John DeAngelo
John DeAngelo
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HOMEWho is John DeAngelo and why is he occupying valuable web space anyway? Philly's Fork (7/07/05)When a foodie friend, cook book author, and Julia Child Food Arts Curator at COPIA in Napa, CA, visits Philadelphia, where do you take her for dinner that is casual enough for good conversation but high in food quality and presentation? Answer: Fork on Market Street in Old City. Ellen Yin is owner and gracious hostess at this sharply decorated and very popular restaurant. Since another dinner guest and colleague of mine at Temple University, Betsy Barber, had worked with Ellen on the Book and the Cook in March, I thought my foodie friend, Linda Carucci, would enjoy meeting Ellen. I was also a bit nervous about providing the kind of dining experience that would impress and satisfy. No need to worry, Fork filled the bill. From the moment we walked in and were greeted by Ellen to the time we parted, the Fork experience was an evening to remember. The meal started with complimentary oysters dressed with fresh tomato, cilantro and onions, which we all enjoyed. I selected an affordable New Zealand Selaks sauvignon blanc ($35), which was delivered in a screw cap bottle. This is the third time in a month I had to assure dinner guests that screw caps are no longer reserved for Ripple and Night Train Express. The menu is extensive but remains pretty constant from month to month. I recognized many of the items from our visit over a year ago. That's good, because we could recommend items we had enjoyed before. Linda started with a hearts of palm salad with goat cheese ($8.50). Judy and I shared a truffled duck pate with cornichons, grainy mustard, and warm pear ($8.50). Other dinner guests (there were six of us) had the crispy duck confit with red lettuce, black mission figs, gorgonzola and lime vinaigrette ($9.50), and two tempura dipped soft-shell crabs with Belgian endive- radicchio slaw, asparagus tips and Thai basil ($25), . Dinner entrees included pan- seared halibut with dill beurre
blanc, Belgian endive, wild mushrooms and spring potatoes ($26), pan-seared,
pomegranate glazed duck breast over a corn and chick pea relish in curry sauce
($25), a grilled pork chop topped with stuffed squash blossom over mashed
potatoes ($24), and steamed whole striped bass with sautéed tomatoes, fava
beans, and fennel ($24). We topped the meal with a key lime napoleon ($7.50) and
a crispy crostada filled with blackberry coulis ($7.50). Like many restaurants,
Fork adds am 18% gratuity for parties of six or more. Now for the back story. Linda Carrucci, author of Cooking Secrets for Real World Cooks, is on a cross-country tour to promote her first book. In addition to radio interviews with locals like Jim Colman (A Chef's Table, WHYY), Linda is doing cooking demonstrations at Sur La Table and book signings at libraries and restaurants from Naperville, TX to Marlton, NJ. We learned at dinner her book is outselling Mario Batali and Alton Brown. How's that for a first effort! We met Linda several years ago when I was researching cooking classes to give our daughter as a gift. Like Linda, our daughter lives in Oakland, CA. As a bonus (yea ... I'm sure she viewed it as such) we flew out to take the course with her. It was during the Big Night craze, so we all learned to make timballo. After that, she and our daughter become fast friends, so we see Linda when we visit California once or twice a year. When we heard she was visiting the Philadelphia area on her book tour, we made arrangements to meet her and her friends Susan and Steve at Fork. Sweetie Pie Gone (7/06/05)Saturday morning (July 2) I rode my bike to Sweetie Pie (as I do every weekend) to buy scones and lemon bars. This time, however, I was greeted with a sign thanking patrons for their support for the past two years. Sweetie was a victim of its own success. The owner felt she was spending too much time away from her children. She views this as a hiatus and expects to return to baking in some capacity soon. Expect to see another baker take over; if you shop the Collingswood Farmers' Market, you may know Two Tarts, the woman who will be setting up shop on Haddon Avenue. Let's hope Tarts lives up to the quality reputation established by Sweetie Pie . Glass-blowing and Good Food Too! (7/05/05)
We were seated in the
corner by the window. We watched as a family tubed the Brandywine River in the late
afternoon. We were treated to a bread basket of Irish oatmeal bread and a
warm, crusty and delicious baguette. Our friends ordered mushroom bisque soup
($7), while Judy and I shared a pear and spinach salad. The pears were baked and
served with a fried, crusted goat cheese wafer ($8). Delicious. Our
friends raved about their mushroom soup. For our entrees, Judy chose the
soft-shelled crab tempura appetizer as her main course ($24). Did I tell you
Judy loves soft shelled crabs almost as much as veal parmigiano? Our
friends' entrees were pork tenderloin ("so tender" ... ($25) and cod baked with
a horseradish crust served over mashed potatoes ("wonderful" ... $24). I had the
roast duck served with cranberry risotto. The duck was tasty and tender
but the cranberry risotto was not a true risotto and was overwhelmed by the warm
cranberry syrup ($25). I was ready for homemade roasted apple crepes, but
our friends wanted to return to their new digs to share a strawberry shortcake.
