Haddon Avenue Is Having a Moment — and Your Fork Should Pay Attention

There are stretches of road in South Jersey where you can feel a food scene changing under your feet, and right now Haddon Avenue is one of them. Something is happening in this dry town, and it smells like roasting chiles and fresh masa and, yes, a little bit of Philadelphia pork.

A chef bets on plant-based

Start at 900 Haddon Avenue, where Quick Bitez has opened its doors. It’s a grab-and-go concept built around fresh, plant-based food, and it’s the work of William “Chef Will” Atkins, a private and corporate chef who decided Collingswood was where he wanted to plant something of his own. I love this kind of opening — a trained chef betting on a fast, honest format instead of white tablecloths. Plant-based food lives or dies on whether it actually tastes like something, and a chef’s hand is exactly what separates a sad bowl from a crave-worthy one.

The one that made me gasp

A few doors of the same avenue’s spirit away, the news that made me actually gasp: Paloma, a modern Mexican restaurant, has moved into the space that used to be Tortilla Press. Now, Tortilla Press was a South Jersey staple — the kind of place people got engaged at and mourned when the lights dimmed. Taking over that address is not for the faint of heart. But Paloma comes from the people behind The Boiling House and Orale Tacos, and that pedigree tells me they understand exactly what they’ve inherited. Modern Mexican, done with real technique, in a room this town already loves? I’m circling a date on the calendar. If the mole has depth and the tortillas are made in-house, Collingswood won’t just forgive the change — it’ll fall in love all over again.

The tired old idea that you have to cross into the city for a serious meal is dead. It’s being buried one storefront at a time, right here on Haddon Avenue.Sophia Marino

South Philly crosses the bridge

And for those of us who believe a great sandwich is a sacred thing, hold onto your napkins: Angelo’s Pizzeria, the iconic South Philly operation, is bringing a full-service restaurant to West Collingswood Heights. They’ve purchased the former Di’Nics Roast Pork & Beef property, which is almost too poetic — a legendary Philly kitchen setting up in a building that already fed people roast pork for years. No firm opening date yet, but the crossing of that bridge is real. When a South Philly name that people wait in line for decides South Jersey is worth the move, that’s not a coincidence. That’s a food scene earning respect.

Zoom out and you can see the pattern. Over in Moorestown, King’s Road Brewing — the Haddonfield and Medford favorite — is opening a third location, Community House Brewery, inside a century-old mansion. Add it up and you’ve got chefs, restaurateurs and brewers all deciding that the customers out here are worth cooking for.

I’ve eaten my way across this region for years, and I can tell you: the tired old idea that you have to cross into the city for a serious meal is dead. It’s being buried one storefront at a time, right here on Haddon Avenue. Come hungry. I’ll see you in line.

Based on reporting from Cherry Hill Patch, Collingswood Patch, AOL/USA Today Network and South Jersey Food Scene.