Belinda’s Lunch Bus – Camden, NJ

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Belinda’s Lunch Bus – Camden, NJ

bus

Sitting on a sidewalk across from the South Jersey Port Corporation in Camden, New Jersey that has definitely seen better days is Belinda’s Lunch Bus (BLB). If and when I would have a reason to divert through this area to get on Interstate 676, BLB always intrigued me. I decided to stop in and get a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a bagel.

bus sandwich

The inside of BLB is somewhat amazing with the transformation as they were able to turn an old school bus into a quasi-diner. They have a television to watch, a long table and chairs on the driver side of bus, drink and condiment station on passenger side of the bus, counter in the middle of the bus, and kitchen taking up the entire rear. The interior of the bus is very clean and immaculate and the two women working that day could not have been nicer to the crowd waiting, which you could tell had a lot of regulars as each person knew each other by name. The bus was packed with patrons and tractor trailers surrounding it on both sides of the road waiting to get in or leaving the port. I called my order in twenty minutes before arrival, but sadly still had to wait another fifteen minutes before my order was ready. I do not rate breakfast, but what I can tell you is that my sandwich was delicious, bacon crisp the way I like, and felt welcome at BLB. You may have to wait quite a while to get what you came for, but you will as least hear the news of the day in and around the port while you are there.

Comments Off on Belinda’s Lunch Bus – Camden, NJ

Posted in Small Bites Radio and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Porky’s Point – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Porky’s Point – Philadelphia, PA

I love the other white meat, pork. I also loved my visit to Puerto
Rico a few years ago with their love of pork on almost every menu.
Well Puerto Rican pork is alive and well sitting in the Hunting
Park section of Philadelphia with Porky’s Point (PP). PP may be
located in a rougher area of Philadelphia than most are comfortable
to visit, but they are serving some of the best pork around.

As soon as I walked up to PP’s windows to order, I knew I was in
the right place for me with a sign that states, “We do not sell
lean pork”. What they do sell is tasty pork, as well as many other
specialties like tostones, mofongo, pastellios, rice and beans,
relleno de papa, and platano con carne. My order would be a pork
sandwich with hot sauce.

porky's point

The roll was fresh with a nice crisp exterior that enabled the
interior to suck up all the pork juices and hot sauce, while the
roll did not become soggy at all on the outside. The pork was a
mixture of pieces from all over the hog, skin and all, then put on
a butcher block and chopped to perfection allowing each bite to be
uniform with very generous serving of pork in the sandwich. The
hot sauce gave the sandwich just that extra flair, while not
overpowering the pork’s fantastic flavor.

Service was very friendly, but the menu seemed a little erratic in
a mix of some things only listed in English and others only listed
in Spanish with some items crossed out on both and additional
signs dotting the windows of other options to possibly order. The
prices were very reasonable and line moved quickly at the rush of
a lunch crowd. If PP could put the time into making two excellent
signs of their menu offerings, one in English and one in Spanish
to hang in the windows, they could really help out a lot of
prospective customers to choose wisely and returning customers to
try new things. I would not recommend a night-cap at PP to give
them a try, but a mid-afternoon lunch should be a must for any
pork lover out there.

Leave a comment

Posted in Quick bites/Takeout 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.

The Crab House at Two Mile Landing – Wildwood Crest, NJ

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

The Crab House at Two Mile Landing – Wildwood Crest, NJ

Sitting far back off a tiny winding road that leaves Wildwood Crest and heads toward Cape May is The Crab House at Two Mile Landing and Marina (CH). I arrived during lunch time and was welcomed warmly. CH is a beautiful building with a picnic tables and a large bar as soon as you walk in and a gigantic dining room area as well as an even larger deck and bar in the rear of the place. They are setup nicely for the crowds that pack this place during the peak shore season and the views of the bay from CH are gorgeous and I can only imagine siting out and enjoying a nice sunset from CH. I came to eat for a quick off-season lunch and my order of the day would be a clam basket since my first choice of soft shell crabs and second choice of blue claws were not available.

crab house

The menu stated the fried clams strips were colossal Jersey clams. That may true, but with the amount of breading and the strips being so overcooked, all I tasted was beyond crispy fried bread to go along with the dreaded breaded French fries. It was such a disappointed with the superb service and nice atmosphere CH has going for itself. I came for crabs, but sadly only walked away crabby. I have a feeling if CH does crabs right, it may be one of the best places to go to, but with me not able to experience them I can only judge them with what I had. Even though my meal was not great, I enjoyed my time enough at CH to give them another try when I am around the area again, but next time I will call in advance to see if the crabs are available before I go.

 

Comments Off on The Crab House at Two Mile Landing – Wildwood Crest, NJ

Posted in Small Bites Radio and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Durand Foundation’s First Annual Gourmet on the Runway Food Truck Fete

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

Durand Foundation’s First Annual Gourmet on the Runway Food Truck Fete

w

What could be better than a night out on the town eating gourmet food truck samplings? By helping a great cause while doing it. Well the Durand Foundation put on one delicious fundraiser for the Durand Academy (more info on them CLICK HERE) who exists so that individuals with special needs can lead fuller, more independent lives.

eddie w

Not only was the food being offered by the many different food trucks top-notch, the entertainment provided by the “Rockin’ Road Grill” truck had the crowd ecstatic and dancing the night away. The “Rockin’ Road Grill” was a hybrid of music and food presented by former lead guitarist of the 80’s band “A Flock of Seagulls” Eddie Berner and his band provided the music portion and Food Network’s “Extreme Chef” television show winner and celebrity Chef Terry French manned the grills of the truck to provide the hungry crowd with three different gourmet offerings to choose from.

rockin w

As if that was not enough, a cigar station was available and open-bar for the entire evening. Everyone at the event just raved about how fantastic it was and what an amazing job the Durand Foundation did, especially since it was the first time ever doing an event such as this. With what they were able to do with their first one, I certainly cannot wait until next year as I know it will only be bigger and better from here on out. A few pictures of some of the other trucks below.

mac w

surf w

Comments Off on Durand Foundation’s First Annual Gourmet on the Runway Food Truck Fete

Posted in Small Bites Radio. Bookmark the permalink.

20th Annual Taste of South Jersey at Adventure Aquarium – Presented by Camden County Regional Chamber of Commerce

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

20th Annual Taste of South Jersey – Presented by Camden County Regional Chamber of Commerce

When you think of any Chamber of Commerce sponsoring an event, you know you will be in for mixing, mingling, and marketed to by businesses seeking to expose their services to a diverse audience. The 20th Annual Taste of South Jersey held at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey was no different, and the three M’s of mixing, mingling, and marketing I have come to expect, but the ‘M’ that I was surprised not to see were the” M’M! M’M! Good!” M’s made famous by Campbells Soup especially since this event was held directly in their headquarters backyard and was attended by prominent minded business foodies who are bound to talk about the great food served. That made me scratch my head as I continue to read articles about Campbells Soup losing market share and wanting to expose the younger generation their old and newer releases of food out on the market as their competitors are gaining ground. Their loss is others gain to highlight their food offerings and services, and enough of me yacking about who was not there, let us talk about who was.

First and foremost the Adventure Aquarium was a highlight all of its own on a gorgeous night on the beautiful Camden Waterfront to have an event at one of the nicest aquariums around and be able to see some of their world-class exhibits while nibbling on an array of scrumptious foods. If you have never been to the Adventure Aquarium, you truly have to go and check it out for yourself and make a day of it.

Now time to talk about the food. The variety of food from bbq ribs, polenta budino, salt and pepper tiger shrimp, gourmet pound cakes, and hot corned beef sandwiches are just a few of the highlights I had and the event really covered the foodie spectrum from A to Z. (some pictures are at the bottom of the article) I was really impressed with the variety of exhibitors present, organization of the event, setup, and hospitality shown at every station. This was my first time covering this event and I am looking forward to next year as I am sure it is only going to get better.

If you would like more information on the Camden County Regional Chamber of Commerce and see what other events they have planned CLICK HERE

Here is complete list of exhibitors for 20th Annual Taste of South Jersey:

Lourdes Health System, Miller’s Mt. Laurel Ale House, Distrito, Benihana, Terra Nova at Wyndam Hotel, F&M Restaurant & Catering, Red Hot & Blue, Kitchen 519, The Kibitz Room – Reuben on Rye, Embers at the Crowne Plaza, Bahama Breeze, Leave the Details Too Me, Red Lobster, Classic Cake, Melitta Coffee, Dibartolo Bakery, Cocktails on Call, Victorian Savories Bakery, George’s Gourmet Pound Cakes, Sift Bake Shop, Seasons 52, Giambri’s Quality Sweets, Osteria

cc2

cc3

cc4

cc5

cc1

Comments Off on 20th Annual Taste of South Jersey at Adventure Aquarium – Presented by Camden County Regional Chamber of Commerce

Posted in Small Bites Radio and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

