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Category: 3 Cars (Page 3 of 6)

We love the rice noodle in all its forms. They can be filled with almost any sort of meat, poultry, or seafood.

Wonder Seafood, Edison NJ

July 9, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

We have nothing against modern, chefly dim sum restaurants, any more than we object to fancy-pants chefs’ takes on Italian cuisine, say, or beachside cuisine. We often enjoy the upscale, pricier stuff made from carefully sourced ingredients, artfully plated. But sometimes we want a perfect plate of simple, homey lasagna, or an overflowing basket of fried belly clams with o-rings. Or, more to the matter at hand, old-school dim sum served from rolling carts in a frantic, bustling, hyperventilating weekend morning scene. And there are none in the North Jersey area (and few, for that matter, in Manhattan’s Chinatown, across the river) the equal of Edison’s Wonder Seafood. Continue reading

A traditional New Jersey Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese is served on a hard roll. That setup is available at the White Rose, of course, but we recommend going one step further and getting your sandwich on a hero roll.

White Rose Diner, Linden NJ

July 6, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Sue places a breakfast order for a Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese sandwich. She does not like runny yolks.

SUE: How do you do your eggs?
COUNTERMAN: Well… when I get here in the morning I turn on the grill and let it heat up. Then I get the eggs out…
(Laughter from the working men dining at the counter, almost to a man with work pants riding down low enough to expose butt cleavage)
SUE: I get enough smart-ass answers from my husband.
(More chuckles)
BRUCE (to counterman): I think she’s falling in love with you.
(Further laughter from the pew)
COUNTERMAN: It happens that quick, does it? Continue reading

Madonia is the bread bakery of choice on Arthur Avenue.

Madonia Brothers Bakery, Bronx NY

July 4, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

We knew of one woman, 85 years of age, who lived in the northern suburbs of New York City. She probably shouldn’t have been driving at all anymore, yet she still made the twice-weekly trip to Madonia Bakery, 97 years of age, in The Bronx, for her fix of the Italian bread she grew up with. Good, old-fashioned bread will do that to true yeast fanatics. Continue reading

Prosciutto from Italy, fresh basil, bread from Dom's a few blocks away, and handmade mutz from this very shop -- other than a straight mutz hero this is one of the best ways to appreciate Vito's sweet, creamy mozzarella.

Vito’s Deli, Hoboken NJ

July 3, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

For most of the 20th century, Hoboken, NJ was primarily an Italian-American enclave. Like many other Northeast industrial cities, Hoboken fell on hard times from the 1950s forward, losing over half its population, until late-century gentrification took root. Throughout it all, some of the classic Italian bakeries and delis, such as Fiore’s, survived, and others, like Dom’s bakery, sprouted with the city’s rebirth, carrying on this Hudson River city’s Italian heritage. In the latter category is Vito’s Deli, one of Hoboken’s premier sandwich makers. Continue reading

If you ask for the works, Louie's will dress your foot long as shown. The frank develops a good crust from the burning coals.

Louie’s Foot Long Hot Dogs, Tonawanda NY

July 1, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

There are a surprising number of foods that are either unique to the Buffalo area (locally referred to as Western New York or WNY) or are simply particular favorites of Buffalonians. Everyone knows about hot-sauced wings and beef-on-weck. The wings you can today get all over the country but, oddly, the weck never made it out of the city. Continue reading

That's not one long hot dog traversing the pizza bread, but two dogs stuck in either end. The bread is not quite like Italian bread, not like pizza crust, not much like pita, and not a hamburger bun. What is it? A little of each.

Tommy’s Italian Sausage & Hot Dogs, Elizabeth NJ

June 30, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

North Jersey is well known for its great hot dogs, but the fine Italian sausage of the region should not be ignored. We present as example Tommy’s Italian Sausage in Elizabeth, a take-out only storefront that makes its own sausage and serves it up in the same classic configuration as an Italian hot dog, in a split loaf of what’s called pizza bread (like a cross between pita and Italian bread) with fried potatoes, onions, and peppers. The sausage is sliced open and grilled to crustiness, then slipped into the fresh bread. The predominant flavor of this sausage is pork rather than spice, with a satisfying coarse-ground meaty texture. Continue reading

Yocco's hot dogs are well-browned and topped with a dark brew.

