restaurants

14
Jul
2021

Review: Celebre’s Pizzeria – Philadelphia PA

There are hundreds of pizza places in Philadelphia but Celebre’s in South Philly is one of my favorites. It’s conveniently located in a shopping center with its own parking lot which is nice when you want to run there for lunch during the workday. The staff is friendly and if you call ahead they’ll have your pizza ready right when you get there which is also great for workday lunches. We only go there a few times a year since I try not to eat too many carbs, but the waitress always remembers us and if we don’t call ahead, she remembers what we usually order as soon as we walk in.
Yes, the reason she remembers our order is that we’re hooked on the same thing every time. I’m a sucker for white pizza, and theirs is great. We get it with onions. It’s not something I would’ve thought to order, but a friend suggested it one of the first times we went there and it’s been our usual ever since. I’ve even driven into the city, and past about 1000 other pizza places, during the pandemic to grab one for takeout.
Posted by Michael in Reviews
14
Jul
2021

Review: Charlie’s Crepes – Merchantville NJ

We discovered Charlie at the Collingswood Farmer’s Market where he serves up his crepes from a cart. After tasting them, we knew we needed to go try his shop. Since we started visiting him after the pandemic began, we’ve only done curbside takeout so far, but I definitely foresee us sitting in the cozy little outdoor seating area surrounded by his wife, Lisa’s flower gardens enjoying a meal in the near future. Why do we drive 30 minutes to get crepes when there are closer places we could go? Because they’re delicious, of course! He has a great variety of crepes (both savory and sweet) and constantly changing specials. My personal favorite is the smoked salmon. It’s made with brie cheese, pickled red onion and capers. We’ve tried quite a few others also and have yet to find one we didn’t like.
We’ll be back many more times to see what new creations Charlie comes up with. I’m sure they’ll all feature fresh and tasty ingredients.
Posted by Michael in Reviews
14
Jul
2021

Review: Thai Terrace – Washington Twp NJ

I will gladly admit that I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to Thai food. I almost always order Pad Thai. That might seem boring, but I like the dish and it’s a good way to compare restaurants. Thai Terrace is one of the best I’ve had. The only complaint I have is that sometimes the spiciness is a little inconsistent. However, I’m willing to chalk that up to varying depending upon who’s cooking on a given day. They have four levels of spiciness. I usually go with #2, medium. It’s usually within my range of spice tolerance.

We also order typically a lot of appetizers. They have some really good ones. The pork dumplings are delicious. The chicken satay is incredibly tender. They also have one called Thai Shrimp Green Wrap that’s really unique and tasty. It consists of shrimp, peanuts, coconut, sweet chili sauce, lime, scallions, ginger and red onions in a lettuce wrap. It seems like a lot of ingredients but they all combine incredibly well.

We occasionally try new local Thai restaurants as we discover them, but we always seem to wind up back at Thai Terrace. The atmosphere in the restaurant is quiet and peaceful; the owners and their staff are really friendly and the food never disappoints.

Posted by Michael in Reviews
20
Mar
2021

Review: The Avocado Mexican Grill – Runnemede NJ

I’m always on the lookout for good Mexican food and will happily drive a long distance to get the good stuff. When I noticed that a new Mexican place had opened close to home, I had to check it out right away. With the COVID pandemic limiting us to only getting takeout, close is a good thing. Their menu includes all of the standards, so we ordered a bunch of stuff to make our own sampler. Yeah, we’d have a lot leftover, but if it’s good, who cares!
When I say the standards, I mean tamales, enchiladas, chiles rellenos and few other items. Sure, they have a lot more than this on the menu, but if they can make these items well, they can probably win me over. Well, they certainly won me over and I have a new go-to place for Mexican food! ALL of the dishes that we ordered were some of the best I’ve had anywhere. I can’t wait to go back and pick up some of their steak dishes.
I look forward to the day when it’s safe to start eating out at restaurants again because Avocado Mexican Grill will be on my list of places to go. However, their great food and close proximity to home means I’ll be ordering curbside pickup many more times between now and then! Plus, despite only interacting with the staff on the phone and at the car window, they were incredibly friendly and helpful.
Posted by Michael in Reviews
09
Mar
2020

Review: Clayton’s Coffee Shop – Coronado CA

Finding a good breakfast spot while on a business trip is important. We randomly picked Clayton’s from Yelp figuring if we didn’t like it, we’d pick another place the next day. After our first visit, we knew we’d be back everyday for the remainder of the week we were on Coronado Island.

