Jersey Bites

The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, home of the New Jersey Devils, has a new and improved VIP food and beverage experience. The chic VIP lounge now features an exciting new menu and signature cocktails from hospitality partner Levy. 

Inside the VIP Lounge

The VIP lounge is available for season ticket holders and those with seats in designated areas (click here for more information). The lounge features a window-lined wall with a view of Mulberry Street, a bar area, high-top and low-top tables, and a velvet couch seating area. The lounge also has intricate architecture featuring a gorgeous ceiling with what looks to be bronze floral detailing. This gorgeous lounge truly makes you feel like a VIP! 

Aaron Zaks, Executive Chef

New Jersey native Aaron Zaks has always had a love for the food industry. He started out working in pizzerias, working his way up to fine dining. Zaks was recently named executive chef at the Prudential Center. He is eager to serve up all that Levy has to offer.

“We tried to take our typical fanfare and elevate it for you,” says Zaks about the new food offerings. “We wanted to make you a burger, but New Jersey style. And we wanted to make you chicken fingers, but not only chicken fingers that you can find in every arena, we wanted to make them in-house — we are hand breading them.”

“We want to elevate the experience and make sure that everyone who’s coming to the Prudential Center knows that this is New Jersey. We are New Jersey, and we appreciate everyone that comes here,” says Zaks. 

On the Menu

This new-and-improved menu features 10 new items and, of course, fan-favorites such as the hand-breaded chicken tenders, cheese pizza, and classic disco fries. 

You’ll also find items that can’t be found at other arenas. The Honey Hen sandwich is a personal favorite. It’s made with crispy fried chicken breast, hot honey, cheddar, and Chef Asia’s honey butter served on a toasted brioche bun. It’s the perfect combination of savory and sweet. 

Die-hard Jersey fans: Be on the lookout for items that really speak to you. Here’s a look.

• Traffic Jam Burger: Pat La Frieda beef patty, hot pepper bacon jam, crispy Taylor ham, and a deep-fried mac and cheese puck, on a toasted Calandra’s bakery bun

• The Jersey Ripper: Foot-long deep-fried beef hot dog, secret slaw, grilled peppers and onions, and Jersey Jerk relish, on a hot dog bun

For lighter fare, Levy also offers a Greek salad with iceberg and mixed-green blend, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta, kalamata olives, and Greek vinaigrette. This salad works as a meal or as a side dish! 

Other menu options include:

• The Rock’s Smash Burger: Double Pat LaFrieda beef patty, American cheese, bread-and-butter pickles, and the Rock’s sauce, on a toasted Calandra’s bakery bun
• Popcorn Shrimp: Fried shrimp, boardwalk style

Aside from these menu options, if you are in the market for a quick snack while enjoying the game, you can also find Popcorn For The People. The company is dedicated to creating career opportunities for people who learn and think differently. And the product is made locally, in Piscataway. The Prudential Center will be serving three flavors: caramel, cheese, and cookies and cream.

New Signature Cocktails

We had the pleasure of trying the two new delicious signature sips available at the bar.

• Heater: Hijole Tequila, grapefruit, jalapeno and club soda
• Remy Ginger: Remy 1738, ginger beer, and lime

Discover the heightened food and beverage experience at the Prudential Center in Newark, where Levy’s culinary offerings and signature cocktails have redefined the game-day experience. With Aaron Zaks leading the charge, the arena’s new menu promises an unforgettable blend of traditional favorites and Jersey-inspired creations. 

Prudential Center
25 Lafayette Street
Newark, New Jersey 

As far as I’m concerned, every day should be Pasta Day! Pasta, and Italian food in general, has been my comfort food for as long as I can remember. Like many Italian Americans, every weekend, birthday, and holiday meant chicken cutlets, baked ziti, and my Grandma’s meatballs and sauce simmering on the stove all day. (And yes, it’s sauce — not gravy — in my fam!)

My grandma’s pasta fazool was one of the first recipes I learned to cook at age 8. So it didn’t surprise anyone when I decided to change careers from engineering to attend culinary school. It also came as no surprise to people in my life when I launched my Women’s Food & Wine travel business in Italy, with tours to Florence, Tuscany, and Sicily. Visiting Italy multiple times a year to host my foodie tours, has only deepened my love for pasta.

