Batona "in search of good food"

Many years ago I was introduced to Marciano’s (then Luighi’s) via a student of mine; he gave me a gift certificate and a menu. Wanting to use the gift all at once, I looked for a gourmet pizza and settled on the chicken barbecue, which is a style I had never had previously.

When I called, they questioned me noting I was calling from Millville, which would not be local. I informed them I would drive over. It was a drive I would begin making frequently. All the way home the smell of the pizza filled the car. I was in heaven. I was most impressed with the flavor of the pizza. And with all the toppings, the crust held up well with my dough test.

After meeting my wife, we began dining at the converted Wawa convenience store, often on the chicken barbecue. She liked the Tiramisu, so was agreeable to dining here.

We eventually began branching out trying other dishes. Most filled out bellies well.

Eventually the restaurant was re-designed. o longer was the dingy restaurant a reminder of a sub shop; about three years ago the renovations were completed. Now Marciano’s, there are two dining rooms, a banquet room, and a separate pizzeria and take-out joint. The decor was stepped up and the experience of dining there has generally improved.

Our latest dining experience was not quite as wonderful as other times. We were seated near the kitchen, despite the few diners. Our waitress was friendly and accomodating. Admittedly, our children were not at the level of behavior I expect when out. Nothing too bad, but a little loud and Fritz tossed everything on the floor. :( We usually are better than this.

Anyhow, our food began coming out. I noted there was no bread basket. That was disappointing. The house salad was a disappointment. Most of the lettuce was the hard crunchy white part of the lettuce. Yuck! The Italian dressing had no taste.

We’ll return to Marciano’s, but with a not as great experience as we usually have, I will not be itching to return. Perhaps it is time to order another pizza.

410 is the place in Cape May. The mesquite grill here hosts the finest fish and meats.

The outside dining is wonderful, but I usually prefer to sit inside. Bugs will feast at times, no matter what measures are taken to control them.

There’s a hint of New Orleans to 410, which suits me just fine. Blackened scallops and Yellow-Fin Tuna are what I had last time I was there. Awesome! The tuna is the signature dish. I have also enjoyed gumbos and bouillabaisse over the years.

Reservations are a must to dine here.

Reviews of 410 are always excellent. I have dined in Cape May all my life. Now that Peaches is out of business, 410 is at the top of the heap for me.

When Brian Tomlin opened this place a decade ago, I was very happy. Finally a nice bar in town that permitted cigar smoking. The Oar House originally catered to the cigar smokers. One could tell immediately that the “lounge” would be sacrificed for seating and it wasn’t long before that happened.

The place sports a nice variety of beers on draught. Guiness is popular. There is also Sierra Nevada. My personal favorite is the somewhat-local Flying Fish. There are often more than one variety of that. I believe there are 18 beers on draught and plenty of others in bottles.

The menu is decent. The crab cakes are good. The sandwiches here are usually worth ordering. The dinner menu can be hit or miss. There is usually a seafood. It can be tasty or not, depending. Use your judgment.

On the weekends there is a band crammed into the front corner to provide music. This is definitely a place to be seen at in town.

Seating is small so during typical bar hours, it can be busy. For a mid-afternoon lunch, you should have little trouble sitting. If one cannot park on High Street, there is public parking in the rear.

Gert and I like dining here. We make the haul to enjoy the six-course meal. The chef selects the courses save the entree. Meals run $40-$50 and the menu changes weekly.

Along with the meal are two wine tastings. These are selections from the winery. Gert is partial to the blueberry champagne. The cabernet is very good. Even though it is not a varital, I like the Royal Rouge.

Only once have we dined here where we were not thrilled with the food. It was an autumn menu. Nothing was bad, it just was not the wow it normally is.

We dined here about a week ago and all was superb! We began with a crab and risotto encrusted with panko. It was served over a lemon sauce. The next course was a potato leek soup. It was the finest I’ve had. That was followed by chicken wontons served with a miso-hoisin sauce. There was then a blackberry sorbet in champagne before the entrees were served.

Gert had a lamb tenderloin Wellington. It was perfect! The pastry dough was perfectly cooked with the spinach tucked inside above a wonderfully prepared tenderloin. It just melted in the mouth. I had a filet with a black bean sauce. It was perfectly cooked. All night we noticed those two dishes were served to just about every table.

After dinner the salad was served. That night it was a poached pear atop a bed of spring greens with a pear dressing. It was excellent.

For dessert we opted for the lemon trio that had two lemon custards and a parfait. If left to me, I would have selected the apple hazelnut crème brûlée.

We love this restaurant.

