As we all know, ordering in is a typical part of our life. At least once a week we find ourselves debating what's for dinner and ultimately end up ordering some sort of take out. Monday, February 16th was one of those nights. After the long weekend and having the day off for President's day, ordering out seemed to be the answer before going back to the workweek grind on Tuesday.
Being unhappy with the recent downturn of our usual last minute savior (I won't mention it hear as they are in the midst of selling the business and we will give the new owners a shot) we turned to the internet for assistance. The multitude of chooses led us to Michael Angelo's pizza in Monmouth Beach. We had ordered there in the past and from what I could recall it was pretty decent even though we only had a few cold subs and pizza. Being able to find a menu on a 3rd party site this time we opted for Mozzarella sticks ($4.50), 1/2 Meatball parm sub ($5.50), and 1/2 veal parm sub ($6.00).
Delivery got here within 25 minutes (I always appreciate anyone who can get us hot food quick). The driver was friendly and had a pen ready to sign the credit card slip (anywhere that takes credit cards over the phone is always another bonus). We set up for our gourmet dinner and begin the feast. Our starter, the mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce for dipping. Surprisingly the marinara wasn't half bad. When it comes to good sauce from restaurants I never expect much, but Michael Angelo's did a pretty good job on this one. The mozzarella sticks reminded me slightly of what you might get in your high school cafeteria (not bad, but not good). The breading was loose and the cheese partially melted. They give you 5 sticks so all in all not a bad value, just think I'd go with a different app next time.
The veal parm was next on my plate.The bread was great! it was perfectly toasted soft on the inside and smothered in melted mozzarella. I am a sucker for good bread and cheese so the sight of this sandwich alone made my mouth water. As I lifted the sandwich for the first bite my mind raced with anticipation of the succulent veal smothered in sauce in cheese, this would be a good meal. I quickly learned I would once again be disappointed by pizzeria veal. With the ratio of bread to veal being about 2:1 , I can easily say that the chef was a little less the generous with the main component of this dish. I can forgive quantity for quality when it comes to food so The portioning doesn't bother me so much, however the preparation of the veal was also a miss. Apparently here at Michael Angelo's they use the same batter for the veal as they do for the Mozzarella sticks causing it to fall apart as you take your first bite. Besides for the poor structuring of the veal, I found (after the 2nd bite) that the veal was undercooked. It was still pink and tasted "off". At that point I cut my losses took the veal off of the bread and enjoyed an Italian sauce and mozzarella sandwich.
Appearance wise, the meatball parm looked delicious! The generous portion of meatballs overflowing the sub roll were smothered in the same manner as the veal with a beautiful red sauce and melted mozzarella. Generally when we order meatballs for takeout my expectations are the same as for marinara, don't expect much and you should be ok, but again I was pleasantly surprised. The meatballs seem to be made on premise here at Michael Angelo's, brought in by a company that really knows what they are doing, or we just got 'em on a good night. The blend of meat, cheese, and sauce combined with the fresh warm bread was a delight and redeamed our stay at home culinary experience. The meatball itself was tender and flavorful. The generous portion on the half portion was enough to satisfy the two of us and end our night on a positive note.
I'd rate this 2.5 out of 5 mozzarella sticks.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Valentine's Day at Ross's Dockside
Oh Valentine's Day, the holiday where you must buy your lady love long-stem roses, a chocolate heart and a romantic dinner. Normally, we avoid this Hallmark holiday like the plague due to overpriced pre-fixed menus, mediocre service and food that is marginal at best. This year, at 7:45 p.m. we decided to give it a shot. Thinking there is absolutely no way we were going to get a reservation anywhere, surprisingly we were wrong. Our restaurant victim for this overrated holiday, Ross's Dockside, located in a marina off of Ocean Avenue in Sea Bright. We frequent the Dockside often in the summer (they offer a great outside deck, complete with a bar, bands and great margarita pizzas - we will save this for another blog entry). We walked up the wooden plank and into a wonderland of hearts - so cheesy. We were greeted by Ivette, one of the new partners of the Dockside. She sat us immediately at the only table that was available in the restaurant. We received two menus, waters and a bread basket consisting of potato rolls and a flat bread of sorts. The bread basket included butter and a garlic oil for dipping. Freddie, our waiter took our drink order within the first couple of minutes of arriving at our table. Martini's were the drink of choice for the evening, Belvadere Vodka up with a lemon twist and a concoction called Flirtini, a delightful blend of vodka, cranberry, chambord, champagne and a cherry to garnish. If you like, sweet, tart and dangerous, this drink is for you.
We started our meal off with the Dockside's version of Lobster Bisque ($9.00 a bowl) complete with oyster crackers. A large serving of bisque, with a fair share of lobster meat. The thin consistency of the broth took away from what could have been a flavorful start to the evening. The soup itself had sweet flavors of sherry complementing the lobster itself. All in all the soup was a lackluster start to what would be a an evening to remember.
Service was impeccable. Freddie made sure our drinks were never empty for more than a few seconds and that was no easy feat considering the multitude of drinks we had throughout the night. Martini's flowed like the falls of Niagara.
Dinner came shortly after the soup was complete. Perfect timing, which many restaurants so often miss. Crispy duck served with a loganberry citrus relish, accompanied by wild rice and green beans. ($26) and a grilled veal chop with an asparagus risotto ($32). First let's start with the Veal dish. I must admit I am not a fan of risotto typically. I don't get it. Give me potatoes of any variety and I am a happy diner. However, the Dockside's asparagus risotto has made me rethink my distaste for this side. The risotto was a perfect consistency infused with with bite size pieces of asparagus and some sort of cheese melted throughout. It was exquisite. The Veal chop was cooked to perfection at least an inch and half thick if not 2, cooked medium rare and melted like butter as it touched my tongue.
