American History 101: The History of John's Taylors Pork Roll

When it comes to iconic American foods, few can rival the quirky charm and delicious mystery of Taylor’s Pork Roll. This beloved New Jersey staple has been tantalizing taste buds since the 19th century, but how much do you really know about its storied past? From its humble beginnings in Trenton to its status as a breakfast legend, Taylor’s Pork Roll is more than just a meat product—it’s a slice of culinary history. Join us as we dive into the savory saga of this unique delicacy, exploring its origins, its rise to fame, and why it continues to hold a special place in the hearts (and stomachs) of so many. Are you ready to learn the history behind John Taylor's invention and -- finally -- put the debate about what its name is and how it got that name?

Get ready for a mouthwatering journey through time!

The Birth of Taylor's Prepared Ham: A Culinary Legend

Picture this: It's 1856 in Trenton, New Jersey, and a savvy state Senator named John Taylor is about to change breakfast forever. Known around Hamilton Square as a shrewd businessman, Taylor concocted a delectable blend of spices, salt, sugar cure, and preservatives, then smoked it to perfection. The result? A mouthwatering meat marvel he proudly dubbed "Taylor’s Prepared Ham."

But wait, the plot thickens! Fast forward to the early 1900s, and the Pure Food and Drug Act swoops in, declaring that Taylor's creation doesn't quite meet the strict definition of "ham." Undeterred, Taylor rebrands his beloved product as the "Original Taylor Pork Roll," and a legend is born. Despite the bureaucratic hiccup, this tube-shaped treat has secured its place in the annals of American culinary history, beloved by breakfast enthusiasts far and wide.

Rebranding a Future Legend

When John Taylor and his company, Taylor Provisions (established in 1939), decided to rebrand their beloved creation as "pork roll," they hoped to corner the market and keep competitors at bay. The plan? Trademark the new name and make Taylor's product the one and only pork roll in town.

But, as with many great plans, things didn't go quite as expected. The trademark attempt fell flat, and soon enough, other companies started rolling out their own versions of the tasty treat. Today, names like Case Pork Company, Mercer Meats, Thumann’s, and Kohler Provisions are all part of the pork roll family. Yet, ask any true New Jerseyan, and they'll tell you Taylor Provisions is the original.

Interestingly, George Washington Case of Case Pork Company began selling his hickory-smoked pork rolls from his Belle Mead farm in Somerset County back in 1870, just over a decade after Taylor's first batch hit the market.

Now, both Taylor Provisions and Case Pork Company call Trenton home, making New Jersey's capital the unofficial epicenter of the great pork roll vs. Taylor ham debate. 

Absolutely, here’s a more entertaining version of the phenomenon story:

Becoming a Phenomenon: The Pork Roll Craze

What started as a humble cured meat has now exploded into a statewide sensation, gracing the shelves of nearly every deli in New Jersey. It’s even made its way into Pennsylvania and Maryland, spreading the deliciousness far and wide.

But here’s the million-dollar question: Is it Taylor ham or pork roll? According to Taylor Provisions, the names are interchangeable. In North Jersey, it’s proudly called Taylor ham, while South Jersey and Philadelphia stick to pork roll.

The debate over what to call this salty breakfast delight is still sizzling, and in New Jersey, saying “both are correct” just won’t cut it. But fear not, for Peter Genovese offers a nugget of wisdom in Thrillist: All Taylor ham is pork roll, but not all pork roll is Taylor ham. In other words, thanks to competing brands, you can have pork roll that’s not Taylor ham, but Taylor ham will always be pork roll.

So What is it?

People will call it what they call it... but today, the proper name is Pork Roll - much like you make copies, not Xeroxes.  If Taylor had his way, it would have been called Taylor's Prepared Ham - but since it was not actually ham, he did not get his way.

One thins is for sure: New Jersey is undeniably the Taylor ham/pork roll capital of the United States, and probably the world. Trenton, USA - Pork Roll Capital of the World!

~~~
Bruce holds degrees in Computer Science, Biblical History, and American History from Temple University and Liberty University; he has also completed a Doctorate in Educational Organizational Leadership at Abilene Christian University.  He is a member of the Epsilon Pi Tau Honor Society, Golden Key Honor Society, Historical Studies Honor Society, and the Saber and Scroll Society.  He has worked in educational technology for 30 years and specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom.  He has also served as a classroom teacher in computer science, history, and English classes at both the high school and College levels.  His baseball career spanned almost 15 years, from high school through Division I college ball and experience in MLB.  He has coached players at various levels from ages 8 through 18.

Bruce is also the author of several books including Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel 

American History 101: The Hot Dog - Happy Independence Day America!

Is there any food that is considered more American than the Hot Dog?  I suppose you could make an argument for the Apple Pie, but from where I sit -- there is no food more synonymous with America itself than the stuffed sausage variant we call: Hot Dog.

But where did it come from?  Why is it so popular?  And where did it get that funny name?

The Hot Dog Today
The Hot Dog as we know it today is a cooked sausage that we, traditionally, grill, steam or boil.  We then take that cylindrical combination of meat (or meat like products depending on who made your dog) and throw it in between a sliced bun.  Is it done?  Heck no it isn't!  The toppings for your hot dog are as individual as American culture itself.  While your basic hot dog gets a yellow mustard on top, some folks like to mix it up and use spicy brown, or a honey mustard.  And others like to add ketchup, relish, sauerkraut, onions, pickles, mayonnaise, or chili to their dog.  And placement is important to Americans, too.  Some throw it on top, some love it in between the sides of the bun and the dog, while others enjoy it on the bun first with the hot dog placed loving on top.  

Are their variants to the hot dog?  Of course there are!  Heard of the corn dog?  And what about cocktail weenies, baked hot dogs and the recently more popular deep fried hot dog.  The deep fried dog can be done solo, or battered with the bun.  It is clear that as Americans, out hot dogs are a unique, varied and free as we are!

Where Did the Hot Dog Come From?
The hot dog is a variant of the sausages that came over to America from Germany.  The roots of the dog can be traced back to the German Frankfurter sausage, which itself has three different variants: the Wurstel, Wurschten and Rindswurst.  These are all packaged in a similar manner but with a differing set of ingredients.  These small sausages were used to celebrate everything in Germany as early as the 13th century and gained popularity because of their rich flavors, and ease of portability.

After these wonders of portable-meat-happiness came over to America, it didn't take long before someone thought they'd be great to start selling to the masses.  In the 1870's, German immigrant Charles Feltman is credited as one of (if not the) first to being selling link style sausages rolls to patrons in Coney Island.  Others soon followed suit, including Bavarian immigrant Antoine Feuchtwanger, who allegedly pioneered the practice in the mid-west, garnerng popularity selling them in hot dog stands in St. Louis.  The legend goes that Feuchtwanger used to sell them without a bun initially, and instead would give his customers gloves so they would not burn their hands.  It was only when he began to lose money when customers did not return the gloves that his wife suggested he use a roll instead.  And then during the World's Fair in 1893 held in Chicago, Feuchtwanger was there to serve these hot sausage treats, complete with buns, to the world's travelers who then took the idea how with them to countries all over the globe.

But it was German immigrant Chris von der Ahe who is credited with bringing America's two early loves together.  von der Ahe was the owner of the St. Louis Browns and an Amusement park, and he saw the protential of this portable meat in both settings.  Taking off this idea, Harry Stevens took the idea to a whole new level when he began bringing the sausage into the stands at the ball games, walking through the crowds yelling, "Red Hots!  Get your Red Hots right here!" and the combination of sitting, watching a ball game and consuming a hot sausage finally came together as one.  It is thought that at this time, when asked what these tasty treats were called by a New York Post
 reporter, Stewart told him "red hot daschund sandwiches" -- unfortunately, the reporter seemed unable to spell daschund, published a cartoon showing the food in the Post, he called them "hot dogs".  And from there, the name and popularity took off.


They were being sold on street corners, restaurants and cafe's all over the country by this time -- and remain that way today.  But there was a concern about the "quality" of the hot dog during this early time period, which existed before FDA regulation.  That was when a Polish-American worked of Feltman's went into business to compete with Feltman.  His idea was to was that all his employees would wear white surgical aprons to give the impression that his hot dogs were clean and pure.  His name was Nathan Handwerker, and his hot dogs were called Nathan's Famous.  He also undercut the pricing of his former employer by charging only five cents per dog, while a Feltman dog was ten.  The combination of the high quality meat, lower price and perception of cleanliness quickly catapulted Nathan's Famous to a high level of popularity.


What *is* a Hot Dog?
The basic hot dog is pretty standard.  A meat, or combination of meats, is encased in a clear casing and pre-cooked before being heated and eaten.  A commonly accepted naming convention is that "wieners" tend to be pork based and have a more even flavoring, while "franks" tend to be beef based and have a more robust seasoning to them.  Both are still encased in a natural casing.  The pork varieties tend to be made from meat trimmings and are mixed with flavorings and seasoning to give them a solid flavor, while beef varieties tend to be more pure beef -- but can

also be mixed with meat trimmings and heavy seasonings for flavor.  And these days, there are also chicken, turkey and vegetarian options out there in the popular link form.  

As with most sausages, hot dogs must be encased to be cooked.  These natural casings are usually made our of a sheep's small intestines that give the firm sausage its "snap", and on-rush of seasoned flavoring when you take that first bite.  This does cause an issue with "Kosher" hot dogs, and since these types of casings can be very expensive, Kosher hot dogs tend to be made via what is called a "skinless" cookie process.  This process features a cellulose based encasement instead of the intestine, and is removed before being packages.

Whether you like your hot dog with yellow mustard, or love it lathered with chili, cheese, onions and relish -- it is clear that all of America loves this tasty, meaty treat as much as we love freedom itself!  So on this Independence Day weekend, enjoy a hot dog -- the way you love it most.  Me?  I love it every way possible -- I'm likely to be seen with up to 3 hot dogs at a time... one with sauerkraut and spicy mustard; another with spicy mustard, ketchup and relish and still another with onions, chili and mustard!

Happy Independence Day America!  And remember, freedom and liberty isn't just about eating hot dogs.  It is about having your voice heard, living your life in the most productive way possible and working together in your community to ensure everyone has the same opportunities that you strive for every day.  I rarely get overly political in this space, but I encourage you to check out the links below and consider supporting the causes that exist to help enable freedom, and liberty for everyone.

Our America Initiative for open Presidential Debates
Open Ballot Access Now for fair ballot access for all political candidates
Every Voice Center for publicly funding elections, taking corporate money out of national election.

