Allora (Italian)

Our monthly lunch with Karin and George brought us to Allora, 892 Route 73 North, Marlton, NJ 08053 (856-596-6882), on Friday, August 23, 2024. Can't believe it's been 2 years since our last visit! As always, everything was delicious! Laura was a wonderful server!

We shared the following:

The bread was so good we ordered another basket.

Supply - Crispy Italian rice, meat, and cheese balls served over San Marzano tomato sauce. So good we started with 2 orders!

Fried Calamari - Crispy, dusted calamari rings served with marinara dipping sauce. Cooked to tender perfection!

Shrimp & Crab Meat Fra Diablo - Pan seared wild shrimp in a spicy red sauce with jumbo lump crabmeat, housemade semolina spaghetti. Delicious!

Jay and Karin shared the Allora Eggrolls - Ground sausage, broccoli rabe, red peppers and mozzarella cheese served on a bed of blush sauce. The sausage was so flavorful!

Ken and George shared Nicky's Parmigiana/Vitello (Veal Parmesan) baked with marinara and mozzarella, which they both devoured. (Shown is a 1/2 portion!)

Karin and George shared the Lemon Cake.

Wines enjoyed:

It was nice seeing Mark!

We had a great time!

IndeBlue Modern Indian

Jay and Ken met Karin and George at IndeBlue Modern Cuisine,  65 Barclay Farms Shopping Center, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 (856-230-4633), for lunch on Friday, June 21, 2024. As always, everything was delicious!

We shared and enjoyed this month's chef specials:

Venison Tartare (with egg yolk, cornishon, capers, cucumber carpaccio, papadum)

Truffled Lobster Pot Pie (potatoes, English peas, carrots, cardamom volute, puffed pastry)

Chicken Golumki (spiced chicken & rice stuffed cabbage, Jersey tomato rasila)

We also shared the Crispy Spinach Chaat, Garlic Naan, and Drums of Heaven

Everything was flavorful and cooked to perfection!

For dessert, we enjoyed the mango lassi ice cream (mango compote, pistachio)

Wines enjoyed:

Already looking forward to our next visit!

Isot Authentic Turkish Kitchen (Philly)

Our monthly lunch with Karin and George brought Jay and Ken to Isot Turkish Cuisine, 622 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 (267-457-3622), on Saturday, April 27, 2024. We had a wonderful dining experience! Everything was fresh and flavorful!

We shared the following:

Hot Hummus (cooked in a pan with olive oil, topped with walnuts, and finished with hot pepper oil). Addictive.

Tender Calamari (freshly seasoned and fried tender calamari served with homemade tartar sauce). Cooked to perfection.

Manti (Turkish dumplings stuffed with a ground beef and lamb mix, served with homemade yogurt, red pepper oil, and mint-infused olive oil). Light, pillowy goodness!

Seafood Casserole (jumbo shrimp, calamari, mushrooms, tomatoes, and garlic, topped with mozzarella cheese, baked in a ceramic bowl. Outstanding.

Isot Mix Plates (combination of beef kebab, Chicken Adana, grilled chicken thighs, Kasap Kofte, and Lamb kebab). We chose the one for 2 People, which was more than enough!

Wines enjoyed:

Gass & Main

Still celebrating Ken's birthday, Jay and Ken met Karin and George at Gass & Main, 7 Kings Court, Haddonfield, NJ 08033 (973-721-3179), on Saturday, March 22, 2024. We had a fabulous time, as always!

We were greeted by Jennifer, our favorite server, on this rainy day. Congratulations to Dane on their James Beard nomination! Well-deserved!

We shared the following, and everything was excellent!:

Crispy Brussels (One of Ken's favorites!)

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese - truffle gnocchi, mornay, truffle peels, herb breadcrumb (another of Ken's favorites!)

Deviled Eggs - smoked cheddar cheese, horseradish, chive, and smoke salmon roe

Chips & Caviar - house fried potato chips, French onion creme fraiche, smoked salmon roe - so good!

Slow Cooked Pork Tacos -  braised pork shoulder, salsa verde, onion, avocado, cilantro, on flour tortillas

Brunch Nachos - house fried chips, cheese sauce, bacon, scrambled eggs, salsa verde, jalapeño

Ken devoured the Table Pancakes - buttermilk silver dollars with syrup

George enjoyed the Worlds Best Hot Dog - Snake River Wagyu, house sweet heat mustard, pickled shallot & celery, brown butter brioche

All American Pie - baked in house, turbinado sugar crusted apple pie, vanilla bean ice cream, snowfall of prairie breeze cheddar cheese

Wines enjoyed: