We had our holiday party at Lo Bianco in Collingswood, NJ. It is a fantastic new restaurant that should have much success in this hot location for great food. We started with roasted portabella covered in cheese, onions, and spinich. Each serving was a great bit or two. Next we went to the mussells which were in a delicous garlic and saffron sauce. The bread was also very good with a great crust and just chewy enough.
The main meals were all fantastic. The braised beef shortrib was easily a standout. A huge rib with meat that melted in your mouth served over mashed potatoes and some grilled scallions. The scallops and steak au poivre was also great. Several people raved about the scallops. But the portion was a little small. But overall everyone was very pleased with their various meals.
For the food, the only disappointment was the dessert. We got the chocolate tort which was fair at best. I recommend the restaurant perhaps outsource their desserts to a local bakery.
The service was relatively prompt but a little unpolished. The waitresses did not adequately describe the food in detail. Also one was chewing gum.
Overall, a fantastic new place in Collingwood. I wish them many successes.
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
Friday, December 19, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
La Posata Ristorante: A
User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars I just hosted an office party of 20 people at La Posata.They handled it perfectly. Service was spot on. And they kept things moving smoothly. The food was fantastic. We started with a simple antipasto. I've never had the cheese that was included but it was simply one of the best cheeses I've had. My main entree was crab cakes with two grilled shrimp. The shrimp was perfectly flavorful. The crab cakes were very interesting. They were very light and airy. It wasn't from too much filler. They were very good. My wife ordered the swordfish covered in sauteed scallions. It was amazingly good. For dessert the tiiramisu was homemade, light, and yet rich. Everyone else at the dinner party enjoyed their meals.
La Possata sits perfectly between mass produced Italian food and the top tier restaurants in the area. And it's priced perfectly. Dinner including appetizer, soup/salad, entree, and dessert ran $90 a couple. It is BYOB. I highly recommend this place.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Sapori: B-
Food: 8/10 Presentation: 4/5 Decor: 4/5 Service: 1/5
Total: 17 of 25: B-
First, Sapori is an Italian restaurant. It is not Japanese! That confused us, including other Italians in the party.
I went to Sapori for a holiday party. It was a large party and we took up about a third of the restaurant. The owner gave us a sitting from 6 to 8:30. This all comes very important later on in the review.
First thing you notice is the beautiful brickwork throughout the restaurant. The owner laid it himself. It gives a very warm feeling to the restaurant. They also have very unique and distinctive lighting.
We were served a variety of appetizers. The anitpasto platter was fantastic with high quality ingredients and oil. I could have eaten that all night. Next was calamari. I'm not a fan but they were lightly battered and cooked perfectly. The dipping sauces were good but a bit light on flavor. Next were mussels. I found them to be great. They were a bit strong which had some put off. I gladly ate theirs. Next was gnocchi in a light duck meat sauce. It was absolutely great. Again, I could have eaten this for dinner. Finally, a salad. Now, these were essentially 5 courses served separately. Remember we have 2 and half hours for dinner. Also, the owner picked out the appetizer courses, not us. We just picked what entree we wanted. Everything else was taken care of for us.
The entrees were served. I had a veal cutlet which was very good. My wife had pork chops which were also very good. Most of the meals are very complicated. They come in a variety of sauces and additional ingredients. No clean and simple entrees. Luckily everyone really liked their meal.
Finally was coffee and dessert. We passed on dessert but everyone liked the squash cheesecake.
The entire meal took 3 and half hours. It's not that we ate slowly. It's that the service was very slow. We basically had a 7 course meal. There is no way to do a 7 course meal for 25 people in 2 and half hours. But that's what the owner did. Extremely bad time management. There was a line out the door of people waiting for their 8:30 reservation. Of course, they shot us the evil eye but it really was a management mistake. I saw no attempt by the staff to ease the crowd. But they did get anxious and finally at hour 3 try and "hurry us along". Terrible.
Finally, with any large party, usually they get priority treatment and the rest of the room suffers. Not this time. It was kind of opposite. We had horrible service at our end of the table. The servers would pour wine for half the table and then walk away. Others were finishing their dessert and we hadn't even gotten our coffee yet. And then just the poor pacing of the meal.
I honestly think that the owner just didn't know how to deal with such a large party. We had personally worked out the details with him a week in advance so there was no excuse for the poor pacing or overly complicated appetizer service. In fact we had 4 people not show up so the party was smaller than expected.
Would I eat there again with a dinner for two? Maybe not. The food was very good and reasonably priced for an upper-scale restaurant. You can get an excellent meal there for under $80 for two. It is BYOB which helps. But I'd probably drop another $20 and go to Catelli's.
Total: 17 of 25: B-
First, Sapori is an Italian restaurant. It is not Japanese! That confused us, including other Italians in the party.
I went to Sapori for a holiday party. It was a large party and we took up about a third of the restaurant. The owner gave us a sitting from 6 to 8:30. This all comes very important later on in the review.
First thing you notice is the beautiful brickwork throughout the restaurant. The owner laid it himself. It gives a very warm feeling to the restaurant. They also have very unique and distinctive lighting.
We were served a variety of appetizers. The anitpasto platter was fantastic with high quality ingredients and oil. I could have eaten that all night. Next was calamari. I'm not a fan but they were lightly battered and cooked perfectly. The dipping sauces were good but a bit light on flavor. Next were mussels. I found them to be great. They were a bit strong which had some put off. I gladly ate theirs. Next was gnocchi in a light duck meat sauce. It was absolutely great. Again, I could have eaten this for dinner. Finally, a salad. Now, these were essentially 5 courses served separately. Remember we have 2 and half hours for dinner. Also, the owner picked out the appetizer courses, not us. We just picked what entree we wanted. Everything else was taken care of for us.
The entrees were served. I had a veal cutlet which was very good. My wife had pork chops which were also very good. Most of the meals are very complicated. They come in a variety of sauces and additional ingredients. No clean and simple entrees. Luckily everyone really liked their meal.
Finally was coffee and dessert. We passed on dessert but everyone liked the squash cheesecake.
The entire meal took 3 and half hours. It's not that we ate slowly. It's that the service was very slow. We basically had a 7 course meal. There is no way to do a 7 course meal for 25 people in 2 and half hours. But that's what the owner did. Extremely bad time management. There was a line out the door of people waiting for their 8:30 reservation. Of course, they shot us the evil eye but it really was a management mistake. I saw no attempt by the staff to ease the crowd. But they did get anxious and finally at hour 3 try and "hurry us along". Terrible.
Finally, with any large party, usually they get priority treatment and the rest of the room suffers. Not this time. It was kind of opposite. We had horrible service at our end of the table. The servers would pour wine for half the table and then walk away. Others were finishing their dessert and we hadn't even gotten our coffee yet. And then just the poor pacing of the meal.
I honestly think that the owner just didn't know how to deal with such a large party. We had personally worked out the details with him a week in advance so there was no excuse for the poor pacing or overly complicated appetizer service. In fact we had 4 people not show up so the party was smaller than expected.
Would I eat there again with a dinner for two? Maybe not. The food was very good and reasonably priced for an upper-scale restaurant. You can get an excellent meal there for under $80 for two. It is BYOB which helps. But I'd probably drop another $20 and go to Catelli's.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Cheesecake Factory: B
Food: 6/10 Presentation: 4/5 Decor: 4/5 Service: 4/5
Total: 18/25: B
After eating at the Cheesecake Factory several times I come to one main conclusion about people. Give them average food but with huge portions at a fair price, and they'll think the place is amazing.
The decor in the new Cherry Hill, NJ location is very nice. Very open and spacious. All the locations I've been in are good. One common theme I've noticed is that they are all very noisy.
The service was prompt and attentive including a large party of 20 we had once. Everything arrived quickly and glasses were continuously refilled. Minor note, refills on sodas are not free. But you do get a giant cup.
The menu is enormous. It has just about anything you would want from sandwiches to pizza to full meals. It covers American food and touches of other ethnic foods. So, anyone can find something to eat.
The quality is completely average. Nothing special or stands out. What does stand out is that the portions are huge. Most meals are enough for two. And the prices are very reasonable. Finally, the cheesecake is pretty excellent. Who else has dozens of varieties of cheesecake?
Given they don't take reservations (except for big parties) and there seems to always be an hour or more wait, why go? I've asked myself that for years. Honestly, there is no reason to wait for this food that is completely comparable to Fridays or Houlihans. I think people have convinced themselves that the Cheesecake Factory is a real restaurant and not another Applebees. Maybe someday people will get it and the wait will go down to something reasonable. So, if you can get in with a minimal wait, then go for it. Otherwise, head somewhere else.
