Sweet Lula's in Pitman, NJ

I love a "proper lunch."  I've been asked what that means so I've had to give it some thought.  My definition is something you wouldn't normally eat during the week when you are at work or on the go.  It's not a run-of-the-mill sandwich.  Instead, it's food that's more creative.  The meal is slow and the atmosphere is relaxed, with no glancing at the watch because you have to be somewhere after lunch.  And, of course, there must be iced tea - with extra lemon.  Linen napkins are a plus but not necessary.  I found exactly this, and was pleasantly surprised at the reasonable prices, a short distance from Rowan University in NJ. 

Pitman, NJ is a throwback to gentler times.  Its little downtown, complete with a theater (and I don't mean movie), has several surprisingly good restaurants.  (One of which I blogged about this past summer.)  Today, I tried Sweet Lula's for the first time.  There were several temptations on the menu from which to choose.  We each started with a $4 cup of soup.  Mine was carrot cumin and it was absolutely delicious.  My friend had a corn chowder with smoked sausage.  Hers was good but we both agreed the carrot cumin was better. 

Next, I ordered a simple tomato stuffed with tuna salad on a bed of field greens.  I added vidalia onion vinaigrette.  This was light and tasty, except the tomato was very cold.  Too bad it wasn't room temperature as that would have helped tremendously.  My meal was a special and I don't know how much it cost but it was probably around $7.  My friend had a Peach Quesadilla (sliced peaches) and a Persian Lime and Honey dipping sauce ($7).

The chef, Anthony Asbury, came out to speak to a table and welcome them.  Ironically, the chef turned out to be the same man who previously came in through the front door with a basket of laundry.  I thought that was odd and mentioned to my friend he should have walked through the back door with his clean towels.

Asbury's personality is big and somewhat loud.  He was very humorous, but would have been funnier if he knew when to stop.  It wasn't hard to overhear him tell the table that he had a movie and dinner night on Valentine's Day.  During the five-course meal ($49), An Affair to Remember was shown.  He said the night was wildly successful - he had two seatings - and he was planning another on March 30th.  The movie will be African Queen.  I'm assuming the $49 price will remain the same.  (Not a bad deal at all at this BYOB.) 

When preparing to blog, I learned that Chef Anthony was a Hollywood puppeteer (including for Henson Productions) and an actor on and (mostly) off-Broadway. (For more on his career, click here and then click the Anthony Asbury blue link.)  That certainly explains the personality - definitely theatrical.  It also explains the many pictures of Asbury with some famous people (Tony Bennett) and some people I didn't recognize.

A brief Google search could not produce any information on Asbury's chef credentials or where he learned to cook.  He didn't prepare lunch for us so I'm assuming he prepares dinner.  I don't think he's at the point where he's simply coming up with the ideas and passing them to an underling.

The "proper lunch" I had at Sweet Lula's is making me lean toward trying this month's movie/dinner night.  Or, according to a February edition of The Gloucester County Times, in April I can go to Sweet Lula's and see the man who played Arthur Weasely in the Harry Potter movie series.  How Chef Anthony will work that in will be interesting.  As a former puppeteer, I'm sure he'll know how to make it good theater.

Can We Keep it, Please?!?!

So reminds me of the many times my brothers and I asked this question. Many, many times the answer was "yes."  Dogs - BIG dogs like a huge, male St. Bernard - and dozens of cats. Just realizing today what gifts pets are in childhood.

Batsto River - New Jersey

This was the most enjoyable kayak trip this season.  The weather was crisp and the scenery was serene.  We felt embraced on the river as it was enveloped by its banks, which were often just a few feet apart for a good part of the river.  The river had many turns and bends, making it a good way to develop paddling skills. We meandered past brush and then trees and high, sandy banks. We eventually paddled through or around tall grasses into a very wide lake. As beautiful as it was, I later read this was not even the most scenic part of the river.

Today's paddle was the lower section of the Batsto River from Quaker Bridge to Batsto Village (a National Historic Site where the Batsto Iron Works was built in 1766) in Wharton State Forest near Hammonton, NJ.  When we began our trip, the water was clear enough to see to the bottom.  Without even noticing a gradual change, it seemed that - all of a sudden - the water was that dark, "cedar water" commonly seen in the Pine Barrens.  This coffee-colored water is so dark it's impossible to see through it.