In honor of National Pasta Day, October 17, here are three of my favorite, pasta dishes. Check out the link below for the recipes. Not feeling like hanging out by the stove? I’ve also included my two favorite places to go for your pasta fix, in Hoboken and Jersey City. Buon Appetito!

One Pan Cacio e Pepe for Two

This classic Roman pasta dish has a cult following for a reason! It uses just three ingredients; pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, and pepper. This combination creates a creamy, luscious, and amazingly flavorful cheese sauce that beautifully coats thick-cut bucatini. My easy, speedy, one-pan version cleverly uses the starch from the pasta cooking water to create thick and luxurious results.

Grandma’s Pasta Fazool

My grandma’s “Pasta Fazool” was my number one favorite comfort food dish when I was a little girl! Fun fact: fazool really fagioli, which is Italian for beans. On menus, you might see it listed either way. This dish is served all throughout Italy with either cannellini or Ceci beans, aka chickpeas. You can make this thick, one-pot, pasta-based soup in under 30 minutes. It’s a family-friendly crowd pleaser!

Pappardelle with Bolognese Sauce

This beloved meat sauce is from Bologna, the capital city of the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, also often considered Italy’s food capital. My version features tender ground lamb simmered in a flavorful red wine-tomato sauce with Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Serve this hearty sauce over thick-cut pappardelle or tortellini.

Grab these three pasta recipes and more of Julie’s Italian favorites in her free mini book La Dolce Vita at Home, linked here.

Not in the mood to cook? Here are my two favorite local pasta spots. Both are BYO (bonus!) so grab your favorite bottle of red or white before you go.

Julie’s Hoboken Favorite

Cafe Michelina

Family run since 1994, we’ve celebrated just about every family milestone with Pete, Sal, and their family at “Cafe Mich.” My daughters even devoured the perennial favorite penne vodka, aka “Pete’s pasta” as toddlers, in their high chairs.

Give Cafe Michelina a try when you want to satisfy your red sauce cravings, for a big group dinner with heaping plates of pasta and fried calamari, or just to pick up takeout on a weeknight. No matter your reason, get ready for a meal that will take you straight to your favorite Italian grandma’s House, served up by the nicest family around. The newer menu favorite of stuffed rigatoni with chicken and vodka sauce is a must try — as are all the specials.

Julie’s Jersey City Favorite

Corto

Corto opened in 2018 in the ever-changing, buzzing area of Jersey City affectionately known as “The Heights” and quickly received acclaim from Bon Appetit, Thrilllist, Eater, The Infatuation and so many more. It immediately became a go-to for me and my professional wine group for their incredible handmade pasta, charcuterie and creativity in their seasonal menus. This vintage-vibed, cozy spot only has a few menu mainstays including their fan favorite Rigatoni with bianco di napoli tomato, pancetta, calabrian chili, basil, mint, and Pecorino Romano below plus a not-to-be-missed “Angry Chicken”. You really can’t go wrong with anything on their menu including a current fall Ravioli with kabocha squash, ricotta, local mushroom, guanciale, brown butter, and sage.

About Julie

Chef Julie Hartigan of JulieHartigan.com is a Jersey City-based professional chef and food media personality who hosts Women’s Food & Wine Tours to Italy. Grab her free mini book, La Dolce Vita at Home to try her pasta recipes. Or join her for a dreamy food-and-wine tasting tour to Italy. Check out Julie’s latest tours here!  

Follow Julie’s foodie adventures at home and abroad on Instagram @juliehartigan. 

Sometimes a great story starts with a salad. A couple of Summit, NJ, neighbors certainly think so.

Vodka Salad was born as an inside joke between Haley Telling and Allie Sabol. The neighbors loved to concoct their own cocktail recipes with fresh, clean ingredients and actually took their favorites out with them to present to unsuspecting bartenders who they then taught to mix them up.

A Brand Is Born

Laden with all of those fresh herbs, spices and fruit, they dubbed their creations “Vodka Salads.” COVID boredom and Haley’s “relentless optimism” transformed a hobby into a business.

Many of the current canned cocktails and alcoholic seltzers are just alco-pop and overly sweet. According to Allie, “They taste like melted popsicles.” Haley and Allie think there is space for something more sophisticated: something you might actually pair with real food and not cotton candy.

Down to Business

The neighbors have the valuable skills entrepreneurs need. Allie left her job at a New York City ad agency to market Vodka Salad. Haley has a background in sales and is a former holistic health coach.