Total: 18/25: B
After eating at the Cheesecake Factory several times I come to one main conclusion about people. Give them average food but with huge portions at a fair price, and they'll think the place is amazing.
The decor in the new Cherry Hill, NJ location is very nice. Very open and spacious. All the locations I've been in are good. One common theme I've noticed is that they are all very noisy.
The service was prompt and attentive including a large party of 20 we had once. Everything arrived quickly and glasses were continuously refilled. Minor note, refills on sodas are not free. But you do get a giant cup.
The menu is enormous. It has just about anything you would want from sandwiches to pizza to full meals. It covers American food and touches of other ethnic foods. So, anyone can find something to eat.
The quality is completely average. Nothing special or stands out. What does stand out is that the portions are huge. Most meals are enough for two. And the prices are very reasonable. Finally, the cheesecake is pretty excellent. Who else has dozens of varieties of cheesecake?
Given they don't take reservations (except for big parties) and there seems to always be an hour or more wait, why go? I've asked myself that for years. Honestly, there is no reason to wait for this food that is completely comparable to Fridays or Houlihans. I think people have convinced themselves that the Cheesecake Factory is a real restaurant and not another Applebees. Maybe someday people will get it and the wait will go down to something reasonable. So, if you can get in with a minimal wait, then go for it. Otherwise, head somewhere else.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
New Golden Dawn Diner: F
Food: 2 Presentation: 1 Decor: 1 Service: 2
Total: 6/25: F
The New Golden Dawn is on Route 38 in Maple Shade, NJ. The Newness is relative. It's been there as long as I can remember, at least 25 years. I've been here a few times over that 25 years and never had been impressed. But sometimes you can't go back to the same diners every couple of weeks so you head back hoping for something different. It wasn't.
The place needs some serious updating. It looks like a very run down place. The service didn't help. It was just a bit too slow that night and not enough attention to detail. I felt as if our server had something better to do.
I ordered fried shrimp for dinner. First came a basket of worn out bread. It just didn't look fresh. Maybe it was. I didn't chance it. Next was a very normal salad. Finally came the fried shrimp. Now, I want some large or jumbo shrimp fried up. That's not what I got. I got around 30 very small and anemic shrimp. I mean, many were less than 1 inch long. They were battered en mass and deep fried together. You couldn't even tell which ends were the tails. And many were stuck together creating two headed or tailed shrimp. What a mess. What chef or owner would think this was good?
Fortunately, my wife got a chicken ceasar salad. The chicken was actually spiced and grilled very well. She enjoyed her meal while I barely stomached mine. A very different set of experiences.
Given my order, I'll never go back. I can only imagine what other horrors lurk on the menu.
Total: 6/25: F
The New Golden Dawn is on Route 38 in Maple Shade, NJ. The Newness is relative. It's been there as long as I can remember, at least 25 years. I've been here a few times over that 25 years and never had been impressed. But sometimes you can't go back to the same diners every couple of weeks so you head back hoping for something different. It wasn't.
The place needs some serious updating. It looks like a very run down place. The service didn't help. It was just a bit too slow that night and not enough attention to detail. I felt as if our server had something better to do.
I ordered fried shrimp for dinner. First came a basket of worn out bread. It just didn't look fresh. Maybe it was. I didn't chance it. Next was a very normal salad. Finally came the fried shrimp. Now, I want some large or jumbo shrimp fried up. That's not what I got. I got around 30 very small and anemic shrimp. I mean, many were less than 1 inch long. They were battered en mass and deep fried together. You couldn't even tell which ends were the tails. And many were stuck together creating two headed or tailed shrimp. What a mess. What chef or owner would think this was good?
Fortunately, my wife got a chicken ceasar salad. The chicken was actually spiced and grilled very well. She enjoyed her meal while I barely stomached mine. A very different set of experiences.
Given my order, I'll never go back. I can only imagine what other horrors lurk on the menu.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Mikado - Maple Shade, NJ: C+
Food: 7 Presentation: 3 Decor: 2 Service: 2
Total: 14 out of 25: C+
Mikado has turned into a local chain of Japanese restaurants. It has a reputation of having good sushi. Given so many top notch Japanese restaurants in South Jersey and Philadelphia, let's see if Mikado rates up there.
The restaurant is not in a great location next to the mall. Walking into the restaurant there are three sections. Directly in front is the sushi bar. I guess front in center gets your attention. But if I were bellied to the bar, the last place I'd want to be is right in the front next to the people waiting for a table. Horrible location.
