Page 146 ⋆ Jersey Bites

Appetite Brings 4 Day Food Event to Red Bank

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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August 21, 2013

Appetite Brings 4 Day Food Event to Red Bank

Strap on your seat belts Food Fanatics, The Count Basie Theater has got an exciting 4 Day event coming in September that you don’t want to miss (And we’ve got tickets to give away, Woo Hoo!!)

APPETITE: A Gastronomic Experience™ features a different Food Celebrity on the main stage each night starting September 5th with Ina Garten. The days will be filled with engaging events including wine pairings, scotch & bourbon tastings, cupcakery, classic mixology demonstrations and lessons, plus food themed films on our big screen. Hear captivating talks from the most unique culinary perspectives on hot new trends in gastronomy, restaurants, coffee, wine, and craft beer, and participate in one-of-a-kind children’s activities. You can view the whole schedule here.

On Saturday & Sunday the Food Truck Court will feature the best food trucks in the tri-state area and the Patio will be rockin’ with live music, craft beers, and drink specials all day. Saturday morning the Bloody Mary Breakfast will feature a make-your-own-style Bloody Mary Buffet, choose from some of the wildest ingredients you can imagine!

Celebrity Chefs: Ina Garten (9/5); Anne Burrell (9/6); Joe Bastianich with special guest, Victor Rallo(9/7) on the Main Stage of the Count Basie Theatre.

OK, now for the big news, we are giving away tickets to both Anne Burrell’s show and Joe Bastianich’s show on our Facebook page. We’re going to be picking 20 winners, so you’ve got a really good chance at scoring a pair. Click here to enter to win.

Little Town NJ Pays Tribute to Local Movement

HeidiR

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August 20, 2013

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Little Town NJ Pays Tribute to Local Movement

There’s a moment when you arrive to the hostess desk at a restaurant and just know in some ethereal way that the meal you are about to have is going to be a deeply satisfying one. Little Town NJ gives such a feeling from the moment you glance at the brightly lit New York City skyline to the time you give your name to the hostess. With an inviting environment that happily screams Asbury Park and is reminiscent of the best parts of small town New Jersey, Little Town NJ is a place worth visiting.

A friend and I were seated in a cozy booth next the bar where we were able to admire old school candy jars filled with Bit-O-Honey candies and a skeet-ball nook that any arcade aficionado would appreciate. On a Wednesday night, every table around us was filled with smiling patrons and by the bar, groups of friends shared tid-bits from their day. We were pleasantly experiencing what felt like a Saturday evening with the vibrant crowd.

Our server, John, soon joined us and shared with us the vision of Little Town NJ – to bring the “small guys” as in local farmers to the table. Each item on the Little Town NJ menu is inspired by treasured NJ food joints and there’s an emphasis on local…even down to the beer and the honey. Acclaimed Executive Chef Jordan Andino prides himself on this fact.

Taking suggestions from John, we ordered Little Town NJ’s fullest Indian Pale Ale and signature cocktail. I’m not typically an IPA girl but the Exit 16 IPA, brewed in Somerdale, NJ, was so irresistibly smooth with a kick of pepper that I was stealing sips from my friend’s glass most of the night. Then, the Green Market Tippler arrived to the table with a refreshing amount of cucumber and muddled basil with a delicate honey after taste – I was wishing the whole time that I could bottle it up to sip on the shores of Long Beach Island for the remainder of the summer.

Our meal was just as memorable. Each dish was well-presented, some swoon worthy, and deeply flavorful. Chef Andino’s Classic Baked Clams, made with little neck clams from Cape May, were perfectly seasoned with garlic and herb butter and topped with just the right amount of breadcrumbs. The Belleville Beeps paid a fine homage to the classic New Jersey dish. The shrimp were succulent and well matched with the obviously fresh and tantalizingly spicy marinara sauce.

Finally what we had been waiting all evening for came to the table – Little Town NJ’s specialty Little Town Rice Balls. Our fingers were fighting to grab at each one, dipping them in a rich hollandaise sauce. Each bite was reminiscent of a deli made Taylor ham, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich and left our taste buds begging for more. We agreed that these rice balls were the sort of thing that one should have on hand in their kitchen for a rainy Saturday morning where there is no other option but to eat breakfast in bed. They were that delicious.

Dessert came and all bets were off. Chef Andino’s Carnival Cake is a funnel cake like no other. Boardwalk joints should look to this cake and praise it for the amazing thing that it is. Taking from the best funnel cakes that he has ever had, Chef Andino’s Carnival Cake is monstrous and is guaranteed to delight any sweet tooth. Slightly crunchy on the outside and heavenly fluffed on the inside, the funnel cake was curled on to the plate and covered with heaps of vanilla ice cream and fresh compote made from New Jersey blueberries and strawberries. Although our stomachs were at the point of bursting with fullness at its arrival, we couldn’t help but to keeping shoveling the Carnival Cake in to our mouths. (A Tip: You won’t find this item on the menu, it is a well-kept secret that you must ask for so speak up!)

It was clear throughout the meal that Chef Andino knows what he is doing back in the Little Town NJ kitchen. That, however, is not surprising since he has been in the kitchen since a mere ten years old and before 21 years old had trained with both Wolfgang Puck in his flagship restaurant Spago and world renowned Thomas Keller of The French Laundry – and also attended the world’s leading hospitality school, Cornell University’s Hotel School of Administration. His unpretentious style would not indicate his culinary innovations have received attention from the Food Network, CBS, Fox and The Wall Street Journal – he is much too modest to mention all of those who have sung his praises.

