We are pleased to announce the top 3 finalist for the NJ King Crab Competition. With a whopping 495 consumer votes, Nicole’s 10 ranked #1, followed by Chakra and Ice House with over 150 votes each! Congratulations to all. Watch the Live cook-off from the Viking Cooking School at Harrah’s Resorts in Atlantic City right here on jerseybites.com and on NJDiscover.com Monday, September 24th between 6 and 9pm.
Chef Christopher M. Masey of Nicole’s 10 in Randolf will be preparing his Crab Cake with Lump & Snow Crab Hakka style sauteed and crested by Rainbow Microgreens with a grained mustard Champagne-Sriracha sauce. “I am extremely excited to be one of the finalists in this competition! Through the efforts of our amazing staff & supportive guests we were able to finish first thus far! I am very excited to compete against the clearly talented and accomplished chefs who made the cut with us! “
Chef Thomas Ciszak of Chakra in Paramus will be preparing his Horseradish Crusted Crab Cake with snow pea shoots and a mustard seed vinaigrette. “My guests at Chakra and Blue Morel have been telling me for years that I serve one of the best crab cakes ever. It’s great to have JerseyBites facilitate a competition like this so I can make new friends. I don’t worry about winning. I’m appreciative that my guests voted for us in such large numbers. “ Thomas Ciszak
Ice House in Wildwood will be dishing up their Ice House Crab Cake: Classic jumbo lump crab cakes with corn relish and served with traditional tartar sauce. “We are so excited and honored to be selected by our customers as a finalist in the search for NJ’S best crab cakes. We think we are going to win because our crab cakes have been made the same way for over 30 years. They are traditional crab cakes made with pure crab meat.”
Ice House Restaurant
Chef Christopher M. Masey believes his fresh take on the traditional crab cake gives him an advantage. “I feel like we have an edge in the competition because we chose a different approach to crabcakes by embracing New Jersey’s cultural and ethnic diversity and tried to stray from the traditional approach of the Maryland style.While ours is clearly a unique recipe we did stay true to some of the elements which have made crabcakes so beloved up and down the east coast. Our guest response was positive and they appreciated that we broadened their palates and chose this route. Thanks for the opportunity and see ya at Harrahs!”
Staff from Viking cooking school will serve as judges in addition to our Executive Editor, Deborah Smith. Be sure to tune in on Monday at 6pm for all the fun.
n | Cocktail Class, Thursday, September 20th at 7pm. Held at Stone House at Stirling Ridge, Warren. Learn how to make fun fall cocktails at this class. There will be complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $40. RSVP at 866-683-3586 and save $5.
QUE by the SEA, Friday – Sunday, September 21st – 23rd. Grant Ave, Seaside Heights. The highlight of the event, the Barbeque State Championship will exemplify good, old-fashioned American fun. This competition will feature contestants from throughout the tri-state, who provide the best overall BBQ in four categories including chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket. Large food vendors will be selling tasty barbeque specialties along Grant Avenue, artists and crafters, as well as retail vendors will contribute to the experience of the event. All day musical entertainment includes Seaside Heights’ favorites, Little Bit of Heaven and Shorty Long to name a few. Beer will be available for purchase. 
Wildwood Crest Seafarers Celebration, Saturday, September 22nd at 10am. A vibrant street festival featuring live music, family and children’s entertainment, dozens of craft vendors, food and more. Along Sunset Lake from New Jersey to Miami Aves. during the day. Cap off the day with a live concert and fireworks display at the beachfront. 
Brew Blast on the Battleship, Saturday, September 22nd from 1pm-5pm on the Battleship New Jersey, Camden. Enjoy 50 of the finest craft beers in the nation, the MGK House Band playing live on the tented deck, all on one of our nation’s most revered Battleships. For tickets and more info. click here.
Wine & Beer Fest at Heritage Vineyards, Saturday & Sunday, September 22nd & 23rd from 12pm-5pm. Enjoy wine tasting, beer tasting, live music, craft vendors, activities for kids special discount on Heritage wine during the event. 
Bergenfest 2012 Party & Expo, Thursday, September 27th from 5pm-9pm. Held at the Sheraton in Mahwah. Over 30 Bergen restaurants will be providing samples of signature dishes. There will also be live music, belly dancers and giveaways. 
Le Taste of France Show + La Soiree, Saturday & Sunday, September 29th & 30th at Pier 54, New York. The most renowned French food personalities and skilled chefs from New York’s top restaurants will join forces and prepare a comprehensive guide to the diverse offerings. Besides French food & drink the show will have a French flea market, live music by popular French musicians, wine tastings, the classic French game of pétanque, artwork by modern French artists, and even a French bulldog show and contest to choose the cutest French bulldog! Le Soiré will be the best chance for attendees to meet and interact with the participating chefs and personalities. A portion of the proceeds from Le Taste of France will go to benefit Action Against Hunger. 
Chowderfest, Sunday, September 30th from 11am-4pm in Beach Haven, LBI. This family fun festival features live music, activities and unlimited Chowder tasting with the opportunity for each ticket holder to vote for their favorite red and white chowder. The event is nestled in Beach Haven surrounded by beautiful views of the bay and plenty of year end discounted shopping. It has become a tradition for family and friends to gather together to say good bye to summer and welcome in the fall.
RHO Oktoberfest, Saturday, October 6th at 3pm. This is a cultural event that will be held at Rho Waterfront in Trenton celebrating the German culture with authentic German food, German beers, live entertainment, and more! Click here for more info and tickets.
Oktoberfest at Jersey Boys Grill, Sunday, October 7th from 12pm-8pm. New Milford, NJ. This year’s event will be the biggest Oktoberfest in Bergen County. Enjoy all you can eat and drink. Beer, wine, sangria and authentic German food, as well as live music. Click for tickets and more info.
Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival, Thursday – Sunday, October 11th – 14th. The sister festival to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE. The festival will bring together the world’s greatest chefs, winemakers, spirits producers and personalities to educate palates and entertain patrons in high style—all while helping to fight hunger. For event information, 
HarvestFest, Saturday, October 20th from 11:30am-5pm. Downtown Toms River. There will be lots of kids activities, live entertainment, pumpkin decorating, fall dessert contest, a beer garden, football games on large screen TVs, food and merchandise vendors and more.
Unsure how they would continue their mission of “providing nutritious meals in a warm, safe, and caring environment, free of charge, no questions asked to anyone who comes through its doors,” the Soup Kitchen’s leadership was approached by a gentleman who just happened to be looking for a way to do some good. Alan Weinstein, former owner of the Park Savoy in Florham Park, appeared at the Soup Kitchen one day—just about the time the Board of Health had related its news to the group—and asked how he could help.
The menu at Burger.org has many meat and non-meat options. Burgers made of lamb, beef, turkey, fish and veggie with lots of sauces to choose from. There is no cheese, remember it is kosher and that means no mixing dairy with meat. But you won’t miss it I promise you. You can top it with an over easy Fried Egg, Guacamole, Grilled Pastrami, Mushrooms, or Pico De Gallo Plus, it is better for your digestion not to combine the two, but I digress. They also offer Shawarmas, Fried Chicken Schnitzel, Israeli Salad (chopped) and other salads, as well as Soup of the Day. It was Lentil the day I was there. I ordered the veggie because I was told it was scrumptious, and I was not disappointed!
You can order all the burgers with a bun or a lettuce wrap. I ordered the bun this time, with French Fries and an Israeli Salad. The burger was full of chunky veggies with pickles, lettuce, onions, tomatoes on top and bottom add to that ketchup and a squirt of mayo and I am in burger heaven. The fries were good too. I would have liked them a little crispier, but that’s just me. The Israeli Salad was mounded high and was crunchy and bright with tomato, cucumber and onions chopped small and topped with lemon and oil. Yummy! I will most certainly be back. I ordered a mixed salad and another veggie burger to go for the next day for lunch. Does that tell you how much I liked it?!
Beer and wine tastings will be offered by: American BD Wine, Fedway Wines, R&R Marketing and Gallo Wines.