The duo still had a lot to learn, not the least of which was navigating New Jersey’s puzzling liquor laws. They enlisted some help from Metabrand, in Edison, which handles reproducing flavors and manufacturing.

Flavor Development

Creating the flavors was all the work of Haley and Allie. They spent nine months developing recipes and working with Metabrand to get the details just right. Their meticulous approach favors quality over quantity so I wouldn’t expect a rapidly expanding product line.

They even zeroed in on a 5.5% ABV as the perfect alcohol level (a shot and a half) for Vodka Salad.

My favorite flavor is cucumber, lemon, and mint. It’s a gentle blend of flavors that would be great with light seafood a — think scallops or clams from the raw bar. Ginger, lime, and pomelo feels like a great base for a fall-themed cocktail. The trio is rounded out by strawberry, lemon, and basil, which is really characterized by the aromatics.

Leave it to a couple of Jersey girls to come up with a fun, smart, and tasty take on canned cocktails. Check out the website for some interesting serving suggestions or, better yet, experiment with your own.

Reports on the death of New Jersey’s beloved diner enterprise have been greatly exaggerated.

Well, at least we hope so.

News reports on diner closings and demolitions throughout the Garden State are disturbing. And while angst is real, this “churn” has been part of the diner business for many years. New Jersey has seen periods of downturns in the diner business before. During the 1960s and 1970s, many family-owned diners closed due to the influx of national fast-food chains.

When a favorite diner is shuttered, it removes the hub of a community, the gathering place for friends and travelers. New Jerseyans know that “a diner is more than just a place to eat and food is only half the meal.”

Part of the NJ Experience

A diner’s absence erodes the Garden State’s mythology: highballing truckers stopping to refuel their stomachs and souls at 3 a.m.; the wanderlust of hungry teenagers roaming the highways, inspired by the poetry of a Bruce Springsteen song; sunrise breakfasts Down the Shore; the unexpected, heartfelt conversation with a stranger at a diner counter — someone you’ll never see again, but will always remember.

The demolition of a vintage, modular, prefabricated factory-built diner from the 20th century also represents the loss of an iconic example of American industrial history and ingenuity.

An Optimistic Outlook

Author, consultant, and historian Richard Gutman, of Massachusetts, has tracked the diner business for five decades. He offered some perspective. “I would tell people in New Jersey to calm down,” he said during a phone interview. “Diners aren’t going to disappear. Yes, there is a downturn. Diner closings have been a blip in the wrong direction.”

Gutman remains optimistic about the big picture for diners as a viable business and American cultural institution. He acknowledged that many have suffered from Covid’s pinch. He also said that social media, with amplified reporting on diner closings, creates an overly grim outlook. “I have my opinions, he said. “I admit they’re controversial, but I’ve been doing this for 50 years.”

The Bottom Line

Larry Cultrera, is another Massachusetts diner sage, author, and photo archivist. He said that he, too, has seen his share of diner closings over the years in the Bay State. He pointed out that, in his neck of the woods, “building, transporting and setting up a diner has become cost prohibitive.”

The post-Covid world has been hard on diner owners. Costs have gone up for supplies, food, rent, equipment, and maintenance. Diner owners say it’s become difficult to hire, train, and retain staff, especially for late-night operations.

In some cases, diner owners simply decide to retire, with no one waiting in the wings. Many proprietors don’t own the valuable property on which the diner sits, and they may be forced to close by a new landlord.

The (Garden) State of Affairs

Anecdotal observations suggest that today’s Garden State diner sector is, at the very least, holding steady. Several landmark diners remain fixtures on the New Jersey circuit. They include:

• Broad Street Diner, Keyport
• Candlewyck Diner, East Rutherford
• Johnny Prince’s Bayway Diner, Linden
• Park West Diner, Little Falls
• Pompton Queen Diner, Pompton Plains
• Silver Coin, Hammonton
• State Line Diner, Mahwah
• Summit Diner, Summit
• Tick Tock Diner, Clifton
• Tops Diner, East Newark
• Vincentown Diner, Southampton Township

The Pilgrim Diner, in Cedar Grove, reopened in September 2021, after having been closed for several years. The Runway Diner, in South Hackensack, opened its doors three years ago. East Hanover’s Seville Diner, which closed in 2021, is slated to reopen this year. And The Blairstown Diner was put up for sale earlier this year, so its fate is uncertain. Hopefully, a new owner will emerge to sustain diner operations, which began in 1949.