Clayton’s a small diner that looks like not much has changed in many years. It’s old, but well maintained. There are old jukeboxes along the counter and in the booths. Two of our three days there, we sat at the counter since the booths were full and we wouldn’t have all fit in a one anyway. Like I said, it’s a small place. However, for breakfast, this isn’t bad since you’re not there too long anyway so the seats turn over fast. The staff was friendly and attentive, especially when sitting at the counter.

The menu has traditional diner items with a distinct Mexican twist. I’m a sucker for good machaca and the machaca scramble did not disappoint. I will say that I ordered it twice and the first time it had more eggs than meat and the second time there was much more meat than eggs. Maybe there were two different cooks in the kitchen. However, both were delicious. We tried a variety of other dishes, mostly egg-based, and no one had any complaints. The portions are also quite generous.

Clayton’s is a “coffee shop” and not officially a diner, but it could hold its own against any east coast diner, which is high praise coming from a resident of New Jersey, the diner capital of the world.

Posted by Michael in Reviews
26
Jan
2020

Review: Monarch Diner – Glassboro NJ

Monarch Diner is the latest restaurant opened by the former owners of Lamp Post Diner in Gloucester Township. Lamp Post was one of my long time favorite diners but it has gone down hill since it was sold. So, I’m thrilled to see the old owners back again with Monarch. The menu is even very much the same. It’s a bright and clean diner with friendly staff that serves up a ton of standard diner fare with some unique dishes thrown in for good measure. My personal favorite, a carryover from the glory days of Lamp Post, is the “mile-high meatloaf.” It consists of slices of meatloaf layered with mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, onion straws and barbecue sauce. It’s so nice to again be able to get this dish made as it should be!


Of course, as any diner should, they do their baking on premises and serve breakfast all day. The only downside is that they’re not open 24 hours. Lamp Post isn’t either though, so this is not a surprise.


I anticipate that this diner will do great in my old college stomping ground of Glassboro and I’m glad it’s still not far too from home for me since I’ve already been back few times.

Posted by Michael in Reviews
26
Jan
2020

Review: Cinder Bar – Monroe Twp NJ

I’ve been to the original East Greenwich Township location of Cinder Bar numerous times but I’m thrilled to see that they now have a second location because I assume this means they are doing well and, selfishly, it’s closer to home for me. This new location has the same great menu as the original. My favorites are their small plates because they have quite a unique variety and I’m always a sucker for good appetizers/small plates. We typically just order a large selection of them and share. The hardest part is deciding which ones to get because you can only eat so much in one sitting yet they all sound so good. If I had to pick just one, I’d probably suggest the short rib poutine. 


I tend to go to both locations at lunchtime, so we get soft drinks, but the fact that they have 200 whiskeys plus four house made cellos certainly is impressive and a good motivation to go for dinner sometime.


They have a section of the restaurant that can be opened to the outdoors in warm weather months. When we were there on a slightly snowy January day, the windows/roof panels were obviously closed and we sat near the cozy fireplace as we ate off a table built of reclaimed lumber from the historic Philadelphia Broad Street Station. Good food, a cozy atmosphere and some local history… you can’t ask for much more than that!

