Moshulu: Fancy eating on a funny named boat.

To celebrate CreamPuffGrrl's birthday we took a walk on the maritime side to the Moshulu. The floating restaurant is a "four masted steel Braque" according to Wikipedia. One with a rather varied and colorful past including being the inspiration for several books written by Eric Newby. It's also had cameo appearances in Rocky and The Godfather II.

What's with the name? Well it seems that the ship was originally named "Kurt", which is a painfully lame name for such an impressive ship. It was renamed the very baddass sounding "Dreadnought" in 1917 when the US government seized the ship during WWI. However, proving that she was indeed one dizzy dame, Edith Wilson renamed the boat Moshulu to ensure that people would be mispronouncing the name for decades to come.

It's a now a restaurant. Orginally opening as an eatery in 1975, the Moshulu has gone on to survive fire, docking in Camden and still managed to receive a four diamond rating by AAA. The Moshulu isn't cheap: dinner for two can easily top $100+. CreampuffGrrl and I used the tried and true method of getting to enjoy an expensive meal on the cheap: We went there for lunch. Actually, Sunday Brunch.

The Moshulu hosts a "Champagne Sunday Brunch" every Sunday from 10:30 till 2:30. It's a three course brunch with endless champagne for a measly $35. Reservations are required, but we called the day of and still got in easily. Dress code is more relaxed for brunch. This does not mean you get to wear your Phillies baseball cap throughout the meal despite what the jackass who sat two tables down from me thought.

The first thing that hits you when you walk into the ship is the overwhelming smell of chocolate. This is because directly across from the entrance is the dessert buffet, including a 4ft tall chocolate fountain. I managed to miss this sprawling display of sweets initially, until my nose instructed my eyes to seek out the source of the chocolate scent that was wafting in the air.

We had to wait a bit for our waitress to come to our table. This got me a little miffed. I'm very impatient on a good day, and I was dying of thirst. Turned out the waitress was getting a special dessert arranged for the couple next to us who was celebrating their 40th anniversary, so all was forgiven. Once she arrived she was sweet, prompt and kept my Mimosas coming. This is a contrast when a month later I went back and our waiter was promptly at our table side the moment we sat down...and then absent for the rest of the meal. It should never take three tries to get a refill.

During my first visit, there was a special event going on in one end of the boat. This meant we were seated in the bar area. This was quite fine by me, as the sound of champagne bottles popping through out the meal gave it a lively atmosphere and sense of celebration. The bar is bright and sunny, however you'll due best to keep your eyes within the boat. During the day you have a rather dreary image of Camden across the river. Camden is a city best seen from a distance, under cover of darkness. The carpets are a bit worn and should really be updated or cleaned. An odd quirk about sitting in the far end of the boat is that your table and chair lean to the center of the boat. It takes a while to get used to.

The brunch is broken down into three parts. This isn't your local waffle house fare by any means. The first course is served buffet style and has everything from fruit salad to sushi. Notable from this selection was the lobster bisque, which had a fine flavor but was a bit thin. Their house granola and Tahitian yogurt were a simple but lovely combination. The yogurt has hints of honey to it which bounced off the nutty granola.

The second course is selected from either the Breakfast Menu or the Lunch Menu.

I went with the "Coconut Crusted Brioche French Toast Fresh Strawberries, Bananas, Maui Golden Pineapple, Island Rum Maple Syrup"




This was a really sweet dish full of flavors, that missed the mark by a hair due to being rather dry. I was a pinch disappointed. I believe the bread needed to be dredged in the egg/milk mixture longer. The cream that was used for decoration became the savior as it helped offset the dryness. It was a bit of a shame as the flavors were definitely there, and the coconut added a nice texture.



CreampuffGrrl went for the Medallions of Filet Mignon with Shallot Roasted Young Spinach, Yukon Gold Potato Puree, Bearnaise Sauce, Herb Salad, Pinot Noir Thyme Reduction. Her choice was really excellent. The meat was tender, robust, juicy, and booming with flavor. The Pinot Noir reduction was a highlight. No, really it was. It should be bottled like BBQ sauce and sold at the ship's entrance. It was so good, I ordered it when we went back a month later.

Then there was....dessert.





Chocolate covered strawberries, brownies, cookies, fresh whipped cream, tarts, fruit, cannolis, tiramisu, chocolate cake, oh my. I'll break it down for you: Best part was the chocolate covered strawberries and the tarts. Most disappointing was the chocolate cake, which I actually spit out.

In all, a fine meal at a steal of a price.



Moshulu: Fox Tested, chocolate coated CreampuffGrrl approved.

Phở Như Vũ - That's Vietnamese for "Noodle Soup"

Honestly, I have no idea what it means, I just know that Phở Như Vũ is the (relatively) new Vietnamese restaurant in Bear, Delaware. I find some sense of irony that it is sandwiched in between a China Buffet and a Hibachi grill. The first thing that struck me walking in was that there were many Asian costumers in the building, something you'll never see inside of a China House #1. Sir Forksalot and I grabbed a table next to the window, and the perky waitress promptly brought us a pot of tea.




The menu isn't very Americanized. Read: For those ignorant of Vietnamese cusine like yours truly, you'll need to rely on your waitress and fellow diners to point you in the right direction. At the incouragment of the couple next to us, we tried #5 Grilled Beef Wrapped with Grape Leaves $5.95 for an appetizer. The #5 is served with a sweet and sour dip that is very similair (if not just a slightly more watery version) of the dip served at Tasti Thai. The grape leaves are covered with crunchy peanut bits. The beef is saturated with flavor, and surprisingly tender. The production is an interesting combination and reminds me very much of the greek dolmades. I enjoyed the way the delicate sweetness of the peanuts contrasted with the more robust flavor of the beef.


For our main entrees, we shared #20 Grilled Chicken & Eggroll $7.95 and #31 Steak & Brisket Pho. I also had a #89 Strawberry Pearl Smoothie.



I tried the Steak & Brisket Pho first. A huge bowl of Pho was placed infront of me, the broth steaming into my nostrils was full of the smell of fresh herbs and vegtables. It smelled fresh and delicious. I promptly slurped up a noodle so long that the end flew up and hit me in the eye. This is how I learned that the cilantro was indeed very fresh, by the burning sensation in my eye. The soup was surprisingly mellow in flavor, especially when compared to the intense smell. It was easy to imagine eating the soup on a cold winter day with the warmth of the broth and cilantro to warm you up. Sir Forksalot complained that the meat was too fatty, although it did have a good taste. He especially enjoyed the flavor of the broth.

Sir Forksalot had #20 Grilled Chicken and Springroll bowl first. First thing that struck him was the visual appeal of the presentation. He was unprepared for the vermicelli to be cold, however. The bowl is very generous and served with slices of crunchy carrots, beansprouts and cucumbers along with cilantro, red onion slices, and several chunks of marinated chicken breast. The marinade was sweet and the chicken tender. Though all of the flavors in both dishes were very good, they were subtle to the point of being bland. However we both agreed that the waitress may have steered us in this direction because we were obviously new to Vietnamese food. The portions were on the humungus side of big, and we had plenty of leftovers. However I still set some stomach space aside for dessert, in the form of #90 the Flan. While not the best I've had, it was pleasently smooth. Another fine surprise came with the check. The total for two entrees, appitizer, dessert, and fancy drink? $26.85.



All in all, a very pleasent introdution to Vietnamese dining.

Ole Tapas Lounge & Restaurant: Amada of Newark?

Given the recommendation of a friend, Sir Forksalot and I decided to check out Ole Tapas Lounge & Restaurant in Newark, Delaware (pernounced New-Arc, not to be confused with New-werk, NJ). New-Arc is a college town, home to University of Delaware and few thousand obnoxious co-eds who filter out of the bars and into such fine eating establishments as Cluck-U and D.P. Dough. However Newark has aquired several more promising eateries, including Sofrito's and the ultra-hippie delite Home Grown Cafe.

Like many of my favorite places, Ole Tapas doesn't look like much from the outside. Settled into a mini mall next to a income tax place, Ole Tapas looks positively tiny from the outside. Step inside and you'll be surprised by the spacious place, including a lounge area that looks almost too fancy to sully with your drinks. The space is decorated in warm hues of red and clay, splashed with bits of purple and blue. Crescent shaped booths flank the left wall, facing the bar. The booths are comfy, something that my tush values greatly. Our waiter, whose name I did not catch, was polite and attentive. Our waters were never less than half way empty, and any request was met promptly.

They serve a complimentary bread plate, which consists of thinly sliced crusty bread spread with a tomato and pesto. Upon examining their online menu, I believe that it is their Pan Con Tomate. The spread was positively yummy with a strong garlic flavor.

After mulling it over, we decided to go with three Tapas. Setas con Chorizo, Tomate con Cangrejo, Pulpo a la gellega, and Chicken Croquettes. In other words, wild mushrooms and chorizo, crab stuffed mushroom, grilled octopuss with paprika and... chicken croquettes.


From top left: Pulpo a la gellega, Chicken croquettes, and Setas con Chorizo.



Sir Forksalot and I had differing opinions on each tapa, so we'll go one by one.

Pulpo a la gellega: This was a dish I had vied for, and I was rather disappointed. I felt there was a lack of flavor, especially when compared to other things we sampled. The octopus was on melted cheese that I felt over powered the weakly flavored meat. Furthermore, the cheese had a grainy texture to it.

Chicken Croquettes: This was first on Sir Forksalot's list. My biggest complaint was the breading. Between the breading and the oil it was fried in, it reminded me of something you'd get a fastfood joint drive through. The filling was however a cream and smooth mixture of potato and chicken.


Setas con Chorizo: The mushrooms were nice and tender, not cooked till mush or burnt. The flavor was a mixture of garlic, parsley and something stronger I could not identify. The chorizo was tasty, but lacked the ball busting spice I've come to expect in chorizo. The mushrooms were truely exellent, and I could easily see them spread over a fine cut of steak.

Dizzzurt!


Sir Forkalot's after dinner treat. Chocolate stuffed flatbread.



Churros and Spanish Hot Chocolate

Sir Forksalot's dessert we tried first. The chocolate drizzle is a sweet milk chocolate, and the flat bread is stuffed with a very dark chocolate with chopped nuts. The flat bread is crispy and is slightly sweet with a touch of cinnamon. It's absolutely divine.

I'm not saying I enjoyed my dessert best, but I will say that the hot chocolate itself was so delish I wanted to tap a vein and have it flow directly in. My judgment may have been slightly swayed due to the extreme chocolate craving I was under going, however Sir Forksalot agreed that it was spectacular. It was mixture between dark and milk chocolate, sweet but still maintaining the bitterness of dark chocolate. The Churros were crispy on the outside, with a soft sponge cake like consistence inside. Something that caught my attention was the freshness and sharpness of the cinnamon used. Often the cinnamon used to flavor desserts is so weak you wonder what floor it was swept up from.

Ole Tapas Lounge & Restaurant, I dub thee worthy of a return trip. Even if it's only for dessert. MmmMm.

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