THE STICKY WICKET

First things first: The Sticky Wicket makes a great tomato pie. A beautiful, flavorful crust, the judicious balance of cheese and sauce, it ranks among the very best tomato pies anywhere. On the menu, they call it pizza, but, make no mistake, this is a classic Trenton tomato pie, in the style of Palermo's and Pete's Steak House in Ewing and the Pete's Steak House Tavern in Hamilton (sorry, I can get a little nerdy about tomato pie). It was one of many surprises when the kids and I had dinner there last night for the first time.

It wasn't my first time at the Wicket. I had dined there many years ago (before the twins were born) for a business lunch, but like so many things for yours truly, never managed to get back there. I remember a good "bar pie" and a good burger from that first visit, and they are both still on the menu. Can't really explain why I'd never been back since that time, but I will not make that mistake again. The Wicket is a terrific restaurant.

Writing about restaurants over the last 30 years or so, I'll admit to getting a little jaded about the whole restaurant experience. The addition of kids to the mix does change the whole dynamic of where to go and what to eat most of the time. But I also use the kids sometimes as a gauge to measure a restaurant's hospitality, flexibility and family-friendliness. Many restaurants will claim to be "family-friendly" or "kid-friendly", but their afterthought "kids menu" and indifferent service end up turning me off.

The Sticky Wicket is not that kind of restaurant. Their kids menu contains 11 entrees, more than I have ever seen in any restaurant with a kids menu. Someone put some thought into it, too. Prices range from $4.25-5.25 (for baby back ribs!) and include things like chicken or cheeseburger sliders, pizza (more on that later) and those ribs along with usual suspects of chicken tenders, hot dogs, spaghetti & meatballs, etc.

What lured us to the Wicket last night was their Sunday-Tuesday promotion, where kids "pay what they weigh". In any economy, but especially this one, a brilliant and welcome promotion. We arrived on the night of a community fundraiser, a frequent occurance at the restaurant, whose owner, Dave Eide, is known for his enthusiastic support of many local causes.

Ben chose a hot dog and fries, Sophie chose the "kids pizza" and I chose "English Fish & Chips", along with an appetizer of Sweet Corn Nuggets, and Jalapeno corn nuggets, mini corn fritters by any other name, one batch with the added zip of chopped hot peppers.

Food came relatively quickly, considering the enormous crowd on hand. The corn nuggets were an inspired take on an heirloom starch stretcher; the sweet corn nuggets came with a cup of honey mustard dip, while the jalapeno version was served without a dipping sauce, which seemed odd to me. I would have served the spicy fritters with some ranch dressing to offset the considerable peppery bite. Just a thought.

Entrees came soon after, interrupting the kids' crayon coloring time (the kids menu doubles as a 4-page coloring book/puzzle book). But they both quickly dug into their food. Sophie was damn nearly ecstatic over her pizza, a full 12 inches in diameter, very generous portioning. My kids know their tomato pie, and Ben immediately wanted a taste; Sophie was glad to give him a slice, the pie large enough to be shared by two small kids. She offered me a slice, too, and one look at her pie told me to accept. The bottom crust had a nice tomato pie char, the aroma said fresh tomatoes and the cheese had that little extra tang from the addition of white cheddar or sharp American cheese. As previously stated, a superior tomato pie. Ben, on the other hand, took a bite of his hot dog, but played with and consumed his french fries in earnest (they were good fries). I could tell he didn't care for the hot dog. "It tastes plain," he said. Asked to clarify, he added, "It has no taste." I took a nibble, and the boy's palate was indeed on target: a duller doggie than the Dietz & Watson ones we usually serve at home. His generous sister offered him more pizza, and he was sated.

My entree was a huge platter of fish & chips, a giant cod filet, bigger and thicker than a large strip steak, beer battered and expertly fried, with an equally big mound of those good french fries. Billed as "English style", it came with requisite bottle of malt vinegar. All that was missing was some mushy peas. I actually wish some restaurant would serve the traditional English side dish with fish & chips, just to see if it works on this side of the Atlantic (seriously, Mr. Eide, a green vegetable would be welcome and healthy addition). It was a tasty version nonetheless, and I could barely polish it off.

The kids enjoyed ice cream sundaes after they finished their entrees. I enjoyed the last sips from my pint of Guinness.

Another pleasant surprise at The Sticky Wicket is the staff. Out booth (complete with TV and headphones for the kids--I'll reserve my comments on TV viewing during dinner for another time) was covered by at least 4 servers during our meal, each of them unfailingly pleasant and cheerful, and all of them talked to my kids as well as me, while helping with the serving of food. It seems like a very good team concept at the Wicket, and these are some of the best waitpersons I've encountered in a long time. The place was overrun with people last night and every table was occupied, but these servers didn't lose their cool . They're a real asset to this operation.

