Tag Archives: seafood

Elmwood Park Diner

March 2, 2019 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , 4 Comments
Elmwood Park Diner

While on the way to Upstate, NY my husband and I stopped at the Elmwood Park Diner in Elmwood Park. Road trips can be nice because we can hit some of the most northern diners in NJ.

It was around dinner time, and the diner itself wasn’t crowded.

elmwood park diner

Atmosphere: A
The Elmwood Park Diner looks like it was bought off a diner website. It’s a big, shiny, metallic diner and looks like something you might see in the movies.  If you are in the area and just looking for a diner that meets the stereotype: diner, the Elmwood Park Diner is for you.

The inside has plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar. There is a good looking dessert case too.

Coffee: B
The coffee at Elmwood Park Diner was good, but I wanted more. I finished my coffee and could have used more refills.

Elmwood Park diner

Food: B
The menu is at the Elmwood Park Diner is overwhelming. I’ve been to over 300 diners and the Elmwood Park Diner had one of the biggest menus of any diner I’ve been too.  There is a page dedicated to salads, pancakes, waffles, seafood, and steak…there is an option for everyone.

Elmwood Park diner

I decided to order the land and sea option which came with both steak and scallops.  I started with a salad and soup.  The salad was very dry and bland. I was worried my meal wouldn’t be great based on the salad.

Elmwood Park diner

The land and sea entree was great. I appreciated the large portion of steak as well as the seasoned scallops (which I believe was just extra salt). I also enjoyed the side of cabbage. In all, it was a good meal.

Elmwood Park dinerelmwood park diner

Service: B
The waitress was friendly, and our food came out relatively fast. It wasn’t especially good, nor bad.

Cost: $
For my entree and coffee, the cost was $18.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back?
I liked the Elmwood Park Diner, and I would come back. It wasn’t the best diner ever, but not a bad stop either. It falls somewhere in the middle.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: B
Service: B
Cost: $12-25

Overall: B

You Can See All 232 Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:
What is the biggest restaurant menu you’ve ever seen?
Do you like Scallops? 

Redz Restaurant (Mount Laurel)

October 8, 2017 By in Food Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

Recently I went to Redz Restaurant in Mount Laurel.  I’ve driven by Redz a thousand times on the way to work but had never been.  For those not local, it’s also walkable distance to exit 4 on the NJ Turnpike, and one of the most accessible restaurant stops you can make.  While certainly not an NJ diner, Redz quickly became one of my favorite local restaurants.  

Redz invited me to try their bread pudding, as most readers know is one of my favorite desserts.  Sadly, my husband had a last minute trip, but I was able to go with one of my close friends who is also a pilot.  Funny enough, her flight was also delayed and it made her able to go because 2 days before, I thought I was going solo.  Which bread pudding is always worth it.  Planning anything these days has become laughable, but it all worked out.  

As mentioned, Redz is easy to find, as it’s directly off of exit 4 on the turnpike and attached to a hotel.  The inside is modern, clean, and with a full-length bar.  I would bring my husband for a nice meal, meet friends, or even bring my parents. 

While they do have a full-length bar,  I stayed sober since I was racing in the morning.  I didn’t pass up an opportunity to try their coffee.  Not that that is different from a typical restaurant!.  Their coffee was definitely one of the better coffees I’ve had in the area, which says a lot for an upscale restaurant.  

The meal started off with complimentary bread with butter as well as a oil dipping sauce.  I always appreciate unique bread baskets.  

In addition to looking forward to the bread pudding, I’m a big seafood fan, so I was looking forward to their newer healthy menu.  For an appetizer, we ordered the shrimp and scallops to split.  I will say the scallops were by far the biggest scallops I’ve had at any restaurant.  The entire appetizer was fresh with a ginger dressing.  Immediately I knew if we were starting there, it would be tough to beat.  

Red Restaurant Mount Laurel

I ordered the ahi tuna as my entree.  I haven’t had tuna in awhile, but I appreciated how well seasoned it was.  I had it cooked as recommended and I’m glad I did.  I would order it again.  

Red Restaurant Mount Laurel

The waitress still brought out the dessert tray, which to be honest I wanted everything.  Red Restaurant Mount Laurel

I had made my mind up days ago to get the bread pudding, and I’m glad I did.  She also included vanilla ice cream too.  

