The Pop Shop, Collingswood

Is there anything more comforting and smile inducing than a grilled cheese sandwich? I submit that there is not. Which is why when I first heard about The Pop Shop (which SPECIALIZES IN GRILLED CHEEEEEEESE!) from my friend SB, and THEN heard about it on tv a week later(Bobby Flay threw down with them on cheesey, bready goodness) and then heard about it from J and M shortly after THAT I knew I had to get there.... sooner rather than later! The place is pretty cute, done up 50's diner style. The best part of The Pop Shop, though (Besides the menu of course) is the location. Collingswood is adorable... a fantastic down town area with restaurants and shops and little boutiques... SO adorable. Now that I have seen the area I have vowed to go back and eat at every cute little place we saw. But I digress...

Matt and I met J and M for a delightful dinner grilled sammiches, fries, and shakes. The Pop Shop has over 20 different kinds of grilled cheeses... all with different bread, cheese, protein, and veggie combos. I opted for the Linden, which is described as chopped Angus beef, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and American cheese on a Philadelphia style pretzel. It was basically a cheesteak, on a soft twisty doughy salted pretzel, and it was amazing. Oh, the other awesome thing about this place? They have a whole menu of different kinds of fries! I KNOW. What CAN'T this place do? I went with classic fries, but only because it was my first time there. Next visit, all bets are off. I topped the whole thing off with a black and white milkshake (so thick, so creamy, perfect amount of sweetness to battle my salty dinner). How they didn't have to roll me out of the place is beyond me.

Matt ordered the Stokes, which is basically known as 'A Happy Waitress' anywhere else (aka bacon, tomato, and cheese). Served on perfectly golden, crunchy, thick country bread this was the perfect, classic sandwich. Yum. He ordered his with a side of the Louisiana fries, which are basically the regular ones just coated in a spicy cajun seasoning. Not too strong on the spices, but still gave 'em a nice kick. He also ordered a tomato soup for us to share. SO adorable, its served with goldfish crackers. The soup itself was amazing... thick and creamy, smooth and tomato-y and perfect for (you guessed it) sandwich dunking.

J and M had been there before (luckies) and knew almost immediately what they wanted. It seems that J always goes for the grilled cheese called East Zane. It's creamy, delicious melty brie cheese topped with perfectly grilled asparagus and pesto on a fresh baguette. Can you blame her for always getting it? HELLO it sounds delicious. M was torn between his love of grilled cheese and the desire to try something new and different.... new and different won out. He went with the Cuban, a sandwich homage to the mixes served in Cuba and Florida. Piled high with roast pork, ham, swiss cheese and pickles, this was really good. Nice and salty, a smidge smokey, a nice mustardy bite, all good. M also introduced us to the most intruiging dish of the whole evening.... the spicy french fries. Holy cow. Perfectly crispy fries tossed along with deep fried, super thin slices of jalapeno and onion. AMAZING. Paired with cold zesty ketchup? Forget it. Flavor explosion. I think back on these fries fondly.... and with my chin covered in drool.

Seriously, there is nothing else for me to tell you except GO THERE. Hell, Food Network gave it props as being the best grilled cheese and pitted the Super-Ginger himself against their team of sandwich making experts. Get there. Stroll around the adorable downtown area afterwards to burn off the billion calories you just ingested, then go back for a shake. I'm not joking. Go.... now. I'll wait here for you to report back.

The Pop Shop

http://www.thepopshopusa.com/

729 Haddon Ave

Collingswood- 08108

La Cipollina, Freehold

Well, it was bound to happen.... the combining of families. Matt and I met up with my folks and his parents for dinner in downtown Freehold (which is pretty central for all of us). It's so flippin cute in that area... so many adorable restaurants and stores and just a nice, small town, down home feeling. We chose La Cipollina because A) it's been around forever, and B) they seemed to have a menu where we knew everyone would like something. Weird fact about La Cipollina... while you can order a la carte their menu is set up to only really offer a prixe fix option... you can do 3 courses for $35, 4 courses for $45, all the way up to 7 courses. (BTW for the prices of the prixe fix it's almost silly to order a la carte.... so none of us did)

La Cipollina seems strangely formal when you walk in... the staff wear tuxedos (so odd), and the lighting is dim, but it really isn't a fancy shmancy place (for example the table next to us? Both sweatshirts and an infant were present, so how formal could it be?) Anyway, all six of us opted for the 3 course choice, and while you are free to choose any combo of starter, salad, entree, and dessert we all decided to do starter, salad, entree. I'll relay the memorable things here for you.

