Piston Diner (Review) – Westville, NJ

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

There are two things that Brooklawn, New Jersey had been synonymous for from 1979 until 2011. The Brooklawn Diner and the Brooklawn Circle. The Brooklawn Diner sadly went out of business suddenly in 2011 and had rumors of a re-opening in late 2012 that never materialized. The other, the Brooklawn Circle still stands strong, but sadly it seems if someone just even whispers the word rain, the entire circle becomes a watery swampy mess and backs up traffic horrendously. The only thing these two now have in common is while driving through the flooded Brooklawn Circle you can see the still abandoned shell that once was the Brooklawn Diner.

What was Brooklawn’s loss seems to be Westville, New Jersey’s possible gain. The former owners of the Brooklawn Diner, Gus and Aliki Miliaresis’s son Danny Miliaresis is now the owner of the Piston Diner (PD). PD also made a name for itself five months ago when a front loader construction vehicle drove through PD and forced its previous owner Jason Kramer to close PD for good after only being open just slightly past three months. I had never visited PD before so I do not know what if any changes were made by Danny Miliaresis to the interior of PD during my visit, but I can tell you the roof and ceiling are fixed as I sat in a booth that used to have a sky view. I liked the vibe and feel of the interior. It was bright and cheery with lots of old school nostalgia of legendary Hollywood stars hanging on the walls. The furniture seemed new and modern unlike some diners around whose glory days happened too long ago to even remember what unworn seating looks like.

PD started out with an Italian Minestrone Soup. The soup was a solid interpretation of this classic. From the broth, beans, pasta, and vegetables it was all seamlessly balanced with a decent flavor throughout. If all of their soups are this good, they may be a great place in the winter for a good soup and sandwich to warm up to. They also provided nice fresh rolls and butter to start the meal.

soup

The main course was Chicken Croquettes atop mashed potatoes drizzled with chicken gravy with sautéed string beans and apple sauce as sides. The croquettes were a generous size and better than some I have had in the past. The green beans were a little too al dente as well as being under seasoned and the apple sauce was your standard out of a jar variety. It is not the best meal I have ever had, but it is by far not the worst either.

pison chicken

All in all my assessment of PD is that they are exactly what everyone who loves a Jersey diner loves about them. They provided me a decent meal at a very affordable price and a menu that is six pages in length giving you the ability to order almost anything your heart could desire at anytime of the day. At ten dollars I could not expect gourmet, but what they did give me was a very tasty soup, fresh rolls, a dinner in quality that was better than your standard chain restaurant, and in an atmosphere that was friendly and fresh. If PD continues in this direction and construction vehicles avoid driving through PD, Danny Miliaresis’s legacy in the diner business has the ability to last as long if not longer than his parents.

Leave a comment

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Food Trucks Driving Philadelphia’s Food Scene Even Further

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Jamaican D’s – Philadelphia, PA – 3rd & Spring Garden Street Truck

Philadelphia’s food truck movement has been growing exponentially the last few years as highlighted in many published articles on the subject such as this one (click here) for uwishunu.com by Allison Stadd. Some trucks are mobile at all times, others are stationed at specific locations year-round. One resource to find information about the food trucks is Philly Mobile Food Association, but as of the date I wrote this article their website had not been updated since October 2012 and their Facebook and Twitter feeds seem to be used quite infrequently thus not making it easy or convenient to patronize their members. The food truck scene is by no means new in Philadelphia now, but their allure and ability to promote seem to have faded slightly after many roaring success in 2012 with the exception of The Food Trust’s wildly popular “Night Market Philadelphia” events like the next one planned at 5th and South Street on Thursday, August 15th.

My food truck visit would bring me to Jamaican D’s (JD) at their 3rd and Spring Garden Street outpost for an order of Jerk Chicken with fried plantains and cabbage. JD is a stationary truck here Monday through Friday as this truck is one of the many JD trucks in their fleet throughout Philadelphia. You may recognize the name from one of their most prolific and long standing trucks at the Community College of Philadelphia campus at 17th & Spring Garden Streets.

jam D

I ordered the medium sized platter which was nine dollars and the portions were very generous in all aspects of the meal. The plantains were cooked nicely with a decent amount of sweetness to them. The chicken was seasoned well along with being moist and tender while the skin had a good crisp firmness with the meat still easily coming off the bone. The rice was covered in a jerk sauce while the chicken was topped with an additional sauce of some sort with the option of mild or spicy giving the entire dish a nice mix of flavors in each bite. The only aspect of the dish that I was not thrilled about was the cabbage. The cabbage seemed it was not cooked long enough and could have been chopped a little smaller. It was tough and too chunky for my liking. The flavor seemed OK, but too much crunch in every bite for me.

