27
Oct
2020

More photo posts coming soon

For about 2 years before I updated my site, I was unable to post new photos because the software that I used to do so was outdated. It was 32-bit software living in a 64-bit world. However, when I created the whole new site, I posted all of the photos that were in the queue for the past few years. It seems like a good time to do it since I’m not exactly taking many photos in 2020. So, over the next few weeks you’ll be seeing blog posts referencing albums that are debuting for the first time. Feel free to live vicariously through my past vacations and outings as we all stay home and wait out COVID-19. That’s what I’m certainly doing. Looking at the photos is about as close to going on a vacation as I’ll get this year!

Posted by Michael in Photography, Site Updates
25
Oct
2020

A Whole New Michael’s Piece of the Web

For several years now, I’ve been saying I was going to re-create my website (michaelgatti.com) from the ground up. Apparently all it took to make it finally happen was a global pandemic. After many, many hours of finding the right WordPress template and plugins, learning how to use WordPress for more than just a simple blog and creating a few hundred pages, the new site is now live.

You’ll recognize much of the content from the old site, but it’s now all mobile-responsive which is important since there’s a fair chance you’re reading this on a phone. Also, it’s been a few years since I could post new photos thanks to shifts in technology and a lack to time to keep up. So, you’ll find a lot of new photos that you likely haven’t seen before. There will be more about that in future posts.

As you browse the site, please feel free to contact me (michaelgatti.com/contact) with any suggestions you may have. It’s a work in progress and always will be. Lastly, feel free to sign up to receive updates via e-mail via the boxes on the homepage or blog.

Enjoy!

Posted by Michael in Site Updates
09
Mar
2020

Review: Clayton’s Coffee Shop – Coronado CA

Finding a good breakfast spot while on a business trip is important. We randomly picked Clayton’s from Yelp figuring if we didn’t like it, we’d pick another place the next day. After our first visit, we knew we’d be back everyday for the remainder of the week we were on Coronado Island.

Clayton’s a small diner that looks like not much has changed in many years. It’s old, but well maintained. There are old jukeboxes along the counter and in the booths. Two of our three days there, we sat at the counter since the booths were full and we wouldn’t have all fit in a one anyway. Like I said, it’s a small place. However, for breakfast, this isn’t bad since you’re not there too long anyway so the seats turn over fast. The staff was friendly and attentive, especially when sitting at the counter.

The menu has traditional diner items with a distinct Mexican twist. I’m a sucker for good machaca and the machaca scramble did not disappoint. I will say that I ordered it twice and the first time it had more eggs than meat and the second time there was much more meat than eggs. Maybe there were two different cooks in the kitchen. However, both were delicious. We tried a variety of other dishes, mostly egg-based, and no one had any complaints. The portions are also quite generous.

Clayton’s is a “coffee shop” and not officially a diner, but it could hold its own against any east coast diner, which is high praise coming from a resident of New Jersey, the diner capital of the world.

Posted by Michael in Reviews
26
Jan
2020

Review: Monarch Diner – Glassboro NJ

Monarch Diner is the latest restaurant opened by the former owners of Lamp Post Diner in Gloucester Township. Lamp Post was one of my long time favorite diners but it has gone down hill since it was sold. So, I’m thrilled to see the old owners back again with Monarch. The menu is even very much the same. It’s a bright and clean diner with friendly staff that serves up a ton of standard diner fare with some unique dishes thrown in for good measure. My personal favorite, a carryover from the glory days of Lamp Post, is the “mile-high meatloaf.” It consists of slices of meatloaf layered with mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, onion straws and barbecue sauce. It’s so nice to again be able to get this dish made as it should be!


Of course, as any diner should, they do their baking on premises and serve breakfast all day. The only downside is that they’re not open 24 hours. Lamp Post isn’t either though, so this is not a surprise.


I anticipate that this diner will do great in my old college stomping ground of Glassboro and I’m glad it’s still not far too from home for me since I’ve already been back few times.

