Vientiane Cafe (Laotian-Thai)

We always have a wonderful time with friends, Karin and George and today was no exception! We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Vientiane Cafe, 4728 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143. It's not Jersey, but worth a mention.

We stuck with appetizers and let George do most of the ordering. Everything was delicious!

Duck Spring Rolls

Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls and Shrimp Spring Rolls (not shown)

Crispy Tofu Pad See-Eew

Vegetarian Naam Salad - even meat-eater Ken loves this!

Beef Jerky - Ken's been talking about this for days!

Sausages with chili sauce and mushroom sauce - very tasty!

Wines enjoyed:

Love this place! Everything is so flavorful!

Ginger Asian Cuisines (Still a Favorite!)

After a productive day working at the library (some time in October, although not posted until November 9!), Jay didn't feel like cooking, so she suggested Ginger Asian Cuisines. Ken readily agreed. We made reservations for 6:30 pm, since we wanted a booth. Great idea! It was packed!

A beautiful rainbow greeted us as we left the house...

It's always nice to see the people at Ginger's - they are truly happy to see you again!

We love the fried noodles with hot mustard sauce and duck sauce...

Soup came with Jay's meal. She meant to order the Hot & Sour, but requested Egg Drop by mistake. It was tasty!

Appetizers enjoyed:

BBQ ribs - these are the BEST!

Vietnamese beef grape leaves. Ken's favorite!

Entrees:

Not on the menu, but Ken (and two other diners) requested the Salt and Pepper Shrimp. He devoured it!

Jay enjoyed the Stinking Shrimps  (garlic) - sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight, but it was worth it! LOL

We meant to order the House Special Fried Rice, but were given just plain fried rice instead. It was still good.

Oranges to enjoy while paying your bill:

Wines enjoyed:

Nancy recommended a few other dishes to try (both must be ordered a day in advance):
Chinese Fried Chicken - whole chicken, fried, and sliced with bones (sounded awesome!)
Pork Chop with lemongrass - can't wait to try!

Black Olive (Greek)

Although Jay wasn't feeling well (cold? flu?), she and Ken met Karin and George at Black Olive Greek Cuisine, 910 Haddonfield-Berline Road, Voorhees, NJ, 08043, for our monthly lunch, on Saturday, November 8, 2014. Everything was delicious!

Our server, Victoria (who waited on us last time), was very accommodating and knowledgeable. We'll ask for her again!

Jay enjoyed the Avgolemono Soup (chicken broth with eggs, lemon and rice).

We all shared everything else:

Saganaki (pan fried Kefalograviera cheese) - salty fried goodness...

Shrimp Tourkolimano (jumbo shrimp sauteed in white wine with fresh tomatoes, garlic, feta cheese and Kalamata olives and a touch of ouzo), with potatoes and spinach:

It came with a house salad, which was very fresh:

Fried Calamari. Perfectly breaded and seasoned:

Pork Souvlaki platter:

Baklava for dessert:

Wines enjoyed:

We'll be back. More dishes to try!

Bhan Thai (It's Been A While)

Knowing that Jay was feeling a bit low, Ken took her to dinner after work. Her choice. She chose Bhan Thai, 4330 Dearborn Circle, Cambridge Crossing Plaza, Mt. Laurel, NJ., knowing that Ken has been wanting to go. We called ahead for a 6:30pm reservation, and were promptly seated. This place fills up fast! We had a wonderful dinner.

This is one of our favorite restaurants, especially since it's so close to home...

Appetizers enjoyed:

Martini Shrimp (Ken's favorite!):

Firecracker Shrimp:

Crab Meat Pancake - crab meat, taro, mustard and scallions. Topped with mango, green apple, tomatoes, and red onions. Served with homemade peach sauce.

Entrees:

Ken devoured his Pla Rad Prik - Red Snapper Fillet with Baby Bok Choy. Served with Thai chili sauce.

Jay tried to finish the Tropical Duck Curry (Ped Yang - 2 chills) - crispy half boneless duck in red curry with pineapple, onions, bell peppers, green peas, tomatoes and basil. Leftovers went home for tomorrow's dinner...