The meal JD provided was as good if not better than some I have had at full blown Caribbean restaurants. The service was quick and friendly with portion size very generous and affordable. If you drive to order something from JD, just be aware that parking is not the easiest thing to find near them at this location. With the experience I had at JD I see no reason why the food truck movement can not grow even larger. The days of having to go to a singular location to eat something specific could easily come to an end with these trucks ability to go out and about where the crowds want and need them. I only hope they can band together to get their message out to the masses in an effective manner.

Overall
Three and half out of Five Stars

Leave a comment

Posted in Quick bites/Takeout and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Cooke’s Seafood – Cape Cod, MA

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Cooke’s Seafood – Cape Cod, MA (Mashpee Location)

Fresh seafood is one of my weaknesses. With this being in mind I traversed over to Cooke’s Seafood (CS) as they have won Best Seafood Award from Cape Cod Life magazine every year since 1993. With a twenty year stretch of winning the big one, expectations were high.

The ordering system of CS is that you order everything you will eat immediately upon entering. This puts you on your toes, especially since the menu overtook not only every inch of space above the cashiers, but also three mock menus hand written on paper hanging on the wall across from the cashiers. Your head is spinning back and forth trying to figure out the perfect combination for a meal.

I ordered the Clam Chowder, Quahog Clam, and Baked Stuffed Scallops & Scrod topped with their special crabmeat stuffing and a side of steamed veggies. You are given a number and then your meal is walked out to you on all paper products and plastic silverware. Everything is self serve from the napkins to the ketchup.

My chowder arrived and was thick as molasses, missed any flavor profile, and was very light on clam pieces.

chowder

The Quahog Clam picked it up a notch, as the seasoning was nice, had some decent sized pieces of clam throughout, moist in every bite while having a nice crisp on the top, and something I would recommend.

quahog

Unfortunately CS came stumbling back to point zero when the Baked Stuffed Scallops & Scrod arrived.  I will start out by saying the veggies were steamed nicely with a dash of seasoning making them quite nice.  Enough of the niceties, now to the bad. First they served the dreaded breaded french fry. It boggles my mind why any restaurant would bring them self down to the lowest denominator buying these things when fresh cut fries are so easy and cheap to make. Then they said it would be topped with a crab-meat stuffing. I did not bring a microscope, so sadly I was not able to see or taste any crab on top of my meal, but it was plentiful in the crumby and plain tasting department. Looking to let them slide on the topping, I dug into the dish searching for a scallop to enjoy trying for a fresh start. I dug, and I dug, and I searched and I searched to no luck at all. I swallowed my pride and did something I NEVER do, I approached the cashier to inquire about the dish. The young lady behind the register looked over my order and said indeed I did order the Baked Stuffed Scallops & Scrod and asked if she could look at my dish.  After she dug through it could not find a scallop either, she called over to the manger and stated she could not find a scallop either. The manager who was only standing on the other side of the room and not working in any manner yelled over “I am busy, I know we put scallops in that thing, they have to be at the bottom.” I in turn, scooped the entire thing upside down and indeed did find ONE tiny scallop in the dish. I yelled over my finding as did the cashier and the manager still refused to even walk over and just yelled across the room “You are going to have to keep searching, there should be more than one.” The cashier responded saying there was only one, to his reply, “I know there is more than that, I don’t have time to deal with this, we throw them on the botton of the dish.” At this point I did not want to make any more of a scene, picked up my dish and stated it should be called ONE baby Scallop & baked Scrod. I tried to make the best of a bad situation, but nothing could be done. The Scrod was so dry and tasteless it could have been used as the crumb topping of the dish instead and could have possibly been better than what they put on top. I have never in my life thought I could be a vegetarian, but I would have been better suited to be such during this meal as the vegetables were the only highlight.

baked scallop scrod

I have never read Cape Code Life, nor did I see one of their magazines anywhere during my stay in Cape Cod. I do not know how their chose their award recipients, but they may want to take a closer look at who is getting them. It is an extreme rarity for me to complain to someone about a meal, and to be treated the way I was is a complete disgrace and whoever owns CS should be embarrassed.

