Spring is upon us and that means put away the crockpot, soups, stews and chilis won't be needed to warm our bones until next fall, right? Wrong!
You may want to lay off the heavier chow during the summer, but the crock pot can be used to cook a plethora of different foods, including light fare and it won'tt heat up your house like the oven would.
Besides, who wants to hang around the house all day when you can throw the ingredients in the crock, hit the beach and come home to a great meal (and a cool house).
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If you like to try new places to eat, Galloway has a couple of new places you might want to try.
Dubliner Irish Pub & Grill at 325 East Jimmie Leeds Rd in Galloway (609-652-2210) offers a full line of Irish fare and serves lunch and dinner daily.
Live music from 6-9 every Wednesday and Friday, 4 large screen TVs and Giuness, Smithwick's and harp on tap make it a place worth checking out.
Tailgaters, formerly known as the Arrowhead, has opened at 337 West White Horse Pike (609-804-9000) and offers a ton of lunch and dinner food and drink specials. Cut their ad out of The Current and get 10% off your lunch order.
Authentic Mexican food will soon be available at La Hacienda, 265 South New York Road (Route 9) (609-652-6050).
Looks like they will be open for lunch and dinner and offer fine dining and a sports bar.
Galloway really has a plethora of great places to get a bite to eat. Check out The Current at their website www.shorenewstoday.com for more great restaurant listings.

        

Treo, the latest dining experience at the Cornerstone Commerce Center, looks like it is making great strides where several other eateries at the same location failed.
In addition to offering a unique dining experience, Treo now offers live music on Friday & Saturday.
Featured on January 26, from 7-11 p.m. will be jazz great and Linwood local Michael Pedicin on the tenor sax.
If you love jazz, you don't want to miss this.
Treo is situated in Cornerstone Commerce Center, Linwood’s premiere lifestyle plaza, and South Jersey’s most "exclusive corporate campus." The center is home to an eclectic mix of retail shops, a gym, ...<< MORE >>

        

AtlantiCare LifeCenter to host “Oktoberfest” cooking demonstration and seminar

The AtlantiCare LifeCenter will host “Oktoberfest,” a cooking demonstration and seminar Sunday, October 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Chef James M. Gerber, of Galloway, will demonstrate how to create classic German cuisine. The event will be held at the AtlantiCare LifeCenter, located in the AtlantiCare  Health Park, 2500 English Creek Avenue, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.

An executive chef at Skelly’s Hi-Point Pub in Absecon, Gerber was previously the executive chef at Gourmet Italian Cuisine and Pizzeria in Galloway. He was also head chef at McGettigan’s 19th Hole in Galloway, and a sous chef at Cousin’s Country House in Egg Harbor Township.

Registration fee for the seminar is $30.00. To register or for more information about the “Oktoberfest” cooking demonstration and seminar, please call the AtlantiCare Access Center at 1-888-569-1000. To learn more about the AtlantiCare LifeCenter and other AtlantiCare services, visit www.atlanticare.org.

        

Iron Chefs Morimoto, Food Network star Fieri set for AC Food & Wine Fest

ATLANTIC CITY -- The Food & Wine Festival is coming to the Atlantic City Convention Center Oct. 12-14. The festival will feature cooking demonstrations, wine and food tasting from area restaurants, wineries, breweries and more.  Celebrity chefs from around the country, most notably chef Guy Fieri, “The Next Food Network Star” season three winner, who now stars on his own Food Network shows, “Guy’s Big Bite” and “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” will be creating dishes while entertaining the crowd. Chef Mashaharu Morimoto, of the Food Network’s “Iron Chef” and “Iron Chef America,” whose renowned restaurants include Morimoto in New York, Philadelphia and Atlantic City, will also entertain the crowd with his unique dishes.
At the heart of the festival is a plethora of exhibits for the food lover, including gourmet gifts, kitchen design materials, utensils and appliances, as well as cookbooks, spices and sauces. I’ve been to the festival the past four years and have found a great assortment of holiday and special event gift ideas.
The festival also features more than 200 new wines and 15 specialty beers from the region’s wineries and breweries, with free selections and more gift ideas.
New Jersey restaurants will set up shop in the “Restaurant Row Pavilion” providing free samples of their menu items and offering discounts for in-restaurant dining.  The “Veal Oscar” Awards Competition will reward the festival’s best dish in numerous categories. 
“Spotlighting some of the region’s finest restaurants, wineries, and breweries, this year’s festival promises to be the best ever,” said Chris Myers, director of the Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival.  “We are extremely excited to have Guy Fieri, who is sure to wow guests with his food flair and fun, spicy personality.”
Other celebrity chefs scheduled to appear and partake in the live cooking demonstrations include Masharu Morimoto, Adrien Sharp, Tommy Grella, George Kralle, Ron Duprat and chef Lee.
“If you love to eat, love to cook or love to watch the art of other people cooking, the 2007 Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival is a must-attend event,” said Myers.
Tickets for The 2007 Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival can be purchased at the door or online at www.gourmetshows.com/AC.  General admission is $17 before Oct. 7, $25 after.  The Guy Fieri/Morimoto Seating Main Stage (along with admission) is $27 before Oct. 7, $40 after.  The Wine seminar is an additional $20 and the Beer Seminar an additional $10.  The show is open on Friday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 398-4450 or visit www.gourmetshows.com/AC  for more information.

        

        

The Cheeseboard, a great deli and cheese shop located in Central Square, Rt 9 and Central Ave, Linwood that was closed after a fire Saturday, January 6, has reopened and increased in size.
The expansion has allowed Cheeseboard to seperate the retail from the sit down trade.
The shop is owned by the Corso family of Egg Harbor Township and features a deli-style menu and a selection of cheeses and pates available for take-out.
Cheeseboard had been in business for close to 20 years and is a popular lunch destination.

        

Was on my way to the new WalMart in Rio Grande when the fam and I stopped at 5 Guys burgers and Fries. We heard it was good and apparently whoever we heard that from had it right.
The bill for four of us was $35. That included 3 burgers a hot dog, 4 fries and 4 sodas.
The burgers are huge and done well. Perfectly cooked, hand formed (2) patties piled high with lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese, mushrooms, mayo, ketchup, mustard.
Kids should order the little burger and adults who are not gluttons like myself. The burgers are huge!
My daughter enjoyed her hot dog and refused to let me taste it for this blog. Smart kid.
On to the french fries-hand cut, homemade, with malt vinegar available. Bags of potatoes fill the front of the store. Can't get fresher than that.
Words of warning-go there hungry and expect to wait for a table at lunch and dinner times. Service was quick, but you may have to sit at seperate tables if your party is larger than 3.