~~~~
Bruce holds a degree in Computer Science from Temple University, a Graduate Certificate in Biblical History from Liberty University and is working a Master Degree in American History at American Public University.  He has worked in educational and technology for over 18 years, specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  

Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel -- with a new book, Learn the Basics: Digital Forensics, due soon. 

Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Be sure to check out Bruce's Allentown Education Examiner Page, his Twitter and his Facebook!

Today in American History: National Iced Tea Day 06/17/2015

Today in American History: National Iced Tea Day - 06/17/2015

In fact, not only is June 6th of every year National Iced Tea Day, but June has been earmarked as National Iced Tea Month in America.  Of course, no one would fault you for not knowing this, it is after all, an unofficial kind of holiday.  But, it is one worth celebrating nonetheless -- the drink we know as iced tea today originated here in the United States.

Americans did not invent tea, of course, we brought it over from our mother country, Great Britain during colonial times.  And the origins of tea go back centuries to the ancient Chinese.  But the history of tea in this country go back to day one.  Tea has, of course, played an integral part in our history, from the early days of "tea time" to the Boston Tea Party itself, America has always loved her hot tea.

Early Ice Cutting by Tudor's Company

However, before you could have Iced Tea, you needed ice.  And ice did not begin to become prominent until the early 1800's when New Englanders began to cut large chunks of ice from ponds and lakes while they were frozen in the winter and insulating it in underground cellars with sawdust so they could use it during the summer months.  This was, of course, used for meats primarily -- but the crafty New Englanders threw a few small chunks into their tea and were the very first to sip what we now know and love as iced tea.

