May
2002
Mystery
Muncher: Maxine's
Maxine's
120 South Warren Street
609-392-0022
Just
to show we do not do only lunch, we went to Maxine's to try the
seafood dinner buffet. Munchkin and I, along with an unidentified
third party, jumped at the chance to do dinner. We arrived at
about 7 p.m. I truthfully expected many more people than I saw.
It took several minuets to get anyone's attention and after visiting
the bar we were seated.
Lorraine,
our waitress, asked if we would like drinks and we ordered a Stoli
martini and a cosmopolitan…twice. Lorraine delivered bread
and told us we could help ourselves to the buffet, which we did.
The
assortment was very good. Beautifully large shrimp not overcooked
or over-spiced, with delicious greens and a homemade coleslaw
that had a vinegar base, which I love. There was an excellent
potato salad. The soup was being refreshed so we loaded up with
shrimp and went back to our table.
The
shrimp were wonderful. Martinis and shrimp…hmm, another party
idea. Anyway, not wanting to fill up on shrimp and salad, we took
another trip to the buffet. I hadn't noticed the stuffed clams
before. We like clams so we took three of those and some salmon
wedges.
The
clams were hot and good: a little too much bread, but the flavor
more than made up for it. By the way, Lorraine was wonderful.
She constantly filled our water glasses (which I feel is a good
sign) and what can I say about a good martini, served cold, without
a spill.
So,
on to the fish and crabs. The fish was great. Even though in a
buffet style setting you would expect dry flounder, it was moist
and well prepared. There was a vegetable medley that was a nice
complement to the fish, so we tasted it all before I dug into
the crab.
When
I got to the king crab legs, I was a bit disappointed that it
was cold. So while I was complaining to Munchkin about the temperature
of the crab ("this would be so good if it was warm")
she said, "just like pizza, the true mark of good food is
that if its good cold, it's great hot." And just then they
delivered a fresh tray of legs that were absolutely wonderful.
They
were more than great hot, and as I finished with my legs (since
I had to help the Munchkin break through a few) what does Henry
Page, owner and chef, do? He presents the buffet with an unbelievably
huge piece of prime rib. Talk about icing on the cake. This was
not only beautifully cooked and hot but totally scrumptious. I
could not finish what I had. I asked Lorraine to wrap it up to
go and then I promptly left it behind (so typical).
Well
with all that, there was no room for the carrot cake or torte
so we settled for the delicious coffee and absolutely perfect
accompaniment to the fish: fruit. The honeydew was ripe as was
the cantaloupe. It was a perfect topping to a good meal. The place
began to get crowded and I know why.
I've
neglected to say that Roy Richardson and the musical group, Abstract,
was there to accompany our meal. They are a great group with extremely
versatile arrangements. A definite asset to the restaurant.
Stop
in on a Friday for an all you can eat seafood buffet. I guarantee
you will not be hungry when you leave.
