Keg & Kitchen – Westmont, NJ

Keg & Kitchen – Westmont, NJ

Driving down Haddon Avenue it is easier to spot Keg & Kitchen’s (KK) beer kegs sitting on top of their roof than it is to read their curb-side sign which is almost invisible to the naked eye. If you are not looking closely, you can pass KK quite easily. KK’s interior is very warm and welcoming and I can see why they are a favorite among the craft beer crowds that flock here for KK’s many beer themed events and specials. I though, came for the food. First up to start my lunch would be a roasted carrot and fennel soup.

keg carrot

The soup was fantastic. Not too thick with a nice smooth consistency throughout and creamy with a mellow flavor, yet enough flavor to make it a great way to start the meal off. The plating had a little to be desired as it was just splashed into the bowl and was not tidied up before coming to my table with the drips marks on the bowl, but a good soup nonetheless. Next up would be my main lunch entrée Short Rib Sandwich which was one of the better lunch options I have had in quite some time.

keg short

The sandwich consisted of short rib, spicy ricotta, caramelized onions, garlic, and lightly sautéed arugula. The beef just melted in my mouth and was as smooth as silk. The onions were tucked inside, the arugula really shined, and spicy ricotta created a flavor combination that just hit all notes. It was a symphony of deliciousness. The only downfall of my lunch were the supposed hand cut fries. They did not seem at all fresh and were as soggy as a wet paper towel. It really was a shame with everything else being so wonderful. If KK can get the kitchen to perfect a good fry coming out of that kitchen, other lunch destinations better look out. I enjoyed my ten dollar lunch at KK and have spent double that for a far worse meal. With lunch like they serve and a few beers, one may not make it back to office anytime soon if they go to KK and they may be a good thing. 

Overall
Four out of Five Stars

Jamaican Jerk Hut – Philadelphia, PA

Jamaican Jerk Hut – Philadelphia, PA

When you think of Jamaican food, you usually do not equate it to being fancy in any manner. Well Jamaican Jerk Hut (JJH) is trying to offering their island’s famous flavors with an upscale flair. In doing so, JJH has had their share of fame. They have had a movie called “In Her Shoes” starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, and Shirley MacLaine shoot scenes in the restaurant that were featured in the money as well as hosting Food Network star Guy Fieri who has listed JJH on his website http://www.guyfieri.com/ as a Triple D Hotspot and was featured on his show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” in June of last year.

JJH is very deceiving. When you walk inside the front of the restaurant, JJH seems very tiny and quaint. Walk to the side and JJH has a very large outdoor area for events and dining that is unheard of in Center City Philadelphia, and then they also have a rear restaurant that has seating for quite a few people as well. JJH really is like three different dining experiences in one. The service was friendly and down home. My order would be Jerk Chicken.

jam jerk hut

The presentation of their food at JJH is top notch for this type of dish. I would hope so as the bill would ring in at $15 for my jerk chicken platter. With JJH serving size so much smaller than most locations offering jerk chicken you know you are paying for the experience of dining in the safety of a center city neighborhood unlike other spots offering this type of food, the fancier Caribbean ambiance they provide especially with the outdoor seating, and a little bit of eating somewhere you have seen on television to tell your friends you ate there. With all of that being said, thankfully the food was top notch as well. The chicken had some major heat to it that was part of its flavor and not just spicy to be spicy if you know what I mean. Do not get me wrong as it was still very spicy as the burning sensation in my mouth radiated long after leaving JJH, so you know it had quite a kick to it, but it was a kick that was part of the flavor profile. The spice combination was spot on and one of the best around. The meat was firm, but still came off the bone easily. The sides of rice, cabbage, and plantains were all good and better than average, but finished very quickly with their compact portions.

I enjoyed my time at JJH, but I must admit I did walk out a little hungry after my meal. JJH is providing the finest dining experience of Caribbean food around that I know of, but part of the allure of authenic jerk food to me is that in Jamaica it is provided by street stall hawkers selling their fare to the common islander as an affordable meal just pulled out of a pot or drum smoker with little emphasis on appearance. JJH has a good thing going and I can see why they have received their amount of well deserved press and loyal followers.

