BlueJeanFood

Jimmy G’s Steaks – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Jimmy G’s Steaks – Philadelphia, PA

Probably the first thing that comes to mind from anyone who is not from Philadelphia is our beloved cheesesteaks. We have become the international hub for where to get the real deal. I personally think we should make anywhere else that sells them outside of Philadelphia become certified just like chefs who have to fly to Rome to become certified in pizza making these days. Well sitting in the shadows of the Divine Lorraine Hotel is a new contender Jimmy G’s Steaks (JGS). It is not in the nicest of neighborhoods, but if the gentrification of the area happens as it has been rumored for years that could change. They have a very nice courtyard at JGS for you to sit and enjoy your meal so I hope the neighborhood does get some things spruced up to have a nice view while having a meal. On the food front, JGS has tried to differentiate themselves and avoid the argument of what is better, sliced or chopped steaks by offering both options. I would try the sliced version.

The meal consisted of sliced rib-eye, whiz, ketchup and fried onions on a roll with a side order of old bay fries. JGS has a HUGE sign on the front of their building proclaiming “Best Fries in Philly”. The fries were seasoned well, cooked nicely, and a jumbo version of a French fry which I have not seen around much, but they were no where near the best fries in Philly. I could tell they were frozen and can name a dozen places with better fries. Now to talk about the cheesesteak. The sliced steak gave it a little more of a luxurious feel not having to worry about the steak falling out between bites, was a bit chewy though, but they did provide a decent amount of meat. The wiz and fried onions were of your standard variety, roll was fresh, but ketchup was a little heavy handed. For being fresh on the cheesesteak radar of Philly, JGS handled themselves well. The cashier seemed new so the order took a little longer than should have, but with time JGS may have a well trained staff and sights to enjoy around them. You may want to get there before the tourists or hipsters do.

Overall

Three out of Five Stars

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Posted in Quick bites/Takeout, Restaurants and tagged Divine Lorraine Hotel, Divine Lorraine Hotel being renovated, Jimmy G’s Steaks – Philadelphia, new cheesesteak place in philly, where to eat near Divine Lorraine Hotel, where to get cheesesteak in philly. Bookmark the permalink.

Aki Japanese Fusion Restaurant & Sake Bar – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Bluejeanfood

Aki Japanese Fusion Restaurant & Sake Bar – Philadelphia, PA

I like a place that has attitude, if it is channeled properly. I really like a place with good food. After hearing about Aki Japanese Fusion Restaurant & Sake Bar’s motto from someone “We Are Not Fancy, We Are Damn Good”, they caught my interest. The only question would be do they have attitude and good food?

As soon as I walked inside I was greeted kindly and warmly from the bubbly hostess and promptly seated at a very nice bar. The bartender was as friendly as could be and took my order with a thank you to follow. Right then and there I was happy to see that Aki certainly had attitude, a good attitude. I may have been searching for something rough, but they won me over with kindness. The décor is very hip, music was at just the right level, and service top-notch. I would order the lunch Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box.

The box consisted of miso soup, California roll, shrimp-broccoli-zucchini- sweet potato tempura, chicken teriyaki, and white rice. The tempura items were some of the better I have had in quite some time and impressed me. The chicken was quite nice as well and had just the right amount of sauce, but the meal feel flat with a tasteless miso and not the freshest California roll as the kani was slightly dry. Even though I left having just an average meal at Aki, putting all the other aspects together, I still enjoyed myself thoroughly and would happily go back and try some other items on their menu.

Overall

Three out of Five Stars

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Irish Pub – 1123 Walnut location – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Irish Pub – 1123 Walnut location – Philadelphia, PA

Before or after an event or performance, sometimes you just want to eat something familiar and have a few adult beverages to top it all off. Well the Irish Pub (IP) with two Philadelphia locations and an outpost in Atlantic City offer just that. You are not going to be surprised by anything on the menu, décor, or the random loud patron drinking at the bar. IP’s 11^th and Walnut location is centrally located to many of Philadelphia’s theatre houses and had a mix of customers ranging from people coming or going to a show, tourists happy to find an Irish pub as a safe haven, and IP regulars. The order of the day would be a roast beef sandwich.

