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Lidia’s Cuban Kitchen Opens in Downtown Cranford

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Lidia’s Cuban Kitchen Opens in Downtown Cranford

lidia ribbonlidia logoLidia Galvaz has brought a new cuisine and a whole lot of authentic Cuban atmosphere to downtown Cranford. Step inside Lidia’s Cuban Kitchen and you are immediately swept away to her native country.

After her Highlands restaurant was destroyed by Super Storm Sandy, Lidia and her husband, Joe DelleFave, decided that Cranford with its growing restaurant scene was the perfect place for their new restaurant.  Lidia’s specialties include Vaca Frita, Paella Cubana, empanadas filled with chicken, picadillo or spinach and manchego cheese, Cuban sandwiches, Pollo Criollo and Churrasco. There is an extensive menu, including desserts.

Lidia’s Cuban Kitchen is located at 117 N. Union Avenue. www.lidiascubankitchen.com and www.facebook.com/lidiascubankitchen 908-272-8228.

Foodie Things to Do, This Weekend and Beyond

aaccardo
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Foodie Things to Do, This Weekend and Beyond
April 27th: Kitchen Tour Through Interlaken

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School will host a kitchen tour through Interlaken on April 27, 2013 from 11 AM – 3 PM.  Six houses with seven caterers will be showcased.  Caterers include et al fine foods, Cravings, the Caramel Shop, Chef Michael Thompson, Falco Brothers Catering, Joe Leone’s, and Mike’s Deli.

Tickets, $35 prepaid and $40 on the day of the tour, are available at the Allenhurst Cleaners, 530 Main St., Allenhurst or by calling Vicki at 732-531-9609.

Participants must pick up brochures at the Interlaken Boro hall, 100 Main St, Interlaken at 11 am on the day of the tour.

April 28th: Red Bank: Red Bank International Flavour Festival
Twenty-five of Red Bank’s finest restaurants will be serving international favorites outdoors a the event.  We will also feature international beers, wines, and great entertainment on two different stages.  Come join us for the fun, family-friendly event!  This really unbelievable event is a fundraiser.   The proceeds will benefit Red Bank RiverCenter and the Red Bank Regional Buccaneers Athletic Foundation, a non-profit group raising funds to install lighting on their football field to allow the kids to play evening games of football, lacrosse, soccer, etc.$5.00 donation for anyone over the age of 10.  For more information, visit their website or contact Ruthanne Harrison at (732) 829-1104, or email her at [email protected].
April 28th: Summit: Summit Spring Street Fair
Join the fun on Sunday, April 28 with family and friends to enjoy music, games, rides, a variety of food and more!  The Street Fair will start at 11 a.m. and end at 5 p.m.  The location is 374 Springfield Avenue.  For more information, call (908) 277-6100 or email [email protected]
nyctasteofnationApril 29th: New York City: Taste of the Nation NYC
Where can you sample over 65 of New York’s most notable restaurants, over a dozen impossible-to-get-into cocktail bars, rub elbows with your favorite culinary personalities, and bid on priceless experiential auction packages in one evening? Share Our Strength’s 26th annual Taste of the Nation® NYC will bring the city’s finest chefs and mixologists together to donate their time, talent, and passion to end childhood hunger in America.
This year’s event includes support from our chef chairs Marc Murphy and Alex Guarnaschelli and our host committee members, fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff, interior designer Athena Calderone and nightlife maven Simonez Wolf.  The evening will also include book signings from top toques and food personalities as well as exclusive culinary and travel packages offered during the famed live auction.
Where: 82 Mercer Street, NYC
When: April 29th, 6:30-9:30 PM VIP, 7:30-9:30 PM General Admission
Tickets: VIP-$425, General-$225
Buy tickets online here.  100% of ticket sales go toward ending childhood hunger.
May 1st: Bergen County:  Wednesday Bingo Night at Schlotzsky’s in Englewood
Come join the fun this Wednesday between 5:30 and 8:30PM at Schlotzsky’s (39 Nathaniel Place in the ShopRite Plaza) as they kicks of Wednesday Bingo Night.  This national brand has just put down roots in the Garden State and is building a following with its New Orleans-style pressed sandwiches (buns made fresh daily and bun humor abounds), soups and loaded up-salads.  This franchise also offers Cinnabon and Carvel.  While sandwich varieties on the menu are rotated every couple months, their signature classics are always offered and include festive plays on the Nawlin’s Muffaletta which is traditionally sliced meats, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mustard and chopped olive spread, all encased in a soft round bun.   Bingo enthusiasts receive a free bingo board with entrée purchase and an additional board free with purchase of soda and chips.  Bingo winner prizes range from ice cream to gift certificates and Bergen PAC theater tickets.
May 4th: Hamburg:  Kentucky Derby Party at Crystal Springs Resort

To celebrate the running of the Kentucky Derby, Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, NJ will let guests get in on the action with a live “horse” race, derby hat contest, large screen broadcast of the race, a buffet of Derby-inspired treats and signature cocktails.

 The Kentucky Derby Party kicks off at 4pm on Saturday May 4th in the Rotunda in the Grand Cascade Lodge Clubhouse with a buffet and signature drinks – every guest will receive a complimentary Mint Julep with a virgin version for kids. Guests are encouraged to come in their finest Derby Day hats – prizes will be awarded for “most creative” and “most fashionable” hats.

 Before the race starts, attendees can get in on the action. Two adult wooden horse races will take place at 4:30pm and 5:30pm – participants each mount a wooden horse and move it the number of spaces they roll on a dice. The winners of each race receive prizes and Jim Beam will also provide fun giveaways during the event. (The actual Derby race will be broadcast live on a large screen.)

 The food will pay homage to the traditions of Kentucky with Hot Brown Mac and Cheese, Andouille Sausage and Kentucky Derby Fried Chicken, Shrimp Dip, and customized sliders from a build-it-yourself slider station. Desserts include Bourbon Pecan Pie, Mint Julep Cheesecake, and Run for the Roses Cupcakes.

The Kentucky Derby Party is $28 (plus tax and gratuity) for the buffet, and $18 for kids 5 – 12.  Ages 4 and under celebrate for free!  The cash bar includes signature drinks Millionaires Row Mint Julep with Knob Creek Kentucky Bourbon, fresh mint and sugar served over crushed ice; The Run for the Roses Race Day Tini with Makers Mark, lemonade, pomegranate juice; and Winners Circle Sweet Tea with Jim Beam, triple sec, sweet & sour mix with a splash of coke ($12 each)

The event takes place at the Rotunda at Grand Cascades Lodge Clubhouse. Reservations can be made by calling 973-827-5996 ext 3.

doac wineMay 4th & 5th: Atlantic City: The Do AC Boardwalk Wine Promenade
Atlantic City’s outdoor wine festival featuring 150 wines presented at seven destinations along the city’s famous Boardwalk, takes place Saturday May 4 and Sunday, May 5.  Guests will sample a broad spectrum of wines from fabulous quality value wines to highly-prized specialty wines. Signature tastes from AC restaurants, including gourmet bites and Boardwalk fare, will be paired with the wines.
 Tickets can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, at www.doatlanticcity.com/wine, or by calling (800) 736-1420. One-day tickets are $75 in advance and $85 on the day of the event. Great overnight hotel packages are available.
May 8th: Atlantic City: The 16th Annual Atlantic City Host Awards will take place on May 8th in the Adrian Phillips Ballroom of Boardwalk Hall. Presented by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) and the ACCVA Foundation, the program salutes and encourages excellent customer service industry-wide.
In addition to honoring award winners in 26 categories ranging from various food service, bar and hotel personnel to retail, visitor information, spa and casino positions, the prestigious Spirit of Hospitality Award will be presented to the Dougherty family, which has owned and operated some of the city’s most famous restaurants for generations. The Doughertys currently own and operate Dock’s Oyster House, Knife and Fork Inn, and Harry’s Oyster Bar. Dock’s has been in the family’s control since it opened in 1897.
Scholarships for students attending hospitality programs at area colleges will also be presented during the banquet. The scholarships are awarded by the Greater Atlantic City Concierge Association and the ACCVA Foundation.
Tickets for the Host Awards banquet are $65.00 each and are available by calling Jacqui Carole at 609-449-7174.  More information on sponsorship, nominations, and the ACCVA Foundation can be found by visiting their website.
May 12th-18th: Atlantic City:  Tropicana Bacon Week

Tropicana is changing the way you look at bacon with its first ever Bacon Week Sunday, May 12th through Saturday, May 18th.  These dining and retail specials are guaranteed to make your mouth water.  They are mixing bacon in your martini, wrapping your steak in it, dipping it in chocolate and even making a bouquet of roses with it!  It’s all about the “B” word at Tropicana… BACON!

Receive a bacon tour card at any of our participating outlets and collect stamps with qualifying bacon purchases. Fill your card and submit it for a chance to win an overnight stay at Tropicana Atlantic City and a gift basket by Bacon Bites Inc.!

For more information, contact Tropicana at 1-800-THE- TROP.

gnsvhosesMay 18th: Atlantic City: 3rd Annual Big Teplitzky Challenge

 The Chelsea, Atlantic City’s chic non-gaming hotel on the Boardwalk, will host the 3rd Annual Big Teplitzky Challenge on Saturday, May 18, 2013. The Atlantic City Fire Department will face off with the Atlantic City Police Department and compete to be the first to clear their plates of the mega 4-pound Big Teplitzky breakfast of pancakes, stuffed French toast, eggs, bacon, turkey sausage, pork roll, hash browns, grilled tomato, toast, a bagel, along with orange juice and coffee to wash it all down! While competing for fun, both departments are partnering for a serious cause-to raise community support and awareness of suicide prevention particularly among first responders.

All proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships will benefit The Andrew Fisher Memorial Scholarship Fund and Cop2Cop. Andrew’s Scholarship Fund is a tribute to Captain James’ son who was a brilliant chemical engineering student at Northeastern University in Boston at the time of his tragic death. Cop2Cop is a New Jersey based phone counseling service for law enforcement. Law enforcement officers, some of who have faced their own struggles with depression or seen colleagues suffer, volunteer their time to staff the service.

Individuals or businesses interested in becoming sponsors of The Big Teplitzky Challenge should contact the Atlantic City Firemen’s Federal Credit Union at (609) 272-1000. Tickets may be purchased in advance for $10 each through ACPD (Jane Tayoun: [email protected]/ 609-271-2500) or ACFD (Christine Parker: [email protected]/609-576-4084) or purchased at the door.                                                                                                                                                                       

For more information on the Chelsea hotel, please call 1-800-548-5030 or visit www.thechelsea-ac.com.


2013-wine-logoMay 18th-19th: Glassboro: Glassboro Vintage South Jersey Wine Festival

 Come to the 2nd Annual Wine Festival where fifteen southern New Jersey wineries will be on hand for tastings and purchases.  Live musical entertainment and gourmet food selections will also be featured in this two-day event, expected to draw more than 5,000 guests.  Tickets are now available for the event which runs 12:00-5:00 p.m. each day on Rowan Boulevard as part of the Glassboro Marketplace series of large-scale community activities.

Participating wineries include Amalthea Winery, Auburn Road Vineyard and Winery, Bellview Winery, Cedarvale Winery, Chestnut Run Farm, Coda Rossa Winery, DiBella Winery, DiMatteo Vineyards, Heritage Vineyards, Monroeville Winery, Natali Vineyards, Plagido’s Winery, Sharrott Winery, Valenzano Winery and Wagonhouse Winery.

Local restaurants including Landmark Americana, Bomb Bomb BBQ and Sandwich Grille, Think Greek Grill and Yogurt Bar, Little Beef’s, Carolina Blue, Liscio’s and Green Zebra will offer gourmet and pre-packaged food selections.  Glassboro artisans including Second Look Mosaic and the Glassboro Honey Company will join more than two dozen vendors offering specialty items for wine lovers.

The festival will be alive with musical entertainment.  Appearing from 12:00-2:00 p.m. Saturday is Cold Blue Electric, featuring their brand of Jazz fusion.  Enjoy classic rock from Love Alive on Saturday from 2:30-5:00 p.m.  Singer/songwriter Dan Bell kicks off Sunday’s entertainment from 12:00-2:00 p.m., followed by Mike Dugan and the Blues Mission from 2:30-5:00 p.m.

Advance tickets are available at www.glassboromarketplace.com.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.  Admission includes a souvenir glass and parking is free.

The Wine Festival will take place rain or shine.  Additional tents will be used in case of inclement weather.

manestreamJune 1st:  Oldwick: The Food Truck Festival: A Moving Culinary Event

Equine meets epicurean when a Hunterdon County non-profit hosts an evening of charitable giving this June called The Food Truck Festival: A Moving Culinary Event. Mane Stream is an organization that provides equine therapy to over 200 riders with physical, developmental, emotional, and medical challenges. In keeping with the hottest trends in food and drink, The Food Truck Festival: A Moving Culinary Event will feature six gourmet food trucks from the tri-state area plus beer pairings from the tri-state’s finest microbreweries, full open bar, dancing, and two raffles. This will all take place in a fantastic lounge atmosphere on Saturday June 1, 2013 at 6:30 P.M. at 14 Holland Brook Road, Whitehouse Station, NJ.

The featured food trucks are sure to satisfy adventurous eaters and picky eaters alike. The evening will begin with The Cow and the Curd’s battered and fried cheese curds, plus Rickshaw Dumplings will feature all of their most sought after dumplings and dipping sauces.  Next to roll up are the main course trucks. Amped up comfort food from Lil Dan’s, Foo Truck’s Asian-fusion flavors and Indian cuisine from Mausam Curry & Bites will not disappoint. End the evening on a sweet note with Belgian waffles piled high with Wafels & Dinges’ gourmet ice cream, fresh fruit, and toppings galore —everything homemade and everything delicious. These food trucks may call NYC and Philadelphia home, but they are coming to the country to satisfy hungry Mane Stream supporters.

Additionally, New Jersey Craft Beer has carefully paired each truck’s cuisine with amazing local brews. It’s the perfect opportunity to taste test the best of New Jersey’s pint-sized selections. These nine different breweries will be serving up cold ones: Weyerbacher, Smuttynose, Troegs, River Horse, Flying Dog, Yards, Boulder, Breckenridge and Sly Fox.

There will be a riding demonstration (weather permitting), so festival participants will be able to see how Mane Stream’s clients benefit from equine assisted therapy and other equestrian activities. Music and dancing will provide additional entertainment well into the night.

All-inclusive tickets are $150 and must be purchased online via manestreaminc.org, under Special Events.

June 7th: Morristown: Five Course Tasting Dinner at The Artist Baker

A five course tasting menu of locally sourced foods will be prepared by Chef Andrea Lekberg at her boutique bakery located in downtown Morristown to raise funds for Slow Food Northern New Jersey‘s School Vegetable Garden Program.  Gary Tonucci, the chapter’s wine enthusiast, has selected the New Jersey wines to pair with each course.  Gary will provide information about the wines being served and viniculture in the state.

Please note that both vegetarian and vegan options will be available upon request.   Tickets are $80 for Slow Food Members and $85 for non-members.  Please book soon as space is limited by purchasing tickets online.

LOGOJune 8th: Allendale: Nosher-Rye Deli Fundraiser

Nosher-Rye, the New York-Style deli, will be hosting a series of Borscht Belt comedy and trivia nights to be hosted by stand-up comic Esther Goodhart, a.k.a. Oriental Beauty.  The series will kick off on Saturday, June 8th at the 51 West Allendale Ave. eatery with two shows:  6-8PM and 9-11PM.

Patrons pay $20 as a cover and may choose from a price fixe menu ranging from $15.95-$17.95 for three courses.  Nosher-Rye’s over-stuffed sandwiches have a cult-like following among deli enthusiasts who clamor for their house-prepared pastrami, corned beef and chopped live,r and other traditional kosher-style favorites.  Goodhart promises to have guests laughing “their tuchases off” with her schtick (she’s a Korean who converted to Judaism, and her humor blends Asian and Jewish/Yiddish flavor) to salute Catskill’s greatest comics.

The event will raise funds for Pascack Valley Meals on Wheels.  Reservations are required:  201-784-1818.

Grilled Chorizo, Black Bean & Rice Cone topped with Avocado Mousse & Chorizo Crisp

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Grilled Chorizo, Black Bean & Rice Cone topped with Avocado Mousse & Chorizo Crisp
Sponsored Content by Morris Tap & Grill

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner and thanks to Chef Eric LeVine, of Morris Tap & Grill in Randolph, your guests are in for a very special treat. Now, if you really want to Wow your guests, order the Rice Cones for serving or this dish can be served in indivual bowls, wraps or decorative glasses.

Ingredients

1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 chorizo sausages, sliced

1 cup Alessio Black Bean and Rice Mix

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable) or water

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Method
1. Prep the onions, peppers, beans and sausages. Cook the rice according to the package directions.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the sausage. Leave it alone to brown, 2 minutes.


3. Stir the sausage and toss in the onions and peppers. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions and peppers turn soft, 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the broth and beans to the skillet, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Reduce the heat, uncover, and stir until much of the liquid evaporates, another 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley.
Avocado Mousse
1 med. ripe avocado

1 c. sour cream

1 tbsp. lemon juice
In food processor, blend avocado with sour cream, and lemon juice until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap
Refrigerate until serving time.
Chorizo Crisp
Ingredients
1 ea Chorizo
slice cooked chorizo into thin pieces and bake in oven at 350F for 20 minutes or until Chorizo is crisp as a potato chip, almost brittle
Assembly
Spoon rice mixture into cone, top with piece of crispy chorizo and pipe avocado mousse.
Chef Eric Levine of Morris Tap & GrillChef Eric LeVine
While most kids were playing with action figures, Eric was in the kitchen testing and tasting recipes. As a youngster growing up in Brooklyn, Eric found excitement, challenges and passion in his favorite place – the kitchen. His childhood love became his career path and purpose. He studied at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and soon after graduation, worked under celebrity chef David Burke at the River Café. He credits this experience with sparking his creative artistry with food.
Follow Chef Eric on Twitter@ChefEricL.

Agricola – Farm to Table Comes to Princeton

Veronique @ Food & Wine Chickie
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Agricola – Farm to Table Comes to Princeton


The following is a two part interview and review by Vikki Hurley-Schubert and Veronique Deblois

About the Chef and the Concept

By Vikki Hurley-Schubert

Agricola has only been open for a little more than a month and the menu has already been updated. Something to get used to when the owner also lives on the farm–four miles door-to-door–from where the produce is grown.

Agricola Owner Jim NawnEven though the menu reflects the first spring bounty from the 112-acre Great Road farm where owner Jim Nawn lives, the entire restaurant revolves around the chef, the farmer and the local ingredients.

The menu focuses on fresh, local ingredients centered on delivering the best tasting food.

“I’m looking for food that I cook at home – simple, wholesome, seasonal,” said Executive Chef and Partner Josh Thomsen. “If I put a pineapple or a lobster on the menu, it’s not coming from five minutes away from here; golden pineapples come from Maui and lobster comes from Maine. I just put Cape May scallops on the menu, which are so exciting because having cooked in California all these years, scallops were flown 3,000 miles for me.”

