June 27th: Taste of Galloway – From 5 PM-7 PM in the historic village Smithville in Galloway Township, restaurants, caterers, and wineries will be set up for sampling. Come grab a taste of Galloway’s best! Tickets are $15 and may be purchased online here.
June 29th: Yoga in the Vineyard – Cream Ridge Winery in Allentown discovered one of their employees is also a yoga instructor–what better place to hold a yoga class than in a vineyard? For just $10, you’ll get a yoga class, wine tastings, snacks, and a souvenir glass. Call 609-259-9797 to reserve a spot for the 7 PM class.
June 29th: Westfield Farmers Market – The Westfield Farmers Market starts up this Saturday and will continue through the end of October. The farmers market takes place at the South Avenue Westfield train station parking lot and runs from 8:30 – 2 every Saturday. In addition to the farms selling local produce, other vendors include High Mountain Foods, Pizza Vita, Lithuanian Bakery, Farmhouse Gourmet, and Shonna’s Sweet Bites.
June 29th: Brew at the Zoo – To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange will hold Brew at the Zoo from 6 to 9 pm, which will include live entertainment, 25 brewers, and a selection of 50 craft beers. Turtle Back Zoo, 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange. Ticket prices and other details. This event is for guests ages 21 and over.
June 29th: Whitesbog Blueberry Festival – This year marks the 30th annual Blueberry Festival in Whitesbog Village. The family-friendly celebration will feature country fair food, handmade country crafts, Pine Barrens art, and music in addition to the popular blueberry pie eating contest and blueberries for picking.
June 29th: A Summer Beer Festival – At the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford. $40 includes admission, live racing program, commemorative tasting glass, and unlimited beer samplings; gate opens at 5 PM; tasting begins at 6 PM; racing at 7:15 PM. Featured beers include: Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat | Unibroue Fin Du Monde |Leinenkugels Summer Shandy | Sixteen Mile Inlet IPA | Hooker Blond Ale | Flying Fish Farmhouse Ale
June 29th: Rockasorri and Austism Speaks Fundraiser – Jersey City restaurant and bar VB3, led by Chef Michael Colletti, will provide wine, beer, cocktails, and appetizers this Saturday from 5 – 7 PM at a joint fundraiser for Rockasorri Music and Autism Speaks. Rockasorri is a new program focused on introducing music to infants and toddlers, while Autism Speaks raises money to fund research on autism and potential cures. The event will feature live music, a silent auction, guest speakers, and even an instant photo booth! Suggested donations are $45 for one person or $80 for a pair.
June 29th: Red Wine and Blues – Head to Tuckerton Seaport to enjoy wine tastings and blues music from 3 – 8 PM this Saturday. Wineries featured will include Di Matteo, Tomasello, and Valenzano, while blues music will be provided by JB’s Cigar Box Stompers, Steve Guyer & the Excellos, The Billy Walton Band and James Day & the Fish Fry. Craft vendors, boat ride opportunities, and food will also be available! Tickets are $20 and include a souvenir Seaport wine glass.
June 29th; July 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th: Whole Foods Cooking Classes – Whole Foods of Princeton offers one time cooking classes in a variety of helpful areas. Upcoming classes include a “Taste of the Season” cherry themed class, a pasta sauce demo, and workshops on soft-ripened cheeses, red white and blue mocktails, protein bars, and everyday dining for less, and salad dressings. Prices range from $3.65 to $20 per class, with many at just $5.
June 29th and 30th: Sippin on the River – Sippin’ On The River will turn Marine Park, Red Bank into a two day fantastic celebration of summer fun. Presented by Red Bank Flavour, the last weekend of June promises top culinary delights, all day live music, festival amusements, and the most refreshing beer & wine garden Red Bank has ever seen. Located on the banks of the Navesink River, there’s no other place to be sippin’ on the river this summer! $5 admission at the door. Featuring Red Bank’s own: Bistro at Red Bank, Teak, Gaetano’s, Front St. Trattoria, Dish, Sicilia Cafe, Cheese Cave, Jamian’s, Tony’s Sausage, New Corner Pizza, Sugarush, Boondock’s Fishery, The Lusty Lobster, Red, The Downtown, Mumford’s Culinary Center and Readie’s Cafe. Plus Beer & Wine Garden, Live Music & Festival Amusements and more!