The charm of Little Town NJ, along with its quality food and service, make ir worth a visit.

Little Town NJ

310 Sinatra Drive

Hoboken, NJ 07030

201-716-7070

Open Monday through Sunday 11:00AM to 12:AM

The PR folks at Little Town NJ coordinated this dinner and we dined as their guests. The opinions in this piece are solely that of the author.

http://www.jerseybites.com/tag/heidi-raker-goldstein/ is our Bergen county regional editor. A locavore, cooking enthusiast, publicist and mother of three junior gourmands. Heidi is equally comfy in greasy spoons and high-end restaurants. When not visiting local farmers markets and farm stands in Bergen and Rockland counties, this New England native, former Manhattanite and Bergen county resident is busy running her PR and green marketing agency, Raker Goldstein & Co., buying food, planning menus, cooking food, writing about food or simply eating. Heidi also writes at Redhead With A Fork, a life|style blog. To reach Heidi, email her at [email protected].

Unionville Unveils Game Changing Chardonnays

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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August 19, 2013

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Unionville Unveils Game Changing Chardonnays

There is an idyllic winemaking operation tucked away in the hills of Hunterdon County, where a small passionate few believe they are about to change minds about wines that come from New Jersey. The air at Unionville Vineyards is thick with excitement and marked by bold, excited statements. The wines from the Pheasant Hill, Mountain Road, and Bell Well Vineyards are certainly the most highly-anticipated releases since the winery’s 1993 opening, and for winemaker Cameron Stark, it marks perhaps the greatest achievement in his career. “I say with confidence that the Chardonnays we are releasing next month, and the Pinots that are coming in November are the finest wines I’ve ever grown, and that includes anything I did during my time in Napa,” says Stark.

Twenty years ago, Stark, an East Coast native, stepped into the promised land of American wine production; the Napa Valley. It was still a growing wine industry at that point, and there was much for the young winemaker to learn as the wineries around him matured and grew as well. After spending nearly ten years at Napa mainstays Robert Sinskey Cellars and Merryvale Vineyards, Stark was left with a refined understanding of what it meant to create great wine- and a desire to make a name for himself in the business. He was ready to return to the East Coast and take the helm at a rising star in Hunterdon County-based Unionville Vineyards. The opportunity afforded him the flexibility to experiment and explore the possibilities here, a chance long since passed in old wine country like California.

“I came back here because by the time I was done with Napa, the discovery and exploration was complete, it had been done,” Stark muses. “It is much more gratifying to pioneer and champion a new industry, and really shock people with what can be accomplished in an area not typically favored as a grape growing region.” For the past nine years, Stark has combed through Unionville’s 54 acres, testing, planting, and when necessary, ripping vines out and replanting based on what grows best in each soil profile and microclimate. Unionville’s estate vineyards span across three counties in New Jersey, so there is tremendous variation in elevation, slope, and soil.

In particular, what Stark has identified as ideal central New Jersey grapes are the famed plantings of Burgundy- Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Unionville’s “Single Vineyard Series” showcases how these varietals differ from one vineyard to the next, using the consistent planting year, clone, and rootstock of the vines as the control to their experiment. “You get two wildly different wines from the two sites on opposite sides of the Sourland Mountain. One is austere, bright, and clean, while the other is rounder and fuller, with delicious Meyer lemon flavors. It’s like having Chablis and Cote d’Or, just three miles apart.”

It won’t be the first time that Unionville has bottled small production Chardonnay of high caliber. The 2008 Pheasant Hill Vineyard shocked the judges at the 2010 International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, earning Gold-Best in Class. It was the only wine from the United States to do so, besting entries from Grgich Hills, Mondavi, and Cakebread in the process. Two years later, they scored again as the best scoring NJ wine in the Judgement of Princeton in June, a blind taste competition between New Jersey wines and big names of Burgundy and Bordeaux. International wine writer Stuart Pigott gave high marks as well, comparing Unionville’s bottle to single vineyard offerings from California powerhouses Kistler and Marcassin.

Hampered by inexperience during the infancy stage of New Jersey winemaking, the state has been waiting for the watershed moment that will propel its wine industry onto the international scene. Unionville’s Director of Operations, John Cifelli, feels the Chardonnays represent that exact opportunity. “There are world-class wines being produced in this state, and there has been real momentum recently. You can feel things taking off for us and we fully expect these wines to change the way the world looks at grape growing in New Jersey.”

Tucked away on 90 acres of preserved farmland, Unionville will debut these wines Labor Day Weekend in grand fashion; with live music, catered grilled specialties, and bread & cheese tastings from Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse each day. The Tasting Room is open from 12-5pm daily, and they will be offering tours of the winery or vineyard at 1:00 and 2:30 on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

Unionville is one player in a coalition of northern New Jersey Vineyards known as Vintage North Jersey. These wineries, united in a commitment to quality and raising the bar of New Jersey winemaking hold several events and special wine trails throughout the year. The unique terroirs of New Jersey do not begin and end at Unionville’s properties, as glacial retreat at the end of the ice age left the hills of northern and western New Jersey with a rich diversity of soil types and microclimates. To explore these wineries, visit www.vintagenorthjersey.com.

Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill Debuts in Florham Park

Deanna Quinones

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August 18, 2013

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Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill Debuts in Florham Park

Last year, self-serve fro yo shops. This year, falafel joints? As easy-grab food goes, Mediterranean fare seems to be making inroads as the new healthy alternative to burgers for fast-casual diners looking for a low-cost meal that leans toward a better-for-you profile.