The farm vegetables play a key role not only on the menu, but in the decor. The walls of the restaurant are lined with large mason jars of pickled vegetables of all colors, shapes and sizes that act like stained glass, reflecting colored light on the rooms. The vegetables also play key roles at the bar, both in the signature cocktail, the Great ‘Dirt’ Road Farm Martini, which comes with a sidecar of pickled vegetables and a pickle plate on the Small Bites menu.

Chef Thomsen’s impressive resume shows time at the French Laundry in the Napa Valley under Thomas Keller and opening chef of Tao in Las Vegas, which became the highest grossing restaurant in the country during his two-year tenure.

To help him in the kitchen, Chef Thomsen, who in his sixth grade yearbook listed chef as his career choice, brought his Chef de Cuisine of four years, Manlee Siu, with him from California and hired pastry chef Sarah Hecksteden from the Little Inn at Washington.

Chef Thomsen inherited his love of cooking from his father, whom he calls a closet chef. “He worked in finance, my mother is a great cook in her own right, but it just wasn’t her thing,” he said. “I remember growing up where it would be 10 o’clock at night and she’d be doing dishes. Dad made a mess, he just destroyed the kitchen. He loved to cook, he got done with work in the finance business and then ripped out pages of Bon Appetit or Gourmet, went shopping and came home and cooked a gourmet meal for us. I fell in love with it.”

Restauranteur Jim Nawn, a culinary school graduate who used to own more than 35 Panera Bread locations, always wanted to be in hospitality and was excited about the challenge the historic space of the former Lahiere’s posed. Lahiere’s was a family-owned French and contemporary American restaurant that had been in business for 91 years at the 5-13 Witherspoon Street location.

“A lot of small things came together, I sold my Panera business (in September 2010),” said Mr. Nawn, who originally bought the farm to supply his local Panera locations with fresh produce. “I came to the conclusion that getting back into hospitality was for me.”

To get back into the hospitality business, he went to culinary school at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York City, and while there, the Lahiere’s space became available. “The thought crossed my mind, but I wanted to finish culinary school,” he said. “While I was doing that, this space remained available.”

Since Lahiere’s space seemed to be waiting for him and he wanted to open a local restaurant, Mr. Nawn took on the challenge.

“This space was intriguing, it’s a big bet,” said Mr. Nawn. “It’s on center stage (in the heart of downtown Princeton on Witherspoon Street), it’s costly to be here and the space is large.”

The star of the kitchen stage is Chef Thomsen, who performs every night in the open kitchen for people to watch from the restaurant or the windows on Witherspoon Street. Both he and Mr. Nawn are respectful of what their historic space means for the community and patrons, who had been sitting at the tables for almost a century before they took it over.

“This space means a lot, not just to Jim, but the community at large,” said Chef Thomsen. “I’ve met so many people who are in their eighties, seventies and sixties and fifties and forties who have all eaten here at one time or another when it was Lahiere’s. I had one couple in their eighties that sat in the kitchen, they were sitting in the area where they always sat when they came in for years.”

Mr. Nawn hired Chef Thomsen seven months before the restaurant opened and the chef was instrumental in the design of the restaurant.

“I even moved the kitchen,” said Chef Thomsen. “When I came out (for a weekend) to meet Jim, he opened up the front door and said ‘don’t walk in,’ if I had walked in, I would have fallen 20 feet to the basement, there was nothing here. The kitchen was designed much like the old kitchen was. Everything was torn out and it was a blank canvas, but it was being rebuilt with exactly the same structure the way it was.”

Not officially hired yet, he didn’t think anything of the kitchen design, which was a French brigade system. After visits to New York and California by both parties, they reached an agreement and Chef Thomsen requested to move the kitchen.

“I don’t think the kitchen should be in the back,” he said, noting with the total gutting of the space they had the chance to put it anywhere they wanted. “I wanted to move it to the front, which was originally one of the dining rooms. I’ve been doing this so long I’m tired of working in a dark room, but I want to see. I’m going to live here, I want to see light, and on top of it, you’re going to get to show people things they’ve never seen. People love to look in a kitchen.”

The kitchen design evolved into an L-shape and a wood-fired oven was added in addition to a chef’s table.

“It’s been a blast, people get the biggest kick out of it!” said Chef Thomsen, who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. “We have people takings pictures, it’s crazy!”

Atlantic Cod Fritters
Atlantic Cod Fritters

Agricola – About the Food

By Veronique Deblois

I recently had the opportunity to dine at the then thirteen day-old Agricola in lovely Princeton.

I follow Agricola on Facebook and saw the step-by-step creation of the beautiful space. By the time the doors opened, I felt like I had been part of the process and was eager to make my way down to Princeton.

The design is simple, comfortable and welcoming. After sampling Chef/Partner Josh Thomsen’s dishes, I find the food mirrors the décor. The New Jersey native returns to his home state to wow diners with the skills and techniques he has amassed along the way.

The 160-seat restaurant features five distinct dining areas. To my delight, my party and I were seated in the room right off the kitchen where I enjoyed watching Chef Thomsen and his staff work in unison to create memorable meals. With less than two weeks under its belt, Agricola’s kitchen appears to be running like a well-oiled machine.

The menu at Agricola is seasonal, local and flavorful.

Octopus a La Plancha
Octopus a La Plancha

Our meal began with Atlantic Cod Fritters ($12), the Coach Farm Goat Cheese – Potato Terrine ($12) and the Octopus “A La Plancha” ($13). The fritters are expertly fried to a perfectly crunchy exterior and a moist interior. The dish is served with oven-dried tomatoes, shaved fennel and flat leaf parsley. The terrine showcases roasted beets, micro arugula and balsamic syrup was as delicious as it was beautiful. The ultra-tender octopus is served with pickled cauliflower, bell pepper, black garlic and toasted almonds – a real winner.

Our entrée selections were the Lancaster County Roasted Chicken ($23), the Creekstone Farms Braised Beef Short Rib ($29) and the House-Made Sausage Flatbread ($16).

Lancaster County Roasted Chicken
Lancaster County Roasted Chicken

The chicken was a gorgeous golden brown and served with Tuscan fried potatoes, sautéed farm greens and green olive-fennel tapenade. The melt-in-your-mouth short ribs are smartly paired with spring vegetables and arrowleaf spinach. The flatbread we ordered was topped with spring onion, pea tendrils and Mozzarella. There is another flatbread that I would like to order on my next visit that is topped with wild mushrooms and a farm-fresh egg.

Mixed Berry Cobbler Skillet Cake
Mixed Berry Cobbler Skillet Cake

Desserts we enjoyed were the Meyer Lemon Cheesecake ($9), the Mixed Berry Cobbler Skillet Cake ($9) and an Artisan Cheeseboard ($15) featuring the amazing cheeses of Valley Sheppard Creamery and served with Tassot Farms honeycomb, pear-pepper chutney and house-made crackers. The cheesecake is served with huckleberries and sprinkled with vanilla salt. The cobbler is presented in a cast iron pan topped with crème fraîche ice cream.

The “libations” list offers an extensive array of whiskeys, craft beers and wines, both by the glass and bottle. I appreciate and tip my hat to whoever created the wine list. It is eclectic and interesting with affordable options and unusual gems.

The restaurant describes what it aims to be as “a community eatery where friends gather over dinner, where wine glasses toast to milestones, and where families savor Sunday brunch and time together”. In the short time it has been opened, Agricola provided this type of experience.

Agricola 

11 Witherspoon Street, Princeton NJ 08542

www.agricolaeatery.com

(609) 921-2798

Dinner: 7 Days a week, 5:00pm – 11:00pm

Brunch and Lunch: To Begin in April

VikkiVictoria Hurley-Schubert, Regional Editor Ocean County, is a true Jersey girl. Raised in Marlboro, Vikki  has lived in the area her whole life. She loves to experiment in the kitchen and is happiest when feeding a houseful of friends and family. A journalist for 10 years, she now serves as media coordinator at the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce. Vikki is happiest on the road, so it should be no Surprise she is a travel agent specializing in Disney destinations.   Follow her on Twitter @vikkihs.

Veronique Deblois, Food & Wine Chickie: Veronique is a food and wine writer based in Morris County, NJ. As the author of the popular blog, Food & Wine Chickie Insider, Veronique shares recipes, wine and restaurant reviews and insight into the travel industry of which she’s a 15-year veteran. Follow Veronique on Twitter or like her Facebook page.

 

Foodie Things to Do, this Weekend and Beyond

aaccardo
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Foodie Things to Do, this Weekend and Beyond
seafoodweektropicanaApril 14th-20th: Atlantic City: Tropicana Seafood Week will debut for the first time April! Celebrate everything under the sea with property-wide seafood specials, drink specials and discounted retail shopping.  Enjoy fresh seafood at FIN, shop nautical fashions and accessories in The Quarter, or even unwind with a sea salt scrub at bluemercury spa.  Tropicana is serving up seafood every which way, and there are plenty of ways to get your fix with various specials throughout the week.

The official Seafood Week Kickoff will take place Monday, April 15th at 12:30pm in Palm Walk where guests can sample Fin’s famous lobster bisque, share the wonder of the Atlantic City Aquarium’s touch tank, and catch a special “Under the Sea” themed Zumba demo by Tilton Fitness.

For more info, see Seafood Week at the Tropicana online!

amadaApril 18th: Atlantic City: Chef Jose Garces Hosts “THE LATIN ROAD HOME” Multi-Course Meal

At 7:00 p.m., join Chef Jose Garces at his gorgeous tapas bar and restaurant, Amada (609-225-9900) at Revel (500 Boardwalk, 855-348-0500) for a decadent, multi-course meal celebrating the publication of his second cookbook, The Latin Road Home. 

