GO WEST  YOUNG MAN (OR LADIES) 

   

        Hello my penny pinching Gastronauts. Are you sick of the same old, same old? Then it could well be time to throw caution to the wind, top off the T bird with that  sub $3  gas and as Horace Greeley ( editor of The NY Tribune and failed presidential candidate ) once declared “Go West Young Man (Or  Ladies) .”  Now by West, I mean Freehold not Oklahoma.

Our first stop on our journey has got to be the fine new  Turkish Restaurant Marmara (3710 US 9 Freehold) named for the small inland sea located entirely within the borders of Turkey. It is the brainchild of Bill Ayaz a Manalapan resident of Turkish heritage who has transformed this large space (seating for 200)  occupied by Ruby Tuesdays into an authentic mecca of Modern Turkish fare.  It is, if you ask me, the only good reason to visit The Freehold Mall since Nordstrom’s shockingly shuttered their doors in 2020. First off, you are greeted with an enormously  puffy loaf of  bread, hot and freshly baked in the traditional Turkish Stone Oven. There are  20 different  appetizers to choose from ,  many of them vegetarian. We  opted for two,  the Carrot Tarator, ( a tasty blend of Sauteed Carrots , Dill, Garlic and Labneh), and  the Muammara , a traditional Turkish Dish  consisting of   roasted red pepper paste, cheese and walnuts sweetened with  pomegranate syrup. I am guessing you did not have that yesterday.  Now, I am pretty much a sucker for Lambchops in general  and these did not disappoint, arriving nicely charred and tender, a good size portion for a mere $35,  BTW  as an added delight, go on Friday  and catch the  Belly Dancing Show at 7. How many times can you say you have seen that in a Mall? Probably not that much.  By the by, talking about bellies, yours will be full and happy when you head on home. 

So  if that doesn’t  float your boat, drive just a few miles further to land at my perennial favorite , the always great Peking Pavilion (110 Rt 33, Manalapan).There are a multitude of tasty dishes there and you pretty much can’t go wrong with anything. “Peking “, is the  home to my number one rated appetizer, the ethereal Creamy Spicy Rock Shrimp With Scallion Pancakes.  Pair that with Corrina’s famous 24 Oz New York Strip and you my friends are really eatin good in the neighborhood. 

 Now if all this foreign food makes you homesick for good old American Fare, no problem Mon Ame . Just continue driving west, to ze town of East Windsor and you will arrive at The Americana Kitchen & Bar (359 US Highway East Windsor) only a 37 minute drive from your home base. First off, it is enormi, with both indoor and outdoor seating and on site parking for 1000 of your closest friends. If I were you and I kinda am, I would check out the Sunday Jazz Brunch, with three courses for 25 bucks a pop. You are greeted as we all should be , with a basket of delicious homemade pastries  to munch on while you try to decide which of the  27 Brunch Entrees you are feeling. This is no so  easy task with choices like the  Home Cured Smoked Salmon with Toasted Boule , Cinnamon Swirl French Toast with homemade bread, Lobster ( $15 supplement)  or Salmon Benedict, or Shrimp and Grits( $15 supplement)  Hopefully you will save some room for a few of the lovely artisanal pastries served up for dessert.  All in all , I would say it is a  very satisfying way to spend your Sunday. Much better than drinking too much warm beer and watching your New York sports team of choice blow another  double digit lead and lose by one point. So what do you say man? Are you in?  I am.  BTW , I know you are shy but it would still be nice for someone to leave a  comment so I know I am not just talking to myself. Hello? Are you there?  Even if you don’t, I still love you.  So until next month, my friends make every day a celebration and live a life that makes all your neighbors jealous. Harry , Out .

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