What was to be a 4-hour paddle took us about 3.5 hours, and that was with a 45-minute (or so) lunch.  The upper Batsto River paddle takes approximately 8 hours.  There are a few canoe/kayak liveries in the area that offer shuttle service for both these trips but we used Adams Canoe Rentals.  (Their website is a little outdated - with 2009 prices posted in late 2010 - but the owner was very pleasant and accommodating.) 

Adams Canoe Rentals was started by the current owner's father.  The senior Adams started the business in the 1970's as a retirement job and died shortly thereafter.  The son - now solidly middle-aged himself - is trying to keep the business going in this day-and-age of declining boy scout participation and less time spent outdoors by kids.  Mr. Adams attributed these changes, respectively, to the advent of soccer for some and video games and the Internet for others.

This was the last weekend for paddling until next Spring for several, if not all, canoe and kayak rental places, including Adams Canoe.  I look forward to paddling again when it gets warmer but I don't look forward to the crowds.  I want the river to myself and my small paddling group so that the serenity is maintained.  Mr. Adams and others in his business, on the other hand, want more people to come out to play in the water.  Since the lower Batsto River is a shorter paddle, I recommend you paddle it next Spring.  I'll take the upper Batsto to see if it is really more scenic than the lower section.  Meet you at the end and we'll compare notes.

Cruising the Delaware-Raritan Canal

I took my nephew to a camp in Princeton this summer and I passed by Princeton Canoe and Kayak.  I made a mental note because I love being in the water and I love kayaking, even though I haven't done it in awhile.  After kayaking this gorgeous weekend, I'm hooked again.

Princeton Canoe and Kayak has very reasonable prices - $25 for a kayak all day and I believe it was $30 for a canoe.  I would imagine the summer can be very crowded on the approximately 8 feet deep Delaware and Raritan Canal, not to mention hot.  Saturday's paddle, however, was one of those perfect days where you feel lucky to have had the experience. 

Serendipitous is a way to describe the day.  I've never paddled this canal but everything fell into place.  The canal is tree-covered in many areas in such a way as one could paddle in the shade on one side or be in the sun in the other.  Both sides were helpful at various times.  The water was very cool so it was a pleasure to see so many turtles warming themselves on the logs.  I was also able to see the Great Blue Heron that is apparently a frequent guest on the canal's edge.  We passed him silently - maybe 20 feet away - and he watched us.  After we passed, I turned back to see him flying toward us.  He landed in front of us, as if he wanted to watch us and our bright red kayaks again.  What a sight when he flew low on the water.

The silence was a treat, too.  At one point, the silence was broken by church hymns performed on what I think must have been a trumpet.  I recognized both songs from years of church as a youth.  I love hymns, and I love nature and the water - the combination of all 3 made me smile and few really lucky to have those moments.  It may sound cliche but I will remember how I felt and why I felt that way in that moment for the rest of my life.

We spent about 3 hours paddling, with a break for a picnic lunch. Those 3 hours were spent observing, hearing, and letting our minds go to places other than work.  We watched others bike or walk along the canal's edge.  We also passed a golf course and could hear the swoosh of the club and the "clink" of the club on the ball as one hole was close to the water.  For the most part, though, we were out of civilization and I pretended to be a Native American in my mind and wondered what they thought of when they were on new waterways and heard nothing but the trees rustling, the birds singing, and the occasional geese chattering as the humans floated by.  (I got that the Indians weren't on a canal!  It was just a fantasy!)

After leaving the water we took the 10-minute drive to Nassau Street in Princeton.  I heard someone mention it was a Princeton U. football game weekend and the crowds made me believe I heard correctly.  The campus is large but part of it borders Nassau Street.  We walked around for a little bit but were ravenous so we stopped at PJ's Pancake House to have the burger advertised as "the best" since 1962.  It's easy to picture a bunch of college kids at a place like PJ's.  (Apparently writing on the table in pen is acceptable.)  The place had a "down and dirty" feel, even if the restroom was spotless.  Even though our waiter had horrific body odor, the burger and fries were just what we needed after burning those calories paddling.  (The PB and J picnic didn't go too far!)