On the flip side, here’s a list of diners that we’ve lost in recent years. Many have been torn down or relocated, and some are in the process of closing:

• Arena Diner, Hackensack
• Cherry Hill Diner, Cherry Hill
• Crossroads Diner, Belvedere
• Egg Platter, Paterson
• Elgin Diner, Camden
• Empire Diner, Parsippany
• Forum Diner, Paramus
• Liberty Park Diner, Jersey City
• Maple Valley Diner, Clifton
• Marlton Diner, Marlton
• Mastoris Diner, Bordentown
• Metro Diner, East Brunswick
• Mom’s Diner, Avenel/Woodbridge
• Mustache Bill’s, Barnegat Light
• Nicholas Diner, Paterson
• Olga’s Diner (the original), Marlton
• Peter Pank Diner, South Amboy
• Prout’s Diner, Sussex
• Red Lion Diner, Southampton Township
• Royal Diner, Washington
• Sage Diner, Mount Laurel
• Shamong Diner, Shamong
• Six Brothers, Little Falls
• Tom’s Diner, Succasunna
• USA Country Diner, Robbinsville

In addition, last year fires badly damaged two Phillipsburg diners — Key City and Catch 22. Reports indicate demolition recently began on the Key City Diner. It’s uncertain when or if the Catch 22 Diner will reopen.

There’s nothing like sipping a delicious cup of coffee made from freshly roasted beans while embracing the crisp fall weather. With so many great coffee spots in NJ, we decided to feature the DIYers of the pack. These shops not only sell great coffee but take on the whole operation, from sourcing to roasting to delivering their own signature cups of caffeinated love.

Asbury Park Roastery, Asbury Park (Multiple Locations)

Since 2007, Asbury Park Roastery has been roasting artisan coffee and serving loose-leaf tea and confections. One location is on the boardwalk in Convention Hall and the original location is on Second Avenue. Asbury Park Roastery serves roasts with beans imported from around the world including Costa Rica, Africa, and Latin America.

Whether you like your coffee on the lighter or darker side, Asbury Park Roastery has it all as well as espresso drinks, chai tea lattes, iced drinks, and much more. Stop by the Convential Hall location for a pit stop during your boardwalk adventures, or take a seat in the Second Avenue location during a shopping trip on Cookman Avenue. 

Black River Roasters,  Whitehouse Station

Focusing on sustainability “from seed to cup,” Black River Roasters in Whitehouse Station specializes in certified Organic, Fair Trade, and Rainforest Alliance Certified coffees. All of their coffee is roasted fresh and sourced from small-yield cooperatives and estates from all around the world, which helps keep small farms alive.

Check out their many different organic coffee roasts from bright to bold such as Organic Guatamela and Organic Colombia. You can also choose from cold brew, espresso drinks, tea, and more as well as upcycled burlap tote bags available for purchase. 

Booskerdoo, Multiple Locations

Before you try a cup of Booskerdoo coffee, be sure to read the interesting story about how this cafe began roasting beans in a one-bedroom apartment in New York City! Now with six locations in New Jersey and one in New York, Booskerdoo is committed to brewing fresh coffee every day.

When you order coffee roasts to be shipped through the mail, all coffee is roasted the day it is mailed. This ensures your roast is as fresh as can be. You can order a one-time delivery of your coffee roast, or subscribe for a delivery every week, all the way up to a delivery every three months. You’ll definitely want to try the Jersey Diner-style roast for that deliciously traditional brew with nutty and sweet undertones.

And of course, you can also order coffee in-house as well. Options include hot coffees, espresso drinks, cold drinks, tea, pastries, sandwiches, and much more.

Coffee Corral, Red Bank

If you’re looking for cozy fall coffee shop vibes, Coffee Corral is the spot for you. This brick, rustic-style building has a barn-like entrance with pumpkins and mums surrounding it this time of year. You’ll also find an adorable outdoor seating area with flowers, pumpkins, and hay bales. Take a seat on an Adirondack chair as you sip some warm coffee in the crisp fall weather.

Choose from freshly roasted hot coffee blends, espresso drinks, cold brew, and more as well as bakery items, toasts, waffles, and sandwiches. For all the fall vibes, try one a pumpkin spice latte, chai, or autumn spice matcha. 