With its wide-ranging culinary landscape, Morris County is always a good place to follow food trends. Carmel Haifa has been quietly serving up delicious, authentic fare in a nondescript storefront across from the Morris Plains train station for a couple of years. Crisp, profiled here when it debuted earlier this summer, offers a quality vegetarian option on Route 10 in Denville. The Pita Grill is also expanding upon its multiple NYC locations and is now under construction in Morristown.

Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, a Denver-based chain, recently opened its doors in Florham Park and is a welcome addition to the Columbia Turnpike shopping center that houses Trader’s Joe’s, Nonna’s Italian Restaurant, Qdoba, and Red Mango. As the flagship NJ shop, this is the first of a series of Northeast franchise locations the company has in the works.

Garbanzo’s stated mission is to provide the “freshest, healthiest, most authentic Mediterranean food around.” They make their pita from scratch; prep copious amounts of veggies, herbs, and aromatics to create salads, sauces, and dips; and import authentic ingredients for use in their “original, unique recipes.” The result is a pretty impressive selection of flavorful, interesting fare that is well priced for a quick lunch or easy dinner.

The setup is simple: you step up to the clean, nicely laid out counter and build your entrée step by step, choosing first whether you’d like a pita (white or wheat), plate, or “laffa” (essentially a wrap). Next you pick your protein from a selection of well-seasoned meats (chicken or steak), portabello mushrooms, falafel, or hummus. Then you shift over to the toppings and sides area to pick and choose from a range of delicacies including feta cheese, kalamata olives, tzatziki, dolmas, tabuleh, and a slew of garlic-, lemon-, and chili-infused house-made sauces.

Kabob platters, served with rice, Greek salads with the same protein topping options, and daily soups are also on offer. Meals can be rounded out with fresh-made potato chips (super crispy!) and a selection of “signature” drinks including flavored lemonade and iced tea fusions like mint, hibiscus mango, pomegranate cranberry, and lemongrass. The kids menu includes a fun grilled cheese on pita option, served with a choice of chips, rice, or an apple. Baklava and cookies are also available, though are not made on the premises.

Garbanzo has a playful take on things, with clever signage posted around the bright, inviting space. Prices are in the $6 – 10 range, offering a great alternative to standard fast food for an affordable meal. This isn’t quite the same experience as sitting down to an expansive spread in a full-scale Greek restaurant (I’m looking at you, Stamna Taverna!), but the flavors, textures, and freshness are there. And hopping on this particular trend isn’t a bad way to go if you’re striving for a more healthful approach to your culinary lifestyle.

Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill

176 Columbia Turnpike
Florham Park
973-408-6500

http://www.eatgarbanzo.com

11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily

Take-out & catering available

Deanna Quinones is the Jersey Bites Regional Editor for Morris County. A freelance writer, blogger, and unrepentant chocolate addict, Deanna spent 20 years in the San Francisco Bay Area where life was good and the burritos even better. She recently returned to the Garden State and now resides in Morristown, where she and her Texas-born/Jersey-raised/California-found husband are raising two wild and wonderful kids. An experienced book marketer, award-winning greeting card writer, and entertainment writing dabbler, Deanna can be reached at [email protected]. (photo credit Pete Genovese/The Star-Ledger)

Food Truckin’ with Rosie’s Weenie Wagon

Lisa Pisano

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August 16, 2013

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If you’re ever on the Leonia/Englewood border on Grand Avenue right around lunchtime, do yourself a favor, and look for the aqua-colored food truck with prominent rainbow umbrella. Not only will you find inventive hot dog concoctions, but also an ebullient personality serving them up to you.

Meet Rosie, and her Weenie Wagon. Have a seat on her hand-painted portable bench. Order a famed “Rosie Dog” or two, an ice cold C & C Root Beer and stay awhile.

“We’re not just Weenies on Wheels” is the truck’s slogan printed just below the truck’s service window, and golly, is that an understatement, because it’s been more than just weenies Rosie has been peddling for the past two years.

She puts her heart and soul on a bun and has become — in her words, “the Weenie Bartender” — lending an ear and a smile to all who visit. Her stories have stories. But she’s saving those for a book one day. For now, it’s all about the “dogz” as she likes to call them.

Parked regularly on most weekdays (weather permitting) on Nordhoff Place and Sheffield Avenue, in Englewood’s industrial epicenter, Rosie’s Weenie Wagon serves quick bites to hard-working folks during the week, and brings smiles to the faces of kiddies and their families on weekends at various local festivals and open markets. She has a regular spot at The Closter Farmer’s Market on Sundays and has also done private parties and corporate events.

What makes Rosie’s Weenie Wagon so fantastic? Her creative hot dog inventions are essentially art on a plate, bursting with Latin flavors, vibrant colors and interesting textures. That’s because Rosie, the creator, is an artist and graphic designer by trade and a foodie by passion. Her dogs are one-of-a-kind — like her– and draw their culinary influences from Cuba, Mexico and even the great state of Hawaii.

And she’s one smart cookie when it comes to knowing the likes and tastes of her customer base. Due to the large Korean population of bordering Leonia, Rosie introduced The KimChi Dog, which includes spicy kimchi, bbq sauce and crunchy onions.

But it’s The Cubanoso and The Mexican Rosie Dogs that have her customers coming back for more. And at the price point of $2.50 a dog, they are getting a whole lot for their money.