Would I go back? Yes, but more as a night out on the town introducing individuals new to Caribbean cuisine to JJH as they provide an atmosphere that anyone could enjoy and would be something new and exciting to try.

Are they the best? They are one of better options around Philadelphia, but I would not call them the best.

Overall
Three and Three-Fouth out of Five Stars

Audubon has food, movies, and Flacco

Crux Cafe – Audubon, NJ

“Deadly Gamble – The Movie” Written, Produced, and Directed by Mario Cerrito

Seems Audubon, New Jersey has been the epicenter of Southern New Jersey greatness recently. It began with Audubonian Joe Flacco, quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens winning the Super Bowl and crowed MVP of the game shining the spotlight on this tiny town. Then over the past year Audubon’s downtown has started a culinary revival with two recent restaurant openings The Kove and Crux Cafe creating an influx of hungry new visitors. Now Audubon native Mario Cerrito is hoping his hometown has what it takes to not only provide dinner, but possibly a movie people will enjoy as well. He started things off October 3rd, 2013 self publishing a book titled “Chasin’ Brandy”. The book was just his warm-up for what he really hopes will keep Audubon in the news all the way through to a Fall 2014 release of his movie “Deadly Gamble” filmed mostly in and around Audubon, New Jersey.

In order for me to find out more about this town’s dining options and starring role in a movie, I headed right to the source. I had dinner at Crux Cafe and was joined by Mario Cerrito himself.

Mario is no stranger to the movie industry. He has written many scripts with one of the most recent to be picked up and filming to begin in Spring of 2014 called “Cornfield Massacre”. He is also currently working as a Producer on two projects, “Arisen” a horror movie and “I Saw” a short film. Both currently in production and scheduled to be released in 2014.

We sat inside Crux Cafe the latest endeavor of Chef Joe Stewart, previously the Executive Chef at La Campagne and GG’s Restaurant. Chef Stewart is also a five time Make-A-Wish Foundation “Wish Dish of the Year” champion and won Ed Hitzel’s Excellence Award during his tenure at GG’s. With that kind of experience, he brings high hopes and expectations to a town not known as a dining destination. I decided to start with hazelnut encrusted shrimp, one of Chef Stewart’s well known dishes from his past. It was three colossal shrimp, encrusted with toasted hazelnuts, deep fried and served with a Frangelico dipping sauce.

crux cafe shrimp

The appetizer was an interesting mix of flavors, but not worthy of calling it a signature dish or must try by any means. The shrimp were slightly dry and a larger serving of dipping sauce could enhance it immensely. I commend Chef Stewart for exposing a new clientele base to something new and out of the ordinary, but not when it should have been executed better and could possibly add a few more shrimp for the price point he has settled on for this dish.

After enjoying his appetizer, Mario shared with me what has become his main entree, “Deadly Gamble”. It started by working with Renoly Santiago, an actor in big Hollywood films such as “Dangerous Minds”, “Con Air”, “Daylight”, and “Hackers”. They co-wrote a script for a television pilot called “Union City Streets” in June/July 2013. During that time Mario shared the script of “Deadly Gamble”with Renoly who fell in love with it. Mario was able to get “Deadly Gamble” financed by a Chicago businessman and made into a film with him being the writer, producer, and director of the film. Mario is in charge of a production crew of fifteen and over thirty cast members. Renoly was originally slotted as lead role in the film, but unfortunately his schedule prevented him from working on the project. Even though Renoly was unavailable, Mario was still able to land well known and talented actress Lyssa Roberts who just worked with Richard Gere in the movie “Franny” that filmed recently in Philadelphia.