Endgrain Coffee Roasters, Pitman

Since 2015, Endgrain Coffee Roasters has provided South Jersey with innovative coffee roasts and artisan drinks. Some of their interesting coffee blends include Sawmill (with notes of baker’s chocolate, almond, lemon acidity), Burundi Gikingo (notes of vanilla wafer, candied pecan, brown butter, orange zest), and many more.

You can also order espresso drinks, cold brew, chai tea, and even a cold brew slushie! Endgrain Coffee also offers catering for your next special event. 

Java Love, Multiple Locations 

This woman-owned, artisan coffee roasting company is here to spread a love of fresh coffee. In Jersey, you can choose from two locations in Montclair (one in Montclair Center, on Church Street, and one in Upper Montclair, on Bellevue Avenue). There’s also one in Suffern, New York.

Java Love’s website often speaks on how they are “Committed to Coffee with Integrity,” meaning they only use organic, fair trade, naturally farmed, and Rainforest Alliance beans. All of Java Love’s coffee is roasted in small batches to maintain the character of the beans, and your coffee will be ready to enjoy in a few days!

They have over 30 blends of coffee featuring a range of flavors and tasting notes. French roast Colombian? Pumpkin spice? Harvest maple? Java Love has it all and more! They even sell K-Cup pods of their signature blends. Stop in and smell the coffee or order online and enjoy the taste of Java Love at home. 

Modcup Coffee Co., Jersey City

Traditional blends, seasonal blends, experimental blends, and more, modCup Coffee Co in Jersey City is the perfect stop for the adventurous coffee connoisseur. Some of their customer’s favorite roasts include the Classico (dark chocolate and mixed berries), Prince of Darkness (molasses and chocolate), Secret Affair (sweet lemon and honey), and Colombia Yellow Bourbon Hybrid Washed (caramel, vanilla, and grapefruit). Be sure to check out all of their unique blends of coffee online or in person, as well as cold brew cans, box sets, and more. 

Ocean City Coffee Co., Ocean City (Multiple Locations)

With three locations in Ocean City and one in Pennsylvania, Ocean City Coffee Company seeks the finest coffees from around the world and roasts them all at their boardwalk location each week. They offer eight pots of fresh coffee daily, numerous espresso drinks, and over 110 types of fresh roasted gourmet coffees.

Place an order online, and your coffee will be shipped within 24 hours. This ensures it’s the freshest it can possibly be. Take a walk along the Ocean City Boardwalk and stop by for a midday pick me up of hot coffee, iced coffee, one of their 18 tea varieties, and plenty more. 

Port Coffee Roasters, Bay Head

With over 20 kinds of coffee beans (ground or whole), hot drinks, cold brew, espresso drinks, and more, Port Coffee Roasters (also pictured at top) is the perfect spot for a pick-me-up. Stop in while you stroll through quaint Bay Head. Their motto is “Think Globally, Roast Locally.” All of their coffee beans are roasted on location, and are sourced organic or fair trade organic. They are mindful of our environment and are always trying to recycle and repurpose.

Signature drinks include:

• The Bay Head: latte with raspberry and almond
• The Salty Dog: latte with caramel and sea salt
• Nitrobrew

You can also find Port Coffee Roasters at the Brick Farmers Market at Windward Beach every Saturday, from May until October. 

Rojo’s Roastery, Princeton

Rojo’s Roastery focuses on small-batch artisan coffee. They source their beans from independent producers, traveling the globe, in search of small farmers whose crops are not usually noticed in the conventional coffee trade. You can read more about their interesting process of selecting and roasting beans on their website.

Some of their blends include Rojo’s Signature Espresso Blend, Midwives’ Moonshine, Gautamela, and more. You can of course enjoy espresso drinks and iced drinks as well. And be sure to check out their seasonal pumpkin spice flavor! 

Turnstile Coffee Roasters, Belmar 

Step inside rustic Turnstile Coffee Roasters in Belmar and enjoy freshly roasted coffee, espresso drinks, or on-tap cold brew. From Latin America to Africa, to Indonesia, and Turnstile signature blends, this roastery embraces specialty coffee from all around the world.

Indulge in coffee blends, including the following:

• Turnstile Guatemala Huehuetenango: medium roast, with notes of caramel, cherry, red apple, and milk chocolate
• Turnstile Tanzania Peaberry: medium roast, with notes of citrus, peach, and a sweet sugar cane finish
• Turnstile Dark Roast: rich cup of coffee, with notes of dark chocolate and roasted almonds

Stop in for a cup, or order a bag online for freshly roasted coffee at home.