June 29th and 30th: NJ Wine and Wings Festival – Cava Winery and Vineyard will host their very first Wine and Wings Festival this weekend. In addition to wine from five Jersey wineries and wings, the event will feature vendors from all over New Jersey and live music from The Alex Jornov Band, MASSIVE Reggae Band, and Rachel Allyn. The festival will run from 12 – 7 PM on Saturday and 12 – 5 PM on Sunday. Tickets may be purchased online, $10 for children and designated drivers, $25 for 21 and older.
June 29th and 30th: Jersey Shore Wine Festival – Tropicana of Atlantic City will host a Jersey Shore Wine Festival from 12 – 5pm this Saturday and Sunday. The weekend gathering features New Jersey’s best wineries on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.
June 29th and 30th: Sangria Sampler Wine Trail – There is nothing like a tall, cool glass of Sangria on a hot, sweltering summer day. Travel the Vintage North Jersey wine trail to experience a wide range of mouth watering sangrias. From tropical white wine sangrias to deep fruity sangrias, you will learn a wide range of Sangria styles that you can make for your next summer party. Vintage North Jersey wineries located in Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon and Mercer counties will blend up their best Sangria recipes for you to sample. They will also offer recipes to help you mix your own at home. It’s a Sangria sipping adventure along the Vintage North Jersey wine trail.
June 30th: Red, White & Blueberry Festival – Located at Hammonton High School (in the supposed blueberry capital of the world, Hammonton), the 27th annual Blueberry Festival will feature live music, kiddy rides, a classic car show, arts and crafts, circus-type entertainment and blueberry pie eating contests. Free admission. 10 AM-5 PM.
June 30th: Pineland Farms Pig Roast – To support the New Jersey Agricultural Society’s Farmers Against Hunger program, Pineland Farms will host it’s second annual pig roast at the Trenton Farmers Market from 11 AM-3:30 PM this Sunday. The roast, prepared by Frank’s Bar-B-Que, will also feature sandwiches and side dishes such as mac n’ cheese and cole slaw. Sandwiches are $5, platters are $10, with all proceeds going to the worthy cause.
July 4th: Session Bistro Farm to Table Dining – The charming 45-seat bistro in Maywood, is offering farm-to-table dinners sourcing ingredients from the nearby Paramus Farmers Market, which opened last Wednesday.The restaurant will source ingredients used in its appetizers and entrees and eventually desserts from vendors at the Market, creating an ever-changing menu dictated by the seasons and local harvests. The restaurant will offer a special farm-to-table promotion on Thursday evenings with a buy one entrée, get the second at half price. The requirement? Mention to your server upon placing your order that you are a fan of the Paramus Farmers Market.
July 6th and 7th: Terhune Farms Blueberry Bash – Terhune Farms of Princeton will host a two day Blueberry Bash celebrating everything blueberry from 10 AM-5 PM each day. The family friendly event will feature Pick-Your-Own blueberries, live country music, wagon rides, pony rides, children’s games, a blueberry bake-off and best of all, a blueberry themed buffet! Admission is free.
July 12th – 14th: New Jersey State Barbecue Championship℠ – The New Jersey State Barbecue Championship℠ is a three-day open-air festival in North Wildwood featuring championship barbecue competition, live cooking demonstrations, special displays, and food and beverage vendors to satisfy every taste and appetite. This year, it will take place in conjunction with the Anglesea Blues Festival so that you can enjoy blues music with your barbeque ribs, chicken, brisket, pork, and more. Admission is free!
