Maplewood III - Vineland, NJ

Posted by La Critique

May 12, 2008

Maplewood III
200 N. Delsea Drive (Route #47)
Vineland, NJ
Menu: Maplewood3 Website
856-692-2011

We had: Two Cocktails $5 each / Stuffed Hot Peppers $7.95 / Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon $7.95 / Clams Imperial $8.95 / Veal Parmigana $18.95 / Shrimp Diablo $17.95 / Total $71.75 without tax and tip.

Last Saturday my girlfriend and I went on a window shopping trip that ended with dinner at Maplewood III. I have been exposed to some awesome Italian food in my life time. I am extremely fussy about my spaghetti sauces or “gravy” as most Italians call their sauce. In fact, there may be only a handful of places I will eat Italian food. Maplewood III is on my list. I have eaten here many times for numerous years and have never been disappointed. Since it was a Saturday, we were sure to arrive at 4 PM as the restaurant gets extremely busy, especially on weekends. Reservations are accepted only for parties of more than 8 people. There is a large and small dining room both with full service bars. The decor is pleasant and seating is comfortable.

Our server was friendly and informative. We asked her about the new appetizer on the menu and she gave us a clear and helpful description. We ordered a cocktail and studied the menu. There is a large selection of appetizers and entrees. We decided to really splurge and order a lot of different appetizers to share. First, we ordered the new special Clams Imperial - six clams in galic butter with crab imperial on top and broiled to perfection. It was very good. Next we shared Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon; large shimp with horsradish filling wrapped in bacon and fried golden brown served with a horseradish sauce. What can I say? It is out of this world. Quite possibly the best version of this appetizer I have ever tasted! This should have slowed us up, but did not. We had one more to savor.I had to order my favorite; Stuffed Long Hot Peppers. Hot Peppers stuffed with sausage and breadcrumbs covered with a tomato salsa and melted cheese. Make sure you have a glass of water ready. These babies can be very HOT! But, they are oh so good!

After our appetizers we were served our salad. The salad arrives in a family style bowl with Maplewood III’s very lite and delicious house Italian dressing. Warm bread on a bread board complete the pre dinner fare. Now for the serious eating. For my entree I chose Veal Parmigana. Maplewood III knows how to prepare this dish. Thin Italian veal cutlets breaded and fried just right topped with melted cheese and their delicious red sauce. To accompany the veal you may choose a variety or homemade pastas or two vegetables. I chose homemade linguine.

My friend chose Shrimp Diablo. She said it was delicious with just enough spice. The shrimp are served over a choice of pasta. She chose angel hair. I have to admit the smell was enticing. The portions were generous and we both took about half of our entree home for lunch the next day.

Sadly we were too full for desserts. Maplewood offers a large variety of desserts and coffee choices. As usual, I could not make any recommendations that would have made the experience any better. Maplewood still remains one of my favorite places to dine. I hope you will try it soon and let me know if you agree.

La Critique’s Score: 4.5 Chews