Unfortunately, this is a farewell post (well, at least for now). I have enjoyed every second of this blog, as I have truly learned so much! Hole-in-the-wall restaurants were always something that I was very interested in, as the food is always so different and unexpected. Although COVID-19 drove me off the topic of my beat just a little bit, I was still able to dig deep and find very interesting subjects that really caught my eye and hopefully your eyes as well. My first post was an interview with Steve Narleski, the owner of Dia De Los Burritos. If we’re being honest, I was very nervous for this interview, as it was the first one I have ever given. Although it was not my best work, it prepared me for the rest of my posts. My interview with Joslyn Eppright, a bartender at The Taproom, was one of my favorite posts. I was able to learn so much not only about the restaurant itself, but how to interact better and have an improved interview. When we first began the act of “social distancing,” I was very nervous for how the outcomes of my following blog posts would turn out. Luckily, my posts about Jessica Bangaree and Julia Brooks were two of my best, most informative posts. When talking with Jessica, she gave so much advice on how to be a better digital journalist which is something that I definitely did not take for granted. This then led to Ms. Brooks’ post, where I learned so much about veganism that it made me want to turn vegan! After using all of the knowledge and skills that I learned, I was finally able to make my final post with Kelliann Mianulli at The Wharf Restaurant, where I actually had an in-person interview for the first time in a while (with a mask and gloves on of course). This blog was able to teach me so much not only about my beat, but a lot about myself and how to interact with others.
An interview with Kelliann Mianulli, the outside deck manager at The Wharf Restaurant
This past week, I was able to sit down and have a face-to-face interview with Kelliann Mianulli, the outside deck manager at The Wharf Restaurant in Wildwood, New Jersey. Who would have thought! Due to COVID-19, it has been almost close to impossible to have a real, in person interview. Because I am a resident of Wildwood and things are beginning to get a little better, I thought this was a great opportunity to grab a mask, some gloves, and head over to the restaurant!
When I got to the restaurant, Kelliann and some of her fellow co-workers were helping to clean up and renovate the place for the summer. Although the coronavirus is still on the rise, local shops and restaurants are slowly but surely preparing to open for the summer. Known for their beautiful sunset view and awesome live entertainment, it seems like the Wharf is the place to be! Kelliann has been working at the Wharf for a little over ten years now and has enjoyed every second of it! Starting out as a server, she was eventually able to work her way up as deck manager!
Why the Wharf? I have been to this restaurant numerous times with my family and have always had the best experience. With their delicious food, great staff, and unbelievable view, this restaurant is hard to resist. Since 1982, this family-owned establishment has been known as one of the best on the island. It consists of two different restaurants, both an inside dining room and an outside deck. The inside dining room is geared more towards fine dining, as it is an insulated space with a more intimate atmosphere. The outside deck is an entirely different story, as the atmosphere is very casual. It is so casual that many people dock their boats and grab a drink at the bar with just a bathing suit on!
When sitting down with Kelliann, I got to know a little more about her and her time at the Wharf. As a teacher during the year, she has been coming to Wildwood every summer with her family. Working at the Wharf has been a great way for her to earn some extra cash on the side, while also getting to meet more people and create new friendships! She went on to talk about the new construction going on at the restaurant and it sounds awesome! Their inside bar is brand new and flawless, as they have completely transformed it from head to toe. The restaurant has also added new boat slips for people to come dock their boats and grab some delicious takeout.
More importantly, let’s get to the food! The Wharf is known for their seafood, as they have their very own raw bar. Even better, during the regular season they sell raw bar for half the price every Monday night. Along with their great seafood, they also sell everything from burgers to pizza and more!
Thank you to Kelliann for taking the time to speak with me, along with the rest of the Wharf crew for giving me the opportunity to visit! Listen below to hear more about Kelliann and her time at the Wharf.
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A conversation with Julia Brooks, otherwise known as the “Vegan Beach Bum”
Yesterday, I was able to sit down and have a conversation with 21-year old Julia Brooks, a vegan food blogger on Instagram. I have been following Julia for a while now and have always been inspired by her way of life. As a current vegan and earth/animal activist, Ms. Brooks does her best to help in making our planet a better place.
Julia Brooks, otherwise known as the “Vegan Beach Bum,” is a current resident in Melbourne, Florida. As an Instagram blogger, she does her best in sharing her every day recipes with her followers. Whether she posts a step-by-step video or just a picture of her meal, she always tries to come up with the best, most interesting content for her viewers. During our interview, she was able to share about her background in veganism, some of her favorite dishes, and more!
Although this may be a little different from what I usually post, I thought it would be great to shed some light on the world of veganism, as well as provide you guys with some interesting, delicious, and especially healthy recipes to make during this pandemic! Listen below to hear what the “Vegan Beach Bum” herself has to say.
Follow me on Twitter @unexpected_eats for more posts!
A Zoom interview with Jessica Bangaree, co-creator of Madness Munchies
Over the past week, I was able to sit down and have a Zoom interview with Jessica Bangaree, co-creator of the Madness Munchies food account on Instagram. Along with her partner, Lenny Pisano, the two of them travel all over Northern Jersey and New York City to show us some of the best places to eat!
Jessica and Lenny are both 23 years old, from the towns of Little Falls, NJ and Totowa, NJ. They decided to begin Madness Munchies in October of 2018 and have grown so much since, with an overwhelming audience of 10,000 followers.
“We would be lying if we said getting a following base was easy. It took a lot of hard work getting the right quality of the of pictures, the right angles, the right edits, and the right food,” she said. “That was just the post part, but using different media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat helped us get our name out there for a larger following base and to notify people when we put up a new post. We also stuck to the media of Instagram itself with the use of hashtags. We researched and took the time to figure out what works based on our audience and profile,” she also added.
As a student food blogger, I’ve found that keeping up with my profile is both challenging and rewarding. I decided to ask Jess what she found to be the most challenging/rewarding thing while maintaining their site.
“The most challenging thing is keeping interaction with the fan base, and trying to create new content with our busy lives,” she said. “I would say the most rewarding thing is seeing our following base grow, our content gradually getting better, and the PR we receive from our posts.”
Because their content is based completely online, I asked what her thoughts were about web-based journalism. Jessica proceeded by responding, “I think the social aspect of our lives holds plenty for the future. Web-based journalism can lead to so many opportunities and can help gain the recognition news deserves by finding the correct audience and spreading the word ten times faster than seeing it anywhere else.”
I then went on to ask what she found to be the most exciting/interesting part about running a food blog. She answered, “The most interesting part is to be able to eat for free. It’s a blessing to receive such great attention, then be rewarded with something we can take for granted. We also just love being ourselves when we have to get creative. Being able to stand out is something we are good at, which allowed us to build our brand.”
A huge thank you to Jessica Bangaree and Lenny Pisano for giving me the opportunity to learn more about them and their lives as food bloggers! Jessica finished off our interview by giving me some advice that I think we can all take as student journalists:
“Persistence is the absolute key. Without drive, you will fail or be average among people who are doing the same. Also, having fun while you are doing the things you love. Standing up in a restaurant and taking pictures with lighting props might not be the most ‘normal thing’, but when you’re doing what you love, you shouldn’t have to think twice!”
Follow me on twitter @unexpected_eats for more posts!
A Thursday Afternoon at The Taproom and Grill
On Thursday, March 12, I decided to take a trip over to The Taproom and Grill in Haddonfield, NJ! Open from 11 AM to 2 AM, The Taproom serves great beer, cocktails, and delicious food! Not only is the food great, but the options are endless, ranging from sandwiches to burgers to an abundance of appetizers. When I walked in, I was greeted by some local regulars that were sitting at the bar. The atmosphere was very welcoming and casual!
Previously known as the ice cream parlor “Green Valley Farms,” The Taproom is open all-year round and also features an outside deck and bar area, which opens up in late spring! They also offer live music every weekend, ranging from DJ’s to acoustic sets, and even full set bands. This bar attracts people of all ages, and is truly a great time. After getting settled in, I got to sit down with a few of the customers and workers to learn more about The Taproom!
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Hidden Gems in Pitman, NJ; a Q and A with Steve Narleski of Dia De Los Burritos
Throughout my time at Rowan University, I would hear people constantly raving about this Mexican restaurant that I NEEDED to try. Because I am a huge advocate for Mexican food myself, I was very excited to see what all of the hype was about. After visiting, my expectations were exceeded.