Yocco’s, Allentown PA

June 28, 2015 / / 0 Comments

THIS LOCATION CLOSED

REVIEW

Hot dog places are often as much about the place as about the dog. That’s why we recommend that if you visit Yocco’s you head to the original downtown Allentown store rather than the newer branches. From the outside, the downtown location looks like a corner bar. Step inside to a narrow room with tables beyond the grill area and ordering counter up front. In keeping with the corner bar theme, there is a double-size self-serve cooler filled with beer, including the largest collection of oversize bottles we’ve ever seen. Continue reading

The Sicilian slices at Joe's have an unusually light and airy crust.

Joe’s Pizza, New York NY

June 27, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

New Yorkers don’t have to be told where to get a good slice of pizza. Most people have their nearby favorites, and pretty much everyone knows that when you’re in the Village, Joe’s is the place to go; it’s no secret discovery. This tip is for visitors. Continue reading

THE New Jersey sandwich: pork roll, egg, and cheese. Classically served on a hard roll, with ketchup. We ordered ours on a seeded half-hoagie roll, no ketchup.

The Little King, Hamilton Square NJ

June 26, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

The Little King is the quintessential Central New Jersey sandwich shop, whose motto is, “Where a Sandwich Is a Full Meal.” Walk in to the strip mall eatery and head to the counter to place your order. It is there you’ll be confronted by dozens of signs touting special sandwiches, as well as a few dozen more to be found on the menu board on the wall. If you suffer from menu panic syndrome, simply step out of line and read to your heart’s content. Continue reading

Main courses were for the most part of little interest. One notable exception was this extraordinary dish of salt cod and chick peas.

Mamma Rosa Trattoria, San Casciano Val di Pesa, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

June 25, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Like bruschetta, sliced cured meats are a constant on traditional Tuscan menus. The white stuff is lardo: cured pork fat. Tuscan prosciutto tends to be drier and saltier than silky prosciutto from Parma, but it is no less delicious.

Like bruschetta, sliced cured meats are a constant on traditional Tuscan menus. The white stuff is lardo: cured pork fat. Tuscan prosciutto tends to be drier and saltier than silky prosciutto from Parma, but it is no less delicious.

Continue reading

Which Stewart's Drive-In in New Jersey serves the best root beer? Our vote goes to Vineland!

Stewart’s Drive-In, Vineland NJ

June 22, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

We’re always on the lookout for great root beer (our current favorite bottled RB includes Virgil’s and Hank’s). Even more thrilling are drive-in root beer stands, like the small NJ-based chain called Stewart’s Drive-In. Frank Stewart opened the first Stewart’s drive-in, selling his specially formulated root beer and salty, thirst-inducing popcorn, in Ohio in 1924. Over the years, the chain expanded and contracted, and ownership changed and changed again. Today, the chain is based in New Jersey, and most of the drive-ins are in the Garden State, too. Continue reading

Chewy meat, cheap cheese, just right

Midway Steak House, Seaside Heights NJ

June 18, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

There’s a scene in an old Woody Allen movie, Love and Death. Woody, playing a Russian peasant, is pointing a gun at Napoleon:

Woody: You’re a tyrant and a dictator and you start wars.
Napoleon: Why is he reciting my credits?

That’s how we feel about the Midway Steak House on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights: they use knockoff Cheez Whiz, the meat’s chewy, and there’s not much of it. And those are Midway’s credits! Continue reading

Real corned beef hash will win our hearts every time.

Highland Park Diner, Rochester NY

June 14, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

As committed diner fans, we don’t require much from them other than OK food and lack of filth. Pretty low standards, admittedly, but for a burger or bacon-and-egg breakfast it’s usually enough. Which is not to say we don’t appreciate a diner that’s either gorgeous or has exemplary eats. And the Highland Park Diner, in the South Wedge section of Rochester, scores on both points. Continue reading

Everyone at the Jersey shore immediately knows the source of this pizza by sight alone.

