Press
Joe Pesce....July 13, 2008
This summer's gas prices are cramping culinary spontaneity. It's a bit too painful to buzz down the Shore for the seafood dinner we crave this time of year. Thank goodness fine restaurants such as Joe Pesce now have South Jersey branches. Joseph Tucker, who operated a Joe Pesce in Ventnor in 2006-07, opened an ocean-fresh blue-and-white dining room last fall on Haddon Avenue in Collingswood. It features an open kitchen, redolent with the evening's creations. Even subtracting travel costs, Joe Pesce's is a pricey night out: Entrees go for $29 to $40; desserts cost $8. But it's so worth the splurge.
On a recent quiet weeknight, we started with a bowl of mussels and clams - with one beautifully pink shrimp to fight over - swimming in a succulent butter sauce. We asked for an extra basket of semolina bread, served initially with roasted peppers, to soak up the sauce. It was hard to say which was better: the shrimp or crab in the scampi ($24.95), served over Severino's famous pasta from just down the road in Westmont. Pork Milanese ($24.95) nicely contrasted sweet and bitter while meeting the USDA Food Pyramid requirement for green leafy vegetables in a wonderfully painless way. The breaded chop was covered by chopped grape tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, cheese and arugula. The Discreet Diner savored Pesce's rainbow trout ($36.95), a favorite from my youth. While the fishermen in my family would scoff at crabmeat atop their prize catch, it was a delightful combination. Likewise, they'd raise an eyebrow at sauteed escarole - rarely a campfire delicacy - but it nicely complemented the flaky filet. All could agree on the side of creamy mashed potatoes, though. My frequent dining partner opted for Pesce's signature grilled hearts of romaine ($24.95), a creative warm salad heaped with shrimp and crab, drizzled with Caesar dressing. As an appetizer, it's large enough to share; as an entree, it's the light meal or follow to other starters.
We tried to resist dessert, but then the server started describing seven-layer options - carrot cake and chocolate cake, to be specific. As usual, we went chocolate, with four forks and no regrets. Fortunately, Collingswood's Haddon Avenue offers a pleasant venue to walk off caloric indulgences from any number of its excellent restaurants. No, it's not quite a walk on the beach. But this summer, it will still make a pretty nice evening out.
