Pete's Steakhouse Tavern - Trenton, NJ

After reading a thread on Chowhound about the cheese steaks at Pete's, I felt compelled to give it a whirl after an early evening of plans changing. Walked in and grabbed the last seat at the elongated circle shaped bar, surrounded by 6 flat panel TVs. From my stool, a separate dining room was behind the wall in front of me, as well as table to both the left and right side of the bar. Service was prompt from the bartender, and I ordered some of PA's finest lager, a Yuengling. Asked for a menu, and immediately ordered a cheese steak with pepperoni and fried onions. In the meantime, I ran into local celebrity Gary Amico of Delorenzo's Tomato Pies on Hudson Street in Trenton. Always great to run into Gary, and chat with him a bit. He's always friendly, and just a great guy, with some amazing hands when it comes to making the best tomato pie in New Jersey! Couldn't have been much more than 7 minutes, and out came my cheese steak on a gorgeous piece of bread, with a side of fries, and a cup of cheese. The bread itself had a nice crust to it, but was nice and soft. Maybe they make these on site? I don't know, but they were tasty. The pepperoni was pepperoni, and added a nice element, without overpowering the steak and the cheese. As for the steak itself, this is not your traditional cheese steak. This was more of a thin steak patty, than your typical thinly sliced, chopped up cheese steak. It was almost more of a thin, but compressed ground steak of sorts, and kind of hard to explain. It also had some different spice elements to it, that definitely did not remind me of your typical cheese steak. Again, this is definitely different, and I don't know that the verdict is out on this steak. I would definitely try it again, and maybe I need to so I can get a better opinion of it. The fries left something to be desired. They were lukewarm at best, and the cheese also left much to be desired. There could have used a few more minutes in the fryer, and could have come right out and into the basket. I ate about 1/2 of them before I had enough. All in all, I have a neutral feeling about Pete's thus far, but would be willing to go back and give it another whirl. Let the Pete's saga continue in the future. Cheers! -F. Scott. Pete's Steakhouse Tavern 523 White Horse Ave Trenton, NJ 08610 Phone: (609) 585-8008

Trenton Kebab House - Trenton, NJ

If there is one thing other than deep dish pizza and Vienna Beef hot dogs that I miss about Chicago, it is the simple fact that you cannot find a good gyro (pronounced /ˈjiroʊ(z)/ or /ˈdʒɪəiroʊ(z)/,[1][2][3] from Greek: γύρος /ˈʝiros/ 'turn').

So far, the best that I have found comes from the Trenton Kebab House. Walked in today during the peak of lunch hour, and you could tell that all the State employees were walking around town for lunch. There were just a few open tables, and many people waiting for take out today, so that is a good thing.

I ordered my gyro, and watched it being freshly sliced off of the spit, with a nice brown char on it. I sat down with my gyro, fries, and Welch's Grape Juice, and was in gyro heaven. From the nice thinly sliced red onion, to the fresh, thinly sliced tomato, this was nice. As usual, I asked for sauce on the side, and dipped one of my french fries in it to get a little taste. If there is one thing that is lacking at Trenton Kebab house, it is their tzatziki sauce. They definitely need to work on their sauce, as it is thin, and just kind of boring. Regardless, it adds a nice element to the sandwich, but isn't nearly as flavorful as some of the good tzatziki back home.

The pita it was served on was nice, with a nice little grill to it to warm it up and give it some color, but the true winner here is the meat. Who knows for sure if they are using 100% lamb, or if they are using a lamb/beef mix, or some other hybrid. We may never really know for sure, but it truly is tasty. It;s cooked nicely, with a bit a browning to it to give it some good texture, but also that nice softness, and not too much grease. It is seasoned nicely, and just tastes good. It might not be as good as some of the best gyros in Chicago, but this is the next best thing I have found on the East Coast.

The fries were OK, but like I say often, they could have used another 2 minutes in the fryer. I like my fries golden, and I like them crunchy. These were actually a bit under done, with some toughness to them, and for being right out of the fryer, they could have been warmer in the middle. But hey, I wasn't there for the fries anyway.

All in all, another good gyro from the Trenton Kebab House, and I left once again with a full belly and gyro smelling hands. Nothing a little anti bacterial can't get rid of until I got home to wash them. Cheers! -F. Scott

TRENTON KEBAB HOUSE 226 East State Street Trenton, NJ 08608

Phone: (609)278-0037 E-mail: trentonkebabhouse@yahoo.com

http://trentonkebabhouse.com/

Rossi's Bar & Grill - Trenton, NJ

Don't try to adjust your monitor's folks, yes, I was at Rossi's again this month, and what is there to say about Rossi's other than yum? Wednesday night seems to prove to be a great night to go out and have some good cuisine and try places that are close by. Tonight proved no differently, so Professor P., if you're reading, keep letting us out of class early on so I can imbibe in some good local cuisine! LOL! ;-)

Got to Rossi's and grabbed my corner seat and ordered a Yuengling from John behind the bar. Immediately ordered a bacon cheddar burger, medium, with homemade chips on the side at the recommendation of my good bicycling pal Gary.

