Amanda Celebrates Her Birthday at Amanda's

Amanda's

http://amandasrestaurant.com
908 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
2201-798-0101

The better half of Garden State Grubber's name is Amanda, and ever since our very first time in Hoboken, when we saw that a restaurant was named "Amanda's", she has wanted to go. Aside from it's fantastic name, the food was highly regarded by people who's opinion about food we respect. It happens to be a little pricey, so we were waiting for a special occasion to go. She loves brunch and her birthday was on a Saturday this year, so that obviously made sense; reservation made! 

We did not want to intrude on our family too much, so we only took a few pictures. To start we both ordered the Smoked Salmon with Capers & Diced Onions. The Appetizers for brunch at Amanda's had a minimal approach, but they were delicious nonetheless. The smoked salmon was light, but with rich flavor and it paired perfectly with everything it came with. It was everything you want on a Sunday morning, and did not leave you too full for the next course. 

The Eggs Benedict with Crab Hash was a special that day, and two key words when it comes to brunch for us are "Hash" and "Benedict", so the marriage of both made this a natural selection. The hollandaise sauce was lackluster, and slightly solidified on top of he egg. The egg itself was cooked very well. Overall the dish was good, but missing depth and thoughtful execution.

We also ordered the Frittata with Mozzarella, Tomatoes & Eggplant. The frittata was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. Home fries can make or break a breakfast or brunch in my opinion, and unfortunately par boiled potatoes finished on the flat top just did not cut it. Home fries deserve onions and peppers,  not to just be thrown on, alone as an afterthought. The frittata was light and fluffy, but I would have much preferred the cheese to be incorporated in the frittata instead of melted on top. 

We will be going back to try a few of the other dishes that we were debating between (the croissant french toast is one of them). The service at Amanda's was impeccable. The decor and atmosphere are so quaint. We definitely will be going back to try their dinner menu, we want to see if the creativity comes out a little more through that menu. The restaurant itself is beautiful, and we would not hesitate to recommend it, but just do not prepare yourself to be blown away. 

Garden State Grubber Does Smorgasburg...Brooklyn Bridge Park Edition

Smorgasburg: Brooklyn Bridge Park

http://www.brooklynflea.com/markets/smorgasburg-dumbo/

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Sundays 11am - 6pm

*This post is particularly about the Dumbo event.*

We liked this event location better. The view of lower manhattan is incredible, it is spread out well, and there are so many things going on at the piers for you to walk around and explore. 

The infamous RAMEN BURGER! We got to Smorgasburg relatively early and had heard rumors about the ramen burger and the giant line you have to wait on to get this culinary masterpiece in your hands, so we went there first. We waited a few minutes, but nothing crazy. Cheese or no cheese? We chose none, maybe this was an amateur mistake. Besides being an utterly weird texture, the burger itself, we're sorry to report, was just okay. Definitely try it for the sheer novelty of trying it, but don't expect to be blown away. 

Although one of us is allergic to coconuts, the other always insists on having coconut water in our apartment. Fresh coconut? Even better. You run the risk of looking like a hipster by walking around with this, but don't worry, you're in Brooklyn, you'll fit in just fine.

Peking duck spring rolls...need we say more? These spring rolls from Lumpia Shack were so delicious. They were covered in a spicy hoisin and ginger sauce. If there's anything better than duck, its duck and hoisin. Although maybe steaming hot fried spring rolls were not the best choice for a hot summer day, we would order them again in a heart beat. Also, while some offerings are a bit overpriced, the amount of spring rolls you get is totally worth it in this case. 

Shout out to Iron Chef Mario Batali and Cronut creator Dominique Ansel who were there for a RED event judging a food offering from each vendor that day. We did not stick around to see who won, but what a great way to earn money for an important charity.

And the finale... the Goodwich from The Good Batch. The salty combined with sweet creamy ice cream and the chocolate in the cookie, it is just the perfect combination making it a completely fulfilling dessert. Go there early before they run out of a flavor you may want. There is always a line, but it seems to move quickly because they are pre-made. We unfortunately were only able to try this particular "wich" because one of us has a nut allergy and the other two choices contained almonds and pecans, but it was not disappointing in any way!

We did not take that many pictures this day, we're sorry, the heat had us out of our groove. We do suggest trying the drinks that each booth offers, all were refreshing and tasty. Because of the layout, we would recommend this location over Williamsburg.

Garden State Grubber Does Smorgasburg...Williamsburg Edition

Smorgasburg: Williamsburg Edition

http://www.brooklynflea.com/markets/smorgasburg/

East River State Park (90 Kent Ave at N. 7 St.)