CS should be thankful for how tasty their Quahog and steamed veggies were, otherwise this could have been my first review in the negative category.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Raw Bar – Cape Cod, MA

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Raw Bar – Cape Cod, MA

As soon as I think about the New England area, I immediately think about lobster as well. Nestled close to the beautiful Popponesset Beach area inside Popponesset Marketplace, I was lucky enough to stumble into Raw Bar (RB) with their claim to fame being voted voted the home of the number one lobster roll in New England by Billy Costa of the TV Diner, Channel 5’s Chronicle, The Phantom Gourmet, V.B, and Maria of Fox News. With lobster rolls gaining popularity in Philadelphia with the recent grand opening of Luke’s Lobster in Center City, I figured why not try where the rolls in their home turf of New England.

Stepping into RB tickles your senses immediately. Hanging all over the walls are somewhat revealing photos of patrons showing their hind quarters or cleavage with RB tattoos to cover the embarrassing parts. This could turn some people away as soon as they saw something like this, but this did the opposite to me. It made me wonder how a teeny tiny place like RB could cause such a fury of exhibitionism on an otherwise mostly conservative peninsula.

The staff at RB was helpful, friendly, upbeat, and the service was flawless. First up were the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings. They were by no means authentic in any fashion, but they were indeed fantastically tasty. The rub they used on the wings was one of the best combination of spices I have had in quite sometime that gave the wings a jamaican flair while having a distinct flavor all their own. I only wish the skin was crisped just a tad bit more.

rb jerk

After devouring the wings, the main attraction arrived. I will start off by saying that this was indeed the best food and the best lobster roll I had during my stay around Cape Cod. The lobster portion was very generous with a nice combination of lobster meat throughout the roll. My only complaint would be that when I ordered, I asked for the roll to be light on the mayo, but when it arrived it had no more or no less mayo than everyone had on their lobster roll in the group. This would not be a problem if you are a fan of lobster rolls with a decent amount of mayo, but it is not my preference. The roll was good, but I think it could have been enhanced by being toasted with butter and herbs on the grill to firm up the roll a little bit and give the flavor profile a slight kick start.

lobster roll

All in all though a great time was had at RB and they did serve me the best lobster roll I had during my stay. RB was one of my highlights of visiting Cape Cod and I highly recommend you stopping by as well if you are in the area. My visit to RB was during lunch hours and the crowd was pretty subdued. With this being said, I would have to assume all of the wild debauchery at RB must happen at night in order for them to get the sort of pictures they have posted on their walls. If you want to find out, go there at night and I only hope that what happens at RB stays in RB.

Overall
Four out of Five Stars

Leave a comment

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Put a little Soul in your party

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Aunt Berta’s Kitchen – Oaklyn, NJ

This is a review that got lost in the shuffle. Aunt Berta’s Kitchen was called upon to cater for a Wrestlemania 29 viewing party. The person holding the party wanted good food at reasonable prices and stumbled on Aunt Berta’s Kitchen (ABK) at a previous get together of friends and family that ABK catered and I was lucky enough to be invited to their party that ABK catered for them. The order of the day was sixty-four pieces of fried chicken and a large tray of mac and cheese and cabbage.  (Note: in picture is only thirty-two of the sixty-four pieces)

aunt berta

ABK is owned and operated by Alberta Ferebee who has enjoyed cooking for others since childhood. She started her career in the culinary world as a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant and worked hard until finally reaching head cook. She learned how to run a business through her management skills picked up from being a food service supervisor as well during her storied career, until she finally opened up ABK in Oaklyn, NJ and has another ABK to opening in the Berlin Farmers Market in the very near future.