Topped with homemade seasoned black beans, chili, potato stix, chopped raw onion and cheese, it’s easy to see why The Cubanoso is a fan-favorite while The Mexican boasts chili, cactus, jalapeños and cheese, providing a fiesta on a roll.

“Rosie Special” and you’ll wind up with TWO Sloppy Roe’s, a bag of chips and a soda of your choice

Not in the mood for a hot dog? No problemo. The “Sloppy Roe’s” are increasing in popularity amongst Rosie’s regular customers, with super-secret recipe ground beef, Thai sauce, cheese, ketchup, mustard and potato stix layered on a club roll. Make it a “Rosie Special” and you’ll wind up with TWO Sloppy Roe’s, a bag of chips and a soda of your choice (C & C Vanilla Cream, anyone?) for a mere $6.

Whether you order a side of nachos or rice and beans to spice things up or a Rosie Dog, you won’t be sorry. Rosie was taught to cook by her mother, whose Cuban recipes are a big influence on the way she approaches her menu.

The best way to follow that hard-to-miss aqua truck is to follow the Rosie’s Weenie Wagon Facebook page and/or Twitter account. Rosie posts daily and will let you know exact locale of the truck, as well as her specials of the day.

Lisa Pisano is a Bergen-county based lifestyle blogger, PR/Social Media consultant and content director. Her love and appreciation of food began at an early age, in the kitchen of her Italian-American home, and then extended to a fascination and enjoyment of all things foodie as an adult. Food is very much a central part of Lisa’s personal life — from partaking in culinary vacations and walking tours to dining throughout the NY/NJ Metro Area and developing original recipes. Professionally, she’s worked as the first in-house PR Manager of Manhattan’s Institute of Culinary Education and has provided consulting and content creation to food websites and restaurants. Lisa brings her passion for food, fashion, family and pop culture to life through her blog, mom a la mode. Follow Lisa on Twitter @momalamode and on Facebook.com/momalamode.

Woodland Park Fairway Firefighters BBQ Throw Down!

Terry Krongold

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August 15, 2013

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Fairway Market has a long history of supporting their local communities. For the last few years, the Paramus location has held an annual firefighters food face-off, a charity event where local firehouse teams compete against each other for the title of “Best BBQ.” The Paramus events have been very successful, and now the fun comes to Woodland Park!

On Sunday, August 25, beginning at “high noon,” five Passaic County firehouse teams will meet to throw down the gauntlet, BBQ style. Participating firehouses include West Paterson, Totowa, Little Falls, Wayne, and Hawthorne. Using food donated by Fairway, the firefighters will cook their tastiest ribs, burgers, and chicken or vegetable skewers. A secret ingredient, which all teams will need to include in their burgers, will be announced right before the contest begins.

The judges, with the envious job of trying to pick a winner, will be Keith Kazmark, Mayor of Woodland Park, Steve Jenkins, Fairway’s cheese monger, Terry Krongold, from Jersey Bites.com, Leia Gaccione, Chef de Cuisine for Bobby Flay’s restaurant Mesa Grill, and Sara Monica Gaona from SmallChickBigDeals.com.

The winning firehouse will receive bragging rights as the best Passaic County Fire Department grilling team and a $500 gift card to the store. More importantly, the first place firehouse will select the charity of its choice to benefit from a Fairway Market “Shopping Night,” in which 25% of sales will go to that charity.

This event is a fundraiser for the Woodland Park 100th centennial event in May 2014, which Fairway Market is sponsoring. To help with the fundraising, food will be available for $2.00.

The event will feature samples of the firefighters’ fare and food from Fairway vendors, along with the music of The American Bombshells, giveaways, and face-painting for kids.

“Firefighters are famous for being terrific cooks and are justifiably proud of the firehouse cuisine they create,” said Bill Sanford, president of Fairway Market. “We really enjoy shining the spotlight on them and their grilling expertise and giving the community a chance to meet and greet these local heroes. Plus, it is all done for a good cause, making the event so meaningful and important.”

Come support these brave firefighters in their quest to be the best BBQ firehouse team in Passaic County!

Sunday, August 25 (rain or shine)

12 noon

Fairway Market

1510 Rt 46 West

Woodland Park, NJ 07424

Terry Krongold is a life-long passionate baker. In addition to a full-time job in the pharmaceutical industry, Terry has been involved with food for many years, including co-ownership of a dessert catering company in the late eighties called I Love Cheesecake, specializing in fine cheesecake and unique desserts. Terry is the author of The Cook’s Tour, a blog focused on food, baking, and travel. When not working, writing, or baking, she spends time planning vacations around restaurants to visit. She can be reached at [email protected].

Yvonne’s Café: A Bite of the Amazon in Ocean Grove

Melissa Beveridge

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August 14, 2013

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Yvonne’s Café: A Bite of the Amazon in Ocean Grove

If you’ve ever walked down Main Street in Ocean Grove you know the streets are lined with green, red, and pink canopies that cover small tables or racks of clothing and specialty goods. There are always people walking about, some with dogs, others with shopping bags or beach chairs depending on the season. Under one of those green canopies sits Yvonne’s Café, a small restaurant with big flavor.

Chef Oleg was born in Romania and learned to cook throughout his travels in Europe and the U.S. He cooks up an array of innovative dishes including Yvonne’s classic Italian specialties like Eggplant Rollentini and Mediterranean pasta featuring sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, roasted red pepper, spinach, feta cheese, and garlic to less traditional fare like Pacu (more to come on that later).