But in the south, there were no frozen lakes and pond to get ice from.  Nothing froze over!  It was not until the turn of the 19th century that northern states had perfected a method of insulating and preserving ice in such a way that it could be shipped.  Frederic Tudor was the New England ice magnate who perfected the practice of cutting ice from lakes, preserving it and shipping it to the south -- and then all over the world.  During the 19th century, the United States became the leader in shipping ice all over the world thanks to Tudor.  And once Tudor was able to ship ice to the south, the souther states embraced it and made iced tea its very own.  Just like music and meat, the south wasn't content with simply throwing ice in a drink and calling it a day.  The southerners began to create concoctions that contained alcohol that harken more towards a modern day Long Island Iced Tea than the popular Lipton black tea variety we consume in bulk today.  

Once tea had gone on ice, Americans en masse began experimenting with different flavorings and alcohol drinks.  The south gave us the "Sweet Tea" that we all know and love today, and even northern cities gave us classics like the Philadelphia Fish House punch.  The Philadelphia FIsh House Punch tended to be a combination of iced tea, cold water, sugar, fruit and rum.  These days the recipe does not actually contain tea, just like the Long Island Iced Tea does not have any tea in it.  One of the most popular tea-based drinks to come out of the south was Regent's Punch.  A good Regent's Punch contained green tea, rum, brandy, sugar, champagne and various other types of liquor.  It packed quite a "punch" indeed!

Non-alcoholic tea-based drinks did not begin to gain popularity until the late 19th century, which is when the southern masterpiece "Sweet Tea" began to really catch on.  That recipe was first published in the Housekeeping in Old Virginia cookbook by Mario Cabell Tyree.  During the early 20th century, iced tea got a boost from the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.  While the 20 million visitors walked around the hot, humid fair they sipped iced tea and brought a love for the cool and refreshing drink back to their homes all over the country, and the world.  But it was not until prohibition kicked in during the 1920's that iced tea became the true staple of an American Summer as the average American looked to the non-alcoholic drink to cool its overheated soul.

Another boon to the popularity of iced tea was the ever growing number of tea plantations in India, Ceylon and around the world.  This made the cost of importing and purchasing of tea leaves, particularly black tea, continue to drop during the 1920's and 1930's.  So even as green tea was immensely popular pre-1930's, during World War II

Classic Tennessee Tea

the trade routes with China were cut off and the country became evenly split between black and green tea because of cost.  After the war, black tea sales continued to climb as trade routes opened up again.  Simply put, Americans seem to prefer black tea.

According to the Tea Association of the United States, over 85% of tea that is consumer in America is iced.  So whether you like your tea with a good Tennessee Tea (that's Jack Daniels and iced tea) or just over ice with a twist of lemon, you are in good company partaking in this 200 year old tradition!

~~~~
Bruce holds a degree in Computer Science from Temple University, a Graduate Certificate in Biblical History from Liberty University and is working a Master Degree in American History at American Public University.  He has worked in educational and technology for over 18 years, specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  

Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel -- with a new book, Learn the Basics: Digital Forensics, due soon. 

Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Be sure to check out Bruce's Allentown Education Examiner Page, his Twitter and his Facebook!

Foodie Review: Red Sombrero, Kennett Square, PA

Red Sombrero
879 E. Baltimore Pike
Kennett Square, PA 19348

Red Sombrero... what can I say about this place?  Nothing... that isn't awesome!

Red Sombrero is a little burrito joint hidden next to Starbucks in Kennett Square just off Baltimore Pike.  You won't just notice it -- it is on the backside corner facing the strip mall.  But trust me -- if you think Baja Fresh is the bomb, you are in for a wonderful surprise at Red Sombrero!

The menu is certainly more than just burritos.  It is quite large for a walk up burrito joint.  But the money is in the burrito.  I've eaten here three times and the burritos are always fresh, hot and full of wonderful flavors.  There are half a dozen or so different burritos on the menu, or you can build your own.  You get free chips and salsa with every order -- and 6 different types of salsa in the salsa bar ranging from pedestrian to burn your mouth off hot.  I am partial to the Red Wine Salsa myself.

At the end of the day, I wish this place was closer to home.  I only get to visit when I work down that way and I have a light day at work.  But the service is fast and friendly and the burritos are second-to-none!  I highly recommend!

Overall:
Atmosphere: 5/5 - You order at the counter, but they bring your food out to you -- and they are super friendly!
Service: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Price: 5/5 - $6-10 per meal
Overall: 5/5

~~~
Bruce has worked in educational technology for over 18 years and has implemented several 1:1/BYOD programs.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel.  Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Be sure to check out Bruce's Allentown Education Examiner Page, his Twitter and his Facebook!