Now this review will be a little different since only the food is the only factor, but what ABK provided was phenomenal. The chicken was plump and juicy throughout while having a beautifully seasoned crisp  skin surrounding each piece. The flavors were just right in every bite while not being dried out like fried chicken I have had at many other places. The cabbage was soft with vivid tones of sweetness bypassing that cabbage taste most people do not like, but should have been drained just a little more as the tray was filled with liquid. The mac and cheese was creamy in each bite with a hardened top layer while providing a delicate balance of cheeses mixed in and I can see why ABK has been invited to the Food Bank of South Jersey Mac and Cheese cook-off numerous times.  Not one person at the party went home hungry or disappointed and the amount of food ordered was plenty for over twenty people as there was even a tiny amount of food left over. I do not know how the service and experience would be eating at ABK’s actual location, but what I do know is that ABK provided one heck of an affordable catered event for all to have.

Overall

Four out of Five Stars

Leave a comment

Posted in Quick bites/Takeout and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Fusion Bay – Collingswood, NJ

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Fusion Bay – Collingswood, NJ

Fusion Bay (FB) is a mash-up of Asian cuisine. Sitting on the main strip of Collingswood, New Jersey Haddon Ave otherwise known as restaurant row, FB is slightly difficult to walk into. FB shares the same exact entrance as another restaurant and some confusion sets in as to which door to enter. Once inside though, FB has a nice calm and relaxing feel to them. The service was very friendly and attentive at all times and decor is simple, but works nicely for them.

I started out with a Passion Fruit Bubble Tea that was a tasty way to get things started. Next up was an order of Lemongrass Chicken Wings. This wings were some of the best I have eaten in long time cooked with an Asian flair. The lemongrass blend was just perfect, but dipping the wings in the sauce provided is a must. If you just eat the wings without the sauce, you may be disappointed, but Asian food a lot of times is about having a perfect balance of sweet, salty, spicy, with a balance in color, flavors, and textures. Without using the dip you will miss out on a great appetizer.

f drink

lemongrass

The menu offered Shanghai Soup Dumplings that are not offered at many places. The dumplings were good, but I have had much better. They were a little dry not only on the outside, but also in the inside of the dumpling thus missing the mark on it being a soup dumpling. FB seems to offer a lot of different styles under one roof, so even though the dumplings were not the best, I can really see FB shining by having large parties eat here and having a little bit of everything for everyone.

dumplings

To finish things off was the Teriyaki Salmon. The carrots and broccoli were nice and crisp and steamed just right. The salmon portion size was generous, unfortunately overcooked as well, but the teriyaki glaze was just the right amount. The glaze did not overpower the fish while providing a nice teriyaki flavor with each bite.

salmon

FB it seems it could be the jack of all trades Asian, but the master of none. I like how varied their menu is, but maybe they would be a little better suited if they focused only on one genre. As I mentioned, if you are eating with a few people and are looking for a location to have many different options with a quality product, FB is a good fit. FB is above average, but not a game changer. If you have a craving for something in particular, FB may not be the place for you, but I can tell you that you will not be disappointed if you eat at FB.

Leave a comment

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

Viva la Mexico – Increíble y Excelente

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Azul Fives – Riveria Maya, Mexico

I have visited the Quintana Roo section of Mexico so many times I almost feel as though it could be a second home of mine. From multiple trips to Cancun, a few stays down the Riveria Maya, a week a piece in Puerto Aventuras as well as Playa Del Carmen, and a couple adventures in Tulum, one would think I should know a lot more Spanish than I do. I may not know a lot of Spanish, but a few words to describe each and every trip I have had in this portion of Mexico can be described as increíble y excelente. This area of Mexico truly offers a little bit of everything for everyone. Its offerings range all the way from horseback hiding, atv’s, riding jeeps in the jungle, snorkeling, fishing, jet skiing, speed boats, cave diving, zip-lining, or just sitting on a gorgeous beach and enjoying a cold refreshing drink. Quintana Roo is blessed with beautiful scenery and nice hot weather all year-round. It would be a shame if you do not go there at least once in your life.