Sat and watched the Olympics for a while, and not even 10 minutes later out came my burger, with a monster basket full of chips. Good lord the chips are a meal in themselves! Cut the burger in half, dumped a bit of Heinz ketchup on it, and some more ketchup on the plate for the chips.

First thing I noticed about the burger is the fact that it was even bigger than the last one. They obviously do not weigh their meat, and they could careless how big your burger is, and trust me when I say that they are big! The last one I had was big, but this was absolutely massive.

Once again, cooked perfect to the temp of medium, and once again, absolutely delicious, and absolutely tasty. The cheddar was bubbling, and the bacon was crisp, and there was nothing at all to complain about.

As for the chips, holy heaven on this lovely my readers! These chips were hot, and they were dry! How they keep this mountain of fried potato love from being greasy is beyond me, but these alone are worth the trip to Trenton. They were nicely fried, some lighter than others, yet some a nice golden russet brown. YUM! I ended up bringing half of them home in a giant brown paper bag, and I will be curious to see how they are tomorrow warmed up.

So once again my dear readers, to the above right is a nice picture of some lovely "beef porn" as those in the industry love to say, and I hope that it has your mouths watering. This is by far the best burger in New Jersey, and I highly recommend that anyone make he drive, whether it be 2 minutes, or two hours. You will not be disappointed!

Sorry for double posts on Rossi's within the same month, but this is a burger that just deserves to be talked about. Let the "nay-sayers" say their "nay's," but I am a fan of Rossi's for life. And as last time, give it up to Bob behind the bar for keeping the beer cold, and the bar happy!

One observation that I made is the simple fact that the roast pork sandwich looks absolutely ridiculous. As much as I would hate to go to Rossi's and not order a burger, the roast pork looks like a must try! The gauntlet has been laid down, so stay tuned for the next adventure to try to roast pork in the Rossi's saga! Cheers! -F. Scott

Rossi's Bar & Grill - Trenton, NJ

After a long day, nothing says love to a Midwestern boy like me like a good burger! That being said, I took a ride over to Trenton to visit the world famous Rossi's Bar & Grill, for what many call the best burger in NJ. I'll say that it has been years since I have been to Rossi's, but Zelda took me there when we first started dating way back when. I remember the burger being fantastic back then, and there is really no excuse that we haven't been back in such a long time. That said, tonight was the night! I walked in and grabbed a seat at the bar, and the place looked just as I remembered. Sat down and ordered a beer from Bob behind the bar, got a menu, and opted for the burger with Swiss cheese, and fried onions, cooked medium. It couldn't have been much more than 5 minutes, and out came my burger and fries. The burger looked just as I remembered, but was bigger than I remembered them being. Upon cutting it in half to make it easier to eat, the burger was cooked perfectly. Unfortunately, the Blackberry doesn't do the burger justice, but you get the idea! The onions had very light coloring to them, but were nice and tender, and the swill cheese was melted and oozing all over the place!

I added a bit of Heinze ketchup to the burger, put some on my plate for my fries, and in I dove! The first bite was heaven, and I had to ask why it has been so long since I have been back to Rossi's. This is just such a good burger! No frills to it whatsoever! Just good meat, and minimal seasoning. If I had to guess, it's just a little bit of salt and pepper. Do you really need to add anything else? Obviously not! The meat itself was tender, and had really nice flavor. It was simple, and just down and dirty good. It wasn't greasy in the least, but you can tell there is a little fat in their ground beef to give it that good flavor. The Swiss cheese added a nice element, as did the onions. The onions actually had a bit of a sherry taste to them, which I am assuming is from flying on the flat top. All in all, what can I say other than awesome! $13 for a burger and a Yuengling. That's cheaper than just a burger at some of the establishments we have in town, and their burger doesn't compare to a Rossi burger! If you're looking for one of the best burgers in NJ, Rossi's is a must hit! I look forward to comparing this burger to a burger from Boom in Belmar, as well as Barnacle Bill's in Rumson. Stay tuned for the latest and greatest to find the best burger in NJ! For now, Rossi's is in the lead! Cheers! Rossi's Bar & Grill 501 Morris Avenue Trenton NJ 08611 Phone: (609)394-9089 http://www.rossiburger.com/

Finding fish & chips in Central Jersey for Lent...

So with the Catholic season of Lent upon us, it always inspires me to look for a place that has good fish and chips in the area. Unfortunately, I have have found little success in doing so, so my question to you is, where do you go in New Jersey for fish and chips? There is currently a thread on Chowhound, however, none of those places seem to be in the Trenton Metro.

There is also the Dublin Square Pub coming soon, but not being here yet, it really doesn't do a lot of good. We've had the fish & chips at Triumph in Princeton, as well as The Inn at the Hawk in Lambertville, and they are OK, but there has to be better in the immediate area.

So my question to you Foodies and Chowhounds is this: Where in central Jersey do you go for fish and chips? Cheers, and a happy Lent season to all of you! What did you give up for Lent?

