West Side Gravy - Collingswood, NJ

It's been way to long since we've made the trip down to West Side Gravy, so why not on a rainy Friday night?  We parked out back as the streets were packed, and as we walked up, we could see that Blackbird was absolutely packed.  For those that don't know, Blackbird is Chef Alex Capasso's first restaurant, that moved to this location earlier in the year.  Now, Chef Capasso has both great restaurants under the same roof, working out of the same kitchen.  It just doesn't get any better than that!  Pretty awesome!

As we walked past West Side Gravy, I was super disappointed to only see one other table seated in the restaurant.  Maybe it was the rain ad weather, maybe it is the nasty construction in Haddonfield.  I don't know, but for the quality of fare you get here for the price, I just don't get why this restaurant isn't packed every night of the week, especially the weekends!

Our server came over and opened our wine, and we started off with some apps.  Zelda ordered the lentil soup, and not being a fan of lentils, I actually really liked te flavors and texture of this.  The flavors in the soup were great, and for once, the texture of the lentils didn't bother me in the least.

We also had the ahi tuna tacos, which we have had on many ocassions here, and these were delicious. Awesome sushi grade ahi, piled onto a mini flour tortilla, and topped with avocado, a rice noodle of sorts, and a sweet chili sauce. What can I say other than the fact that we love these. The tuna is always fresh, and the flavors are just so nice.

Zelda opted for the mac and cheese tonight, which again, is always a treat!  This is made with shell shaped pasta, and made with cheddar, gruyere, fontina cheeses, fresh herbs, and toasted breadcrumbs.  Again, this is another favorite, and some of the best mac and cheese around.  Add some fresh lobster, and this is mac and cheese at it's best!

I opted for the steak frites tonight, and this was absolutely delicious!  This is a nice, thin rib eye, cooked to a perfect medium, and packed with flavor.  The flavors from the seasoning on here were perfect, and guessing it was just a little salt and pepper.  The flavor from the grill however are what makes this dish a thing of beauty.  The grill is nicely seasoned, and busting with flavors.  The fried onions added a tasty element, and I opted for the truffle oil upgrade for the fries.  Awesome!

We ended up skipping dessert tonight as we were both stuffed, and I have to say, that for under $50, this is one of the best bargains in New Jersey.  Where else can you go and get great entrees for under $20?  From a kitchen with this much talent nonetheless?

There has been a lot of criticism as of late from friends who's restaurants we've supported as of late, but when you have bargains like this, it is hard to support restaurants where entree's are $25-$40.  If only there were more restaurants like West Side Gravy!  Keep up the good work Chef Capasso! 

2007 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Picked up from offsite today, so why not after a 6 hour decant in the cellar. Poured back into the bottle, and then brought to the restaurant.  Unfortunately, I had e-mailed my storage facility telling them I wanted the 2007 "Red Wine," and they instead pulled the cabernet sauvignon.   I didn't realize which wine this was until I got to West Side Gravy, and unfortunately for me, this was a $125 mistake, as I never would have popped one of these this early.

Dark purple color in the glass, with a nose dominated by oak and alcohol.  Some nice dark black fruits, but nothing really stands out.  Some sweet vanilla and herb round out the nose.

More dark fruits on the palate, with some plum, blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry.  Definitely a lot of heat on this wine still as it is so young, but there is definitely some qulity fruit n here.  Lots of creamy oak on the palate as well, so ge your tweezers ready to pull out the splinters.  Lots of heat on the finish, HUGE tannins, and the finish does linger for a good 30 plus seconds. 

I'll hold our remaining bottles, but can be drunk with a 6 hour decant IMHO, but no where near it's potential. I'd wait, and never would have popped this open now had I known it was the cab and not the red. Total waste of a wine that will be awesome in 10 plus years. Thank you moron at offsite for pulling the wrong bottles.  Cough this p as a $125 lesson learned.  Popped a baby here, that is dinking nowhere near it's potential.