Alisa Cafe (French/Thai)

We visited Alisa Cafe tonight for the first time and were pleasantly surprised. We arrived early for our 7 PM reservation and were promptly seated. We were happy to see friends from our old gym, Mike and his wife, seated at another table. This was also their first time.

Table settings were beautiful with fanned napkins and crystal stemware. After taking our order, our server opened our wine and brought out warm rolls with butter.

We shared the Appetizer for 2: Thai Shumai (seasoned minced steamed shrimp and pork wrapped with wonton skins), Pork Gyoza (Jay loves these!), Crispy Shrimp Rolls, and Vegetable Shrimp Rolls. Everything was crispy and cooked to perfection.

Ken orderd the jumbo shrimp curry (sauteed with garlic, vegetables, and green curry); Jay had the shrimp pad thai (stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu, green onions and ground peanuts). Both dishes were excellent - everything was extremely fresh. We took nothing home. In fact, Ken had to help Jay eat the shrimp because she was getting full.

While eating we enjoyed the view of the open kitchen, which was immaculate. We'll be back to try other dishes.

Wine enjoyed: 2004 Smoking Loon California Cabernet Sauvignon

• Dress: Casual.


• Service: Outstanding.


• Decor: Pleasant atmosphere. Mahogany table and chairs. Beautiful lighting (pendant and orb). Soothing background music..


• Portions: Large.


• Prices: Extremely affordable.


• Reservations: Suggested.

La Campagne (Country French)

Ken made a bet with Jay in January 2005 and lost. He finally took her to La Campagne yesterday to make good on that bet. We'd visited over 10 years ago, but since we're more refined and into wines, Ken enjoyed the experience a lot better.

We arrived early for our 7 PM reservation and were promptly seated by Marco, the Maitre 'D (attired in a full tuxedo), at a corner table next to lovely fireplace.

We were offered a choice of water: Spring, sparkling and ice water. Ken selected the Spring; Jay selected the sparkling but changed her mind after realizing that large bottles were being brought to the table. We went with the spring water. It was a Fonte S. Barbara di Lurisia Natural Spring Water. Very clean tasting. (I know it's water, but work with me - j).

Warm bread was brought out along with herbed butter. Even Ken used the butter and he normally goes without. It was delicious.

Jay ordered the escargots en croute with caramelized fennel butter tarragon aioli. Six large snails were encased by puff pastry. Very delicious and more filling than she realized it would be.

Ken ordered the baby spinach salad with smoked salmon, goat cheese, candied pecans, and a raspberry vinaigrette. He actually enjoyed the smoked salmon, not realizing that it smoked is actually raw. Jay told him afterwards and he didn't get sick. Jay ate most of the goat cheese. The greens were very fresh and everything tasted delicious together.

Jay ordered the crispy prawn and scallop with herbed risotto, haricot verte, in a shellfish reduction. Three HUGE prawns and two gigantic scallops arrived atop the risotto. Everything was absolutely fresh and delicious, although the prawns were a bit salty for her taste. She struggled but finished the dish.

Ken ordered the pan seared filet mignon with creamy monbriac blue cheese, fingerling potatoes, with a caramelized onion demi glace. He ordered medium and the filet was perfect. In fact, he sent a glass of Zinfadel to the chef, and it was appreciated by both chefs (we were unaware that there were two).

Jay had to have dessert and ordered the creme brulee trio. Vanilla, lemon and chocolate were brought out. Each had a crunchy top. The chocolate made Jay moan with pleasure, it was so good. Of course, she couldn't finish it all so she brought home a little of the lemon and most of the chocolate. She's about to finish it now while she's typing.

In addition to Marco, two other servers made sure our wine was poured, and our water glasses never went low. Service was outstanding.

Wines enjoyed:
2002 Ridge California Zinfandel Paso Robles
2003 California Smoking Loon Viognier

Stemware was basic, but different stemware was available based on wine selection. Wine tastings can be arranged.

• Dress: Smart casual.


• Service: Outstanding.


• Decor: Multiple rooms with 3-4 tables in each, made for a cozy feel. French music played..


• Portions: Nice.


• Prices: $$$.


