Barbara and I decided to visit relatives we had not seen for a number of years. They live in a community near Trenton which is almost a 2-hour drive from us. A friend who lives halfway between us and our relatives told us about a new restaurant – Harpoon Willy’s of the Jersey Shore Restaurant Group. The restaurant opened about a month ago in Robbinsville, New Jersey, and she recommended we check it out.
I’m always excited when I hear about a new eatery, as I love good food and especially fish and seafood. I also want my readers to know when I find an exceptional kitchen.
Harpoon Willy’s is a good sized restaurant with a number of airy and bright dining areas in a new building in the center of a recently developed downtown area of Robbinsville. The decor is warm, dark wood floors, tables and chairs, and ceiling beams making the double height main dining room interesting.
The address was a bit of a problem, however, because the address on GPS differed from the address in the restaurant’s advertising. But we figured there wouldn’t be two different restaurants with the same name in the same town, and we were right. It turned out to be easy to find. It also had ample parking behind the building.
We decided on three appetizers, two main courses, and a desert to be split between us, along with a double espresso to finish the meal for me. Our drinks were a Lemon Drop with Vodka cocktail for Barbara and a glass of Guinness for me. We were told that all mixers are created in-house. No out-of-a-bottle mixers for this restaurant’s bar! They pride themselves on their artisanal approach to food and drink.
Our appetizers were:
Firecracker Shrimp – crisp shrimp with mid-spicy firecracker sauce, lime and micro cilantro sprouts. The medium-sized shrimp were attractively presented and really good, while hot. Please note that they have a bit of a kick.
Fried Calamari – battered calamari rings and mussels and battered pickled chili pepper slices with marinara sauce and a lemon quarter on the side. The house-made marinara was the highlight of the dish.
Truffled Tater Tots – with bacon gruyère dipping sauce. This was what Barbara considered a “winner dish” – a very unusual take on “taters” with tons of flavor! The dipping sauce was also a standout!
We found that all of the tasty sauces were made in-house. Kudos to the saucier!
Our mains were:
Fish and Chips for me – with battered Atlantic cod, French fries, cole slaw, and tartar sauce. I have been very fond of fish & chips since my days in the UK, when I would order the best ones at a hole-in-the-wall Indian eatery at London’s East End. The British fish & chips version usually uses plaice as the fish, but cod or haddock are also used in some places.
I was happy to discover that Harpoon Willy’s has malt vinegar, which is an essential condiment for British-style fish & chips. I had to ask for it, but they had it.
Ginger and Thyme Grilled Shrimp Salad for Barbara – Actually, the dish was grilled shrimp, Asian noodles, and a sweet & sour vinaigrette. It was a cold dish with an unusual combination of aromatics – cilantro, ginger, scallions, thyme, black sesame, and lime juice, along with the shrimp and noodles. it blended many elements in a harmonious and tasty creation. It was absolutely delicious!
The portions were all good sized – large enough to take home leftovers. We enjoyed everything we tried, so we think this restaurant is well worth a visit! Quality as well as quantity makes for an ideal meal.
By the way, our server, Lauren, was also very good. She was attentive without becoming intrusive and knew the menu and the dishes. In fact, all the servers, as well as manager Jeffrey Falivene, were friendly and accommodating, making our dining out experience like a visit with friends.
And now, for the piece de résistance – our Death by Chocolate dessert!
Barbara and I normally share a desert, especially one as rich as Death by Chocolate. So when one serving of 5-inch-high layer cake with each layer separated by chocolate mousse, topped with a rich chocolate glaze over which was what looked like a mass of whipped cream, was placed before us, we both gasped. One bite, and we looked at each other surprised that this confection was rich and flavorful but not cloyingly sweet, as every other Death by Chocolate dessert we’ve ever tasted has been.
Spoonful after spoonful, we worked our way though the cake and asked to meet the pastry chef who had produced this marvel of deliciousness.
Aaliya Aniff came to our table – a young woman who spent years honing her craft first in her home country of Sri Lanka before moving on to Dubai for more training. Aaliya waited 16 years before her immigration papers arrived to finally allow her to join family in New Jersey, where she is now the in-house pâtissier extraordinaire at Harpoon Willy’s.
Aaliya explained that she didn’t feel the over-sugaring of pastries added anything except pounds, so she strives to make her desserts tasty and beautiful to enhance the meal without overwhelming the previous courses.
I, for one, welcome her and her incredible talent here, knowing she will have a great career in front of her. We also found out that they create special seasonal meals celebrating assorted holidays and festivities like Marti Grass. Next time I hear about one of these, I’ll go back to Harpoon Willy’s to try their offerings.
Manos Angelakis is one of the founders, the former Managing Editor for 25 years, the current Managing Editor Emeritus, and Senior Food & Wine Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. He is an accomplished travel writer, photographer, and food and wine critic based in Hackensack, New Jersey. As a travel writer, he has written extensively about numerous cities and countries. Manos has also been certified as a Tuscan Wine Master and has traveled to wine-producing areas in order to evaluate firsthand the product of top-rated vineyards. In the past year, he has visited and written multiple articles about Morocco, Turkey, Quebec City, Switzerland, Antarctica, and most recently the South of France. Articles in other publications include Vision Times and Epoch Times.
Barbara Angelakis is one of the founders of LuxuryWeb Magazine and its Senior Travel Writer. She travels the four corners of the world with a thirst for knowledge and a twinkle in her eye, seeking out the history of people and places and sharing her experiences. She specializes in culture and history along with luxury destinations, hotels/resorts/cruises/spas, and most recently Jewish Heritage, exploring the historical connection between Jews and their host countries. She has been recognized for outstanding coverage as “Journalist of the Year” by the Tanzania Tourist Board and is the recipient of the MTA Malta Tourism Press Award, the first American to receive this honor. For the past 25 years, Barbara has written extensively for LuxuryWeb Magazine, and her work can also be found at The Jerusalem Post, Jewish Link, Epoch Times, and Vision Times.
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