Andreotti's Viennese Cafe (Eclectic Country French/Northern Italian)

Tonight we visited Andreotti's Viennese Cafe, 1442 State Highway 70 E, Cherry Hill (856-795-0172). Although not a true BYOB, they sell wine at cost.

Each entree comes with toasted French Bread with their "Famous Seven Cheesespread", fresh (not warm) French bread with fresh roasted Italian peppers, , Soup du Jour, Garden or Caesar Salad, Intermezzo (lemon sorbet atop a crunchy cookie), and Viennese Pastry Tray to finish the meal.

Since we love to eat, Jay had an appetizer of escargot which was very nice and Ken had a shrimp cocktail.

Jay's entree was stuffed veal scallopini. The veal was breaded and stuffed with goat cheese and spinach. It came with a very yummy sauce. Mushroom risotto was included with the meal. Very tasty.

Ken had the striped sea bass Three nice sized pieces were lying atop the mushroom risotto. He was happy.

Of course Jay sampled the mini desserts - cream puff, chocolate cheesecake and a fruit tart, all of which were good. There were a few other choices to go around, but she was pretty full.

The wine we chose to go with the meal was a 2003er Weingut Eugen Wehrheim Niersteiner Bildstock Rieling Kabinet. It went very well with the meal.

• Dress - Dressy casual - jeans are OK, but don't be tacky.
• Service - excellent. Our server was constantly clearing plates each time she walked by and was aware of our needs.
• Decor - We sat in the smoking section, where surprisely not too many people were smoking. We'd been here before so we knew we wanted to be close to the bar. They have a piano player, but since we like to eat early we weren't around for the 9 PM showing.
• Portions - Looks were deceiving as we both were full at the end of the meal.
• Price - appetizers were in the $10+ range; entrees ranged from the mid $20s.
• Reservations - Recommended for Friday and Saturday evenings.

A Little Cafe

A Little Café, 118 White Horse Road (in Plaza Shoppes Shopping Center), Voorhees, NJ, 856-784-3344

The father of Ken’s coworker works as a server so we went to visit on Friday, August 5. Lou wasn’t there as he had hurt himself the day before. He must be popular as many people were asking about him.

The 40-seat restaurant was relatively empty when we arrived for our 6:30 PM reservation but QUICKLY filled around 7:15 PM. Reservations are required.
Since we had a choice of seats, Jay chose the table for two closest to the kitchen due to the lovely mural. The ceiling is painted with vines – even the smoke detector is disguised! The salt and pepper shakers were also handpainted with a grape leaf motif.

Upon arrival, your wine is taken to be opened and is returned to your table. Hot, crusty bread is brought out with softened butter and a dish of olive oil and vinegar. Before you know it, you are given fried tomatoes which rest atop an olive oil/herb mixture. Yummy!

Service is prompt, but also allows time to digest each course.

Appetizers:
Ken had the fried calamari. It was big enough for four to share. The sauce drizzled on top was sweet and spicy. Jay helped Ken finish. Jay had crab cigarettes which were "paper thin crepes, rolled with JUMBO lump meat with roasted pepper puree dipping sauce." These also came with a sweet spring roll sauce. You wouldn’t believe the size of the crabmeat.

Salads:
Ken had ordered a salad, but asked that it not be sent out since his appetizer was so huge. Jay had the fresh greens with a nice spicy Asian ginger dressing. Everything was fresh.

Entrees:
Ken had the lobster ravioli and jumbo shrimp. Nice size dish; the shrimp were huge and the ravioli melted in your mouth. The sauce was slightly sweet and spicy.

Jay had the pasta special – pasta purses. These were stuffed with gorgonzola cheese (not overpowering) and included large chunks of crab meat and tomatoes. 2-3 people could have gotten full from this entrée! Of course, she couldn’t finish, so she took it home for the next day’s lunch.

• Dress - smart casual.
• Service - excellent.
• Decor – Very nice.
• Portions - excellent.
• Price - Absolutely worth it.
• Reservations - Required.

Siri's Thai French (Again!)

Siri’s Thai French

We visited Siri’s again on Friday, July 22, in celebration of our friend Mary's birthday. A great time was had by all.

All four of us shared appetizers: Skewers of grilled marinated chicken satay with a Thai peanut sauce, Spinach and pork dumplings served on a bed of roasted bell pepper sauce, Escargot baked in puffed pastry and Vegetable spring rolls with a sweet chili sauce. Everything was done to perfection.

On to the entrees - everyone had specials except for Ken. Everyone had scalloped potatoes, except for Jay, who had rice. The scalloped potatoes were awesome.

Terry: Rack of lamb
Mary: Wild boar
Jay: Half duck
Ken: Filet mignon pan seared in a pinot noir pink peppercorn demi glaze.