The show-stopping menu will include:  Tiradito de Lubina, black bass ceviche with yuzu (Peru); Pan de Yuca, yuca bread with queso fresco, served with guava-chile butter (Ecuador); Crema de Quinoa de Zuleta, quinoa chowder with sweet corn (Ecuador); Enchilado de Langosta, lobster in spicy tomato sauce (Cuba); Carne Asada a la Tampiqueña con Arroz Rojo y Refritos, grilled marinated skirt steak with red rice and refried beans (Mexico); and Crema Catalana, chocolate custard with vanilla berries (Spain).

For $85 per person, excluding beverages, tax and gratuity, guests will enjoy dishes from each of the book’s five chapters:  Ecuador; Spain; Cuba; Mexico; and Peru.  An optional wine pairing will also be available for $40. Reservations required, please call 609.225.9900 for more information.

April 22nd: West Long Branch: The Red Bank Rotary’s Thirteenth Annual Two Rivers Food and Wine Tasting

Come join the Red Bank Rotary on April 22nd from 6-9 Pm to benefit Lunch Break! For many local families who are struggling with poverty, Lunch Break is their only option for a healthy, well-balanced meal and for many other much needed services.

For the past 12 years The Rotary Club has organized The Two Rivers Food and Wine Tasting event with proceeds going to local charities. This event is a huge culinary and social success and gives people the opportunity to meet friends and make new ones while sampling delicious food and a great selection of wines and other beverages from leading restaurants in the area.

Tickets for $65.00 each may be purchased by sending a check payable to Red Bank Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 8444, Red Bank, NJ 07701 or through paypal on the Red Bank Rotary website: www.redbankrotary.org

For additional information, please call 732-979-4459.

April 22nd: Red Bank: A Conversation with Bobby Flay. Are you obsessed with barbecue?  Bobby Flay?  Well we have a treat for you!  Bobby Flay will be at Count Basie Theatre to share his approach to food.  Don’t miss hearing tips, stories, and recipes from his new book, Bobby Flay’s Barbeque Addiction.  All tickets include a signed copy of the book (a $35 value), available exlusively at this event before it’s official public release the following day.

Bobby Flay, a New York Times bestselling author, is the chef-owner of six fine-dining restaurants, including Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, and Bobby Flay Steak, and numerous Bobby’s Burger Palaces. He is the host of many popular cooking shows on Food Network, from the Emmy-winning Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction, Grill It! with Bobby Flay, and Boy Meets Grill, to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, and Food Network Star.
Long known and beloved for his skills at the grill, Bobby now expands his cooking horizons to include slow and low with his Food Network cooking show Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction and in this book. Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction presents Bobby’s secrets for cooking anything and everything on the grill—from quickly grilled steaks and seafood to smoky barbecued ribs and fork-tender pulled pork.  This is his only area appearance; don’t miss out!

Tickets are $49.75, and a limited number of Gold Circle tickets are available at $79.75.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Count Basie Theatre’s website.

 TasteApril 23rd: The 13th Annual Taste of Weehawken will be held on Tuesday, April 23 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Food Court at Lincoln Harbor. Proceeds from the event, which has historically been used to support Library programming, will instead be donated by the Library to the Weehawken & You Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.
Hundreds of food enthusiasts gather at the Taste for a splendid evening of food, fun and fundraising. The Taste has something for everyone; samplings of signature dishes and unique fare from high profile and emerging local restaurants, caterers, bakers, along with fine wines, and mouthwatering desserts. Giannone Wine will once again be hosting wine tasting stations at the Taste; new this year will be the tastings of specialty beers.
If you are a chef, restaurant owner or other food business proprietor and would like to participate in Taste please call the Library at 201-863-7823, visit our website, like Taste of Weehawken ’13 on Facebook or follow on Twitter @weehawkennj.
April 27th: Kitchen Tour Through Interlaken

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School will host a kitchen tour through Interlaken on April 27, 2013 from 11 AM – 3 PM.  Six houses with seven caterers will be showcased.  Caterers include et al fine foods, Cravings, the Caramel Shop, Chef Michael Thompson, Falco Brothers Catering, Joe Leone’s, and Mike’s Deli.

Tickets, $35 prepaid and $40 on the day of the tour, are available at the Allenhurst Cleaners, 530 Main St., Allenhurst or by calling Vicki at 732-531-9609.

Participants must pick up brochures at the Interlaken Boro hall, 100 Main St, Interlaken at 11 am on the day of the tour.

nyctasteofnationApril 29th: New York City: Taste of the Nation NYC
Where can you sample over 65 of New York’s most notable restaurants, over a dozen impossible-to-get-into cocktail bars, rub elbows with your favorite culinary personalities, and bid on priceless experiential auction packages in one evening? Share Our Strength’s 26th annual Taste of the Nation® NYC will bring the city’s finest chefs and mixologists together to donate their time, talent, and passion to end childhood hunger in America.
This year’s event includes support from our chef chairs Marc Murphy and Alex Guarnaschelli and our host committee members, fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff, interior designer Athena Calderone and nightlife maven Simonez Wolf.  The evening will also include book signings from top toques and food personalities as well as exclusive culinary and travel packages offered during the famed live auction.
Where: 82 Mercer Street, NYC
When: April 29th, 6:30-9:30 PM VIP, 7:30-9:30 PM General Admission
Tickets: VIP-$425, General-$225
Buy tickets online here.  100% of ticket sales go toward ending childhood hunger.
May 8th: Atlantic City: The 16th Annual Atlantic City Host Awards will take place on May 8th in the Adrian Phillips Ballroom of Boardwalk Hall. Presented by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) and the ACCVA Foundation, the program salutes and encourages excellent customer service industry-wide.
In addition to honoring award winners in 26 categories ranging from various food service, bar and hotel personnel to retail, visitor information, spa and casino positions, the prestigious Spirit of Hospitality Award will be presented to the Dougherty family, which has owned and operated some of the city’s most famous restaurants for generations. The Doughertys currently own and operate Dock’s Oyster House, Knife and Fork Inn, and Harry’s Oyster Bar. Dock’s has been in the family’s control since it opened in 1897.
Scholarships for students attending hospitality programs at area colleges will also be presented during the banquet. The scholarships are awarded by the Greater Atlantic City Concierge Association and the ACCVA Foundation.
Tickets for the Host Awards banquet are $65.00 each and are available by calling Jacqui Carole at 609-449-7174.  More information on sponsorship, nominations, and the ACCVA Foundation can be found by visiting their website.
May 12th-18th: Atlantic City:  Tropicana Bacon Week

Tropicana is changing the way you look at bacon with its first ever Bacon Week Sunday, May 12th through Saturday, May 18th.  These dining and retail specials are guaranteed to make your mouth water.  They are mixing bacon in your martini, wrapping your steak in it, dipping it in chocolate and even making a bouquet of roses with it!  It’s all about the “B” word at Tropicana… BACON!

Receive a bacon tour card at any of our participating outlets and collect stamps with qualifying bacon purchases. Fill your card and submit it for a chance to win an overnight stay at Tropicana Atlantic City and a gift basket by Bacon Bites Inc.!

For more information, contact Tropicana at 1-800-THE- TROP.

gnsvhosesMay 18th: Atlantic City: 3rd Annual Big Teplitzky Challenge

 The Chelsea, Atlantic City’s chic non-gaming hotel on the Boardwalk, will host the 3rd Annual Big Teplitzky Challenge on Saturday, May 18, 2013. The Atlantic City Fire Department will face off with the Atlantic City Police Department and compete to be the first to clear their plates of the mega 4-pound Big Teplitzky breakfast of pancakes, stuffed French toast, eggs, bacon, turkey sausage, pork roll, hash browns, grilled tomato, toast, a bagel, along with orange juice and coffee to wash it all down! While competing for fun, both departments are partnering for a serious cause-to raise community support and awareness of suicide prevention particularly among first responders.

All proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships will benefit The Andrew Fisher Memorial Scholarship Fund and Cop2Cop. Andrew’s Scholarship Fund is a tribute to Captain James’ son who was a brilliant chemical engineering student at Northeastern University in Boston at the time of his tragic death. Cop2Cop is a New Jersey based phone counseling service for law enforcement. Law enforcement officers, some of who have faced their own struggles with depression or seen colleagues suffer, volunteer their time to staff the service.

Individuals or businesses interested in becoming sponsors of The Big Teplitzky Challenge should contact the Atlantic City Firemen’s Federal Credit Union at (609) 272-1000. Tickets may be purchased in advance for $10 each through ACPD (Jane Tayoun: [email protected]/ 609-271-2500) or ACFD (Christine Parker: [email protected]/609-576-4084) or purchased at the door.                                                                                                                                                                       

For more information on the Chelsea hotel, please call 1-800-548-5030 or visit www.thechelsea-ac.com.


2013-wine-logoMay 18th-19th: Glassboro: Glassboro Vintage South Jersey Wine Festival

 Come to the 2nd Annual Wine Festival where fifteen southern New Jersey wineries will be on hand for tastings and purchases.  Live musical entertainment and gourmet food selections will also be featured in this two-day event, expected to draw more than 5,000 guests.  Tickets are now available for the event which runs 12:00-5:00 p.m. each day on Rowan Boulevard as part of the Glassboro Marketplace series of large-scale community activities.

Participating wineries include Amalthea Winery, Auburn Road Vineyard and Winery, Bellview Winery, Cedarvale Winery, Chestnut Run Farm, Coda Rossa Winery, DiBella Winery, DiMatteo Vineyards, Heritage Vineyards, Monroeville Winery, Natali Vineyards, Plagido’s Winery, Sharrott Winery, Valenzano Winery and Wagonhouse Winery.