My most recent visit brought me to Riveria Maya’s Azul Fives Resort (AF), one of the thirteen resorts owned by the Karisma Hotel Group for fun in the sun, a culinary adventure, and being honored by being a part of my lifelong best friend’s wedding as his best man. Every person in the group had their trip planned and prepared by expert travel consultant Bob Booth, the owner/operator of Gloucester Travel and Cruise. Being in the travel industry for more than twenty years, Bob was a delight to work with, professional and courteous throughout the entire process, and created an itinerary for each individual that was flawless. His hard work and dedication for our group was responsible for creating a destination wedding so magical, I am sure each and every person who attended and witnessed this beach wedding will never forget. The group was also lucky enough to have representatives from Kristiewellsphotography.com capture our entire stay. One would think having photographers follow you around everywhere could be intrusive and annoying, but not one second of our stay felt like our privacy was being violated or out of the ordinary in any way. Both photographers were a joy to work with, took some of the most amazing portraits I have ever seen, and really captured some once in a lifetime moments that others will be able to see for themselves from the happy newlyweds.

AF is situated about fifteen minutes north of Playa Del Carmen in an isolated area of Riveria Maya. AF is one of the resorts where unless you are on the resort, you truly need to bring your own transportation or be prepared to use a taxi wherever you would like to go. One taxi driver in particular, Jose Juan Gonzalez Hernandez of taxi 1122 was my personal chauffeur to all of my destinations and he could not have been more pleasant to deal with. His taxi is not the newest or fanciest vehicle around, but his charm and his love for his family as well as sharing all of the great places to eat around Mexico gained a friend in me.

Being without my own transportation is usually not my style of vacationing, but at AF it seemed to work quite nicely. Knowing there was nowhere to go unless you wanted to allowed for the feeling of true seclusion from your daily life. While too large to be a boutique hotel, AF provided a boutique vibe throughout the resort. AF was large enough to provide everything you could want or need, while being quaint enough not to feel overwhelmingly touristy as other larger all-inclusives with thousands of guests pushing and shoving their way through the resort can feel. Being at AF was first and foremost relaxing with a family atmosphere provided in large part due to their partnership with Fisher Price that provided children with all sorts of toys and amenities not seen elsewhere. The beachfront provided an ampule about of places to sit, while the beach-side pool was hopping with activity. If neither of those are your scene, you could find solace in the pool circling the interior of the compound where it was peaceful most times with a decent amount of shade. If you truly were looking for serenity, you could also visit their state of the art spa that provided any and all services one could only dream of. The rooms were spacious and modern, and the landscaping was immaculate around AF’s entire property. The entire staff was graciously accommodating from Food and Beverage manager Walter, to personal concierge Ana Karen, all the way down to the housemaids and random employees walking by who made you feel welcome and appreciated just for visiting their resort.

The highlight for me visiting AF was not only to be a part of an unforgettable beach wedding, but AF’s signature Gourmet Inclusive (GI) branding. During my stay at AF, AF’s Executive Chef Denis Radioux, Sales Manager Lucero, and agriculture specialist Alejandra Alvarez explained to me in depth what GI truly means. It starts with a 100,000 square-foot greenhouse that provides tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, cilantro, basil, and mint as well as numerous other seasonal produce and outdoor fruit orchards throughout the property. I have not researched this, but multiple people from Karisma stated that this is the only greenhouse in all of Mexico on a resort property and the only Rainforest Allaince Certifed greenhouse. This provides them with the eat fresh and local movement that is overtaking America and must be the envy of many in the food industry being able to eat what you have grown yourself. The greenhouse fills the produce needs of all thirteen Karisma resorts and one of GI’s mantras require that once a product is harvested, it is to be used in the kitchen within two days. If the crop for some reason is above what Karisma’s current food demands are, the fresh produce is first offered to all employees of the resorts and if a surplus still exists, it is sold to local restaurant suppliers. This process not only provides Karisma with the freshest produce possible, it also cuts down on their carbon footprint by not having to source a large part of their produce from far away markets to be shipped to them, it also provides their employees to share in the wealth of a bumper crop to thank them for their hard work.