Yvonne opened Yvonne’s Café 6 years ago and couldn’t be happier with its success. The night before I came, they hosted a food critic and had a packed Friday and Saturday house. I decided to skip the crowds and dine with them on a drizzly summer evening where my husband and I shared the dining room with a few other customers.

Stepping into the small restaurant, you feel immediately at home. The décor is rustic (the building is very old – after all it is Ocean Grove) and the ceiling is beautiful. We were able to sit by the window and enjoy the bottle of red wine that we brought.

Our waiter was on top of his game. He greeted us, opened our wine and then delivered homemade roasted red pepper hummus with crostini to the table. Let’s just say, this topped any bread platter that’s normally served at other restaurants. Perusing through the menu made both of our taste buds do dances of delight. My husband ended up ordering the Red Wine Braised Lollipop Short Ribs served over polenta and kale. I decided to be a little more adventurous.

While reading the specials, our waiter told us that one of the plates of the evening would be Amazon Pacu ribs – a species related to the Piranha. I kindly asked our waiter to repeat what he had just said because after all, we’re in New Jersey, and I’ve never seen or heard of eating Piranha anywhere in the U.S. (for those of you that have, I’m impressed). Now, I love trying new things and since my sister-in-law had just come back from studying abroad in Brazil, I figured I would try it out. Our waiter assured me that it was delicious.

For those of you who only think of Pacus as those fish with the extremely sharp teeth in the Amazon, well you’re right, but apparently they are also are quite edible. (I also couldn’t help myself and kept repeating the line from Finding Nemo “I’m a piranha!) The Pacu is a robust fish with an oval shape, which is flattened laterally. It’s dark grey to silver and features darker spots on the fins. Since they are naturally found in the Paraguay-Parana River basin, farmers have started to farm-raise because of their popular taste. After doing some investigating I also found that Theodore Roosevelt wrote about eating pacu in his book Through the Brazilian Wilderness where he said pacu “were delicious eating.” I have found that pacu can be compared to striped bass, tilapia, and rainbow trout. Who knew?

Then our dishes arrived. Large colorful portions. My pacu ribs (yes ribs, there were small slivers of bones within each piece of meat) were blackened and served with risotto and kale. The meat of the pacu was delicious. I would compare it to the flavor of dark meat chicken with the flakiness of tilapia. I would eat it again in a heartbeat and only wish that Wegman’s carried it in their fish case.

After our adventurous eating, we saved some room for dessert (Yvonne’s Café won the 2012 Judge’s Choice Dessert Wars competition). Because we couldn’t help ourselves, we ordered one of each dessert off the menu. Yes, I know, absolutely crazy, but we really just had to up our game after those pacu ribs.

Our waiter delivered every dessert to us and they were all tasty, sweet, and the perfect ending to our meal. We tasted the key lime pie (a favorite of mine and lime green, just like it is in Key West which I later found out was because Chef Oleg lived in Key West), the banana cheesecake, the strawberry cheesecake, the tiramisu, the flourless chocolate cake, and our favorite a dessert that had chocolate gelato, whipped cream, biscotti, and fresh made espresso poured right over the gelato and cream at the table in a beautiful wine glass. I don’t drink coffee or any caffeine, but it looked too good not to try. My husband later said it was the best chocolate “shake” he’s ever had.

After our visit to Yvonne’s Café, I couldn’t believe that we had never been there for dinner before. Not only was the food outstanding, the service was great, and you really couldn’t ask for a nicer owner and creative chef to serve you. If you haven’t been already, go try their food and be sure to be adventurous! It’s worth every bite.

Yvonne’s Café
54 Maine Avenue
Ocean Grove, NJ
732.775.9004
yvonnescafe.com
Open Daily for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Melissa Beveridge is a freelance journalist and editor, focusing on great food, healthy living, and wellness. Her passion for eating and living well embodies her writing. A lover of all things Jersey, she is also an avid traveler, always looking to discover those hidden culinary gems everywhere she goes. Her musings can be found on her blog mbeewell.wordpress.com. – See more at: http://www.jerseybites.com/the-team/#sthash.wcUGo7Ob.dpuf

Quinoa Tabouli Packs a Protein Punch

Jennifer Miller

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August 12, 2013

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Quinoa Tabouli is a delicious salad for parties and picnics as well a side or main dish. The traditional Tabouli recipe calls for Bulgur Wheat which tastes good but is carb laden but low in protein. This recipe using Quinoa adds 7 grams of protein per 1/4 cup. That is a vegetable protein power punch on its own. But add fresh herbs like parsley, basil and mint which are loaded with antioxidants plus olive oil, fresh lemon juice and garlic and you have a knockout that tastes fabulous. The cucumber and tomatoes are no slouches either, adding crunch and flavor! The best part of this recipe is it takes almost no time to prepare and can be served warm or traditionally cold. Either way the freshness explodes in your mouth. This time of year all of the ingredients are local and available, even better. Perfect for the Slow Food Movement taking hold in the country and the world, which promotes eating local and making good food available to everyone! And supporting local food traditions. Check the organization out at www.slowfood.com Many restaurants hold Slow Food events throughout the state.

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa

4 cups water

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

2 tbsp. fresh mint

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp. minced basil

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 small cucumber, chopped

1 medium Jersey tomato, chopped

Directions:

Combine quinoa with water and cook according to directions. Place into large serving bowl and all ingredients except lemon juice and olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently. Serve warm or cold.