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Saturdays 11am - 6pm

*This post is particularly about the Williamsburg event.*

We know this is a New Jersey blog, but with New York being a hop, skip, and a bus, train, or ferry ride away, we had to check out Smorgasburg. We heard so much about it, and honestly, is there anything better on a beautiful weekend during the summer than a fair that includes delicious food vendors? To us, there is not. Besides the vast array of food options, the best thing about Smorgasburg is that because it is there every weekend it does not have the extreme crowd and novelty effect that festivals that occur only once have. Do not get us wrong, it does get crowded, but never to the point where you are overwhelmed or have to wait on hour long lines. Our recommendation is go early, enjoy the food and the view of Manhattan, and then, by the time it starts to get crowded, you'll be stuffed and ready to leave anyway. 

We began with Dan and John's buffalo wings. Deep-fried and sauced right in front of you. You have the choice of different sauces, from mild to BBQ to extreme heat levels. Buffalo wings have to follow three rules to be a success, NO jumbo wings, NO breading, and a sauce that blends heat and flavor together. These wings delivered on all three levels. We would like to have these wings on a Sunday, watching an NFL game with beer to give them a fair judgement, but in the Brooklyn heat on a Saturday afternoon, they passed the test. 

One of us, is usually not a huge fan of sausages, but when we read the options that TXORIZERIA had to offer, the one convinced the other and we headed to the booth. The  buns were homemade, they were extremely flavorful, and the casing was not tough. The bread was perfect, not too soft or too dense. The sausage was full of flavor and of course it had the perfect snap to it. The chimichurri sauce was a great artisan touch that elevated the sausage immensely. 

We love a good scallion pancake, but wrap it around well-seasoned meat and crispy vegetables, and we love it even more. There was a bit of a wait for the beef roll from Outer Borough. They told us to come back in 15-20 minutes, but to us this was not a big deal. The pancakes were freshly made right there, and the toppings added immediately after. Fresh, delicious, flavorful, and easy to eat while walking around. Perfection!

The Cemita Mexican Sandwiches & Taco stand was probably the worst stand we visited all day at either of the two Smorgasburg events we attended. We do not even know where to start. We saw someone walking around with one and fell for the novelty of the item. Sometimes you can have too much stuff and completely ruin a good thing, this is the story here. The dry meat, wilted lettuce, and flavorless cheese united to make this monstrosity of an offering. It is this simple, when you are one of a handful of specialty booths that are out to make the best of one particular item, make it the best!

Remember when we said you could ruin a good thing with too much, apparently there was no good thing to begin with. The taco from the Cemita both sounded simple enough in the description, it was not. Too much cheese, too much sauce, too much lettuce, and way too much meat. Tacos should be simple and you should be able to fold them without falling apart. The meat was under seasoned and left the taco without a good base.Taco's are about two things, a quality corn tortilla and flavorful meat, those two things should not be disguised with nonsense. 

And the finale, last but most certainly not the least, the lemon poppy seed doughnut from Dough. One of us was skeptical, a doughnut on a hot summer day? That can't be a good choice. This one of us was wrong. The doughnut was extremely light and doughy on the inside, while being perfectly fried and dense. The lemon glaze was heavenly. If we did not have an hour commute back to New Jersey on subways and buses, we would have bought a box of doughnuts and ate them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until we were able to go back to Brooklyn and get more. Did we make our point about these doughnuts? A-maz-ing! Once in a while you take a bite of something and it just makes you stop and realize how amazing life is, how great the day is, and how truly important food is to all of us, this was one of those bites. 

We know Brooklyn is not the easiest place to get to from New Jersey, but it is worth the trek. Try something new or an old favorite, but you will not be disappointed! Try as many things as possible.

From Food Truck to Creperie, Kraverie Satiates All Kravings

Kraverie

http://www.kraveriejc.com

24 Mercer Street

Jersey City, NJ 07302

201-737-5877

We are big fans of Korean BBQ and have tried the new fusion idea of Korean BBQ and Mexican food at a NYC food truck. It is fantastic! Although we have never tried the Krave food trucks in NJ, we read about the Kraverie and knew it was worth a trip to Jersey City. We ordered a lot of food to share and asked our waiter for it to all come as it was ready.

 The Korean Tacos are served with a kimchi puree, onion-cilantro relish, and sour cream sauce. They come in orders of three so we picked one Galbi Short Rib, one Spicy Pork, and one Bulgogi Ribeye. The toppings were extremely fresh and tasty, but did not overpower the meat. All of the meats were tender and seasoned perfectly. We could have made a meal of just these tacos and left extremely happy. 

The Burrito is filled with choice of meat, we got spicy pork, sticky rice, shredded romaine, monterrey jack cheese, caramelized kimchi, and sour cream sauce. It also comes with a house salad on the side. The caramelized kimchi and sticky rice made the burrito, it added a flavor profile to the burrito that was superb. Although the burrito was exceptional, the tacos were probably a better option for someone who wanted to taste all of the meat options that Kraverie offers. 

