Il Villaggio (Italian)

We finally met with with Karin and George for lunch, after a 3-month hiatus, at Il Villaggio, 210 Berlin-Haddonfield Road, in Cherry Hill, on Saturday, May 24, 2014.

We had a wonderful lunch. The bread was delicious...

Appetizers shared:

Blue Point Oysters (Jay and George) - Fresh and perfect to begin the meal!

Broccoli Rabe and Italian sausage (Ken) - Ken couldn't stop raving about how good it was. The broccoli rabe was not bitter at all!

Clams with White Sauce (Karin) - The sauce was very flavorful. Jay contently dipped her bread in it.

Roasted peppers and Mozzarella (Jay)

Entrees enjoyed:

Jay ordered the lamb ragout special. It came with pasta, but she's not eating pasta, so she requested risotto instead. No problem! It was wonderful!

Ken ordered the saltimboca. Chicken was on the menu, but he requested veal. Again, no problem. He devoured it! Very tasty.

Karin ordered the Diver Scallops with mushroom risotto. Once again, delicious.

George enjoyed the Linguine Frutti di Mare. There was so much seafood, he didn't eat much pasta, although it was cooked to perfection.

So many delicious items on the menu, but not enough time. We will be back!

We were happily full by the end of our meal. No need for dessert, but we will try the Tiramisu next time.

Our server, Michael, was very attentive and accommodating.


Jay and Ken will be back in 2 weeks for our mothers' day dinner! Looking forward to it!

Beautiful decor and clean restrooms.

Wines enjoyed:

Ginger's Asian Cuisines (Medford)

Definitely a favorite, and close to home!

We visited Ginger's Asian Cuisines on Sunday, April 13, 2014.

Ken was starving and dove right into the fried noodles.

He immediately ordered the Vietnamese Grape Leaves and Coconut Shrimp for appetizers. Jay didn't stand a chance.

Ken devoured the Mongolian Pork.

Jay enjoyed the Shrimp with Green Curry dinner box, which came with a choice of soup (she chose miso), and choice of salad, spring roll or steamed dumplings. They send all 3! Love this place. The curry wasn't too spicy, but was very flavorful.

Of course, we ordered the House Special Fried Rice, instead of white or brown.

We asked to take the cantaloupe home, and were given an extra container. So good!

Wines enjoyed:

Tarantella (Italian)

After an exhausting day watching windows being installed in our home, Ken and Jay visited Tarantella in Medford today, because Ken had a craving for either veal saltimbucca or chicken parmesan. He ended up with neither and instead choose a Special. LOL

You are immediately brought bruschetta and the bread basket while perusing your menu.

Delicious! The bread is warm and crusty and addictive!

We keep forgetting that a salad is included with the meal. Tonight they had homemade Italian dressing, which Ken enjoyed, homemade garlic dressing and blue cheese dressing. Jay dressed hers with oil and vinegar. Very fresh.

 

 Appetizers:

Ken had the shrimp cocktail (5 large shrimp), which he promptly devoured.

Jay enjoyed the fried smelts, which were the best she ever had - lightly breaded and very tasty, especially with the marinara sauce.

Entrees:

Ken ordered the Scallops Imperial special which came with crab meat sauce and seafood ravioli. He ate it so fast, Jay hadn't even begun to dig into her...

Lamb Chops (medium rare) special, with roasted potatoes and green beans. Lunch tomorrow!

Wines enjoyed:

Too full for dessert, we enjoyed the Limencello. Very refreshing for the end of the meal!

We plan to return on Sunday, so Ken can get his parm, and we can enjoy the antipasti appetizer.

Ginger Asian Cuisines

Jay didn't want to cook on Saturday, February 22, 2014, so Ken suggested Ginger Asian Cuisines, which was right on target since Jay wanted some Thai food.

We arrived arrive for our 7 PM reservations (recommended on the weekends), and had to wait a few short minutes for the requested booth. The place was packed! This was great to see since their food is so delicious. However, now our "hidden gem" is becoming more well known.

No need for a menu for Jay, but Ken wanted to try something new so he looked briefly.

Jay loves the hot and sour soup!

Appetizers:

BBQ Pork Ribs - very meaty

Vietnamese Grape Leaves (of course!)

Jay prefers their seaweed salad over all other restaurants!

Entrees:


Jay enjoyed the Thai Basil Chicken, which wasn't as spicy as she'd like, but she let them know her preference for future reference...

Ken ordered the Thai Style Pork with String Beans, which was spicy, and he couldn't even finish.

Don't bother with white or brown rice - get the House Special fried rice!

We have leftovers for Sunday's dinner!

Refreshing fruit and fortune cookies. Jay ate Ken's orange slice, forgetting that he likes oranges.

We asked that Ken's salad be "to go," and once we got home realized that we were given an avocado salad:

Yum!

Can't wait to return and try something else new.

Wines enjoyed:

Kunkel's Seafood and Steakhouse

Since Mary and Terry couldn't join us for Valentine's Day, we braved the snow to return to Kunkel's Seafood and Steakhouse, for round two of dinner, on Saturday, February 15, 2014. Our server, Tony, was very attentive, and put up with our requests to ask the chef for a change in menu (and a hint to the fluffiness of the polenta)

Appetizers:

Terry and Jay each ordered 6 Pocomoke River oysters from Maryland. Jay loves oysters so much that she finished hers before Terry was even halfway finished! Delicious! [Apparently she neglected to get a picture of the oysters]

Mary had the jumbo lump crab cocktail, which she declared was different than the usual shrimp cocktail, and very good.

Ken ordered the bruschetta, which was tasty and shared by all.

Warm, crusty bread came with our salads. Terry, Jay and Ken selected the balsamic dressing. Very good.

Entrees:

Mary enjoyed the Johnny's wedge salad as an entree. She could only finish half. The blue cheese and bacon were a perfect complement.

Jay ordered lobster tail, with sides of sauteed mushrooms and potato leek gratin. Perfect!

Ken ordered the crab stuffed shrimp (which is also available as an appetizer without the rice). He enjoyed it. The rice was seasoned well and very tasty.

Terry had the Swordfish Puttanesca. He wasn't as impressed with it as Jay was yesterday.

Dessert:

Mary and Terry shared the Strawberry Shortcake. Mary didn't like the cake, but enjoyed the strawberries and cream.

Mary enjoyed an espresso, with a twist of lemon. Who knew?

Jay enjoyed the pear sorbet, which was still on the menu for the weekend. So refreshing and tasty.

Wines enjoyed:

It was a wonderful way to share a meal with friends!