Around Town

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Fiesta Mexicana

Fiesta Mexicana has been serving fresh authentic Mexican food since 1999. Owners Noe and Carmen Castenada offer a menu full of authentic Mexican classics that everyone knows like tacos and nachos to my favorite Carne Asada.

Whether you’re having lunch or dinner Fiesta Mexican takes you out of Hammonton and brings you down to Mexico. Starting outside the feel of Mexico is created with a Mexican flag and architecture that resembles a southwestern home made by hand with tan, red and green colors.

Once inside the Mexican atmosphere continues to flow with Mexican music playing in the background and colorful traditional Mexican clothing and artwork on the walls.

The menu, created by the owners is in both Spanish and English with brief descriptions of each dish. Diners choose from a wide variety of tacos, burritos, enchiladas and fajitas. Also, there are many traditional dishes which include another one of my favorites Parrillada Fiesta Mexicana. As a steak lover I found this dish amazing. It’s a charbroiled rib eye steak with strips of flank steak and Mexican sausage sautéed with bell peppers and onions. This dish is a mixed grill that showcases Mexican flavors with three different meats.

For taco, burrito, fajita and enchilada lovers Fiesta Mexicana has every so many options to choose from that are made the real way with fresh ingredients and spices. Homemade tortillas are filled with a variety of meats, seafood, cheeses, beans, vegetables and other Mexican ingredients and foods like guacamole and chilies.

Fiesta Mexican has much to offer. They’re pricing is affordable and families are welcomed. There is a children’s menu and a tasty selection of desserts and beverages including tropical milkshakes like mango and banana.

Lunch at The Silver Coin

Recently my fiancé Lauren and I went to the Silver Coin Diner located on the White Horse Pike in Hammonton. Having been there before are expectations were high and were expecting the same great food and service we have had in the past.

We went for lunch and arrived around 12:30 and the diner seemed to be pretty busy. Unlike most restaurants during lunch and dinner we were sat immediately. Our waitress Leeann was very nice and quick. Even though I took forever looking at the menu for what I wanted, she stood patiently, before politely asking if I needed more time. After accepting she returned a few minutes later and took our orders.

We each ordered wraps; I ordered a Buffalo Chicken Wrap and Lauren ordered a Turkey Club Wrap. The wraps came with a choice of soup and French fries. We both choose the Chicken Noodle soup which was delicious. The soup had a good amount of chicken, noodles, and some vegetables. The broth was good and everything was up to the proper temperature.

It didn’t take long for our food to come to the table given how busy it was we were expecting at least a 15-20 minute wait and it was more along the lines of 5-10 minutes if that.

The Buffalo Chicken Wrap was a wrap packed with breaded chicken tossed in a mild buffalo sauce with real blue cheese crumbles. There was also a side of blue cheese and a nice size portion of French Fries cooked the right way. They were not covered is grease or overly salted.

The Turkey Club Wrap was homemade fresh sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and bacon. For being a classic wrap it was filled with unique tastes that left me wanting another bite. Our bill came to $24 including fountain drinks. For the quality of the food and service $24 is a fair price for a delicious lunch.

Asian Cuisine

Hammonton has a few different choices when it comes to Asian food. While there are many to choose from the most popular are Hoy Yeung on the Pike, Eastern Phoenix on Bellevue, and The Grand on the Pike. For location information and direction follow the link.

The Asian Restaurants Hoy Yeung and Eastern Phoenix  offer up both Chinese and Japanese menus along with fresh sushi. Both offer familiar dishes like Sesame Chicken, Lo Mein (Chinese Spaghetti), and General Tso’s Chicken among others such as Chinese Pizza and Egg Rolls. Aside from these familiar dishes both restaurants have menus filled with a vast range of Specialty, traditional and modern Asian Cuisine.

From Hoy Yeung’s Chinese menu the Hoy Yeung Steak, a T-bone steak served up with vegetables and house gravy and the Cantonese Chow Mein with Lobster Tail, Shrimp, and Scallops. From the Japanese menu a mouth-watering Salmon, Shrimp, and Scallop Teriyaki as well as many other Tempura and Teriyaki dishes. Hoy Yeung also offers many seafood dishes as well as vegetarian selections like Tofu and the entrée Vegetarian Singapore thin noodles. There is also a sushi bar that serves traditional Japanese Hand Rolls and a range of sushi and sashimi.

At Eastern Phoenix there’s an Asian twist on American classics like fried chicken wings and French fries. Far from fried chicken is the chef’s special Dragon and Phoenix, a fresh half lobster tail in a delicate white wine sauce along with a chunk of white mean chicken in a spicy brown sauce.