Bibimbap is a Korean rice bowl served with sauteed vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots, bean sprouts, spinach, shredded romaine, covered in a Korean sweet chili sauce, and a fried egg. We added sesame chicken because it was the one meat we hadn't tried. We have had hot stone bibimbap many times at different restaurants, and this was not exactly what we were expecting. The hot stone allows the egg to cook and the rice to get crispy. This was a very fresh twist on that. The sesame chicken was our least favorite of the meats, but if you won't eat pork or beef it is still good.

Last, but most certainly not least, the Korean Wings coated in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce. The hot pepper glaze was absolutely mouth-wateringly good. The fried chicken wing is cooked to perfection. The meat is juicy, the skin extra crispy, and the sauce the perfect consistency and amount not to overwhelm the wing. We will be dreaming about these wings for all the days to come.

Our bill was very reasonable in our opinion, especially considering how much food we ordered, and the fact that we had leftovers for later (which were not as good as first served, but still delicious none the less). Try this place and be adventurous! Everything we tried was great and we are sure anything you order here will not disappoint.

Crowded Local Italian Joint: Great Pizza, Lackluster Entrees

Trattoria La Sorrentina

http://www.sorrentinanb.com

7831 Bergenline Avenue

North Bergen, NJ 07047

(201) 869-8100

If you have ever driven down Bergenline Avenue in North Bergen on a Friday or Saturday night, you will see people waiting outside of Trattoria La Sorrentina. We had ordered pizza as take out from here before and it was very good! Thin crust and great toppings. Seeing the line outside, how could we resist?

We gave our names and were told about a 20 minute wait. We noticed returning customers seemed to get special treatment, which we think is a very nice way to treat returning customers, however we could see other patrons becoming irritated. When we were eventually seated we were quickly given menus, bread, and water. A waiter soon came over to ask what we would like to drink.

To start, we ordered the La Caprese salad, which consisted of homemade mozzarella with tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and a little basil. The mozzarella was extremely creamy. The tomatoes and basil were fresh and sweet. Simple and divine.

For another appetizer we ordered Agiolata E Gamberi, a white bean salad with grilled shrimp and olive oil. This appetizer was very oily, but the flavor in the shrimp was good and together the white bean and shrimp were a great pairing. 

For our main courses we ordered Penne Belvedere, penne with proscuitto and onion in a vodka sauce. The pasta was cooked well, but the sauce was a bit too much on the tomato side and not enough creamy vodka goodness. 

For our other main course we ordered Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina, a homemade gnocchi with fresh tomato and mozzarella. The gnocchi were big and fluffy and the sauce was well seasoned, but there was a little too much of it.The gnocchi was much better then the sauce that came with it. 

We will definitely order pizza from here again, however we will not wait for a table again here. The appetizers and entree's were not on the same level as the pizza and there are simply too many other extraordinary Italian restaurants in northern New Jersey to revisit here again. 

I do so like them, Sam-A.M.

Sam A.M. 

http://sam-am.com
112 Morris Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302
201-432-2233

We had originally planned on going to Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory in Jersey City. Driving up to the diner, we noticed the large line and decided it would probably be worth it. We parked and gave them our name for a wait that the hostess said would be about 30-40 minutes. We stood around staring at each other, hunger growing by the minute, and finally said what we had both been thinking; we've been in this position before and it was all too familiar. Standing at the Country Pancake House in Ridgewood, NJ, we waited and waited and when we were finally served our food, to our surprise, it was mediocre, simply huge portions. (Go there if you want over sized pancakes and omelets that fall off of your plate, but may we recommend Raymond's or Daily Treat as better options). Learning from past experience we decided to leave. We headed to our second choice, Sam A.M. As soon as we walked up, we were elated with our decision!

Sam A.M. is a small cafe style restaurant in a really quaint area of Jersey City. You can walk up and order coffee to go, fresh baked donuts and pastries, or sit down and enjoy some delicious farm-to-table style options from their menu. The menu is small, but from what we saw, everything was executed perfectly. They definitely have the right idea! We started with two cappuccinos. They had Stumptown coffee bags for sale, so we assumed they use this brand. They have great coffee and espresso! We also ordered an orange juice and a grapefruit juice. They were fresh squeezed right behind the bar, absolutely delicious!

For our meals we ordered the Omelet du Jour, which that day was cream of spinach, and the Veggie Scramble. They were both accompanied by toast and the omelet came with home fries as well. Both dishes were fantastic! Extremely flavorful and the perfect sized portions. The vegetables were fresh and the eggs cooked to perfection. The toast was thin and crispy, just how we like it! 

We originally ordered a biscuit, but they unfortunately ran out of them because this day they were serving biscuits and gravy. Instead we asked for a donut to share, they had mascarpone and dulce de leche that day, we asked for mascarpone. Unfortunately for us, they also ran out of those, but our waiter gave us the last dulce de leche donut on the house. This was very generous, and the donut was exceptional. 