The crispy duck, which was recommended by another patron when we first arrived was to quote my dining companion "The best I've ever had". She loves her duck and this is a huge compliment to the chef. The portion was large enough to feed two of us. Had I known I would have forgone the veal to share this dish with her (glad I didn't simply for the fact that the veal was amazing). The temperature of the duck was perfect, moist and tender with the skin being truly crispy. You can tell that Mike Ross is back in the kitchen and that thought and care have gone into the preparation for each dish.
Dessert was delicious! Belvedere up with a twist and a Flirtini! (That's right we passed on dessert and opted to continue the martini party we had started earlier on). In most cases we would generally finish our drinks, pay the tab and either move to the bar for an after diner drink or head out to another location. On Valentine's day 2009 we stayed at our table at Ross's Docksideto get down and boogie with the DJ that was now entertaining the crowd. It was about 10:30pm an the dining room had converted into a dance floor were many of the patrons had began dancing the night away. Some of the DJ's selections were more comical than musical but for the most part he made the night all that more exciting. The crowd, which varied from mid-20's up to 60's, seemed to enjoy the overall experience this Valentine's day as did we. We will definitely be returning to this local gem hidden away on the shores of NJ.
We started our meal off with the Dockside's version of Lobster Bisque ($9.00 a bowl) complete with oyster crackers. A large serving of bisque, with a fair share of lobster meat. The thin consistency of the broth took away from what could have been a flavorful start to the evening. The soup itself had sweet flavors of sherry complementing the lobster itself. All in all the soup was a lackluster start to what would be a an evening to remember.
Service was impeccable. Freddie made sure our drinks were never empty for more than a few seconds and that was no easy feat considering the multitude of drinks we had throughout the night. Martini's flowed like the falls of Niagara.
Dinner came shortly after the soup was complete. Perfect timing, which many restaurants so often miss. Crispy duck served with a loganberry citrus relish, accompanied by wild rice and green beans. ($26) and a grilled veal chop with an asparagus risotto ($32). First let's start with the Veal dish. I must admit I am not a fan of risotto typically. I don't get it. Give me potatoes of any variety and I am a happy diner. However, the Dockside's asparagus risotto has made me rethink my distaste for this side. The risotto was a perfect consistency infused with with bite size pieces of asparagus and some sort of cheese melted throughout. It was exquisite. The Veal chop was cooked to perfection at least an inch and half thick if not 2, cooked medium rare and melted like butter as it touched my tongue.
The crispy duck, which was recommended by another patron when we first arrived was to quote my dining companion "The best I've ever had". She loves her duck and this is a huge compliment to the chef. The portion was large enough to feed two of us. Had I known I would have forgone the veal to share this dish with her (glad I didn't simply for the fact that the veal was amazing). The temperature of the duck was perfect, moist and tender with the skin being truly crispy. You can tell that Mike Ross is back in the kitchen and that thought and care have gone into the preparation for each dish.
Dessert was delicious! Belvedere up with a twist and a Flirtini! (That's right we passed on dessert and opted to continue the martini party we had started earlier on). In most cases we would generally finish our drinks, pay the tab and either move to the bar for an after diner drink or head out to another location. On Valentine's day 2009 we stayed at our table at Ross's Docksideto get down and boogie with the DJ that was now entertaining the crowd. It was about 10:30pm an the dining room had converted into a dance floor were many of the patrons had began dancing the night away. Some of the DJ's selections were more comical than musical but for the most part he made the night all that more exciting. The crowd, which varied from mid-20's up to 60's, seemed to enjoy the overall experience this Valentine's day as did we. We will definitely be returning to this local gem hidden away on the shores of NJ.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Welcome to the New Jersey Restuarant Guide
Welcome! Our goal here at the NJ Restaurant Guide is to share our dining experiences with you our readers and hopefully have you share yours. Now we are not merely going out to dinner and rating restaurants and food good, bad, or indifferent, we are going to be discussing the entire experience from service to cleanliness, other patrons to atmosphere and of course the food. We want you to truly feel as though you were there, to get a feel for if you would want to go there, and to appreciate that NJ offers amazing experiences throughout the state.
Before we begin let me tell you a little bit about us so you can get a better understanding of who we are. We are a couple living here in Monmouth County, NJ (dead center of the state) who truly enjoy food and going out socially. As much as we enjoy cooking we only do it two or three times a week while the other nights we go out (or order in). We try, and I emphasize the word try, to experience new restaurants, foods, and people as often as possible however like everyone else we have our favorites that we continually patronize and those will be some of the first discussed. As you read our reviews we want you to participate and share your experiences with us as well. Some things you may agree and some things you may not, let us know. Let our readers know, and let's agree that we are all here to enjoy some good eats, good times, and friends.
I look forward to seeing you all here.
We truly hope you enjoy!
Before we begin let me tell you a little bit about us so you can get a better understanding of who we are. We are a couple living here in Monmouth County, NJ (dead center of the state) who truly enjoy food and going out socially. As much as we enjoy cooking we only do it two or three times a week while the other nights we go out (or order in). We try, and I emphasize the word try, to experience new restaurants, foods, and people as often as possible however like everyone else we have our favorites that we continually patronize and those will be some of the first discussed. As you read our reviews we want you to participate and share your experiences with us as well. Some things you may agree and some things you may not, let us know. Let our readers know, and let's agree that we are all here to enjoy some good eats, good times, and friends.
I look forward to seeing you all here.
We truly hope you enjoy!
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