Foodie Review: Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings
1510 Egypt Road
Phoenixville, PA
610-676-0136

As a rule, I absolutely adore buffalo wings.  And -- as another rule, if you have a bunch of sauces of differing types and hotness -- even better!  I have seen commercials for Buffalo Wild Wings all over as I've traveled around, and always lamented that there wasn't one closer to where we live that we could try.  Well, now there is!  The new one in Phoenixville opened up a couple of months ago, and the wife and I were heading home from King of Prussia and decided to give it a whirl.  Possibly the worst food-related decision since the Mighty Wings.

To begin with, as we were pulling up to the restaurant we weren't entirely clear if it was open.  It was around 5:00PM and the sign was not lit up nor were there any exterior lights on.  But based on the cars in the parking lot we figured it was.  As soon as we walked in the door we were smacked in the face by a cacophony of noise.  Between the TVs, waitstaff and patrons, this place was very, very loud.  It was busy, but we were seated quickly.  It only took moments to realize that we were surrounded by ten televisions with various sporting events on and the volume of one was quite loud.  We tried to have a conversation about what to order, but that was quickly squashed because we had to shout to hear each other.

Our waiter, Brian, was very cordial and very good.  He took our orders, answered our questions and even got me a sample of one of their featured beers.  It is worth noting that they had two featured beers, one of which was Bud Light (Really?) and the other he told me was a dark beer.  When he brought the sample, it was not a dark beer at all.  He apologized for his mistake.  No big deal.  We ordered and waited for our food... and waited... and waited.  Brian came over and explained to us that the kitchen runs on a rotating cycle, and sometimes that makes things take longer but everything comes out together and hot.  That's fine.

Eventually our food did come out.  My wife got a buffalo chicken sandwich and I got the Thai Curry boneless wings.  I'm too lazy to deal with bones anymore... After one or two bites, we both decided that while they smelled delicious, they lacked any sauce.  We asked for extra sauce -- and Brian was happy to oblige.  We say and waited and waited.. no sauce.  So I started eating and found that I could barely taste the sauce and the chicken was over-breaded and hard.  So I waited for sauce.  About ten minutes later, Brian came by and we reminded him about the sauce.... he apologized and told us about the kitchen thing rotating or whatever and it makes things take longer.  I just want a cup of sauce.

Finally, we got more sauce.  After two pieces of chicken I understood why they barely put any sauce on -- it was terrible.  It was salty and had very little actual curry flavoring to it.  So, I had dry chicken -- and a disgusting sauce.  My wife had a similar reaction to their "classic" buffalo sauce.  Very salty and barely edible.  After asking for a refill on our drinks (which took ten minutes) we decided to bail on this meal, which ended up costing twice what it should have.

Overall, I disliked Buffalo Wild Wings enough that we will never eat there again.  It was too loud, too expensive and the food was possibly the worst buffalo style restaurant I've ever been to.  I don't usually write scathing reviews like this -- but I had such high hopes for this place, that even now -- almost a week later -- I'm sadly disappointed.

