Philadelphia Christmas Village

Posted on December 12, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

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(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfoodcritic.com written by guest contributing writer William Knowles. He highlights his passions of of trying something new whenever the opportunity presents itself, or possibly something old, but new again since it has been a while. I hope you enjoy his very special perspective that I am sure many of you can relate to. Follow him on his exciting journey “Around Town”)

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The Christmas Village, located in Love Park at JFK Plaza in the heart of Center City Philadelphia, has become as much a part holiday tradition in the town as the famed light show at Macy’s (formerly Wanamaker’s).  Modeling itself after German open market style villages, it serves as a destination for families, shoppers, tourists and passerby who will immediately feel the holiday spirit.
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There is much to see, with over 60 wooden booths serving food, drink, gifts and novelties.  Pick up a delicious strudel at Helmut’s, authentic from Austria.  Or homemade chocolate from John & Kira’s.  Buy genuine hand crafted ornaments and objects from Kathe Wohlfahrt.  Take your picture with the giant Christmas tree in the park fountain, or with Santa himself.

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The German Society of Philadelphia has done a wonderful job of creating an atmosphere that truly makes you feel you are transported to Christmastime in Europe.  Kory Aversa of Aversa PR & Events, a friend to Bluejeanfoodcritic.com and Around Town, took us on a tour of the village and provided samples of many of the food offerings.  Kory and his team handle the marketing and advertising for many events in the region, with the Village being their crowning jewel for the year…

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Check out the Christmas Village between now and December 27th for great food and drink, unique gift ideas and seasonal cheer.  Happy Holidays to everyone “around town”…

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Buffalo Bills Barbecue – Sicklerville, NJ

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Buffalo Bills Barbecue – Sicklerville, NJ

I find critiquing barbeque one of the more difficult genres to be objective about since I am a Kansas City Barbeque Society Certified Judge. Eating barbeque from teams with dreams of winning hundreds of thousands of dollars for just one serving of food they labored over for days with recipes perfected over the years and then eating barbeque from a retail location setup to feed the masses is like night and day. With keeping this in mind I decided to try Buffalo Bills Barbecue (BBB) as I was seeing a lot of things posted about them on the internet. BBB is strictly a no frills take-out location. When I picked up the menu, I was a little hesitant as their menu was more on line with a pizza joint than a barbeque location and a little all over the place. I would go with a full rib combo.

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The meal consisted of a full rack of baby back ribs, mac and cheese, and collard greens. BBB is nowhere near championship caliber barbeque, but I must admit I was impressed for what is readily available barbeque in South Jersey. The ribs were cooked nicely and were tender throughout. I enjoyed the rub they used and the mild sauce painted on with just the right amount of sauce, unlike some places that pour the sauce on to hide an inferior product. Each bite was juicy and meaty as well. The collard greens really shined as hidden inside each forkful were tiny pieces of pulled chicken that enhanced the overall flavor profile and add a special surprise. The mac and cheese was not too impressive, but I have had worse and it held its own as a decent side.

BBB was enjoyable and I would be happy to try more things on their very large menu and hope everything is as good as what I had my first visit there. The staff was very personable and friendly. The woman behind the counter said she thought she recognized me and had I been to BBB before. With me responding I had not, she replied, “Well darling, I guarantee you are going to love your meal and if you don’t, come back and I’ll give you something else you like instead.” I respect a dining establishment who has confidence in what they are serving. I will be going back to BBB. Not to return what I ordered, but to order some more!

Overall

Four out of Five Stars

 

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Royal Mandarin Chinese Restaurant & Sushi Bar – Deptford, NJ

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Royal Mandarin Chinese Restaurant & Sushi Bar – Deptford, NJ

The Deptford Mall area is surrounded by restaurants, but sadly the vast majority of them are chains. Now Royal Mandarin Chinese Restaurant & Sushi Bar (RMC) has quite a few restaurants of their own, but they are mostly all located in South Jersey. In an unassuming strip mall sits RMC, and walking inside they really don’t have a lot character, but it gets the job done nicely and staff was friendly. I would go with a Chicken Teriyaki lunch special.