For my starter I went with the smoked salmon with wasabi and creme fraiche. While I was expecting a slice or two of fish what came out was way different. It was a smoked salmon SALAD (probably should have been noted on the menu, but whatevs) held together with creme fraiche in lieu of mayo. It was delicious, and I was glad to have it, but still, quite the surprise. I enjoyed this both on it's own and schmeared on the crusty table bread.

Matt started with the gnocchi in parmesan, sage and brown butter. I thought this was fantastic... nutty, toasty, and warm it was the perfect food for a chilly night. He thought it was a bit bland, but I disagree. I found the gnocchi perfectly cooked, soft and not at all gummy, and I found the downright earthiness of the ingredients to be perfectly balanced.

Matt's dad and my mom ordered the mozzarella, prosciutto, red pepper and mushroom combo, served on grilled Italian bread and drizzled with organic honey. Almost everything on the plate was delicious, but the homemade mozzarella was SO salty... it took over the whole dish. I love a good home made cheese, and while the texture was perfectly creamy and the color was a gorgeous glistening white, the salt was just too much. The prosciutto added enough to the dish and the cheese was just overkill. Sad... it would have been the perfect combo of fresh, sweet, bitter and salt if it was just cut back a smidge.

The salads were ok. Nothing special. The caeser was caesery, the beet and goat cheese one that I had could have used a lot more beet and a lot more goat cheese. Not notable.

For dinner Matt had the chicken in a basil white wine sauce. It was topped with roasted red peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes. Matt says it was good and while I remember enjoying the bite I had to be honest it's a little forgettable to me. I can't really recall now what I thought of it. Oh well.

Dad had possibly the best dish that came out, the pork braciole over polenta. First things first, I LOVE polenta. I fell in love with it in Italy and ever since I have been completely enamored with everything about it... the texture and consistancy, its chameleon like nature of absorbing any flaor, it's feel and color... all of it. This was no exception, the polenta was a pleasure. The pork was tender and soft and stuffed with spicy sausage, onion and eggplant, all smothered in an almost sweet tomato sauce. It was a real treat. Perfectly cooked, intricate but not pretentious, and just really good.

I ordered the veal with artichokes, mushrooms, and pine nuts in a white wine sauce. I liked my dish a lot. Don't let the picture fool you... the sauce was not at all as thick and gloppy as it looks (although why it photographed that way is beyond me). It was pretty light and certainly tasty, with an almost citrusy hint of flavor. The pine nuts added some great crunch, the mushrooms and veal were earthy and warm and the artichokes were bright and delicious. It was a really good meal!

All in all La Cipollina has it's quirks, but was a really good time. It's byob (which I love, of course) has a pretty extensive menu, and offers a lot of food for a reasonable price... 3 courses for $35 bucks is ok by me, any time. The neighborhood is so much fun too.. in the Summer keep an eye out for live music and block parties. Give it a try, I think you'll find the value really impressive and the food a pleasure.

La Cipollina

http://www.lacipollina.com/

16 A West Main St

Freehold- 07728

732 308- 3830

El Sham, Hamilton

Nothing says spring is here like Mediterranean food, at least in my eyes. I don't know why it conjures up images of the outdoors and sunshine, but it just does. We've recently begun seeing the first glimpses of warmth and the changing of the seasons, so my craving for authentic, delicious Middle Eastern food has been amped up. Luckily I live about 15 minutes from El Sham, a relatively new place that Matt and I have been hearing about.

If you order a combo platter you get 2 (omg!) appetizers, a salad, rice and your actual meal. This is NO JOKE, but what it IS is entirely too much delicious food at once. The salad was great, served with a delicious, nutty tahini dressing (that I couldn't stop raving about). Crunchy, earthy, cold and crisp. For my two appetizers I chose the hummus and the baba ghanouj. I was a bit surprised when full size appetizer platters came out to me (I figured since it was part of the combo it'd be an itty bitty scoop of each, but El Sham is not messing around!) The hummus was smooth and creamy, just the right amount of nuttiness contrasting with a bit of tart. The baba ghanouj was a real treat.... you could tell it was home made. A bit chunkier than most places care to serve it I was really able to enjoy the eggplant. Big pieces of herbs gave it a super fresh taste. I added this to my salad, my pita bread, saved some to mix in with my meal... hell, I ate some with my finger. It was really good. Matt's app choices were the yogurt, mint, and cucumber salad (also known in some circles as tzatziki) which was a bit thin, but tasty nontheless and a (full sized!) fattoush salad. It was crazy flavorful.... citrusy and bright with lemony dressing and topped with fried pita chunks for serious crunch and texture.