I would recommend this day's itinerary to anyone.  Princeton is not too far a drive (about an hour) from Philadelphia and many other areas.  You can kayak (or bike) the Delaware and Raritan Canal and still have other options - either roaming Princeton University's beautiful and historic campus or the college town - once you're done.  This day so inspired me that I'm already planning another paddling day for next Saturday.  I am hooked again.

Dean's in Bellmawr, NJ

My friends who recommended Dean's kept saying "Wait'll you see what they serve food in" and "The portions are H-U-G-E."  They made these comments with smiles and enthusiasm.  So much so, in fact, that it made me want to see it for myself.

Dean's is just over the river from Philadelphia.  It is not fancy and it's decorated to look like it's at the shore.  There are dune fences and giant crabs and fish on the walls, as well as funny signs.  The restaurant is definitely a festive atmosphere. 

The food was good, for sure.  True to what I had been told, food was delivered creatively.  Sugar for coffee was brought out in miniature wicker chairs.  Oil and vinegar for the salad was in baby bottles.  I was served my chicken parm in a giant skillet with a little bucket in it.  Sides came in dog food bowls.  After the initial laugh and plenty of "Oh wows" at the sheer enormity of what we were given to eat, at some point the amount became almost gross.  (One meal can literally be at least 4 dinners.)  I think I got close to a pound of pasta and at least 4 very large chicken breasts. 

At first I thought I would go back to Dean's with some folks who might enjoy the schtick.  The more I think of it, I will recommend Dean's for a laugh and solidly good food so people can just see it for themselves.  I don't need to go over the river...I can just spread the word.

A Glimpse into Another World

Every now and then, or maybe even rarely, we get to have experiences that are like glimpses into another world.  These worlds are so different than our own that we're privileged to experience them, if only for a brief moment in time.  (Of course, we also have to be open to them or they will never happen.)  I had my brief moment in another world last night.

I have been very careful in this blog to not make any references to my age or gender.  I'm not sure exactly why but I think it has something to do with being free of associations or pre-conceived ideas of who I am based on what I am.  That frees me for a time. (Granted, I realize some of my blog posts may give me away a little bit but not very often.) 

Last night I went to a party where I was one of two people of my race and the only one of my ethnicity.  There were probably 50 or so people present, gathered for a intimate evening.  My "other-ness" was obvious to me and them.  There were a few moments where that was clearly and overtly the case but it wasn't a bad feeling.  It just was.

I felt like the proverbial fly on the wall.  I got to see people at ease with each other and more open then perhaps they would be in other situations.  I wanted to play journalist and ask questions to help me understand another group's experiences but I didn't.  Instead, I just savored the moment. 

It's so cliche but being with people not like you is a way to bridge gaps.  If done on a grand scale, I see it solving big issues.  To happen on a grand scale, however, it has to start in our communities with small parties like the one I attended.  I encourage everyone to seek and be open to these opportunities.  This glimpse into another world can make all the difference in the world.

Down the Shore

The title of this post is a colloquialism used by many New Jersey and Pennsylvania residents.  Most of us don't go "to the beach" or "to the shore" or even "to the ocean."  We go "down the shore."  (We do not go "down to the shore.")  Even our local news stations feature segments about "Down the Shore."  Poor grammar or not, we claim it proudly, apparently.

I was down the shore last week.  I spent the week in Long Beach Island, which is affectionately referred by those who know it as LBI.  LBI is north of Atlantic City and south of Seaside and Seaside Heights.  (The latter, of course, has recent, unfortunate fame because of TV's Jersey Shore.  For the record, I never have - and never will - watch that show.) 

LBI is a special place.  I spent numerous summers there in a house that was torn down a few years ago.  I've had bad dreams about and shed tears over that house.  It possessed the spirit of a grandfather I never knew but I felt I somehow knew him by being there.  Of course, there are plenty of good memories from that house, too. 

I will always identify summer with LBI and its borough of Ship Bottom.  I took my nephew into a hobby shop there that I visited as a child.  The lady told me the shop has been in business 38 years.  I had a feeling of warmth and happiness when I was recently in it.  It was a reminder of easiness, innocence, and easily fulfilled desires.

