Bella Pizza, Philadelphia,Pa.

A friend of mine suggested that if I want a good Mexican meal go to the Pizza shop on the corner. Yeah strange very strange. I did not see any Pizza but the food was fabulous. From the outside and inside it looks like a pizza shop with a few tables for eating. Looking at the menu you can get traditional pizza shop fare but I did not see anyone do that. I always know an international restaurant is going to be good when it is supported by their friends. On this occassion I was the only blue eyed non spanish/mexican native in the place. As my dining experience continued I also rounded up a few conversations with some of the daily customers. When gentleman who has been in the U..S. from Mexico for three years told me this was the best authentic Mexican in the region. Wowser big praise.
When you walk in their is a specials board which changes daily and the regulars told me to always check out first.
At 3 for $5.00 the Tacos are a steal and good. Also the Tostados at 3 for $5.00 are very filling and very tasty. The regulars told me everything is fresh and yummy. They also have authetic drinks and ice cream... Enjoy...1140 S. 9th Str.

FridaySaturdaySunday, Philadelphia, Pa.

For over 30 years FSS has been a staple within the Philly restaurant scene. The ownership and staff have mostly been there from day one. The other evening your intrepid food critic ventured back after a hiatus.

The restaurant is cozy, dark, and warm. Tables on the ground level are tight, there is a little more room upstairs. The menu has had a few changes over the years but for the most part it has remained the same and for good reason. Although i did not order it the other evening the Duck may be the best in the city. The salads are also wonderful. Our group shared the beet salad, which was nice but a little short on the beets. We also got the asparagus with chunky tomato vinaigrette which was lovely and plentiful.

For my entree I ordered the bone in thick cut pork chop which was awesome. Grilled and served with a funky light colored sauce that had a peanut taste to it.

One of my companions had the fillet steak in a great tasting brown sauce that was simply perfect, well grilled, rich in color and so soft and smooth. A delicious steak.

One of the nicest thing about the restaurant is there wine list and their promise that no bottle is sold for more than $10.00 cost... The bill was mild with most entrees in the mid $20.00 range. I can highly recommend this wonderful just behind center city restaurant.

Le Virtu, Philadelphia, Pa.

OK, let's start off quickly Le Virtu is the best Italian restaurant in Philadelphia.... Period... Located in south Philly on Passyunk Ave. this little gem is a must try.

Start your meal with an antipasti, tell Freddy, one of the owners to whip something up for you, he knows how to do it and most of the cured meats are freshly prepared in their basement meat locker. The salads are also wonderful they currently have 2 on the menu, the radicchio is ridiculous...

The poached house made pork sausage with lentil is amazing so warm and inviting please order this...

All the pasta dishes are off the hook wonderful.

Friends I could talk about this place for hours, I could review every dish because I have had ever dish, just go.

Le Virtu is the best Italian restaurant in a city that has made it's name from italian restaurants, Le Virtu is the Index...

Down home diner, Reading terminal, Philadelphia, Pa.

If you ever make a visit to The Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, Pa. stop by the done home diner for a bite to eat. They serve breakfast and lunch either sit down or you can do take out. I have always eaten in. The other day a friend and myself ventured over for lunch. My guest had the BLT sandwich on whole wheat toast. She loved the sandwich and said the extra large thick cut bacon delicious. I had the French Onion soup and I was amazed at how good it was. I have had Onion soup thousands of times but this variation was really good because of how much sherry that was used to make it. Rich and sweet and delicious. A must order if you like onion soup.

I also ordered the southern pulled pork unfortunately it was spicy, not what I was expecting. I like Kansas city sweet barbecue pulled pork. I will say this though the pork was very high quality.

On other occasions I have had the meatloaf, maybe best in the city and the fried chicken dinner which is also a big crowd pleaser.

The service is great, the prices are cheap, and the food comes out fast... Enjoy this little treasure.

Ventura's, Margate, NJ

Located next to the largest elephant in the world is the sprawling Ventura's greenhouse in Margate, NJ. For years this beach front restaurant with the massive deck was known to me as a nice burger and wings joint that served expensive drinks. It was a little oasis after a long day of sunning yourself. Popping in at 4:00 for a snack and cocktail made sense, going at 8:30 for fine dining did not.

Well a friend of mine told me I was wrong and I should check the place out. I have now made two stops into the restaurant and I am happy to report the food and the menu are nice. The inside dinner menu offers an array of veal dishes that we sampled and loved. Their meats, rack of lamb and steaks are also well prepared and nice cuts. The seafood choices for a restaurant on the beach are limited, a little disappointed. But they do offer some nice pasta dishes that incorporated some additional seafood that does even things out.

We found the service to be very professional and Ken the upstairs bartender is very versed in his wines. The prices were average. The wine selection is vast and they always have a few specials. In all Ventura's is a restaurant that I can recommend to others.

Charlie's, Somers Point, NJ.

Charlie's is a bar that has expanded over the years to accommodate the hungry masses of Southern NJ... They provide diners with a vast menu that caters to all diners.

The establishment is known mostly for their wings, which they say are world famous... The wings are good but frankly i have had good wings at many places and it annoys me that they charge extra for ranch dressing and celery.

On visit their the other day I started with the Manhattan clam chowder which was exceptionally good. A nice red broth with good clam taste and the soup was stocked with plenty of veggies and a nice heaping of clams. My guest ordered the house salad which was pleasing to the eyes but she said the dressing (balsamic) was not that good.

For my entree i ordered the crab cake sandwich which for the price was tasty and had plenty of crab meat packed inside. My guest got the Wes favorite which is a fillet Mignon sandwich she enjoyed her sandwich. I have eaten the sandwich on other occasions and agree it is good. A diner next to us ordered the pasta and seafood, she told me she gets it 4/5 times a year and loves it, it did look nice and hearty. Charlie's is a nice place to grab better than avg. bar food in Somers Point.

The Farm and Fisherman, Philadelphia, PA.

The buzz has been around now for a few months. Some respected foodies are calling it the best new resi in the whole damn city, time to find out... Myself and three other respected foodaphiles journeyed into the tony midtown space at 11th and pine st. only to find that out table was not quite ready, it was ok though because we were a few moments early. After a few minutes standing outside, I told you bitches the place is tiny... Mixto, is across the street, i recommend you pop in there for a cocktail while you wait...

OK, friends we're in, seated and bantering at the restaurant while our BYOB's are being inspected and opened. Yes people it is a BYOB...

The menu, which can change daily is broken into 3 stanza's.. For the first course our waiter Rob recommend that we try the infamous beet salad, which i must say was both interesting and yummy... They takes freshly sliced beats, pan fry them to a reduction add some caramelized onions and some field greens and a milky white sauce and you have the makings of a lovely first dish...

Section 2 a poached egg on top of a lima been and bacon broth, served thick like a stew was simple out of this world.. This to me was the finest dish.. Another guest ordered the NC wahoo which was cut into cubes and seared in a light sauce. My guest did not rave about the flavors like I did about my second course.

For my third course I decided to go with the hangar steak. I must admit things were going so well up to the steak. At $27 I thought the portion was rather small and amateur. The steak was sliced into little portions maybe 4/5 in total. There was some nice veggies with the steak that helped, and the flavor and presentation were good, but the portion especially combined with the other portions was a disappointment. Another guest order the pork loin, she commented that the temp. of the entree was luke warm at best. Along with the pork came some homemade sausage that she said was so so. May I add that this guest knows her sausage... There was also a small pork belly with her entree that she gave a thumbs up to.

All in all we give 2 1/2 stars tho this tiny and a little loud BYOB that does provide excellent service albeit from a slow kitchen...