Local restaurants including Landmark Americana, Bomb Bomb BBQ and Sandwich Grille, Think Greek Grill and Yogurt Bar, Little Beef’s, Carolina Blue, Liscio’s and Green Zebra will offer gourmet and pre-packaged food selections.  Glassboro artisans including Second Look Mosaic and the Glassboro Honey Company will join more than two dozen vendors offering specialty items for wine lovers.

The festival will be alive with musical entertainment.  Appearing from 12:00-2:00 p.m. Saturday is Cold Blue Electric, featuring their brand of Jazz fusion.  Enjoy classic rock from Love Alive on Saturday from 2:30-5:00 p.m.  Singer/songwriter Dan Bell kicks off Sunday’s entertainment from 12:00-2:00 p.m., followed by Mike Dugan and the Blues Mission from 2:30-5:00 p.m.

Advance tickets are available at www.glassboromarketplace.com.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.  Admission includes a souvenir glass and parking is free.

The Wine Festival will take place rain or shine.  Additional tents will be used in case of inclement weather.

manestreamJune 1st:  Oldwick: The Food Truck Festival: A Moving Culinary Event

Equine meets epicurean when a Hunterdon County non-profit hosts an evening of charitable giving this June called The Food Truck Festival: A Moving Culinary Event. Mane Stream is an organization that provides equine therapy to over 200 riders with physical, developmental, emotional, and medical challenges. In keeping with the hottest trends in food and drink, The Food Truck Festival: A Moving Culinary Event will feature six gourmet food trucks from the tri-state area plus beer pairings from the tri-state’s finest microbreweries, full open bar, dancing, and two raffles. This will all take place in a fantastic lounge atmosphere on Saturday June 1, 2013 at 6:30 P.M. at 14 Holland Brook Road, Whitehouse Station, NJ.

The featured food trucks are sure to satisfy adventurous eaters and picky eaters alike. The evening will begin with The Cow and the Curd’s battered and fried cheese curds, plus Rickshaw Dumplings will feature all of their most sought after dumplings and dipping sauces.  Next to roll up are the main course trucks. Amped up comfort food from Lil Dan’s, Foo Truck’s Asian-fusion flavors and Indian cuisine from Mausam Curry & Bites will not disappoint. End the evening on a sweet note with Belgian waffles piled high with Wafels & Dinges’ gourmet ice cream, fresh fruit, and toppings galore —everything homemade and everything delicious. These food trucks may call NYC and Philadelphia home, but they are coming to the country to satisfy hungry Mane Stream supporters.

Additionally, New Jersey Craft Beer has carefully paired each truck’s cuisine with amazing local brews. It’s the perfect opportunity to taste test the best of New Jersey’s pint-sized selections. These nine different breweries will be serving up cold ones: Weyerbacher, Smuttynose, Troegs, River Horse, Flying Dog, Yards, Boulder, Breckenridge and Sly Fox.

There will be a riding demonstration (weather permitting), so festival participants will be able to see how Mane Stream’s clients benefit from equine assisted therapy and other equestrian activities. Music and dancing will provide additional entertainment well into the night.

All-inclusive tickets are $150 and must be purchased online via manestreaminc.org, under Special Events.

June 7th: Morristown: Five Course Tasting Dinner at The Artist Baker

A five course tasting menu of locally sourced foods will be prepared by Chef Andrea Lekberg at her boutique bakery located in downtown Morristown to raise funds for Slow Food Northern New Jersey‘s School Vegetable Garden Program.  Gary Tonucci, the chapter’s wine enthusiast, has selected the New Jersey wines to pair with each course.  Gary will provide information about the wines being served and viniculture in the state.

Please note that both vegetarian and vegan options will be available upon request.   Tickets are $80 for Slow Food Members and $85 for non-members.  Please book soon as space is limited by purchasing tickets online.

Chef Jose Garces’ Latin Road Home

Jennifer Miller
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Chef Jose Garces’ Latin Road Home

Chef Jose Garces of Amada, Village Whiskey and Distrito Cantina at the Revel Hotel and Casino in AC has written his first cookbook The Latin Road Home which takes the reader for a ride into his personal culinary experiences and influences throughout his life. It is a beautiful jouney filled with delicious recipes and wonderful pictures of the many countries that helped shape his culinary style. Cuba, Spain, Equador, Peru and Mexico play a tremendous role in this exciting cookbook filled with intimate stories of the people and places in Chef Jose Garces’ education and exposure to Latin food.

The reader is instantly transported into his world of flavors, sights and sounds. Written with love and respect for all he met along the way which only adds to the desire to recreate some of the wonderful recipes that make up the fabric of Jose Garces’ Latin roots and heritage. He has included a recipe for Fritada, fried pork from his childhood that his mother made for him which he loves to this day.

Last week I was able to speak to Chef Garces about his book and his upcoming event at Amada.

Was there a single recipe that inspired you to write the book?

“This is a difficult question to answer; so many of these recipes are personal to me, and the fact that I get to share them, and people will cook them, is so thrilling.  I think, as readers explore each chapter, they’ll understand how personal all of these dishes are and how each of them has shaped me and contributed to the chef that I am today.”

What’s next on your plate? Any more books in your future?

“I would say: never say never.  The life and career path I’m on now, I never would have predicted.  At this stage, I hope I have learned enough not to try and to just work hard, learn as much as I can, and share it with the people I care about.  Stay tuned!”

Favorite recipe from the new book.

“I’ll always have a soft spot for my mom’s Fritada, or fried pork, which is in the Ecuador chapter.  My mom is a great cook and it’s a brilliant technique she uses – the meat is slowly cooked in a mixture of stock and oil, making it next-level tender, and then once all the stock has evaporated, the oil fries it in the same pan for texture and tons of flavor.  The taste and smell of this dish will always remind me of home.”

Tonight, Thursday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m., join Chef Jose Garces at his gorgeous tapas bar and restaurant, Amada (609-225-9900) at Revel(500 Boardwalk, 855-348-0500) for a decadent, multi-course meal celebrating the publication of  The Latin Road Home.  For $110 (includes tax and gratuity) or $150 (includes tax, gratuity and wine pairing)  guests will enjoy dishes from each of the book’s five chapters:  Ecuador; Spain; Cuba; Mexico; and Peru.  A copy of the book, which is a cookbook, travelogue and memoir all at once, is included in the price and Chef Garces will be available after dinner to sign copies.

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.

Rare The Steak House – Rare Experience in Little Falls

Veronique @ Food & Wine Chickie
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Rare The Steak House – Rare Experience in Little Falls
Cowboy Steak
Cowboy Steak

Tucked away in the northern New Jersey town of Little Falls, Rare The Steak House is an old school Italian steakhouse. When I say “old school”, I mean that in the best possible way. The place features a busy lounge area and a dark wood, masculine décor that I enjoy in a steakhouse.

Meat Presentation
Meat Presentation: Photo by Eat with Dan

Rare The Steak House is sister restaurant to Il Tulipano, a well-known catering facility owned by the Polimeni family that has been serving New Jersey special events for the last 30 years. To the delight of long-time patrons of Il Tulipano, its popular pastas are offered at Rare.

Bread, Butter, Bruschetta
Bread, Butter, Bruschetta

The staff at Rare is friendly and professional and greets guests with the presentation of a giant tray featuring equally giant cuts of meats – ribeye, filet, strip, veal chop and gorgeous applewood-smoked slab bacon.

Wedge with Blue Cheese
Wedge with Blue Cheese: Photo by Eat with Dan

Shortly after being seated, our waiter brought a basket of good-quality breads served with a dish of butter sitting on ice and flavorful bruschetta. What a special way to begin a meal!

Crabcake
Crabcake: Photo by Eat with Dan
Dover Sole
Dover Sole

The starters we enjoyed are the Sautéed Lump Crab Cake ($18), Rare Fries ($7), Iceberg Lettuce with House Roquefort Dressing ($7) and Shrimp Arrabiata, a special of the night. The crab cake is indeed “lumped” with big pieces of sweet crab. It’s paired with housemade horseradish tartare sauce that’s really quite fabulous. The Rare Fries are tossed with truffle oil and Parmesan and it’d be difficult to pull away from the bowl after just a couple. The classic wedge salad is not only topped with housemade blue cheese dressing, it’s also sprinkled with morsels of perfectly cooked slab bacon. The shrimp Arrabiata was a nightly special featuring rock shrimp lightly fried with a spicy coating.

For our entrées, we opted for the nightly specials – Dover Sole and Lasagna Bolognese and the 28-ounce Prime Rib Chop “The Ultimate Cowboy Steak” ($40) and Rack of Lamb Brushed with Mustard and Breadcrumbs ($30). The Dover sole is served whole and presented to the table before being expertly fileted and served by the wait staff. It’s light and moist and served with a lemon, garlic butter sauce that’s a bit addicting. The lasagna featured a flavorful tomato sauce and served in a sizeable portion. The aroma that exuded from the cowboy steak as it was brought to the table would have caused any red blooded carnivore to glaze over with beefy lust. While it was more medium-well than medium-rare, the 30-day aged meat was rich and decadent. The rack of lamb was beautifully cooked to a slightly charred exterior and a rare interior. Both the steak and lamb are served with baked plum tomatoes with breadcrumb topping – classic all the way.

Lamb
Lamb: Photo by Eat with Dan

While guests are savoring their meals, a push cart makes its way throughout the dining room. On this cart are homemade desserts of all shapes and sizes prepared at Il Tulipano. There’s even a gigantic bowl of colossal strawberries with a side bowl of whipped cream. Rare also serves creamy, dreamy gelato that our party sampled in three varieties: mint chocolate chunk, butter pecan and chocolate.