I'm glad I made it back to the Sticky Wicket,and I have a feeling I'll be returning frequently. Next time, I want a tomato pie all to my own.

The Sticky Wicket
Independence Plaza
2465 S. Broad Street
Hamilton, NJ 08610
609-439-0007

MADNESS

The Madness has begun. And if, for some reason, you don't know what I'm talking about, just keep surfing. Something will attract your wandering eye eventually.


This year, I've filled out EIGHT March Madness brackets,simply because that's how many I found by noon on Thursday. I'm hoping to do somewhat better than our Commander-in-Chief (that's Barack Obama, if you're still not sure what's going on here), who I think picked a fairly safe bracket with few if any upsets or surprises.

Here is one of my brackets, on the CBS Sports website for the bracket games:


http://freebracketchallenge.1.mayhem.cbssports.com/brackets


We'll just see, now, won't we?

I LOVE this time of year.

YA-YA

It's been more than a few years since I've ventured north to Montgomery, NJ to eat at Ya-Ya Noodles, a sister restaurant to one of my favorite Chinese places anywhere, Tiger Noddles in Princeton. It was more than just geography that kept Ya Ya Noodles out of my culinary peripheral vision. It was the food. It was just not up to the quality of its older sibling in Princeton. Sure, the presentations were more contemporary than the homestyle cooking of the older mothership, but the dishes were just too bland, too Americanized, too blah. Were they playing is safer for the suburban crowd? Perhaps.

Well it's been about 10 years now, and Ya Ya has a new manager, Judy Tung, who's worked in the Princeton restaurant for longer than I've been dining there, and she's whipping Ya Ya into shape. We had dinner there Friday night to surprise her and congratulate her on her well-deserved promotion.

"So what's good here now?" we asked. "Chef here is very good with Thai dishes. Thai style is very good here," said Tung. This branch of the 3-location mini-chain (there is another Tiger Noodles on Route 1 South in West Windsor, next to a Whole Foods market)is a much larger place, seating about 125-150 maximum, and its menu is also a larger adventure, with more appetizers, several more Chinese entrees (including Creaky Chicken, a terrific dish) than the other two Tiger Noodles, a full page of Thai dishes and an extensive sushi menu.

Yes, Ya Ya Noodles is one of those hybrid Asian restaurants that merge 3 or more cuisines onto one menu. I am not a big fan of this style of Asian restaurant, and there are usually disappointments just waiting for a knowledgeable palate. But I have faith that Judy Tung will be making sure that each menu segment will be authentic and expertly made. Her personal standards for Chinese and Thai food are very high (we've dined with her many times and she's taught me a lot about what REAL Chinese should taste like, as well as Thai). I'm not a big sushi fan, but Tung is. The sushi at Ya Ya's gonna be fresh and expertly crafted, bet on it.

Friday night we ate around the menu a bit, mostly at Tung's direction. Seafood dumplings (it's Lent after all) were gossamer thin wrappers plumped with ground shrimp and scallops, pan fried to a nice golden shade. Popular at Tiger Noodles, these were a new addition to the Ya Ya menu and a good move. The kids loved their won ton and won ton egg drop soups; the wontons looked as delicate as the larger dumplings on my plate, a good sign of skilled handwork in the kitchen. A plate of spare ribs was also ordered, and they looked larger and meatier than any I've ever seen in a Chinese restaurant. But Lenten adherence kept me from sampling them, of course. Entrees included a zippy jumbo shrimp dish in a red curry sauce, with peppers and eggplant, dramatically served in a large handmade clay bowl; chicken in garlic sauce, the chicken, onions and peppers,sliced into matchsticks for an impressive presentation; another shrimp dish, this one with a fiery Szechuan sauce into which was tucked peppers, onions, mushrooms and crunchy broccoli crowns; more broccoli came with Ben's go-to dish, chicken with broccoli, and his empty plate at dinner's end said enough about what he thought of his choice.

Judy Tung has Ya Ya Noodles humming, with well-trained servers and highly skilled chefs in her kitchen. Expect more improvements as she gets settled into her new position as manager of the place. There will be serious Chinese, Thai and sushi in Montgomery at last. Stay tuned.

EAT THIS CHICKEN!

Every now and then you just get lucky. Sunday was one of those days. I got an e-mail from AllRecipes.com, who usually supply some terrific cooking ideas. Sunday's e-mail was one of those terrific ideas: Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken. I know it's just chicken, and when you see the recipe,you'll see that it's ridiculously simple and mistake-proof, but seriously, this was an elegantly simple dish with a real depth of flavor. And my eclectically-fed (and increaslngly fussy) kids loved it. Case closed. This goes in the recipe rotation as Casa Lawrenceville. Keeper. Sure shot. Slam dunk. Add your own catch phrase.

