My Top 20 Restaurants to Try in the Next Year

I love trying new restaurants, but who doesn't? I have tried a lot of new restaurants in the last year - some amazing, some disappointing  but still, my quest to find my the best restaurant in the Philadelphia Area and Atlantic City Area goes on. Here is my list of the Top 20 Restaurants (in no particular order) that i hope/plan to try in the next year! The list is based off  PhillyMag perennial powerhouses, newcomers and some Jersey Shore Hot Spots.

• Vetri -   Philadelphia
• Amada -   Philadelphia
• El Vez - Philadelphia
• Knife & Fork - Atlantic City
• Girasole - Atlantic City
• Manna - Margate City
• Tomatoes - Margate City
• Steve & Cookies - Margate City
• Zahav - Philadelphia
• Talula's Garden - Philadelphia
• Le Bec Fin - Philadelphia
• Davio's - Philadelphia
• Heirloom - Philadelphia
• Luke Palladino - Northfield
• Percey St BBQ - Philadelphia
• Philiippe Chin French-Asian Bistro  - Somers Point
• Latz's By the Bay - Somers Point
• Honey's Sit n Eat -  Philadelphia
• Standard Tap - Philadelphia

View Top 20 Restaurants in a full screen map

Italy-ish

Rustic Tomato-Chicken Pizza

We all have that little section of our brain that day dreams about traveling through in Italy, eating incredible food and sipping on a delicious glass of home-made wine, overlooking a beautiful Italian countryside. That portion of my brain is stronger than most of the other parts, and being Irish and not Italian; I don’t really get authentic Italian all too often.

I LOVE tomatoes and use them whenever I can in my cooking so I decided to make a ‘Italian-esque’ Rustic Pizza with shredded basil, plum tomatoes and a little different sauce than most would use. Trying to capture part of my daydream of drinking a glass of wine while looking out on a beautiful landscape I chose to use a little more expensive sauce, a Cabernet Marinara. I was never a big fan of traditional pizza sauces because they are too thin and taste like ketchup, the Cabernet Marinara offers a little more thickness and a delicious red wine flavor with hints of herbs. Since I was going uptown with the sauce there was no way I was just going to use basic Mozzarella. I switched it up and used a blend of Fontina, Romano, Asiago, Parmesan, Mozzarella and Provolone. The mixture of moist and dry aged cheese provided an awesome variety of flavors with each bite.

What You Need

Topped With Shredded Basil

Finished Product

• 1 10” Pre-made Pizza Crust (White or Whole Wheat, Your Call)
• 1 Jar of Classico Cabernet Marinara Sauce
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Parsley Flakes
• 6 Fresh Basil Leaves
• 2-3 Ripe Roma Plum Tomatoes
• 1 Cup Shredded Blend of Italian Cheeses (such as Fontina, Romano, Asiago, Parmesan Mozzarella and Provolone)
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Chopped Rotissere or Grilled Chicken
• Salt & Pepper To Taste

 How to

1. Heat Oven to 425
2. Julienne Plum Tomatoes, shred basil into fine strips and Cube Chicken into 1” Pieces
3. Brush Pizza Crust with Olive Oil until thoroughly coated
4. In Separate Bowl mix cheese with, half of the garlic powder and  parsley together.
5. Spoon desired amount of Sauce onto Pizza crust
6. Add half the tomatoes and chicken to pizza and then add a layer of cheese top with rest of chicken, tomato, basil and sprinkle the other half of  the garlic and parsley!
7. Place Pizza on the center of the middle rack of the oven rotating every few minutes for 8 minutes and finish on the top rack for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown!

Enjoy!

Golden-Brown Melty Cheese

5 Star Turkey Burger

Not Your Average Turkey Burger

I Sought out to make a burger that you would find in a (somewhat) classy restaurant, however,  i swapped regular ground beef for some super lean turkey meat. Most people chose to use a mix of fattier dark meat and lean meat, stating that the dark meat gives the burger a better flavor because of the fat content. I chose to strictly use 97% Lean meat and prove that a tasty burger can be created using lean meat.This behemoth of a burger is loaded with portabellas, green peppers, vidalia onions and a little kick of Siracha Sauce. To top it off i added a slice of provolone cheese, UglyRipe Heirloom Tomato and a couple slices of avocado! Forget the normal hamburger bun, this 5 star burger deserves a hard roll that can handle all of its delectable toppings - go with a toasted french baguette or a ciabatta bun brushed with olive oil and garlic.

The Burger

• Two Pounds of 97% Lean Turkey Meat
• 1/2 Cup of Seasoned Breadcrumbs
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Tsp Honey Mustard
• 1/2 Tsp Parsley Flakes
• 1/2 Paprika
• 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Siracha Sauce
• Pinch Of Salt & Pepper
• 1 8oz Pkg of Baby Portabella Mushrooms
• 1 Green or Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Medium Vidalia Onion

Everything Else

• 12 French Baguette or Ciabatta Style Burger Sized Rolls
• 2-3 Large UglyRipe Heirloom Tomatoes
• 1 Large Hass Avocado
• 12 Slices of Provolone Cheese
• 4 Tsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp Garlic Salt

The How-To

1. Finely Dice Mushrooms, Pepper and onion and Suatee with salt and pepper
2. Combine Turkey, Honey Mustard, Egg and Bread Crumbs
3. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and Siracha Sauce and mix very well
4. Once Pepper, Onion and Mushrooms are golden-brown, add them as well including all residual juices and oils in pan to the burger mixture
5. You can either refrigerate them for an hour so the patties can be formed easier or just make them now, i find it easier when the meat is a little more firm from being cold.
6. Form 12 medium sized patties and refrigerate until ready to cook
7. Throw the Burgers on the Grill set to Medium heat and Cook between 5-7 Minutes per side
8. While burgers are cooking, slice rolls and brush with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic salt and either grill or toast in oven until gold and crispy
9. Cut UglyRipe Tomatoes into 1/4" Slices and Avocado into thin slices
10. Remove Burgers from grill
11. Put burger on Bun and top provolone cheese, tomato and avocado and serve!!

Beer Pairings - This Meal is best washed down with a Brooklyn Summer Ale. This Ale is a light tasting, yet refreshing brew that is perfect for those hot summer nights and BBQs.