Bomb B Que

Famous Dave’s

104 Marlton Pike East

Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

http://www.famousdaves.com/

During the week following my Easter holiday and four day weekend after the end of tax season, I had to clean out a storage room at work and move all of the contents to a different storage unit with a few of my coworker’s. Part of our reward for doing this was a lunch paid for by the firm at Famous Dave’s in Cherry Hill. I love Famous Dave’s because it is incredibly well done barbeque, even better than a lot of the barbeque that I found while I attended college in North Carolina. Unfortunately, I could not indulge the way that I wanted to because I have been trying to eat healthier while doing P90x, so I ordered the citrus glazed salmon with honey chipotle glaze, grilled pineapple, and freshly sautéed broccoli. For the table, my other coworkers had ordered a plate of the house made chips and a sampler platter, but I did not really eat anything off of it other than a few chips. They were quite delicious, way better than anything you can get in a bag, but they could have been improved by having a bit more seasoning added to them. I dipped a few in some of their BBQ sauces and they were scrumptious!

My meal was a really nice change of pace. Famous Dave’s does really fantastic barbeque, so to find out that they do other things just as well is a fantastic revelation. The salmon had a great charred taste to it and the sweetness of the sauce was the perfect complement to it. Salmon is such a delicious fish because it has so much flavor. It does not get super fishy the way a lot of other kinds of fish do, and it really holds together well on the grill. I think that is part of the reason this dish worked so well. Grilled pineapple is always a nice addition to a grilled piece of fish. The final piece of the puzzle was the sautéed broccoli. It was tender and full of garlic flavor.

Famous Dave’s is really a fantastic restaurant. Everything that I have had there has been wonderful, and each and every time that I eat there I leave 100% satisfied. If you like barbeque you have to give this place a try! Cheers!

Fallen Soliders...

Today was a sad day for me because I was informed that two of my favorite restaurants in South Jersey were closing. Not just one, but two! I cannot remember the last time I saw a good restaurant close around here, let alone two in the same day. These two restaurants, Izzie's Eatery in Medford and Catelli's Ristorante in Voorhees, were not only two of my favorite restaurants in South Jersey, but they were also two of the best. The South Jersey foodies will definitely miss them, me in particular with Izzie's because it was one of the only good places in Medford to eat.

Izzie's Eatery, which I had previously reviewed on my blog, closed its doors on Monday. According to reports, the owner informed his staff about the closing of the restaurant via text message. He was quoted as saying the business had run its course after 13 years in business. For more on the closing, click on the link below.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110726/NEWS01/110726048/1006/news01

Catelli's Ristorante of Voorhees, NJ also closed its doors. After 17 years of business, the staple in the Marlton Dining scene for fine cuisine at an affordable price will be no more. However there are reports that there will be an opening of a new restaurant as an offshoot of the success of Catelli's. That will remain to be seen in the future.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110720/NEWS01/110720044/Voorhees-Catelli-restaurant-close-doors-Sunday

I just wanted to write a little bit about the two places because I had really enjoyed them both. I think they are both to be applauded for the fantastic success that they enjoyed. I will always remember the many meals that I enjoyed at both. Cheers!

Phenomenal Italian in Marlton

La Posata Ristorante
892 North Route 73

Marlton, NJ 08053

laposataristorante.com/

For those of you that have been following this blog for a little while, you will know that I love Geno’s steaks in Philadelphia when I am in the mood for a good cheesesteak. One thing that you may not know though is that Joe Vento, the nephew of the owner of Geno’s steaks, owns a restaurant in Marlton, NJ called La Posata Ristorante. This restaurant is extremely underrated and is pumping out great quality food for a decent price.

Every time that I eat food from La Posata, I am extremely satisfied. The day before Easter, my girlfriend, my aunt and uncle and I all went to La Posata for dinner. It was the first time that I had actually dined in at La Posata. Previously I had only had my aunt’s leftovers when she brought them home. The menu was pretty extensive and full of old Italian classics, but I finally decided on the pasta fagioli to start and the veal abruzzi for my main course.

As I have mentioned before I have fallen in love with pasta fagioli. Ever since I first tried it in Lancaster a few months ago, I have made it one of my must order items whenever it is on the menu. This particular pasta fagioli was superb. I wish I had gotten a picture of the bowl full of soup, but I forgot to take one before I started eating. Haha. The beans and the pasta combine so perfectly with the tomato broth, that you would think you are in heaven with each and every bite!