The meal was thin sliced roast beef on a roll with melted provolone cheese, caramelized onions, au jus on the side, and served with steak fries. I was happy to see IP holding true to pub fare with the steak fries and not selling their soul for the much cheaper variety of fries available on the market. I took the liberty of pouring some of the au jus over the fries to flavor them up even though the portion size of fries was light. The onions were cooked just right, the roll held up well, and the roast beef was nice for what was placed in the sandwich. I say that because again with portion size, it had to be one of the smallest servings of roast beef I have ever had in a sandwich. The meat filled less than half of one side of the roll and barely a quarter of the other side. What I was served was better than average, I just wish I received a full sized meal. I know small plates are all of the rage in the restaurant industry lately, I only request I am forewarned if I am getting one. The staff was very friendly, gracious, and accommodating and I would have no problems visiting IP again even with a group of friends for a place to finish the night and so should you.

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Indian Restaurant – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Indian Restaurant – Philadelphia, PA

Bob asks a friend “Have you been to the Indian Restaurant”, to which his friend responds “which Indian restaurant”, Bob replies “The Indian Restaurant”. This who’s on first – what is on second scenario I am sure has very easily happened more than once with such a generic name as Indian Restaurant (IR) which sits on the 1600 block of South Street in Philadelphia. With their name lacking pizazz I was hoping their food would have some with a lunch time stop at IR for their chicken Tandoori box.

The interior of IR is as generic as their name. They had nothing to set them apart which is such a shame with the bright colors and art in Indian Culture. The service was very friendly, but a tad on the slow side for the food to appear. The Tandoori box consisted of chicken tikka, chickpeas, basmatic rice, and naan. It was a solid lunch overall, but again at no point did the meal stand out on its own in any manner and the chicken was a little dry. IR had friendly service, a hearty sized portion for lunch, and very affordable. They just need to do a few things to stand out from the pack.

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The Kibitz Room – Cherry Hill, NJ

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

By: Angela Timm

The day I ate at The Kibitz Room in Cherry Hill I was enjoying a rare luxury, a lunch alone. There were no two year olds picking food from my plate and no 3rd graders with lunch detention. I was traveling for a workshop. I knew I was going to eat at The Kibitz Room as soon as I drove into town that morning. I knew what I was going to order as soon as I saw the truck in the parking lot.

The atmosphere was busy and fast paced at noon on a Monday. I felt as if I might be turned away for hesitating with my order. The employees are charismatic and the mood of the man behind the counter changed from near-impatience to delight when I asked for his advice on which meat to choose and explained that this was my first time….ordering a reuben. He suggested corned beef and I went with it, because when you’re in Rome, you do as the Romans.

This meal started with a trip to the pickle bar. The selection was delightful, truly. I chose pickle chips, hot cherry peppers and sweet mixed pickles imagining that I’d go back to try the cucumber and onion salad, pickled tomatoes, and health salad. I never made it back because my lunch arrived. To say that the portions were generous would be an understatement. Thank goodness I ordered the half reuben because the whole sandwich would have fed my family lunch for a week.

The buttery grilled rye bread was stuffed with a mountain of freshly cut corned beef. The sauerkraut was warm and plentiful, but not overwhelming. The swiss cheese was melting and the Russian dressing was light. Except for the rye bread, I’m not a fan of any of these ingredients on its own, but surely this is what Aristotle meant when he said, “The whole is better than the sum of the parts.” It all came together like magic. Served with fresh cut thick crinkle fries, it was by far the largest, messiest, and one of the most delicious sandwiches I have ever eaten.

My only disappointment was that I couldn’t eat more, more pickles, more matzo ball soup, more sweet desserts. Go there, eat, be full and happy.

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Posted in Small Bites Radio and tagged angela timm, jewish deli south jersey, kibitz cherry hill, pickle bar, pickle bar south jersey, the kibitz room. Bookmark the permalink.

Rustica Unusual Pizza and Sandwiches (Northern Liberties) – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Rustica Unusual Pizza and Sandwiches (Northern Liberties) – Philadelphia, PA

The Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia has really grown into its own. From shops, to restaurants, to housing it has become one of the “cool” places to be around. With wanting to stay fresh and hip as all my friends think I am, but I just put on a good façade, I figured I would hang around and have lunch while in the area at Rustica (RUS). RUS is a tiny little place on the inside, but they somehow figured how to squeeze in a few tables and chairs. They have a counter showing many of their “Unusual Pizzas” that some seem like a good idea to eat and others not so much, but my order of the day would be the Daskul Panini.