If you are interested in great food made by people who appreciate the ingredients for what they are, we recommend you try Sam A.M. They take the time to create a menu that lets the ingredients speak for themselves. 

Italian Gem Becomes Part of the Family

Tutto A Modo Mio 

http://www.tuttoamodomio.com
482 Bergen Boulevard
Ridgefield, NJ 07657
201-313-9690

Everyone in New Jersey has an Italian gem that is their favorite place to go when they are craving this comforting, family-like meal. For the most part, people go to the same restaurant, know the owner and waiters/waitresses, know the other patrons, bring the same bottle of wine, even may have a specific table they sit at. We are not any different. So we know suggesting that you venture outside of your box to try a place that we recently found and like a lot is a little crazy, but we can't help it.

As appetizers, we ordered two of our favorites; a stuffed artichoke and eggplant rollatini. The artichoke is steamed and stuffed with herbs, bread crumbs, and cheese. It is perfectly tender, the stuffing and brother is extremely flavorful. It is not necessarily a "first date" dish, it's a little messy, but definitely worth it. The eggplant is sliced thin and rolled with a task mixture of cheese and herbs. The marinara sauce is tangy yet sweet, a great sauce (or gravy as some say)! 

For our main courses we ordered two of the specials of the evening: fettucini with shrimp, langoustines, and lobster in a pink sauce; and pappardella with braised short ribs. The short rib meat was extremely tender, the sauce was seasoned perfectly, and the homemade pasta was cooked flawlessly. A comforting dish that makes you feel warm on the inside. The homemade fettucini was al dente and the pink sauce complimented the seafood perfectly. Although they may not have these dishes when you try this place out, we are positive anything you order you will not be disappointed. 

               

For dessert, we ordered a cannoli and limoncello cake. Cannoli's are never the same wherever you order them. The shell and cream are always different and sometimes not in a good way. Tutto A Modo Mio makes a great cannoli! The shell is crispy and not bland. The filling is creamy and sweet. The limoncello cake is a great option for patrons looking for the nontraditional dessert, and who crave more tang than sweet. The cake was light and the lemon flavor was robust throughout. Both desserts were perfect endings to a superb meal. 

If you do not already have your own neighborhood Italian restaurant, are looking for a new one, or want to venture out and try a different one, we highly recommend Tutto A Modo Mio. We have eaten here a few times now, tried different dishes each time, and have never been disappointed. The staff is amazing and they make you feel as though you are a part of their family. Pick up your favorite bottle of wine and drive over to Ridgefield. We do recommend that you make a reservation, as there has been a wait almost every time we have gone. There are a few spots in the lot, otherwise park on the street. Buon appetite!

Authentic Austro-Hungarian Biergarten Exceeds Expectations

Pilsener Haus & Biergarten

http://pilsenerhaus.com
1422 Grand Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030

I know a lot of people tend to stay on Washington Street when they are in Hoboken, however, if you find yourself wandering past 14th street and towards Weehawaken, there is a fantastic gem called Hoboken’s Pilsener Haus & Biergarten. It is an authentic Austro-Hungarian beer garden in a huge open setting that is somehow also very warm and inviting. They have tons of imported beers on tap and craft beers by the bottle. If you are not a fan of beer, go for the food! A deliciously traditional biergarten menu is accompanied by the grill options (sausages, burgers, and more). Bring all of your friends and fill one of the big family style tables for an evening that is guaranteed to be fun!

We began with beers. We ordered an Oktoberfest and a Schneider Aventinus. The diversity in the draft selection is staggering; you will be sure to find something that you enjoy. If you would rather have a more familiar beer they also have a formidable list of craft bottled beers. If you want to make a statement order a liter, there is nothing like drinking beer from a medieval sized glass. 

We accompanied our beers with a bavarian soft pretzel. It is served with liptauer cheese and their house-made mustard. The pretzel is massive, soft, crispy, salty, and airy. Simply a perfect soft pretzel! The cheese is creamy, and tastes similar to pimento. The house-made mustard is fantastic! It is also great on their sausages, bratwurst, weisswurst, kielbasa, and frankfurters from the grill. 

To start we shared the steamed bier mussels. They are served in a smoky vegetable and weissbier broth. We all agreed, some of the best mussels we have ever had! If you like mussels, you have to order these; if you don't like mussels, you have to try these because they are very likely to change your mind. 

As our meals, we ordered wiener schnitzel and braised pork cheeks. The wiener schnitzel dish consists of two pork cutlets served with parsley potatoes, cucumber salad and a lingonberries sauce. The pork cutlets are extremely juicy and tender. The cucumber salad is tangy and cold, it is a nice contrast to the warm cutlets. As a person who is not a huge fan of potato salad, the parsley potatoes were delicious, closer to a German style potato than a traditional American potato salad; very tasty side. The lingonberry sauce completes the dish by adding a sweet element. Pair your cutlets with a bite of any of the sides and you will have a different experience; all of which are scrumptious. 