My veal abruzzi was out of this world as well. Thinly sliced pieces of lightly breaded veal, served in a white wine, garlic broth and topped with roasted peppers, pepperoncini, onions, and potatoes. The topping had a bit of a hash feeling to it. The sauce was truly impeccable. It was vibrantly colored and full of garlic and white wine flavor. I wanted to slurp up all of the sauce after the rest of the meal was gone! I had a side of rigatoni vodka with my veal, and it was magnificent. They have hands down the best vodka sauce that I have ever had. No one else’s vodka sauce even comes close in my opinion. If you try La Posata, you have to get something with vodka sauce!

I had just enough room to split a dessert with my girlfriend. We ordered the bailey’s cake that they were offering, and it was definitely a great choice. The bailey’s flavor was in each and every bite, but it was so subtle that you might miss it if you didn’t know it was there. The cake itself was moist, and you got the perfect amount of icing with each and every bite!

La Posata is definitely a place that you should check out if you get the chance. It is hidden, but once you know that it is there you will never forget it. I love finding places like that because that is the whole goal of my journey; to find the best places to eat, both known and unknown. Cheers!

Mambo Italiano in Atlantic City

Carmine’s

Tropicana Casino

Atlantic City, NJ

www.carminesnyc.com/locations/acnj/

After a long and grueling tax season, the custom at my firm, at least for the younger generation, is to go down to Atlantic City for a night and “unwind”. We took a group of about 15 people or so down, but not everyone wanted to go out to dinner. You know I was in, and seven other people joined me as we made our way to Carmine’s at the Quarter and the Tropicana.

Since there were eight of us and Carmine’s is served family style, we ordered a variety of different dishes. The special of the day was veal ossobucco, so we ordered that, fried calamari, antipasto salad, chicken parmigiana, shrimp scampi, spinach, and penne alla vodka. I also ordered a Tanqueray and tonic, which turned out to be quite delicious.

The food at Carmine’s really is remarkable. Everything that we ordered was fantastic. The calamari was crunchy and tender. It was some of the best fried calamari that I have ever had. The salad was extremely interesting as well. There seemed to be some sort of vinaigrette dressing on it, and the rest was simply perfection. It was iceberg lettuce, with pieces of salami, ham and provolone tossed in, as well as pepperoncinis dispersed throughout. All of the flavors melded perfectly together and brought the salad to a whole other level.

The main courses were even better than the appetizers. The ossobucco was pretty good, although I wish it were a bit more tender. That being said it was extremely flavorful, and the risotto that it was served over was incredible. The penne alla vodka was a great choice by whoever ordered it from our table. It is one of my favorite Italian dishes, and Carmine’s did it some serious justice. The pasta was cooked perfectly, and the sauce had just enough of a bite to keep me wanting more and more. The chicken parm and the spinach were fantastic as well.

The most interesting piece of the meal was the shrimp scampi for me. While I only got one piece of shrimp, I thought it was scrumptious. I had never had shrimp scampi with a crust on it before, and this particular shrimp had a bread crumb crust on the one side of it. The lemon and garlic flavors were very prevalent and I thought it was very well done.

Carmine’s is really a must go to place at some point in time in your life. Ideally you should visit the original in NYC for the full experience, but if you can’t make the trip up there, go down to the Quarter and give it a try. I am sure that you will love it! Cheers!

Philly Sports Best

Chickie’s and Pete’s

Wells Fargo Center

Philadelphia, PA 19148

www.chickiesandpetes.com/ 

I love to go to Philadelphia Flyers games, and when it comes time for the NHL playoffs, I will not miss a game. My family has had season tickets for 30 years, and I go to every game that I can. While at a game a few weeks ago, my buddy and I got there early enough that we wanted to grab some food before the game started, so we headed into the AT&T Pavilion and got some Chickie’s and Pete’s. I ordered my usual at Chickie’s and Pete’s, which is an order of buffalo chicken tenders and crab fries.

For those of you that do not know what crab fries are, they are fries seasoned with old bay and other seasonings. They come in a bucket, and they are usually served with a side of melted cheese to dip them in. The buffalo tenders are fried, and they are served with a side of buffalo sauce. Both items are extremely delicious, but they are definitely not the healthiest option available.

The food from Chickie’s and Pete’s is much better when you actually go to the restaurants outside of the Philadelphia sports arenas, but the food is still good nonetheless. If you have never had crab fries before, I would recommend that you try them some time. They are very unique and delicious and I am positive that you will love them. Cheers!

Sushi Surprise

Sushi Land

861 W. Lancaster Avenue

Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

www.sushiland.us/

I love to surprise my girlfriend with impromptu visits and gifts, so after she returned from a 10-day trip to Panama, I led her to believe that I would not be seeing her until the weekend. I showed up at her door on a Wednesday evening and we went out to dinner with her and a few of her friends to a nearby sushi spot called Sushi Land.