Posted by Michael in Reviews
26
Jan
2020

Review: Cinder Bar – Monroe Twp NJ

I’ve been to the original East Greenwich Township location of Cinder Bar numerous times but I’m thrilled to see that they now have a second location because I assume this means they are doing well and, selfishly, it’s closer to home for me. This new location has the same great menu as the original. My favorites are their small plates because they have quite a unique variety and I’m always a sucker for good appetizers/small plates. We typically just order a large selection of them and share. The hardest part is deciding which ones to get because you can only eat so much in one sitting yet they all sound so good. If I had to pick just one, I’d probably suggest the short rib poutine. 


I tend to go to both locations at lunchtime, so we get soft drinks, but the fact that they have 200 whiskeys plus four house made cellos certainly is impressive and a good motivation to go for dinner sometime.


They have a section of the restaurant that can be opened to the outdoors in warm weather months. When we were there on a slightly snowy January day, the windows/roof panels were obviously closed and we sat near the cozy fireplace as we ate off a table built of reclaimed lumber from the historic Philadelphia Broad Street Station. Good food, a cozy atmosphere and some local history… you can’t ask for much more than that!

Posted by Michael in Reviews
26
Jan
2020

Review: Gia Nina’s Pizza – Woodbury NJ

Gia Nina’s is one of many pizza place/Italian restaurants in South Jersey. What sets them apart is the fact that the Italian restaurant side of the house far from the typical pizza place restaurant. As a matter of fact, I’ve never tried their pizza, stromboli or sandwiches. I have, however, sat in their warmly decorated dining room and enjoyed delicious meals with family and friends on many occasions. They have all the standards… lasagna, stuffed shells, ravioli, etc. All that I’ve tried have been fantastic, especially the lasagna. They also have a nice selection of steaks and seafood.


Speaking of seafood, I need to mention the “crab spiders.” This appetizer, with its rather unique name, is one of the highlights of their menu. It’s a combination of crab meat and angel hair pasta fried up and served with sweet lemon curd. I know, it sounds like a strange combination and it is, but it works! It was recommended by the friend I was with the first time I went to Gia Nina’s and I’ve ordered it every time since. Once the crab spiders are gone, be sure to grab your spoon and eat the leftover lemon curd. It’s so good!


One day, maybe I’ll try their pizza, but in the meantime, it’ll remain my go-to Italian spot when I have out of town company or just need a place to take family or friends. The only complaint I have is that they’re closed on Sundays, but everyone needs a day to rest. I’d just rather they did it on Mondays.

Posted by Michael in Reviews
15
Sep
2019

Review: La Cita – Cherry Hill, NJ

I’ve driven past La Cita more times than I can count but have never looked into eating there. After finally deciding to check it out, I’m just sorry that I didn’t go years ago. It’s a very small place, so I highly recommend making a reservation. We did and when we walked in, they had a table ready and waiting for us. It’s nice to see a restaurant that honors it’s reservations and doesn’t just treat them like call-ahead seating requests.

After you sit down, they bring you some tortilla chips with beans on them and 2 thin salsas, one hotter than the other. This was my one disappointment since I don’t like beans. I would have preferred chips with the beans on the side. However, for free, I can’t complain too much.
We ordered a tamale and empanadas for an appetizer. The tamale had nice size chunks of pork in it. The empanadas aren’t on the menu, but were a special the night we were there. They were cheese filled with the lightest empanada dough I’ve ever had. I hope they’re on the specials menu again the next time I’m there!
For dinner, we shared 2 dishes. First was the “Fiesta Mexicana,” a combo of grilled skirt steak, a chile relleno, and floutas. Every bit of it was delicious. The steak, in particular, tasted like it had been grilled over an open fire. Second was a platter of enchiladas. We got them with the rojas sauce and tried one beef, one chicken and one cheese. They were all quite good, but the cheese is still my favorite as it usually is at any Mexican restaurant.
On their website, they advertise that they want you to feel like family. The friendliness of the staff and the authentic Mexican food that tastes home cooked manages to live up to this goal. This will definitely be our go-to local Mexican place from now on!

Posted by Michael in Reviews
27
May
2018

Review: Bob and Edith’s Diner – Springfield VA

Bob & Edith’s Diner takes everything good about a traditional diner and distills down it into one small package. They’re in a shopping center that’s within easy walking distance of the Hilton Homewood Suites hotel that I usually stay at when I’m in the area. They’re open 24 hours a day (a requirement for all diners, in my opinion) which makes it a perfect late night stop. When you walk in, you’re greeted by a bright and cheery atmosphere of white tile, chrome and neon. No matter what hour you go, business seems to be booming, yet both times I’ve been there, there were still some free tables for us plus some seats at the counter. The music from the jukebox keeps the place lively. I was last there on a dark rainy night and I can think of no place more warm and inviting.

Of course, they serve breakfast 24 hours a day as all respectable diners should. The menu is not as expansive as some diners back home in New Jersey, but they have all of the standards plus some. Their burgers are delicious but the best menu item I’ve had is the pancakes. They’re some of the lightest, fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever tasted. I haven’t tried their dinner entrees yet, but maybe next time.

I’m a fan of diners in general and Bob & Edith’s formula of doing everything that a good diner should do without all of the excess stuff that some diners try to tack onto their restaurants is a winning formula!

Posted by Michael in Reviews
20
Feb
2018

Review: Ashburner Inn – Philadelphia PA

We were looking for a place to grab some dinner in Northeast Philly and stumbled across the Ashburner Inn. We figured we’d get a sandwich or some appetizers, typical bar stuff. When we arrived, we were greeted by a really nice dining room. It was bright, cheery and very clean. As we walked to our table, we noticed nearly everyone was eating pizza. When our waitress told us that it was half price pizza night, we understood why. The brick-oven baked pizzas on the surrounding tables looked good and the price was certainly right! So, we ordered 2 pies.

The pizzas were delicious. They were some of the best I’ve had in a long time. The crust was light and crispy and the variety of topping choice was great. Besides some of the basics like pepperoni, sausage, etc., they also have pizzas with prosciutto and roasted peppers, chicken and blue cheese, buffalo chicken, spinach and roast pork and others. We particularly like the Ashburner which had spinach, roasted red peppers, shredded mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto.

I’m sure the Ashburner Inn has other good food, but I will be back again for the pizza!

Posted by Michael in Reviews
19
Feb
2018

Review: Mr. Sushi – Cherry Hill NJ

When you think of an all-you-can-eat restaurant, you don’t always expect high quality food. However, Mr. Sushi serves exactly that. This isn’t a buffet. It’s a sit down restaurant that serves not only fresh, made to order sushi, but also a full menu of other Japanese food. When you are seated, you’re presented with 2 slips of paper. One is the sushi menu. It includes a nice assortment of sushi rolls, nigiri sushi, sushi burritos and bowls (I haven’t tried the latter yet.) and even 17 kinds of sashimi. We’re not talking premade sushi with no actual fish in it like you find at many Chinese or Japanese buffets. This is the real thing. The second menu is for other dishes including salads, appetizers, tempura, teriyaki, hibachi, noddles, rice and desserts. You simply mark off on the menu how many you want of each item and give it to the server. When the server brings your food, he/she gives you 2 new menu slips and the process starts all over again. Besides letting you eat as much as you want, it also gives you the chance to try new things and find out what you like or don’t like since you can get as little one piece of each menu item. They only ask that you don’t waste excessive amounts of food. It’s unfortunate they have to say this, but you know there are people who will take advantage of them no matter what.

All of the food was delicious. The 2 or 3 chefs at the sushi bar prepare everything to order and do a really good job of it too. All of the staff is friendly and attentive. If you want an all you can eat experience without having to throw an elbow or two in order get to food that’s been sitting on a buffet all evening, then I highly recommend this place.

Posted by Michael in Reviews

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