The braised pork cheeks are braised in caraway seeds, marjoram, and Haus Pilsner. They are accompanied with sauerkraut and pretzel dumplings. The pork cheeks were tender with an almost sweet flavor to counterbalance the savory and dense pretzel dumplings. The sauerkraut offered sour notes that tied together the entire dish. If you do not like sour flavors you would be better off with another dish, but for someone looking for a bold dish to pair with a great beer, look no further. 

In the past, we have had almost everything from the grill, it's all delicious! We have also tried the Hungarian beef goulash and the sauerbraten. We have never been disappointed here. We cannot say enough about the food. Whether you love beer or traditional beer garden food, we insist that you venture off of Washington Street and experience more of the smaller less known restaurants in Hoboken, NJ. A short walk, drive, or cab ride away, you may find yourself in a gem as well. Prost!

Hidden Turkish Treasure Becomes a Favorite

Dayi'nin Yeri

http://dayininyerinj.com/turkish_food/Dayininyeri.html
333 Palisade Avenue
Cliffside Park, NJ 07010

The better half of Garden State Grubber cannot get enough Mediterranean food. Since moving, we have had trouble finding a place to curve this constant craving. At the last second last night we looked up a few places, picked one, called in our order, and headed out to pick it up. To our surprise, this highly rated restaurant was less than 10 minutes away. The parking situation was difficult because there is no parking lot and street parking is hard to come by, so we double parked and one of us ran in. Sitting in the car with the window open, you can smell the delicious aromas radiating from the restaurant. We cannot imagine driving past everyday and being able to resist stopping. 

Inside of the restaurant was packed! Everyone was smiling and enjoying themselves, eating what we could only imagine was their delicious meals. We ordered a large Shepherd Salad, an order of Humus, two Lahmacun (we really like it, so we did not want to share), Cop Sis, and Tavuk-Doner combination platter. To our surprise we were also given a huge piece of Turkish bread for dipping and whatnot. 

The car immediately filled with that pleasant aroma that we smelled outside the restaurant. We wanted to rip open our bags and just start eating right there. However, we have some self-control, and decided we would enjoy it more if we waited until we got home and ate like civilized people. It was the longest drive of our lives. As soon as we walked through our door, we laid out our array of fare and dug in!

Lahmacun is ground meat blended with peppers, onions, tomatoes, parsley, and herbs on a thin, crusted dough. The crust was perfectly thin and crispy, while the meat topping was extremely moist and flavorful. We were very happy we ordered two. The Hummus was smooth, creamy, and a bit tangy. The Sheppard Salad had the perfect amount of acidity and was extremely refreshing. The Tavuk, or chicken, was succulent and by far our favorite of all of the meats we ordered. The Doner was well seasoned and very flavorful. The Cop Sis, or cubed lamb, was extremely savory. 

We are always impressed when a Mediterranean restaurant can elevate the flavors that seem so common from restaurant to restaurant, and Dayi'nin delivers. If you are as big a fan of Turkish food as we are, we highly recommend you check our Dayi'nin Yeri. It was well priced and extremely delicious. We will definitely be going back and will bring our friends and family. Hopefully next time we will be able to eat at the restaurant and add on to this experience. Yemek ve zevk!

Authentic Korean BBQ Steps from the GWB

Dong Bang Grill

http://dongbanggrill.com
1616 Palisade Ave
Fort Lee, NJ 07024

While my brother attended Rutgers University, we found a Korean BBQ gem called Kimchihana in South Plainfield, NJ (it's just off of Route 287). It was a new cuisine to us at the time, but we were hooked. Fresh, delicious, and filling family style Asian food; could it get any better? Since he graduated, we have no longer had an excuse to drive down there, so we had to find one closer to where we live in north Jersey. There are quite a few Korean restaurants in Fort Lee, so it can be quite difficult to decide which one you want to go to. We heard great things about Dong Bang Grill from friends, so the choice was made easy for us.


On a cold January evening, we decided to venture into the Tundra to finally try Dong Bang Grill. We had called ahead of time to make a reservation, but when we said four people, we were told to just come in. We assume they only take reservations for larger groups, but this is good to know. There is valet parking at the restaurant, which we took advantage of on the 10 degree evening. We walked upstairs and were seated right away. The dining room was relatively empty; one large group and a handful tables with two to four people at each. We were immediately worried that after over a year of wanting to try Dong Bang, we had hyped it up too much in our heads. 


The menu is large. Appetizers, BBQ, vegetarian, vegetarian BBQ, à la carte dishes, Japanese food, sushi (I forgot to mention they also serve Japanese food), and more. If you have never been to a Korean restaurant it may seem quite daunting, but if it sounds good it probably is, and we say, try it! Along with your food you are given banchan, which are small side dishes. This restaurant in particular seemed to give you a lot of them, which is definitely a good thing because they were all fantastic. 