The dining room was busy while we dined at Rare with a mix of fun-loving regulars and what some might describe as “Soprano-like”. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the mostly-masculine crowd and thought it added to the old-school vibe of the place.

For aged steaks, classic accompaniments, outstanding service and a comfortable atmosphere, give Rare The Steak House a try.

440 Main Street

Little Falls, NJ 07424

Phone: (973) 256-6699

Cheers,

Veronique Deblois, Food & Wine Chickie: Veronique is a food and wine writer based in Morris County, NJ. As the author of the popular blog, Food & Wine Chickie Insider, Veronique shares recipes, wine and restaurant reviews and insight into the travel industry of which she’s a 15-year veteran. Follow Veronique on Twitter or like her Facebook page.

Meatless Monday: Aloo Gobi, Indian Style

Jennifer Miller
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Meatless Monday: Aloo Gobi, Indian Style

Indian food is one of the newer additions to the cultural revolution of culinary assimilation in this country. Like Chinese and Mexican food before them, Indian food is fast becoming a “go to” taste sensation for people looking to expand their food horizons. Our friends from England have great Indian food on almost every corner as we have Asian food. I admit it took me longer to acquire a taste for the wonderfully aromatic spices used in Indian food, but once I did there was no stopping. It adds such depth and richness to simple things like vegetables and flat bread and transforms them into something approaching otherwordly!

An added bonus  is the health aspect. Spices like tumeric, garlic and ginger have been proven to lower blood pressure, help with cancer and digestion just to name a few. The more we can add to our diets the better we will be. Our American diet can learn much from other countries who have been around a lot longer and have many more mouths to feed. Our cultural melting pot has provided us with this infusion of so much diversity and we should take advantage of the bountiful benefits. Aloo Gobi is one of those examples of elevating vegetables from a side dish to the starring role. This recipe takes a head of cauliflower and two Idaho potatoes with some spices and transforms them into a complex, sophisticated combination that makes use of all the senses. Next time when you think of vegetables as a side, think about Indian spices instead of just some butter and I promise you will be hooked too!

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into medium pieces

2 potatoes, chopped into small squares

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tbsp. ginger,  grated

2 tbsp. garam masala, spice mix

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

In a large pot add olive oil, garlic, cumin seeds and cayenne on low for 3 to 4 min. Add 1/2 cup of water and garam masala and stir for 2 min. to combine. Then add potatoes and cauliflower and turn to coat. Cook on med. high till fork tender but not soft. Salt to taste and add fresh cilantro and turn gently to coat. Make sure to hide any leftovers, because they won’t be there the next day!

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.

 

 

Rutgers 2 Day Seminar for Food Entrepreneurs

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Rutgers 2 Day Seminar for Food Entrepreneurs

breadHave you been dreaming about bringing your Nanna’s famous pasta sauce to market or those Jams you’ve been cooking up in your kitchen that get your neighbors lining up at the back door have got you itching to do something more?  Even if you’re well on your way to putting out your first product or have a product, this is an event you do not want to miss.

On April 24 and 25 at the Rutger’s Food Innovation Center in Bridgeton, NJ,  Jersey Bites’ Executive Editor, Deborah Smith, and an impressive collection of successful communicators and business leaders will be on hand to present a two-day seminar on the basics of marketing and communications for food business owners.

The seminar will feature topics like pitching products to retailers, media relations, digital marketing, trade show and events, packaging and labeling, visual merchandising, food service marketing, social media, website development, and content marketing. Follow this link for a complete list of sesson topics.

bottle cropAmong the New Jersey communicators and business leaders are:

  • Peter Genovese, Feature Writer, Star-Ledger
  • Bob Sickles, Owner, Sickles Market
  • Cheryl Williams, Vice President, Digital Commerce and Innovation, Wakefern
  • Jonathan Carl Raduns, Consultant, Visual Food Merchandising
  • Brent Sonnek-Schmelz, Director, Water Street Partners
  • Robert Hiller, Managing Director, Imagineer Marketing/Monarch Communications
  • Ira Berkowitz, Owner, Monarch Communcations, Advertising, Marketing, Graphic Design
  • James Caverly, Owner, Booskerdoo Coffee Company
  • Reuben Canada, Owner and  Creator, Jin-Ja
  • Ed Hitzel, Food Writer, Radio and TV host, Ed Hitzel Enterprises
  • Leslie Gurland, President,  LogoTech
  • Adam Taylor, Owner, Splendor Design Group
  • Nick Taranto, Cofounder, Plated.com
  • Deborah Smith, Founder, jerseybites.com
  • Michael Dresner, CEO, Brand² Squared Licensing
  • Christine Xenakis, Senior Account Supervisor, Edelman

Lobby

To learn more about the seminar, contact Diane Holtaway, associate director of Client Services at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 856-459-1900, ext. 4514.

About the Rutgers Food Innovation Center
The Rutgers Food Innovation Center is a unique business incubation and economic development accelerator program, which is part of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The Center provides business and technology expertise to startup and established food companies in the mid-Atlantic region, and utilizes its outreach capacity to reach food and agribusinesses throughout the world.

Wining and Dining at WineMakers Cellar in Hawthorne

Linda Arceo
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Wining and Dining at WineMakers Cellar in Hawthorne

For the most part, my definition of “refined” is drinking a craft beer with my pants on.  In other words, for me, sitting at a gastro pub imbibing a beverage with my pinky out and discussing the finer points of Fantasy Baseball, without cursing every third word, is generally, as classy as I get.  Now everyone knows that every rule has to have at least one exception in order to prove said rule, right.  So, every now and again, I don a shirt with at least 2 buttons, slacks instead of jeans, and even take off my baseball hat to enter the wonderful world of wine.   Although quite foreign to me at first, I have become somewhat of a novice scholar of wine, and it is all thanks to wine tastings and food pairings like the one I attended at The WineMakers Cellar, located at 1050 Goffle Road, in Hawthorne, NJ recently due to a Living Social Coupon that I stumbled upon.

The first thing to note about the WineMakers Cellar is that they are not a restaurant, nor are they a liquor store; they are actually a full-fledged wine making facility.  With that said, they offer something that other vineyards, wineries, restaurants, and liquor stores simply cannot, the option to create your own wine from scratch.  This process involves crushing the grapes, pressing the grapes, racking the wine and of course everyone’s favorite, bottling, and the knowledgeable professionals at The WineMakers Cellar will walk you through each process, imparting some of their wisdom to you along the way.

The event my wife and I attended was described as an evening of educational entertainment that will help the attendees diversify their palates in a relaxed and comfortable environment, whilst learning about wine and the wine making process.   With a description such as this, I probably would have been slightly interested, but then the gracious hosts at The WineMakers Cellar also included two glasses of wine per person, live music, gourmet cheeses, crackers, hot hors d’ oeuvres, a dinner catered from Justin’s Ristorante in Hawthorne, NJ, and two bottles of complimentary wine to take home at the end of the evening.   Considering everything that this deal encompassed, Zoe and I could not say no, and we bought our tickets immediately, unfortunately so did half of Bergen County so it took quite some time to acquire a table to one of these exclusive events.

Not knowing what to expect on our first adventure to the WineMakers Cellar, Kat and I drove to Goffle Road in Hawthorne, NJ.  Since this establishment is on my way to work, and I pass the sign every day, I knew that the actual site of the WineMakers Cellar is somewhat clandestine, so if you plan on attending one of these events keep your eyes open as soon as you exit the highway for the small sign that will point you in the right direction.  After turning into the parking lot, driving down a slightly narrow one lane, yet two-way road, we found ourselves in the parking lot of an industrial park which is the home of The Winemakers Cellar.  To be honest, Kat and I caught the nervous giggles for a second or two as we arrived.  But, we have learned to not judge a book by its cover more times than I would like to admit, so we did not let this establishment’s shabby exterior taint our evening’s promise.

Winemakers signWhile we slowly walked to the front door of the facility, we noticed a quote on the sign that hung above the entrance which read, “Enter as strangers…Leave as friends,” which seemed to sooth our uneasiness for the moment.  As we entered the building, the small amount of apprehension that still existed in us, melted away, due to the delightful interior décor of the WineMakers Cellar.  The first section of the large warehouse like structure was sectioned off from the rest of the building and decorated as a small bistro complete with its very own bar, which Kat and I headed straight for.   With a glass of Red in our hands we decided to explore the expansive structure that is The WineMakers Cellar.

cheese plateOur first stop was the appetizer tables where we helped ourselves to artisanal cheeses, gourmet crackers, and assorted Hors d‘oeuvres that were each better than the last one we tried.  We then took our glasses of wine and plates full of food to the area of the building that was set up with tables.  There was no assigned seating, and we chose a table at random to call ours for the evening.  The room we were in was full of barrels of all different sizes, presumably full of wine that had been created by inexperienced folk such as ourselves under the watchful eye of The WineMakers Cellar Staff.  As Kat and I talked with the newcomers at our table we were serenaded by the wonderful eclectic stylings of Jeff & Karen, which was a delightful addition to the ambiance of this event.

wine glassesAfter finishing off our first glass of The WineMakers Cellar house blend Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc which was damn near celestial, Kat and I procured another glass of red before the presentation commenced.  With our learning juice in hand, we were ready and willing to be educated.  One of the experienced owners of the WineMakers Cellar approached the front of the room and began to speak to us about wine.  To tell you the truth, Kat and I were expecting the hard sell approach about what The WineMakers Cellar offers but that was not the case.  The presentation complete with a fancy Power Point slide show, consisted of the history of wine, the terminology that wine aficionados use, the different types of wine, the actual wine making process, and a quick and easy wine tasting lesson.   I was pleasantly surprised that this educational lecture felt more like a community college course than a time share offer.