Dia De Los Burritos is a Mexican restaurant located in Pitman, NJ, about five minutes away from the Rowan University. Known for it’s convenience, fresh ingredients, and creative interior, I felt it was important to shed light on the brains behind it all, Steve Narleski.
After consuming one of the freshest, most delicious burritos I’ve ever had, I decided to give Dia De Los Burritos another visit. I sat down with the owner, Steve, and got to know a little more about the restaurant.
Photo by StoryMapsJS
What is the story behind Dia De Los Burritos?
I had no restaurant experience and I just hated my job. I worked at a car dealership for over ten years. I was a mechanic then service adviser. The town at the time, Pitman, only had a handful of things; a couple pizza places, the bike shop, and a couple other restaurants, but a lot of vacant stores.
Listen to hear Steve continue to talk about his story:
Why Mexican food?
Actually, after talking with my friend Joe, he was like “dude you should do burritos,” because I made good guacamole. That was it, really, it was basically because I made good guacamole.
How long have you been in the restaurant business?
I’ve only been in the restaurant business for four and a half years! Yeah, we opened in October of 2015.
What would you say is your favorite item on the menu?
Hmmm.. “The Fatty.” It just tastes so good.
Listen to hear Steve describe what’s inside this delicious dish:
Do you think that would be the most popular item on the menu?
It changes. I would say, like, because we only do that on Friday’s, probably the bacon chipotle ranch tacos or quesadillas, but really most people come in and order burritos.
Listen to hear Steve talk about the popular items:
Photo by StoryMapsJS
Thank you to Steve Narleski and Dia De Los Burritos for giving me the opportunity to meet with you. Follow me on Twitter @unexpected_eats to learn more about hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area!
What is so exciting about a hole-in-the-wall restaurant?
Why a hole-in-the-wall restaurant versus your typical chain food restaurant? What even is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant? Throughout this post, I will be explaining different reasons why hole-in-the-wall restaurants are the best.
What makes a hole-in-the-wall restaurant so special? My first reason is the fact that most people don’t know about it. It’s almost like your own little secret place. Because these restaurants are usually very underrated, it is not extremely over-hyped. With that being said, the quality of food/service will usually stay consistent. It’s nice to have your own place to go where you don’t have to worry about running into people. It’s almost like a little getaway- with food!
The next reason why hole-in-the-wall’s are the best is the cost! These restaurants aren’t usually too expensive. When it comes to being young, it’s good to know that you won’t be paying too much for your food. Again, because the restaurant is not well known, their demand for food is usually pretty low. This eventually leads to lower prices.
Throughout the past couple of years, one thing that I noticed about hole-in-the-wall restaurant’s is that the food and service is always great. It is very rare that I find myself leaving one of these restaurants with a bad taste in my mouth (literally and figuratively). Because hole-in-the-wall’s usually lack a following, it’s important that the consistency of their service stays the same when tending to their customers. This is what makes them so great!
Last, but certainly not least, these restaurants will instantly up your cool factor. Telling someone about this new, secret place that has amazing food will definitely make it seem like you know what you’re talking about when it comes to having a great meal. You’ll be known as a foodie in no time, showing your friends the trendiest, up and coming hole-in-the-wall restaurants in town!
Expect the Unexpected
Hello everyone! Welcome to my food blog, also known as “Unexpected Eats.” I am here to introduce you guys to the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the South Jersey and Philadelphia area. Why am I doing this you ask? Nowadays, I feel like I am always struggling to find a new place to eat. Half of my social life is pretty much spent in a restaurant, giving me more of a reason to be in search of new places.
Over the next couple of months, I will be visiting different, more “unexpected” restaurants in South Jersey and Philadelphia. I’ll be giving a behind the scenes look, interviewing employees and managers about the history of the place, while also asking about specialty items on the menu!
I am a huge fan of many different chain restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, Chipotle is pretty much equivalent to heaven, but there’s something about a nice hole-in-the-wall place that really hits home. The majority of my hole-in-the-wall experiences have been very positive and I can’t wait to share them!
Unexpected Eats 