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The meal was good, just not great, but it was affordable. The chicken was a generous sized piece, but was a little dry from being overcooked. The sauce and rice was just your standard variety, but the veggies were nice and fresh and crisp. RMC is a nice change of pace around the area they serve; I just do not see myself rushing to visit them on their own without a pre-planned visit to this shopping area. If the next time I visit them, if their sushi selection knocks my socks off, then I will reconsider making them a destination.

Overall

Two and half out of Five Stars

 

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Little Spoon Café – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Little Spoon Café – Philadelphia, PA

It is well documented that people go “GAGA” for Little Spoon Café (LSC) breakfast and brunch. I am not a huge fan of either, so of course I would try them for lunch. LSC is a very quaint dining destination, but they pack people in to every spot available while a line to order was long, yet calm and quiet. I would order their Braised Pork Sandwich with chips and homemade dip.

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Let me start out by singing the praises of LSC’s homemade French onion dip. I could easily eat this stuff buy the bucket load and be pleasantly plump and happy. You are sorely missing out on a delicious treat if you do not order the dip on any visit to LSC. I cannot believe they are not pairing the dip with homemade chips to go with it. The braised pork sandwich on the other hand was good, just not great. It was braised pork shoulder, with fontina and braised greens on grilled artisan bread. The combination was nice, but was much too salty, greens were bitter, and bread was very greasy. These are all things that are easily fixed, and as busy as LSC is they just need to take the time to execute a little better. I enjoyed the LSC experience; it just did not “WOW” me. Maybe next time I will try them from breakfast or brunch.

Overall

Three out of Five Stars

 

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Ginza Japanese & Asian Restaurant – Runnemede, NJ

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Ginza Japanese & Asian Restaurant – Runnemede, NJ

While driving on the Black Horse Pike many times, I passed Ginza Japanese and Asian Restaurant (GJA) many times not thinking much of an unassuming looking restaurant in an old and well-worn strip mall. One day stuck in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic, I decided to give GJA a try. I pulled their website up on my phone and ordered in advance for a take-out lunch order. Well GJA certainly fits the bill of do not judge a book by its cover. Stepping inside, GJA is a nicely decorated, clean, and a stylish little gem in this part of Jersey. The staff was beyond friendly and talkative, service superb, and lunch prices were very affordable. I would order Unagi, Philly Roll, Red Snapper, and Yellowtail.

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Everything was fresh and delicious, and even though this order was the basics of sushi, I usually make sure a place can do the basics well before I put my trust in them to try other things. Next time I am near GJA I will keep in mind how nice my take-out meal was and make sure that I dine there instead to try a little something more than the basics.

Overall

Three and a half out of Five Stars

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Penn Jersey Roller Derby

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

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(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfoodcritic.com written by guest contributing writer William Knowles. He highlights his passions of of trying something new whenever the opportunity presents itself, or possibly something old, but new again since it has been a while. I hope you enjoy his very special perspective that I am sure many of you can relate to. Follow him on his exciting journey “Around Town”)

The Penn Jersey Roller Derby is a spirited organization based in North Philadelphia that features co-ed skaters competing in a league with both flat and banked roller tracks.  On Sunday, November 8th, an open house and skate was held at the home warehouse of the league, and I got to check out the action…

Located just a stones throw away from the Temple University campus, the warehouse will soon hold two large tracks to host all of the league skates.  On this day, a scrimmage between the She-Devils and the Hooligans was taking place, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the organization.  The “Donut Rollers” event served coffee and donuts to all guests who came out for the event, followed by an open skate.

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Many times when you live in a sports crazed town such as Philadelphia, you can take for granted all of the different kinds of club sport that actually exist besides the big four.  One of the most impressive things I took from my visit was the sheer athleticism that the skaters of both genders showed, along with some incredible grit and toughness.  The participants are willing to completely sacrifice their bodies to not only compete, but to win.  In a world where sports has become a war over contracts and stature, these athletes are simply having the time of their lives, and the results are very entertaining.