I played with the recipe slightly, substituting fresh garlic for the garlic powder listed in the original recipe (see above AllRecipes.com link), and omitting the onion powder. I also used a Trader Joe's spice blend called "21 Seasoning Salute", which includes dehydrated onion and a bunch of dried herbs and spices, instead of the dried herbs specified. Gave the chicken a really bright fresh flavor and kitchen-filling aroma.

So try this utterly simple recipe, make a big pot of Jasmine rice (I like Trader Joe's brand, very clean and sweet), and steam or stir fry some whole green and yellow beans with some diced red pepper. I paired this dish with the new Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye ale, and the beer went beautifully with it. I would pour an Italian Pinot Grigio or Spanish Albarino with this as well.

Dinner in under 30 min. Thank me later: post your results!



SPICY GARLIC LIME CHICKEN
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Makes 4 servings


1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
3 tsp Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute
(or Mrs Dash's if easier to obtain)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 Tbls finely chopped garlic
Juice from one lime


In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, and seasoning blend. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts. Rub spice mixture to completely coat breasts on both sides.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with chopped garlic and lime juice. Cook, covered, for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently to baste breasts with sauce. Serve chicken on a small platter, spoon sauce on top.

THE BLUE DANUBE

Last night I ate a tremendous meal, and I ate it in Trenton. And I ate it at a restaurant that I'm betting most followers of this blog have never heard of.

The kids and I joined friends (Dr. John Hamada, his son Joe, Joe's schoolmate Max and John's friend Teresa) for dinner at The Blue Danube, tucked away on tiny Elm St., just off Broad St. not too far from the Sun Bank arena, in Trenton's South Ward. John is a chiropractor and accupuncturist, and before moving to quieter and safer Pennington to practice his healing arts, he had a well-known and vital office practice just a few blocks away from the restaurant.

It was one of the best dinners I've had in a restaurant in years.The Blue Danube is old school, and it specializes in Hungarian, Romanian, German and Polish cuisine. But instead of the
heavy gravies and sometimes leaden preparations that are often associated with these cuisines, the dishes we enjoyed last night were executed with a light touch and a deft hand. Some of this food brought back echoes from my childhood, growing up with both Italian and Polish grandmothers who were themselves terrific cooks.

At the Blue Danube, Peter Pulhac, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Margaret, is the chef and he is a master of his domain, an extensive menu of the familiar and not so familiar. We started with soups: a dark, rich cream of mushroom filled with a dice of several mushroom varieties; a chicken-spinach-egg drop soup with an intensely chickeny broth, shreds of chicken and tangles of spinach and egg, a spectacular soup; and cream of potato-tomato, a blush pink, surprisingly light cream soup with a whisper of dill, a really stunningly simple cup of potato and tomato goodness. Pierogies were also surprisingly light dough wrappers plumped with potato and cheese, glossed with sauteed onions. Potato pancakes were two big, golden, greaseless, peppery-oniony discs that overlapped the salad plate on which they were served. They were firm but amazingly light.
Entrees included chicken parmigiana and spaghetti for the kids, and one of the best versions of chicken parm I've ever had in a restaurant. Beef Stroganoff was a silky, creamy stew of beef over feather-light spaetzle, the beef almost sweet with hints of nutmeg and wine; pork schntizel was a huge, flawlessly, greaselessly fried cutlet atop a puddle of brown gravy, sided with some curly buttered noodles and sauteed spinach studded with garlic; beef goulash was intense with paprika,dill and onion notes with more of those good noodles, and brussels sprouts studded with bacon alongside. Entrees were in the low teens. Low teens. Low teens!

Desserts were a glass goblet of tira misu that was so good, we ordered another; a Romanian flaky pastry stuffed with ricotta cheese; a chocolate mousse pie that my son Ben gobbled up in about 4 bites, and some very good coffee.

The dining room at Blue Danube is small and cozy, the service is gracious and deferential,the music is gentle polkas and various folk music and the wine list features some well chosen Hungarian and Eastern European wines, a few domestic bottles for the unadventurous, and some decent German, Polish and Czech beers.

This was a deeply satisfying meal, at a place worth discovering. Savvy Trentonians have been eating here for years, but I'm betting many of you have never heard of the place. Don't wait. This is a restaurant worth supporting. I plan to be back soon--and often.

The Blue Danube
Elm & Adeline Sts.
Trenton, NJ 08611
609-393-6133
www.bluedanuberestaurant.net
Facebook: Blue Danube Restaurant

THE LAST WALTZ ON HUDSON STREET

Watch live streaming video from trentonian at livestream.com

Trenton food history changes tonight. Delorenzo's Tomato Pies of Hudson St., of whom I have written in the Philadelphia Daily News once and here many times, is closing tonight after 64 years. Owners Gary and Eileen Amico say they need a rest, need to step back and assess, and maybe contemplate a move someday to Pennsylvania (to Newtown, PA is the persistant rumor).

