The 4/20 Dinner Party in South Jersey You Don’t Want to Miss

Up in smoke s’more / Photograph by Jonathan Hudson

Howdy, buckaroos! And welcome back to the Foobooz food news round-up. Just a few quick things to get to this week, including expansion news from FedNuts, a big week for chef Dionicio Jiménez, and some 4/20 tips for getting high in New Jersey. So let’s get right to it, shall we?

Living The High Life in Collingswood

Collingswood is a dry town. But recreational weed is legal in New Jersey. So what do you do if you want to get a little loose to celebrate 4/20?

You hit up chef Michael DeLone’s Nunzio on Haddon Avenue where, in collaboration with Mercantile 1888 Zero Proof Bar, they’re throwing a boozeless, THC-infused party to mark everyone’s favorite stoner holiday.

Here’s how it’s gonna go: On Saturday, April 20th, at 6 p.m., DeLone will be serving four courses paired with “cannabinoid-infused beverages [to] celebrate the spirit of 4/20 and the wonders of cannabis culture.” And they’re calling it the “No Booze, All Buzz 4/20 Munchie Madness Pairing Dinner” which pretty much tells you all you need to know.

Except, of course, what they’re going to be serving. But have no fear. I’ve got the full menu for you right here:

Hamunchie Crudo: Hamachi Strawberry, Jalapeño, Cucumber & Balsamic
Paired with Lime Cannabis Spritz, 2.5 mg THC made with Cali Sober Ranch Water

Loaded Potato Gnocchi: Cheddar, Guanciale, Sour Cream, Green Onion, Fried Potato Skins
Paired with The Mellow Mike, 10 mg CBD made with Flyers Bklyn Gold

Italian Chicken & Waffles: Fried Chicken, Tomato Waffle, Sun Dried Tomato, Charred Spring Onion & Honey
Paired with Weed Wooder, 1 mg THC made with Mighty Kind Watermelon D9 Cannabis Seltzer

Up in Smoke S’more: Chocolate Brownie, Burnt Marshmallow, Chocolate Custard, Graham Cracker
Paired with Elevated Espresso Martini, 1 mg THC & 5 mg CBD made with Endo Medium Dank Roast Nitro Cold Brew

Okay, for starters? Italian chicken and waffles sounds delicious. I think it’s worth going for that course alone. But for anyone concerned about wigging out and going all Reefer Madness in the middle of a fancy dinner, it should be noted that the total amount of THC that will be consumed is 4.5 mg — below the legal limit for micro-dosing, like taking two hits from a joint of ’90s-style ditch weed — and 15 mg of CBD (equivalent to chewing a couple of gummies). It’s not enough to make you go out of your mind, but just enough for you to feel a little loose.

Tickets to this Italo-hippie waffle party will run you $120. You can make your reservation through Nunzio’s website, or on Tock, right here.

Moving on …

Dionicio’s Really Big Week

Chef Dionicio Jiménez and Mariangeli Alicea Saez. / Photograph by Kerri Sitrin

Chef Dionicio Jiménez from Cantina La Martina (which I just reviewed for this month’s issue) had a very big week last week.

On Instagram, there’s one epic post from consultant Kerri Sitrin talking about all of it, but here are the highlights:

First, there was the review. Yeah, I gave the place four stars. Inasmuch as I think the star system is stupid, broken, classist, pointless, lazy, wrong and essentially just a tl;dr for people who hate words, if I’m still forced to bestow them on restaurants (which I am), then I want them to mean something. Cantina La Martina is one of the best restaurants we have in one of our neighborhoods hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, housing crisis and endemic poverty. Everyone should go there, and everyone should do it with their eyes wide open. End of sermon.

After that, Jiménez and his Cantina partner, Mariangeli Alicea Saez, announced that they were opening a whole second restaurant — this one in Ambler, at 9 North Main Street. Called La Baja, it’ll be a small, BYO, and focus on the flavors of Baja-style Mexican cuisine crossed with Mediterranean and Asian ingredients. It’s something he flirts with a little at Cantina, but here he’ll be able to stretch some of those muscles he got cooking for Vetri back in the day and play around a little with Asian inspirations, and if that means more dishes like the ramen pozole he has on the board at Cantina, I’m all in. No hard date for the opening yet, but it’s looking like kinda soon …

And after all that, Jiménez and Saez went and got married! I know, right? That’s a bonkers kind of week. But still, they found the time. If you’re interested in seeing some wedding pictures, there are some posted here. But this one is my favorite.