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The members of the PJRD show great pride in their venture.  Jamyra Perry, better known in the local skating universe as Kandi Krush, explained the game and operation to me glowingly.  Dudley Do-Wrong, the club president, was thrilled with the turnout for something that he helped to launch a decade ago (and obviously proud to see it grow as it has).  The derby events are held roughly every month, and the full schedule of upcoming games can be found at pennjerseyrollerderby.com.  If you are a sports fan, think outside the box and attend a game soon to see a fast paced alternative to a day at the ballpark or a football Sunday.

See you there, and around town…

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IL Fiore Restaurant – Collingswood, NJ

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

IL Fiore Restaurant – Collingswood, NJ

The game of Eeny Meeny Miny Moe usually lands you a decent place to eat on Haddon Avenue in Collingswood, New Jersey. I have had a few duds here or there, but for the most part, I enjoy stopping by this dining destination of a town and just choosing at the last minute anywhere that fits my fancy. The latest adventure would be IL Fiore (IF). IF has always been jam packed whenever I have been around, but I decided to go early and was able to grab a seat. IF is tiny on the inside, very tiny. The décor is average and seating makes you get to know your dining neighbors very well as they squish as many people in as possible. I would start things out with the Funghi Gratinati.

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The dish consisted of baked porcino, shiitake, and portabello mushrooms, shrimp, bread crumbs, garlic and olive oil. I did not have any expectations, but I must admit the dish was delicious. It was the perfect combination of flavors and mixture of mushrooms and shrimp were a nice touch and cooked just right. I would go with the special fish of the day branzino for my entrée.

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The fish was just was slightly overcooked, sitting on top of carrots, broccoli, and string beans in a white wine fresh lemon sauce with capers. The veggies were fresh and crisp, but presentation could have used some help. The dish was good overall; it just did not stand out in any way. For dessert I would go with tartufo.

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The outer shell was nice and ice cream inside was decent, but when I think of tartufo I usually think of more than just a plain vanilla. I will commend IF though for the attentiveness and the quality of their staff. Everyone was very friendly and service went smooth and quickly for how busy they were. IF also surprised me with their very affordable prices. IF is not by far my favorite Italian style restaurant, but with their low prices, good service, and tasty meal I will certainly be dining their more often.

Overall

Three and a half out of Five Stars

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Kunkel’s Seafood and Steakhouse – Haddon Heights, NJ

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Kunkel’s Seafood and Steakhouse – Haddon Heights, NJ

Driving down the stretch of road called Kings Highway in Camden County starting in Brooklawn until you get to Haddonfield a little place called Kunkel’s Seafood and Steakhouse (KSS) sits. It is very unassuming and really comes out of nowhere since there is not much around them, but once you step inside you are transported to a very nice dining destination. I would stop there for lunch and with the name Seafood and Steakhouse listed, I was looking forward to possibly one or the other. When the menu was handed to me, I chose neither. Their lunch menu only consisted of nine out of the forty-five selections containing a seafood item and out of the nine, seven of them were either an appetizer or salad option. So only five percent of the menu had a seafood entrée, which was even better than the steak option as that had only the filet as its only choice equating to only two percent of the menu. So I went with the Cajun Crusted Pork Loin Sandwich.

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Even though I was disappointed at first not seeing many seafood or steaks options, I must admit I really enjoyed my lunch. The meal consisted of Pork loin seasoned with Cajun spices and then slow roasted and served with au jus, topped with roasted red pepper and provolone cheese on toasted ciabatta bread with a side fresh cut potato wedges. The potato wedges were delicious especially dipping them in the au jus, the bread was a perfect match, and the pork was moist, plentiful, and seasoned beautifully. My only complaint would be the roasted red pepper seemed like they came out of a can. It would really be an outstanding sandwich with fresh roasted red peppers or fresh sautéed long hots. The service was friendly, décor may be a little dated, but overall KSS was a pleasant surprise. Unless they add more seafood or steak options, they may just want to be known as Kunkel’s.