July 20th: NJ State Crab Festival – Ice House Restaurant, 4415 Park Blvd., Wildwood. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. “Crabby” fun for all ages! Blue Claw crabs! Beer Garden, “must try” crabby bloody mary! Vendors and exciting things for the kids including a crab race at 6 p.m. Live outdoor entertainment all day.
July 25th – 28th: Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival – Headlining talents include: Robert Irvine, Rocco Dispirito and The Neely’s. Join us this summer at the Atlantic City shore for four days of fabulous foods, winning wines and celebrity chefs at the 2013 Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival. View Food & Wine Event Schedule This Years Celebrity Appearances Purchase and Event Package
Veronique Deblois
So let’s dig in. We started with two appetizers that were gone far too quickly. The Fried Calamari ($12) with a spicy tomato sauce and lemon-anchovy aioli was as good as it gets. A piping hot, crispy coating on the tender meat was their recipe for success. The Shrimp and Chorizo ($14) served in a deep-fried wonton was uniquely delicious. The proteins, both served over a white bean salad, had just the right amount of heat to keep us satisfied. What I liked best about this dish though was the cohesiveness of it: seared succulent meats paired with hearty beans tied together on a flaky platform. It was delicious from top to bottom.
Dinners, again, had us swooning. Before I get into our individual selections, I must begin with the Table Tasting’s Lobster Truffle Mac & Cheese ($12). There’s not much to say about this except that I want this recipe and I want it now! The lobster meat was admirably abundant while the cheese oozed in all the right places, which, in my opinion, is in every place! It’s a dish not to be missed and for the price, I recommend all to order.
Another dish of note was the Lobster & Shrimp ($29). This was served “Shanghai Style” with a ginger curry sauce and fried crispy spinach. Kudos to the chef for this one; it seriously demonstrated some topnotch skill. Both the lobster and the shrimp were cooked well and shined adjacent to the salted strings of fried potatoes. Pacific Cod ($27) with a honey balsamic glaze was the last dinner delivered to our table. As expected, it was fall-apart good. The glaze here truly deserved a supporting role award. It was a marriage of a savory flavor with a sweet one that had all the ratios right.
June 29 and 30th: Sangria Sampler Wine Trail There is nothing like a tall, cool glass of Sangria on a hot, sweltering summer day. Travel the Vintage North Jersey wine trail to experience a wide range of mouth watering sangrias. From tropical white wine sangrias to deep fruity sangrias, you will learn a wide range of Sangria styles that you can make for your next summer party. Vintage North Jersey wineries located in Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon and Mercer counties will blend up their best Sangria recipes for you to sample. They will also offer recipes to help you mix your own at home. It’s a Sangria sipping adventure along the Vintage North Jersey wine trail. For more information: http://www.vintagenorthjersey.com/wine-trails/sangria-challenge-wine-trail/
“As a child, I loved the freshly baked buns, the smell of the restaurant, the bright colors and the delicious sandwiches and salads,” said Lea Dalleggio, Englewood Schlotzsky’s franchise co-owner. “Schlotzsky’s signature sandwich The Original®, a play on the New Orleans muffaletta with soft bread encasing tender meats, cheeses, lettuce, tomato and chopped olives, was something I dreamed about as a kid when I wasn’t in Texas. My goal was to bring this distinctive sandwich on bread baked from scratch, salad and soup restaurant concept to the Garden State where I could get my year-round fix while providing the community with a completely new dining option that would be as attractive to kids as it would be adults. We have fans driving to Englewood from Virginia to enjoy our sandwiches. That’s how much of a following the brand has. People stockpile our potato chips, which are made exclusively for Schlotzsky’s and come in nine varieties, to complement all our sandwiches.”
Photo by Christopher M. Bossio
(Enter to Win a Free Digital Copy of Nourish by leaving a comment below this post. Enter by Thursday, 11:59pm. We’ll be giving away 3 copies Friday, June 21st.)
