Lots of rain again last night and today. Good excuse for a late dinner at Pufferbelly, a questionable name for a decent eatery and sports bar in Lindenwold, N.J. The building appears to be a former train station that has been upgraded and loaded up with choo-choo memorabilia.
The sports bar section adjoining the main dining room was predictably rowdy. Pufferbelly offers a decent salad bar, strong and varied selection of popular menu items and a handful of sinfully tempting desserts.
Also lots of specials and discounts for old people, kids, and certain foods and beverages at certain times during the week. Service was a tad dodgy, but the thick open-faced Reuben sandwich was good (albeit a bit skimpy on the dressing). A nicely rare roast beef sandwich with a large cup of au jus on the side got a thumbs up, although the au jus had to be requested twice.
A sliver of cheesecake for dessert was skimpily adequate but overpriced at $5.00, compared to the larger portions and lower prices at other Lindenwold neighborhood restaurants.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Two Other Losses
Writer Dominick Dunne and pop songwriter Ellie Greenwich also died this week.
Dunne was a successful Hollywood producer until he smashed his career in the 1970s with booze and drugs. After cleaning up he reinvented himself as a novelist and journalist who specialized in covering trials of the rich and famous (e.g., O.J. Simpson, Roxanne Pulitzer, Claus von Bulow) for Vanity Fair magazine. In addition, he hosted a popular true crime show on the tru.tv cable channel.
Greenwich's primary songwriting collaborator was then hubbie Jeff Barry, although she had notable success working with Phil Spector (among others), and also played a key role in launching the career of Neil Diamond.
In her later years she worked with Blondie, Cyndi Lauper and Nona Hendrix. Among her best known hits are Be My Baby, Chapel of Love, River Deep Mountain High, Leader of the Pack, and Doo Ron Ron.
Dunne was a successful Hollywood producer until he smashed his career in the 1970s with booze and drugs. After cleaning up he reinvented himself as a novelist and journalist who specialized in covering trials of the rich and famous (e.g., O.J. Simpson, Roxanne Pulitzer, Claus von Bulow) for Vanity Fair magazine. In addition, he hosted a popular true crime show on the tru.tv cable channel.
Greenwich's primary songwriting collaborator was then hubbie Jeff Barry, although she had notable success working with Phil Spector (among others), and also played a key role in launching the career of Neil Diamond.
In her later years she worked with Blondie, Cyndi Lauper and Nona Hendrix. Among her best known hits are Be My Baby, Chapel of Love, River Deep Mountain High, Leader of the Pack, and Doo Ron Ron.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Summer Doldrums
Today marks the death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, final surviving son of that old philandering bootlegging rapscallion Joseph P. Kennedy. The fight over succession is going to be a donnybrook. Because of his long tenure, at least a few close relatives view the seat as a Kennedy fiefdom. And how soon will the jockeying begin?
Am reading two recent biographies of important American writers Flannery O'Connor and Hunter S. Thompson. Although they would appear to have nothing in common, both did relish the gothic aspects of life in these United States and did cultivate their own idiosyncratic personalities.
A Life of Flannery O'Connor by Brad Gooch and Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson by William McKean explore the connections between their disparate life experiences, personal quirks, intellectual interests, and how these affected their literary output.
Am reading two recent biographies of important American writers Flannery O'Connor and Hunter S. Thompson. Although they would appear to have nothing in common, both did relish the gothic aspects of life in these United States and did cultivate their own idiosyncratic personalities.
A Life of Flannery O'Connor by Brad Gooch and Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson by William McKean explore the connections between their disparate life experiences, personal quirks, intellectual interests, and how these affected their literary output.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Dog Days
Hot and humid summer weather is vacationing in South Jersey with a vengeance. At least the U.S. Congress is on vacation, so perhaps nationally we'll get a brief respite from hot air and bad behavior until they return in September.
Have seen online buzz from a half-dozen sources, including Billboard, that Bob Dylan has recorded a Xmas album featuring new and traditional tunes. This could be one his most baffling career moves since releasing Self Portrait back in the 1970s.
Spent time Sunday afternoon in Atlantic City at Trump's Taj Mahal (an exercise in bad decorative taste) to take advantage of free tix to Cirque Dreams Pandemonia. Do not confuse this company's efforts with the productions created by Cirque du Soleil.