Overall:
Atmosphere: 1/5 - It's a bar that serves food, and a poor one at that.
Service: 3/5
Food: 1/5
Price: 1/5
Overall: 1.5/5


~~~
Bruce has worked in educational technology for over 18 years and has implemented several 1:1/BYOD programs.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel.  Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Be sure to check out Bruce's Allentown Education Examiner Page, his Twitter and his Facebook!

Father's Day Breakfast Idea - Pancakes with Cream Cheese Spread

So Father's Day is coming... and there isn't much that most dads like more than eating a great meal!  So, with that in mind I give you a recipe for a wonderful pancake breakfast (or brunch or breakfast-for-dinner) -- AND WHATEVER YOU DO -- don't forget the bacon!

Pancakes with Cream Cheese Spread

Prep Time: 15 min. | Makes: 4 servings.

What you need

• ¾ cup  milk
• 2 Tbsp.  white vinegar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup  flour
• 2 Tbsp.  granulated sugar
• 1 tsp.  Baking Powder
• ½ tsp.  baking soda
• ½ tsp.  salt
• 2 Tbsp.  butter, melted
• ½ cup  (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) of your favorite Cream Cheese Spread
• 4 tsp.  powdered sugar

Make it

• MIX milk and vinegar in medium bowl; let stand 2 min. Whisk in egg.
• COMBINE next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Add milk mixture and butter; mix well.
• LADLE batter onto hot griddle or into hot skillet sprayed with cooking spray, using 2 Tbsp. batter for each pancake; cook until bubbles form on tops, then turn to brown other sides.
• STACK 3 pancakes on each of 4 serving plates, spreading 2 tsp. cream cheese spread between each layer. Cover with remaining pancakes; sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with your favorite BACON (or other appropriate breakfast meat)
• Want to mix it up?  Pick up some flavored cream cheese and use that instead!

~~~~
Bruce has worked in educational technology for over 17 years and has implemented several 1:1/BYOD programs.  He also has been a classroom teacher for various subjects.  Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel.  He also has a new novel coming out in June 2014, The Kill Commission.  Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Foodie Review: Smashburger in Radnor, PA

Smashburger
550 East Lancaster Ave
Radnor, PA

As a rule, I love a good burger place.  And in the past few years there have been a number of good burger places popping up all over the place.  They seem to sit nicely in one of three categories... you've got your Fast Food (McDonald's, Burger King etc), your Gourmet Burgers (Red Robin, Burgery) and finally your Fresh and Fast (Five Guys, Jake's Wayback, Elevation Burger) -- and in the end, Smashburger lines up in the Fresh and Fast arena.  They create a fresh burger with tasty ingredients that is fast an tasty.  This is where Smashburger stands out from their competitors.

I went in for lunch and the place was more-or-less empty.  I ordered the Big Bacon BBQ Cheeseburger with fries and a soda. The total was a little over $12.  I sat down and the food was delivered by a very friendly gentlemen a few minutes later.  My first impression of the meal was that it was a little bit small for $12.  The burger wasn't very thick and the overall look of it was closer to a Big Mac sized patty then a Quarter Pounder.  The burger was cooked just fine and it was very tasty.  The french fries were very thin -- what you'd consider matchstick fries.  They were decent.

Overall, I liked Smashburger.  I put it in the same category as Five Guys, but it just doesn't quite measure up to Five Guys.  If I had to choose, I'd do a Five Guys -- but that's not a knock on Smashburger.  And perhaps I'm making too much of the value for the money, but I really feel like for $8 I should have gotten more burger.  At Five Guys the burgers are bigger and cost less.  If I'm in the area again for lunch, I'll certainly consider making a return to Smashburger.  They don't disappoint.

Overall:
Atmosphere: 4/5 - It's a burger place.  Nice, but not fancy.
Service: 5/5
Food: 4/5
Price: 2/5
Overall: 3.5/5


Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel.  He also has a new novel coming out in June 2014, The Kill Commission.  Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Foodie Review: A1 Japanese Steakhouse in Allentown, PA

A1 Japanese Steakhouse
3300 Lehigh Street
Allentown, PA
610-709-0998

Like most Americans, good hibachi is at the top of our list of favorite foods!  So when we came across A1 Japanese Steakhouse in an unusual strip mall location, we had to try it!  If first impressions are everything then A-1 Japanese Steak House  was a mixed bag of first impressions.... the entrance is nicely done when you consider this place is in an aging strip mall.  They kind of did the best they could with the space they had.  So kudos for that.  But when the waitress seated us in thearea surrounding the hibachi I was immediately struck by a strange odor...  the place smelled like fish.  However, a few minutes later a couple who was sitting a few feet away left and their table was cleaned off and the smell went away, so I'll attribute that to whatever they had to eat...  this is not terribly unusual for any Asian influenced restaurants that serve super-fresh food.

Initially service was a little slow, but you have to expect that when you are the first people seated at a hibachi table.  Once he table filled out and we got our order in things started rolling quickly.  Drinks were served, soup and salads were on the table within minutes.  The miso soup was very good if not great.  I finished the bowl very quickly so plus to that course!  The salad with the appropriate gingered dressing was very tasty and chilled just right.

My wife ordered avocado rolls which she enjoyed but she said could have been a little bit colder.

But now.. it was showtime!  Our hibachi grill master entered the scene.  He was courteous and pretty handy with those tools!   He quickly but with the appropriate amount of flair, prepared our food.  All in all, he was fast, friendly with the kids at the table and shared all around with some veggies here and some shrimp there.

My wife had scallops with steamed rice and it was very good.  I had chicken and steak with fried rice and the appropriate vegetables.  Everything tasted just as you think it should and was wonderful!  I can only say that my meal was not only cooked perfectly, but the portion was huge.  We left feeling very satisfied and pleased with our experience.

We will most definitely return to A-1 any time we are in the mood for a flaming good meal!

Overall:
Atmosphere: 4/5 - Everything you'd expect from a good hibachi place, loud but they are flexible about seating.
Service: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Price: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Pros: Great food, solid service, fun hibachi!
Cons: Slow to serve if you are first at the table.  In a strip mall, limited space.
Go Again: You betcha!  Best Hibachi in the area!
Bruce is the author of four books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel.  He also has a new novel coming out in June 2014, The Kill Commission.  Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Foodie Review: The Stoned Crab in Macungie, PA

The Stoned Crab
1905 Brookside Road
Macungie, PA 18062
610-398-8060

My wife and I dined at the Stoned Crab for our anniversary this year.  Overall it was enjoyable but largely unremarkable...  We started with a Hawaiian Mimosa (Pineapple Juice, Champagne and Vodka) which I had hoped would be a little sweeter but was OK.  

We moved on to our appetizers... I had the French Onion Soup (my favorite soup) and she had the Shrimp Cocktail.  She enjoyed her shrimp while I thought the French Onion Soup was just alright.  To be fair it was chicken based and I prefer beef based FOSoup (because that's how it is supposed to be made)... so take my "meh" to the soup with a grain of salt.  I certainly ate it all.  Then the meal moved to the salad which was... well salad.  Nothing to complain about here.  A fine Caesar Salad as salads go.

On came our entrees!  I was very excited to taste the Chesapeake Chicken and my wife ordered the Bay Sampler (or something like that, can't recall exactly what the menu said) -- it was a little bit of everything.  My wife's sampler platter was a lot smaller than she had hoped... it was scallops, shrimp and a crab cake... I thought the crab cake was another scallop if that says anything to you.  She liked the crab cake fine, really enjoyed the scallops but through the shrimp lacked any flavor at all.

My Chesapeake Chicken was a nicely grilled chicken breast with crab, hollandaise sauce (so they claim), a tomato and some Swiss cheese on top.  One would think this would be a wonderful marriage of different flavors.  But from bite one to the final bite (again, I ate it all :)) I found it (somehow) lacking in flavor.  I couldn't taste any hollandaise sauce (although I could see it) and the Swiss cheese must have been a very mild Swiss because I couldn't taste that either - although it did add a nice texture.  The crab was there and it was decent crab.  I think (my opinion here) that they should have dipped the crab in a lemon/butter mixture before topping the chicken.  Again, it was very edible but not remarkable.

The service was fantastic and the staff couldn't be nicer.  The atmosphere was a mixture of nice and strange.  We were in a "quiet" room in a corner -- which wasn't all that quiet at all.  And when we left I felt like we were walking out through waiter station... it was just a little strange.  We left stuffed and as I said, no complaints... but nothing outstanding to say either.  If someone said to us, "Hey, Let's meet at the Stoned Crab for dinner."  We would certainly go, but I'm not sure we would choose it as a dining place with other better seafood places around


Overall:
Atmosphere: 3/5 - Upscale, sort of private in a sitting in a closet kind of way, a little noisy.
Service: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Price: 2/5
Overall: 3/5

Pros: Excellent service, good but not great food.
Cons: Noisy for what you'd expect, I expected more out of the food.
Go Again: Maybe

Bruce is the author of four books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel.  He also has a new novel coming out in June 2014, The Kill Commission.  Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!