Now the time had come for me to enjoy some duck, my main entree at Crux Cafe. It was seared duck breast, accompanied by duck leg risotto, baby bok choy, shitake mushrooms and orange gastrique.

crux cafe duck

Any missteps Chef Stewart may have had with the shrimp, were immediately erased out of my memory with his duck entree. Every piece of duck was succulent and tender, not rubbery or greasy at all like so many duck dishes I have had at other establishments. The duck leg risotto really was a highlight. Nice large pieces of duck meat floating about in a risotto that was cooked and seasoned to perfection. The baby bok choy and shitake mushrooms really enhanced the overall flavor profile creating a unique taste in every bite while the orange gastrique throughout pushed it from great to grand. With this dish I now see why Chef Stewart  has been able to win so many cooking competitions.

With blink of an eye, the end credits started to roll at Crux Cafe. Plates were cleared, check was paid, and pleasantries exchanged all around. It was the perfect way to end the night in a town and people looking to make a name for themselves in many different ways. Can Audubon keep up the pace and continue to stay in the headlines? Only time will tell, but what I can tell you is that with professional athletes such as Joe Flacco, restaurateurs like Chef Stewart and movie maker Mario Cerrito at the helm, Audubon is becoming a bigger star than it could have ever imagined for itself.

Crux Cafe Overall Rating – Three and Half Stars out of Five

Potential of movie “Deadly Gamble” – Two Thumbs Up

More information and updates about “Deadly Gamble” can be found here https://www.facebook.com/DeadlyGambleMovie

For more information on Crux Cafe can be found https://www.cruxcafe.com

(NO) Mo’s Seafood – Glen Burnie, MD

Mo’s Seafood – Glen Burnie, MD

What comes to mind when you think of the Baltimore, Maryland area? Probably the National Aquarium, the television show “The Wire”, and of course Maryland Crabs. Most people equate crabs with a nationally known brand Phillips Seafood with Baltimore, but many locals sing Mo’s Seafood (MS) as the place to go.

The MS exterior and interior that I visited gave you a feeling that appearance is not their top priority here. The inside is enormous and had a little less than a quarter filled with patrons and entire lower level dining area that was completely empty and dark when I visited. That is fine with me as long as the food picked up the lack of atmosphere and ambiance. Sadly the food was worse then the decor.

The crab-cakes came out and at first glance you think this place is wonderful with how large of a serving of crab cake they provided. Unfortunately the meal was all about size and little about its substance. It was one of the very few times in my life when I wish they would have just gave me the crab-meat without mixing it with anything else as they bastardized this wonderful sweet meat. I do not know if the mayonnaise they used went bad or if some odd combination of ingredients gave the crab-cakes their sour taste throughout and rancid rotten egg aroma that came out of them, but they were flat out awful. To make matters worse, the vegetables were so over cooked, you could barley cut them with a knife and were completely inedible.

mo's crabcake

mo's veggies

For locals to talk about MS and for MS to have multiple locations and be in business as long as they have been, I can only hope I caught them during one of their worst nights ever. Their menu is large and seems like it could have a little bit of something for everyone on their menu, but the question lingers are they any good. Our server was eccentric and energetic singing MS’s praises about how much he loved everything on the menu. I only wish the kitchen put up as much as an effort as he did while working there. I usually like to eat where the locals do, but next time I am in the Baltimore area I may just have to join the throngs of tourists at Phillips Seafood cause I think it will be NO MO seafood from MS for me.

Whole Hog Cafe – Cherry Hill, NJ

Whole Hog Cafe – Cherry Hill, NJ

The influx of BBQ restaurants in the Philadelphia/South Jersey this past year was phenounal. It was a long time coming, and the region finally seems to have embraced it.

