Don’t be fooled by the name, LoBianco isn’t another Italian BYOB along Haddon Avenue in Collingswood. Instead, Nick and Stephanie serve up New American cuisine with hints of French and Asian influences.

This crisp bistro space, with cream-colored exposed brick walls and an open kitchen slipped into a side-street storefront off Haddon Avenue in the new Lumberyard complex, has more of a casual neighborhood feel than the black-leather-lounge look of their Margate digs.

But Stephanie still runs the dining room with a familial warmth. And their regulars will recognize much of LoBianco’s tried-and-true menu repertoire, including the big short rib, a yakitori-glazed mop of superbly tender meat on a Flintstone-sized bone with grilled scallions and Yukon mashed potatoes. There’s also a meaty fillet of pistachio-crusted halibut next to a crock of crab “cassole,” a cryptic name for what is essentially luscious crab and artichoke dip with the addition of white beans.

Two Bells – Very Good

LoBianco [Philadelphia Inquirer]
LoBianco [Official Site]

Jack Curtin interviews Iron Hill Brewing Company’s co-founder and Director of Brewing Operations, Mark Edelson about the future of Iron Hill.

Iron Hill plans six additional pubs by 2011 and their first New Jersey location is right on schedule for a Spring opening.

One note we thought of particular interest was Edelson’s response to a Philadelphia location. “If the right situation or deal presented itself, we would certainly look at it. But, to be honest, because of the price of real estate and the opportunities to become a real part of the community, the suburbs fit our business model just right.”

Do you think a Philadelphia Iron Hill could work? Where would you put it?

Iron Hill New Jersey Site Right on Schedule, More Locations Planned by 2011 [Beer Yard]
Iron Hill Brewery [Official Site]

South Jersey Restaurant Week kicked off yesterday, running through Friday, the 24th. What better way of thanking your friend with a car than to have them drive you to an independent participating restaurant in South Jersey. And of course pick up their four-course, $35 meal.

South Jersey Restaurant Week [Official Site]

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant have been hunting for a South Jersey location for awhile now and have found one at the former Pasta Vino at 124 East Kings Highway in Maple Shade. The opening is set for May of 2009.

Iron Hill Comes to New Jersey, Will Open in Maple Shade in May 2009 [The Beeryard]
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant [Official Site]

Rick Nichols profiles Shigeru Fukuyoshi, the man behind Sagami, South Jersey’s premier sushi destination for more than 35 years.

Yet here stands Fukuyoshi, his Japanese restaurant so novel in 1974 that it was mistaken for Chinese. And here he remains, still dealing with the same two Japanese fish purveyors – one in Pennsylvania, one in New York.

He takes his post at the right end of the varnished sushi bar, obsessively washing down his cases, wringing his washcloth. There is an aspect of the actor Harry Dean Stanton about him, gaunt and world-weary: “I am not the chef,” he demurs, a nod to the three sushi chefs at work down the bar.

But soon he is drawing his blade across the salmon – and yellowtail and flounder – for one more bowl of chirashi, a bouquet of raw slices of fish over vinegar-rice and seaweed, set off with a red dollop of fish roe.

A fresh idea stays that way [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Quaint Collingswood, New Jersey is kicking off their own restaurant week this Sunday with five days “to dine around the world.” More than 15 restaurants are participating in the 3 courses for $30 deal.

Menus and details are available at Collingswood.com.

From July 27th to August 1st many of South Jersey’s most popular independent restaurants are participating in Farm to Fork Week. Each restaurant will be offering a four-course, prix-fixe dinner for $35.

Jersey tomatoes! Yes!

Farm to Fork Week [SJ Hot Chefs]

The Cherry Hill Houlihan’s has relocated from the Cherry Hill Mall to the Garden State Park in Cherry Hill. Normally we would delight on mocking chain restaurants and New Jersey but today we’ve decided to just highlight the amazing statistics associated with the largest Houlihan’s in the United States.

• 10,000 square feet
• 460 seats
• 247 employees
• Largest Houlihan’s location in America
• $2 Million franchise rights
• Filet Mignon tops out the menu at $23.99
• Over 11 billion “shrooms” sold since 1972
• Curbside takeout generates as much as 6% of revenue
• 20 flat-screen TVs
• 18 beers on tap including Flying Fish
• Private party room for 60
• Open-air deck for 60
• Franchisee ACE owns the top two Houlihan’s restaurants by sales volume in the 94-location chain

Houlihan’s serves up new site [Courier Post] via Philadelphia Will Do

Joe Sixpack looks into why South Jersey is such a beer wasteland and highlights the few places where you can enjoy a good beer in the area.

Big ups to those who make it happen:
Flying Fish Brewery (Cherry Hill)
Cork (Westmont)
Harpers Pub (Clementon)
High Street Grill (Mount Holly)
PJ Whelihans (Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Maple Shade, Medford Lakes, Sewell)
Max’s Seafood (Gloucester City)

Joe Sixpack: There’s a reason it’s not called the beer garden state [Philadelphia Daily News]

Craig LaBan finds a little bit of the South of France in South Jersey at Dream Cuisine, a French cafe tucked in among chain restaurants.

And the straightforward presentations are rustic French, rather than fussy French, with chunky tomato-based sauces that evoke the Mediterranean garden. This food reminds me of the grandmère cooking you’d find at a neighborhood cafe – if your neighborhood happened to be near Fanari’s native Nice.

The intoxicating smell of garlic and Pastis rises up from broiled scallop shells that cradle both tiny bay and larger sea mollusks – and I sop up with crusty bread every last drop of the remaining crumb-thickened juices. A lightly seared tuna steak comes posed over real ratatouille – the Provençal vegetable medley of eggplant, zucchini, onions, peppers and basil-laced tomatoes, sauteed separately in olive oil before being brought together for a final simmer.

Two Bells – Very Good

Dream Cuisine [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Dream Cuisine [Official Site]