Somehow (a miracle, I assure you) we had room left for our meals. I ordered the El Sham protein platter, which is a large plate covered in all of my faves; lamb kabob, chicken kabob, and kafta kabob. Each of the meats were cooked perfectly... I don't think I even picked my knife up once. The seasonings on each (but especially the kafta) were so warm and welcoming... they offered a sense of the familiar with a twist of the exotic. I was happy that the meal was served with Syrian rice and the spicy long pepper... I was able to spice up the meat with a big bite of pepper and then cool down with the herby rice.

Matt went with the lamb shawarma platter.... the thin slices were absolutely delightful. The usual problem with this dish is that the meat is cooked for so long and cut so thin, and if it's not cut properly it gets dry and chewy.... so very much not the case here. The spices used give the dish an almost sweet flavor... I think it's the cardamom (or maybe there's nutmeg in it?) It had the same deal... rice and the pepper... this combo was even better with the shawarma, since the sweetness of the meat really brought out the bite of the pepper. It was topped off with a drizzle of tahini. Delicious.

We thought we were full.... hell, we KNEW we were full... that is until the owner (really nice guy) brought us over one of his homemade desserts. It was called basbusa, I'd never heard of it, never seen it, but what I now know is that it is amazing. It has the consistency of corn bread, but tasted like honey and almonds. When I declared this to him (thinking I figured out the ingredients) he pretty much laughed at me. The trick is all in the prep... basbusa has basically just a few easy ingredients.... semolina, butter, milk and sugar. It was simply to die for.

I strongly reccomend El Sham to anyone in the area. The owner and all of the staff were a pleasure to interact with, the space is small, but clean and tidy, and the food is great. I can't wait to go back and try a few more things... I think I may hear their falafel and grape leaves calling me.

El Sham

http://www.elshamrestaurant.com/

1641 South Olden Dr

Hamilton-

609 931 0513

Bombay Gardens, East Brunswick

Despite popular belief, I didn't just wake up one morning loving Indian food. I was exposed to an Indian restaurant in my home town at a young age, and it is still the best I've ever been to, hands down. While not much to look at appearance wise, I can assure you that you will feel welcomed and cared for the moment you walk in. Bombay Gardens offers a large variety of both North and South Indian fare, with over 160 dishes. This where I got my 'sea legs', and, years later, where I first introduced Matt to the cuisine.

While it's not meant to be an appetizer, I have somehow fallen into the habit of ordering the paper masala dosai as one. Obviously not to eat by myself... that would be downright insane. They dosai is easily the length of the table, and stuffed with potato, onion, peas, herbs and spices. While it typically comes with just two condiments (a brown veggie gravy and an almost sweet coconut chutney) I also always ask for the 'green and red'... the corriander (I think) chutney and the onions. The dosais outside crepe is super thin and extra crispy... think massive potato chip. Now stuff that giant potato chip with some delicious mashed up potato (not creamy, not too chunky... perfect compromise of each), soft onions and sweet peas and you have a dosai. In my eyes it's the perfect food. I honestly cannot think of a time when I have been to Bombay Gardens for dinner and NOT ordered it..... it has to be years now. It's a little spicy (especially with the addition of the sauces), downright crunchy, warm, and tasty.

On this particular visit we ordered the chicken makhni and the lamb rogan josh. The chicken was perfect... the sauce was a thick, gorgeous red and the meat itself fell apart on our forks. There was a very distinct, creamy tomato flavor that held some serious heat (not enough to keep me from eating it, but enough to announce it's presence). I sopped up a ton of this sauce with delicious bread, while Matt chose to stir it into his rice.... it's that good.... even when the chicken is gone you need to find a way to continue eating the amazing gravy thats left in the bowl. Too good. The same went for the lamb rogan josh.... the sauce was the shining star that accompanied the expertly cooked meat. There is nothing worse than over cooked lamb... it gets chewy and stringy and just bad. Luckily, this is not even remotely an issue at Bombay. Their lamb is so soft that you don't need a knife to cut it... just apply the slightest pressure from your fork. The lamb has been marinated in a yogurt sauce, and its juuuicy. The different spices in the sauce (cardamom, cloves, cumin plus several more) give it a distinctly authentic taste. The sauce is so thick it's almost like a stew, but it's in no way heavy, and it still somehow allows the flavor of the meat to shine through. I am addicted to these dishes. More please!

