Pho' 99, Franklin Park

Went out for quite the lunch with Dad today. I have never had Vietnamese food before, so when he told me he discovered a place nearby I quickly agreed to try it out. Located in a strip mall on Route 27, it isn't much to look at from the outside, but let me tell you, Pho' 99 is a darned nice looking joint once you walk in. Brightly colored walls, dark wooden tables and chairs, and simple, tasteful art on the walls... modest but inviting.

We were welcomed right away by our server and had a steaming pot of tea on the table before our tushes even hit the seats. It was tasty... nothing too fancy, just nicely brewed hot tea. We took a quick minute to go over the menus and made our choices. I went with a namesake dish, the Pho Bo Vien, which was a beef broth soup with rice noodles and beef balls, while Dad went with the Vietnamese Crepe stuffed with shrimp and pork. As we waited for the food to come out we noticed that while the menu was somewhat limited, there were plenty of specials posted on lists throughout the restaurant.

Lunch came out and it was gorgeous. Colorful and nicely presented we couldn't wait to dig in. My Pho was delicious. The broth was nice and beefy, but not overpowering or salty, the way beef based soups can be. There were a lot... nay... an abundance of noodles settled nicely into the center of bowl. they were perfectly cooked and really absorbed the flavor of the broth well. The beef balls were a whole different experience completely... not a bad one, just a unique one. The consistency was startling... it immediately reminded me of eating a hot dog. It had the texture of a hot dog and the color of a polish sausage, but it was really really dense, much like a pâté. It was peppery and meaty and just over all tatsy. My only complaint would be that there were a few too many green onions in the dish, even for me ( and I am allllll about green onions). All in all I was very pleased with my selection!  
Dad's dish was also good. The crepe itself was a rich yellow, and looked like it would be incredibly spicy, but, SURPRISE!, it wasn't. I couldn't quite make out what the crepe batter was composed of, but if I had to take a guess (and I do) I would say lentil and eggs. The shrimp and pork were cooked nicely, not dry or chewy like crepe filling can be. Again, I noticed no spice, but a lot flavor. My Dad clued me in to the fact that apparently Vietnamese cooking uses hot spice in their condiments only, not in their food (which is fine with me!) Along side of the crepe was a garnish plate that held cold, crunchy bean sprouts, a lime, and some jalapeño slices. For dipping there was a sweet vinegar sauce that was refreshing and delicious... I think it was meant for the crepe but I couldn't stop myself from dipping the cold bean sprouts in it, much like fries in ketchup.

The meal was cheap, quick and delicious, which is my Holy Trinity for lunches. Although it was my first experience with Vietnamese food, I can assure you it won't be the last. Pho' 99 has scads more soup dishes to try, and I saw some appetizers on the special list that I can't wait to get my hands on. In the words of the Terminator, "I'll be back".

Pho' 99

http://pho99nj.com/

Somerset Shopping Plaza

3151 Rt. 27 Unit K

Franklin Park, NJ 08823

732-821-1828

Catherine Lombardi, New Brunswick

Matt and I went to Catherine Lombardi with the folks to celebrate their anniversary with them (27 years! Go Mom and Dad!) Upon first walking in you can't help but notice that the place is gorgeous.. nay... dare I say stunning. Adorned in red with a multitude of fireplaces (yes... many a fireplace!) it was chic and modern all while still feeling inviting. We couldn't help but think that we were in for a huge treat.

First course we decided to go with the 'choose 9 items' from the Cold Antipasti menu. We had all four Salumi and all four cheese options, and threw in the shrimp in garlic and olive oil for good measure. All of the meats were superb... the spicy just spicy enough, the sweet not too fatty and not too slimy, all just right. The cheeses were fantastic as well, with the real star being the house made fresh mozzarella. It was lightly dabbed with a drop of basil infused oil... yum. So fresh it was almost creamy, but still had that 'mozzarella chew' to it. The shrimp were meh. I could have lived without them, but Dad seemed to be a big fan.

The salad course came next (Mom and Dad partook as part of their prix fix menu, but Matt and I declined... too full of cheese and meat for extra courses!) Their arugula salad was lovely... huge and topped with a generous portion of parmigiano-regianno. Mom asked for 'lightly dressed' and Dad wanted the full effect, but the salads were indistinguishable, yet still delicious. The dressing was citrus-y and bright, not too heavy and not too oily. The salads were so large that neither were able to finish them, especially since at this point we were anxiously awaiting our main courses.

What a fall from grace! We should have stopped after the salad course (and could have, with such large portions!) I ordered one of the signature dishes, a stuffed calamari with red sauce. The calamari was a bit chewy... I know it's tricky to cook, especially when dealing with the full bodies, but come on now... chewy is not ok with this gal. The sauce was delish but it could not compensate for the texture of the squid or the over salting of the olive tapenade/garlic crumb/ cheese filling. It was just too salty, too chewy and too heavy for me.



Matt had the chicken Scarpariello, a mixture of chicken, sausage, peppers, and lemon, using the white meat chicken only (no mixing of white and dark allowed...boo!) He actually did enjoy his. The presentation was lovely and he found the flavors to work nicely together... perhaps a bit heavy handed on the lemon (which I didn't mind.. go, citrus, go!). The veggies still had a bit of tooth to them, which was a pleasant discovery. Chicken was a tad overcooked but hey, rather over than under, especially with our feathered friends! Unfortunately, though, the sauce was plentiful, which is a huge turnoff to me... I don't like to see my food bathing in sauce... it eeks me out.


Since Mom and Dad went the prix fix route, they each had a pasta dish. Dad enjoyed the Papparadelle with Bolognese sauce and Mom took a chance with the long Fusilli in a walnut basil pesto (available with or without cream). Dad's was good... nothing too exciting. The meat sauce was tasty, but not memorable. The pasta was overcooked and almost mushy at points, not at all what we expected. Mom's pasta itself was reminiscent of boxed pasta (in fact she suspects that may just be the case) and her sauce was lacking in 'wow'. Granted it may be because she opted for the 'sans cream' option, but my opinion is that we wouldn't have been impressed even with the cream. What I did enjoy, though, is that Catherine Lombardi is nice enough provide the option... thanks, guys!!


The desserts were devine. In addition to the Zabaglione with fruit (Creamy! Sweet! Light! YUM!) and Tiramisu (not served in a traditional way... this was a martini glass filled to the brim with chocolate lady fingers and a whipped cream-esque custard.. oh boy!) that came with Mom and Dad's meal, the server had overheard that we were celebrating an anniversary. He brought out a plate of cookies on the house and they were FAB! The Pignoli nut cookies were so good we thought that they must have been created by angels themselves. A VERY happy ending to the meal.

All in all I would highly recommend Catherine Lombardi if you're looking for a quick snack before a night on the town, or a light dinner of salads and Anipasti. The place is gorgeous, the staff attentive, and the food has the potential to be great. Alas, for us, it just wasn't. As much as we enjoyed the appetizers and desserts we were all disappointed with our main courses, which does not make any of us anxious for a Catherine Lombardi sequel. The price was reasonable for four diners (just breaking over $100 before liquor) but that was largely due to Mom and Dad taking advantage of the prix fix ($20 a person for 3 courses? TRY to stop them!). Give it a shot... tell me your thoughts!

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
http://www.catherinelombardi.com/
3 Livingston Ave
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(732) 296-9463