For dessert we shared a yummy mango cheesecake, banana tartlet with almond brittle and an apricot tart.

Wines enjoyed: St. Francis ld Vines Zinfandel, Louis Jadot 2001 Pinot Noir Bourgogne and Louis Jadot 2002 Chardonnay.

Everything was delicious. This restaurant has become one of our favorites. We will return.

Max's Fine Dining (Italian)

On Sunday, June 12, we took the mothers to Max's Fine Dining in Cinnaminson as a late Mother's Day dinner. There were eight of us and we had a lovely time.

Jay shared with her mother an appetizer of pan seared foie gras duck with pinenuts and apples. It was very good. As an entre, she had pan seared trout with lemon and capers, which was crunchy on the outside and tender and meaty inside. Creme brulee ended the meal. The topping wasn't as warm as Jay likes, but the custard was excellent.

Ken had the Max's Mare & Terre (Langoustine & Beef Tournedos) which was absolutely wonderful. The beef was grilled and tender and the langoustines were just right.

Two of the mothers had the lump crab cakes, which were huge. One of the mothers had the Braised Lamb Osso Buco with Root Vegetables, which was excellently prepared.

We brought a wine from the Beaujolais region, one Alamos Viognier from South America and a Kali Hart Chardonnay from California.

• Dress - smart casual.
• Service - excellent.
• Decor - There are four different seating areas which can be very exclusive. Paintings gave it a nostalgic feel.
• Portions - good.
• Price - a little expensive, but worth it.
• Reservations - highly recommended.

Casanova Grill (Italian)

Yesterday we visited Casanova Grill after discovering that The Hardshell Cafe on Route 73 closed for business. There were six of us. Since we weren't prepared, we had to stop to pick up wine on the way, so we didn't write down what we had.

They first brought out a nice antipasto sampler which included the most delicious olives we've tasted. Bread is brought warm with a dish of olive oil and spices. More olive oil is available at the table.

For appetizers we had the fried calamari which was delicately fried and served with a tangy marinara sauce, grilled calamari which was perfectly grilled and served with a lemon herb sauce, and mussels in white sauce.

Soup or salad comes with the meal. A couple of us chose the tomato basil soup, which was very tasty.

For entrees, Ken had Involtone di Manzo, which was "prime sirloin steak rolled and stuffed with spinach, prosciutto and mozzarella, baked and sliced, then sauteed with mushrooms and fresh rosemary in a Chianti wine sauce." It was delicious. Jay had the scallops special which came with five large grilled scallops on top of a yummy leek sauce.

If you like veal, try the Carciofi & Asparagi (sauteed with baby artichokes and asparagus in a wine and demi-glace sauce). The veal was very tender and the sauce complemented the veal.

We were offered Limoncello and Strawberrycello made by the chef as an ending to our meal. Both were delicious. The strawberry was especially good since it tasted like fresh strawberries.

For dessert, Jay had the Limoncello Tartufo (lemon sorbet covered with lemon rind with a liquid limoncello liquor center), which was a nice light ending to a perfect meal.

• Dress - casual.
• Service - excellent. Servers were very attentive and knowledgeable.
• Decor - Italian bistro. You can see your food being prepared.
• Portions - hefty.
• Price - see the website. Six people were able to eat for $160.
• Reservations - suggested.

Siri's (French/Asian (Thai) Cuisine)

We visited this restaurant today and were impressed. We found this restaurant (and many that we visit) from McNulty's list. Siri's is located at 2115-2119 Rt. 70 West in Cherry Hill. They do have a website, which we were unaware of when we decided to go.

We had the chicken satay as an appetizer. It was dressed in a yummy peanut sauce. A sweet cucumber salad was also included - it was very good.

Ken had the crab cakes (2) which came with rice and sugar snap peas. He was impressed.

Jay had the soft shell crab special, which was over angel hair pasta with a spicy lemongrass sauce. She was extremely happy because TWO crabs came with the meal!

We then had a macadamia nut tart which had coconut in it. It was very light and a perfect end to a great meal.

We brought an excellent dry French Rose with us. We'll post the name of the Rose later...

• Dress - they say "casual," but we feel "dressy casual" is more like it...
• Service - excellent. The hostess and servers (especially Peter) were very knowledgeable and attentive.
• Decor - French/Asian. Colorful. Unique wine glasses.
• Portions - Looks were deceiving as we both were full at the end of the meal.
• Price - appetizers were in the $6-7 range; entrees ranged from the low $20s.
• Reservations - strongly recommended for Friday and Saturday evenings.

B.Y.O.B.s in Jersey

We decided to create this blog to not only help us remember which restaurants we visited and to post our ratings, but also to help others who may be interested. We hope this is helpful.