Last night (Thursday, March 24) Judy and I visited Christina’s, a new Italian restaurant on Tanner Street in Haddonfield, NJ. We arrived after work so no reservation was necessary, although judging by the crowd when we left, it wouldn’t have been necessary even if we had arrived later. I have watched the conversion of this former beauty salon for months on my way to and from the hi-speed line. Judging from the high quality wood trim and fixtures, it’s obvious that Ulysses, the owner, put a bundle of money into this enterprise. The owner told us the restaurant was named for his daughter, an FBI agent who spends much of her time traveling the world. He also told us this was not his first restaurant, although it may be his most upscale. He and his son also own Pepperoni’s Pizza in Burlington., NJ.
We wondered where this restaurant would fit on the up/downscale of restaurants in the Haddonfield/Collingswood continuum. Would it be comparable to Villa Rosa or closer to Nunzio’s? Given the price range (entrees around $18-$23) we guessed it would be more like Nunzio’s … if the food quality held out. We started with warm rolls from Del Buono’s bakery, served with butter but no olive oil. We asked and received. Thinking salads we ala carte, we ordered a Caprese salad of flavorless tomatoes but a respectable mozzarella. After we ordered we were asked what type of dressing we wanted on the salad, and it turned out the balsamic vinaigrette we chose was similar to the dressing on the Caprese … good, but repetitious. We should have asked about the salad first.
I chose one of their specials, the cockle clams over homemade linguini in white sauce, and Judy selected )drum roll please) the veal parmigiana with ziti. The cockles, tiny and tender, were the sweetest clams I have ever had. Their sweetness lent a flavorful ness to the light sauce that was unusual and hard to describe … but delightful … not at all like a typical clams over linguini dish. And Judy, the world’s greatest expert on chicken and veal parm, declared her dish as tender and tasty as any she had had in the region.
Before we completed our entrees, we were offered desserts from the pastry plate and assured they were all made in-house. I selected a sfogliatella (which means lobster tail). We loved it. Unlike most we have tasted in South Philadelphia, this Christina’s oozes a creamy whit filling from its crispy baked pastry exterior.
Now back to my original question. Where does Christina’s fit in the pantheon of South Jersey’s BYOB’s? Well, with a total bill of 50.85 (without tip), it’s a little more expensive than Barone’s, a little less expensive than Nunzio’s, and more than Casella’s on Kings Highway. I would compare the food to roughly the same as Barone’s, the menu more like Casella’s and the sauce a cut below Barone’s, Nunzio’s and Trattoria DiMarino in Collingswood. Given the good-not-great nature of their offerings, most patrons will make their easting choice on the value proposition. Base on my evaluation, Christina’s might have a hard time in Haddonfield. I predicted Cafe M would fold. Let’s see how this one does.