While I have been coming here for years (in fact, in high school, ieatdc's husband J and I had a standing monthly date here) please do not mistake my praise for nostalgia.... it has nothing to do with it. The food is just THAT good. Dad likes to say that it still surprises him how this restaurant can actually get better and better as time goes on, and he's right. The service is amazing and friendly and every dish is superb (from the samosas to the lassi, you need to try it all). We've recently discovered the mutton pepper fry (a mutton dish where the super thick onion based sauce is topped with thinly sliced, super hot peppers).. it's not to be missed. If you love Indian food I assure you that you will thank me when you try Bombay Gardens.

Bombay Gardens

http://www.bombaygardens.com/

1020 Route 18 N

East Brunswick- 08816

732 613 9001

Blue Water Seafood Co., East Brunswick

I downright ADORE seafood, but, unfortunately for me, Matt does not. I mean, after all this time he is just now coming around to trying a bite of lobster or crab if I insist that it's delicious, and that's probably as good as it's going to get. That being said I try to go out for seafood whenever I am not with him. This post will be a compilation of my last two visits to Blue Water Seafood Co. in East Brunswick. The place is really easy to miss.... a small, lone building on Route 18 across from the Brunswick Square Mall, but if you do stop in, I'm sure you'll be pleased. The place doesn't hold too many tables, so it has an intimate, cozy feel. Be warned, though.. it gets LOUD in there!

On my first ever visit with ND we started with two appetizers, and now whenever we go we always order them... the Asian inspired fried calamari and the goat cheese salad. The calamari is INSANE. Perfectly fried and then coated in a sticky, delightful Asian sauce... its sweet, spicy, and tangy all at once. I'd like to say there is some sort of fruit in it... perhaps orange or apricot... something sweet and thick, and then red pepper flakes and sesame seeds round it out. There is also a fruit based sauce for dipping, but there is hardly ever any need for extra flavor. I LOVE this dish, and while it's not technically on the menu it has been featured on the specials list every night for the last two years, so it seems as though it's here to stay! The goat cheese salad has changed several times over the past years, but the core ingredients are the same: pan griddled goat cheese, roasted tomato, beets, and apples over a bed of greens. On my most recent visit with ND there was an addition of grilled fennel. YUM. The goat cheese is crispy crunchy on the outside, and warm and melty on the inside. It's so tangy that it makes the beets seem sweeter, the apples taste more tart, and the lettuce fresher. It's a rare occasion that I don't get one of these to begin my meal (hell, it's rare when I don't get both!)

I usually don't order salmon in restaurants... I don't always care for it, and so many people tend to overcook it and make it way too dry. This changed on my last trip to BWSC with Mom. She adores salmon, and when I saw her dish come out I couldn't help but try it.... and once THAT happened I couldn't keep my fork off of her plate! Their house preparation of salmon is something I've never seen before; a gorgeous slab of Scottish salmon crusted in a horseradish and potato mixture, served over asparagus, with a creamy mustard sauce. OMG. So delicious. The fish tastes downright sweet under the crunchy, salty potato crust which is mixed delightfuly with spicy horseradish. The contrasting flavors and textures really capture the attention and focus the brain. This house specialty (and Mom ordering it!) has made a salmon lover out of me. Truly. ND is Italian, and while I don't want to stereotype, the girl loves her pasta, loves her red sauce, and loves a little kick of heat. Enter seafood Fra Diablo. This pasta dish packs a ton of seafood into a slowly simmered, spicy marinara sauce. The portion is huge, and the dish is insanely filling. There are shrimp, clams, scallops, calamari, and mussels all stuffed into this one entree, and they're each cooked to perfection. The marinara can be served sweet, mild, or spicy, but ND usually goes for mild. She'd rather taste the seafood than the heat, and I don't blame her. The sauce is delicious on it's own, well seasoned and authentic tasting, but pairing it with the various seafoods gives it a little extra oomph. The flavors all compliment each other very well, and since there is just so damned much of it, she always has leftovers to take home for the next day! Over the last ten years I have tried basically everything on the menu. Some other notable dishes include the pan seared Yellow Fin tuna, which is crusted in sesame seed and served with an Asian stir fry, the Chilean sea bass in a delicious mango sauce, and the spicy Buffalo style scallops. I adore everything I've ever had here, and I have yet to go home unsatisfied. The open style of the kitchen allows you to watch some of the action upon entering, the space feels inviting but not intimidating, and the staff is always friendly and attentive. It's a little on the pricey side, but there are ways to keep it cheap... order the lobster bisque and a dozen oysters and you'll be able to get out for about 20 bucks. In a town where the only other notable seafood joint is a chain restaurant, Blue Water Seafood Co. is an exceptional find.

Blue Water Seafood Co.

http://www.bluewaterseafoodco.com/

1126 Route 18

East Brunswick- 08816

732 967 9220