The Daskul Panini consisted of house smoked brisket with brown gravy, roasted long hots, and sharp provolone. It was a nice combination and nice change of pace of sandwich on the menu then you normally see at places that mostly serve pizza. It could have been better possibly if the brisket was chopped as having it pulled style the meat was a little too stringy and created lumps of meat to be pulled out with each bite and could have used a little flavor. The brown gravy gave it liquid to moisten it up a bit, but did little to add any flavor. The long hots were nice, but overpowered the sandwich. Maybe if they added crispy bacon or another powerful ingredient it would balance it out.

RUS indeed has a lineup of unusual pizzas and sandwiches to spice things up whenever you want a little something more than the normal. They could use a little more lighting as the ambiance was so dark even though it was midday and sunny outside. The service was friendly and efficient and I would not hesitate to give RUS another try next time in the area.

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Posted in Small Bites Radio and tagged Daskul Panini, Rustica philadelphia, Rustica pizza, Rustica Unusual Pizza and Sandwiches (Northern Liberties). Bookmark the permalink.

Ho Sai GaiRestaurant – Chinatown – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Ho Sai GaiRestaurant – Philadelphia, PA

The now closed Polly Ester’s disco nightclub that sat on Race Street in Chinatown is what would bring me to Ho Sai Gai’s (HSG) original location around 10^th and Cherry Streets. After a club induced trance from a full night of partying, I found no better treat to fill my empty belly than HSG’s cheesesteak Egg Rolls which were all the rage and a new phenomenon twenty some odd years ago. Flash forward to current day, HSG has moved to beautiful new digs on the corner of 10^th and Race, the building that was Polly Ester’s is now condos, and those cheesesteak egg rolls just do not seem as delicious sober. I visited HSG for some take-out and I would go with the poplar General Tso Chicken.

I will assume that everyone is familiar with General Tso Chicken as it is a staple of Chinese Take-out joints and restaurants. HSG used mostly white meat and just the right amount of sauce. The chicken was crisp, but not dried out. While the sauce provided a nice tang, it had just the slightest touch of spice, but not too much, which was nice. The fried rice was cooked well and not that dried out yellow stuff. The service was friendly, quick, and efficient. HSG is not offering authentic Chinese cuisine, but what they do offer is Americanized Chinese with an upgrade from what you are used to. If you are looking for authentic, look elsewhere in Chinatown, but if you are looking for what the average person thinks Chinese food is, then you would really enjoy HSG and would be impressed with what you are served there.

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Luigi’s Pizza Fresca, Philadelphia, PA

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Luigi’s Pizza Fresca, Philadelphia, PA

The Fairmount area of Philadelphia is really a nice area to spend an evening. With the skyline of the city to view, the amazing Eastern State Penitentiary to visit, and many dining options available there is a little bit of everything for everyone. While the options are many for restaurants, sometimes you just want something a little lighter and quick and that is why I visited Luigi’s Pizza Fresca (LPF). This is one of three locations for LPF with the other two in New Jersey, and if the crowd at this location is any indicator, they are very poplar and I would not be surprised to see more locations in the very near future. My order would be for a Chicken Parmigiana Panini.

What I really enjoyed about LPF was the dishes of free pizza slices sitting on the counter available to eat while you waited for your order. This is a nice touch and wish more places were as accommodating and welcoming. What I did not like, was the decibel level of the music playing felt more like I was in a night club then a dining establishment. The décor is basic with many articles in different media outlets about LPF adjourning the walls, but overall gave the place a comfortable atmosphere provided the music is not blaring. The Chicken Parmigiana Panini was basic your variety, but good and a decent sized portion. The Panini added an element above a normal sandwich and it was a nice change of pace. LPF is a step above your normal pizza parlor in terms of ambiance and food offerings and a perfect fit for what I was looking for that day and I would not hesitate to go back and try some of their other selections as well.