For appetizers, we ordered Haemool Pajun, Korean style pancakes with scallions and assortments of seafood, and Goon Mandoo, homemade fried dumplings. We like to order BBQ, it is cooked at your table on a grill in the middle, so it is semi-interactive, and its delicious. For BBQ we ordered Galbi, marinated short ribs, Bul Go Gi, marinated rib eye steak sliced extremely thin, and Jae Yook Gui, marinated pork loin. We also ordered a Gopdol Bibimbap, vegetables, ground beef, over rice in a hot stone, and Al Jigae, spicy codfish caviar stew.

The banchan came almost immediately after we ordered our food, and the appetizers came shortly after. While we enjoyed the banchan and our appetizers, our waitress placed the first meat on the grill in front of us. She kept coming back to flip it and make sure it was okay, once it was cooked she told us we could start taking from the grill. 

All of the food we ordered was great! Two of us favored the Galbi the best, because it was extremely flavorful and juicy, while the two others favored the Jae Yook Gui, because it was spicier. We all agreed the Bul Go Gi was very good also, extremely thin, but the others had a bit more flavor from their marinades. The Bibimbap, pictured above, was a tasty side to share with the rest of our food. The rice gets crispy from the stone, and the sauce they give you to put over it is great. The Al Jigae was extremely flavorful and full of fish and vegetables. If you are a little more of an adventurous eater, order it!

We highly recommend checking out Dong Bang Grill if you are in looking to try Korean food or if you already love Korean food and are in the Fort Lee area. It was not what we would call a budget meal, but it was extremely filling and because this meal was shared amongst four people, we feel it was worth it. We also ordered a little more food than necessary. 

On another note, if you are in the central New Jersey area we also highly recommend trying Kimchihana in South Plainfield, NJ .

Hidden Cuban Gem on River Road

Rebecca's

http://rebeccascubanrestaurant.com
236 Old River Rd
Edgewater, NJ 07020

River Road passes through many small cities along the Hudson River and contains a lot of great restaurants. When in the area, it can be difficult to pick one. We love Cuban food and had heard from a few people to check out Rebecca's. Having driven in the area quite a few times, it did not ring a bell. Nonetheless, when we hear from more than one person that we need to eat at a restaurant, we usually make a point to go. When we made our reservation, the woman reminded us that they are BYO, which was nice because there is no liquor store walking distance of the restaurant if you forget. It is a bit difficult to find parking on Old River Road, but if you are patient, leave enough time, and are capable of parallel parking, it is a nonissue. 

When we arrived we were promptly welcomed, asked our names, and seated. The dining area is quant, while being very chic as well. The lighting is dim and romantic, making it a very date appropriate restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised by the ambience. Soon after being seated, our waiter greeted us, opened our wine, and brought us waters and bread. As we perused the menu, we found ourselves having a difficult time choosing. We tried to remember the recommendations on those who suggested the restaurant, and pictures we had seen online. 

We decided to start with one of our favorite staple items, guacamole with crispy plantains. There is nothing better than a good guacamole, and plantain chips are a delicious vehicle for enjoying it. The guacamole was cool and immensely flavorful,  while the chips were a sweet and salty addition. We also ordered Jamaican jerk chicken skewers. They were tender, a bit spicy, and accompanied by a creamy sauce to dip. 

The first entree that caught our eye was the ropa vieja, shredded flank steak, peppers, and onions in a red wine sauce. The sauce was immensely flavorful; tangy, perfectly seasoned, and the peppers and onions made it a bit sweet. The shredded steak was succulent and melted in our mouths. We have absolutely no complaints about this dish and highly recommend ordering it. 

If you are scrolling through the pictures on Yelp, the grilled double cut pork chop with roasted corn salsa is probably going to come up a lot, and for good reason. It seems to be a staple on the menu, and we would be lying if our mind was not already set on ordering it prior to even stepping foot in Rebecca's. The Flintstone-sized pork chop was seasoned masterfully, and, for the size of the chop, it was moist and perfectly cooked throughout. The corn salsa provided the necessary sweet and spicy elements to cut of pork, and the fried plantains were a delicious garnish to the dish. 

The warm bread pudding with bourbon sauce jumped of the page to both of us, and we quickly placed our order with our waiter. We unfortunately consumed the entire dessert before remembering to grab a photo of it, always a sign that we enjoyed something. It was moist, flavorful, and the bourbon sauce did not overpower the dish. It was one of, if not the best, bread pudding we have had. 

