ZEPPOLI, COLLINGSWOOD
We reckoned that there were some serious foodies at Zeppoli in Collingswood not only because chef/owner Joey Baldino has a large following, but there were many tables for two sporting two bottles of wine and one man came in carrying a case of wine for six people. Chef Baldino’s impressive resume includes: chef de cuisine at Vetri Ristorante in Philadelphia, Chez Panisse in California, Daniel in New York, Amada and Brasserie Perrier in Philadelphia and he was also a James Beard semi finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2013.
Zeppoli is charming with 35 wood tables and chairs, black-and-white vintage Italian-themed photos, lace curtains, tile floors and dishtowels for napkins. Service was attentive, and servers quite knowledgeable about the Sicilian cuisine offered here.
Our meal started with three different breads, all baked in house: focaccia topped with tomatoes, rosemary focaccia, and semolina bread with a bowl of olives in olive oil augmented by a small slice of lemon. Pork sausages, also made in house, were served with sauteed broccoli rabe and a panzanella catania salad containing ripe, red tomatoes and bread cubes was topped with anchovies; both were simple presentations allowing the delicious ingredients to shine. The two pastas we tried were outstanding. Bottarga gave the buttery tagliatelli al limone a taste of the sea and spinach and ricotta gnocchi topped with Sicilian caciocavallo cheese with a brown-butter sage sauce were exquisite and light. Full-flavored tomato sauce partially saved the rabbit, as we found it to be dry, but the accompanying roasted-herb potatoes were terrific. A fisherman’s stew swimming with cockles, shrimp with their heads, mussels and tender calamari was well-designed and slightly spicy with saffron, cinnamon and a clove aromatic broth, creating a most memorable dish. Tunisian couscous provided a perfect backdrop to help us spoon up every last drop of sauce. Dessert was a lip-puckering lemon tart. We don’t have the opportunity to dine in south Jersey often and this was well worth the trip.
Panzanella salad
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
Zeppoli
618 Collings Ave
Collingswood
(856) 854-2670
BYO
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CHARRITO’S, WEEHAWKEN
The food was colorful, beautiful plated and quite tasty; the view of the Hudson River and NY skyline spectacular; but the noise level was painful. We would happily return to Charrito’s in Weehawken early on a weekday evening but not on a Saturday night. The vibrant Mexican decor (multicolored table runners and napkins, embroidered pillows on the wood chairs), all added to the charming ambiance. Portions were big. We ordered two appetizers, one entree, and one dessert for three people and brought food home.
Do not miss the creamy guacamole made tableside—to your desired spiciness—in a Mexican stone molcajete (bowl) with a tejolote (pestle) served with warm corn chips. A large quesadilla stuffed with pork and served with beans, guacamole, and rice was gobbled up. A molcajete salad was served in a vessel of the same name and contained chicken, greens, tomatoes, onions, Oaxaqueno cheese, chiles toredos, lime wedge and grilled cactus; a visually appealing and flavorsome dish. It was also served with pico de gallo and a side of rice and beans. Get the recurring theme here? More rice, beans, crema Mexicana (the Mexican version of creme fraiche) and guacamole came with the steak fajita with sauteed peppers, onions, and tomatoes. We loved the Mexican version of flan which was creamier and thicker that what is served in Spanish restaurants.
Charrito’s is open daily for dinner and brunch Saturday and Sunday. Parking is available in a small lot for $4.
Molcajete salad with grilled cactus and steak fajita
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
Charrito’s
974 Boulevard East
Weehawken
201-330-1130
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HEARTBREAKING DAWNS ARTISAN SAUCES AND SPICE BLENDS
Chile Head Alert! The Heartbreaking Dawns sauces we tried were so hot that they set off the smoke alarm in our home. If you or your foodies friends crave heat, this line of sauces, preserves, and dry rubs would be a perfect holiday gift. The company started in 2009 by New Jerseyians Johnny McLauglin and his wife, Nicole, who also own 1776 Beverage Company, a line of natural sugarcane sweetened sodas.
We tried the 1542 Chocolate Habanero Hot Sauce—which gets its name from the chocolate habanero—on chicken wings. Garlic and cumin create a deep rich flavor. With a heat index of 5 out of 10, it is exceedingly hot.
Even more intense was the 1841 Ghost Pepper Hot sauce, which we also basted on chicken wings, and it had an intense burn along with a delicate and sweet fruitiness from pear and applesauce. With a heat index of 7/10, this was a sauce for professional high-temperature seekers.
We loved the sweet/spicy taste of the Datil Trail Preserve made with mango, cranberries, crystallized ginger and St. Augustine Datil peppers, similar in hotness to habaneros peppers. This was a milder chunky preserve with a heat index 3/10 that we enjoyed as a side with steak. It can also be mixed into a bar of cream cheese for an unusual dip.
Check out the whimsical labels on Hearbreaking Dawns bottles, read the entertaining product descriptions, and learn about their other products on their website.
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NEWS FROM CRYSTAL SPRINGS RESORT
On October 13, the Green Valley Farms at Crystal Springs Resort will host a Harvest Festival at 135 Route 94 Vernon featuring farm-fresh produce, local artisan food producers, hay rides, pumpkin carving, bobbing for apples and more. The 56-acre Green Valley Farm raises fruit and vegetables for the resort’s restaurants. The festival will also take place in conjunction with the Sparta Farmer’s Market and will feature about 40 different farmers and local food vendors. They will have a petting zoo for children and a cider press for apples, as well as cooking demonstrations from Crystal Spring chefs.11 AM to 4 PM; free admission.
From October 17 to October 20, Restaurant Latour at Crystal Springs, 1 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg, showcases the prized Mangalitsa pig (raised on a diet of acorn and chestnuts for three months), with a special eight-course Mangalitsa Tasting Menu. The dinner created by Crystal Springs executive chef Timothy Fischer and chef de Latour John Benjamin utilizes every part of the animal for a unique nose-to-tail dining experience. Sommelier Susanne Lerescu has created a special wine pairing highlighting the pinot grape to accompany the menu. $135; wine pairing $60. Reservations 973-827-5996 ext 3.
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OPEN CASTING CALL FOR MASTERCHEF IN NYC
If you think you are the next MasterChef, the TV show seen on Fox is now casting for Season 5 and will be holding an open casting call at the DoubleTree Guest Suites Times Square, 1568 Broadway, New York City on October 26, 2013 from 10 AM to 6 PM. For application, instructions, audition guidelines, eligibility requirements, open call details and additional audition cities go to the MasterChef website.
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].
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