• Reservations: Suggested.

Pizzicato (Italian Bistro)

Although we've visited a few times, and this is one of our favorites, this is the first blog entry for Pizzicato in the Promenade at Sagemore (B-07) in Marlton. (856-396-0880). We visited today for lunch.

Fresh Italian bread is brought to the table with oil and vinegar for dipping.

They were sold out of the calimari (the best ever!) so we had the spring rolls instead. They were hot and crunchy on the outside and filled with shrimp and fresh vegetables. Delicious!

Ken had the wasabi and sesame crusted scallops. Not as spicy as we thought it would be, but very tasty.

Jay enjoyed the crab cake salad special which included a nice, crunchy fried crab cake atop salad greens, carrots, roasted red peppers and mango, with a raspberry vinagrette.

We were too full for dessert so we didn't even look at the dessert tray...

Wine enjoyed: 2003 Kis Gruner Veltliner (Kurt Angerer)

• Dress: Casual for lunch. Business casual for dinner.


• Service: Excellent.


• Decor: Open kitchen, lots of tables. Get a booth if you can..


• Portions: Nice.


• Prices: Moderate.


• Reservations: Suggested.

La Posata (Italian)

We met our friends, Vip and Angie, last night at La Posata, located at Greentree Square in Marlton. They were already seated so we walked right in.

Not long after being seated, our server brought warm seeded Italian bread with garlic herbed butter. Once Ken tasted the butter it was over - and he usually eats his bread without it. Regular butter is also served with the bread or you can make use of the olive oil that's on the table.

We selected the calimari appetizer which was lightly breaded and very good. Marinara sauce was included. Our server was thoughtful enough to bring a second boat of the sauce which was very good.

Jay, Ken and Vip had the house salad. The salad had fresh greens, with ripe tomatoes which Jay ate even though she normally doesn't like tomatoes in her salad. Angie enjoyed the tomato basil soup which she said was very good.

After hearing about the specials, three of us chose the crab cake special. Grilled jumbo shrimp atop two hefty crab cakes with were brought to the table. All crab meat with very little filler. Included was a black bean salsa with corn, red & green peppers, red onion and cilantro. Yummy! Angie and Jay selected the zucchini & squash; Vip chose the penne pasta as his side.

Ken opted for the lobster meat ravioli which was cheese ravioli with spinach pasta, stuffed with lobster meat in a brandy cream sauce with shitake mushrooms and sundried tomatoes. Jay tasted it, and although it was very good, found it to be a little salty for her taste.

Presentations for all of the dishes were beautiful.

We brought and enjoyed the following wines:
2001 Dolcetto d'Alba (Vietta Castiglione Falletto)
2003 Clos du Bois Shiraz (Sonoma County)
2004 Chateau des Hospitaliers "Prestige Coteaux du Languedoc Table Wine (OK it was French, but still went well with the meal)

We were going to Marlton Tavern afterwards, so we declined dessert and coffee although the desserts looked really good.

While finishing our wine, we glanced at a dish passing by and asked the woman at the next table what she was having as it smelled so good - it was the chicken marsala. Perhaps next time?

As we were leaving, the chef/owner, Joe Bento, introduced himself and asked Ken how we enjoyed everything. That was nice. We will return.

• Dress: Casual.


• Service: Excellent.


• Decor: Two large rooms with brick walls exposed and large wall paintings made you feel right at home..


• Portions: Big.


• Price: Moderate.


• Reservations: First-come, first-served. For parties of 5 or more, reservations are accepted.

A Little Cafe (Third Time!)

Yesterday, we arrived at A Little Cafe (the menu has changed) for our 6 PM reservation and was the third table to be seated. Our friends, Karin and George, met us there. By 7 PM, all tables were full. Our server, Mary, was very attentive to our needs. Lou, Ken’s friend, was a treat as always.

Fried tomatoes and nice warm bread with butter were immediately brought out. Oil, vinegar and roasted garlic to go with the bread was already on the table.

Appetizers shared:
Crab cigarettes with a red chili sauce and a yummy cheese sauce.
Duck spring rolls served with soba noodles, julienned cucumbers and mango with red onion.
Shrimp wrapped with bacon and wasabi.