Alejandra Alvarez is in charge of agriculture for Karisma with ten employees, while Chef Denis oversees seventy chefs just at the AF property alone. AF provides a challenge to Chef Denis by having to create up to twenty-four hundred meals a day during AF’s peak seasons and trying to make sure the quality and consistency is upheld to GI standards on each and every meal served. I would love to know whether Chef Denis envisioned such a scenario having to serve so many meals a day as he only ended up in Mexico seeking a break twenty years ago when he left France after finishing his studies in International Cuisine to go on a vacation. Once he arrived in Mexico, he never left to go back home. I think he would say he is not on a vacation any longer, but regardless of his answer of envisioning how busy he would be one day, the undertaking he has to deal with on a daily basis should be commended. Chef Denis seems to be taking it all in stride stating “It’s all in a days work”. By all accounts, Chef Denis has risen AF’s food quality many times over since his arrival with the successful concept and execution of Sea Olive restaurant under his watchful eye and the anticipation boiling over for his next creation, a high-end burger bar on site at AF. Working under Chef Denis’s tutelage is no easy task. Each culinary staff member under his umbrella is required to train a minimum of four months traveling around the world working at various resorts from 7am till 10pm. Their are no exceptions to this rule, but it is an easy way to weed out those who are in it for just a job, and those who have a true passion to provide each and every meal they come into contact with the GI stamp of approval. The staffing process may seem a bit overboard, but the Karisma officials know it is in their best interest to uphold their reputation and their guests expectations. They have had a one-hundred percent GI approval rating recently on departing guests surveys, so obviously it is working and they want this trend to continue. Now that they have reached the top, nothing but perfection will continue to be tolerated while also continuing to be innovative and fresh by changing the menus every six months in order for the staff and guest experience not to stagnate.

AF has a innovative idea with GI, and I can see them fine tuning it even further as time passes. I enjoyed my stay at AF thoroughly and had some of the best all-inclusive meals I have ever had. Are AF’s meals truly gourmet in my mind? Yes and no. Yes, as for the price point to stay at AF, the selection of foods available, unlimited room service during your stay, and the consistency shown at each and every meal is above your average all-inclusive and a quite a good deal in my opinion. No, from the standpoint of eating out at nice restaurants anywhere in the world, even in Playa Del Carmen only fifteen minutes away from AF I have had countless meals I would call gourmet before what I would call what I was being served at AF gourmet. Keep in mind though, at the same time I have had more meals than I can count ten times worse than what I was being served at AF as well, so there really is not an easy answer when it comes to having a great meal every time no matter where you go. AF does a quality job at every meal and the best part of dining at AF is that if an instance occurs you did not like something for some reason, it’s all-inclusive so you will not be charged anything additional like you would somewhere outside the resort so just order something else and I am sure you would not have a two bad meals in a row from them.

Traveling is fun and difficult all at the same time, just as is finding a good meal out to eat. What I will say is that if you are looking for somewhere to have a home-base in the Riveria Maya section of Mexico and want to know that you will have some good meals along the way, AF is the perfect spot to do so. They are centrally located to get to everywhere you could want or need and whether you like all-inclusive resorts or not, AF is a different breed by providing a higher end and better quality dining scene then most while being extremely family friendly at the same time. They are working hard to provide their patrons with a unique farm to fork concept that I am sure is the way we will all get our food sourced sometime in the very near future, and in my opinion you should give them a try just for this reason alone.

Below are pictures from some of the meals I enjoyed while at AF and the greenhouse tour. For more information about AF you can CLICK HERE

soup

pork

filet lobster

mahi mahi

strawberry dessert

creme dessert

breakfast

outside greenhouse

list of veggies

green carpet

greenhouse food

greenhouse pitas

baby plants

large tomato

squash

cucumber

basil

mint

going green

sign for greenhouse

Leave a comment

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

Scaturro’s Restaurant and Bar

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Scaturro’s Restaurant and Bar located in Marlton, NJ

(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfoodcritic.com written by guest contributing writer Mark Collins for his “The Captain’s Review It Flies Through Me” reviews. He highlights life on the road having to eat out on a daily basis, but also having to deal with a very sensitive stomach that bothers him with every bite. I hope you enjoy his very special perspective on dining out that I am sure some people can relate to and follow him on his exciting and sometimes turbulent journey that is not due to wind shear)