Tickets are $75 per person and may be purchased by calling (732) 918-2600 or online at 
“I truly believe in the relationship of it. God bless anyone who tries their hand at a recipe. No one does it exactly the same. Technique has so much to do with it. Keep it simple.”
Also, Blue Moon Mexican Cafe is part of the 
Festival of the Sea, Saturday, September 15th from 10am – 7pm. Presented by the Asbury Park Press is a street fair located in the heart of downtown Point Pleasant Beach, on Arnold & Bay Avenues, where visitors sample dishes by area’s finest restaurants (from clam chowder to lobster to steak); wine garden, arts & crafts, pony rides, antiques, health, business and non-profit booths, kiddie games and live entertainment.
Atlantic City Seafood Festival, Saturday & Sunday, September 15th & 16th. A two day extravaganza of fun, food and entertainment celebrating the treasures of the Atlantic Ocean while highlighting our sea side city. The festival will offer event goers the opportunity to treat their taste buds to a large variety of dishes prepared by area restaurants and culinary personalities. Click for more details.
nned are: Live Music, Antique Car Show, Free Food Samplings, Clown Entertainment, Fun Games and more.
Summit Wine & Food Festival, Friday- Sunday, September 21st – 23rd. This event features Food Network & Bravo celebrity chefs, Sommeliers, top winemakers and wineries. Enjoy chef’s demonstrations, wine expert seminars, wine tastings, food and wine dinners, mixology cocktail, spirits and beer presentations. 
The Chester Lions Oktoberfest Fundraiser, Saturday, September 29th from 12pm-8pm. Keeping with tradition, the Oktoberfest will focus on celebrating traditional music, native dress and a special Oktoberfest beer only available for a short time. There will be a nice selection of German food as well. 
Crystal Springs Resort is giving fall a true Deutschland welcome with the 
There is truly something remarkable about restoring turn-of-the-century buildings into twenty first century pristine locations. By pristine, I mean leaving just the right amount of age to the foundation while updating seating and architectural elements. Think exposed brick walls combined with leather lounge chairs or perhaps shiny subway tiles in conjunction with dramatically high hardwood ceilings. Sounds worthy of a visit, right? Indeed it is, as Hoboken’s newest events loft Kolo Klub is ready for your next party or just a night out. Advertised as, “A Culinary & Celebratory Destination,” this aged building turned opened loft is quite the place to be!
As one of the most important parts of hosting events is having great food, I think it’s appropriate to start there. Chef Pino did a remarkable job delivering the guests with some impressive small bites. The snack-size crab cakes were encased in a crunchy shell yet had a seasoned and light seafood filling. The lobster toast option was our favorite of the night, as the lobster meat was definitive while the bacon bits atop provided the perfect amount of crispiness. Another hit of the night was the crab with mint puree, a novel twist for the more adventuresome eater. Finally, what also caught our attention was the lamb meatball with a cool tzatziki sauce. It was decently hearty but still small enough to help us enjoy more while lingering around. Where do you think we lingered to I must ask? The cheese table, of course! After three hours of revisiting that attraction, I continued to find more to admire. The breads and crackers were full of not only variety but freshness and the cheeses: top-notch. From sharp and pungent to creamy and crumbly, they satisfied all in attendance.
We were lucky enough to be given a tour and listen to a few ideas about how to use this location. There was a smaller room, known was as the screening room, for smaller parties or as one couple did, used as a Chapel. The bar area was large enough to cater to large parties but also quaint enough not to be displaced among a more intimate gathering. Chef Pino’s attention to detail and pride in his work is quite evident so we weren’t surprised to find out he is both flexible and understanding with his customers. And even though the room is quite spacious, it can be separated and refigured to certain requests. While we were there, the arrangement of lounge “corners”, high top tables and small seating trios were just right for what was somewhat of an “extended cocktail hour” party. Fittingly, this type of party seems to be quite popular these days as we learned about current Kolo customers requesting this. Picture passed hor d’oeuvres and small plates all night, but miraculously moving from lighter to heavier options as the hours pass. Not a bad idea at all, as I think we all agree the best part of a wedding is the cocktail hour (well, aside from the dancing!)!