LBI is 18-miles long and .25 - .5 miles wide.  It has many towns and boroughs and this past week was spent in Brant Beach.  (I learned Brant Beach was the first community on the island that offered electricity to its residents.)  The house was on the bay and we had some great sunsets.

There's so much more to write about LBI, its proximity to the Pine Barrens, and so on.  But I'm tired and just can't put into words all there is to say about this place that means so much to me.  I'm just happy it's close enough that I can get there relatively easily when I want to go "down the shore."

Blackbird in Collingswood, NJ

Collingswood, NJ is a quick 20-minute ride (sans traffic) from my house and over the river that separates NJ and PA.  It is a dry town that reminds me of Bedford Falls (the town in Its a Wonderful Life) in the winter.  Simply put, it's a quaint, old town that has experienced a renaissance.  It is filled with restaurants for all budgets, and has quite a few good ones.  Blackbird was the most recent experience.

Blackbird is in a charming setting.  Big windows let in great light that makes the golden walls of the restaurant warm and glowing.  But what first grabs your attention is the way the table is set - the knives are set on their edges (cutting-side down) and they stay there easily because of their unique shape.  What was really special was that we dined there during Farm to Fork Week, an effort to "buy local" and support the farmers of the Garden State.  (For those of you who think "New Jersey" and see heavy industry and a jammed-packed turnpike in your mind, think again. Get down to South Jersey - home of the Pine Barrens, the largest open space between Boston and Richmond.)

Farm to Fork Week features either 3 or 4 courses (for $25 or $35, respectively), depending on the restaurant.  Blackbird had 4 courses with good selection in each.  There was - in no particular course order - the "Best of Philly 2009" gnocchi, soft-shelled crabs, scallops, veal, chicken, thai veggie rolls, great and creative salads, etc.  The food was presented beautifully and each course was good. 

I recently went to the Blackbird website and saw they also have a special Sunday - Thursday that is dinner for 4 for $59 (plus tax and tip).  I didn't investigate the menu but I made a mental note of it for future reference.  (Good food and BYOB - definitely worth a mental file entry.)

The chef, Alex Capasso is a young, bearded, sleeve-tattooed guy who came out to greet us and ask how everything was.  (He seemed very pleasant.)  This prompted a friend to mention Capasso recently opened another restaurant in Collingswood called West Side Gravy.  According to Philadelphia Magazine, this restaurant is

in the old Woolworth’s. The 3,000-square foot space, which has original elements like tin ceilings and schoolhouse lights, (seats) about 100...

There is also a deck out back.  The magazine went on to say that West Side Gravy serves

comfort food that is contemporary — like veal meatloaf with chanterelle mushrooms, truffled chicken pot pie, mac ‘n’ cheese, burgers — 'but a little gritty,' says Capasso. Most items (hover) in the $12-$15 range.

On the way home from Blackbird I kept humming "Mmmmm, mmmm, blackbird."  I couldn't keep the song out of my head but I still can't remember exactly what it is.  It's not the Beatles' or Sarah McLaughlin's Blackbird.  Maybe the next time I make my way over the river to Collingswood - maybe to West Side Gravy? -  it'll come back to me.

4th of July Festivities and a Broken Bone

36 years ago today I was back home after the ER visit.  Diagnosis:  Broken collarbone.  It wasn't until about 25 years later that a chest x-ray showed I also broke one of the ribs that attaches to the sternum.  Ah!  That's why there's a big "knot" there.

36 years ago I was 10 years old.  I wanted to get one more motorcycle ride in before we ate burgers and dogs at our 4th of July gathering.  (Are 10-year-olds allowed to wander alone in 300+ acres to ride a motorcycle today?  Maybe in rural areas?  It seems like a different world now where that doesn't seem likely.)

I was going too fast up a steeply banked turn and went over the handlebars...apparently.  I don't remember that part but I see some parts of it as if it were yesterday.  I regained consciousness when I thought I heard a motorcycle and I remember being afraid it was going to run me over.  I also remember it was very hot and I had to walk home.  I couldn't take my helmet off because I had no use of my right arm and I was holding it with my left.  My head was on fire from the heat and I was thirsty.

I eventually saw my 11-year-old brother who was walking to find me.  I learned later they thought I was gone too long.  (I wonder how long I was lying in the dirt?)  The only thing he wanted to know was, "WHERE IS THE MOTORCYCLE?!"  I told him and he went to get it.