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Posted in Small Bites Radio and tagged fairmount area of philadelphia, free pizza, Luigi’s Pizza Fresca, Luigi’s Pizza Fresca fairmount, Luigi’s Pizza Fresca philadelphia, place that serves free pizza while you wait, where to eat near Eastern State Penitentiary. Bookmark the permalink.

Kitchen 519 – Glendora, NJ

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Kitchen 519 – Glendora, NJ

Sometimes the places you find off the beaten path turn out to be some of the best places to go to. This can be a difficult business model if you are a restaurant. Feet usually equally fannies in seats, so if you are not close to foot traffic or a busy downtown, word of mouth is what you may live or die by. Social media has made getting the word out a little easier, and that is how Kitchen 519 (K5) came onto my radar. If you do not know where they are located, they really just pop out at you from the middle of nowhere.

Stepping into K5 they have a lot going on in modest sized digs. From various paintings hanging around the place available for purchase, to an antique stove and apron setup, mason jar lighting, to random pieces of artwork surrounding the dining area and after peaking at the menu the only thing that comes to mind to describe K5 is eclectic to the max. One of the highlights were I thoroughly enjoyed the can of trivial pursuit on each table to play while waiting for the food. I would start things off with an order of Hoisin Calamari and a lemon-lime craft soda.

I normally do not list what I order to drink in most of my reviews, but K5 made such an impression I had to note it. The waiter came to deliver my beverage and while handing over the straw dropped it on the floor. He apologized and stated he would be right back with another one. Five minutes passed and upon walking it over, he dropped the next one on the floor as well. Again apologies abound and he again stated another straw would be delivered. He was not seen again until the appetizer was delivered and forgot the straw stating he would bring it out. This was a reoccurring theme as he forgot to bring it upon his visits with my main course and dessert as well, causing a new straw to never be delivered at all.

Now it is time to talk about the Hoisin Calamari. It consisted of calamari, hoisin sauce, pepers, onions, fresh basil, and house pickled jalapenos. I did enjoy this flavorful as it was out of the ordinary, combination worked surprisingly well, and is not something regularly seen. The menu stated the calamari was fresh. If it was fresh it was must have been overcooked or cooked much earlier in the day as the calamari was pretty dry giving it more of a frozen calamari texture and not moist or tender like you would get with nicely cooked fresh calamari. With a little more care, this dish could go from good to grand. My main course would be the Strawberry Citrus Salmon.

The main dish was grilled salmon with a strawberry glaze and citrus brown rice. Interesting concept, but completely misfired. The salmon was too well done causing it to be very dry as well as very salty, and the citrus brown rice was a little too much on the sour side causing a slight pucker like when eating a lemon. Not something I would recommend or try again. Some people would call it quits after such a dish, but I decided to order dessert. I would get bananas foster and a vanilla bean crème brulee.

Just when I thought all hope was lost with K5 they came into the final round swinging for the stars. The banana foster was sautéed bananas, butter rum sauce, vanilla bean ice cream, all on a cinnamon sugar tortilla shell. I was a little hesitant at first to accept the tortilla shell, but everything single aspect of the dish worked like a charm. The bananas were cooked perfectly, while all the gooey goodness floating around the dish, and the contrast of the tortilla shell to scoop everything up was just brilliant. I only wish there was one more spoonful of ice cream. As if that was not enough the crème brulee came out and bewildered me with a dollop of homemade whipped cream topping. Again something I had never seen. Well another stroke of genius for K5 as it was heavenly. The crème brulee was amazing, with a perfectly caramelized top, the vanilla bean filling was fabulous, and the whipped cream was simply phenomenal.

K5 was a mix of major ups and downs. If I had only come for dessert I would think they were one of the greatest places of all time, and thankfully was their saving grace the day I visited. The service was slightly below average and the dishes were conceptually intriguing causing them not live up to their potential. The décor is mishmash, but gives you a welcome feeling nonetheless. K5 is new. If they can iron out more of an identity not only in the ambiance, but also the menu I think they can be successful. With the menu they offer, you can tell the chef is very creative, willing to push culinary boundaries, and experimental. I applaud him for that, but just ask for a little better execution. Last but certainly not least, they may be better suited to just put pile of straws on each table.

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Iceland

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Iceland

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.

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