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

 

 

 

 

 

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Coffee Corner – Gloucester City, NJ

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Coffee Corner – Gloucester City, NJ

The other day at breakfast I saw John Wayne, Clark Gable, Betty Davis, Dean Martin, and George Burns. They all seemed nice enough, but I was much too busy to pay any attention to them. My lips were all over Mickey Rooney.

Sound hard to believe? Not at Coffee Corner (CC) whose claim to fame is where you will enjoy “breakfast of the stars”.

coffee corner outside

CC established in 1987 by Mike and Lisa Galardi has a famous name for each menu option. My order of Mickey Rooney consisted of two eggs, pork roll, peppers, and onions on a soft fresh kaiser roll for only three dollars.

coffee corner sand

CC sits at the intersection of Broadway and Market Street in Gloucester City with two gas stations next door. As such, CC is perfectly situated for locals to patronize, yet still centrically located enough for morning Philadelphia bound commuters to make a quick fuel stop before crossing the bridge to higher gas prices while grabbing something for breakfast at CC.

Those of you familiar with my reviews know that I do not rate breakfast. What I can tell you though, is that CC is a good and affordable breakfast destination with plenty of parking and a newspaper box available to grab one on the go to compliment your meal. So enjoy and afterwards brag to your friends how you had breakfast with the stars.

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Witch CRAFT Beer Crawl

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

(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”)

pass walk sign

Wednesday evening, October 22nd, saw East Passyunk Avenue in Philadelphia taken over by Halloween ghouls, goblins, witches and the like for the annual Witch CRAFT Beer Crawl.  Thirteen bars total along the famed South Philly street took part in the revelry, celebrating both a fun holiday, all proceeds benefiting EPABID’s cleaning and greening programs, and possibly the most fascinating season of the year for craft breweries.

pass walk beer

Kicking off at the Garage, located directly across the street from both Philly cheesesteak landmarks Geno’s and Pat’s, the tone was set early as a very large crowd gathered to partake in the festivities.  All were garbed in Halloween attire, either of the frightening or provocative nature.  Spirits were high as we strolled from bar to bar, including Cantina los Caballitos, the legendary Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar, South Philly Bar and Grill, The Pub on Passyunk East, Noir, and Stogie Joe’s, amongst others.  The event wrapped up at the Adobe Cafe, where prizes were awarded for most creative costumes.

pass walk los

In addition to providing a fun and innovative way to celebrate Halloween, the venture down Passyunk provided an opportunity to see many new shops, bars and cafes that are now thriving in this part of our city.  Although this area has always had a certain element of neighborhood charm, it seems that it is now more vital than ever as the volume of people out on a chilly and somewhat rainy night proves.

pass walk crowd

I look forward to attending this annual event again in the future.  If this is the adult version of trick or treating these days, then you can count me in!  See you around town…

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High Steaks: The Great Philly Cheesesteak Challenge and Cocktail Competition Coverage

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfoodcritic.com written by guest contributing writer William Knowles. He highlights his passions of trying something new whenever the opportunity presents itself, or possibly something old, but new again since it has been awhile. 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”)

chessesteak challange

Square 1682, a popular restaurant located in the heart of Center City Philadelphia, held an event on Sunday, October 12, celebrating our cities most beloved delicacy – the cheesesteak.  High Steaks: The Great Philly Cheesesteak Challenge and Cocktail Competition brought together some of the city’s finest dining destinations in the form of a block party, to pit their own versions of our favorite sandwich and decide who earns the top spot as judged by a panel of local “experts”.  The proceeds from the event go to benefit Philabundance, the local non-profit food bank.

