Andres Pizza Palace, Brigantine

Ok. I'll get it out of the way. I worked at Andres for the better part of my college career. It doesn't necessarily mean that I would endorse it (hey, in some cases it might mean I would bash it... disgruntled employee and such), but it just happens to be good. I assure you I will be nothing but fair in my critique. Now, moving right along....

First thing out is the bread... my favorite. They have a focaccia bread that they make in house, and it's awesome. My friends all refer to it as the pizza bread, but whatever you call it, it's delicious. Tomato, onion, rosemary, a little Parmesan... soft on top with a chew to the crust. Yum! They used to have homemade garlic bread in there too, but on my last few visits it was noticeably absent (Hey Andre! If you're reading this, bring it back!) For dinner I had the grilled chicken Solari, named after one of Andre's regular customers. My plate was loaded with three large chicken breasts (seriously, no one could eat that much chicken!) delectably grilled and adorned with a strong cheese sauce (could be Gorgonzola, could be bleu cheese, who knows... but it's sharp and tangy and creamy and rich.) I usually hate grilled chicken. In fact go read over my previous posts... I'll wait...have I ever ordered chicken? Nope. That's because I'm not a huge fan. It's usually too dry or too boring for me. Not here. The breasts were cooked perfectly. Juicy but with serious grill marks, perfectly seasoned and tender. Nothing boring about them. The scalloped potatoes were also fantastic... creamy, a little salty, falling apart on my plate. (I know, I know... a lot of heavy food on one plate. Normally I'd agree and say 'cheese sauce AND scalloped potatoes!? What were they thinking!? But not this time... because I LIKED it, thats why). Besides, they threw several stalks of asparagus onto the plate for good measure, so there. That makes it healthy right? Anyway. I like this dish. A lot. It may not be the prettiest to look at, but it sure was tasty to eat.

Matt got whole wheat pasta and what I consider to be the best sauce that they make, which is the spicy sausage blush sauce. Huge chunks of sausage in a perfectly seasoned sauce. It's not nearly as spicy as the name would insinuate, but it does have a lot of flavor, enough heat to please any palate, and a great tomato kick as well. There is a touch of cream in the sauce, which makes it thicker and richer, and deepens the flavor... it is truly not to be missed. Oh. The portion was HUGE. He worked at it for a good thirty minutes and it didn't look like he even made a dent... in fact, we BOTH had his leftovers for dinner the next day. One order of pasta at Andres = dinner for three. Sweet.

While the food is fantastic here, I do have to point out that it's pretty pricey. The pasta dishes less so, but the entrees are all between 13-32 dollars (which is a lot for a beach town Italian joint). They also serve sandwiches and pizzas (note:try the Rosemary pizza... a beautiful tomato pie with lots of garlic and fresh herbs.. AMAZING), which are definetley MORE reasonable, but like I said, a bit pricey. The other issue is this... ya know how at most places when you order, say , a chicken parm entree it automatically comes with pasta and a salad? Not here. With your entree order you have a choice of salad OR soup OR pasta. Just something to know.

Look. The food is worth a visit for sure, and I think that their pizza is the best on the island. To me the quality is absolutely worth the price, and with the portion sizes you're actually kind of getting two meals in one (know this... you WILL have leftovers... even if you're famished when you get there you will NOT be finishing your meal). Try it out! Tell them you know me!

Andres Pizza Palace
1312 West Brigantine Ave

Brigantine, NJ
609 266 1124

Steve & Cookie's By The Bay, Margate

For as long as Matt and I have been dating I have been promising to take him to Steve and Cookie's By the Bay, one of my all time favorite restaurants. Well... it took me well over two years, but I finally did it (not for lack of trying... the place is kind of hard to get into!) The place is deceptively large, with one huge dining room (seats over 100!), plus a bar area at the front (which holds several tables) and an oyster bar in back. We showed up right on time for our reservation but still had to wait (I HATE when that happens!) but the food proved to be well worth it.

We started off with three appetizers (yes, it was just the two of us... we waited two years to get here.... give me a break!) The first was off of the specials menu, and I am so glad that it was there. It was a tempura battered stuffed zuchinni blossom and it was absolutely outrageous. The stuffing was composed of a ricotta, crab, and asparagus mixture that was so good. It wasn't heavy on the crab but it was lucious... creamy and rich tasting. The tempura fried zuchinni blossom was crunchy and well seasoned, and when you got a little bite of crunch with the smooth creamy stuffing.. oh man. Too good. I haven't even mentioned the sun dried tomato sauce that was placed under this whole shebang... sweet and fresh tasting, it was the perfect compliment to the slightly salty blossom. This was tatsy. Damned tasty.