Red Restaurant Mount Laurel

The bread pudding changes weekly, so there is always something new and different.  Last Tweek was cranberry and rumor is next week its pumpkin.  The bread pudding was everything I dreamed of.  It was extremely rich with a caramel topping.  It was definitely one of the best I’ve had (even as someone who grew up in the south).  The waitress commented I was “the first person ever” to finish the entire thing.  I guess that is a runner’s problem…but it was that good. 

Everything from the service to coffee, to dessert, was top notch and both my date and I agreed our only regret was not coming sooner.  In case you wondered, I did well at the Dragon Run the next day so I would come here before races too (something I’m more picky about…). 

Will I be back?

Well, I promised my husband (since he already saw the bread pudding on Instagram) that we could go again…so I will be back in the next month.  Even if you’re traveling through NJ and need a quick stop off the turnpike; it’s a good option.   

I had a great experience and I cannot thank Redz enough for inviting me to try their menu!  While my meal was paid for, all thoughts are my own.

Ivy Stone Diner, Bar and Grill

November 19, 2016 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments
Ivy Stone Diner, Bar and Grill

The Ivy Stone Diner in Iselin has been on my to-do list for a while.  As most people know, I like seafood a lot.  Growing up in Virginia Beach, you’re never far from seafood.  The Ivy Stone Diner and Lounge, claims to have the “the best seafood” around.

I met my friend, Christine, for lunch.  We arrived around noon, and there were only two other parties in the restaurant.

Atmosphere: B
The Ivy Stone Diner is having a major identity crisis.  Is it a diner? A nightclub? A bar? It’s a very fancy restaurant with minimal features that make it a diner.  It’s nice, but the ritzy chandelier or moonlit bathroom sink hardly classify it as a diner.

Ivy Stone Diner and Lounge

The moonlit bathroom sink

Service: C
It was clear the server was extremely new.  He was nice and refilled our beverages when we asked.  For only two other parties in the restaurant, the food came out very slowly. I felt like I’ve been to many other diners, much more crowded that the food came out quickly.  It was borderline slow for a buddy restaurant let alone a diner with three parties.

Coffee: B
The coffee was good.  It was brought out hot and fresh.  We had plenty of refills as well.Ivy Stone Diner and Lounge

Food: C
The Ivy Stone Diner has a small menu.  It more resembles a bar than a diner.  There aren’t a lot if breakfast options.  Since they are well known for their seafood, I ordered salmon and a Greek salad.  I was shocked when I tasted the salmon.

It was apparently frozen and reheated. It wasn’t terrible but the hardly quality I would label as “the best.”  The Greek salad was good, and I enjoyed the dressing.Ivy Stone Diner and Lounge

Price: $$
For my salmon, salad, coffee the cost was $21.  It was more on the pricy side for the quality of food and size.

Summary/Would I come back?
The Ivy Stone Diner is interesting and not the usual “diner.”  It’s not a bad stop, just a very ok restaurant.

Atmosphere: B
Service: C
Coffee: B
Food: C
Price: $12-20

Overall: C
Questions for you:
Do you like seafood?
Is your area known for anything?

Food

February 1, 2016 By in Resturants Tags: , , , , 24 Comments

One of the most common questions I receive is about what I eat.  I post a diner review every Saturday, but I don’t eat at a restaurant for every meal.  The diner meal only shows one out of 21ish meals I eat weekly.

For the first few years of blogging, I blogged a lot more about food.  Truth be told, everyone has their own opinion on what to eat and what not to eat.  I took several nutrition college courses for my major of public health, but I have no credentials to give food advice.  One direction I could have gone with the public health degree is getting masters in that field, but I learned quickly that I have no interest in giving people food advice.

I’m not a dietician or nutritionist, so I don’t feel comfortable giving out advice to people about nutrition. 

My personal blog only shows a glimpse of my life, and if I wanted just to talk about the cake I eat weekly, you might be under the impression all I eat is cake.  Similarly, if I wanted just to talk about my love for Greek salads, you might think I just eat Greek salads with salmon.  While both items are staples in my diet, I do eat other things. I’m not strict with my diet, and I enjoy life, food and everything as it comes my way.  I’m 5’7 and 130 pounds.  Height and weight are just numbers, so it doesn’t offend me to write them on the internet.  I seem to run well at this weight, so I have no interest in losing or gaining weight.

