La Porta (restaurant, 2014)

La Porta is a new find for me, a little place in the Philadelphia suburbs that I wish I had stumbled into sooner. The restaurant has a Media, PA address, and is located on Route 352 on the way to Edgemont. Not hard to find and exploring is half the fun. So, let’s talk about the food. Well, started with a couple of appetizers, one being this portabello mushroom topped with a fried egg that was a creative and tasty treat. Take a look:

"Portafoglio"… a crispy portobello mushroom with fried egge, sharp provolone, and caper butter.

“Portafoglio”… a crispy portobello mushroom with fried egge, sharp provolone, and caper butter.

Also had a delicious and varied chop salad with all my favorite ingredients including golden raisins, almonds, and more! Here it is:

Chopped salad with all the good stuff at La Porta, Media, PA.

Chopped salad with all the good stuff at La Porta, Media, PA.

Greens are good for you. Eat them often! Next we enjoyed a couple of entrees, one being this salmon over various greens:

Salmon over arugula and radicchio at La Porta.

Salmon over arugula and radicchio at La Porta.

Yes, that salmon was cooked perfectly. Then there was a pizza, which had to be tried because this place is known for pizza. Take a look:

Pizza special at La Porta, Media, PA.

Pizza special at La Porta, Media, PA.

This pizza was a special. It included caramelized onions, some exotic cheeses, and a great sauce. AND, it was baked to absolute perfection with just a touch of char on the bottom. Really, some of the best pizza I’ve had in a decade. Here’s the menu for a look at the selections and prices:

Current menu (spring 2014) at La Porta, Media, PA.

Current menu (spring 2014) at La Porta, Media, PA.

La Porta is worth your visit. Service is good, wine selection plentiful, and the food terrific. If you’re in the area, give it a try, or make the journey. Enjoy every meal!

Published in: on April 7, 2014 at 10:29 am  Leave a Comment  
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Yemanja, Aruba (December 2013)

Another great meal at Yemanja, a wood-fired grill restaurant in Oranjestaad, Aruba, DWI. This place gets things right from start to finish. There are various seating options including inside, outside, and at the bar. Have a look:

Seating at Yemanja restaurant, Aruba.

Seating at Yemanja restaurant, Aruba.

And here’s the bar:

Bar area at Yemanja, Aruba, DWI.

Bar area at Yemanja, Aruba, DWI.

You can have a nice drink there before or after your meal. Moving on to the food… as mentioned, this is a “wood-fired grill” place, so there are some great meat options. But let’s start with our greens, namely the salad with prosciutto that you see in the next photo:

Salad with prosciutto at Yemanja, Aruba, DWI.

Salad with prosciutto at Yemanja, Aruba, DWI.

If you’d like a salad with scallops, well, take a look:

Mixed salad with scallops at Yemanja, Aruba.

Mixed salad with scallops at Yemanja, Aruba.

Those are just two ways to begin a great meal. There are other options that you’ll find on the menu to satisfy various tastes. Now, for a couple of meat choices, you might like the rib eye that you see here:

Yemanja, Aruba serves this rib eye.

Yemanja, Aruba serves this rib eye.

Or, you might like the filet mignon that is served in two pieces, which is a favorite of mine.

Filet mignon at Yemanja, Aruba.

Filet mignon at Yemanja, Aruba.

I like the french fried onions as a garnish, just the right flavor kick. Service here is excellent and mindful of all things, including my water glass. Sorry, no room for dessert, maybe next time. There will be a next time, because Yemanja is on my regular list of places while in Aruba. Hope to make a video there soon. Bon dia.

Published in: on December 26, 2013 at 1:24 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Screaming Eagle, Aruba, (Dec 2013)

I’ve posted about Screaming Eagle restaurant before, but it’s been quite a while. Last night, I enjoyed a very good meal there, complete with excellent service and ambiance. This is an upscale place, located along Aruba’s Eagle Beach, close to the “low-rise” area. Seating is both indoor and outside. Take your pick and enjoy. Let’s get to the food. This little plate was served as a “gift of the chef.”

"Gift of the Chef" plate served at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

“Gift of the Chef” plate served at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

All bits of goodness on there, including cheese shaved into the shapes of flowers, a touch of orange, piece of walnut, a delicious “mayonnaise” and tiny circle of brioche. Flavors blended perfectly with subtlety that hinted of good things to come. Next came a pair of appetizers including a “truffle spaghetti” that you see below. (It included serano ham and a poached egg.)

Truffle spaghetti with serano ham and a poached egg.

Truffle spaghetti with serano ham and a poached egg.

Again, flavor here was off the chart, the combination working together in ways one might not expect. Then there was a Caribbean salad that included all the greens and goodness I need to have several times a day. Check it out:

Caribbean Salad at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

Caribbean Salad at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

The chef dresses the salad in the kitchen, adding the right amount without overpowering the ingredients. Thus, you get to taste it all, which is the point, right? Moving on to entrees, let’s first look at the simple chicken and vegetables:

Chicken and vegetables at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

Chicken and vegetables at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

Standard fare here, prepared the way I like it with lots of crispy contrasts. Now for the exotic. The next dish was a special for the week. Here’s grilled kangaroo with apricot chutney:

Grilled Kangaroo with apricot chutney at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

Grilled Kangaroo with apricot chutney at Screaming Eagle, Aruba.

That’s a zany dish with unique flavor that those with a adventuresome taste buds will have to sample for themselves to get the full effect. Finally, we selected a traditional Dutch Christmas desert of almond flavored cake with ice cream that you see in the final photo:

Dessert at Screaming Eagle, Aruba, December 2013.

Dessert at Screaming Eagle, Aruba, December 2013.

One very, very good meal here in a pleasant setting with attentive service. I found it worth every penny and will be back again to try some other dishes.

Published in: on December 8, 2013 at 2:15 pm  Leave a Comment  
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White Dog Cafe (redux)

Returned to the White Dog Cafe, in Wayne, PA. This was my second visit. Went for a late lunch after an airshow. For those of you not familiar with this place, the interior features quite a few paintings of dogs as you see here:

White Dog Cafe, Wayne, PA, interior.

White Dog Cafe, Wayne, PA, interior.

That was our table, the one on the left. Not a bad seat with a good people-watching angle on the bar. An interesting starter caught my eye on the menu: fried pickles. Check them out in the next photo.

Fried pickles at White Dog Cafe, Wayne, PA.

Fried pickles at White Dog Cafe, Wayne, PA.

There were exactly as described: fried pickles. What was I expecting? Fried pickles. Crunchy batter and pickle underneath, which was quite pleasant, spiced up with the dipping sauce you see on the side. A nice feature this was, adding some variety to my tried an true burger you see next:

Burger and fries at White Dog Cafe, Wayne, PA.

Burger and fries at White Dog Cafe, Wayne, PA.

Yes, another pickle, this one just out of the barrel. The burger is very good, too. I only wish the fries were a little more crispy. Still, a great meal with fine service at the White Dog Cafe, a place I keep on the list for its fresh offerings and fun people-watching scene.

Published in: on September 22, 2013 at 5:02 pm  Leave a Comment  
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