I had been here a few times before, and I have yet to be disappointed. I love sushi, and the sushi at Sushi Land is very fresh and delicious. I was not feeling my best this particular evening, stupid allergies, but I tried to eat and act as though nothing was bothering me. I ordered the dynamite roll and the Mexican roll (both had spicy sauces on top of course) and I relaxed and enjoyed the company I was in.

When the sushi came out I was starving, so I immediately began eating. I had prepared my chop sticks and wasabi/soy mixture previous to the food coming out, so I was ready to go. The Mexican roll was very simple, but it was done quite well. It was a traditional California roll (crab and avocado) topped with shrimp and spicy sauce. The sauce really made it that much better, and I devoured each and every bite, using the wasabi/soy sauce I made at my leisure.

The dynamite roll was a bit more complex, but definitely just as delectable. It was a spicy tuna roll, topped with salmon, crunch, and double spicy sauce on top. I don’t know if my taste buds can simply handle more heat than they used to, but the double spicy sauce tasted the same as the regular spicy sauce. It was all very good however, and I enjoyed each and every delicious morsel.

Sushi Land is definitely a sushi place that I would recommend to anyone. I am very serious and particular when it comes to sushi, and Sushi Land does everything really well. They are also a BYOB, which always makes for a great time, so bring along your favorite adult beverage an enjoy it. If you are in the neighborhood of Bryn Mawr, give it a try and let me know how it is! Cheers!

Free Food Saves the Day

PJ Welihan’s

396 South Lenola Road

Maple Shade, NJ 08052

http://www.pjspub.com/mapleshade/index.htm

PJ’s, in any of their different locations, is a great place to hang out and have beer with friends. The servers are hot, the beers are reasonably priced, and the food is decent, which usually makes for a pretty good time. On the final day of tax season, my coworkers and I ventured to the PJ Welihan’s in Maple Shade for lunch, but afterwards I immediately wished we had gone somewhere else.

We went out on a Friday during Lent, so since I am Catholic, my options were very limited on the menu. I wound up ordering the fried crabcake sandwich, and it was a pretty disappointing choice. The crabcake was served on a potato roll with a side of fries and tartar sauce.

The sandwich came out and it was way too hot to eat. It had clearly just been deep fried because it was covered in grease. Once it had cooled down, I found the crabcake lacking in seasoning and flavor. The filing was kind of mushy and I was severely disappointed. The fries were good, but they could not make up for the faults of the crabcake sandwich. The only highpoint of the meal was that I did not have to pay for such a poor attempt at a crabcake sandwich because my boss picked up our tab. Haha

This is always the problem for me with PJ’s. The food is so hit or miss that it is very difficult to know what to expect when you order. I really wish the food would be more consistent and of better quality. Until they fix that problem, I would recommend that you just go there to drink and stay away from the food if you can eat somewhere better. Cheers!

 

Porktastic Sandwiches!!

Dinic’s Roast Pork
Reading Terminal Market
51 North 12^th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/merchants/view/56

Usually when I go to Flyer’s games with my buddies, we hit either Jim’s Steaks on South Street, or Geno’s steaks on Passyunk for a cheesesteak before the game. However I gave up red meat for Lent, so I decided it was a great time to try a sandwich that I had been dying to try for quite some time; the famous roast pork sandwich from Dinic’s in Reading Terminal Market.

I fell in love with Reading Terminal Market the first time that I set foot in it. It is truly a foodie’s paradise, and even if you are not as into food as I am, I am almost certain that you will find it pretty awesome. There are many places to eat, markets to buy fresh produce and meats from, and lots of stands to buy all kinds of food related items at. My cousin tried the Dinic’s roast pork sandwich after it was mentioned in the article in Philly magazine about the best sandwiches available in Philadelphia, and he raved about it every day since. Naturally I had to try it to make sure he wasn’t just pulling my leg.

All I can say is wow. I ordered the roast pork sandwich with sharp provolone cheese and Italian long hot peppers. The pork was so incredibly tender. It was full of flavor and the provolone cheese was just sharp enough to leave a touch of tang in your mouth after every bite. I love Italian long hot peppers, so I was in heaven with each and every spicy bite.

I really could not think of a better roast pork sandwich. In my eyes it was perfect in every bite, and I know that anyone that goes to try it after they read this will feel the same way. Just make sure you go at a good time in between the lunch and dinner rush or else you will have to wait in line for a long time. I have seen the line be over and hour long wait for a sandwich. Let me know what you think! Cheers!