Some of the best I have had anywhere, and  I do not see French Onion Soup listed on their menu, but I would be first in line to try it if they put that quality of caramelized onions in the soup and wonder why more menu items do have them included. The rye was grilled well and had a nice consistency to it showing that the bread was fresh, not overcooked, and holding up well throughout the meal.

HSE had such a high with the onions and such a low with the fries and overcooked burger. What I ordered was basic and there really is no excuse for the way it was executed. The staff seemed a little standoffish to me, but very welcoming to those who were obviously regulars. They were one step up with the onions and many steps back on many other fronts. I would give them another try, but nothing is having me rush back anytime soon.

Leave a comment

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

The Farm & Fisherman Tavern + Market – Cherry Hill, NJ

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

The Farm & Fisherman Tavern + Market – Cherry Hill, NJ

Just because a dining destination is great or successful in Philadelphia does not mean that it will translate well over the bridge in New Jersey and vice versa. With keeping this in mind, Chef/Owner Josh & Colleen Lawler have done it right with The Farm & Fisherman Tavern + Market (FF) in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Realizing that as wonderful as their Farm and Fisherman Restaurant in Philadelphia is, with them living in New Jersey they knew it would not be the right fit to just duplicate what they have in Philly to Jersey. They had to come up with something a little bit different, but with the integrity and mission statement they hold dear, and with that in mind came the concept for FF. I came for lunch and I would get things started with a beer I do not see offered much in places around Jersey and is one of my favorites for summertime, 21st Amendment Brewery’s Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Beer with a snack of 24-Hour Onion Dip & Chips.

beer

chips and dip

I could not have asked for a better way to start things off. The chips were some of the best around, and the dip was by far and away one of the best dips I have ever had. The onions were so flavorful and cooked just right, and I guess from having them stew in the dip for 24-Hours just made it all that much better. The beer and chips were dangerous combination and one that if I could eat regularly could cause my doctor to not be very pleased with me. The next order of business on my to-do list would be their Smoked and Grilled Wings.

smoked and grilled wings

The wings had a nice smoke flavor to them, grilled nicely, and the sauce and cheese on the bottom of the dish really complimented themselves perfectly. The only downfall was that the wings were a little tough and rubbery. They did not pull apart nicely, and the meat stuck to the bone a little too much. I think I may have just had a bad batch with the cooking temp or timing being slightly off, because with the quality in flavors and effort that was put into preparing them, I find it hard to believe this is how they are served regularly. Even with the minor flaw, these wings were still by far and away much better than your standard order of wings at a bar, so do not let my criticism steer you away from trying them. To end my lunch I would have the Turkey Ruben with Swiss cheese and local sauerkraut on Rye with a side of fries.

turkey ruben

The turkey meat was fabulous, the rye was better than most, just the right amount of Swiss cheese melted on point, and the fries were delicious and cooked perfectly. My only complaint would be that the sauerkraut was ice cold. I would have enjoyed if it was thrown on the grill to warm up. The difference in temperature distracted from the overall experience, texture, and maybe even if it was just subconsciously to me the flavor. Even though that could have been different, I really enjoyed my time at FF. The service and staff were very efficient and accommodating, bar area is beautiful, ambiance is relaxing, and the tiny market is amazing with some neat local foodie products to take home and enjoy. FF provided me with one of the best lunch experiences around the South Jersey area.

Overall

Four out of Five Stars

Comments Off on The Farm & Fisherman Tavern + Market – Cherry Hill, NJ

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

El Sitio Grill & Cafe – Collingswood, NJ

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

El Sitio Grill & Cafe – Collingswood, NJ

Strolling down Haddon Avenue in Collingswood, New Jersey your eyes
and nose are in for a treat. This street has a little bit of
everything for everyone and since I had never eaten at El Sitio Grill & Cafe
(ES) before I decided to give them a try for lunch. The inside is
very relaxing with a nice ambiance and mood about the place and
they have a large, if not the largest outdoor seating space of any
of Collingswood’s restaurants. ES starts your experience off with a
dish of Olive Oil sauteed mushrooms and herbs and fresh bread.

el sitio olive oil

I could have eaten ten dishes of this stuff, it was that good. It
was a nice change of pace from the normal and a great beginning.
My appetizer would be Argentinean Style Empanadas.

el sitio empanada

My Argentinean Style Empanadas consisted of wheat flour empanadas
stuffed with seasonings, fresh vegetables, herbs, chicken, and
beef. I went with the chicken and beef all in one since I could
not decide on which version I wanted more and my server
recommended to put them all in one. Well kudos to my well-informed
server, because they were fantastic this way and I highly suggest
any meal at ES to start out with them. My lunch entrée would be
the El Sitio Burger.

el sitio burger

The El Sitio Burger was beef, cheese, breaded onions, and homemade
BBQ Sauce. I will start out with the good. The fresh breaded
onions were fantastic and some of the best I have had in a long
time and the homemade bbq sauce was great. It gave the entire
burger a very nice distinct flavor unlike other burgers I have
had. It was not overpowering, yet it was strong enough to let you
know it was someone special and out of the ordinary. Now sadly on
to the bad. The roll was stale and just fell apart with each bite.
I requested my burger to be done medium, and it came out VERY well
done. It was served with provolone cheese. Not to say that I do
not enjoy a burger with provolone cheese, but this was not the
burger to be putting it on. It just put the flavor profile all out
of whack. Last but not least, the burger was served with the
dreaded double breaded french fry. Please I beg of all restaurants
to throw them in the trash, and either make your own or buy a
higher grade of french fry.

ES had their ups and downs, but I really did enjoy their ups
allowing me to slightly overlook their downs. The service was very
pleasant and efficient, prices were affordable, and they are
providing dishes not seen everywhere done well for the most part.
If they can keep an eye on the freshness of their rolls, be a
little more aware of overcooking their burgers, not putting
provolone cheese on them, and get a fresh french fry coming out of
the kitchen, ES has the potential to go from a place people are
talking about them for having dishes that are a little different then the
norm, to start talking about them having dishes you have to see and eat
to believe because of how good they are.

Leave a comment

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