Most of us had the salad greens, which we didn’t finish as we tried to make room for our entrees.

Ken had a special - the fried poblano chili pepper stuffed with shrimp and Mexican cheese. Rice was included with his meal. The shrimp was extremely fresh and delicious. A lot has obviously changed since the Artful Diner's 1999 article, since Ken had no problem cleaning his plate.

George had the veal meatloaf, which was light and flavorful.

Karin had the lobster ravioli with shrimp. She couldn’t finish.

Jay had the chicken with crab, which was a huge piece of boneless chicken breast with crab and cheese atop. Mashed potatoes, which she loves, came with the meal.

The vegetable of the day was julienned zucchini, which went well with every dish.

While digesting our food, the men went outside to smoke, and we were approached by the owner (we didn’t know it at the time), Marianne, who asked if we could take coffee and dessert outside as she had a large group waiting. Since we’d been there for two hours, we had no problem with it, especially since she offered to treat us to the coffee and dessert.

We grabbed our wine glasses and our “doggie bags” and hung outside for another hour, chatting with those who had to wait for a table. We had a nice time, especially since it was cooler out and the projected showers had not yet shown up.

Desserts that we enjoyed were a warm brownie covered in vanilla ice cream, a Reese’s peanut butter cheesecake and an apple pie cheesecake. Most of the desert went home too.

Wines we enjoyed with dinner: 2005 Chateau La Dame Blanche Bordeaux (white), 2003 Trancy Vielles Vignes Red Burgundy Wine, 2003 Foxen Old Vines Chenin Blanc, 2000 Tablas Creek Vineyards Esprit de Beaustel

Even though we had to cut short our dining experience, we had a great time and will return.

Emerald Fish Again

After a long hiatus, during which Ken was punishing Jay for arguing that we only go out to eat, we visited Emerald Fish again. New owners, but the food is still delicious.

We enjoyed an appetizer of bruschetta, which was nicely toasted with a hint of the grill and was topped with tomatoes and feta cheese. We both had salad - Ken had "the best Ceasar Salad" that he's had in a while. Jay had the greens with a blue cheese dressing that was perfect.

Ken's entree was the deluxe seafood combination, which included a lobster tail, shrimp and scallops. Jay had the soft shell crabs, which were lightly breaded and included a black bean sauce. Both entrees included grilled skewered vegetables - mushrooms, squash and red onion - and rice. Jay wanted the wasabi mashed potatoes so she requested them on the side.

The meal was lovely even with the full house - every table was filled to capacity. Everything came on time and we did not feel rushed. Even with new owners, we WILL return!

Wine enjoyed was a 2004 Groner Veltliner (Gru-Vee) Schaneacker dry white table wine (Markowitsch)

Kashmir Garden (Indian) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

OK, OK, OK - so we're hanging in Philly, but this Indian restaurant was worth the trip. Coworkers of Ken invited him and we met as a group (13!) and had a great time on Saturday, March 4, 2006.

Kashmir Garden is located in the Krewstown Shopping Center, 9321-23 Krewstown Road, Philadelphia, PA 19115. (215-969-6110)

We shared the following appetizers:
Chicken Pakora (boneless chicken coated in spiced batter & deep fried)
Vegetable Samosa (mixed vegetables coated in spiced batter & deep fried)
Pakora (vegetables & potato coated in a chickpea batter & deep fried)

Entrees enjoyed were:
Chicken Tikka Masala (tender bonless pieces of chicken broiled in a clay oven, cooked in tomatoes, onions, bell peppers & butter sauce)
Chicken Malabar (sauteed chicken curry, flavored with coconut, onions and spices)
Shrimp Nurgasi (coconut shrimp with tomato sauce & onion)
All MEDIUM - perfect.

Of course we had Naan and Garlic Naan - both yummy!

Wine we enjoyed:
2004 McWilliams Merlot (South Eastern Australia)

Everything was delicious and we'll definitely go back!

• Dress: Casual.


• Service: Good.


• Decor: Nothing fancy.


• Portions: Perfect.


• Price: Moderate.


• Reservations: Not necessary.