Whole Hog Cafe (WHC) comes to Cherry Hill, New Jersey by way of Little Rock, Arkansas. Coming along with them is a spotlight on competition BBQ style of cooking. They came to Jersey on a mission to compete and accomplished a huge one by taking first place in the pork division outshining all other competitors at the New Jersey Championship BBQ 2013 Event held in Wildwood, NJ. Not a bad way to say hello to bbq enthusiasts and to those of us around the area not familiar with them. With their focus on competitive cooking, the restaurant features the most poplar competitive meat categories to chose from being pulled pork, pork ribs, pulled chicken, and beef brisket. With a huge sign profiling the wonders of their pulled pork sandwich as soon as you walk in the door of WHC, I decided to go with that for my order.

whole hog cafe

I went with the jumbo sandwich which serves 7 ounces of pulled pork on a bun, one of their many sauce options to choose from, and coleslaw all included. My sauce of choice would be their traditional which along with the coleslaw I asked for on the side. The sauce was very good. Not too thick and not too thin, while having a nice flavor that was robust, but not overpowering the smoked meat flavor. The meat was cooked to perfection and I can see why they have won so many awards for their pulled pork. They season it beautifully, while the meat is nice and juicy throughout and not the slightest hint of being chewy at all. Even after adding the sauce to top the sandwich, the bun held up admirably without falling apart at all. WHC knows what they are doing and their finished product is proof enough.

As great of an experience that I had at WHC, the only thing that gives me concern is that somehow they are not getting others to join in on the fun. I arrived slightly past noon which is normally a busy time for a lunch crowd at any restaurant, but sadly I was the only diner at WHC during my stay. I even had a sampling of WHC’s ribs which I thought were fantastic as well, but only a sample as that is why I did not review them. Even with just a sample though, WHC has made me believe they have a superior rib offering to accompany their award winning pork and I would gladly grab an order of ribs next time I am there. If WHC can get the word out, they have plenty of parking available, a gorgeous large room perfect for private parties and events, friendly staff, great competitive style bbq menu, and a location that is easy and accessible to get to from most major roadways. I am sure WHC is used to the ups and downs of the bbq world being competitors and shown they can win the big one. So here is hoping for them to keep on swinging and possibly come out on top in the South Jersey bbq restaurant market as well.

Overall
Four and One-Fourths out of Five Stars

Misson BBQ – Glen Burnie, MD

Misson BBQ – Glen Burnie, MD

Concept restaurants worry me. I feel that whenever I step foot inside one, that the concept is usually larger than the food. I am happy to report that at Mission BBQ (MB) the food was just as good as their great concept. It is said that the founders of MB traveled across America sampling the many different varieties of BBQ this great country has to offer in order to provide patrons of MB a little bit of everything BBQ. The concept portion of MB comes in with homage to individuals who serve this country to protect our lives, liberty, homes and community with their interior decor dedicated to honor these professions and a portion of sales directed to various charities of these groups.

mission outside

MB provides each table with a large selection of sauces from each region of BBQ. I tried each and every sauce, and I must admit there was not a bad one in the batch. Half the fun at MB was trying all sauces, and letting every person find what works for them is a great idea. In my opinion, if you go to MB, choose a few different meats and then find the correct sauce for each meat and you could have yourself one of the best BBQ experiences in a long time.

mission sauce

The meal I selected was a half rack of Bay-B-Back Ribs with sides of Baked Beans with Brisket and Green Beans with Bacon. The ribs were simply fantastic. Cooked perfectly with not too much pull on the bone, but also not falling right off of it. Then add the Bay-B Que sauce and it was a heavenly experience. Sadly both bean dishes were not up to par of the ribs though. The green beans were too watery and tasted like canned green beans to me, and the baked beans while having nice chunks of brisket in it, lacked any sort of defining taste to push it over the edge of average. As I have said many times, sides are usually overlooked at BBQ places, but thankfully MB hit all the right spots with the meat. I literally crave the flavor they provided on all fronts of ribs and sauces at MB. Mission Accomplished on the the ribs and sauces fellows.

mission ribs

The staff was very friendly and accommodating throughout my time there from ordering my meal and being thanked for upgrading to the 9-11 tribute cup, to the waitstaff making sure anything I needed was provided. The sides may have been a bump in the road, but I was pleasantly surprised and had a great time. Now my only wish is since they are getting close to Philadelphia with a new MB in York, PA just having their grand opening this Monday, I hope that they make it down soon to the City of Brotherly Love with another MB outpost.