Overall

Four out of Five Stars

 

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(DeLuca’s) Villa di Roma – Italian Market – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

(DeLuca’s) Villa di Roma – Italian Market – Philadelphia, PA

Hey everybody did you know the Pope is coming to Philly? Yep, that is right; Pope Francis is taking a trip from the Vatican to visit the “City of Brotherly Love” for the World Meeting of Families 2015 and the city has been in frenzy for months. Millions of people are descending upon my hometown and they are all going to have to eat somewhere. Even though Pope Francis is from Argentina, and maybe because I am not Catholic, I always relate the Pope to Italy first and foremost. With Italy on my mind, I decided a trip to the Italian Market was in order. The place I decided was worth a try was (DeLuca’s) Villa di Roma (VDR). VDR is old school. You know immediately not to waste your time here unless you are paying in cash. The lights were dim, the staff Italian, and a certain atmosphere that can only be described as hipishly outdated. I would start out with their clams casino.

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I do not know if holy moly is the best way to describe the dish, but there was defiantly something holy about what I was served. This was hands down the BEST clams casino I have been served EVER. The generous sized clams were squirting full of juice while still intact in the shell and topped with an amazing combination of herbs, spices, and bread crumbs all cooked to perfection. They were blessed indeed. Up next would be a meatball parmigiana sandwich.

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The roll appeared to have gotten a little too close to the fire pits of hell as it was burnt pretty bad, but GLORY GLORY to the gravy and meatballs inside as they were righteous and angelic. The meatballs were huge, yet moist in every bite and firm enough that they did not crumble or fall apart at all while eating. The sweet gravy poured inside was topped with just the right amount of mozzarella cheese made the sandwich exult in all of its tasteful glory.

I do not know how I will feel once Pope Francis arrives, but I can tell you that my experience at VDR was heavenly. I really enjoyed my visit and will certainly be back. AMEN!

Overall

Four out of Five Stars

 

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Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steak House – Collingswood, NJ

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steak House – Collingswood, NJ

When you visit Collingswood, New Jersey, the one thing they really have going for them is for the most part any combination of food you could be in the mood for that day, it is a good probability that you will be able to find it in this town. Now if they could just get a Jamaican restaurant I just might have to move to Collingswood. While strolling around the streets with my two year old son and me not being in the mood for Pop Shop even though I am sure he could never bore of that place, I decided to take a gamble and see if he could sit through an entire meal at Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steak House (OSHSH). The day we visited for lunch they were just opening up, and I figured our best bet to keep him entertained would be with the Hibachi, but was worried I would have to wait for others to arrive as I have encountered at other hibachi restaurants. The friendly staff laughed at me even saying that and loved seeing my son and me wanting to take him in the back for hibachi. I would go with the steak and shrimp hibachi.

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They started things off with the usual clear soup. It was better than average and the size of the mushrooms were really nice. My son loved the ladle spoon and enjoyed his soup as well. Once we were finished with soup, the show began. The Chef asked me if I minded if he just focused and performed for my son since no one else was at our table. Since I have seen the hibachi performance more times than I care to remember, I happily agreed and thought that it was a great idea to even ask this way he could really do a good job keeping my son entertained and engaged instead of having to worry what I thought of him. Well the chef put on a show indeed and my son squealed with joy and delight throughout the entire meal preparation, and seeing the flaming onion volcano through the eyes of a child really reminded me of how much we as adults take for granted the small things in life and how hibachi really is an art form of sorts. Well the moment of truth finally arrived and it was time to eat.

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OSHSH hit the mark. The shrimp were jumbo sized and cooked to perfection. The steak was medium rare as request and melted in my mouth with the accompanying sauces to dip into, and the veggies were spot on fresh and delicious as was the rice. OSHSH is huge, but the interior is modernly decorated, clean, crisp, and the service was superb. The tastes and flavors at OSHSH are what you expect from hibachi so no surprises in the meal served here. If you want a better than average hibachi experience to bring your friends and family then OSHSH is a good option, and if possible bring a child how has never been to one before and just sit back and enjoy the show.

Overall

Four out of Five Stars

 

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