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A Rose's Special hoagie from Carmen's Deli in Bellmawr, NJ is a tour de force of two kinds of provolone, hot capicola, prosciutto, sopressata, roasted peppers, tomato, onion, oregano, and oil.

Carmen’s Deli, Bellmawr NJ

November 2, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Carmen’s Deli has achieved a measure of national fame from a visit by The Next Food Network Star winner Aaron “Big Daddy” McCargo, Jr. His sandwich of choice for The Best Thing I Ever Ate was a Carmen’s cheese steak with fried onions and cherry peppers. That combo is now listed on the menu as the Big Daddy, and we gave it a try (“we” being Bruce and the ayersian couple of Chris and Amy). It was quite alright, with plenty of meat, but it didn’t blow us away. Needed more onions and cheese, and the peppers were sparse and too timid. Better than average but not LAF-worthy. Continue reading

Fried seafood at Markey's is utterly grease-free. The clams are excellent but the scallops are superlative.

Markey’s Lobster Pool, Seabrook NH

October 31, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

In the far northeastern corner of Massachusetts, around Ipswich and Essex, you’ll find the best fried clams in America. Head about 18 miles up the coast, to Maine, and you’ll begin to find America’s finest lobsters. So doesn’t it seem reasonable that those short 18 miles between the Massachusetts and Maine coasts would be an equally rich source for great seafood? Yet, have you ever heard of anyone heading to New Hampshire for seafood? Well, that’s not quite what we did, but we did stop in Seabrook on the way to Maine, where we found worthy fried clams and lobster rolls that are well-known to locals but mostly a secret to visitors passing by on the interstate. Continue reading

Cheese frenchees are a favorite Eastern Nebraska snack.

Don & Millie’s, Omaha NE

October 27, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

The cheese frenchee (on some local menus you’ll see it spelled frenchie) might be the quintessential bar food: a salty, fatty, gooey, thirst-inducing snack. Invented at a now-defunct regional chain named King’s Food Host, it shows up on the fast-food menus of a few eastern Nebraska restaurants, including Don & Millie’s, a mini-chain with about half a dozen locations between Omaha and Lincoln. Continue reading

We admire any seafood chef who gets a good crust on sea scallops without overcooking them.

Tozier’s, Bethel VT

October 26, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Do you love side-of-the-road eateries from the early days of motor touring? They are really quite scarce now, most having been razed for chain restaurants, shopping malls, and housing developments. That’s why we were especially delighted to find Tozier’s, very much as we imagine it must have looked in 1946 when Rip and Gwen Tozier purchased Rood’s Ice Cream Stand and cabin court. It was the Toziers who initiated the tradition of seafood at this restaurant in a New England state without a coastline. Today’s Tozier’s (motto: Tastes of the Ocean) still serves the fresh Ipswich clams and scallops, clam chowder, and lobster rolls that the 1940s Tozier’s was famous for. Continue reading

Guess what's a specialty of Onion Flats? Homemade, of course.

Onion Flats, Bethel VT

October 17, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Summer along the New England shore means seafood, but what about inland New England? What’s the great roadside food to be found at summer only stands in the Green Mountains of Vermont? How about seafood? Yes, improbable as it may seem, locals flock to Onion Flats in the Bethel countryside for belly clams, haddock, scallops, and lobster rolls. Continue reading

Pesto Infused Omelette, from one morning's breakfast specials menu: egg whites infused with homemade pesto and filled with tomatoes, avocado, and diced onions. Sue asked them to hold the grilled portobellos.

Daphne’s Diner, Robbinsville NJ

October 15, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Our new favorite local diner! Especially after the sale of Mastoris in Bordentown a couple of years ago Daphne’s, open since October of 2011, has become our go-to breakfast out spot. Actually, we should say Daphne’s reopened in 2011, because this spot was once occupied by Daphne Wilczynski, up until 2005. Then Daphne closed the diner to focus on catering, and the old diner alternated between vacancy, a brief run as the Italian restaurant Diamond’s, and another brief episode as Fernando’s.
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Don't be fooled by the "culinary confetti" garnish, this is grandma's turkey dinner.

Aunt Lucy’s Dinner House, Kingston ON

October 12, 2014 / / 0 Comments

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REVIEW

“Time-tested recipes for that familiar taste of home,” says Aunt Lucy’s website, and that statement pretty much sums it up. Aunt Lucy means to coddle you, not challenge you. There’s nothing to eat here that you haven’t eaten before, at home. And hallelujah for that! Continue reading

Clay's line of Signature fruit pies features a layer of cream cheese filling and another of pecans between the crust and the fruit. It sounds like it could be a bit much but they execute this with restraint. The modest-sized wedge is wonderful.

Clay’s Family Restaurant, Fremont IN

October 10, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Two words: bluegill and pie. That’s what you need to know if you’ll be visiting Clay’s Family Restaurant, just outside of Fremont, Indiana. Continue reading

Fried matzo, known elsewhere as matzo brei, is perhaps the ultimate Jewish soul food. Here it's supplemented with onions and salami, creating something of a hoppel-poppel effect.