I didn't cry this whole time.  I just wanted to get home.  When I made it up the last hill and entered the far end of the backyard I saw my dad.  I uttered words that people teased me about for years to come.  "Daddy, carry me." 

My father looked at my collarbone and told me it was broken as he could see it hanging down.  He picked me up and carried me to a chair on the patio.  Someone - I'm not sure who - took my helmet off.  I remember how good that felt; it was instant relief.  My hair was soaked.

I think I must have said that I was really thirsty because my paternal grandmother went in the house pretty quickly to get me some water.  She came out in such a hurry that she spilled the water all over my shirt.  It actually felt good.  I remember she said "Oh shit."  I think I must remember that because I had never heard her curse. The second time she made the trip to the kitchen I was able to actually drink the water.

I rested just a few minutes and my dad said it was time to go the hospital.  When I was getting in the car I remember a family friend called Skippy saying, "Wow, if I were 9 I'd be crying right now."  I remember feeling proud and then saying, "I'm 10."

I only cried a little when they set my collarbone and put me in a figure-8 brace.  They gave me some Darvon for pain at the hospital.  That eventually proved to be more painful than the break.

I threw up all night.  Apparently the Darvon was too strong or I had a sensitivity to it.  For some reason I slept on the sofa that night.  Maybe because I started to get sick before I went to bed?  I remember my poor father trying to sleep in a La-Z-Boy so he could keep an eye on me and help me when I threw up.  He had to work the next day and he was up with me much of the night.  

I eventually went back to the hospital because I was so ill.  Although, I think it was actually the next day that I went.  I remember a very startled doctor looking at what I threw up in the basin.  He obviously thought it was blood but it was cherry Kool-aid.

I started riding motorcycles when I was about 6 years old.  I loved it and was very good at it.  Probably the best I've ever been at anything.  I also felt free.  I could always jump on my 'cycle and go fast, be in the woods, or challenge myself to some feat.  Perhaps what I loved about it the most is that it allowed me to wander.

I'm remembering that 10-year-old and the motorcycle tonight.  The motorcycle was just destroyed in a fire this past year.  My family held on to it all of these years.  It was special to me and my brothers as we all learned to ride on it;  I wish I had a picture.  I remember going out to the shed out back at my mother's to look at it every now and then.  It made me smile.  It was so small but it went so fast.  I miss it right now.  Or, I suppose, I really miss all that it represented and still reminds me of. 

Happy 4th of July.

On Broadway...

Well, not that Broadway.  This Broadway is in Pitman, NJ and it is where I caught a true slice of small-town life last weekend. 

I am finishing up my last evening of dog-sitting.  (I wish I had my camera to take a picture of my favorite pup!)  I've spent several nights in Pitman and, during my stay last weekend, I took advantage of the craft fair that's depicted in the picture.  I even met the mayor!  Ha!

There were good and not-so-good crafts.  One guy, who looked like he could lead the Pagans or Hell's Angels Motorcycle gang, made beautifully artful bird houses that were integrated with pitch forks, pole-hole diggers, blocks and tackles, hooks, and other equipment.  I really wish I bought something; all his wares were so creative.  It was interesting to look at him and then see the obvious care he put in his art.  It seemed contradictory - a perfect "we mustn't judge a book by its cover" situation.

Pitman is a dry town so my partner and I walked a good distance - to the next town, which is Glassboro, and back - to get a bottle of wine for the BYOB in town.  Broadway in Pitman is experiencing a restaurant boom of sorts.  The pizza and sub shops are being replaced by "proper" restaurants.  I understand another new one is opening soon.  Because the Broadway theater is very active, it makes sense that people want the opportunity to dine before or after the show.  Some smart entrepreneurs are picking up on that.

We ate at Barcelona; it was an amazing deal.  The pre-fixe dinner was 4 courses for $14.95.  (Granted, you had to order before 6pm, but that was perfect for us as we were hungry.)  There were about a dozen entrees from which to choose.  I had a chicken dish that doesn't appear to be on the menu now and my partner had the sweet potato ravioli with sage sauce.  Both dishes were quite good.  On the way out I heard a woman raving about her short ribs.