Blueplate – Mullica Hill, NJ

Blueplate – Mullica Hill, NJ

Culinary greatness it not the first thing that comes to mind When I think of Mullica Hill, New Jersey. I relate this town more with farmland, old houses, antique shops, and Route 322. Well Blueplate Restaurant (BR) is looking to change all of that. Chef James Malaby opened the place in 2005 and has gained an occult following, with many people singing their praises for delicious breakfasts and dinners. So of course I decided to go to BR for lunch.

The buzz at BR should also be about lunch. I started out with a french onion soup that made my knees buckle with robust flavor. I have had a lot of french onion all over the Philadelphia area, and I do not know if I just caught BR on their greatest made soup day, but they served me one of the best french onion soup I have ever had. It hit everything you look for in a good version of this soup and then some. I almost wanted to break my way into the kitchen, steal the entire crock and make a run for it. It was that good!

blueplate french onion

Up next was an order of Chicken Tenders. I could tell that the tenders were fresh and breaded in-house. They were juicy, pulled apart nicely, and had a nice flavor to them. My only complaint is that they did not come with any sauce to dip them in and when I asked for a side of BBQ sauce, what came out was obviously the jarred variety of bbq sauce. With Chef James’s eye for detail and fresh ingredients shown with the soup and tenders, that surprised me a little bit. Making a few homemade sauces to accompany the tenders, this could be a knockout appetizer.

blueplate chicken tenders

I could have left happy after my first two dishes, but being extra hungry I pushed the envelop with the Blueplate Steak Sandwich which is Andouille Sausage, Steak, Sweet Peppers and Provolone with a side of fries. All I have to say is “Wow”. I can not believe the precision and perfection BR has with this sandwich. The bread was the right texture holding everything in and not being too starchy, the peppers sliced so very tiny and thinly to hide in every bite, the Andouille Sausage giving it just that little bit of spice to made it stand out, and the steak was such a nice cut that not one bite of my entire sandwich was chewy at all. The only gripe, is that even though the fries were good, I would have went bonkers if they were fresh cut french fries.

blueplate cheesesteak
People may be talking about breakfast and dinner at BR, but I am hear to sing their praises for lunch. I can not recall a more enjoyable and surprising lunch experience than I had at BR in a long time. It started out rough with just a few lags in service that came with the waitstaff switching from breakfast to lunch. Being given the dinner menu instead of the lunch menu causing me to change my order all together, and disappointed over the jarred bbq sauce, but BR’s kitchen staff made anything that seemed wrong at the moment all right again with dishes exuding fantastic flavors and once the waitstaff regrouped service went beautifully. With BR now on my radar, I will have to see what all the talk is about the other two meals of the day, but in the meantime you should try them for lunch.

Overall
Four out of Five Stars

Benny’s Burger Joint – Collingswood, NJ

UPDATE: Benny’s Burger Joint and all of Chef Alex Capasso’s restaurants are closed as he was arrested for child molestation 

Benny’s Burger Joint – Collingswood, NJ

Chef Alex Capasso is like a phoenix rising from the ashes in Collingswood, New Jersey. Just when one of his eateries close, he opens another one in this tiny town to take their place. His critically acclaimed Blackbird restaurant has had two locations, both now closed (he is currently in the process of opening another Blackbird in Philadelphia this time), and another casual restaurant West Side Gravy that was held in the same building of the later Blackbird incarnation.

Both Blackbird and West Side Gravy closed simultaneously, and he replaced the vacant space a month later with Benny’s Burger Joint (BBJ). BBJ is very laid back, extremely family friendly, and a throwback to the 1980’s with old school arcade games throughout the place and paintings depicting that era adorning the walls. The place was packed with diners of varying age, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I would order the Let the Apline Play burger which is an 8oz angus beef burger with sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, and Alpine Swiss cheese with a side of hand cut fries.

benny burger

The flavor profile was spot on and a very nice combination. The roll held it all together without getting soggy, while being soft throughout, onions were like candy and the mushrooms were cooked perfectly for a burger. A minor error was that my burger was split in half. I do not know if it just fell apart when they were taking it off the grill or if they purposely did it to check how pink it  was in the middle. Either way it was a slight inconvenience as I had to make sure to balance the roll and hold it with both hands at all times so that one side of my burger never fell out. The other misstep would be the fries were overcooked. I know a lot of people love extra crispy fries, but the allure of hand cut fries allows for them to be a bit on the softer side and have that fresh potato taste that lacks in an ordinary french fry. Even though they were extremely crispy, they were better than your ordinary order of fries.

BBJ was very affordable, family friendly, service above average, and a fun ambiance floating throughout the place. If they tightened the few details I mentioned above they really could set themselves above and beyond the influx of burger joints that seem to have invaded the Philadelphia area recently. I enjoyed my stay at BBJ and just have to remember to bring a roll of quarters with me next time so I too can play a few songs from the jukebox and play a few games after I am done eating.

Overall
Three and Three-Fourths Stars out of Five

Flying Fish Brewery

(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”)

On October 24th, the Flying Fish brewery located in Somerdale, NJ held an open house event to debut their new facility and tasting room.  The turnout was quite impressive as many local beer aficionados packed the joint to sample the fresh brews on tap, as well as partake in some food fare from several local establishments that were on hand for the occasion.

flying la es

The culinary representation varied greatly, including local Mexican staple ‘La Esperanza Restaurant and Bar’ in Lindenwold, and Indian fare from ‘Coriander’ in Voorhees.  Collingswood, NJ was heavily represented with selections from ‘Cheese ETC’, ‘The Tortilla Press’ and in the dessert category with the renowned ‘DiBartolo’s Bakery’.  Also impressive were the chocolatiers from ‘The Candy Jar’ (also in Collingswood), who seek unique shapes and flavors for their confections.

flying candy

Hosted by Edible Jersey, in conjunction with Flying Fish owner Gene Muller, the event was a great way to showcase the dynamic new green-friendly facility for the increasingly popular local brewer.  Any beer lover should stop in and visit for a tour, some merchandise, and most importantly a cold, home grown beer!

photo 1

Hope to see you again soon “Around Town”

Bill

Nom Nom Ramen – Philadelphia, PA

Nom Nom Ramen – Philadelphia, PA

With the cold weather coming back to meet us again, what better way to warm up then with a bowl of steaming goodness. Looking past the normal option of soup, I stumble into Nom Nom Ramen (NNR) who in their own words offer “Authentic Hakata Style Tonkotsu Ramen in Philadelphia! A masterful bowl whose superior ingredients and magnificent, robust flavor would truly stand out for you to savor to the last slurp!”.

I ordered the Shoyu version of their ramen in which soy sauce is infused in their tonkotsu broth that is produced by them boiling pork bones for more than twenty-four hours, and topping it off by adding their Hakata style noodles, chashu pork belly, bamboo, kikurage mushrooms, naruto (cured fished cake), and seaweed. Below is the before and after broth pictures.

nom nom b4

 

nom nom after

 

The space holding NNR is just a tiny little location, but it has quite a nice bit of charm to it. The staff was extremely helpful, especially since I am a ramen beginner, and the menu is pretty straightforward after you get a hang of how things operate at NNR.

The flavor was amazing with my fist spoonful. The mix of each and every ingredient is evident in each serving, and the profile of the bowl changed while eating as everything starting permeating together beautifully. The portion of each item was spot on, as I thought their were just enough of everything to create a well balanced meal.

If this is what I can expect from ramen each time I eat it, then I have been missing out on this culinary treasure for way too long. I must admit though, I am not a fan of a lot of soups or soupy things, so I have to be in the mood for eating this type of meal. What I will say is, that when I have an itch for tomato soup and grilled cheese, I know that I want Campbell Soup version of tomato soup and their version only. I may have just begun my journey into the ramen world, but with what NNR provided when I have that itch for ramen, I have a feeling I will be looking exactly for what NNR served me again.

Overall
Four out of Five Stars