Upon first arriving at the restaurant, it was nice to see a parking lot available, as we know from the past that sometimes Kings Highway can be tough! The exterior/interior of the building were both clean and welcoming, as were the staff which extended their greetings. Our lucky/unlucky server was named Maureen, and she was very pleasant throughout the meal.

Again being a special menu, our choices were limited but not restricted. I decided to on:

• Crab & Corn Chowder Soup ~ (garnished with an old bay fleuron)
• Jersey Tomato & Watermelon Salad ~ (dressed in a sweet red wine vinaigrette and garnished with mint)
• Grilled Pork Chop ~ with peach chutney served over chipotle roasted sweet Jersey corn and green beans
• Fresh Jersey Peach Strudel (topped with vanilla Gelato)

I was really impressed with everything they brought out, from the still warm bread with the dipping sauce to the ultra fresh and juicy Jersey Tomato & Watermelon Salad.  The Crab & Corn Chowder Soup had a little nice and tasty spice to it,  and went very well with the 2004 Yellowtail Reserve Shiraz. (What can I say, it is a tested, tried and true bottle. :))  My grilled pork chop was cooked properly and had a pleasing flavor, and went very well with the fresh corn. Now my Peach Strudel was good,  however others at the table had the Blueberry Bread Pudding (topped with vanilla Gelato and chocolate sauce) and it was better!

Overall we had a great experience at Kunkel’s, and I would be happy to goto Kunkel’s again. We were told that they have a pretty good jazz night on Thursdays, perhaps that will be our next review.

First Course - Truffled Crab Risotto With Shiitake mushrooms,drizzled Basil oil & a roasted pepper coulis

Second Course - Handmade Jumbo Spinach Ravioli with Baby Shrimp in a Lobster Sauce with kale & mushrooms. Jersey Butternut Squash & Crab Bisque

Third Course - Petit Filet Mignon Gorgonzola (2)- Barolo wine Reduction,demi-glace, Sautéed escarole, roasted butternut squash, top with Gorgonzola

Fourth Course Homemade Pumpkin Cheese Cake, Chocolate Mousse Torte, and Artisan Cinnamon Gelato.

Overall the food was rather tasty, the Fliet Mignon was a bit over crispy on the outside but the place was packed full to the gills. We were actually sitting on a folding table that was cleverly disguised by a table cloth. Had I not needed to reach for something under the table, I would have never known. I was most impressed with the Butternut Squash Crab Bisque, two flavors I never would have thought to put together on my own really left me wanting more.. The owner was visible in the restaurant sitting with is family during the rush, but I don’t think he noticed us at that time. All in all, the atmosphere seemed much like the Olive Garden, quite clean, but very noisy. I would like to visit this establishment again someday when it is not quite so busy, as I think the experience would be better.

This wine went very well with dinner, which was cheese tortellini from Trader Joe’s and a red mushroom sauce. I could see grabbing this wine as an inexpensive bottle to take out to dinner where you may not know the menu,  or if you are looking for a safe bottle.    I tasted a pleasing flavor of berries and something dark,  which I could not quite place.  Overall I would give this a strong B+ rating,  scoring well on it’s nice bouquet, clarity, and smoothness.  I believe I will pickup a bottle or two of this wine and let it sit in the cellar for a bit of time, it could be interesting to see how this one does with some age.

Tapas style dining, or the ability to eat smaller portions of a variety of different foods, is a traditionally Spanish way of eating in a casual way. Because of this small plate approach to dining, tapas are adaptable to all cuisines and cultures. Blending a variety of flavors from French, Asian, Mediterranean and other influences into a New American tapas allows you to build a dining experience to suit your palate and allows everyone at the table to sample a variety of different choices.

I thought the description was fairly accurate, as we pretty much had the same experience. While the starter portions where small, we had a total of five courses which left no one at the table hungry. Our group arrived more or less on time, some early, some “late”, all were greeted warmly by the hostess. No one even turned their nose up when they saw my brother carry in his six pack! We were then greeted by our server for the evening, Madison, who I’m sure now regrets waiting on our party. I did mention I went with family right?

We started off with our first bottle of white, a very nice bottle of White Oak Sauvignon Blanc. I only had one quick glass, but it was a pretty damn good one. Since I only had one “half”, it is hard for me to give you an actual review. I’d drink it again to try though. Some of us have started to switch over to red, the first red was a tasty 2004 Yellowtail Reserve Shiraz.

