Vol. 5 No. 3, March 2008
RSS Feeds
Roll out the Barrels
Barrels of Linwood • 199 New Road at Central Square • 609-926-9900 Barrels of Margate • 9 South Granville Ave. • 609-823-4400
Experience mixed with good food is a sure recipe for success in the restaurant business. Sister-brother team Rose Gualtieri and Joe Franco have perfected the formula at their two Barrels restaurants, in Linwood’s Central Square and Margate.
Rose runs Barrels in Margate and Joey oversees the Linwood restaurant, both staffed by multiple generations of the family. Gualtieri and Franco learned the business from their parents, who owned a bar/restaurant in South Philadelphia. Their father Johnny, a portly man, was nicknamed “Barrels”—hence the name.
After running a takeout location for five years in Ventnor, Gualtieri opened a takeout Barrels store in 1994. In 1998, she bought a property in Margate for a full-sized restaurant. Joe opened the Central Square Barrels in March 2000.
Both restaurants have full-service, sit-down dining rooms and takeout. Most of the menu items are Italian, although they do not serve pizza.
Every day, each location has several homemade soup specials ($1.99 for cups, $3.95 per pint and $7.95 for a quart). The soups are so popular, people often stop by to stock up on their way out of town. Takeout is key at Barrels; Franco says more than half their business at both sites is takeout.
The lunch and dinner entrees differ in portion size and price. Pastas are served with a choice of several homemade sauces. Only the lunch menu includes dozens of hot and cold sandwiches. Popular specialties include chicken, pork, turkey and prosciutto sandwiches. There are also salads and appetizers. Lunch prices range from $3.95 for sandwiches to $8.95 for platters.
The dinner menu lists varied hot and cold appetizers, from $3 to $13; salads come in two sizes, with small plates ranging from $6 to $13 and large entrée-sized salads costing $8 to $16.
Fourteen chicken dishes may also be ordered as veal versions. A wide variety of fish and seafood is cooked in several styles that are complemented by fresh vegetables, sauces and condiments.
The chicken dishes average in the low $20s and the veal entrees average the mid-$20s. Numerous pasta dishes, from $13 to $21, may be accented with homemade meatballs and sausage. The eggplant rollentini, involtini and lasagna are signature homemade dishes.
A refrigerated display case showcases delectable desserts such as tiramisu, cheesecakes, carrot cake and their award-winning cannolis. As an extra treat, everyone receives a handful of mini chocolates with the dinner check.
CHEF'S CORNER
Shrimp Franchaise
Lightly battered sauteed shrimp served over linguine
Ingredients (serves 1 to 2)
6 to 8 large shrimp
2 eggs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 fresh lemon juice
3 to 4 oz. butter salt, white pepper and parsley to taste
To Prepare
Whisk eggs in a bowl, add parmesan cheese and blend.
Cut shrimp down the middle to butterfly. Dip shrimp in batter until coated. Saute shrimp in light oil until golden brown, approximately one minute. Set aside.
To create sauce drain oil from pan and add chicken stock. Add lemon juice and thicken sauce with butter. Add shrimp to heat through and season with parsley, salt and white pepper. Serve over bed of linguine or other fresh pasta.
