The Little Tuna's Big Deal

A good deal is hard to find; you don’t have to tell me. The holidays murdered my bank account, like they always do, and January is simply a breather for me before I get punched in the face by a slew of February and March birthdays and holidays. I’m not complaining, though. Far from it. My point is, I need to be frugal for a few weeks while my finances recover for the next bout.  My wallet is like a boxer, and if it doesn’t get the proper rest and training before its next beating, I’ll be in serious trouble.

So where does that leave me? I love eating like I love breathing, and man can not survive on Ramen noodles alone.  I’m looking for deals around these parts, and to my great pleasure, I stumbled on a doozy.

Have you been to in Haddonfield? I’m sure you have, or at the very least, you’ve heard about it.  As an avid seafood lover, it’s been on my “to-do” list for a while, but with so much ground to cover, I haven’t had a chance to stop in.  I recently heard about a special three-course menu they serve every night between 3 and 6:30 p.m. for $19.99. Who knew?

Anyway, the basics: the $20 menu is essentially a soup, a salad and an entrée. The options were enticing, but I was a little apprehensive about portion size for a couple of reasons. The price is almost too good for three courses at any restaurant not called Applebee's, and the soup, salad and entrée lineup is usually a lunchtime thing.

To my great relief, the apprehension was for naught. I was so full before I left that I successfully shattered my New Year's resolution in record time. And the food! It was really good! The spicy crab soup was tasty with just enough zing to satisfy without being overbearing, and the lobster bisque was more lobster than bisque, and delicious to boot.

I was also partial to the three-bean salad as the second course, tossed in a tangy Greek dressing. As a devout carnivore who opts for literally anything over salad every single time when given the option, I had overlooked the second course of the menu as a necessary evil, and was pleased to have enjoyed it so much.

The entrée was the real payoff. I tried the blackened ahi tuna and the flat iron steak, and both were excellent. If I had to find one thing about the meal that didn’t exceed expectations, both the steak and the tuna came out slightly overcooked, but it wasn’t enough to derail an otherwise fantastic dinner. The tuna was wonderfully fresh, tender and seasoned beautifully, ditto the steak. Both courses came with a healthy portion of mashed potatoes, also great.

When the meal was finished, I felt like I’d done something criminal by eating so well for so little. Even the service, an oft overlooked aspect of dining out that I personally think is almost as important as the food on the plate, was absolutely top notch. A great meal can be spoiled by a rude server, and the front of the house at The Little Tuna is an A+. With great food, great prices and great service, I’ll gladly return.

Morsels

• Haddonfield is hosting its third annual In-Store Sidewalk Sale on Friday and Saturday. The event features specials and discounts at many of Haddonfield’s shops and boutiques and sounds like a great excuse to grab lunch at some of Kings Highway and Haddon Avenue’s wonderful restaurants.

• Collingswood Mac-Off! The Food Bank of South Jersey’s third annual “Mac Off”, a celebration of macaroni and cheese that just sounds awesome, will take place at the Scottish Rite ballroom in Collingswood on Jan. 16 from 5 to 9 p.m. The challenge is for local chefs to create mac and cheese dishes in their own image. Audience members will be allowed to taste the results. Admission is $10/adults and $5 children. I’ll be there!

• If you know of any other great deals like the one at The Little Tuna, let me know! I’m always on the lookout for great food at a great price.

• I watch a lot of Man vs. Food, and if you don’t, you should. Adam Richman features some of the best pig out spots around the country, and it’s must-see TV before going on vacation. Anyway, it’s given me a hankering for novelty spicy food destinations that I just can’t seem to find around here. My request: if you know of any places in the area that have food that will ignite my taste buds, let me know IMMEDIATELY!  And not just buffalo wings; I want spicy pizza, spicy burgers, spicy anything. Satisfy my needs, and lunch is on me!

(Have a tip about the Collingswood and Haddonfield restaurant scenes? Want to see your favorite restaurant profiled in this column? Email David Valiante at davevaliante@gmail.com.)