Michele Errichetti is from South Jersey born and fed. She comes from an Italian family where they eat, live, and breathe FOOD. Michele was cooking and eating under her grandmom’s feet every Sunday for “gravy” and at home with her mother (a Medigan or American) during the week. Nowadays, she cooks for her two sons, husband, and father most days of the week. She takes “Girl Road Trips” with her friends at least once a month that always culminate with you guessed it, FOOD. She hopes fresh, local, organic, and free range will become the norm. Michele is searching Atlantic County for everything that has anything to do with good food and she’s taking you along for the ride.

Uncle Moustache, Fun French Lebanese Cuisine

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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August 11, 2013

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Uncle Moustache, Fun French Lebanese Cuisine

It has been a little over a year since Uncle Moustache the French Lebanese Bistro opened its doors in Montclair, there success has only grown. This cozy restaurant decorated in a retro style that reminds you of a bistro you could find in the Left Bank of Paris draws an enthusiastic crowd of diners every night and for Uncle Moustache’s fabulous brunch.

You’ll find all your Mediterranean/middle eastern favorites here, from Falafel or Foul to Mousakka and Shawarma. All fresh and prepared “Slow Food” style. Then there are the enticing “Pitzas” which of course is Pizza but Lebanese style. They also have dishes like the “Momo” burger, ground sirloin served on a challah bun with caramelized onions served with crispy french fries you will not forget.

And If you like french fries you are going to want the grilled lamb chops, which are tender and delicious, you get three chops, enough to share with fabulous grilled local tomatoes and a wonderful chopped salad. I like their focus on fresh local produce.

We have dined and brunched here many times and have always been greeted with welcoming smiles. Of course the food is fabulous. Of all the Middle Eastern cuisines you can enjoy in New Jersey, I do find Lebanese to be the most interesting and enjoyable.

This cuisine is a cross culture of various civilizations that have resided in the country over thousands of years including Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, Arabs, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Turks and most recently the French. The capital city Beirut was called the Paris of the Middle East.

For our dinner this past week we started off with a Fatouch, a classic Middle Eastern bread salad made from toasted or fried pieces of pita bread and vegetables and herbs according to harvest and the chef’s taste. Here it is a made with crisp cucumbers, lettuce, radish, tomatoes and sumac with a light vinaigrette.

I love wines from Southern France with tonight we enjoyed this Montgravet Cotes De Gascone Blanc, 100% Columbard. The bright citrus flavors of this wine contrasted so well with the dishes.

For our entrees I had one of my regular favorites the Chicken Tangine with with preserved lemons and green olives over couscous. The chicken is tender and just falls off the bone.

We also enjoyed the flavorful Lamb Kabab with grilled tomato, shallots and basmati rice. The lamb was herbed nicely and cooked to perfection the tomato, not all that photogenic, but very flavorful, and the rice made a perfect bed.

By then we had open a second bottle of wine, a luscious Cotes Du Rhone, Lavau Cotes du Rhone Villages, a Grenache and Syrah aged half in French oak which has a beautiful fruity yet smokey flavor that paired very well with our last courses.

We were having such a good time enjoying the vibe and cool Pandora play list running in the background we decided to indulge in dessert. Unable to decide on one we enjoyed a very sensual rice pudding and a beautifully natural pistachio ice cream. If you enjoy trying new dishes and a menu full of interesting, healthy options, do yourself a favor and put this restaurant on your “must try” list.

Uncle Moustache

702 Bloomfield Avenue
Montclair, New Jersey

(973) 233-9500

Peter Conway, a resident of Montclair, NJ, works by day in the business technology field. He began writing about food and wine in December 2005 as a learning venture into a new Internet publishing medium called “Blogs.” Peter has a passionate interest in wine and craft beer, and the foods that pair with them. He is completely self-taught, but fueled by his love of writing and fervent pursuit of new viniculture and culinary experiences Peter’s food and wine blog, manoavino.com has flourished and is enjoyed by thousands of readers around the world. He is often found in the kitchen creating some new internationally inspired dish or waiting by the oven for a delicious dessert to emerge. Over the years, living in the culturally rich New York City area and trips to Europe, South America, Australia, the Caribbean and Canada have provided many opportunities to explore the vast world of fine wine and craft beer. In addition to wining, dining, cooking and writing Peter hosts wine tastings for private parties and fund raising events.

Foodie Things to do This Weekend and Beyond

Events

Marina Kennedy

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August 9, 2013

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Foodie Things to do This Weekend and Beyond

August 9th: 38th Annual Peach Festival – The Women’s Community Club of Cape May will put on their annual peach festival to raise funds for local charities. Come by the Our Lady Star of the Sea Auditorium from 9 AM – 2 PM next Friday to enjoy coffee and cake for breakfast, sandwiches at lunch, and peach themed cobblers, cakes, pies, ice cream, etc, for dessert!

August 10th: Old Fashioned Honey Harvest – Visit the Howell Living History Farm from 10 AM – 4 PM on August 10th to meet bees on their best behavior! Visitors are invited to help with the clover honey harvest, uncapping and extracting honey. Even children are welcome to help spin the honey.

August 10th – 11th: Laurita Gourmet Food Truck Invitational – Food lovers will join together next weekend at the Laurita Winery in New Egypt for the first annual Food Truck Invitational. Fourteen of Jersey’s finest food trucks will serve up global cuisine, alongside Laurita wines. Admission is just $7 per day and advance tickets may be purchased online.

August 17th: EARTH Center Garden Field Day – The Rutgers EARTH Center will host a Garden Field Day and Open House from 10 AM – 3 PM for anyone interested in the earth! The County Master Gardeners will be present to give advice on “horticulture and environmental stewardship”. In addition to hamburgers and hot dogs, stick around for the 3rd annual “Greatest of the Garden” contest where attendees can show off their biggest, smallest, and most oddly shaped home-grown fruits and vegetables for prizes!

August 17th & 18th: Monmouth Park’s Shore Chef Cook-Off. The promise of show-stopping crab cakes from the Garden State’s finest restaurants and caterers will woo food lovers to Monmouth Park Racetrack on August 17th and 18th for the 7th Annual Shore Chef Crab Cake Cook-Off, tempting guests with a wide array of crab cakes, from gourmet to classic, moist and buttery to saucy and spiced, along with other seafood favorites and specialty items.

August 24th: Buffalo’s Spicy Wing Challenge – Buffalo’s Chicken Shack in Woodridge, NJ is offering a $1000 prize to the winner of the 2013 Spicy Wing Challenge. Eat the greatest number of spicy wings in 7 minutes to be crowned “Buffalo King”. Come to watch, or register to compete yourself! For those not brave enough to bear the heat, bring along some of your own wing sauce to enter the home-style sauce judging.

August 31st: West Cape May Tomato Festival – Jersey tomatoes in every form! Tomato jewelry, tomato soup, tomato tacos. Located in Wilbraham Park from 9:00AM to 5:00PM

September 7th & 8th: Appetite: A Gastronomic Experience – Located at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, this event is a must for food lovers. Each day will feature celebrity chefs, demonstrations and lessons, wine pairings, scotch and bourbon tastings, food trucks, and even kid-specific events. Tickets range in price and may be purchased online.

September 14th: Amateur Chili Cook-Off – The Grape Escape Winery in Dayton, NJ presents the second competition in their chili cook-off. The four amateur chef finalists will prepare chili, which you get to help taste and judge! A $40 ticket to the event will also get you Postino Restaurant food and tastings of wine and chocolate.

September 23rd: FBCC Culinary Classic – The Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties presents their 22nd Annual Culinary Classic at The Mill at Spring Lake Heights. The event will raise awareness and funds for hunger in the New Jersey community, especially with regard to the increased need post-Hurricane Sandy. Dozens of popular restaurants from the Jersey Shore will be present to offer samples of signature dishes, wine, cocktails and local craft brews. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit the event Facebook page.

October 5th & 6th: LBI Chowderfest – 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the annual LBI Chowderfest. There will be unlimited chowder tasting, live music, a food court, a merchant market, and beautiful views of the bay! General admission tickets are $20 ($10 for kids) and may be purchased online.

UCS Releases Report on Economics of Healthy Eating

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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August 8, 2013

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UCS Releases Report on Economics of Healthy Eating

Coinciding with National Farmers Market Week, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released a groundbreaking report yesterday, “The $11 Trillion Reward: How Simple Dietary Changes Can Save Lives and Money, and How We Get There,” during an 11 a.m. press conference at The Mount Sinai Greenmarket in New York City.

The report, authored by UCS agricultural economist Jeffrey O’Hara, examines the public health and economic benefits that would accrue if Americans consumed more fruits and vegetables—it finds that even one extra serving per day could have significant benefits. O’Hara was joined by representatives from The Mount Sinai Medical Center and GrowNYC’S Greenmarket, along with New York-based chef, restaurateur, and television personality Tom Colicchio.

Wednesday’s event coincides with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 14th annual National Farmers Market Week, which kicked off on August 4. Across the country, organizations are hosting events and spreading the word about the many benefits of farmers markets. “The $11 Trillion Reward” builds on O’Hara’s 2011 report “Market Forces,” which found that shopping at farmers markets is great for the economy and creates jobs in rural communities.

Catering Ideas at The Jersey Shore from Brulee

Jennifer Miller

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August 7, 2013

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Catering Ideas at The Jersey Shore from Brulee

Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix of Brulee Catering — Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix

I recently had the opportunity to interview acclaimed caterer and James Beard Award winning Chef, Jean Marie Lacroix, and Chef Thomas McMullen of Brulee Catering. Lacroix enjoyed the title of Executive Chef of the Four Season’s Fountain and then on to establish his namesake restaurant Lacroix at the Rittenhouse. Brulee are the official caterers to some of the most exclusive and sought after event locations in the area such as The National Constitution Center, The Please Touch Museum, Carpenters Hall, The Seaport Museum, The Masonic Temple of Philadelphia and The Independence Visitors Center.

In 2012 Chef Lacroix was invited to become a member of the First American Chef Corp, a US State Department initiative whose mission is to forge cultural exchanges worldwide through culinary engagement. And this year Brulee was asked to serve at the US Open, a massive responsibility and amazing honor.

Below is our information packed Q & A with Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix and Chef Thomas McMullen.

What kind of party would you most like to do at the Jersey Shore?

Weddings, with a ceremony on the beach are fantastic! Then catering receptions at private shore homes either bayside or oceanfront – we have relationships with a number of home owners who rent their properties for private events, as well as realtors with vacation rental properties perfectly suited for our clients. We love to create fun beach themes for deck parties celebrating anniversaries and birthdays. Private family gatherings allow our host to be a guest as we take care of all planning, set-up, service and food and drinks with a styled presentation that wows – often including chef-manned, interactive grill stations or dessert bar for a few elements of action. In Cape May for example, we cater events at the Convention Center, Nature Center, Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities and Sunset Lounge. Annually, we cater a private Night in Venice party for 300 guests at a shore home with tenting and a nautical backdrop – ultimately a gourmet barbeque and seafood spread for family and friends to view the parade of boats in Ocean City. Dusk Nightclub at Caesars in Atlantic City is a fabulous venue for us to book bar or bat mitzvahs and sweet sixteen parties. The lounge atmosphere is very nice for 40th and 50th milestone birthdays as well as something unique for corporate events and fundraisers.