Featuring a Eurasian cast of nearly two dozen jugglers, acrobats, spinners, twirlers, tricksters flippers, contortionists. drummers, and balancers it was 75 minutes of nonstop music, movement, and flashing lights that elicited many "ooh aahs" from the audience. All performers were top of the line, but the female Asian coterie of spinners, cyclists, acrobats and contortionists were amazing.
On the way back from Atlantic City, we stopped for dinner at the Phoenix Diner on Highway 30 in Absecon, N.J. This landmark eatery had an ambitious and extensive menu. Prices a bit above average, portions average, service mediocre.
Another experience last weekend was visiting the Buck Hotel in Feasterville, Pa. This legendary and historic local landmark was completely demolished in 2001. My companion worked there as a server in the 1980s and was shocked by the monstrous size of the new building.
The formal dining room is fairly pricey, but the Tavern offers pub grub at competitive prices. On weekends live bands alternate with DJs and local AM radio legend Jerry Blavat spins tunes Thursday evenings. Because we had dinner elsewhere, am unable to offer comments regarding food quality or quantity, only the prices.
Have seen online buzz from a half-dozen sources, including Billboard, that Bob Dylan has recorded a Xmas album featuring new and traditional tunes. This could be one his most baffling career moves since releasing Self Portrait back in the 1970s.
Spent time Sunday afternoon in Atlantic City at Trump's Taj Mahal (an exercise in bad decorative taste) to take advantage of free tix to Cirque Dreams Pandemonia. Do not confuse this company's efforts with the productions created by Cirque du Soleil.
Featuring a Eurasian cast of nearly two dozen jugglers, acrobats, spinners, twirlers, tricksters flippers, contortionists. drummers, and balancers it was 75 minutes of nonstop music, movement, and flashing lights that elicited many "ooh aahs" from the audience. All performers were top of the line, but the female Asian coterie of spinners, cyclists, acrobats and contortionists were amazing.
On the way back from Atlantic City, we stopped for dinner at the Phoenix Diner on Highway 30 in Absecon, N.J. This landmark eatery had an ambitious and extensive menu. Prices a bit above average, portions average, service mediocre.
Another experience last weekend was visiting the Buck Hotel in Feasterville, Pa. This legendary and historic local landmark was completely demolished in 2001. My companion worked there as a server in the 1980s and was shocked by the monstrous size of the new building.
The formal dining room is fairly pricey, but the Tavern offers pub grub at competitive prices. On weekends live bands alternate with DJs and local AM radio legend Jerry Blavat spins tunes Thursday evenings. Because we had dinner elsewhere, am unable to offer comments regarding food quality or quantity, only the prices.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Potpourri
Sad to note the death of writer and director John Hughes. He created three of my fave comic films, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Sixteen Candles" and Planes Trains and Automobiles." Always appreciated that his sense of humor was character driven and he didn't reach for cheap obvious sleazy laughs like so many contemporary auteurs (e.g., Judd Apatow).
Duh! Despite inexplicable opposition from so many scaredy cat GOP Senators who fear the wrath of their own extreme rightists, this week we gained a new U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
There may be payback down the road for this knee jerk opposition. The Prez should nominate a really liberal judge at the next opportunity. Justice Stevens is 89, Justice Ginsburg is 76 with health problems and the next shot the GOP has at the White House is 2012. A lot can happen in a few years.
Another RIP artist this week is novelist and screenwriter Budd Schulberg. Best known for "On the Waterfront" (another fave film of mine) he also played a key role in creating "A Face in the Crowd," starring Andy Griffith in a raw and edgy performance light years away from his folksy Mayberry sheriff.
Duh! Despite inexplicable opposition from so many scaredy cat GOP Senators who fear the wrath of their own extreme rightists, this week we gained a new U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
There may be payback down the road for this knee jerk opposition. The Prez should nominate a really liberal judge at the next opportunity. Justice Stevens is 89, Justice Ginsburg is 76 with health problems and the next shot the GOP has at the White House is 2012. A lot can happen in a few years.
Another RIP artist this week is novelist and screenwriter Budd Schulberg. Best known for "On the Waterfront" (another fave film of mine) he also played a key role in creating "A Face in the Crowd," starring Andy Griffith in a raw and edgy performance light years away from his folksy Mayberry sheriff.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Down the Shore
A quick refreshing respite was taken last weekend to Wildwood, N.J., a beach town on the Atlantic Ocean a few miles north of Cape May, which is a beach town famous for its many lovingly and tenderly and colorfully restored late 19th century Victorian homes.