For a real treat, arrive early and take a free tour of the winery. After the tour, you will be parked in the tasting room. Here is where you will set the tempo for the rest of the evening. The wine flows and it only stops when you saw when.

Not every town has a signature eatery. Fortunately, Millville does. Jim’s Lunch is the quintessential greasy spoon.

Jim’s Lunch has been serving this blue collar town food for 75 years. It has the classic diner stools for those who desire to sit at the counter. There you can ogle over the homemade pies and other desserts. If the counter is not your thing, grab a booth. There are six or so in the main area of Jim’s. The other room is even more crowded and you can easily dine with others as you take your seat.

Prior to entering, check out the sandwich board displaying the special dish of the day. Fridays sport the turkey dinner. On Saturdays, prime rib begins at 3:00. An Irish boiled dinner can be had mid week. The specials are indeed tasty. Service is not what you are paying for here so do not get your knickers in a twist.

At Jim’s, the burgers and dogs reign supreme. The grills crackle as the grease pops off the surface. Burgers and Texas weiners are served with onions, mustard, and sauce. What the sauce is is a secret. You won’t receive a plate for these dishes as they are served on sandwich wraps. The cheese fries arrive hot! Save room for a little bit of bread pudding. It will not disappoint.

Jim’s is an institution and one which should not be missed. Most likely you’ll wait to be seated. And since there isn’t much room in this downtown eatery, your wait will either get you familiar with others or you’ll be out on the sidewalk waiting your turn. By 11:00 on Saturday mornings the line begins. Come hungry as this will be a filling time.

I haven’t dined in the new location . . . only the old Newbury St. location. When I lived in town, Davio’s was a regular stop. It didn’t hurt that I worked around the block. :)

The seafood dishes are expertly prepared. It was nice to have such good Italian without traveling to the North End. I recall Fra Diavolo being something I liked there.

The first time I dined here one of my party was hemming and hawing over what to order and finally decided on a turkey sandwich. The waiter, an older heavyset man, shook his head. Then he said, “Honey, you’re at the world famous Carnegie Deli. You’re not going to have anything other than pastrami.” Of course, he was absolutely correct.

One would not think sandwiches could be piled as high as they are. Yes, they are a heart attack in waiting. But everyone should experience real pastrami once in his life.

Treat yourself, this place is worth it!

One of the must-do things when visiting Kansas City is to eat barbecue. Kansas City barbecue is defined by Arthur Bryant’s. Awesome!

The atmosphere is wonderful: small, cramped, and without distractions. That permits diners to concentrate on the food. The barbecue beef is the highlight. Piled high and smothered in their special sauce one’s mouth waters at the sight.

Heavenly is the appropriate term.

We were very excited when Texas Roadhouse opened. This area does not have a lot of dining and this was a step in the correct direction. Even now some four or five years later (if not longer), there is a wait to get in here most evenings.

This is your typical eat the peanuts and drop the shells on the floor steakhouse. At least in the waiting room.

One can select his steak from the window on his way in. I’ve noticed that over time the appeal of these signature cuts has dwindled.

Each table is served fresh rolls with a sweet butter. We like these.

The menu is standard. Appetizers range from nachos, cheese fries, pepper poppers, and the like. We have enjoyed each over the years. We sometimes get the sampler. Good stuff.

Dinner is primarily steak, ribs, and burgers. There is chicken and some other stuff for the less inclined, but you’ve come to a steakhouse, partake in beef.

The ribs are good, but not out of this world. The ribeyes have always pleased. Prime rib is offered and I have been impressed. They tend to cook a bit on the rarer side, which is fine by me, but a medium rare prime rib was a bit cool for my liking. I have since ordered medium to much better results.

The burgers are big and tasty.

The waitresses used to dance at least once during the dining experience. That seems to have gone away. That is sad as seeing all them line dance was a treat.

I have been informed that not all the servers are female, but I’ve never had a male waiter and do not recall ever seeing one, not that it matters any.

There are no reservations (although we have had luck calling in large parties) so get there early. This was the first place my daughter ever dined at.

The Columbia is Florida’s oldest restaurant. It is absolutely delightful! I look forward to dining here whenever I am in town.

Nestled on 7th Avenue in the heart of Ybor City, The Columbia offers a wonderful atmosphere to enjoy a relaxing meal. This is cigar city and the restaurant sells its own. This is the only place I ever shared a cigar with my father. It was a wonderful experience. We had purchased some hand-rolled cigars down the street and enjoyed them after a fine late-afternoon meal here.

I am a fan of Pompano and The Columbia’s
Pompano en Papillot is stellar. The yellow rice served at the restaurant is outstanding.

In addition I have enjoyed the Snapper “Alicante”, which is a signature dish.