I'll be sure to recommend Barcelona to my friend for whom I'm dog-sitting. She, too, should head up to Broadway...just not too far north over the state line.

Glassboro, NJ Multi-Purpose Trail

My wandering was on two, non-motorized wheels this past Saturday.  I'm preparing for a duathlon so it was my first bike ride of the season - about 17 miles.  I was pleased with that for my first time out after a long, hard winter.

The trail was part of the Rails-to-Trails system.  In this system, old railroad beds are used to create trails for biking, hiking, cross-country skiing, etc.  Some trails are paved, others have gravel or sand or a number of other surfaces.  According to the Rails-to-Trails website, "there are 19,000 miles of rail-trail throughout the country, and more than 9,000 miles of potential rail-trails waiting to be built."

One of the advocacy programs undertaken by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is supporting the "federal railbanking statute in the U.S. Congress and the courts as an essential tool to preserve unused rail corridors."  This statute, which has opponents,

is a voluntary agreement between a railroad company and a trail agency to use an out-of-service rail corridor as a trail until some railroad might need the corridor again for rail service. Because a railbanked corridor is not considered abandoned, it can be sold, leased or donated to a trail manager without reverting to adjacent landowners. The railbanking provisions of the National Trails System Act as adopted by Congress in 1983 have preserved 4,431 miles of rail corridors in 33 states that would otherwise have been abandoned.

The opponents of railbanking have actually challenged it in the Supreme Court, and lost.  I don't fully understand the issues around the opposition, but maybe the community and surrounding landowners want more say about their adjacent land and its use?

I rode my bike from a friend's house to the Monroe Township Bikepath, which the Rails-to-Trails site states is 6.36 miles.  (The township website says it's about 1 mile longer.)  This paved trail was mostly wooded and felt rural, with marshes and occasional houses scattered throughout it.   It's also adjacent to a large tomato canning plant.  All of those delicious Jersey tomatoes getting shipped out to the region - or maybe even the country!

If you want to wander on a Rails-to-Trails trail - whether or two legs or two wheels - search here to find a trail near you.

Hope

I took my grandmother shopping this past Saturday and it has stayed with me.  Not because it was necessarily a remarkable trip as shopping goes.  It was a textbook case of hope on display.

It's Spring, of course, so many stores are deeply discounting their winter clothing.  My grandmother was shopping the sale rack, looking at fleece winter tops.  She's 89.  She's obviously counting on another winter.  That struck me and is still making me think.

I hope to do more travelling than I have in the past few years.  Over the next few years, I want to do a few Europe trips and a Central America trip. My grandmother is hoping for at least one more winter.  I suppose my hope shouldn't be any different than that - or simpler, perhaps - hopeful for a tomorrow and time to wander.

Dinner in Newark

Dinner with my old high school buddy, whom I haven't seen in probably 12 years, was good.  (Well, seeing her was.  The restaurant, whose name I already forget, was overpriced and the food was just OK.)  It was so nice to see her.  She works hard and is making a big difference for the community health needs in Newark.  I'm proud of her and honored to call her a friend.

Dinner and a Movie

Went to what is now my favorite Indian restaurant last night.  It's called Coriander and it is in Voorhees, NJ.  I told the owner that it was better than any Indian I have had in New York City.  She explained they use the freshest ingredients, avoid heavy creams, and don't try to overpower the food with spice.  I asked her if that meant that they were trying to appeal to an American palate and she said, "no."  She explained that not all locales in India eat spicy (hot) foods.  I can't wait to go back and try something else at this affordable restaurant.

I also saw Crazy Heart.  I thought the theater would be empty but was wrong.  Like me, there were still many people who hadn't seen this movie.  I enjoyed it but thought it was very sad, even if there was redemption in the end. 

I really liked the music, too, and wondered if Jeff Bridges really sang the songs; it sure looked like he did.  After looking at the soundtrack listed on Amazon.com, I learned he did sing.  I was surpised to learn that Colin Farrell also sang.  I think I'm going to order the soundtrack.

Long Beach Island

This is the place where I spent decades of summer weekends.  It feels like home. 

It was a beautiful ride on a fully sunny day with 50 degree-plus temperatures.  It felt like waking from a long nap.