This is not my first trip to Scaturro’s.  Kristie and I have stopped in for drinks on the outdoor patio bar as well as enjoyed dinner with friends.  It has always been a great experience and the food was always top notch.  The reason for my first review was accidentally ordering a dish that I wasn’t expecting….Soft-shell Crabs.  I’m a big fan of crabs and normally go for the all you can eat Dungeness or Snow Crabs, however I have never experiences a soft-shell crab.  Somehow I assumed it was lump crab meat over pasta from a different type of crab.  So my first review comes from a layman perspective.  When my scampi soft-shell dish arrived I was confused and even had to google whether or not I was supposed to eat the shell….is that why it’s called soft-shell…?  Google confirmed and so I dug in.  It was pretty immediate that I couldn’t go through with it….the beady eyes and yellow inside had me taken aback, I just couldn’t go through with it.  When the waitress saw that I hadn’t eaten more then 2 bites of my dish including the pasta she offered me something to replace it, however as mentioned in my profile, I have a very sensitive stomach and had lost my appetite.  This will not stop me from eating larger crabs in the future (as long as I’m cracking them and pulling the meat out) but I won’t be trying soft-shell crabs again.  On a lighter note, Kristie went off of the menu and merged scallops and risotto from 2 separate dishes.  The scallops were cooked perfectly and the risotto was pretty basic, not her favorite but not bad.  The price point on both dishes was $25….not sure where I stand on that yet.  We did share the Creme Brulee which was not very creamy, a little on the chunky side which isn’t ideal for this type of dessert.  On previous trips we have had the Buffalo Mozzarella which is a must try as well as the Toasted Gnocchi from the Appetizer section.  And so the rest of the basics; friendly staff, live music outside, nice outside patio area when it’s not to hot.  The crowd seems to be more mature…for me that means 40 and up.  Now since I didn’t eat more then 2 bites of the meal nothing had to have the opportunity to run through me but I will go back again and maybe stick with the Filet!

We hope you enjoyed our first review and please tell your friends to LIKE us on Facebook to see more.

Over and Out!

Crab1

scallops

Leave a comment

Posted in Restaurants and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

(856)Puf-Puff the Magic Cream Puff

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Napoleon’s Creamepuffery – Lindenwold, NJ

NC Box

I have always wondered what separates the good from the great in the food world. I think it has to come from a true passion and desire of what you are making, and Charlene Napoleon’s story reflects this. A dream of owning a bakery started an early age while she whipped up delicious treats throughout her life for friends and family. Even with the encouragement of friends and family, she did not pursue her true love though. Instead, she began a career as a hairdresser climbing the corporate ladder all the way up to National Education Trainer for Redken Hair Products. One would think such acclaim would satisfy the soul, but this was not the case with Charlene. She longed for the days of doing what she really cared about, baking delectable treats. So she dug in her heels and in 1985 set out on her own going from markets and festivals in an old ice cream truck selling her beloved cream puffs while creating a devote following of fans waiting to see the truck roll around again. Well the hard work paid off and in 1995 she was able to put down some roots by moving into an old farmhouse and have people come to her instead opening Napoleon’s Creamepuffery (NC). It was not only a bold move, but obviously the right one as eighteen years later, she is still in business and making cream puffs with a love you can notice the moment you bite into one.

The cream puffs I ate were soft and moist on the inside while having the light crisp exterior shell with a cream that just melts in your mouth. I had the bakers dozen with the pistachio, strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla which came with thirteen cream puffs for only ten dollars. I know of a bakery in South Philly that charges close to four dollars for only one! NC is not only a steal with prices like that, but the flavors beside vanilla were really the stars, especially the chocolate. Now do not get me wrong, the vanilla was amazing as well and fine on its own, but if you go to NC, you will do yourself a disservice by not getting a mix of flavors.

puff

NC is a nice country sort of place with a down home feeling being in an old farmhouse and just their phone number alone intrigued me, 856-PUF-PUFF. It sounds more like a medical marijuana dispensary than a bakery, but I know I will never forget their phone number and a brilliant marketing strategy. Finding about NC was a treat and I can only imagine how Charlene’s friends and family must have felt when she brought some of her goodies to parties, because if they tasted anything like what I had, she made the right move changing careers for all of us to enjoy what she truly loves to do, making delicious magic cream puffs.