To the left is a long, narrow section of booths and tables. It's not very attractive at all. To the right is a separate section with the teppanyaki grills. That was the nicest section. Unfortunately, we were in the tunnel.
I order a California roll and tuna roll. My one table mate ordered a platter of sashimi. My other table mate ordered some form of tempora. All the meals came with hot tea, miso soup, and a salad. We also ordered edamame, chicken yakatori, and some pan fried dumplings.
The tea was generic "asian" tea. The miso soup was also generic with bits of seaweed and tofu. The salad was again generic with that ever-so-popular asian ginger dressing which somehow is bright orange. I could get all this stuff at the mall food court. Oh, and the soup and salad came out together.
Next was the appetizers, oh, and the main courses together. The place was busy but hey not that busy. The table was jam packed with dishes. Insane.
The edamame was fine. Yakatori was fine. And the dumplings were actually pretty good. I could have eaten 10 of them.
My rolls were very good. Not great, but very good. It seems the new way to make many rolls is to finely slice the cucumber/radish so you get a loose bite but a good snap. Same here. The tuna rolls were probably a bit too tightly wrapped. But it was all fresh.
My friend's sashimi was excellent. He commented many times on how good it was. He's very critical of food so this was a great endorsement of their fish.
My other friend was doing most of the talking and we didn't talk about his food.
The check came quickly even though the restaurant was emptying for lunch with no one waiting. The service could have been worse by being extremely slow. This was the opposite and definitely not welcome.
Except for the sashimi, the food was average to good at best. Given I like Japanese food, just not all sushi/sashimi, I was not impressed with Mikado at all. If all you want is raw fish, Mikado is a very good place. But if you're looking for a more balanced restaurant, keep moving.
Total: 14 out of 25: C+
Mikado has turned into a local chain of Japanese restaurants. It has a reputation of having good sushi. Given so many top notch Japanese restaurants in South Jersey and Philadelphia, let's see if Mikado rates up there.
The restaurant is not in a great location next to the mall. Walking into the restaurant there are three sections. Directly in front is the sushi bar. I guess front in center gets your attention. But if I were bellied to the bar, the last place I'd want to be is right in the front next to the people waiting for a table. Horrible location.
To the left is a long, narrow section of booths and tables. It's not very attractive at all. To the right is a separate section with the teppanyaki grills. That was the nicest section. Unfortunately, we were in the tunnel.
I order a California roll and tuna roll. My one table mate ordered a platter of sashimi. My other table mate ordered some form of tempora. All the meals came with hot tea, miso soup, and a salad. We also ordered edamame, chicken yakatori, and some pan fried dumplings.
The tea was generic "asian" tea. The miso soup was also generic with bits of seaweed and tofu. The salad was again generic with that ever-so-popular asian ginger dressing which somehow is bright orange. I could get all this stuff at the mall food court. Oh, and the soup and salad came out together.
Next was the appetizers, oh, and the main courses together. The place was busy but hey not that busy. The table was jam packed with dishes. Insane.
The edamame was fine. Yakatori was fine. And the dumplings were actually pretty good. I could have eaten 10 of them.
My rolls were very good. Not great, but very good. It seems the new way to make many rolls is to finely slice the cucumber/radish so you get a loose bite but a good snap. Same here. The tuna rolls were probably a bit too tightly wrapped. But it was all fresh.
My friend's sashimi was excellent. He commented many times on how good it was. He's very critical of food so this was a great endorsement of their fish.
My other friend was doing most of the talking and we didn't talk about his food.
The check came quickly even though the restaurant was emptying for lunch with no one waiting. The service could have been worse by being extremely slow. This was the opposite and definitely not welcome.
Except for the sashimi, the food was average to good at best. Given I like Japanese food, just not all sushi/sashimi, I was not impressed with Mikado at all. If all you want is raw fish, Mikado is a very good place. But if you're looking for a more balanced restaurant, keep moving.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thai Taste: A-
Food: 8 Presentation: 5 Decor: 4 Service: 3
Total: 20 out of 25: A-
Thai Taste is an excellent Thai restaurant located in the strip mall at Route 70 and 73. It's gotten some good reviews in print and on the web so it was worth checking it out.
