Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

TWO FOR TRENTON!

Rich Pawlak

By Rich Pawlak
in New Jersey: Dining

 Share

Recommended Posts

Rich Pawlak

Rich Pawlak

Posted
Posted (edited)

Last week I had the good fortune to eat at TWO terrific new restaurants in Trenton.

Yes, Trenton.

There's been a bit of a culinary lull in the town, with the departure of several Chambersburg places for the outlying suburbs, but these two new places are very good news indeed.Last Sunday I joined friends for a great dinner at the new La Tropical, corner of Lalor and Centre Sts., in the place that was once The Corner Inn. The re-do is impressive, cream and pumpkin colored plaster walls, new large windows and some skylights. Spaces that were once in shadows at The Corner Inn are now inner porticos with romantic tables for two.

The food here is classic Puerto Rican, with pasteles, rellenos de papa, exquisite pernil and the best mofongo I have had anywhere, including 3 trips to Puerto Rico (and the mofongo landmark, Ajili Mojili).We ordered a plate of pasteles, pastellidos bistec and pernil, and relenn os de papa, and there were all terrific, light, greaseless and filled with well roasted and seasoined beef and pork. The rellenos de papa are huge and as addictive as crack. Be careful with them, at just 2/$2.50, they are a huge bargain. In fact the entire menu is quite inexpensive.There were a half dozen aguas, and we tried them all; I liked the tamarindo and horchata myself. Kids liked them too.At the hearty recommendation of a friend who had been there several times already, I ordered the pernil as my entree, a heaping platter of roast pork and crispy skin, rice with pigeon peas and plantains, with soupy red beans in a dish on the side. 11 bucks. But the highlight for me was the mofongo. We ordered a mofongo with shrimp, and it was a huge ball of mashed plantain, overflowiong with good fresh shrimp studded inside and flowing outside of the mofongo. Moist, flavorful, with broth for dipping, though it was not necessary.Best I've ever had. Killer.

Grilled chicken and skirt steak with onions were the kids' dishes and they were both superb. The kids menu has some expected stuff, but I ordered traditional stuff for them from their menu and they, and I, enjoyed the platters. Portion are huge, even for the kids' meals. 4 adults and 4 kids, dinner check was around 90 bucks. Amazing.

THE VERY NEXT DAY, I found myself in an unfamiliar place: downtown Trenton, a wastel;and of a downtown if ever there was one. But rounding the corner onto E State St, I spied a large sign on a newer building that said "KEBAB HOUSE", and I had to find out more. Kebabs, felafel, hummus, gyros, salads on the menu in the window. It was just past lunchtime and a patron exiting the place, says: Good stuff, man. Gotta try the place." It's at 226 E. State St. in downtown Trenton, BTW.

And so we did. Nice enthusiastic staff, including the owner, a Turkish man who formerly owned a limousine service. A co-worker is dropping fresh felafel mixture into a bowl to make patties. I order a felafel sandwich and a doner kebab gyro platter. Lentil soup. Chicken kebab, too. Salads come with the platters, dressed a zingy lemony dressing. Lentil soup arrives and is pureed red lentils, redolent of mint and garlic. Fantastic. It's always on the menu, the waitress tells us. I can see why.All the other food arrives next and it's madness at the table, but fun, Good french fries, good hummus, good grilled pita for dipping.. Felafel and gyro sandwiches are huge. Chicken for the chicken kebab platter comes in large chucnks, expertly grilled. Owner checks on us quickly, and we're too engagged to do anything put give thumbs up. Kids are munching on everything. All is right with the world. I'm a sucker for any felafel, but I must say that the felafel here does fall a bit short, blander than any Ive had beforeEverything else we're eating is as well made as any Turkish/Middle Easter we've ever had. And we've had a lot of those cuisines. On second inspection, the menu here is quite large, with baba ganoush, other salads, kefta and other Turkish and Middle Eastern dishes. Worth follow-up visits. MANY follow-up visits. I hope they attract the business to stay open. This one is a keeper. Get there soon!

Edited by Rich Pawlak (log)

Rich Pawlak

 

Reporter, The Trentonian

Feature Writer, INSIDE Magazine
Food Writer At Large

MY BLOG: THE OMNIVORE

"In Cerveza et Pizza Veritas"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jeff L

Jeff L

Posted
Posted

How funny is this, I just drove past this place yesterday on my way to City Hall. Growing up in West Trenton, I just couldn't get over the profound changes to downtown Trenton. So much has changed that I didn't even make a mental note about this place but will give it a try next time in the area

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
aaronwcpa

aaronwcpa

Posted
Posted

I came to Trenton as a young boy, attended school there, worked there until 1986, and I consider it my home town. I used to think that I know the city as well as anyone, but I have not been there very much in the past twenty plus years.

Will try both places in the next few weeks.

I used to work on West Hanover, probably around the corner from the Kabob House.

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jeff L

Jeff L

Posted
Posted
I came to Trenton as a young boy, attended school there, worked there until 1986, and I consider it my home town. I used to think that I know the city as well as anyone, but I have not been there very much in the past twenty plus years.

Will try both places in the next few weeks.

I used to work on West Hanover, probably around the corner from the Kabob House.

Ain't what it used to be, be prepared.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rich Pawlak

Rich Pawlak

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
I came to Trenton as a young boy, attended school there, worked there until 1986, and I consider it my home town. I used to think that I know the city as well as anyone, but I have not been there very much in the past twenty plus years.

Will try both places in the next few weeks.

I used to work on West Hanover, probably around the corner from the Kabob House.

Ain't what it used to be, be prepared.

Deorenzo's, Top Road Tavern, and now La Tropical and Kebab House all make Trenton a bit brighter place by just being there.

Rich Pawlak

 

Reporter, The Trentonian

Feature Writer, INSIDE Magazine
Food Writer At Large

MY BLOG: THE OMNIVORE

"In Cerveza et Pizza Veritas"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cdh

cdh

Posted
Posted
Deorenzo's, Top Road Tavern, and now La Tropical and Kebab House all make Trenton a bit brighter place by just being there.

How is the crowdedness at the Hudson St. Delorenzos now that Robbinsville has opened? I'm getting a real jones on for one of their clam pies, and haven't been since before the new branch opened.

Christopher D. Holst aka "cdh"

Learn to brew beer with my eGCI course

Chris Holst, Attorney-at-Lunch

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jeff L

Jeff L

Posted
Posted
Deorenzo's, Top Road Tavern, and now La Tropical and Kebab House all make Trenton a bit brighter place by just being there.

How is the crowdedness at the Hudson St. Delorenzos now that Robbinsville has opened? I'm getting a real jones on for one of their clam pies, and haven't been since before the new branch opened.

Chris, get there early, 5:00 pm. They are only open Thursday through Sunday nights now and have done away w/Frinday lunch. Best to go on Thursday as that's usually when Gary is making the pies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...