Rebecca's is a quaint restaurant hiding among the river front town of Edgewater. Once you step inside, it makes you feel comfortable and ready for a great meal. We enjoyed the food, service, and atmosphere. We both agree that we will back to further explore the menu and we want to urge everyone to take the time to enjoy everything Rebecca's has to offer. We will be heading back soon, especially to check out the terrace in the back that looked lovely. Buen apetito!

Mekong Grill is Pho-Tastic!

Mekong Grill

http://www.mekonggrillrestaurant.com
24 Chestnut Street
Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Friday evening, after a long week at work, like most people, the last thing we want to do is cook dinner. On our way home, our job is too decide what kind of food we want, how far we want to drive, and if we want to try something new or stick to somewhere we know is great. On a good day, we will both be thinking the same thing and it will take seconds to decide; but on a bad day, this process could take upwards of an hour. Recently it has been easy because we both have wanted the same thing; Mekong Grill in Ridgewood, NJ. When this spot first opened, we walked in unsure of what to expect, and since then it has been our favorite place to satisfy our Asian food cravings.

We have three appetizers that we like a lot; one being the Lemon Grass Beef Roll, another the Beef Satay, and of course the Chicken Vegetable Dumplings.  Dumplings are a life source in our relationship, we crave them, judge them harshly, and utterly enjoy them when they are as perfect as they are at Mekong. The sauce is light, but bold and layered with multiple flavors that go beyond the traditional dumpling sauce. The dumpling dough is almost see through, and steamed to perfection. They are filled to capacity with the fresh vegetable and chicken mixture. These are, in a word, heavenly, and we urge you all to go and indulge in these delicious dumplings. 

Pho was something that we both had not tried until last year. The pho at Mekong is a staple of the menu that delivers in flavor and is a dish that simply makes you feel good after eating it. The pho pictured below is a Hue Style Pho with spicy lemongrass beef broth. It is filled with huge portions of eye round beef, beef flank, Vietnamese pork roll, and shrimp dumplings. It may sound like an over cluttered dish in need of some refinement, but every flavor comes together and enhances the next. The accouterments of been sprout add texture, while the mint and lime add an overall freshness to the dish. If your a pho-newbie or a pho-niciado, you will love this dish!

We love Asian style noodle dishes and never shy away from trying a new one especially from a new style of cuisine. We tend to order the stir fried vegetarian thick rice noodles with tofu and mixed vegetables. This dish is delicious. The noodles were thick, so they pick up the sauce well. Also, there a lot of vegetables and they all keep their texture to give the dish depth. The tofu is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, while it takes on the delicate flavor of the sauce. We are not vegetarians, but do like tofu on occasion when its cooked well. But for those of you who do not, there is a non-vegetarian stir fried noodle dish as well, which is just as fantastic. 

For dessert we ordered banana crepes. The crepes are filled with banana, apple, and fried to a perfect crispiness. It is accompanied by vanilla ice ream. It is not too overpoweringly sweet for a dessert, it is perfect. We were told by the waiter if we are adventurous next time we should try the mochi. Since he was so helpful throughout the all of our visits, we will be taking his advice and trying it next time. 

Ridgewood has an array of restaurants to choose from, some good and some not-so-good, but Mekong Grill happens to be a great one. The food and service are both fabulous, plus the price is great. If you want to try a Vietnamese drink, there are quite a few options on the menu. If you want an alcoholic beverage with your meal, it is BYOB, but there is a liquor store conveniently right next door. We highly recommend checking out Mekong Grill. 

Fantastisch Deutsch Bäckerei

Heidi's Finest

http://www.heidisfinestbakery.com
47 E Ridgewood Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Ridgewood is a quaint town, both unassuming and welcoming. It has an all-American, small-town feel to it, and makes all of its visitors feel at home. One thing Ridgewood continues to deliver on is its culinary offerings. We have eaten a multiple spots in the past, and we are constantly looking for more to try in the town. The last few time’s while driving through we had noticed a small German Bakery called Heidi’s Finest. We decided last Sunday after a late breakfast to stop in a see what this small food gem had to offer.

Initially walking into Heidi’s Finest you are visually pleased by how all of the effort that was put into it. The tables are modern, while the stonewalls are a perfect contrast to the changing lights above. We decided that since we had just had breakfast that we would get some dessert to go. The server behind the bakery counter was very knowledgeable about each pastry, and told us that every item was made with the finest imported ingredients. He explained that their desserts were light and made with significantly less sugar and preservatives than other bakeries. We opted to choose a Cherry Cheesecake Bar, Apple Cheesecake Bar, Chocolate Pistachio Tart, and a slice of Marble Cheesecake. He packed them nicely for us and even gave us a 10% discount for no reason whatsoever. We felt that everything was priced well, but it was very nice of him to give us a discount, especially after we asked questions about everything. The most difficult part would be waiting until after dinner to try these tantalizing treats.