And don’t forget, Cantina also has a huge Cinco de Mayo party coming up on Sunday, May 5th. So keep an eye out for more information on that, too.

Federal Donuts Announces Plans for World Domination (Beginning With the Philly Suburbs)

A full spread from Federal Donuts & Chicken / Photograph courtesy of CookNSolo Restaurants

Dionicio and his crew aren’t the only ones who’ve had their eye on the suburbs lately. We’ve now got word that the crew from Federal Donuts & Chicken (their new, grown-up name) have spots picked out in the ‘burbs for their next three expansions. I’ll list these in order of size:

With the smallest footprint, there’s the 1,250-square-foot location at 4021 Welsh Road in Willow Grove. Next, there’s the Radnor store with 1,550 square feet at 200 Radnor Chester Road — which is basically inside that same, weirdly confusing hotel/strip mall/office park as that new Amada location I wrote about not too long ago. And finally, there’s the biggest of the bunch: the new Conshohocken location clocking in at 1,700 square feet, in the Plymouth Square strip mall at 200 Ridge Pike. There are no opening dates yet for any of these locations, which is a little worrying, but I’ll be keeping an eye on all three of them.

Something else to keep in mind: These three new locations are all franchise stores. More importantly, they’re the first franchise stores of what looks like its going to be a major push to put a Federal Donuts and Chicken in every backyard. The announcement of these three new locations came from FedNuts World Headquarters along with a promise that there is going to be a bunch of new openings in the Philly area and franchise opportunities both on the regional and national level.

So yeah, that’s a big jump. But don’t worry, because no matter how big they get, just remember: We loved Federal Donuts before they were cool.

Now who wants some Leftovers?

The Leftovers

Smoothie from Breezy’s Deli & Market / Photograph by Scott Campbell

If you happen to find yourself at Terminal C at the Philadelphia International Airport and hungry for a little brunch, I’ve got some good news for you. Sabrina’s Cafe just announced that they’ve now got their first airport location up and running. The menu will offer the same kind of comfort food that all the other Sabrina’s locations are known for — cannoli French toast, Lucky Charms matcha lattes, teriyaki salmon bowls, the works. Only now you’ll get to eat it while waiting for them to call your flight to SeaTac.

Speaking of comfort food, Breezy’s Deli & Market opened last week at 23rd and Washington. I really like the description of this place that’s being pushed by their PR: “Think of Breezy’s as if a chef opened a Wawa.” And also, there are robots there.

Behind the counter, they’ve got hoagies. On the floor, grab-and-go coffee, snacks, local produce and some basic groceries. And then, handling the smoothies, slushies and mixed drinks, Breezy’s Botrista — the smoothie-making robot. The cynic in me wants to be pissed off by every soul-sucking development like this that erases the humanity of our shared experiences. But the super-nerd in me just yells, “Check it out! Robots!” and then runs gleefully into the arms of our cold, smoothie-scented overlords.

The new Point Breeze shop is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., every day but Monday.

You guys know Stone’s Beer & Beverage Market? It was a neighborhood beer store, open since 1955, that was bought in 2019 by Nick and Jen Wendowski in order to keep the well-known local shop going.

In 2022, the landlord tore down the entire building, forcing a temporary move to Brewerytown. But now, after more than a year of rebuilding, it looks like Stone’s is coming back to its original home at 17th and Fairmount Avenue late this month, with a grand reopening party already scheduled for Saturday, June 8th.

The new digs have been completely revamped and will now include three rotating beers on tap (mostly local breweries and exclusive brands) for customers to try, a huge walk-in, craft kegs, a seating area up front for people to just hang out and have a beer, plus room for a variety of community events. All of that, plus what the Wendowski’s call the “best online beer buying experience in the city,” are all heading back to the old neighborhood later this month. Here’s hoping the new Stone’s lasts another 70 years.