Tonight, after I get some dinner into the kids (rigatoni with vodka sauce and turkey meatballs), I may try to make my way down to Chamberburg, if nothing else to shake Gary and Eileen's hands and thank them for all of the great tomato pies they've served me over the past 20 years. And for teaching and supporting their son Sam, who keeps the Delorenzo's Tomato Pies flame alive at his own place in Robbinsville, NJ.

But check the video above. It may still be a live stream when you visit this blog, because the very hip Trenton paper, The Trentonian (full disclosure: they feature this blog on their website, trentonian.com) are streaming live from inside a packed Delorenzo's to document this historic, bittersweet night in Trenton history, with reporter Joey Kulkin doing his level best to capture the feelings and comments of the regulars and lucky souls who waited outside all day (some camping out starting on Sunday morning)and braved 20-degree weather and winds to have the last tomato pies on Hudson Street. For the record, the final pie was a large half sausage, half pepperoni pie, made by Gary Amico himself. A crowd of about 20 or so stood and watched, snapped photos and videos of the moment, and applauded loudly. A priceless moment.

History tonight, dear reader. And you can watch some of it, maybe even live. Bring that last pie close to the camera, Joey, one last time from Hudson Street.

The Luckiest Thirteens

What a great year this is about to be!

I assure you that this is not boilerplate PR hype, nor motivational speaker-speak, nor the results of any random wisps of reverie resulting from too much cold medicine (leave me NOW, oh phlegm of Satan!). Well, OK, maybe it's the last one.

This Friday is a Friday the 13th, one of three Friday the 13ths that occur this year (dontcha just LOVE Leap Year?). But the real significance here is that this Friday will be the 24th FRIDAY THE FIRKINTEENTH at the Grey Lodge in NE Philly, and to my mind, still the greatest one day beer festival in the world.

That's owner/publican Mike "Scoats" Scotese in the photo, tapping a firkin of fresh ale at one of the previous Firkinteenths, my favorite picture of the man who has quietly created an international phenomenon. This Friday, starting at Noon, the Grey Lodge will begin to tap up to 30 firkins of fresh ale, 7 at a time, some of which were specially made for this day by craft brewers from across the country, and this year, from England as well.

It is the most friendly, civilized and yet raucous fun time that one can possibly have drinking beer, and it takes place in a hip, cozy bar that also happens to serve terrific food. And it's the only beer festival dictated by the calendar.

If I've whetted your interest, and you're thinking about attending, try to arrive earlier than later (I'm planning for a 3PM arrival myself), as the roster of beers change fairly quickly (each firkin holds about 85 pints of beer) and the variety of brews is impressive. A firkin of England's Old Speckled Hen should be a highlight, as well as a first-time appearance of Landslide IPA from 50/50 Brewing Co., in Truckee, CA, a beer from multiple medal-winning brewer Todd Ashman, a good friend and an outstanding beer magician. There will even be a cask cider this year, made locally by Bucks County's Desiato Cider Co., and a tasty quaff at that. These firkins are set atop the bar in the Grey Lodge, tapped the old fashioned way with a hammer and the beer inside is served by gravity. The result is a smoother, silkier beer, the taste and feel of which you'll never forget.
Also, make use of smaller 7 oz. glasses so that you can sample a wider variety of beer. And drink LOTS of water, to hydrate your body and cleanse your palate. And stop and grab something to eat upstairs, like all the savvy beer aficionados do.

Here's the lineup for this Friday's Firkinteenth:

Current Cask List
Bavarian Barbarian First Snow
Boulder Mojo
Cricket Hill Colonel Blide’s Bitter
Desiato Cider
Dock Street Rye IPA, dry-hopped
Duck Rabbit dry-hopped Brown Ale
FiftyFifty Rockslide IPA
Flying Fish Scarlet Fever
Iron Hill West Chester Anvil Ale
Lancaster Milk Stout
Manayunk Rye of the Tiger
Nodding Head 60 Shilling
Old Speckled Hen
Philly Joe Porter
Prism Bitto Honey IPA
Ruddles County Ale
Sixpoint Gorilla Warfare
Sixpoint Vienna Pale
Sly Fox Sly Fox 113 IPA (113 on 1/13)
Sly Fox Robbie Burns Scottish Ale
Stone Stone Stone Smoked Porter - dry hopped w/ Chinook
Stouts Chocolate ESB
Victory ESB
Voodoo Four Seasons IPA
Weyerbacher Fireside
Yards Brawler


I hope to see you there! If, not, the next Firkinteenths will be in April and July!

Gotta LOVE Leap Year! And the Grey Lodge.