Let's Eat
By CARL PRICE
Staff Writer
Jan. 31, 2007
AJ’s On the Lake
The place to start or finish a visit to
Smithville
There are
several plans of attack to take in the almost
100 shops and attractions at the Historic Towne
of Smithville in Galloway Township.
One involves starting with a good breakfast at
AJ’s On the Lake and then explore each of the
quaint stores at a leisurely pace. Another would
be to get right to the shopping and then pause
to refuel with a refreshing lunch at AJ’s. Still
another scenario would be to arrive in the
afternoon, shop into the early evening, and then
enjoy a relaxing dinner at AJ’s.
Clearly, a trip to Smithville should include a
stop at AJ’s On the Lake.
Angel Soto and Jake Cohen, the A and the J in
AJ’s, opened their lakeside eatery last May and
have been enjoying a growing following ever
since.
The two worked together for six years at Hannah
G’s in Ventnor (Soto still works there during
the day) before striking out on their own.
“We worked well together and both of us wanted
to do our own thing, so we opened AJ’s,” said
Cohen.
Cohen relayed a list of restaurants where Soto
worked as a chef, including 14 years at the
Island Diner in Brigantine, the Owl Tree in
Northfield, and his restaurant, Chason’s in
Columbus, Ohio.
Cohen worked at Hannah G’s, formerly the Cook
Nook, for 13 years.
The secret to AJ’s success, said Cohen, is the
freshness of the ingredients that go into every
meal.
“Everything is made fresh. We make our own
sauces, dressings, soups – even our raspberry
tartar sauce is homemade. That really makes a
difference,” he said.
AJ’s offers breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
and serves breakfast all day. It also offers
specials Monday through Friday.
“Today we have a breakfast quesadilla, a waffle
special and an omelet. We do the same at lunch
and dinner – something for every taste,” said
Cohen.
Although the lake out front of AJ’s was
partially frozen on a recent visit, ducks swam
by along with an occasional goose. The large
front windows make looking out over the bucolic
scene possible from just about any seat in the
restaurant. Tables outside offer lakeside
dining, and although many patrons may prefer to
wait until spring, the tables have not been
completely passed over.
“With the nice weather we’ve been having, our
outdoor tables have gotten quite a bit of use,”
Cohen explained.
The shops in Smithville are open all year, with
most opening by 11 a.m. in the winter months.
AJ’s offers free delivery to the surrounding
area until 7 p.m.
Catering and private parties are easily
accommodated at the restaurant and Cohen said
special orders are never a problem.
When asked what the specialty of the house is at
AJ’s, an eavesdropping breakfast customer chimed
in with, “You have to try the crab cakes.
They’re the best.”
Cohen agreed.
“Our crab cakes are great. We bake lump crab
meat in a lemon butter white wine sauce and
serve it with homemade raspberry tartar sauce
and homemade cocktail sauce. It is the best.”
Cohen said for lunch the chicken salad can’t be
beat.
“The chicken salad is all white meat and served
with homemade potato, macaroni or coleslaw. It
is a customer favorite,” said Cohen.
Desserts at AJ’s include rice and bread pudding,
both homemade, and a daily dessert special.
“This is a nice place to eat. The food is
homemade, the area is nice and the view of the
lake is very relaxing. We love it,” said Cohen.
Customer
Favorites
Eagles Wrap ($5.95) Scrambled eggs,
diced scrapple, potatoes and cheese
served in a flour tortilla.
Pork Loin and Egg ($6.95) Grilled pork
tenderloin and two eggs any style served
with home fries and toast.
Farmers Omelet ($6.95) Sausage,
potatoes, fried onions, peppers and
American cheese.
AJ’s Salad ($5.95, $7.95) Mixed greens,
apples, Swiss cheese, raisins and
toasted walnuts.
Crab Melt ($8.95) Lump crabmeat, sliced
tomato and Swiss cheese served on
grilled rye bread.
Triple Decker ($6.95) Three slices of
toast with crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato
and mayo with choice of homemade roast
beef, turkey breast, ham, chicken salad,
tuna salad or egg salad.
Grilled Vegetable Wrap ($6.95) Grilled
zucchini, eggplant, roasted peppers,
tomatoes, spinach and Provolone cheese.
Chicken ala Dylan ($12.95) Julienned
chicken breast sautéed with spinach,
sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and pine
nuts in a pesto white wine sauce served
over choice of pasta.
Angel’s Signature Pot Roast ($9.95)
Slowly cooked to perfection just like
grandma used to make, served with
parsley potatoes and choice of
vegetable.
Flounder Franchaise ($14.95) Fresh
flounder dipped in egg batter and
sautéed in a garlic lemon wine sauce
topped with lump crabmeat and served
with choice of vegetable and potato.
Tips and
Tidbits
Cohen cooks during the day, Soto in the
evening.
The crab cake can be served as an
appetizer or entrée.
AJ’s is family friendly with menu items
such as french fries, cereal, chicken
tenders and soup.
If
You Go
AJ’s On the Lake
Village Greene in the Towne of Historic
Smithville
Route 9 and Moss Mill Road
Smithville, Galloway Township
(609) 748-2377
Open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Prices $3.50 to $14.99
Credit cards accepted
|