I feel like I just wrote a novel to share some of the foods I’ve been enjoying.  Sharing food on the internet is a tricky subject because bloggers normally don’t have credentials to give out advice about food.

My recent vacation, however, is the perfect excuse to show you more food and different the varieties of things I enjoy.  Since I was on vacation, I didn’t worry too much about eating that well.  I did have vegetables, but I also enjoyed dessert.  I don’t usually eat at a restaurant for 2-3 meals a day, but it was great to try new things.  For those who are catching up, we went to both San Diego and Los Angeles.

During vacation, I didn’t have any food I didn’t like.  Both my husband and I tried plenty of new things, but there was nothing I thought “wish we had gone somewhere else.”

Here are some of the things I tried: 

Ahi poke

Ahi pokes with avocado and sweet potato chips. The tuna was quite spicy and reminded me of sashimi.

maple bacon

The Bacon might be the gem of the weekend. “Man Candy” maple bacon from Fig Tree Cafe

ahi poke

Ahi tuna with a spicy sauce as well as avocado and cucumber

ghiradelli ice cream

Ice Cream from Ghirardelli Chocolate

salmon salad

One of my favorite salads of the week. The salmon was cooked perfectly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it were caught the same day

Design your own custom cookie sandwich. Mine was red velvet cookie, cake batter ice cream and chocolate chip cookie

Design your custom cookie sandwich. Mine was red velvet cookie, cake batter ice cream and chocolate chip cookie

Classic post race burger and fries

Classic post race burger and fries

Salmon and Cous Cous

Salmon and Cous Cous

Studio Diner Pancakes

Studio Diner Pancakes

As you can see, my eating was all over the place.  I ate salads, but I also enjoyed dessert and different treats.  My opinion of food is truly like running…your overall health does not consist of one meal or one day of food.  Similarly, your overall fitness of running does not consist of one workout or race.  Both are the collection of consistent habits.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to let me know.

Questions for you:
What is your favorite post race meal?
What is your absolute favorite food?
Mine is either salmon, steak or eel

Sizzlefish Review

September 24, 2015 By in Food, Reads Tags: , , , 8 Comments

A few weeks ago, Sizzlefish sent me their Paleo Prime Fish package to try out. I was extremely excited because seafood is my favorite type of meat. In my household we normally make simple meals like grilled seafood, salad and potato (or bread…). Sizzlefish is a perfect fit for us.

I was lucky that Sizzlefish was on board and sent their Paleo Prime Plus fish packages to review. Since I like seafood, I knew this would be a product I would enjoy. I also didn’t have to go grocery shopping the day before to pick up fresh seafood.  So much winning and so little time.

sizzlefish review

The Sizzlefish package arrived at my door when it was scheduled too. It arrived completely frozen and with exact directions of how to dethaw. It made it easy for me not to mess up.

 The Paleo Package Plus comes with:

This was perfect for our household because we are two people and it came with two portions. I will say due to running and activity level, we opted to each eat two different portions for each meal.

I normally buy seafood at the grocery store.  I’m fortunate that we buy fresh seafood so I wasn’t sure how I would feel with the Sizzlefish frozen and coming straight to our door.  Honestly it tastes fresh and removes the hassle of actual grocery shopping as well.  I have absolutely no complaints about the quality of seafood and would highly recommend it to anyone.

sizzlefish

Here are some different meals we cooked: 

This tilipia salad is the best salad I have ever made by myself. I'm a big girl now.

Grilled Cod, feta, blackberries and balsamic dressing with extra olive oil

Sablefish, potato and a lot of kale

Haddock, potato and a lot of kale

Baking salmon with a little bit of BBQ sauce on it.

Baked salmon peices with BBQ sauce

Grilled Sablefish and sweet potato

Grilled Sablefish and sweet potato

Overall thoughts:

I really like Sizzlefish. I love how the fish comes straight to your doorstep. They are already portioned out and they give you a variety of options. I had honestly never heard of sablefish until now but it was great to try something new!

I will also say that the Customer Service is second to none. Their twitter and instagram handle are both extremely friendly.   I had the honor to meet some of their company at the RnR Expo and they are friendly in real life too. It is truly a great company with a great product. I have nothing but good things about Sizzlefish and I would recommend them to anyone!

 Questions for you:

Have you ever tried Sizzlefish?

Do you prefer making easy recipes or something fancy and unique? 

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