Chairman's Club

My last adventure to the casino's was canceled a couple of weeks ago because of bad weather....I had hoped to go to the Borgata with my son....however, this past Friday evening was perfect for another adventure...especially as I was being treated to dinner by a friend....and he drove too. Of course, being a guest, we traveled to the casino of his choice...which was Trump Plaza. You'll have to excuse the stock photos because I didn't want to drag my regular camera with me, so I could be hands free at the slots...and I did not have my cell phone with me either. My friend is a "regular visitor" at the Trump Plaza and has privileges to the " members only" Chairman's Club. They serve buffet style and you get all the drinks you want.
My favorite drink is Pina Coladas, and I easily put away three....the first two were rich and creamy, but the third was full of ice...but when they are "free," who complains, right???? On the buffet, I started with a bowl of seafood chowder, then had flank steak with a side of string beans and carrots....which was very tasty. They also served steak fries, but they were not as good as they looked. The best part of the meal was the dessert...which was bread pudding with vanilla sauce. My dining partner said the rice pudding was also excellent...and I really wanted to have some, but I just did not have any more room....and by that time after three Pina Coladas, I was really ready for a nap!!! I give the Chairman's Club a B+....unfortunately, it is by invitation only....and the truth of the matter is that while my friend used his membership and comp points to get in, you could have bought that meal many times over with what it cost in gambling to get those points.....but it was FUN and as they say, "you can't take it with you".
Just another observation...I thought the casino would be crowded on a Friday evening....but it was not...even a couple of their high end restaurants were closed....I guess that is a sign of the recession and the competition from out-of- state casinos.

White House

Today we were off to the White House...no, not in Washington, DC, but closer to home in the Lenola section of Moorestown at the corner of Lenola Road and Camden Avenue. This is a family restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner...and is always busy at lunch time. It is by no means fancy with red vinyl covered seats in the booths and has seating at a counter too. There are always a selection of about a half dozen specials listed for approx $7.25 and includes soup or salad. I ordered a fried egg sandwich with bacon on whole wheat toast for $3.99...it was tasty. Most of the customers are locals who come regularly to enjoy their lunch and chat a bit. Outside parking is a bit tight. The White House gets a "B".

Perkin's Family Restaurant

I always thought of Perkin's as a breakfast restaurant....in fact, I think originally they were called Perkin's Pancake House.....and for sure their breakfast menu looked yummy....they had an excellent selection of omelets and what really caught my eye was today's special...which was peanut butter banana stuffed french toast with whipped cream and powdered sugar....that special was $6.99. But thinking about my weight, and that I already had breakfast, I went for the lunch special for those over 55....yes, they have a special section of the menu for old f--ts like me. For $4.99, I got a nice size side salad and a grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread...it was a whole sandwich...not a half. I passed on the dessert, but they do have a very nice selection of pies too. This Perkin's was located across from the Moorestown Mall and there was no wait to get in and the service was fast as well. I give Perkin's a B+.

Taco Bell

My client says that the best tacos are his mom's and Taco Bell's.....so today we headed there for lunch. I am not particularly a Mexican food fan, but there are a couple of things on their menu that I do enjoy. My selection today was the chicken ranch taco salad. It was tasty and the taco was crunchy....there could however, been a bit more chicken in the salad. With a soft drink, the price was $7.47. On other occasions, I have had their chicken quesadillas...and for fast food, they were plentiful and good.
My dining partner had the regular tacos. His order consisted of three...and with a soda, his bill was $6.41. The restaurant we visited was in Delran, and was very nicely decorated inside. If you go there, pull hard on the entrance door. It seems that the air pressure inside causes a suction on the door that makes it hard to open. While dining, I saw people leave thinking that the restaurant was closed because they could not open the door. I brought that to the attention of the manager, because I could see they were unfortunately losing business. Overall, I give Taco Bell a "B."

The Cornelia Street Cafe

Today we traveled out of state to NYC for brunch to meet some friends who were visiting from Boston. My sister-in-law lives in NYC and has a knack for selecting the best restaurants. NYC has so many restaurant....so it is great to go places that you know of...or at least someone else recommended. The fun thing about NYC is that you could easily go out to eat every day of your life and never go to the same restaurant twice. The Cornelia Cafe is located at 29 Cornelia Street in the "village." They do not take reservations, but at 11am (which is early for New Yorkers), we had no problem getting a table for 7 people. You can order a-la carte, but they also have a price fixed option for $18 that includes tea or coffee, a bread selection (like chocolate bread...doesn't that sounded yummy), a beverage....like orange juice, a mimosa or a screwdriver, and an entree...which included seven selections like french toast and eggs benedict. I ordered a-la carte and had just a glass of orange juice (for $5.00) and the french toast (for $10). These prices may sound expensive, but in NYC, this was very reasonable. The service was good and the food was tasty...this was a cozy and charming cafe...I give them a B+.

Applebee's

They call themselves the neighborhood grill and bar....and while they do have a bar, they truly are a family restaurant....we did get to sit next to someone with a baby...but very well behaved, I might add. It was Saturday evening and the wait time was only about 15 minutes for those coming in off the street. They do have call ahead seating, and since we did that, out wait was only about two minutes. So think about calling ahead because there always seems to be a wait...even on week-days. In keeping with the economic times, they do offer a special....you get one appetizer to share, and two entrees all for 20 bucks...can't beat that. We ordered the onion ring appetizer, which was plenty for two....they were hot and crispy. I ordered the 7oz sirloin steak which was tasty and it came with a potato and vegetables. My wife ordered the ribs; while tasty, she was disappointed as the portion size was small. Over all, I give Applebee's a B.

Arby's

While roast beef sandwiches are their specialty, this is what I call your typical fast food restaurant. I ordered the roast beef sandwich and a soft drink and it cost me only $1.71. No, that is not their typical price. I got a free sandwich (regularly $2.99) because I participated in a survey a couple of weeks ago and got a promotional coupon...so all I paid for was the soft drink. While the price was right, I would say, however, that the sandwich was mediocre at best. It was barely warm and and just did not look appetizing to me!!! My dining partner shared a couple of his french fries with me...and again, while you could order curly or regular, they were your typical fast food kind of fries. Sorry folks, nothing exciting to report about Arby's....they only get a "C" from me...and maybe that is a stretch!