Ginger's Asian Cuisine (A Favorite!)

Wednesday night's dinner on November 6, 2019, took us to Ginger Asian Cuisine, 7 Wilkins Station Road, Medford, NJ 08055 (609-953-7888). We love this place! The nicest people work here...

Love the fried noodles with hot mustard and sweet and sour sauce:

We shared appetizers:

The ribs are always tasty! These were quite meaty!

The Vietnamese Beef Stuffed Grape Leaves are also a favorite!

Trying something besides a special, we ordered the Signature Dishes:

Korean BBQ Beef for Ken, with a side of kimchi...

Ocean Treasure for Jay, included a nice size lobster tail, shrimp, scallops, white fish, and clams in a wonderful broth... Lunch for Thursday!

Refreshing oranges and fortune cookies ended the meal...

Wine enjoyed:

Baron Herzog Chenin Blanc ($6 at Wegmans!)

Centanni Pizza and Italian Grill

We met friends Diane and Zach at Centanni Pizza and Italian Grill, 563 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108 (856-858-6666) for dinner on Saturday, November 2, 2019. We enjoyed a leisurely 3 1/2 hour dinner and the food was fantastic!

Sam was our server, and although he had to serve a LARGE party, he was still very attentive. The bread was warm and very good...

We shared appetizers:

Cime de Rabe - grilled Italian sausage with broccoli rabe. Jay does a pretty good broccoli rabe, but this had just the right snap to it and the grilled sausage was amazing!

Fried Calamari - lightly fried, served with a spicy marinara sauce. Yum!

Salads came with the meal:

Jay and Zach ordered the House Salad, which was very refreshing:

Ken and Diane enjoyed the Caesar Salad:

Entrees:

Jay devoured the Ravioli with shrimp and garlic special! It was wonderful!

Ken always wants to try Veal Saltimbocca and he was not disappointed...

Diane couldn't finish the Veal Osso Bucco, which came with risotto...

Zach enjoyed the Zuppa di Pesce, which he couldn't finish and had to take home...

Desserts:

Choices, choices!

We shared the pistachio cake, which was light and airy and the cherry gelato. Zach enjoyed the chocolate cake:

We asked for limoncello and a slice at the end. Both were delicious! We wish we were closer, so we could get the Lobster pizza. Jay may have to make a special trip from the Patco Line!

Having both the owner, and the chef, John Carlo, stop by the table made it extra special. We'll be back and bring friends!

Wines enjoyed:

Sophie's Kitchen (Cambodian) - Philly

Our monthly lunch took us back to Philly, to meet friends, Karin and George, at Sophie's Kitchen, 522 Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147 (215-271-0888), on Saturday, October 19, 2019. Everything was delicious! Since this was our first visit, we let the owner/server, Tony, know how we like to eat - slow and relaxed. He accommodated us, and we had a wonderful time.

We shared the following:

A5 - Deep fried calamari tossed in salt and pepper. Served with Sweet Chili Sauce. We were so hungry, it was devoured in minutes. Lightly breaded, and tender. Yum!

A6 - Lightly battered shrimp seated with salt and pepper. Served with Sweet Chili Sauce. Delicious!

Pepper Special, stuffed with vermicelli and mushrooms

A9 - Grilled Lemongrass Stuffed Wings

E3 - Sauteed Seafood - shrimp, calamari and mussels sautéed in coconut lemongrass spices with celery, bell peppers and topped with Holy Basil

Beef Skewers - the picked veggies offered a bit of cooling to the heat

Beef and Pineapple - who knew? Very good!

We recommend spice level 3 (1, 3, or 6 is offered, but they can go higher!). Everything was seasoned to perfection! We'll be back!

Wines enjoyed:

 2016 Albarino

2017 Zinfandel

Nice decor...

Hearthside

We revisited Hearthside, 801 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108 (856-240-1164), with friends Zach and Diane, on Friday, October 18, 2019, for a 7pm reservation. We had a wonderful time, and left a little before 11pm. Our server, Darryl, did not rush us, and we appreciated it.

Small plates:

Diane had small plates for her meal - Caesar Salad and Pork Belly, with char siu, frisbee, and sesame seeds.

Diane finished her meal with the Gulf Prawns, with garlic, chili, lemon, and parsley...

Ken started with the Gulf Prawns, which were perfectly cooked, and came with charred crusty bread.

Jay began with the Red Snapper Ceviche, with orange, avocado, potato chips, and cilantro. Refreshing and the perfect start to the meal.

Zach's Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, was wonderful. It came with Thai basil, crispy shallots, and jalapeño.

Medium plate:

Zach enjoyed the Orecchiette, with fennel sausage, broccoli rabe, and roasted long hots. Just right the amount of spices. Very tasty.

Large plates:

Ken enjoyed the Porterhouse Pork, with apple mustard, bacon jam, and creamed greens. He was quite impressed with the presentation. It was cooked to perfection.

While waiting for our meal, we noticed a bowl of potatoes at the next table, which we ordered. They were smashed, and then lightly fried. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We devoured them! They were a special, but we hope they stay around...

Jay was quite satisfied with the Ocean Trout, with herb gazpacho, summer relish, and poblano puree. The skin was crispy and the fish was wonderful.

By this time, Zach was a bit full, and couldn't finish his Scallops, so he took them home.


For dessert, we all shared some of Diane's gelato, which was a perfect ending to the meal.

Wines enjoyed:

When Jay and Ken next visit, we may try counter dining...