After the learning was done, our glasses were empty, which was perfect because the wine tasting was up next.  We all had the opportunity to utilize the information that we had just absorbed and taste four different wines that were made on site, at the WineMakers Cellar.  As we sniffed, sipped and swallowed the wines that we were given, we discussed the complex flavors of each of the tasty potions.

dinner plate 2 fixJust when we thought that this enjoyable and informative evening could not get any better, dinner was served.   I have been to Justin’s Ristorante a few times before, and I was really excited when I heard that they would be catering this event.  I was not disappointed by the tremendous spread of Italian food supplied by this often underrated local eatery.  The offerings included Chicken Parmesan, Meatballs, Eggplant Rollatini, Penne in Vodka Sauce, and a hearty salad all served buffet style.  As we ate this truly fantastic Italian smorgasbord, we continued to discuss the wine we had tasted throughout the evening with our table mates as if the 15 minute lesson made us wine experts.

As the night wound down and dessert was served, I thought back to the sign above the entrance of The WineMakers Cellar, and I understood why it was placed at the hearth of this establishment.  We all entered the building as strangers but in a few short hours found ourselves saying goodbye to new friends.  There are few things in this world that can create a bond among strangers like wine and food, and The WineMakers Cellar gets it.  On our way out the door, we were presented with our two bottles for the road and exited the building with full bellies and smiling faces.  After attending this event, I do believe that for a Blue Collar Foodie wine may be an option all thanks to the fine folks at The WineMakers Cellar.

Mike ArpMike Arp a/k/a The Blue Collar Foodie was born and raised in Northern New Jersey and has spent most of his adult life on a relentless quest to uncover eateries that deliver white collar fare at blue collar prices.  This never ending journey, combined with his passion for writing gave birth to his current food blog, The Blue Collar Foodie, which is published on both WordPress.com and The Fair Lawn Patch. This blog chronicles him and his wife Zoe’s excursions to eccentric, unconventional, and of course affordable restaurants throughout the great state of New Jersey and beyond.  If you are the type of person that would rather rock a Nirvana T-shirt and jeans while eating your filet mignon then you most likely will enjoy what The Blue Collar Foodie has to say.  Follow him on Twitter @Fairlawnfoodie or Like him on Facebook to keep up to date with his current gastronomic gallivanting.

Foodie Things to Do, this Weekend and Beyond

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Foodie Things to Do, this Weekend and Beyond

 

oyster point hotelApril 11th:  Oyster Point Hotel’s “All Hands On Deck” Re-Opening in Red Bank, New Jersey from 6:00-9:00 PM.  The opening will support The Boondock’s Fishery in Red Bank.  The Navesink Business Group and Red Bank Flavour Restaurants have joined forces with The Oyster Point to help Boondocks’ owner Kelly Ryan rebuild her business.

 The popular lobster shack was washed away on October 29, 2012, when Sandy slammed the area.  The Boondock’s Fishery, Molly Pitcher Inn, and The Oyster Point Hotel are all located on the banks on the Navesink River, which was heavily affected.  The Oyster Point has been closed since Sandy hit and only recently reopened operations on February 15, 2013.
Many of the Red Bank Flavour Restaurants will be offering a palatable array of menu samplings, complemented by entertainment from Gary Philips and his Steele Drum Band.
Tickets for the event are$50.00 in advance or $60.00 at the door. Tickets are available by visiting www.allhandsondecknj.eventbrite.com.  For more information, go to www.theoysterpointhotel.com or call The Oyster Point Hotel at 732-530-8200, extension 155.
Sponsorship opportunities are available by calling or emailing Ken Scaggs at 732-610-4587 or [email protected].  Parties interested in supporting Kelly Ryan of The Boondock’s should visit www.indiegogo.com/boondocks.

Jersey Shore Restaurant Week April 5-14 Spring Breaks at The Jersey Shore. Ten days, great deals, and fabulous meals!

It’s a wonderful opportunity to shake off the winter blues and re-visit your favorite restaurants or try some new ones. Enjoy 3 course dinner menus for $20.13 or $30.13 and special lunch menus at participating restaurants. See their Special Events Page for all the fun details.

seafoodweektropicanaApril 14th-20th: Atlantic City: Tropicana Seafood Week will debut for the first time April! Celebrate everything under the sea with property-wide seafood specials, drink specials and discounted retail shopping.  Enjoy fresh seafood at FIN, shop nautical fashions and accessories in The Quarter, or even unwind with a sea salt scrub at bluemercury spa.  Tropicana is serving up seafood every which way, and there are plenty of ways to get your fix with various specials throughout the week.

The official Seafood Week Kickoff will take place Monday, April 15th at 12:30pm in Palm Walk where guests can sample Fin’s famous lobster bisque, share the wonder of the Atlantic City Aquarium’s touch tank, and catch a special “Under the Sea” themed Zumba demo by Tilton Fitness.

For more info, see Seafood Week at the Tropicana online!

taste of madisonApril 15th: Taste of Madison 2013

The annual Taste of Madison will be hosted at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park on Monday April 15, 2013. This year there will be over 30 wines, beer, and spirits for tables hosted by distinguished vendors of Gary’s Wine & Marketplace. There will also be a large amount of Madison restaurants participating in this years event. Come out and try some good food & good wine!
You can also win (through the silent auction) a dinner for 8 with wines paired from Gary’s Wine and Marketplace. Taste of Madison is organized and presented by a committee of volunteers from the Madison Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, and the Madison Downtown Development Commission. All proceeds from this event benefit local charities and business development.
Tickets are available for purchase at Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, dtorr boutique, Salvatore Minardi Salon or www.tasteofmadison.org.
Tickets are $65 for general admission or $100 for VIP.

amadaApril 18th: Atlantic City: Chef Jose Garces Hosts “THE LATIN ROAD HOME” Multi-Course Meal

At 7:00 p.m., join Chef Jose Garces at his gorgeous tapas bar and restaurant, Amada (609-225-9900) at Revel (500 Boardwalk, 855-348-0500) for a decadent, multi-course meal celebrating the publication of his second cookbook, The Latin Road Home. 

The show-stopping menu will include:  Tiradito de Lubina, black bass ceviche with yuzu (Peru); Pan de Yuca, yuca bread with queso fresco, served with guava-chile butter (Ecuador); Crema de Quinoa de Zuleta, quinoa chowder with sweet corn (Ecuador); Enchilado de Langosta, lobster in spicy tomato sauce (Cuba); Carne Asada a la Tampiqueña con Arroz Rojo y Refritos, grilled marinated skirt steak with red rice and refried beans (Mexico); and Crema Catalana, chocolate custard with vanilla berries (Spain).

For $85 per person, excluding beverages, tax and gratuity, guests will enjoy dishes from each of the book’s five chapters:  Ecuador; Spain; Cuba; Mexico; and Peru.  An optional wine pairing will also be available for $40. Reservations required, please call 609.225.9900 for more information.

April 22nd: West Long Branch: The Red Bank Rotary’s Thirteenth Annual Two Rivers Food and Wine Tasting

Come join the Red Bank Rotary on April 22nd from 6-9 Pm to benefit Lunch Break! For many local families who are struggling with poverty, Lunch Break is their only option for a healthy, well-balanced meal and for many other much needed services.

For the past 12 years The Rotary Club has organized The Two Rivers Food and Wine Tasting event with proceeds going to local charities. This event is a huge culinary and social success and gives people the opportunity to meet friends and make new ones while sampling delicious food and a great selection of wines and other beverages from leading restaurants in the area.

Tickets for $65.00 each may be purchased by sending a check payable to Red Bank Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 8444, Red Bank, NJ 07701 or through paypal on the Red Bank Rotary website: www.redbankrotary.org

For additional information, please call 732-979-4459.

April 22nd: Red Bank: A Conversation with Bobby Flay. Are you obsessed with barbecue?  Bobby Flay?  Well we have a treat for you!  Bobby Flay will be at Count Basie Theatre to share his approach to food.  Don’t miss hearing tips, stories, and recipes from his new book, Bobby Flay’s Barbeque Addiction.  All tickets include a signed copy of the book (a $35 value), available exlusively at this event before it’s official public release the following day.

Bobby Flay, a New York Times bestselling author, is the chef-owner of six fine-dining restaurants, including Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, and Bobby Flay Steak, and numerous Bobby’s Burger Palaces. He is the host of many popular cooking shows on Food Network, from the Emmy-winning Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction, Grill It! with Bobby Flay, and Boy Meets Grill, to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, and Food Network Star.
Long known and beloved for his skills at the grill, Bobby now expands his cooking horizons to include slow and low with his Food Network cooking show Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction and in this book. Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction presents Bobby’s secrets for cooking anything and everything on the grill—from quickly grilled steaks and seafood to smoky barbecued ribs and fork-tender pulled pork.  This is his only area appearance; don’t miss out!

Tickets are $49.75, and a limited number of Gold Circle tickets are available at $79.75.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Count Basie Theatre’s website.

 TasteApril 23rd: The 13th Annual Taste of Weehawken will be held on Tuesday, April 23 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Food Court at Lincoln Harbor. Proceeds from the event, which has historically been used to support Library programming, will instead be donated by the Library to the Weehawken & You Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.
Hundreds of food enthusiasts gather at the Taste for a splendid evening of food, fun and fundraising. The Taste has something for everyone; samplings of signature dishes and unique fare from high profile and emerging local restaurants, caterers, bakers, along with fine wines, and mouthwatering desserts. Giannone Wine will once again be hosting wine tasting stations at the Taste; new this year will be the tastings of specialty beers.
If you are a chef, restaurant owner or other food business proprietor and would like to participate in Taste please call the Library at 201-863-7823, visit our website, like Taste of Weehawken ’13 on Facebook or follow on Twitter @weehawkennj.
April 27th: Kitchen Tour Through Interlaken

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School will host a kitchen tour through Interlaken on April 27, 2013 from 11 AM – 3 PM.  Six houses with seven caterers will be showcased.  Caterers include et al fine foods, Cravings, the Caramel Shop, Chef Michael Thompson, Falco Brothers Catering, Joe Leone’s, and Mike’s Deli.

