Knife and Fork Inn, Atlantic City

Want a superbly competent waitstaff? Beautiful and historic surroundings? Delicious food? Extensive wine list? Then, my friends, it seems that you want to go to The Knife and Fork Inn in Atlantic City. Swoon. It's all of this and more! Plus, it has a rich history... it was a speak easy during prohibition, and a gentleman's club afterwards. Then they turned into into a restaurant and it's been well loved and well received ever since. We made a recent trek with DY&IK during their weekend visit to the shore house. I love when foodie friends come to visit :)

IK started off with an appetizer off of the specials menu... a crab and avocado terrine. It was good, but not spectacular, and here is why. Summer time crab is so delicious and sweet and suculent on it's own that it would be the perfect compliment to mild and creamy avocado without assistance from any 'enhancers'. The chef apparently did not think this was the case and tossed the crab with some seasoned mayonaise... completely unnecessary. It made the whole thing a bit too wet, and way too creamy. It was tasty, of course (how can crab, mayo, and avocado not be?) but too heavy. Good but not our favorite.

DY went with oysters. Nothing much to report. They were seasonal, fresh and delicious. Came with a jalapeno and citrus dipping sauce that was delicious but not needed.... nothing (to me at least!) beats the briney bite of an in season oyster... no horseradish, no cocktail sauce, no nada. Just me, oyster, and face. Done.

Matt has gotten adventurous, people. He ordered (hand to God) the softshell crab. This was done as almost a tempura, over top of a thai inspired coconut milk and pepper mixture. This was AMAZING. So much flavor. I love thai food for it's always happy combination of spicy, sweet, salty and bitter and this had each compenent in the perfect way. Sweet coconut milk, hot chilis, slightly salty softshell crab.. it was a treat. The crab was cooked to perfection, crunchy on the outside but giving way to sweet delicious meat on the inside. I love the snap of a properly cooked softshell crab. This was a serious treat. Sadly it was a special.... soooo.... yeah.

I went with the confit duck leg salad. Holy crap. This was amazing. Seriously succulent duck, cooked in it's own fat atop a bed of leafy greens in a dressing comprised of bacon, ducky drippings and vinegar? Yeah... don't mind if I do. Salty, crunchy, earthy, delicious. The duck leg was huge, too! I could have easily had this and a cup of soup and called it an evening.

Both DY and Matt went with steaks.... DY with the monster of the menu, the 18oz cowboy steak, Matt with the tamer but still giant 16oz sirloin steak. Both were cooked to absolute perfection with a delicious crust and a tender inside. Matt had been dreaming of steak at Knife and Fork Inn since our first visit, years ago, and knew what he was going to get months in advance. According to him it's one of the best steaks he has ever had, and they didn't dissapoint on this visit, either. DY seemed happy too, as his plate was completely cleaned and meat free by the end of the meal.

IK went with one of the dinner specials, a fluke fillet perched upon a bevy of sliced zuchinni and topped with roasted cherry tomatoes. It was light, summery, and completely season appropriate. The fish was really fresh and IK really enjoyed it. Personally I thought it was a bit bland, but I just never considered fluke a 'go to' fish for full flavor. Who knows, maybe its just me. Long story short, the person eating it was happy, it was cooked well and looked nice. The end.

My dinner was an absolute treat. Better than I ever remembered from any of my previous visits. I went with the crab cake, and this is the one that I have always used and will continue to use as my golden standard. Huge, giant hunks of jumpo lump crab meat packed into a towering cake, with litte, if any, filling sitting pretty surrounded by spicy Asian slaw and red pepper sauce. It's perfect. You get all crab and no BS bready smoosh nonsense. The slaw gives crunch, should you want it, but I was so focused on the delicious crustacean that it took me a while to remember to dip into the veg. So good. So very very good.

Too full for dessert (although they have an amazing confection refered to as a banana chocolate burrito... if you like your taste buds order it) we rolled out and hit the boardwalk. Knife and Fork Inn is a little piece of history in downtown Atlantic City. It's absolutely stunning, has a pretty lively bar scene, and the service is impecable (friendly and knowledgeable without being overbearing or creepy... good combo!)

Knife and Fork Inn
http://www.knifeandforkinn.com/
Atlantic and Pacific Avenue-08401
609 344 1133

Los Amigos, Atlantic City

Have I ever declared my undying love for Mexican food to you all? I have? Well allow me to do so again. I adore Mexican food. Spicy, cheesy, meaty, colorful... it's my ultimate comfort combo. Down in Atlantic City I am always impressed when places can make it without the help of being housed in a casino, and Los Amigos is one of them. The building itself looks deceptively small, and is painted up in crazy colors. It's located right across from The Walk, which is where all of the outlet stores are, and it's a great place to pop in after a day of shopping.

On a recent visit we played it safe and ordered old standards.... quesadillas and burritos, but Los Amigos does indeed offer a wide variety of delicious Mexican cuisine. This is going to be a pretty short description, because, as it turns out, the burrito and quesadilla that we happened to order were extraordinarily similar (can you tell which is which?). They were both stuffed to the brim with their beefy, cheesy goodness, ad topped with the signature garlic sour cream (so good). Beans and rice finished off the plate and we were in heaven! To me there are few things more satisfying and soul warming than Mexican food.

Our friend B was a bit more adventurous and went with the fish tacos. The fish in these changes daily depending on what is fresh, and he ended up with salmon. The blackening spice on the fish was delicious, and provided a really nice crust on the fish. The hunks of salmon were covered in an avacado cream, tomato, cabbage, and onion. The crunch combined with the soft and almost buttery fish was a really pleasant combination. B's only complaint was that he wishes there was a bit more food for the price (this plate runs about $17). While the tacos were fully loaded, he would have appreciated one more on the platter.

The other friends we were with ordered similarly to Matt and I. MR ordered a burrito and MS ordered ground beef tacos. They were all enjoyed, as were the homemade chips and salsa, as well as the pitchers of margaritas. Good food with good friends always equals good times in my book.

If you're looking for a Mexican meal in South Jersey you would be hard pressed to find a better place than Los Amigos. In addition to the standard classics that we all enjoyed, they offer options like Southwest crab cakes, chipotle pork tenderloin, and shrimp and crab enchilladas. They have a full bar (which is a HUGE plus when eating Mexican food, at least in my eyes! What goes better with spice than cerveza?) It's colorful, it's friendly, and it's super close to the action that Atlantic City has to offer.... walk to the casinos or shopping with your belly full of burrito!

Los Amigos

http://www.losamigosrest.com/

1926 Atlantic Ave

Atlantic City- 08401

609- 344- 2293

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