Frances’ Deli, Chicago IL

October 8, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

They say Frances’ Deli ain’t what it used to be, but what is? Well, perhaps Manny’s is, but Frances’ is actually even older than Manny’s, going back to 1938 Chicago. It’s now a few blocks north of its original location, and Frances, the man, is long gone. And replacing the Eastern European staff and old Jewish customers are crowds of 20- and 30-somethings from the surrounding Lincoln Park neighborhood. Continue reading

An Irish breakfast: eggs, black and white puddings, rashers, sausage, and broiled tomatoes. Irish brown bread on the side, next photo.

Mrs. Mitchell’s Kitchen, Holyoke MA

October 7, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Holyoke has a larger percentage of residents of Puerto Rican descent than any other city outside of Puerto Rico, but this city, once known as Ireland Parish, also has a distinctly Irish character. Their annual St. Patrick’s Day parade is said to be second in size only to the one held in The Big Apple. Is there food from the Emerald Isle to be found here? Sure enough, thanks to Mrs. Mitchell and her kitchen. Continue reading

Dirty rice is listed as an appetizer rather than a side, which seems odd to us. It's one of the best dishes in the house.

Barbara Jean’s, Ponte Vedra Beach FL

October 6, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

As you stroll from the parking lot to Barbara Jean’s front door, eyeing the Mercedes and Jaguars and BMWs you pass along the way, you might be skeptical of your chances of finding good, and inexpensive, home cooking inside. Nonetheless, here it is, in the golfing mecca of Ponte Vedra Beach. Continue reading

Large pepperoni pie, requested crispy. Pies can be ordered undercooked, regular, crispy, and well done.

Letizia’s Pizza, Norwalk CT

October 5, 2014 / / 6 Comments

REVIEW

We imagine selling pizza in Connecticut is more challenging than in any other part of the country. After all, America’s greatest pizzas are found in the Nutmeg State. The bar here has been set awfully high. And while we wouldn’t match Letizia’s up against the best of its New Haven brethren, emerging from their oven are pizzas that we would be glad to call our neighborhood pies. These are well-executed pizzas, served with an unusual level of hospitality for a pie joint.

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Most of what we've sampled from the menu has been good but we still think the burger is the best dish in the house.

Trap Rock Restaurant & Brewery, Berkeley Heights NJ

October 3, 2014 / / 6 Comments

REVIEW

We visit brewpubs all over the country but rarely eat in them (and, therefore, rarely write about them). While we love craft brews the food in the pubs is fairly predictable: at best, hearty pub grub like burgers, sausages, fish and chips … Nothing wrong with any of that, mind you, and the execution is generally OK, if you stick to the less ambitious selections. But interesting food? Yawn. Trap Rock is one brewpub that smashes the mold.  Continue reading

Poutine for breakfast! The French fries are replaced by home fries and the meat is breakfast sausage.

Chez Ben Diner, Manchester CT

October 2, 2014 / / 2 Comments

REVIEW

It’s not easy to find Canadian cuisine in the U.S., unless you head up to our northern borders. Hell, most Americans probably don’t even know there IS such a thing as Canadian cuisine! Don’t they eat the same things that we do? Yes, they do, but there are also a surprising number of specialties unique to our northern neighbor, and many of them can be found at the Chez Ben Diner. Continue reading

Let the free banchan that open your meal be a clue as to how you should order. Clockwise from bottom left: kimchi, potatoes, bean sprouts, fish.

Asian Bistro, Princeton Junction NJ

September 30, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Pan-Asian? Really? Yes, we know, we know … But it appears there’s something more going on at Asian Bistro. Here are our first impressions after an initial visit. The restaurant features the cuisines of Korea, Thailand, China, Japan, and Vietnam (represented by only a bowl of pho). The owner is Korean-American, and as soon as you’re seated, an array of banchan, small dishes of food (Korean) meant to be shared,  is brought to the table. Today the banchan included kimchi, potatoes, bean sprouts, and fish, all cool and bright tasting, each boasting its own herb, spice, and sauce profile. Let this be a signal: we think the best way to approach Asian Bistro is as a Korean restaurant (something in very short supply in these parts.). Continue reading

Patsy Grimaldi's of Scottsdale makes pizzas that compare favorably with the best of the East.

Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria, Scottsdale AZ

September 28, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

There are a handful of Grimaldi’s pizzerias in Arizona, owned and operated by sons of the owner (no longer Patsy Grimaldi, incidentally) of Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn. We’ve only visited the one in Old Town Scottsdale (they’ve been expanding: there are now seven in AZ, twelve in Texas,  six in Vegas, and more in California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, and South Carolina), but in our experience the pizza in Scottsdale, if you order correctly, is superior to the pies found at the Brooklyn original. Continue reading

A lunch-size portion of mofongo with chicken

ME Casa, Jersey City NJ

September 24, 2014 / / 2 Comments

REVIEW

We won’t pretend to be experts on Puerto Rican cuisine, but we are experts on what we like. And we like what’s served at the small and unobtrusive, below-street-level ME Casa very much. The owners call the cuisine Puerto Rican-inspired, not Puerto Rican. The mofongo sure seemed like the real thing. Mofongo begins with green plantains, which are fried and then pounded with garlic and chicharrones in a mortar-and-pestle-like device called a pilon. At least, the best ones, like that served at ME Casa, use a pilon. The result, a garlicky mound filled with crusty bits, reminds us texturally of Thanksgiving stuffing. Choose your topping: beef, shrimp, or chicken. This is very easy-to-enjoy eating, Puerto Rican soul food. Continue reading

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