Tarantella Ristorante (Italian)

On Saturday, September 30, 2017, we celebrated Diane's birthday with Zach, at Tarantella Ristorante, 128 Route 70, Medford, NJ 08055 (609) 714-9050.

Although we had a big lunch earlier in the day, we still found room for the delicious food at Tarantella.

No reservations are accepted for parties less than 5, but we only had less than a 10-minute wait for a table. Steve was our server. He was very attentive, although he had a large anniversary party in another room.

Bread, bruschetta, and salad come with the meal...

We shared appetizers:

Broccoli Rabe & Sausage

Stuffed Long Hots - not too hot, but very good with lots of fresh garlic.

Entrees enjoyed:

Amatriciana with Cappellini (Jay) - fresh tomatoes, onions and bits of crumbled bacon.

Veal Sorrentino with Rigatoni (Ken) - veal medallions sautéed in marsala wine sauce with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, topped with prosciutto, mozzarella cheese and sliced fresh tomatoes.

Veal Alla Parmigiana (Zach) - breaded veal cutlet topped with mozzarella cheese and special tomato sauce - Wow!

Clams in white sauce over Linguini (Diane) - she added the broccoli rabe from the appetizer.

Dessert:

Lemon Cake

Apple Crisp with Pumpkin Ice Cream

Happy birthday to Diane!

Wines enjoyed:

Homemade wine from Joe and Pearl:

Apothic Crush

Allora by da Soli

For our monthly lunch, we met friends Karin and George at Allora by da Soli, 892 Route 73, Marlton, NJ 08053 (856-596-6882), on Saturday, September 30, 2017. Although there was a large group in the next room (75+!), we had an enjoyable 3 hour lunch. Our server, Nika, was attentive, even though she had to help out with the large group.

Ken devoured the bread!

We shared many plates:

Fried Calamari and Suppli (not on menu - we asked for it!)

Caesar Salad, which was very refreshing...

Lobster Ravioli

Jay enjoyed the Spinach Egg Drop Soup with Chicken Sausage special...

Ken and George had to share the Veal Saltimbocca

Jay and Karin shared the Crispy Brussel Sprouts

Ken and George enjoyed the coffee...

The Caramel Apple Cake with Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream and the Sicilian Lemon Cream Cake were both moist, delicious, and flavorful.

Wines enjoyed:

Marc outdid himself, and even helped his servers by pitching in! Outstanding!

Vientiane Cafe (Lao and Thai Cuisine) - Philly

Our monthly lunch with friends Karin and George brought us back to Vientiane Cafe, 4728 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143 9215- 726-1095. One of Ken's favorite places! We had a wonderful 3-hour lunch, as usual...

We shared the following:

Duck Spring Rolls

Pork Dumplings - light, heavenly, goodness!

Tamarind Sticky Wings

Naam Salad - our favorite!

Pork Sausages

Homemade Beef Jerky

Everything was very flavorful!

Wines enjoyed:

2016 Cotes du Rhone

2016 Valdehermoso

We always have a fantastic time - good food and good friends! Excellent service!

L'Oceano Ristorante (Seafood!!!!)

Friends Diane and Zach loved L'Oceano Ristorante so much last Sunday, that they immediately made reservations (necessary!) for Saturday, July 29, 2017, 6:45pm. Jay and Ken were excited to try this restaurant. We were promptly greeted and seated by the window by Chris, the owner, and began sipping on wine while perusing the menu.

The bread was light and tasty, and came with an eggplant and onion spread. Jay doesn't normally like eggplant, but the spread was surprisingly good!

Appetizers enjoyed:

Jay had viewed the online menu; there were many tasty options, and she selected the Grilled Oysters with Parmesan, Parsley and Bechamel. Cooked to perfection and the sauce was addictive.

Diane selected the Soft Shell Crab special; lightly coated in Panko, and very good.

Zach ordered the Buffalo Fried Scallops (who knew!), which were quite delicious...

Ken (and Jay) enjoyed the Lobster Roll, served with slaw-radish, red onion, cabbage, carrots, mayo and Siracha on a toasted bun with arugula. Extremely flavorful and satisfying!

Entrees:

Jay enjoyed the Lobster Pot Pie - puffed pastry filled with lobster, vegetables and Bechamel, finished with a truffle cream. The lobster was plentiful, and the puff pastry was light and airy. Excellent!

The fish special for the evening came with risotto. Red Snapper was first on the menu - Zach snatched up the last one, and was quite pleased:

Second choice was Stone Fish, which both Diane and Ken thoroughly enjoyed:

Dessert:

Diane and Zach shared the carrot cake...

Jay and Ken shared the Key Lime Pie...

Wines enjoyed:

The table is cleaned between courses, which is a nice touch. Our server, Lisa, made us feel welcome, and everyone was very attentive to our needs.

Overall, this was a wonderful experience. We will definitely return! Must make reservations, as the place is small. Although it gets a little loud, you can still have an intimate experience.