Delorenzo's Tomato Pies - Hudson Street Trenton (01/18) -vs- Robbinsville (01/22)

So within the course of a week, we did and old school comparison of the two best Delorenzo's Tomato Pies. Yes, I prposely did not include Hamilton Avenue Trenton on there. Why? Because it just isn't the same. So what is the different between the two other than one being in Trenton and one being in Robbinsville you ask? I think that Gary said it best Saturday night when we were in Trenton: "Two salads and two bathrooms!" Pretty funny, and it is always great to visit Hudson Street, although they have kind of been snubbed on us since the new store opened.

Gary's son Sam is running the new Robbinsville location, and he is doing a great job over there, If I had to say who had a better pie, it would be a toss up. They are both the best in the world, and always delicious at both locations. Some might take offense to that, but kudos to Sammy and his staff for making as good of a pie as the original. It just doesn't get any better than either location!

But when it comes to ambiance, Robbinsville definitely has the upper hand. Yes, they have a few salads on the menu, they have 2 bathrooms, new plates, and even have wine glasses. The store is gorgeous, it's bigger, and has a great vibe...and Anthony is the second best server in NJ behind Bruce-y Boy at Oliver-A Bistro!

Hudson Street on the other hand is nostalgic, and it is always a pleasure to see Gary. Sure, they have no bathroom, no fancy salads, no wine glasses, etc. But Gary is a staple, the location is staple, and it's a great place to go, and a pleasure to visit.

So in short, you can't go wrong at either, and no matter which you visit, you are going to enjoy the best pie you have ever had, and the best you ever will. Kudos to the gang, and keep up the great work! It's always a pleasure, and great to see the new store thriving! Thanks!

Delorenzo's Tomato Pies - Hudson Street - Trenton, NJ

I'm sure some of you have heard me talk about "Delo's" a million and one times, so what can I say? This place is the best of the best!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Trenton, all I can tell you is that if you are ever in the area, and you are a connoisseur of greatness in the land of tomato pies, then this is the place for you!

First off, let me state that there are two Delorenzo's in Trenton, the best being on Hudson Street, but another being located on Hamilton Avenue, which we have only tried once. Maybe this tells you something? They have also added a third location at the Washington Town Center on Route 33 in Robbinsville, NJ. Gary Amico's son Sam is running this location, and you can check it out at: http://www.delorenzostomatopies.com/

So back to the original, located at 530 Hudson Street. We've been going there for years now, and it is one of those places that I could just never get tired of. They were actually established in 1947, and are located in the old part of town, across from an old abandoned steel mill or something. The building is an old row home, and is run by Gary and his wife. Note that now they are only open Thursday through Sunday, from 4PM-10PM now that the new store is open.

Don't go to Delo's looking for ambiance....don't even go there looking for a bathroom. Yes folks, that is correct, you will not find a bathroom there. How can this be? Well, they have been there for that long, that they were grandfathered in.

There have been many times that we have waited for close to an hour outside on the street, in lines with many others. The last few times we have gone however, we have gotten right in. Unfortunately, this was not the case last night, but we only waited outside for 15 minutes or so, then stood inside for another 5 minutes until a table opened up.

Once seated, we opened our wine case, pulled out two Riedel's, and popped open our wine, which you can read about in the previous post. Yes, Delorenzo's is BYOB friendly. The bus boy came over with our mint green plates and some silverware, and we ordered our two birch beer, which is a staple for us.

Just a few moments later, Gary's wife came over and we placed an order for a large pie, all sweet peppers, and 1/2 sausage for me. Meanwhile, Gary and another gentleman who I can't ever remember seeing before were busy making the pies, running back to the kitchen for more dough, cheese, etc, and pulling pies out of the oven. Some of the pies went from oven, to tray, then were cut, and sent to tables, while others were put into boxes for carry out. They did have the phone on the hook last night, so they were taking phone orders. There are times when they are extremely packed, and they will take the phone off the hook, preventing people from ordering over the phone. How can they afford to do this you ask? Well, they just can! They do that much business.

Our pie came out later, and I have no idea how long it took. Realistically, I could really careless how long it took, because it's Delorenzo's, on Hudson Street no less. Upon arriving at the table, I saw yet another gorgeous pie, cooked to perfection. The crust had nice golden brown edges, with traces of black from where some edges cooked faster than others. My sausage prevailed on my half of the pie, peaking through the most wonderful sauce, accompanied by sweet peppers, with slight amounts of cheese scattered all over the pie.

I wish I could explain just how good these pies are, but it is just so hard to put into words. Say what you will, but their sauce is one of a kind. It has such a great taste, and there are no traces of seasoning in the sauce whatsoever! The tomatoes are crushed for the most part, but you will find chunks of tomato on occasion as well. The crust is nice and crispy, and extremely thin, and usually a nice golden brown color. The cheese is scarce, but it is still good, I would say perfect, but some of you might consider ordering them with extra cheese if you are a lover of a pie covered in cheese. I can't say enough about the sausage they have, purchased from City Beef in Trenton from what Sam has told me. And the sweet peppers! WOW! I would love to get a bottle of these to eat right out of the jar! They are the best!

All in all, another great pie from Delo's, and just one of thousands to come in the next many years from us! Keep up the great work over there guys, and keep those awesome pies coming!