By the way, they have a pretty good wine list with items that aren't
terribly expensive. I
selected a 2003 Oyster Bay sauvignon blanc at $39. Like most New Zealand SVs, it was lighter, less sweet, and more citrus-like than typical California
sauvignons. Overall, this was quality dining experience for a "destination restaurant." I would recommend Simon Pearce as a place to go if you want to combine a nice ride in the Brandywine countryside with a good dining experience. Call 610.793.0948 for reservations and directions. Return to Birchrunville (6/6/05)
Haddonfield Restaurant Scene ChangingTre Famiglia Ristorante Fresh off our slightly disappointing visit to Haddonfield's new Christina's restaurant (see review below), Judy and I had good vibes about another new Haddonfield eatery, Tre Famiglia, 403 North Haddon Avenue and former site of Little Tuna and Food for Thought. As is our custom, we arrived early Thursday evening without reservations and were seated immediately. It was around 5:45 PM and there were few diners present. But by 6:30 PM, the place was packed except for one lonely table behind us. Our waitress, Cindy, was a member of tre Cippalone families, of whom 12 were present that evening. It turns out that this Washington Township family, headed a 74 year old patriarch who still leads the kitchen staff, has been in the food business for a while, notably with Chip's restaurant in South Philadelphia that closed in the late 80s. We were immediately served some fresh and crusty Italian bread accompanied by roasted garlic in olive oil and hot roasted peppers. Ymmm! But leave room for what's to come. We started with one of their appetizer specials, lollipop lamb chops in red red demi-glaze and pesto sauce over mixed greens. Though normally three chops are served, the kitchen gave us four and split the appetizer when we noted we would share it. At $13 for two, it was a luscious bargain ... sweet, tasty and grilled to pink perfection. Everything is ala carte at Tre, so we opted again for a salad we could split. Our waitress blessed our choice of Chip's Salad, an old family favorite based on grandma's special vinaigrette dressing and chock full of tuna, cheese, peepers, and anchovies mixed with greens. At $6.50 for two, another delicious bargain. The pasta special was homemade spinach gnocchi with a white cream sauce, sun dried tomatoes, and lump crab meat. I generally prefer lighter sauces and asked if it could be done in a pink vodka sauce minus the sun drieds, which was no problem for this accommodating kitchen. Judy chose veal parmigiano, the standard by which she judges all Italian restaurants. Her dish was accompanied by a lovely risotto and green beans, both beautifully al dente and the rice creamy as risotto should be. Where did the veal rank? Just below Radicchio in Old City and Nunzio's in Collingswood ... but not by much. I compared the gnocchi favorably to the pillows I have at places like Max's in Pennsauken (smaller and a tad lighter) and Mezza Luna in S. Philly (larger and richer). We passed on desserts because they offer the standard Bindi desserts with the exception of their own Tiramisu. We suggested they might want to consider getting desserts from the many fine bakeries in the area, one of which, Sweetie Pie, is a few stores south on Haddon Avenue. With that small caveat, we pronounced this first time visit to Tre Familigia a success and vowed to return soon. Total bill? $56.70 minus tip. Tre Famiglia, 856-429-1447, BYOB, open for lunch daily except Saturday and Sunday, closed Monday. Christina's Last night (Thursday, March 24) Judy and I visited Christina's, a new Italian restaurant on Tanner Street in Haddonfield, NJ. We arrived after work so no reservation was necessary, although judging by the crowd when we left, it wouldn't have been necessary even if we had arrived later. I have watched the conversion of this former beauty salon for months on my way to and from the hi-speed line. Judging from the high quality wood trim and fixtures, it's obvious that Ulysses, the owner, put a bundle of money into this enterprise. The owner told us the restaurant was named for his daughter, an FBI agent who spends much of her time traveling the world. He also told us this was not his first restaurant, although it may be his most upscale. He and his son also own Pepperoni's Pizza in Burlington., NJ. We wondered where this restaurant would fit on the up/downscale of restaurants in the Haddonfield/Collingswood continuum. Would it be comparable to Villa Rosa or closer to Nunzio's? Given the price range (entrees around $18-$23) we guessed it would be more like Nunzio's ... if the food quality held out. We started with warm rolls from Del Buono's bakery, served with butter but no olive oil. We asked and received. Thinking salads we ala carte, we ordered a Caprese salad of flavorless tomatoes but a respectable mozzarella. After we ordered we were asked what type of dressing we wanted on the salad, and it turned out the balsamic vinaigrette