Posted by Michael in Reviews
26
Jan
2020

Review: Gia Nina’s Pizza – Woodbury NJ

Gia Nina’s is one of many pizza place/Italian restaurants in South Jersey. What sets them apart is the fact that the Italian restaurant side of the house far from the typical pizza place restaurant. As a matter of fact, I’ve never tried their pizza, stromboli or sandwiches. I have, however, sat in their warmly decorated dining room and enjoyed delicious meals with family and friends on many occasions. They have all the standards… lasagna, stuffed shells, ravioli, etc. All that I’ve tried have been fantastic, especially the lasagna. They also have a nice selection of steaks and seafood.


Speaking of seafood, I need to mention the “crab spiders.” This appetizer, with its rather unique name, is one of the highlights of their menu. It’s a combination of crab meat and angel hair pasta fried up and served with sweet lemon curd. I know, it sounds like a strange combination and it is, but it works! It was recommended by the friend I was with the first time I went to Gia Nina’s and I’ve ordered it every time since. Once the crab spiders are gone, be sure to grab your spoon and eat the leftover lemon curd. It’s so good!


One day, maybe I’ll try their pizza, but in the meantime, it’ll remain my go-to Italian spot when I have out of town company or just need a place to take family or friends. The only complaint I have is that they’re closed on Sundays, but everyone needs a day to rest. I’d just rather they did it on Mondays.

Posted by Michael in Reviews
15
Sep
2019

Review: La Cita – Cherry Hill, NJ

I’ve driven past La Cita more times than I can count but have never looked into eating there. After finally deciding to check it out, I’m just sorry that I didn’t go years ago. It’s a very small place, so I highly recommend making a reservation. We did and when we walked in, they had a table ready and waiting for us. It’s nice to see a restaurant that honors it’s reservations and doesn’t just treat them like call-ahead seating requests.

After you sit down, they bring you some tortilla chips with beans on them and 2 thin salsas, one hotter than the other. This was my one disappointment since I don’t like beans. I would have preferred chips with the beans on the side. However, for free, I can’t complain too much.
We ordered a tamale and empanadas for an appetizer. The tamale had nice size chunks of pork in it. The empanadas aren’t on the menu, but were a special the night we were there. They were cheese filled with the lightest empanada dough I’ve ever had. I hope they’re on the specials menu again the next time I’m there!
For dinner, we shared 2 dishes. First was the “Fiesta Mexicana,” a combo of grilled skirt steak, a chile relleno, and floutas. Every bit of it was delicious. The steak, in particular, tasted like it had been grilled over an open fire. Second was a platter of enchiladas. We got them with the rojas sauce and tried one beef, one chicken and one cheese. They were all quite good, but the cheese is still my favorite as it usually is at any Mexican restaurant.
On their website, they advertise that they want you to feel like family. The friendliness of the staff and the authentic Mexican food that tastes home cooked manages to live up to this goal. This will definitely be our go-to local Mexican place from now on!

Posted by Michael in Reviews
27
May
2018

Review: Bob and Edith’s Diner – Springfield VA

Bob & Edith’s Diner takes everything good about a traditional diner and distills down it into one small package. They’re in a shopping center that’s within easy walking distance of the Hilton Homewood Suites hotel that I usually stay at when I’m in the area. They’re open 24 hours a day (a requirement for all diners, in my opinion) which makes it a perfect late night stop. When you walk in, you’re greeted by a bright and cheery atmosphere of white tile, chrome and neon. No matter what hour you go, business seems to be booming, yet both times I’ve been there, there were still some free tables for us plus some seats at the counter. The music from the jukebox keeps the place lively. I was last there on a dark rainy night and I can think of no place more warm and inviting.

Of course, they serve breakfast 24 hours a day as all respectable diners should. The menu is not as expansive as some diners back home in New Jersey, but they have all of the standards plus some. Their burgers are delicious but the best menu item I’ve had is the pancakes. They’re some of the lightest, fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever tasted. I haven’t tried their dinner entrees yet, but maybe next time.

I’m a fan of diners in general and Bob & Edith’s formula of doing everything that a good diner should do without all of the excess stuff that some diners try to tack onto their restaurants is a winning formula!

Posted by Michael in Reviews