Chef Thomas McMullen of Brulee Catering — Chef Thomas McMullen

Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix: Plan your menu in advance, and prepare most of it the day before. Do not over purchase, buy just what is needed to not run short.

Per 4 guests: 8oz of meat or fish (or 4oz of each is ample);

We recommend for a spread: four salads, one soup. Serve cold soup, melon and smoked ham skewers, vegetables in salad, corn, beets, tomatoes — stay with the season.

Dessert: one cake, two fresh fruit compote, one ice cream, preferably Vanilla.

Cold food is always welcome and can be prepared the day before. Use local and organic products, lots of fresh herbs, local fish and seafood, fresh seasonal cut fruits with ice cream. Have menu cards with the names of each item (and name the local food farms if you wish) on the table. Serve accompanying cold sauces and dressings. Lots of cold drinks, use good plastic clear glasses and plates. Good quality sturdy plastic cutlery. Large thick colorful napkins. Plan, be calm and enjoy.

What kinds of new food trends are they seeing now?

Buy local is still the biggest trend. Farm-to-table… shop local farms produce, cheese, seafood. Keep it simple, follow seasonality building our menus by what is freshest, best in-season.

What dishes would you want to eat if you were hosting your own party?

Chef Lacroix: Fish, salmon, shellfish, clams, crab, oyster, cold roast lamb.

Chef Thomas McMullen: Yellow watermelon cup stuffed with red watermelon and spicy crab salad is one of my favorite Brûlée signature hors d’oeuvres. Seafood is my favorite, fresh fish done on the grill is very nice. I love a surf and turf station done outside of the norm — picture a miso glazed grilled lobster tail accompanied by Polynesian spice marinated filet mignon.

What was it like providing the food for the US Open?

Intense. We served three different meal periods for four days straight for 600 people at a time. 1,800 meals per day x 4 days = turnaround totaling 7,200 meals overall. All high end menus. Every morning, we had several chef-manned omelette stations for breakfast. Lunch each day was different — with a picnic theme one day, an Asian station the next, a day of BBQ with no overlap so guests experienced Brûlée’s culinary creativity. We’d do it again in a heartbeat. Intense, but a success! Great team building experience with rave reviews by the client.

What Jersey produce, fruit, cheese or meat do you love for your dishes?

Lacroix: We always seek to buy from local NJ farms. Bobolink farm for amazing cheeses. Tullymore Farm for poultry and grass fed beef. Metropolitan Seafood for all local fish and seafood. Vanness farm for fruits and produce.

Chef Thomas: Jersey tomatoes are hands down the best tomatoes around. Stone fruits in the fall — apples, pears for salads. In the summer it’s blueberries, peaches and watermelon — blueberries from Hammonton are fantastic. Squash grown in Vineland — some neat hybrids to experiment with, different squashes for different seasons. Cape May salt oysters, Barnegat scallops, NJ clams, etc.

Do you prefer to use organic and free range ?

Lacroix: We focus on local and sustainable as much as possible – especially in summer for produce. Free range is a good alternative year round. Our menus are built only with seafood choices according to the Environmental Defense Fund’s fish selector to ensure we serve seafood that is not only good for our guests but also good for the oceans.

What are some of the challenges of catering compared to cooking in a restaurant?

Lacroix: Catering is all about anticipation and organization. At Brûlée, we start and plan every details in our central kitchen so we are able to produce the best food anywhere the clients’ events takes us – off-site in a Center City Philadelphia penthouse or to a deck party at a Jersey Shore home. Preserving quality, freshness and taste is our prime goal… plate presentation, design, garnishes and service is discussed team-wide and rehearsed before the day. Everything must be planned. No guessing work in catering.

Anything else to add?

McMullen: We build custom menus for private events according to the client’s vision — even most recently a boardwalk theme for a kids birthday party. For more information about your next Jersey Shore event Brulee can be contacted at 215-923-6000 and at www.brulee-catering.com

Michele Errichetti is from South Jersey born and fed. She comes from an Italian family where they eat, live, and breathe FOOD. Michele was cooking and eating under her grandmom’s feet every Sunday for “gravy” and at home with her mother (a Medigan or American) during the week. Nowadays, she cooks for her two sons, husband, and father most days of the week. She takes “Girl Road Trips” with her friends at least once a month that always culminate with you guessed it, FOOD. She hopes fresh, local, organic, and free range will become the norm. Michele is searching Atlantic County for everything that has anything to do with good food and she’s taking you along for the ride. – See more at: http://www.jerseybites.com/the-team/#sthash.1s62z3zl.dpuf

Jersey Bites

Appetite Brings 4 Day Food Event to Red Bank

Little Town NJ Pays Tribute to Local Movement

Unionville Unveils Game Changing Chardonnays

Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill Debuts in Florham Park

Food Truckin’ with Rosie’s Weenie Wagon

Woodland Park Fairway Firefighters BBQ Throw Down!

Yvonne’s Café: A Bite of the Amazon in Ocean Grove

Quinoa Tabouli Packs a Protein Punch

Uncle Moustache, Fun French Lebanese Cuisine

Foodie Things to do This Weekend and Beyond

UCS Releases Report on Economics of Healthy Eating

Catering Ideas at The Jersey Shore from Brulee

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