What seemed like days later, post dinner, we started out with the Cherry Cheesecake Bar; the cherries were tart and worked well with the light, airy cheesecake. The bottom layer of crust held up well, and we were both overly excited about our choice. It was light and did not leave us feeling full, which was good because we still had three more to try.

The Apple Cheesecake Bar was one of our favorites. It was an apple pie like topping that tasted homemade and delicious. It contrasted perfectly with the cheesecake bottom, just as the cherry one did. It was a gracious union between two of our favorite desserts.

The Marble Cheesecake was our least favorite. Not that it was bad by any means, but it was not rich like most cheesecakes. We both understood that he had told us that these
desserts were light and not made with an abundance of sugar, so maybe were both
just too stubborn in our ways when it comes to classic cheesecake. 

The Chocolate Pistachio Tart was a crowd favorite, and when we tried it we both had an understanding of the difference between Heidi’s Finest and other bakeries. The chocolate layers were light and airy, and never overbearing, while the pistachio layer on the top was an amazing compliment to the already complex dessert. Also, it was not overly sweet or rich, as some chocolate mousse desserts are. 

We will most definitely be returning to Heidi’s Finest in the near future. They also have soups, waffles, breads, pretzels, coffee, and more. Next time you feel the need to get out and do some work at your local Starbucks, maybe you should opt to make your way to Heidi’s Finest for a delectable treat and cup of coffee.

Colicchio Delivers at NYC Hotspot

CraftBar

http://www.craftrestaurantsinc.com/craftbar-new-york/

900 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

In preparation of our day of fun-filled craft beer festivities, we decided to have brunch at CraftBar in NYC. We often wait with baited breathe for our culinary guilty pleasure; Top Chef. The most recognizable person and mainstay on the show is Tom Colicchio. Tom always seems extremely well balanced and insightful when judging the contestants, and we have both always wanted to try one of his restaurants. We made a reservation and were seated right away. After ordering drinks, we began to browse the menu. There a lot of great options to choose from, but we eventually made our decisions. 

We decided to begin with the Charcuterie assortment to share. The assortment came with Mortadella, Speck Biellese, Chicken Liver Pate, Smoked Pig Head Terrine, and Pastrami Wagyu Beef Tongue. The standout of the sampler was the Pastrami Wagyu Beef Tongue, it was lean and delicious. The Mortadella and Speck Biellese were also very enticing, especially when paired with the olive tapenade and house made sweet pickles. The Pate was buttery and luscious, and was balanced well with the mustard seeds on top. Even non-adventurous foodies should try it!. The only one we did not particularly care for was the Smoked Pigs Head Terrine, it was gelatinous and the flavor was not enough to get past the texture. Overall, we recommend trying this!

After reading multiple reviews on different food websites, we knew we wanted to order the Rissotto Balls. The Pecorino risotto was creamy and the perfect consistency. The flavors were strong, and definitely had an extra layer of depth that most rice balls don't have. The tomato sauce had an inherent spiciness to it, that was not overpowering, but rather a perfect compliment to the risotto balls. It was immediately clear why people raved about these.

The pictures of swine that take up most of the back wall enticed us to order a side of Bacon. Not much to over analyze about this side dish. It was smoked, thick, delicious, and we all had no complaints.

One of us ordered the Craftbar “Double Stack” Burger with pawlet, bacon jam, pickled onions, oven roasted tomato, and bibb lettuce. This was honestly the best burger we've ever had. Juicy and cooked perfectly. The bacon jam was an ingenious addition. We added a piece of our side of bacon to the burger, not because it wasn't already amazing, but because this made it even more amazing. Highly recommend ordering it. 

The Veal Ricotta Meatball Hero was served with both provolone and parmigiana. The meatballs were moist and flavorful. The marinara sauce again had a hint of spiciness, but complimented the sweet element of the Ricotta. The only negative was the Hero bread itself. The bread was slightly soft and did not really support the bold flavors of the meatball and sauce. 

The Eggplant & Goat Cheese Panino contained marinated eggplant, eggplant chutney, goat cheese, and mixed greens. It was a good panini, but nothing special. The salty goat cheese was well-balanced with the sweet eggplant. It was a tasty sandwich that we would be unable to make on our own, but nothing special. We would try something knew over this next time.

One of us decided to be different and order breakfast, and we're glad they did! The Eggs Benedict was made with the normal poached egg, English muffin, and hollandaise, but also smoked salmon, a side of potatoes, and mixed greens. The eggs were cooked flawlessly, the hollandaise perfectly seasoned, and the salmon was a smokey and savory addition. Overall one of the best Eggs Benedict we've ever had. 

Overall we're really glad we chose to eat brunch at CraftBar. The restaurant itself was cool and resembled an industrial farmhouse. This chic hotspot of Tom Colicchio did not disappoint us and cemented, in our minds, his role as seasoned chef and head judge on Top Chef. We hope to try some of his other restaurants in the future.