Tickets, $35 prepaid and $40 on the day of the tour, are available at the Allenhurst Cleaners, 530 Main St., Allenhurst or by calling Vicki at 732-531-9609.

Participants must pick up brochures at the Interlaken Boro hall, 100 Main St, Interlaken at 11 am on the day of the tour.

nyctasteofnationApril 29th: New York City: Taste of the Nation NYC
Where can you sample over 65 of New York’s most notable restaurants, over a dozen impossible-to-get-into cocktail bars, rub elbows with your favorite culinary personalities, and bid on priceless experiential auction packages in one evening? Share Our Strength’s 26th annual Taste of the Nation® NYC will bring the city’s finest chefs and mixologists together to donate their time, talent, and passion to end childhood hunger in America.
This year’s event includes support from our chef chairs Marc Murphy and Alex Guarnaschelli and our host committee members, fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff, interior designer Athena Calderone and nightlife maven Simonez Wolf.  The evening will also include book signings from top toques and food personalities as well as exclusive culinary and travel packages offered during the famed live auction.
Where: 82 Mercer Street, NYC
When: April 29th, 6:30-9:30 PM VIP, 7:30-9:30 PM General Admission
Tickets: VIP-$425, General-$225
Buy tickets online here.  100% of ticket sales go toward ending childhood hunger.
May 8th: Atlantic City: The 16th Annual Atlantic City Host Awards will take place on May 8th in the Adrian Phillips Ballroom of Boardwalk Hall. Presented by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) and the ACCVA Foundation, the program salutes and encourages excellent customer service industry-wide.
In addition to honoring award winners in 26 categories ranging from various food service, bar and hotel personnel to retail, visitor information, spa and casino positions, the prestigious Spirit of Hospitality Award will be presented to the Dougherty family, which has owned and operated some of the city’s most famous restaurants for generations. The Doughertys currently own and operate Dock’s Oyster House, Knife and Fork Inn, and Harry’s Oyster Bar. Dock’s has been in the family’s control since it opened in 1897.
Scholarships for students attending hospitality programs at area colleges will also be presented during the banquet. The scholarships are awarded by the Greater Atlantic City Concierge Association and the ACCVA Foundation.
Tickets for the Host Awards banquet are $65.00 each and are available by calling Jacqui Carole at 609-449-7174.  More information on sponsorship, nominations, and the ACCVA Foundation can be found by visiting their website.
gnsvhosesMay 18th: Atlantic City: 3rd Annual Big Teplitzky Challenge

 The Chelsea, Atlantic City’s chic non-gaming hotel on the Boardwalk, will host the 3rd Annual Big Teplitzky Challenge on Saturday, May 18, 2013. The Atlantic City Fire Department will face off with the Atlantic City Police Department and compete to be the first to clear their plates of the mega 4-pound Big Teplitzky breakfast of pancakes, stuffed French toast, eggs, bacon, turkey sausage, pork roll, hash browns, grilled tomato, toast, a bagel, along with orange juice and coffee to wash it all down! While competing for fun, both departments are partnering for a serious cause-to raise community support and awareness of suicide prevention particularly among first responders.

All proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships will benefit The Andrew Fisher Memorial Scholarship Fund and Cop2Cop. Andrew’s Scholarship Fund is a tribute to Captain James’ son who was a brilliant chemical engineering student at Northeastern University in Boston at the time of his tragic death. Cop2Cop is a New Jersey based phone counseling service for law enforcement. Law enforcement officers, some of who have faced their own struggles with depression or seen colleagues suffer, volunteer their time to staff the service.

Individuals or businesses interested in becoming sponsors of The Big Teplitzky Challenge should contact the Atlantic City Firemen’s Federal Credit Union at (609) 272-1000. Tickets may be purchased in advance for $10 each through ACPD (Jane Tayoun: [email protected]/ 609-271-2500) or ACFD (Christine Parker: [email protected]/609-576-4084) or purchased at the door.                                                                                                                                                                       

For more information on the Chelsea hotel, please call 1-800-548-5030 or visit www.thechelsea-ac.com.


2013-wine-logoMay 18th-19th: Glassboro: Glassboro Vintage South Jersey Wine Festival

 Come to the 2nd Annual Wine Festival where fifteen southern New Jersey wineries will be on hand for tastings and purchases.  Live musical entertainment and gourmet food selections will also be featured in this two-day event, expected to draw more than 5,000 guests.  Tickets are now available for the event which runs 12:00-5:00 p.m. each day on Rowan Boulevard as part of the Glassboro Marketplace series of large-scale community activities.

Participating wineries include Amalthea Winery, Auburn Road Vineyard and Winery, Bellview Winery, Cedarvale Winery, Chestnut Run Farm, Coda Rossa Winery, DiBella Winery, DiMatteo Vineyards, Heritage Vineyards, Monroeville Winery, Natali Vineyards, Plagido’s Winery, Sharrott Winery, Valenzano Winery and Wagonhouse Winery.

Local restaurants including Landmark Americana, Bomb Bomb BBQ and Sandwich Grille, Think Greek Grill and Yogurt Bar, Little Beef’s, Carolina Blue, Liscio’s and Green Zebra will offer gourmet and pre-packaged food selections.  Glassboro artisans including Second Look Mosaic and the Glassboro Honey Company will join more than two dozen vendors offering specialty items for wine lovers.

The festival will be alive with musical entertainment.  Appearing from 12:00-2:00 p.m. Saturday is Cold Blue Electric, featuring their brand of Jazz fusion.  Enjoy classic rock from Love Alive on Saturday from 2:30-5:00 p.m.  Singer/songwriter Dan Bell kicks off Sunday’s entertainment from 12:00-2:00 p.m., followed by Mike Dugan and the Blues Mission from 2:30-5:00 p.m.

Advance tickets are available at www.glassboromarketplace.com.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.  Admission includes a souvenir glass and parking is free.

The Wine Festival will take place rain or shine.  Additional tents will be used in case of inclement weather.

Cranford Chefs Selected for “Best Chefs America”

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Cranford Chefs Selected for “Best Chefs America”

Two of Cranford’s chefs were recently named in the inaugural edition of Best Chefs America, a book dedicated to exceptional chefs, as selected by their peers.  The book covers all 50 states, with 196 honorees coming from the Garden State!

The two chefs from Cranford are Kara Decker from A Toute Heure and Frank Rizzo from The Italian Pantry.  Both chefs expressed their gratitude over being selected and were happy to bring recognition to their establishments.

Chef Kara Decker of A Toute Heure
Chef Kara Decker of A Toute Heure

Chef Kara Decker grew up in Cranford and has been the Executive Chef at A Toute Heure for a number of years.  She graduated from the French Culinary Institute and found herself at Chez Catherine in Westfield before ending up at A Toute Heure.  She relishes the creative freedom A Toute Heure affords her as the menu is constantly being updated to reflect the changing seasons and local food availability.  Kara and her sous chef, Robyn Reiss, brainstorm every month on what dishes will make up their menu.

As if serving as Executive Chef at one of NJ’s most well-regarded restaurants wasn’t enough, Kara is also working with the owners of A Toute Heure to open another restaurant across the street.  The new restaurant is scheduled to open this summer and will not have a focus on local food, allowing Kara to bring in her favorite ingredients from across the country.  She acknowledges that the next few months will be extremely hectic but she feels that her staff is so strong that they’re more than up to the task.

Chef Frank Rizzo of The Italian Pantry
Chef Frank Rizzo of The Italian Pantry

Across town, Chef Frank Rizzo at The Italian Pantry is offering up his own spin on comfort food with an Italian twist.  Frank was also trained at the French Culinary Institute before taking time to travel throughout Europe.  Once he returned to the U.S. he worked at a number of well-known restaurants in New York City including Esca and Mesa Grill.  When the opportunity arose to open his own restaurant in downtown Cranford, Frank took the leap and hasn’t looked back.

Frank’s cooking is based around tweaking traditional dishes so they’re transformed.  Macaroni and cheese becomes even more delicious with the addition of lobster.  Short rib is braised in root beer and served over vanilla gnocchi.  Onion rings are piled sky high on a hamburger, causing customers to do a double take.  Sunday brunch has become so popular, thanks to dishes like Boston Cream French Toast and Lemon and Ricotta Pancakes, that Frank plans to expand brunch to Saturday also.

Frank emphasizes that he always strives to get the best product possible to serve at The Italian Pantry.  He uses Breadsmith and Vanilla Bean Creamery across the street for their bread and ice cream, respectively.  He also changes up the menu every 3-4 months in an effort to offer a seasonal menu.  Frank acknowledged that when The Italian Pantry first opened customers weren’t quite sure what to make of a restaurant that had Italian in its name but didn’t offer Chicken Parmesan.  Now the restaurant is not only a local favorite but it’s gaining the statewide recognition it deserves.

A Toute Heure
232 Centennial Avenue
908.276.6600

The Italian Pantry Bistro
13 Eastman Street
908.272.7790

Michelle Stavrou, the Union County regional editor, grew up in Bergen County, then moved to Hoboken (after a stop over in Queens) before finally settling in Cranford where she lives with her husband and daughter. Michelle was amazed to discover all of the delicious food in the Cranford area, which she documents on her blog, What’s Cooking In (& Around) Cranford.

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