On to the food, I was pleased with my starter, three fried green tomato’s over a tomato potato hash. The trio of soups were again, small but very tasty. The shellfish bisque with grilled corn relish was the favorite of the table, followed by the butternut squash, sausage and white bean soup, and getting mixed reviews was the 5 onion soup with Gruyere crouton. About this point, the third bottle started to pour around the table and the next course arrived. I had an straightforward and enjoyable heart of romaine salad with a pepper parmesan dressing w/ roasted garlic crustini (crouton).

For my main course, as much as I tried to stray from a meat dish, I ordered the coffee marinated NY strip with corn and red pepper posole. Again very enjoyable taste, it was slightly undercooked for my usual preference, but I did enjoy it very much. The corn and red pepper posole was delicious and went very nicely with the wine. As we finished our main courses and the good strong coffee started to arrive we began our assault on the final course, desert. Again a trio with no choice, we seemed to enjoy the cappuccino pot de creme, the mini apple pie and the ice cream sandwich in that order.

We had a great BYOB experience at Elements Cafe in Haddon Heights, great company, food and service. For having a full table, and being in a full restaurant the packed restaurant, the staff seemed really on the ball. The staff was friendly, and courteous. We did not seem to wait much between the courses, nor did I feel rushed into leaving. I’m quite pleased to recommend Elements Cafe, as a matter of fact I might try to get there one day for their sunset menu.

Elements Cafe is located at 517 Station Avenue Haddon Heights, NJ 08035. Feel free to call them for a reservation at (856) 546-8840

This was drinkable all by itself,  I have another bottle I’m looking forward to drinking Memorial Day weekend with some friends.  If you want to pair it with something, I could see this being very good with chicken or pork.  Pretty much anything that a pinot noir would pair well with.   For the price it was not a bad French bottle, but I think there are better priced wines with less adieu. Of course,  if you are going for the experience and not 3 months late,  then rock out with this one.

Winery of Zeni!

We go to a wine tasting every Saturday, which is a wonderful tradition we have started. On this trip on February 16, 2008, we tried this wine and I loved it so much we purchased 2 bottles. Which may not sound like much but this is a rarity for us. We like to purchase different bottles instead of more then one of the same.

Tonight we are trying this wine, as our usual Saturday nights go, with a variety of cheeses. We have also started throwing some bread and olive oil with spices into the mix. This is my opinions on what we are eating. Mind you, today one of the employees where we go for the tasting said that I go on my emotions when I try wine. You’ll find more out in my bio, but yes, I’m sorry if it is not a precise description of flavors and tastes. This will be more of a general dislike or like, maybe even some fun thoughts

This bottle is $10.99 where we purchased it at the Joe Canal’s in West Deptford, NJ. We are drinking this bottle tonight March 1, 2008.

Mozzerela Cheese w/ Whole Milk: Yummy!

Laughing Cow Light Swiss flavored Garlic and Herb: Favorite with this wine.

Sharp Spreadable Cheddar Cheese: Really dislike. Which is odd because it is one of my favorite cheeses. But with this wine it makes it taste stinky.

Bonbell- Ok seriously, again, I like this cheese in general. But with this wine, it to me is just awful! Sorry Bonbell!

Wise Pride Port Wine Spreadable: Calming. Soothing. Really don’t like or dislike. It just is.

Laughing Cow Light Swiss Flavored French Onion: Almost if not just as good as the garlic and herb. Very very enjoyable! Makes my tastes buds say “More More… I want More!”

Connoisseur Asiago Cheese Spread: I don’t care for this cheese in general personally. But With this wine I like it better then I normally do.

Goes well with the French Loaf and Sicilian seasoning. I like to put a little butter on the bread as well… yummmmmm…. bread and I get along very well. But this wine goes well with this. Quite an enjoyable experience.

So all that said. Overall, I am extremely glad we bought 2 bottles. I told modF, that this is going to be my “me night” wine. It is completely delicious to drink alone or with food. Also it just gives me a good feeling from the inside out. I definitely suggest picking up a bottle and having some fun with it!

Saturday we were off to a wine tasting in the afternoon, followed by a trip to the supermarket for ingredients to fondue. Which we prepared upon our return home, and watched a wine movie. We managed to sample three wines this night, and had some surprising results. Those reviews will be coming later, just as soon as we can decide upon a layout for them, and make better sense of our scratchings.

Sunday was indeed a lazy day, we did not make it to the art gallery opening as planned. It was however a nice day, as I believe we are both coming down with colds. We did manage to make a new recipe, Scallops in White Wine which of course was sampled with one new wine.

Currently we plan on having our group of good friends travel with us to restaurants and “taste” wines with us. We are however open to taking user submissions/reviews for restaurants, wines, books, music, pretty much whatever. Do you have a favorite bubble bath that goes quite well with a bottle of Merlot on a cold night? That’s fantastic, tell us all about it!