ITA101 (Italian)

We arrived on time for our 7:30pm reservation at ITA101, 20 S. Main Street, Medford, NJ 08055 (609-654-0101), on Saturday, June 9, 2018. The place was packed! We figured it would be since Ken saw the restaurant featured on CBS3 Eyewitness News. We had an enjoyable 3-hour dining experience with friends Zach and Diane.

The bread is wonderful...

Jay already knew what she wanted since she looked over the email that she received a few days earlier...

Antipasti:

Jay and Diane each enjoyed the Granchi Soft Shell e Fiori di Zucca Special - pan seared soft shell crab and squash blossoms stuffed with sheep's milk ricotta and herbs - heavenly!

Ken was impressed with the Burrata con Speck & Prosciutto - burrata with speck and prosciutto and grilled lettuce over a sun-dried tomato puree. It was a large portion, so we all helped him.

Zack loved the Carpaccio di Manzo - filet mignon served raw with parmesan and extra virgin olive oil topped with shaved black truffles.

We all shared Diane's Insalata Mista - baby greens with walnuts, cranberries and shaved pecorino cheese tossed with house vinaigrette. Very fresh and dressed well.

Secondi:

Jay loved the Crepes con Coniglio Brasato Special - crepes with braised rabbit, morel and porcini mushrooms and topped with shaved black truffles.

Zach and Diane were each satisfied with the Stufato di Pesce, Cozze, Calamari e Polipo in Salsa di Pomodoro - seafood stew with mussels, clams, calamari, and octopus in a tomato-based sauce served with grilled bread, topped with a halibut fillet.

Ken enjoyed the last Special available - (didn't write down the name), but it was filet topped with an omelette and rolled, with mushrooms and coco beans, which he loved.

Diane enjoyed the Tiramisu al Tavola once again - tiramisu created table side with homemade lady fingers and cream of mascarpone, espresso and cocoa powder.

Chef Kevin Maher spent a few moments with us. His food is amazing and he's very personable. We'll be back!

Wines enjoyed:

Fancy cushions on the ceiling and under the table help to soften the sound level.

Vientiane Cafe and Vietnam Cafe (Philly)

Our monthly lunch with Karin and George brought us back to Philly on Saturday, June 2, 2018. It was Porch Fest in West Philly, which was really nice. Many bands and block parties...

Vientiane Cafe, 4728 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19143 (215-726-1095), is one of our favorites, and we enjoyed everything!

Shrimp Summer Rolls and Duck Crispy Spring Rolls

Naam Salad

Angel Shrimps

Wings

Wines enjoyed:

We then stopped at Vietnam Cafe, 816 South 47th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143 (215-729-0260), for takeout, and enjoyed with more wine, before venturing to the porch to see the sights.

Crispy Spring Rolls and Grilled Pork Rolls

The Charbroiled Pork with Broken Rice is the BEST!

Good food, wonderful friends, and a great day!

Allora by da Soli

Our 3 1/2 hour lunch with Karin and George took us back to Allora by da Soli (why did we pick the Saturday before Mother's Day?). We had enjoyable time. Our server, Diego, knew that we liked long lunches, and we were not rushed.

We were hungry, and went through 3 baskets of bread...

We shared suppli...

Calamari (perfectly cooked)...

and Gnocchi (light and flavorful)...

Ken and George shared veal saltimbocca

Karin enjoyed the Caesar Salad

Jay loved the Poppies Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Lemon cake ended our meal.

Wines enjoyed:

Everything was wonderful, and even though there was a baby shower in the next room, everyone was attentive, and the food was excellent. Mark even took some time to say hi.

Dolsot House (K-Town BBQ Korean Restaurant)

We stopped by Dolsot House, 404 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill (856-216-0090), for lunch after our movie date to see Avengers: Infinity War. Delicious, as always!

We shared wings (spicy and honey sesame):

Always love the variety of the Banchan...

Ken has been thinking about the spicy pork bulgogi hoagie all day...

Jay couldn't finish the spicy pork bulgogi dolsot. It was still steaming as she put it in the take out container!

No wine this time. Very enjoyable meal.

Bistro SouthEast- Philly (PLEASE Visit!)

Our monthly lunch with Karin and George (this time almost 4 hours!) took us back to Bistro Southeast, 1824 South Street, Philadelphia PA 19146 (267-758-2838) - (one of our favorites!). We were greeted by everyone there! So nice to feel welcome. Van is an excellent server.

Everything is so fresh here. Worth a visit!

We shared the Thai Chili Wings...

before devouring the Seafood Boil Combo #4 (with extra lobster tails) and Cajun seasoning. Must order a day ahead...

Ken and Karin had to have the BBQ Pork Bahn Mi:

Everything was extremely flavorful and delicious! Too full for dessert!

Wines enjoyed:

ITA101

Dinner with friends, Zach and Diane, brought us to ITA101, 20 S. Main Street, Medford, NJ 08055 (609-654-0101) for dinner on Saturday, April 14, 2018. We had a wonderful time.

Since it's a small place, reservations are REQUIRED. We arrived for our 7:45pm reservation, and were promptly seated.

Our server, Mike, was very attentive.

Delicious crusty bread was brought to the table. Olive oil was poured. So good, we asked for more...

Appetizers shared:

Carpaccio di Manzo (filet mignon served raw and thinly sliced with mache, parmesan and extra virgin olive oil)

Mozzarella di Bufala & Barbabietole (fresh buffalo milk mozzarella served with beets, asparagus and prosciutto over a sun-dried tomato purr and topped with aged balsamic)

Torta di Ceci (thin unleavened pancake made of chickpea flour)

Entrees:

We all enjoyed our wonderful entrees. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection!

Jay - Spaghetti con Nero di Seppia (black squid ink spaghetti with snow peas, razor clams, black bass, shrimp and scallops in a lightly spicy garlic and oil sauce)

Ken - Pesce del Giorno (black bass with grilled squid, sea beans and snow peas over an almond puree)

Diane and Zach - Brasato di Manzo (slow roasted grass-fed short ribs braised in Barbera d'Asti wine served with mushrooms & red bliss country mashed potatoes and asparagus)

Dessert:

Jay was quite happy with the Mouse di Cioccolato & Nocciole (dark chocolate and hazelnut mousse topped with an almond crumble and served with cherries braised in red wine and whipped cream). A flavorful and light ending to a wonderful meal.

Diane loved the Tiramisu al Tavola (created table side with homemade lady fingers and cream of mascarpone, espresso and cocoa powder.

The presentation for the espresso was equally impressive!

Zach enjoyed the Pan di Spagna con Composta di Fragole e Mouse al Cioccolato (sponge cake layered with fresh organic strawberry compote and topped with chocolate mousse)

Wines enjoyed:

We will return, as there are other dishes we wish to try.