Belly Buster's - Browns Mills, NJ

Well, this used to be a great place, and I had heard that the owners had change a few years ago.  Went back for the first time in years, and th place is still pretty much the same. 

Still pretty much a dive bar, and still the same bar crowd from way back when I think.  The girls working in the place were nice, but the cheese steak has definitely changed since way back when.

The bread is different, but the cheese steak is still god.  Not the best in the area by far, but definitely edible.  The service was a bit slow considering we were the only people in the restauant eating.  The first 2 cheese steaks came out, then the other 2 about10 mintes later, and then another 10 minutes after that.

Nice flavors, but again, the bread isn't as good as it was.  Service definitely needs to be faster, but still a decent option in this culinary waste land.  Maybe in the Top 10 places for the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst area, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go here.  Definitely used to be better, but need more restaurants in this area.  OK at best.  Cheers!  - F. Scott

Belly Busters
98 Lakehurst Road
Browns Mills, NJ  08015
Phone:  (609)893-7779

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! 

2006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

I know I said that I would wait another 2 years before we opened up another one of these, but after thinking about the Kosta Browne 4-Barrel we are auctioning off for the relief efforts in Haiti, what nicer opportunity to open one of these tonight? Needless to say, I grabbed one of these from the cellar to enjoy at Blackbird Dining Establishment in Collingswood, NJ.

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This was popped and poured, and served in a Rona glass at the restaurant, and let me say that this was by far one of the nicest restaurant stems that we have seen in quite a while. So much that we even left the Riedel's in their carrying case, so this saved me a bit of hand washing! Great touch in my opinion, so kudos to Blackbird!

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In the glass, a gorgeous color, ruby color, and as the glass sat on the table, I could already smell that seductive Kosta Browne nose that is so identifiable as Kosta Browne. I don't know what it is about these wines, but they are so easy to pick out, and that is a beautiful thing.

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The nose was dominated by an intense sweet black cherry, with nice hints of cola, spice, a touch of vanilla, and a subtle earthiness. The nose on this wine is huge, and I absolutely love it. As the wine warmed up and was allowed to breath, there were also secondary hints of jammy red berries, hints of plum, and raspberry. I also picked up a bit of alcohol, which Zelda did not pick up, but I will be the first to admit that she has a better nose than I do, and I am also a bit stuffed up today. That said, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if it were just me.

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On the palate, what can you say other than the fact that this wine is HUGE! Once again, the dark cherry dominates, and it is a bit on the candied side, which is not a bad thing at all. The cherries explode in your mouth, along with some jammy, sweet red berries. As the wine mellowed in the glass, secondary nuances of raspberry, strawberry, and plum come through, with a nice bit of earthiness and spice. On the mid palate, the acidity has settled quite a bit, and the wine has rounded out nicely since the last time we had this. There is still a bit of heat on the finish, but it does not dominate, and it is not offensive in the least. This just proves my theory that with another year in the bottle, this is going to integrate nicely.

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All in all, another great Kosta Browne! There seems to be a very defiant love hate relationship with these wines, but we just happen to be part of the crowd that loves them. I really look forward to trying this wine side by side with an '07 in the future, and I am sure that we will get a chance.

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This wine picked up another 2 points since we last had it, and is worthy of 92 points. Another point is definitely possible as this wine continues to come together! Stay tuned, and keep up the good work Kosta Browne! Cheers!

Daryl Wine Bar - New Brunswick,NJ

Sweetest Day 2009 at Daryl Wine Bar...full review to come! Vino by the glass: 2004 Wellington Zinfandel 2006 Khroma Cabernet Sauvignon First course: 3 cheese tasting Short rib neopolitan with a carrot ragu, onions, and parsnip Diver sea scallops with lentils Pomme frites 302 George Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Phone: 732.253.7780 http://www.darylwinebar.com/

Pizzuto Ravioli - Eatontown, NJ

Well, after a long time of no time to write, I took a few minutes today from the normal grind and took a walk off the fort, to check out the new Italian deli up the road here in Eatontown.