Next on our list was the suppli... a risotto fritter composed with fontina cheese and peas and mozarella all topped with a tomato sauce. Matt was nutty for this but I could have done without it. It was a fried risotto ball, and it was delicious, but after a while it just got boring. I like when new and exciting flavors are introduced throughout each bite, and this one just didn't have that depth. the sauce was really good though... the perfect blend of sweet tomato, salt, basil, and spice. The fritter itself was pretty good too, but it was just fried cheesy rice upon fried cheesy rice... I would have loved a few hidden surprises in there (and before you look back and say 'Oh but there were peas in it' I will let you know that they got lost in the ricey mixture. So there)

Our third and final appetizer (had to save room for dinner after all!) was what I have come to consider Steve and Cookie's crowning glory.... the lobster mac and cheese. This dish is stupid good, and while I have seen a lot of fancy mac and cheese sprout up over the years(truffle mac? duck and cheese? stuff like that) this was the first I ever knew of (way back like 8 years ago) and it's what I use as my standard. THIS is the dish that made me fall in love with the place so long ago, and when I talk about favorite food experiences this is always in the mix. On this night it held true to form... it was out of this world. The topping is crunchy and buttery, the cheese is rich and decadent and there are huuuge chunks of sweet lobster meat. It really is a treat, and one of the best foods I have ever eaten... there... I said it. Plus the portion is HUGE. This could easily be a dinner.... as opposed to... ya know... a third appetizer between two people . Anyway....

For dinner Matt had the 5 oz filet mignon (also offered in an 8 oz). The presentation was beautiful (you eat with your eyes first... you must know this by now!) The shitake mushroom and port wine sauce was really good... could have used a few more mushrooms, but maybe I am just saying that because I thought they were superb. The sauce complimented the meat really well... it was not at all salty and almost tasted meaty itself... very good. The mashed potatoes were AWESOME.... some garlic makes alllllll the difference. Matt was very happy with his meal.

I ordered one crab cake for dinner (you can order one OR two, but come on... we ate our own body weight in apps). It was very good, but a liiiittle soft. I wish there had been a bit more of a sear on it, but the crab meat was plentiful and sweet. The Asian style slaw that came on the side was also fantastic... a little spicy, but not too much so... a little moist but not too wet... really refreshing and crunchy. There was a HUGE scoop of mashed potatoes on my plate, too... perhaps a bit too much, as they completely dominated my plate. I enjoyed this a lot, but I wish the crab cake had a bit more crunch and there was a bit less starch... but hey. Tasty is tasty.

Just when we thought we couldn't shove any more food in our faces we discovered that there was a (get this) mini pie sampler. How on Earth are you going to say no to 5 bite size pies? You aren't, that's how. We were able to sample the following: pecan pie, chocolate brownie pie, apple raisin cake, lemon mousse pie and chocolate peanut butter pie. They were all delicious but the best (in my opinion) had to be the pecan. Sweet and sticky, with a delicious crust, this was a winner that reminded me of the deep south. Yum. Matt really liked the chocolate peanut butter one... it was creamy and sweet... the peanut butter was smooth to the point of almost being liquidy. Very good, and officially stuffed.

I will say this. The food was FANTASTIC but the service? Not so much. Our waitress was a complete mess... barely acknowledging us when we first sat down, making us wait ridiculous amounts of time before taking our orders, and not checking in on us at all. I guess the service was so bad because it can be... it was not a deterent in the slightest because the food was SO DAMNED GOOD. But yeah... not so friendly.

Go to Steve and Cookie's By The Bay. Go now. Eat everything. It's pricey, yes. Worth it, though.... VERY worth it. They have a great wine list, meh service and superb food. The place is lovely. Its scenic. It's away from the craziness that is Atlantic City. It's a fantastic date night or special occasion location.

Steve and Cookie's By The Bay

http://www.stevandcookies.com/

9700 Amherst Ave

Margate, 08402
609 823 1163

White House Sub Shop, Atlantic City

The White House Sub Shop in Atlantic City is famous in the tri-state area for having amazing sandwiches and even more famous for the hour long lines that people will wait on to get them. Our visit was no different. Matt, Mom, Dad and I shoved into the tiny space along with three dozen other people, willing to wait for the perfect sandwich. While waiting (which was a loooooong time) you can't help but notice the pictures on the walls of the bajillion celebs who have eaten there over the years... yeah, it's that good. This place is old school... small and cramped and in need of some paint, but it's clearly well loved and well lived in. Eat in service is possible as there are about 5 diner-esque booths and a long sit down counter, but these seats were all filled up on our visit.

They finally called our number (after 45 minutes!) and we made our order. We got an italian, an italian special, and a cheese steak with fried onions. These sandwiches were monstrous... they had to weigh 2 pounds each. They were colorful and inviting and expertly arranged. The bread kept tooth while holding in the flavor of the house dressing. Did I mention they were large? Because thats an understatement... they're gargantuan.... get a load of this cross section shot!

To me there is nothing better than a good italian sub. I mean, come on, spicy capicola, salty salami, sharp provolone, ham, crunchy veggies, hot peppers and tangy vinegar? Fuhgedabouddit... my fave. It carries memories of lunches on the Jersey shore, at least for me, and this was one of the best I've had.

The cheesesteak was also delicious. The meat was perfect... not chewy or stringy (so unappealing) the onions were brown and sweet, and the cheese was salty and evenly melted. I wish they put as much meat on these subs as they do on the cold ones, but hey, I know they have to make a living too. The proportions were spot on... not too cheesy, not too many onions. The fat from the steak (ew. I know) soaked into the bread making it flavorful yet not soggy. I was pleased. Damned pleased.

You're going to wait at White House... it's just a fact. If you're low on patience or time this is NOT the place for you. If, however, you have 30-60 minutes to spare and are really hungry, THIS is the place for you. Parking is kind of a beyotch, so like I said.... PATIENCE is key for this place! Get the italian. Tatses like Summer, yes?

White House Sub Shop
2301 Arctic Ave
Atlantic City, NJ
609 345 8599