the road | the food | a new direction
For some unfathomable reason we neglected to take any pictures at Cocoa Bakery, or any photos of the cake we brought to a friend’s place, but we do want to put in a good word, because Cocoa Bakery is far from your run-of-the-mill neighborhood bakery. The owner and pastry chef, Jessica Isaacs, was once head pastry chef at Nobu. Continue reading
It’s been an annual tradition for 23 years. On the first day of spring, all of the hundreds of Rita’s locations will distribute free Italian ice (or water ice as it’s known around Philadelphia), from noon until 9 p.m. That day, this year, is Friday, March 20th. Don’t know where your nearest Rita’s is? Check here. If you live anywhere in Eastern Pennsylvania or New Jersey we can guarantee there is a Rita’s near you. Their coverage in the rest of the country is spotty.
We visit the somewhat decrepit Montgomery Cinemas pretty often because it’s the only place less than an hour’s drive from home that shows independent and foreign films. It’s not that we never noticed Ya Ya Noodles, in the same shopping center as the theater, before. It’s just that virtually every Chinese restaurant we’ve been to in central New Jersey seems to have been stamped out by a single Take-Out Chinese Factory. The food sent forth from these places ranges from dismal to just decent enough for delivery. We don’t remember what exactly finally brought us through Ya Ya’s front doors but we are surprisingly glad we did so. Continue reading
Our late breakfast at Daphne’s on Saturday was such a hit with our houseguests that we returned on Sunday, again for breakfast and even later. C’mon isn’t that one of the great things about America? Breakfast all day! Continue reading
Triumph’s beer is pretty good but the food is best left untouched. Add to that the fact that one of us does not enjoy the culinary wasteland of Princeton, NJ and the result is we don’t visit Triumph Brewing very often. But we found ourselves in town, at the art museum, with visitors from NYC, so here we were, sitting at the bar, beers in hand, plate of sloppy, so-so nachos in front of us. Continue reading
We rolled into Daphne’s well into lunchtime but, of course, this is a diner, and breakfast is served all day. Both the breakfast and lunch menus arrived with long specials menus, where Daphne really stretches beyond the bounds of typical diner cuisine. Unlike at most diners, it’s OK to explore the outer regions here. Continue reading
What brought us to Pho Tan was not the pho but the banh mi which were recently touted in a local publication as the “perfect sandwich” that will “change your life.” Our lives remain as they were but the sandwich has all the right flavors, and would make a pleasant appetizer to a bowl of pho. The problem is the almost comical paucity of filling. We haven’t seen sandwiches this under-filled since our days in ’70s London. The banh mi is only $4, and perhaps what else could you expect at the price? Continue reading
What, you think a little thing like the Delaware River is enough to confine all the great cheesesteaks to the City of Brotherly Love? Hardly! Good ones can be found east of the river and, as in Philadelphia, you’ll encounter plenty of mediocre, or worse, cheesesteaks, too. But what’s the point of Left at the Fork if we can’t provide a little assistance in directing you to a steak worth your time? One such place is Chick’s Deli, a sandwiches-only joint in Cherry Hill since 1957. Continue reading
For our return visit to Donuts Time we brought our friend with the inestimably discerning palate, Chris Ayers. We all agreed that these yeast-raised donuts are denser and chewier than those from other shops, and that we consider that a compliment. There’s an element of real substance to these pastries – the dough is not simply an airy vehicle for transporting sweet toppings to the mouth. We recognize others may disagree with us on the subject of light-textured donuts. Continue reading
Harold’s is our favorite New York deli, and has been for years. But we were struck during this meal by just how much corned beef and pastrami can vary at almost all good Jewish delis from visit to visit. When you go to Katz’s in New York, the counterman gives you a piece to taste when he begins to carve your sandwich. Sure, he does this because it’s tradition, and it encourages tips, but the idea is for you to decide if you like that particular piece of meat. The implication, of course, is that they vary enough to make a difference. Continue reading
A new donut shop opened near us, run by a woman named Rebecca who attended the Culinary Institute of America. Her tagline: “Home of handcrafted donuts.” All the donuts are of the yeast-raised variety. The filled donuts are sliced open, not injected. These are clearly superior to chain donuts, but we do have a few issues with them. The filled donuts could use a little more filling. They appear well-filled but all the filling is loaded in the front, open half of the donut. We like the cream filling, which tastes like marshmallow and is particularly light and fluffy, far superior to the greasy filling in chain donuts. Continue reading
Captain Dunkin’s Scottish Ale is the polar opposite of an IPA: a little sweet, very malty, low hops, and supremely delicious on a frigid evening. One of us also tried a gin and tonic made with gin they make (season) right here. Interesting touch of rosemary. All the food was good or better; Trap Rock is becoming one of our favorite New Jersey restaurants. Continue reading
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