The restaurant itself is beautiful. Very clean and warm. Upscale casual. They had a few oriental bowls with flowers floating in them. And, the hanging overhead lighting is unique and beautiful. I'd like a few in my house.
To start I ordered a Thai Iced Coffee. It came in a very tall and thin glass. Coffee on the bottom with cream on the top. Sweet but slightly acidic. It was delicious. The hot coffee was good as well.
Next was a bowl of Tom Yum Koong soup. 3 different kinds of mushrooms and 3 shrimp in the soup. The broth was slightly tart from the lime juice and a medium spiced from hot peppers. Very good.
My wife opted for the Seared Tuna appetizer. It was served on a smear of spiced mustard. On the side was a nice small salad topped with edamame soybeans. The tuna was fresh, tender, and melted in her mouth. The salad was unique and was gone before I knew it.
For our main course, I ordered the Pad Kra Pao with shrimp. It was a fantastic sautee of peppers (green and red, hot and mild), mushrooms, thai basil, and shrimp. It had a very clean flavor and wasn't overpowered by sauce or oil. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and there were plenty of them. They were of a "medium" size. With a side of rice to soak up some of the sauce, the dish went down easily. My only wish would be for it to have been a bit spicer. It was a mild heat, except for the bit of red hot pepper I bit into.
My wife ordered Pad Khing with shrimp. It was another great mix of peppers, onions, ginger, mushrooms, snow peas, and zucchini. It had a similar light sauce. My wife was very pleased with her meal. She also stated how clean the meal was. Not heavy or overburdened with anything.
Given the food and the decor are excellent, the only area for improvement was with service. It was average. But, given everything else I wanted it to be a bit quicker. We were first to arrive that evening and the restaurant was never really busy. But, the attentiveness with refills, plate clearing, after dinner coffee, and getting the check were a bit slow.
Luckily Thai Taste is an upscale restaurant that serves just Thai food. Too often these types of places are Thai French which is a distant cousin of pure Thai food. The prices are reasonable. Dinner for two was about $60 with tip. It is a BYOB. My wife and I will definitely be back. Thai food is very under explored in this area so it's great to see such a quality establishment.
Total: 20 out of 25: A-
Thai Taste is an excellent Thai restaurant located in the strip mall at Route 70 and 73. It's gotten some good reviews in print and on the web so it was worth checking it out.
The restaurant itself is beautiful. Very clean and warm. Upscale casual. They had a few oriental bowls with flowers floating in them. And, the hanging overhead lighting is unique and beautiful. I'd like a few in my house.
To start I ordered a Thai Iced Coffee. It came in a very tall and thin glass. Coffee on the bottom with cream on the top. Sweet but slightly acidic. It was delicious. The hot coffee was good as well.
Next was a bowl of Tom Yum Koong soup. 3 different kinds of mushrooms and 3 shrimp in the soup. The broth was slightly tart from the lime juice and a medium spiced from hot peppers. Very good.
My wife opted for the Seared Tuna appetizer. It was served on a smear of spiced mustard. On the side was a nice small salad topped with edamame soybeans. The tuna was fresh, tender, and melted in her mouth. The salad was unique and was gone before I knew it.
For our main course, I ordered the Pad Kra Pao with shrimp. It was a fantastic sautee of peppers (green and red, hot and mild), mushrooms, thai basil, and shrimp. It had a very clean flavor and wasn't overpowered by sauce or oil. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and there were plenty of them. They were of a "medium" size. With a side of rice to soak up some of the sauce, the dish went down easily. My only wish would be for it to have been a bit spicer. It was a mild heat, except for the bit of red hot pepper I bit into.
My wife ordered Pad Khing with shrimp. It was another great mix of peppers, onions, ginger, mushrooms, snow peas, and zucchini. It had a similar light sauce. My wife was very pleased with her meal. She also stated how clean the meal was. Not heavy or overburdened with anything.
Given the food and the decor are excellent, the only area for improvement was with service. It was average. But, given everything else I wanted it to be a bit quicker. We were first to arrive that evening and the restaurant was never really busy. But, the attentiveness with refills, plate clearing, after dinner coffee, and getting the check were a bit slow.
Luckily Thai Taste is an upscale restaurant that serves just Thai food. Too often these types of places are Thai French which is a distant cousin of pure Thai food. The prices are reasonable. Dinner for two was about $60 with tip. It is a BYOB. My wife and I will definitely be back. Thai food is very under explored in this area so it's great to see such a quality establishment.
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