Maruca’s Tomato Pies, Seaside Heights NJ

June 8, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

There are still many Trenton-area tomato pie aficionados who get misty-eyed at the mention of the long-departed Maruca’s. De Lorenzo on Hudson Street (now in Robbinsville), De Lorenzo on Hamilton Avenue (now in Hamilton Township), Papa’s (also now in Robbinsville), Joe’s (closed), Maruca’s: those were the Big Five. Maruca’s opened a branch at the Jersey shore and eventually closed up shop entirely in the city. Today, Maruca’s shore reputation may surpass its capital city rep. Many people claim that Maruca’s serves the best slices on the shore. We tend to agree with them. Continue reading

You can get your pizza any way you want, but there are a few set-piece specialty pizzas. This one features ham, double cheese and onions, and no red sauce.

Pizza Perfect, Trucksville PA

June 6, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Pizza snobs beware: what you will find at Pizza Perfect in Trucksville, PA, and at similar pizza specialists in the region, requires you to compartmentalize everything you think you know about what makes great pizza and what constitutes inferior pizza. In other words, enter these doors with an open mind and a LAF spirit. Continue reading

We're generally wary of ordering seafood stews in restaurants, unless we pick up lots of positive vibes from the place (freshness concerns). Saffron Salmon's stew is based on a rich seafood stock and contains fresh mussels, prawns, fish, and crab. Highly recommended!

Saffron Salmon, Newport OR

June 5, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

The most common words used to describe Saffron Salmon are “fine dining.” Yes, the quality is high, and be forewarned, prices, while by no means outrageous, run beyond what LAF fans may have come to expect. Nevertheless, in our opinion, of the pricier restaurants of Newport, there’s no better place in which to drop a Benjamin. Continue reading

Pools of fresh mozzarella over tomatoes - simple and unimprovable

Forno Siciliano, Astoria NY

May 21, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Crust is a big part of the story at Forno Siciliano. The pizza dough is stretched out on a semolina-sprinkled board, resulting in a sandy-textured surface around the edge and underneath the pie. It’s baked in an impressive wood-burning oven, which you see to your left as you enter. These pizzas pick up a whiff of smoke from that oven, and the intense heat gives the crust a good crunch without drying it out. The baked crust has a faint yeastiness and well-developed flavor to go along with a chewy texture. There won’t be a pan of pizza crust edges left over on your table. Continue reading

These are wide ribbons of pappardelle in a meat sauce of great depth. Fantastic!

Enoteca Bengodi, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Siena, Tuscany, Italy

May 18, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

An enoteca in Italy refers to anything from a wine store to a wine bar to a restaurant with a special focus on wine. Unlike in the US, wine in Italy practically requires a food accompaniment, so these wine bars will always have something available to eat (even a wine tasting during a winery visit will often come with a plate of salumi and bread). Also unlike the US, where wine bars can seem like serious and studied (and expensive) temples to fermented grape juice, Italian enotecas are casual places often serving a limited selection of the local rustic specialties. Continue reading

A full rack of the meatiest baby back ribs we've ever seen - first-rate Q!

Pig Feathers, Toledo OR

May 13, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

No regional qualification necessary: Pig Feathers makes damn good barbecue. We admit to being surprised by this fact. Coastal Oregon is not considered a hotbed of great Q, and we’ve come to expect smoke parlors with goofy names like Pig Feathers, and goofy mottos like their trademarked “Everyone loves a great rack!”, to churn out the kind of ordinary barbecue found in shopping malls across the country. Beware of hasty judgments. Continue reading

Carbonara is a Roman specialty. Versions in the US often use cream, and more, but the original Roman version consists of eggs, cheese, and guanciale or pancetta. This one apparently uses yolks only. Just look at that color! It's a sticky, eggy, rich cheesy pasta generously laced with pork nuggets.

Da Sergio, Rome Italy

May 7, 2015 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

Cacio e pepe is another Roman pasta favorite. It's made with pecorino and black pepper but, again, no cream or butter. Moisture comes from some pasta cooking water and perhaps a little olive oil. This is a perfect example of how simple combinations of good ingredients can make Roman dishes so transcendently satisfying.

Cacio e pepe is another Roman pasta favorite. It’s made with pecorino and black pepper but, again, no cream or butter. Moisture comes from some pasta cooking water and perhaps a little olive oil. This is a perfect example of how simple combinations of good ingredients can make Roman dishes so transcendently satisfying.

Continue reading

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