A key element of any trip to the beach is food. In Wildwood, the Bayview is a huge facility that seats a few hundred diners at a time. The menu ranges from traditional fried seafood items to five varieties of chicken wings plus BBQ items (e.g., ribs and shredded pork with a North Carolina spin) and a limited dessert selection. The servers were generally right on top of things.
It is definitely family friendly judging by an adjacent table seating 14 people, half of them under the age of 10. You should expect a wait, especially if you are with a large group. Our party of four was seated in about 30 minutes after arriving about 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
Other things to do include outings to Morey's Piers, riding the boardwalk tram to cover "36 blocks of fun" without wearing a hole in your flip-flops, and sampling the offerings of many local food vendors. If you truly want a unique experience, buy tickets for a dolphin and whale watching cruise.
About 90 miles north of Wildwood is Asbury Park, N.J. Still struggling to come back to life in the wake of the 1968 and 1970 riots, decades of serving as a dumping ground for the homeless and mentally ill, and a rich culture of political corruption, it still has a long way to go.
Recent bright notes include the 2007-2008 rehabilitation of the historic Paramount Theater and adjacent Asbury Park Convention Hall and the opening of the adjacent Tim McLoone's Salt Water Beach Cafe in a former Howard Johnson's restaurant.
The limited lunch menu offers an excellent Angus burger with blue cheese and an artfully overstuffed shrimp salad sandwich. Both were served with fresh potato chips. Alas, the service was only adequate.
A key element of any trip to the beach is food. In Wildwood, the Bayview is a huge facility that seats a few hundred diners at a time. The menu ranges from traditional fried seafood items to five varieties of chicken wings plus BBQ items (e.g., ribs and shredded pork with a North Carolina spin) and a limited dessert selection. The servers were generally right on top of things.
It is definitely family friendly judging by an adjacent table seating 14 people, half of them under the age of 10. You should expect a wait, especially if you are with a large group. Our party of four was seated in about 30 minutes after arriving about 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
Other things to do include outings to Morey's Piers, riding the boardwalk tram to cover "36 blocks of fun" without wearing a hole in your flip-flops, and sampling the offerings of many local food vendors. If you truly want a unique experience, buy tickets for a dolphin and whale watching cruise.
About 90 miles north of Wildwood is Asbury Park, N.J. Still struggling to come back to life in the wake of the 1968 and 1970 riots, decades of serving as a dumping ground for the homeless and mentally ill, and a rich culture of political corruption, it still has a long way to go.
Recent bright notes include the 2007-2008 rehabilitation of the historic Paramount Theater and adjacent Asbury Park Convention Hall and the opening of the adjacent Tim McLoone's Salt Water Beach Cafe in a former Howard Johnson's restaurant.
The limited lunch menu offers an excellent Angus burger with blue cheese and an artfully overstuffed shrimp salad sandwich. Both were served with fresh potato chips. Alas, the service was only adequate.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Miscellany
Here's a quick update. The Obama beer summit was so cheesy Karl Rove should have thought it up. It added or subtracted little to the substance of the debate regarding the whole H.L. Gates Cambridge, Mass. arrest mess. 'Twas nothing but a cute patch on a bleeding wound.
The real reason Sen. Jeff Sessions may have been so hot to go after Judge Sonia Sotomayor as not fit to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court is that in the mid-1980s his nomination as a federal appeals court judge was blocked by the Judiciary Committee on a 10-8 vote due to his visible taint as a racist and bigot. At that time he was the first rejected nominee in almost 50 years. Bet that one hurt, huh Jeff?
Last Wednesday had a great dinner at the Uno Chicago Grill in South Jersey near the State Hwy 70 and I-295 intersection. Hadn't been to one in many years and was pleasantly impressed by the repositioning of the chain, the revamping of the decor, and the expansion of the menu. Not so impressed with a $20 charge for a lobster roll.
The real reason Sen. Jeff Sessions may have been so hot to go after Judge Sonia Sotomayor as not fit to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court is that in the mid-1980s his nomination as a federal appeals court judge was blocked by the Judiciary Committee on a 10-8 vote due to his visible taint as a racist and bigot. At that time he was the first rejected nominee in almost 50 years. Bet that one hurt, huh Jeff?
Last Wednesday had a great dinner at the Uno Chicago Grill in South Jersey near the State Hwy 70 and I-295 intersection. Hadn't been to one in many years and was pleasantly impressed by the repositioning of the chain, the revamping of the decor, and the expansion of the menu. Not so impressed with a $20 charge for a lobster roll.
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