we chose was similar to the dressing on the Caprese ... good, but repetitious. We should have asked about the salad first. I chose one of their specials, the cockle clams over homemade linguini in white sauce, and Judy selected )drum roll please) the veal parmigiana with ziti. The cockles, tiny and tender, were the sweetest clams I have ever had. Their sweetness lent a flavorful ness to the light sauce that was unusual and hard to describe ... but delightful ... not at all like a typical clams over linguini dish. And Judy, the world's greatest expert on chicken and veal parm, declared her dish as tender and tasty as any she had had in the region. Before we completed our entrees, we were offered desserts from the pastry plate and assured they were all made in-house. I selected a sfogliatella (which means lobster tail). We loved it. Unlike most we have tasted in South Philadelphia, this Christina's oozes a creamy whit filling from its crispy baked pastry exterior. Now back to my original question. Where does Christina's fit in the pantheon of South Jersey's BYOB's? Well, with a total bill of 50.85 (without tip), it's a little more expensive than Barone's, a little less expensive than Nunzio's, and more than Casella's on Kings Highway. I would compare the food to roughly the same as Barone's, the menu more like Casella's and the sauce a cut below Barone's, Nunzio's and Trattoria DiMarino in Collingswood. Given the good-not-great nature of their offerings, most patrons will make their easting choice on the value proposition. Base on my evaluation, Christina's might have a hard time in Haddonfield. I predicted Cafe M would fold. Let's see how this one does. Little Tuna Moves to Downtown Haddonfield (January 2005) So successful it had to quit its quaint little space on Haddon Avenue, Little Tuna has taken up residence on the unit block of downtown Haddonfield in the space formerly occupied by Cafe M and Remi's before that. Unlike Cafe M, which was nearly empty every evening I walked past on my way home, Little Tuna is bustling most evenings. Like their last space, the new Tuna is white, bright and sophisticated... and the food's not bad either (I believe that's called understatement). Marcus Severs owner and chef, formerly of Pelican Fish, 141 Kings Highway East, 856-7950888, BYOB Collingswood Fast Becoming the Restaurant Row of South Jersey (1/22/04) Sapori: It's Not JapaneseOver the past couple years, Judy and I have made several unsuccessful attempts to visit the La Locanda del Ghittone on Second Street in Philadelphia. Once it was closed, another time it was recovering from a fire. So if Mohammad can't come to the mountain, then the mountain should come to us, right? Well, it has in the form of Collingswood's Sapori. No it is not Japanese ... that niche is left to Collingswood's Sagami. Franco Lombardo ... formerly of Ghittone, serves up the most authentic Italian food in the area. As a matter of fact, a disclaimer on their menu cautions patrons that spaghetti alfredo or veal parmigiano (sorry, Judy) aren't prepared here because they are faux Italian dishes. We have visited Sapori on three separate occasions. The last two times made us wonder why we weren't knocked out on our first visit soon after they opened. We have been particularly impressed with the "unusualness" of their offerings, most recently evidenced in the Antipasto Saporito, which had items like pan-fried cannellonni patties or fig stuffed prosciutto or a delicious eggplant caponata. Other items were more typical but noteworthy for their quality and freshness, roasted red peppers, soppressata shaved asiago cheese, and black olives. As we often do, Judy and I shared the appetizer and it was plenty for both. I have had wonderful Italian specialties in the past, like rabbit ragout with papparadelle noodles, but this time I sampled the orecchietti with orata (Mediterranean sea bass) in red sauce, and it was delicious. Judy had quail stuffed with wild mushrooms over polenta triangles with white asparagus. We passed on dessert, not because they didn't sound wonderful but because we had no room left. 601 Haddon Avenue, 856-858-2288, BYOB, on-street parking.
Michener Knew the Chesapeake. Judy and I recently spent a mini vacation on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, long one of our favorite, close-at-hand getaways. We knew we wanted to be right on the bay, so an Internet search limited our options to a few Inns between St Michael's and Tilghman Island. Luckily, we chose a great one, Wades Point Inn, http://www.wadespoint.com on the road to Tilghman Island, just outside of St. Michaels. Read on ....
Who Needs Paper?
Read reviews of MAX'S in Cinnaminson, a new Collingswood BYOB, TORTILLA
PRESS, Charlie Palmer's DRY CREEK KITCHEN in Sonoma, CA, RAMONA'S
in Haddonfield (recently closed), and an update on A LITTLE CAFE
in Voorhees, go to INTERESTS.
This page was last updated on 01/29/06. Copyright John DeAngelo.
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