Overall
Four out of Five Stars

1 Comment

Posted in Quick bites/Takeout and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

BBQ Pitmaster Ed Willis – “Lumpy’s BBQ” up the competition

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Lumpy’s BBQ Restaurant – Clementon, NJ

Do you love watching competition BBQ? Well the Destination America channel is airing an episode of BBQ Pitmasters featuring Glenn Gross of Fat Jack’s BBQ and Ed Willis of Lumpy’s BBQ in Clementon, NJ. Glenn and Ed used to work together and are said to be as close as brothers, but with the love/hate relationship variety of family drama. BBQ Pitmaster show is centered around celebrity BBQ judge Myron Mixon who is a three time barbecue World Champion, 200 grand championships resulting in over 1900 total trophies, over 40 state championships, has won hundreds of thousands of dollars in competition, owns a very successful BBQ restaurant and school Jack’s Old South, and as such is nicknamed of the “winningest man in barbecue”. Also at the judging table is George “Tuffy” Stone who runs the BBQ team “Cool Smoke”, owns a barbecue restaurant chain called “Q Barbeque”, and runs A Sharper Palate catering in Richmond, Virginia. I have the show many times, and have been thoroughly entertained watching it. I do not know the outcome of the show, but I hope our local teams makes a good showing and good television.

With such acclaim being bestowed upon this local team, and being a certified BBQ judge myself, I decided to make a trip to Clementon, New Jersey to visit Ed Willis’s operation Lumpy’s BBQ Restaurant. Lumpy’s sits far back in a unassuming strip mall in South Jersey. If you are not familiar with the area, you have to keep an eye out for their location as it was not easy to pick them out while driving on a four lane stretch of Blackwood-Clementon Road with their curbside sign not all that visible traveling southbound. The strip mall seems to have had better days, but I didn’t come to go shopping, I came to have some BBQ. The interior of Lumpy’s is nothing to write home about with a mishmash of trinkets and signs adorning the walls making it seem more cluttered than eye appeasing. With so little time spent on the interior  aesthetics,  I assume by the looks of things Lumpy’s does not have a large eat-in crowd, but that is no excuse for one of the oddest things I have seen in quite some time. I just did not understand the concept at all of having fake flowers that just look terrible fill up a dessert fridge in the middle of the restaurant. It not only looks tacky, but could be filled with something useful or removed completely.

lumpy

Looking past the fridge incident, the service was down-home friendly and made me feel like a lifelong customer of Lumpy’s. The cashier was bubbly, friendly, and confident in what they were serving is good. BBQ is an art-form, and thankfully Lumpy’s masterpiece arrived in all of its glory. I had the $9.99 lunch special which was a half-rack of dry rubbed ribs with mild sauce on the side and fries. At that price point, Lumpy’s is far more affordable than the majority of places serving what they call BBQ, but are really giving BBQ a bad name by just grilling or searing meats and stealing your money. The ribs were fantastic, but not a competition winner. Now I am not excepting Ed to be serving the same quality of ribs he makes for competitions, but I would love to try some. To the average consumer, I will say the Lumpy’s served me some of the best ribs I have had in quite sometime around the South Jersey area. Competition wise, the ribs were slightly overdone having the meat fall off the bone too easily instead of having a nice bite consistency, the rub was applied too heavily, and the sauce was a tad sweet. Now to everyone reading this, please do not take my criticism as saying that the ribs were bad in any manner. I am just a BBQ snob, and when you judge BBQ you have some of the best ribs you could ever imagine, but the ribs you were served were cooked specifically just for you with only the best of the best being sent to be judged. This is an impossibility in the real world, and as such Lumpy’s is by above the pack in quality in what is available to the general public. The fries were cooked nicely as well, being a crinkle cut is a welcome touch as the majority of restaurants these days skimp on the fries and serve those cheap terrible double breaded french fries.

bbq

So in summary, Lumpy’s shined where it counts in the food and could desperately use the help of an interior decorator. I enjoyed my meal and time there, and will be back to try more of Lumpy’s BBQ options. I hope with its hidden location and not a look of foot traffic to drive business that Ed’s showcase on BBQ Pitmasters will have others find this little gem of BBQ goodness in South Jersey. With the amount of free parking spaces in the strip mall, maybe Ed could convince the township to create an annual BBQ contest there to help drum up some press of what he has going on there and for South Jersey to get some BBQ events going since this area is pretty barren of BBQ competitions. If he does, my only hope is that Ed remembers he has a BBQ judge he can always call to judge the event, and I would be honored to taste a rack of his competition ribs.

Leave a comment

Posted in Restaurants and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →