Justice & Fries

Presto!, located in Margate, NJ, may be the best place you will ever eat gnocchi. Those of you who have seen me eat know that my normal dish at any Italian restaurant is gnocchi. At Presto, gnocchi…well, it’s BIG!.

Presto! (and I hear they are to move into the old Lamberti’s location by the bay) is a small storefront located well down Ventnor Avenue, on the way to Longport. There’s seating for about 40 people, and it is well attended by owners Lori and David Salvo. I first went before Memorial Day weekend, so I had a chance to speak with Lori, who told me two things about Presto! -

1. David makes the gnocchi secretly, hidden in a private room in the kitchen, so that no one can see what he does, and
2. They don’t take reservations, even from recurring customers – it’s first come, first seated.

However, the reason this is a “Quick Hit” is because the only thing I have to write about is the gnocchi. All my co-diners were delighted by their dishes; I was DELIGHTED by the gnocchi. Served in a blush sauce, the gnocchi are gigantic – each one is about three inches long by about two inches wide, and light and fluffy like a pillow. There are about 10-11 pieces, I believe, on the plate, and each piece, as I mentioned, is hand-rolled secretly.

Whatever the secret may be…it’s delightful.

Presto! is located at 9307 Ventnor Avenue, Margate. The phone number is (609) 823-8989 – you can call ahead for pickup but remember, bring cash and there are no reservations.

For my first post, I was originally going to write about the tasty – but not at all exciting – brunch I had at Devil’s Alley this morning (Devil’s Alley is located at 1907 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia). But then I realized that it was far more important to discuss In-N-Out Burger, which isn’t found anywhere near Philadelphia. It’s even more important because Kate over at Philly Food And Drink recently wrote about her experiences there.

They’re all true. In-N-Out Burger is amazing, as far as fast-food hamburgers go. I was out in California (there’s not a single one located East of Arizona) and stopped in multiple locations – San Jose, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Woodland Hills, Orange County – and it’s always hot, fresh, and delicious.

The hamburgers are much…tastier than their competition, the McDonalds and Burger Kings. It’s clear that In-N-Out focuses on their quality. The staff is quite attentive – in Woodland Hills, I was shorted a burger, and somehow ended up receiving a milkshake as an apology.

They can be so good because they only have four food menu items…Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Double-Double (double meat, double buns), and Fries. That’s if you don’t know how to order. In-N-Out has a substantial “secret” menu that everyone knows about. Outside of the typical special items, like the Animal Style Fries (covered in “secret sauce, cheese and onions”) and the Flying Dutchman (two patties, cheese…and nothing else), the staff there will do anything to a burger that you want. That’s right – the staff there can actually make anything you want if you describe it to them.

I’ve been out that way four times now – twice in California and twice in Las Vegas – and the most important thing for me (other than seeing my friends and family) is to get my In-N-Out.

Secret Funny Story: A friend from California, when we were younger, once told me: “I’m sick of boys, I’m swearing off sex and boys for a year!” A week later, we were talking, and she started telling me about how amazing her “in-and-out” was with “Brian.”

My immediate response was “I thought you swore off sex!” She laughed for a full ten minutes – I had never heard of In-N-Out in 1997, being a life-long Jersey boy.