The 6th Annual International Great Beer Expo: Philadelphia and The Whirly Pig

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Bluejeanfood

The 6th Annual International Great Beer Expo: Philadelphia and The Whirly Pig

navy yard

navy yard beer sign

When you spot Gary Monterosso walking the Marine Parade Grounds at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, you know you are in for a serious beer event. Gary is the unofficial “King of all things Beer in and around Philadelphia” in my book. He is a writer for several publications including the Prince of Prime Rib Ed Hitzel’s magazines, a radio and television personality, and hosts and provides tasting seminars. You also know you are in for some serious good eats from some of the area’s best food trucks when The Whirly Pig and Prime Stache show up at your event, two out of the three finalist for best Philadelphia Food truck from Philadelphia Magazine and nominees for Vendy Awards the food truck version of the Academy Awards.

navy yard food truck row

navy yard beer showing

The day started out with some of the brewers from Deschutes Brewery, Vicaris, Evil Genius, and Boaks giving presentations of what is new in the industry and what their plans are currently and in the future. Deschutes Brewery had the largest setup, serving station, and presentation with them boasting to have the beer “Black Butte Porter” that started the craft revolution and a delightful story for their “Twilight Summer Ale” and what twilight means to them. Vicaris Beer from Brewery Dilewyns Dendermonde in Belgium and representative Anne Catherine Dilewyns was next with a captivating personal story of how her family brewery came about, is one of only a few brewers who do not filter, centrifuge, or pasteurize their brews, and was lucky enough to have the claim to fame with their Philly Tripel Belgian Ale to be selected as the Official Beer for Philadelphia Beer Week. She was charismatic and you could tell that being a brewer is not only a passion for her; it truly is in the blood. Following her was Evil Genius Brewery hailing from Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and is a rising star in the craft beer world with major retail chains picking up their products and with all their beers being limited releases and batches, if you find something from them that you like you better buy it while you can and squirrel it away for a rainy day cause you will not see it again. They always want the demand higher than the supply. Last but not least was Boaks Brewery. Their brewmaster Brian Boaks started things out with a Mr. Beer Kit and was instantly hooked on making his own beer. He is proud to consider his organization “Reasonably Rebellious” and only makes beer that he likes. He realizes that this will cause some people not to like his beer, but he feels only making beer that he likes makes it so he can truly promote his product with a truthful passion that others do not have always. After the very informative session and many beers down the hatch, it was the perfect way to get things started and seeing pretzel necklaces adorned event patrons, I knew this was going to be a good time.

navy yard necklace

Walking around the grounds of the Expo it was obvious that Starfish Junction Productions really put on one of the best beer events I have been to in quite some time and the beautiful weather certainly did not hurt. The lines moved smoothly, security was present but not overbearing, and the event staff was accommodating for anything that was needed. I tried as many beers as I reasonable could as I had plans following the event, and then my stomach called out to me. I figured to get a bite to eat before I departed at the Whirly Pig Food Truck and ordered  the duck roast sandwich and the whirly cheesesteak.

navy yard whirly pig

The duck roast sandwich consisted of duck confit in pork fat, gala apple slaw, bacon, onion brioche, and a house pickle. Every part of the sandwich was delicious, but the bacon really stood out and I could have used at least one more slice. The meat was tender and moist while the onion brioche held up well. I enjoyed it, but I liked the whirly cheesesteak better which was roast pork, sautéed onions, and provolone cheese on a pretzel long roll. The onions were absolute perfection and they provided plenty of them, the cheese was just the right amount, the pretzel roll complimented everything harmoniously and the pork was just downright tasty. My only complaint was that they were a little light on the serving size of the pork. It filled less than half of the long roll. If they are doing portion control, they really should switch it to a round roll instead, otherwise they need to be a little more generous. I can see why they are up for as many awards as they are as they are one of the better food trucks around, and they are out and about spreading the gospel of tasty pork as talking with them they will be at the 1st Durand Academy Gourmet Truck Fete this upcoming Friday at the Flying W Airport in Medford, New Jersey.

navy yard duck

navy yard cheesesteak

I had a great time from start to finish at the 6th Annual International Great Beer Expo with amazing beers from many different brewers and a nice meal from The Whirly Pig to end the day. This was my first time to this event and I am already itching for next year to do it all again.

Overall for the Whirly Pig

Four out of Five Stars

Overall for 6th Annual International Great Beer Expo

Five out of Five Stars

Comments Off on The 6th Annual International Great Beer Expo: Philadelphia and The Whirly Pig

Posted in Small Bites Radio and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →