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.

Blue Moon Diner - Gem of Gardner

On a recent trip that took me to New-Fucking-Hampshire I had the occasion to get up at 6am one morning, still very hungover, and leave my hotel room in search of something to eat. For reasons I won't bore you with, I happened to be staying the the small hamlet of Gardner, MA. Gardner is best known as the home of the world's largest chair (Or at least it was around the turn of the century). I drove aimlessly around Gardner in hopes of finding something more promising than the Dash-In/Dunkin'Donuts. I found my way to The Blue Moon Diner. As soon as I turned onto Main Street and saw the pre-fab building of the with it's yellow and blue colors, I knew I was home.

I settled up to a seat at the grill, and was promptly handed a menu by the woman working the counter, who just as quickly filled my request for coffee. First good sign of the day was the coffee which wasn't too hot, too weak, or too strong. Perfect cup of diner coffee. The fact that she promptly recognized my need for extra extra cream, also won me over that much more.

I feel madly in love with the "Ten Commandments" listed on the menu that included "Thou Shalt not covet fast food convenience". I wish I could remember all of them, but I was hunger over and without a note pad. The breakfast selections are named for 50's icons. This is a tribute to the establishment itself, which has been around in varying forms since the 1950's. Charm out the wazoo, it's walls are decorated with editorials, reviews, and old advertisements for The Blue Moon. I selected the "Big Bopper" breakfast with a side order of a pancake. The "Big Bopper" consisted of two eggs, toast, home fries, and corned beef hash. This is where I began to get really giddy: the girl working the grill asked me if I wanted the homemade style corned beef. Turns out they make they actually make their own corned beef hash on site. This was the second sign of a damned fine eatery.

While I waited for my meal, I sat front in center at the grill watching the potatoes cooking on the back of the stove and listening to the chatter between the waitresses and the regulars who trickled in. I learned a long time ago that if you want to find a good place to eat, ask the old locals. That is, ask anyone over the age of 60. Reason being they've been around long enough to know what's good and they know what's hearty rather than hip.

My meal arrived and my eyes grew wide with excitement. The pancake was huge, moist, cakey, and settled in my stomach with a nicely unlike some diner pancakes that hit you like a lead brick. The potatoes were crispy and well seasoned. I believe I detected a hint of onion in them. The corned beef hash...I'm drooling on my keyboard thinking of it. The corned beef is cooked with long thin slices of onion in it, and cooked in a fashion that leaves it soft on the inside with a crispy shell. It was well seasoned with that familar spiciness that good corned beef is known for. I especially enjoyed the fennel seed which really brought out the flavors.




My bill including coffee, extra pancake, and tip came to under $13. This place was truly a delight, and I'll be sure to visit them should I ever land anywhere near Gardner again.

ChesDel Diner: Well, sort of.

As someone who comes from the state home to more diners than any other, New Jersey, I'm a bit of a Diner Snob. Scatch that. I'm a full blown diner elitist. Three rules of diners:

1) Must be open 24hrs, or as close as possible in accordance with local laws.
2) Must have rotating mirror-ball inspired dessert case.
3) Must serve breakfast all day.

ChesDel Diner of Odessa, Delaware is no such beast. They are open limited hours, including closing at noon on Monday. They do not serve breakfast all day. They do have have a rotating mirror-ball dessert case, but it's offerings are rather weak. While the restaurant (it is NOT a diner) does offer some kitchy appeal with the original prefabricated building that characterizes "diners" still intact, albeit hidden beneath two large additions. Several of the booths in the front grill area have 1940's era newspapers shellacked onto the table tops, which provides you with entertainment while you wait. Prices are a bit on the high side for my taste ($6 for half a Belgian waffle with no sides? but stick to the basics (something fried, something with eggs) and the prices are more reasonable.

Sir. Forksalot and I decided to check it out for a late breakfast. I know the ChesDel is known for it's daily rotating of specials and was excited to check it out. Despite our chilly reception from the waitress whose lips were never in danger of pointing upwards during our entire meal, we were excited to try out their breakfast offering. He decided on the cream chipped beef with scrapple, and I went with the half a Belgian waffle with fresh local peaches and whipped topping. Because we wanted to fully solidify our commitment to solidified arteries, we added on a side of homefries and corned beef hash.




First up, my Belgian waffle. This was pretty disapointing. While the waffle itself had good flavor, it had a rubbery texture that made me suspicious it had been nuked in a microwave rather than freshly poured over a griddle. Making matters worse was the because it was already slightly soggy, the peaches made the top a wet goey mess. The peaches were perfect, sweet, and ripe. However the ability to cut fruit does not make you a chef. My final gripe was the whipped topping. It tasted like something you'd find served beside at a hospital, and then only to very sick patients who wouldn't be around long enough to bitch. Serioulsy folks, if you're too cheap to spring for real whipped cream, at least make it Redi-whip?



On to the sides! We really have a good and bad side here. On the right, homefries. These were a major let down. The homefries were thin sliced like my Mom used to make, which made me hopeful. Till I took a bite that is. The homefries had been cooked in under heated oil, leaving them soggy rather than crispy. This might have not have entirely been the cook's fault. I quickly realized the potatoes had been sliced so thin that cooking them at all risked making potato chips rather than homefries. I did get the down low on the homefries, it seems they recently changed the way they were making them. Before they were chunks of fried potatoes which were much better. C'est la Vie.

The savior of the side dishes was the corned beef hash. Sir Forksalot and I nearly had a duel to the death over the last bite. This stuff never came anywhere close to a can. Cooked to perfection, with a warm inside and a nice crunchy layer outside, these babies were a delight to the mouth. Big chunks of corned beef maintained the texture along side cubes of potatoes. The spices were right on tract, even including a bit of fennel seed for kick.



Sir.Forksalot's cream chip beef, eggs, and scrapple. Not too shabby. I'll skip over reviewing the eggs. Anyplace that can screw up "two eggs, over medium" should be shut down on principal. The cream chipped beef had a nice subtle tang to the gravy which was creamy, with no lumps or gritty aftertaste you often find. The downfall of many a cream chipped beef is a lack of the vital ingredient - the chipped beef! However the ratio of gravy to beef was plenty generous. The scrapple was well cooked, fried for a nice crispy outside and mushy inside of things you don't want to know about. I'm not sure what brand they used, but it had a nice peppery spice to it. Dipped in a little maple syrup it was a savory-sweet pig intestine treat.

The coffee, a vital part to any diner experience, had a good flavor but was a bit weak. Stick to the iced tea instead. All in all it was an okay dining experience. The cornedbeef, cream chipped beef, and scrapple were really excellent. If the service had been a bit friendlier and the waffle not been nuked, I would have a much more glowing report. But, if you're in the area it's worth checking out if only for the corned beef.

Sir Forksalot says: Get off my scrapple, bitch!