|
|
|
 |
Two surfers sit on their boards in the unpopulated lineup that is typical of late fall in New Jersey. Though the water is cold and the ambient temperature colder, the best waves of the year happen only after the summer crowds are long departed. Waiting for the next set to roll in, the two watermen make conversation.
That casual beginning was the seed of the Jersey Shore's most lauded restaurant in recent memory, Blue, and now a new Philadelphia venture, Noble American Cookery.
The two surfers were Bruno Pouget, original owner of Caribou Café and a current principle of Apothecary, and Todd Rodgers.
Connected by their shared love of surfing and passion for cuisine, the two partnered with chef Steven Cameron to open Blue in Long Beach Island, New Jersey.
Though Blue is open just five months out of the year, Cameron quickly earned a semi-finalist nod from the James Beard Foundation for "Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic", as well as a seriously favorable review in The New York Times, which called his cuisine "far-reaching, inspired and ambitious."
The trio is on the verge of graduating from feeding summer folk to opening Noble at 2025 Sansom St., a property they have owned since 2005. Cameron will focus on using local ingredients from his farmers and fishermen, with special attention to avoiding unsustainably harvested seafood. Seasonally changing menus will highlight herbs picked from the restaurant's rooftop garden.
The space has been painstakingly restored to its original condition, with reclaimed wide hickory plank floors, a 20-foot bar and an upstairs dining room illuminated by three skylights. Noble will be the first restaurant in Philly to feature alfresco dining tables that face into the restaurant, as well.
Opening is projected for early in 2009, just about the time even the most dedicated surfers thaw out and head indoors for some comforting food and a drink.
- barstool scientist
- Booze
- Brew Revue
- Chef Salad
- Closings
- Coffee
- Contests
- Dealage
- Dirty Dishes
- Don't Front
- Eat This Immediately
- Field Trip
- Food and Art
- Food and Holidays
- Food and Movies
- Food and Music
- Food and Politics
- Food and Sports
- Food and Web
- Food Blogs
- Food Books
- Food Events
- Food News
- Food TV
- Gifted
- Happy Hour Hopper
- How-To
- In Print
- Interview
- Meal Ticket
- Menu Time
- Not So Quickfire
- Notes from the Weekend
- On Wheels
- Openings
- Patio Drinking
- Philly Beer Week 2010
- Photos
- Private Chef POV
- Product Placement
- Recipes
- Snack Time
- Stiff Drank
- SUPPER
- Tea
- Testing
- Ticket Stubs
- Top Chef
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Video
- Weekly Candy
- Weird Regional Foods
- We're Here to Help
- Where'd We Eat?
- Drew Lazor's Ill-Advised Rant Factory
- Pregame
- Ill-Advised Ranting
- The Week Without Meat
- Philly Beer Week 2009
- Real Big
- Where'd I Eat Last Night?
- Top Chef Masters
- The Good Word
- Next Iron Chef
- Arterial Terrorism
- Food and Radio
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