Pizzuto Ravioli just opened up a few weeks ago, and is a welcome addition to the Eatontown area. The real beauty about "PR" is the fact that I can walk there just as fast as it would take me to walk across the parking lot here on the fort to get to my car. In less than 5 minutes, I can be browsing the incredible selection of fresh pasta, cheese, various meats, and many deli case style cooked dishes.

INFORMATION:

Pizzuto Ravioli

17-15 Main Street / Route 35

Eatontown, NJ 07724

Phone: (732)544-2000

FAX: (732)544-2003

WEB: http://www.pizzutoravioli.com/

Unfortunately, their website is not up and running yet, but hopefully it will be in a few weeks. In the meantime, there is a link with their menu on FLICKR located HERE.

Upon first walking in, this place really reminded me of the new Dolce & Clementes located in Robbinsville. They had a lot of the same meats & cheeses, as well as many options for fresh, as well as frozen and dried pastas.

It's nice to see a great selection of freshly sliced Boar's Head meats & cheeses in the deli case, as well as the many different freshly prepared dishes, ranging from baked ziti, to chicken parm, to sausage & peppers, to lasanga. I could go on and on as there were a good 30 dishes in the case, warmed to order.

On the back wall is a list of 24 of their signature sandwiches, all made to order. I opted for "The Brooklyn," comprised of grilled sausage (your choice of hot or sweet), adorned with fried red & green peppers, and topped with melted provolone cheese on a freshly backed torpedo roll!

Unfortunately, I did not ask if they made their sausage their fresh, but it sure was tasty. I opted for the sweet, and it was seasoned very nicely, and just had an all around good flavor. The peppers too were pain fried nicely, and gave the sandwich some noce complexity. Top it with some melted provolone, and you have a winner.

Some other things that look exciting, that I also look forward to trying are their many different stuffed bread, ranging from stromboli, to spinach & mozz, the meatball, chicken, etc. They also have a large selection of wraps, hot and cold subs, salads, and fresh breads and rolls.

In short, this is a nice breath of fresh air for something to be walking distance from the office, and I look forward to trying their other items. Hopefully their website is up and running soon so you too can see what they have to offer! Cheers!

The Best Cheeseburger in New Jersey?

Growing up in the midwest, I grew to have an appreciation for a good cheeseburger. So far in New Jersey, I have had some darn good burgers, and I am now on a quest to find the best burger in New Jersey. With that being said, send me a note of places you think are worthy or claiming the crown, "Best Burger in New Jersey." This truly has to be somewhere that you would go out of your way to visit. Not your typical, run of the mill, "this burger is ok" sort of joint. So far, out of all the burgers I have tried in NJ, I think that the best so far is very close, between Rossi's in Trenton, as well as off the bar menu Anton's At The Swan Hotel in Lambertville. Some other places who's burgers I have enjoyed:

• Oliver - A Bistro - Eatontown, NJ: Jack Mac burger from the lunch menu. Delish!
• Bobby's Burger Palace - Eatontown, NJ: I prefer the Philadelphia Burger
• Five Guys - Shrewsbury, NJ
• Jester's Cafe - Bordentown, NJ
• Triumph Brewing Company - Princeton, NJ: great kobe beef sliders
• Braddock's Tavern - Medford, NJ
• Cafe Kabul at Rat's - Hamilton, NJ: great organic burger and worth the $13 price tag
• HOB Tavern - Bordentown, NJ: nice down and dirty burger for the price

And I could go on and on. But my challenge to you fellow foodies is: Who's burger do I absolutely need to try in New Jersey? Who's do you find to be the best? I have listed a few that I look forward to trying in the menu to the right, so feel free to comment on any of those that I have listed, and feel free to e-mail us with any of your suggestions.

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you. Cheers!