Some notable highlights were Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, who went the traditional route with a chopped steak and smokey cheese on a soft long roll.  Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse had an excellent cheesesteak egg roll – tender meat in a crisp wrap, with ketchup and a special cheese sauce to dip.  I thought this would earn the top reviews from both the judges and public alike, but then we came across the tent for Tuk Tuk Real.  This is a Thai/Mexican eatery that was previously mentioned here on Around Town for my review of the Ferment Your Event at the Philly Tour Hub.  In my mind, the award for both creativity and deliciousness firmly resides here, as their specially crafted cheesesteak dumpling was well worth the wait.  It seemed that many others agreed…

In addition to the food competition was a cocktail creation event, spearheaded by Victory Brewing Company and Manatawny Still Works.  All in all, over 20 local establishments participated.  A beautiful fall day helped for what was an excellent turn out that both celebrates the city’s culinary vision, while helping those less fortunate in the process.  See everyone soon at more events like this, around town…

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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

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Ferment Your Event Party

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfoodcritic.com written by guest contributing writer William Knowles. He highlights his passions of trying something new whenever the opportunity presents itself, or possibly something old, but new again since it has been awhile. 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”)

ferment tour

The Philly Tour Hub recently opened shop at 229 Arch St. in a historic building in the Old City Neighborhood of Philadelphia. The newly renovated facility recently held an open house to spotlight a few regional businesses looking to expand the public’s knowledge of them. Philly Tour Hub is a new private venture that offers walking and riding tours of our great city. Segway tours are also available to the destination of your choice.

ferm sign

Another venture highlighted was Ferment Your Event, an upstart agency that will liven up your office party, business workshops, dinner party, and fundraising events and so on by providing a unique take on the ever growing world of craft beer.  Owners Tara Nurin and Gary Rosen specialize in creating specialized beer menus for your event big or small, and their expertise in the industry dates back years. They have partnered with gourmet chocolatier Elyissia Chinchilla, who founded 2 Chicks with Chocolate in Northern New Jersey several years ago with her mother.  The novelty pairings of beer and chocolate surprised and impressed the visitors, including myself.

ferm choc

The beer and chocolate were more than enough to have a great party, but to top it off, Tuk Tuk Real, a combination Thai and Mexican restaurant located at 428 South Street, provided amazing food (notably a great pork kaprow taco).

ferm beer

All in all, it was a unique way for multiple businesses to get their word out, while emphasizing fun by thinking outside the box. See you at more events like this, around town…

 

More info on:

Ferment Your Event – CLICK HERE

2 Chicks with Chocolate – CLICK HERE

Philly Tour Hub – CLICK HERE

Tuk Tuk Real – CLICK HERE

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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.

 

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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.

 

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The Perfect Peach

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

(The following is a special report on Bluejeanfoodcritic.com written by guest contributing writer Angela Timm)

Tuesday, September 9, The Tortilla Press, Collingswood, New Jersey. Summer comes to a triumphant end for one South Jersey amateur baker. After months of delicious competition the five South Jersey finalists for the 2nd Annual Perfect Peach Pie Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council sat face to face in a final showdown of the sweetest kind. Phyliss Rudolph, of Ventnor, impressed judges at the Margate Farmers Market. Anne Danilak, of Mickleton/East Greenwich Twp, took the title at the NJ Peach Festival at the Gloucester County 4-H Fair. Gretchen Gautier stole the show with impeccably fresh glazed peaches and shortbread pie crust at the Hammonton Downtown Market. Bill Paulin, Brigantine’s Pie Guy, won first place against friendly but fierce competition at the Brigantine Farmers Market. Cheryl Pope was the hometown favorite after her victory at the Collingswood Farmers Market. Judges Chef Mark Smith from The Tortilla Press, Michael DiBartolo, owner of DiBartolo’s Bakery, and John and Mary Ebert, from Springdale Farm crowned perfection among its peers.

pie judges

And the Grand Prize winner was….Gretchen Guatier from Hammonton!

pie winner

After the announcement, I enjoyed carne asada tacos served on fresh corn tortillas topped with onions, lime, and cilantro garnished with generous amounts of roasted tomato jalapeno salsa and tomatillo avocado salsa.

There could be no finer way to celebrate this season’s delicious and abundant harvest of peaches.

pie pie

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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

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