Along with its specialty dishes Eastern Phoenix hosts a wide range cooking styles and dishes in Szechuan (garlic and spice), Hunan (spicy), and Buddhist (vegetarian) styles. Apart from its Chinese menu there is a large selection of Japanese dishes and platters. Eastern Phoenix also features a sushi bar that prepares fresh sushi and sashimi, as well as various traditional and specialty Japanese hand rolls.

Finally at The Grand they specialize in Chinese cuisine, and have been awarded the title of “Best Chinese Restaurant” by both the Hammonton News and the Hammonton Gazette for the past 12. Some of The Grand’s specials include: Szechuan Delicacy; marinated steak, chicken, red peppers and snow pea pods sautéed with a hot Szechuan bean paste a Mandarin style dish that has a combination of jumbo shrimp, sliced chicken, and tender beef sautéed in a mild garlic sauce with crispy vegetables.

Along with their specials The Grand offers their own take on Chinese classics. Such as their General Tso’s Chicken, which in my opinion has the best sauce I have come across. They also offer affordable lunch and dinner combinations without sacrificing taste and quality.

Q&A with Linda Cashan

Linda Cashan is the owner of Casciano’s Coffee Bar and Sweetery. She has played a major role in revitalizing downtown Hammonton and has been been awarded the title “Citizen of the Year” by the Hammonton Lions Club. She has positively  influenced Hammonton’s food, culture, and lifestyle since the opening of Cascianos. Linda sells the best coffee, espresso, and sweets around.

Q. What made you want to open Cascianos?

A. I wanted to bring a business to the downtown area that was missing from the mix at that time.  Also, I wanted a business that would give downtown a more upscale feeling that made people want to come and hang out at. And more importantly I wanted to have a real coffee bar with espresso and good coffee that is so common in the Italian culture. I also wanted to have a place that looked like a vintage American storefront, run by an Italian merchant, not like the “fake” villa style chain restaurants so popular today.

Q.  How do you think the Italian background of Hammonton influences food in
town?
A. I feel that we have a reputation of an Italian heritage and that it is
expected to have a strong influence of quality Italian food.

Q.  What kind of Italian foods do you sell and why did you choose them?
A. Of course, my main Italian offering is quality espresso and cappuccino.
From there, I chose a menu and offerings that compliment good espresso and
coffee.  Some specific items are our home-style biscotti, prepared by a local
baker, tiramisu which I purchase from another bakery in Vineland, a Casciano
Panini, a classic Italian sandwich which we prepare in house.  We are just
getting ready to introduce a drink that brings our Italian heritage to one
of our most popular drinks.  We’ve customized our frozen hot chocolate by
adding Nutella and other hazelnut flavorings and are calling it a Bocce
Bomb, which adds the Italian flair to our delicious frozen treat.

Q.  What do you think about the restaurants in town?
A. I think we have an excellent selection of Italian restaurants, which offer
selections that range from traditional to the more gourmet.  We also have a
variety of pizza establishments, although I am surprised no one has opened a
brick-oven style pizzeria.
Along with Italian, we have great pub food, operated by Italian families, so
they bring their heritage and appreciation for good food to menus that are
less Italian, but great quality.  Luckily for Hammonton, the bar has been
raised in Mexican food by the addition of several great restaurants to our
downtown eating choices and last but not least, we have the best sushi in
NJ.

Q. What is your favorite restaurant in town?                                                                       A.  I have favorite dishes at several favorite restaurants: mussels in white at Rocco’s Townhouse, broccoli and shrimp at the Maplewood, the most outstanding bisque-style soups and pasta Bolognese at Annata, the Cashan sushi roll at Hoy Yeung and the most perfectly prepared grilled tilapia and guacamole extraordinaire at Las Lomas.

About

My name is Shawn Cameron I am a cook who loves food and everything about it. From proteins packed with hearty flavor, the sweetness and color of fruits and vegetables all the way down to the smallest herbs and spices that add depth and flavor to a dish. My love for food inspired me to find the best food, starting in my hometown of Hammonton, New Jersey. Hammonton and the surronding areas have a diverse range of flavors, styles, and ingredients to offer to the culinary world. In the following months I will be visiting and profiling these restaurants; using customer feedback and my own palate to find the best dishes and shine more light on the amazing flavors of Hammonton. So sit back and prepare yourself for a mouthwatering journey that will leave you wanting a taste of the town.