South Jersey In The House!

[phillygrub]

This forum is dominated by North Jersey. I'd like to change that and start some threads about dining in South Jersey. There's GOT to be some people from South Jersey here?? Or maybe not!

 

I live in Camden County, just over the bridge from Philadelphia. The "hot spots" for great dining in this area are Cherry Hill, Collingswood, and Haddonfield. The latter being "dry" towns so no booze. Lots of BYOBs. However, Westmont which is sandwiched between the two towns is not dry, so you can get alcohol at PJ Whelihan's, The Pour House or Keg & Kitchen.

 

Neighboring Burlington County has great options in Moorestown (yet another dry town), especially in the Moorestown Mall now that they allowed liquor licenses. Osteria by Marc Vetri is great as is Distrito by Jose Garces.

 

I'll update this thread as I go... but feel free to chime in if you've dined in the area.

Edited September 13, 2015 by phillygrub (log)

[BeeZee]

I grew up in Cherry Hill, now live near Princeton and work in Cherry Hill. My husband lived in Marlton for several years, so we sometimes drive south to go back to some old fav's. Happened to go to Los Amigos 2 weeks ago after along absence...I like Pho Eden in Cherry Hill, Norma's Middle Eastern, and of course Fuji in Haddonfield for top tier sushi. Have had several business dinners at Aldo Lamberti, good wine list and upscale Italian.

[gfweb]

Lamberti surprised me. Better than I thought it would be.

[rlibkind]

I have aLebanese-Italian friend here in center city Phila., and we regularly make trip to Norma's for kibbie nayeh (advanced order required).

Newish pizza joint in Haddonfield, , Angelo's, is superb. Owners a wild bread baker, related to Sarcone's clan -- even makes his own bagels for Sunday morning !

[phillygrub]

So glad there are some South Jersey folks in the house. We haven't been to Lamberti, Norma's for Fuji yet. A Fuji visit is imminent very soon. But first we have a "sushi date" at Sagami in Collingswood lined up with some friends.

 

I work in Haddonfield now and there are a lot of food options. Will have to try Angelo's or suggest it to the bosses for Friday lunch. 

 

It's definitely Pho season very soon, too. There's definitely many places to pick from around here.

Thanks all!

[sockii]

Another South Jersey person checking in here! Used to be Philly (when I first joined/was active here many moons ago), moved out to the Swedesboro area about 5 years back.

 

I can't say enough good things about Zeppoli in Collingswood. Some of the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy, without question. It's a real relief compared to the mediocre-at-best Italian-American the dominates the menus around here. I also love Fuji and Sagami, prefer them both to the sushi options in Philadelphia currently. The Pub is another favorite for the nostalgia/camp factor and some seriously delicious steaks.

 

Other favorites: Franklinville Inn, Bull on the Barn Bayshore Crabhouse, Beawon (Korean BBQ place attached to the Cherry Hill H-Mart)...others I'm sure will come to mind as I think about it some more.

Edited September 20, 2015 by sockii (log)

[gfweb]

The Pub!!

 

That's still there? Wow. I thought that went the way of Zaberer's years ago.

[huiray]

Hmm. Let's see...

 

In Atlantic City I largely ate at places in-and-around the casinos (haha) and can't really say I remember any of them with clarity, but grazing while walking along the Boardwalk was nice. Some of the heros were really good! Nearby, I enjoyed Luke Palladino's in Linwood; while that silly place Giovanni's Best of Italy (a "family-style" almost-diner-type place, really) in Northfield is definitely NOT fine dining but had a cozy spot in my heart for a gooey (almost-from-the-can) white clams on spaghetti that somehow appealed to the comfort-food corner in me. :-) 

 

Cape May has lots of nice restaurants. Some I've gone to, but many are there that I have yet to visit. I've had very good meals at The Ebbitt Room inside The Virginia Hotel on Jackson. The Mad Batter just down from this is decent, although I once had an odd Eggs Benedict there. I've had one or two decent but unexceptional meals at Aleathea's Restaurant, the restaurant for Inn of Cape May. Good meals were had at Peter Shields Inn & Restaurant; The Pier House; and also at another Cape May fixture, the Washington Inn. There are other odds-and-ends, such as Martini Beach where it was fun to sit on the upstairs deck to eat/drink and watch people on the street below - but that place is now closed.

 

Still in Cape May, I also enjoyed The Lobster House – tourist trap though it may be :-)  I had fun (on several occasions) wandering between the various "dining areas" at the place, from the restaurant to the on-the-dockside-schooner (where I've listened in on and got drawn into at least one outrageous but entertaining conversation and "encounter", with the subject of observation being a party of folks who could have been straight out of Jersey Shore the TV series. :-)  It was the place where I discovered those wonderful oysters called Cape May Salts and have stood at the tiny inside stand-alone oyster bar plonked between the dining rooms and the sort-of lobby holding the main bar (i.e. NOT at "The Raw Bar" outside**), and eaten dozens (plural) of Cape May Salts (plus fat juicy clams too) while chit-chatting with the oyster bar feller, who also turned out to be my namesake :-) while drinking Manhattans or G&Ts from the bar just across the way.

 

** Which had a different selection of oysters IIRC when I have been there. The Cape May Salts were available only from the tiny oyster bar inside - and from which the inside dining rooms were supplied. My recollection was that The Lobster House had their own oyster beds which provided their Cape May Salts oysters.

Edited September 21, 2015 by huiray (log)

[sockii]

The Pub!!

 

That's still there? Wow. I thought that went the way of Zaberer's years ago.

 

Still there, and I doubt a single thing has changed in decades. What I do love about them is the absolute consistency in the steaks - I've never had one not come out at exactly the doneness I ordered, I swear they have it down to a science. The green beans are as horrid as always but every so often I just get the worst craving for their filet + crab cake, and the SO loves their prime rib. We have our office Christmas party there every year, and it's fun to take out-of-towners to just to watch their jaws drop when they walk in for the first time.