Everything was fresh and flavorful. This is a gem, close to our gym, so we can "do takeout!"


Wines enjoyed:

Black Olive (Greek)

After hearing good reviews from Karin and George, Jay and Ken (and Mom Geri) visited Black Olive, 910 Haddonfield-Berlin Road, Voorhees, NJ 08043, on Saturday, September 13, 2014. Jay joked that we should move to this area, since we frequently dine at restaurants on this particular road. Black Olive has been open since November! Why didn't we know!???!!!

Warm bread with olive oil and olives are immediately brought to the table.

Appetizers enjoyed:

Jay tried the Cold Pikilia (Eggplant Salad-roasted eggplant with fresh herbs; Hummus-mashed chickpeas w/tahini; Taramosalata-smoked cod's roe with potatoes; and, Tzatziki-strained greek yogurt w/cucumbers and garlic). Everything was delicious. Mom Geri even liked the Taramosalata!

Ken thoroughly enjoyed the Charcoal grilled jumbo shrimp, which is surprising because he usually complains when Jay keeps the shell on!

Entrees:

Mom Geri ordered the Shrimp TourkolImano (sauteed with white wine w/fresh tomatoes, garlic, feta cheese, kalamata olives and a touch of ouzo). Some taken home for dinner.

She chose Seafood soup (instead of a salad) to start her meal, which she enjoyed...

Jay enjoyed the Roasted Leg of Lamb, which was tender and flavorful. It came with lemon roasted potatoes and green beans. She took some home for dinner.

She chose the salad to start her meal. Very fresh.

Ken devoured the Pork Souvlaki Plate. The Greek fries were delicious! We couldn't stop eating them!

Keep in mind that these are lunch portions! Dinner portions must be HUGE!

Too full for dessert. But the dessert menu included beautiful photos which were very enticing.

We will return. Jay wants to get 2 apps and dessert (baklava!) next time. We MUST request that they not start the entree until we are finished with our soup/salad. Food came out much too fast!

Wines enjoyed:

2013 L'art de Provence

and we sipped on some of this:

Da Soli (Italian)

Once the suggestion to Da Soli was made for our monthly lunch, Ken wouldn't consider any other restaurant. He's been craving the veal alla saltimbucca since the beginning of the summer. He was not disappointed.

We met friends, Karin and George, for our monthly lunch on Saturday, August 30, 2014, at 12:30. We always have such a good time with our special friends.

Our server, Lauren, greeted us and seated us promptly although Karin and George were a bit behind us (we were actually early). She brought hot crust bread while we waited.

Appetizers:

We shared the Suppli - risotto balls which are flavorful, crunchy and addictive. We considered a second order, but didn't want to get too full.

Karin enjoyed the Caesar salad, which came with her meal. George helped her.

Jay enjoyed the crab and corn soup, which included okra. Everything was fresh and flavorful!

Entrees:

Karin thoroughly enjoyed the Shrimp Francaise special, which included artichokes and pasta. She was actually able to finish it! The lemon sauce was divine!

Jay, with a little help from her friends, devoured the Chicken and Fennel Sausage Special, which included California white figs, a balsamic and marsala reduction, and broccoli rabe. Delicious!

Ken and George ordered the veal alla Saltimbuca, which they both enjoyed, raving over the sauce and the risotto. They barely touched the veggies, which is standard for these guys...

Jay was enticed by the dessert, which Karin and George helped her eat. The whipped cream was out of this world. Although the watermelon ice cream was tasty, the blueberry ice cream took the prize! Amazing!

Chef/owner Mark Berenato came out of the kitchen to speak with us. Such a pleasant person - we will definitely return! We have not been disappointed!

We were given a taste of the strawberry plum "cello!" Delicious! Not as strong as a limoncello, but quite flavorful.

The wine glasses are beautiful. Not your standard "I don't care if they break" ones that you normally see in restaurants.

Wines enjoyed: