A Night on the Navesink: A Flavour Summer Soiree, Thursday, August 16th from 6pm-9pm. Red Bank Flavour with JP Barry Hospitality, Inc will host this event at the Molly Pitcher Inn (88 Riverside Ave, Red Bank) to benefit the Lunch Break and the Red Bank Middle School Athletics Foundation. The evening will include more than 20 Red Bank eateries, as well as wine tastings, libations, and craft-beer selections from New Jersey breweries. Tickets are $40 in advance, or $50 at the door. For tickets, click here.
Italian Feast | Feast of the Assumption, Thursday – Saturday, August 16th-18th. Thursday & Friday from 5:30-10:30pm, Saturday from 12-10:30pm. Church of Epiphany in Brick, NJ. All are welcome. This year’s event promises “a large variety of food choices making sure that there is something for everyone!” Amusements, crafts, wine & beer garden and lots of great food. Click here for more details.
Canning Workshop I | High Acid Immersion Canning, Saturday, August 18th at 9am. Whole Foods Market, Ridgewood. Chef Central will be partnering with Whole Foods Market in presenting our annual canning workshops. Each session begins at Whole Foods Market, where we will discuss how/when to purchase fresh produce for canning. Students will then come to the Chef Central Culinary Center in Paramus where licensed commercial canner and Chef Central Culinary Director Jim Edwards will work with them in prepping equipment and produce,followed by several hours of hands-on canning. Students will leave with all critical information on home canning as well as samples of their work. Click for tickets and details.
hMag Lackawanna Music Festival, Saturday, August 18th. Pier A in Hoboken. Sponsored by Ben & Jerry’s (we can only hope they bring ice cream). The event will be hosted by MTV’s Matt Pinfield and will feature the headliner band Tokyo Police Club. Other bands will include Vacationer, Shinobi Ninja, Body Language, Lights Resolve, We Barbarians, The Nightmare, River Band. Pilsener Haus will also be providing a Biergarten at the event as well. The music portion of the event is free but people are required to RSVP.
EARTH Center Garden Field Day | Open House, Saturday, August 18th from 10am-3pm. South Brunswick, NJ. This is a chance to join Farmers Against Hunger and help local farmers donate fresh produce to area soup kitchens, food pantries, and those in need. There will be a lot going on at this big event. The Extension Agriculture Department as well as the County Master Gardeners will be on hand, offering sound advice on horticulture and environmental stewardship. Tours will be given, kid’s activities, Jersey Fresh Taste Test, live music and more.
Canal Day | Music & Craft Festival, Saturday, August 18th from 10am-5pm. Hugh Force Canal Park, Wharton, NJ. Taste traditional ethnic foods of Italian delicacies, Cornish pasties, homemade cakes and other edibles will be for sale. Enjoy great music from NJ musicians, kayaking, mule drawn boat rides, traveling zoo, crafts, fire works, and much more.
Barefoot Grape Stomping, Saturday, August 18th from 2pm-5pm. Four Sisters Winery. Don’t miss out on the fun as you stomp grapes with your barefeet and feel the grape skins squeeze between your toes. Grape stomping event includes formal wine tasting, buffet style dinner, wine cellar tour, barefoot grape stomping and concludes with a dessert wine tasting. Reservations required.
Shore Chef Crab Cake Cook-Off, Saturday & Sunday, August 18th & 19th from 12pm-5pm. Monmouth Park. Shore Chefs compete for the best crab cake award and the coveted People’s Choice Award. Taste fare from your favorite local restaurants. Crab cakes, fried catfish, and clam chowder bread bowls are just a few of the favorites. More information.
10th Annual Seafood Festival | And Car Show, Saturday & Sunday, August 18th & 19th from 11am-5pm. Bellview Winery, Landisville, NJ. Delicious seafood prepared fresh by local vendors along with great live music. Attractions include selected crafters and gourmet food vendors, cigars, massages and of course, wine tasting under the wine tent! Saturday also features an extensive American Car Show. Click for details.
Red Bank Food & Wine Walk, Sunday, August 19th from 2pm-6pm. * LAST RB food & wine walk for this summer! Purchase a wristband for $25/person and spend the afternoon strolling through the beautiful riverfront town while sampling food and wine from Red Bank’s fine food establishments. Click here for details.
And Beyond…
Kids Culinary Boot Camp, Monday – Friday, August 20th – 24th. Cresskill, NJ. Chef Rama Ginde offers her final week of Kids Culinary Boot Camp (until September programs get underway) with morning sessions for kids ages 10-13 and afternoon sessions for kids 13-17. Instruction is provided through all demo and hands-on work in this cooking studio that focuses on local, organic ingredients, healthy, delicious cuisine from around the globe and empowering even the youngest chefs-in-training with palate-expanding experiences. Call 201-503-0335 or click for details.
Wine, Beer and Cheese Tasting, Wednesday, August 22nd at 6:30pm. Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern. Enjoy tasting and pairing some delicious wines and brews. Click here for more details.
Saint Sebastian’s Italian Feast, Wednesday – Sunday, August 22nd – 26th. Montclair, NJ. The 5 day event features a wide variety of fine Italian foods such as zeppole, sausage and pepper and cheese steak sandwiches, oven brick pizza and all the Feast favorites. Plenty of rides for the kids and adults as well as games, novelties, nightly entertainment will include the talents of local Italian favorites, Tommy Scala and award winning Sinatra idol, Eric DeLauroe. There will also be a 50/50 raffle. More info.
Vodkalicious | Cocktail class, Thursday, August 23rd at 7pm. Held at Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren. Learn how to make some great vodka cocktails and enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $40, RSVP at 866-683-3586.
Buffalo’s 2012 Spicy Wing Challenge, Saturday, August 25th at 3pm. Buffalo’s Chicken Shack, Wood Ridge, NJ. They’re back and the challenge is expected to be bigger, better and if you can believe it, Hotter this year. As always, they issue the challenge to those that can both stand the heat and eat some wings. Winning is just as easy this year as it’s been every other year, just eat more than person next to you! Click for registration and details.
Canning Workshop II | Low Acid Pressure Cooker Canning, Saturday, August 25th at 9am. Whole Foods Market, Paramus. Chef Central will be partnering with Whole Foods Market in presenting our annual canning workshops. Each session begins at Whole Foods Market, where we will discuss how/when to purchase fresh produce for canning. Students will then come to the Chef Central Culinary Center in Paramus where licensed commercial canner and Chef Central Culinary Director Jim Edwards will work with them in prepping equipment and produce,followed by several hours of hands-on canning. Students will leave with all critical information on home canning as well as samples of their work. Click for tickets and details.
Bridgeton Crabfest and Beer Garden | Cohansey RiverFest, Saturday, August 25th from 10am-8pm. An all day event in conjunction with the Cohansey RiverFest. Food vendors, crab dinner, beer garden, cooking demonstrations, craft vendors, music and much more.
Chili Cooks Against Cancer, Saturday, August 25th from 11am-6pm. West Windsor. The ICS Sanctioned contest includes three chili categories – Red Chili, Verde (green) Chili and Salsa ICS Sanctioned contest includes three chili categories – Red Chili, Verde (green) Chili and Salsa. Chili Lovers? Come out and taste Chili or volunteer to be a judge, either way you’ll have a wonderful time. Kids Activities and Live Entertainment as well as beer! Click for details.
Sharrott Winery Harvest Festival, Saturday & Sunday, August 25th & 26th from 12pm-5pm. Celebration of the grape harvest. Enjoy live music on their field overlooking the vineyards. On Saturday they will have the Matt Noffsinger Band. On Sunday they’ll have Midlife Crisis. Food will be available as well as craft vendors. Of course there is the wonderful wine tasting. Admission to the festival is $10 per person, $8 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online.
Grape Stomping Festival, Sunday, August 26th from 12pm-5pm. Renault Winery in Egg Harbor City will host this fun event. Enjoy wonderful food including their “world famous sausage & peppers” and more, beer and wine, crafters, entertainment, activities for kids and of course grape stomping where you get to meet Lucy! Click for more details.
Sustenance on the Farm Dinner, Sunday, August 26th from 5pm-8pm. Morristown, NJ. Fosterfields resident farmer Rob Kibbe will provide a farm tour. The chefs will prepare an elegant farm-to-table six-course dinner centered around Fosterfields, vegetables, grass-fed meat and poultry as well as School Lunch Farms heirloom vegetables. Vegetarian and Vegan options are available. Learn more about this great event and fundraiser.
Wildwood Restaurant Week, Sunday – Friday, August 26th-31st. Enjoy delicious courses from local Wildwood restaurants fro just $30. Click here for more information.
Great Tomato Tasting, Wednesday, August 29th from 3pm-dusk, Pittstown, NJ. This event includes the very popular tasting of over 60 heirloom and hybrid tomato varieties, chef demonstrations, guided educational wagon tours of the farm’s research plots, tastings of honey, basil, apples and peaches, professional advice offered by the Hunterdon County Board of Health Staff on stink bugs, mosquitoes and black flies – pesky insects near and dear to local residents, and “square foot” gardening demonstrations for those interested in small, productive gardens. Click for more info.
St. Bartholomew/ UNICO Italian Festival, Friday – Monday, August 31st – September 3rd. 4:30pm – 10:30pm each day. Held at 2032 Westfield Ave, Scotch Plains, NJ. This family feast features nightly live music, rides, games, and Italian food including favorites like pizza, pasta, zeppoles, clams, mussels, and calzones. This years entertainment features live music by the Mike Aramondo Band. 908.322.5192
Feast of St. Joseph, Friday – Monday, August 31st – September 3rd. Saint Joseph Church, Lodi, NJ. The festival will be celebrating it’s 98th Anniversary this year. This family event features traditional Italian festival food, exciting nightly entertainment, thrill rides, and games of chance. 973.779.0643
BBQ & Craft Beer Festival, Saturday & Sunday, September 1st & 2nd. Monmouth Park. Ribs, pulled pork, brisket – it’s all back and better than ever, served up by some of the Garden State’s best BBQ joints. In addition, cool off with a cold one in the beer garden. More information.
West Cape May Jersey Tomato Festival, Saturday, September 1st from 9am-5pm. Featuring Jersey fresh grown tomatoes, Tomato jewelry, tomato soups, tomato tacos & all things tomato, fine vendors, South Jersey Artists, handmade jewelry, and stained glass. Located in Wilbraham Park. Call 609-884-9325 for information.
Pig Skin Pig Roast Family Tail Gate, Sunday, September 2nd from 1pm-5pm. Get ready for the NFL Season Opener while benefiting seven local food pantries as the Southern Ocean Community Foundation along with the Southern Ocean Chamber of Commerce partners for some great bbq, fixings, prizes and team spirit. Held at the Doc Cramer Field in Manahawkin. Click for more info.
Scandinavian Fest, Sunday, September 2nd from 10am-6pm. Vasa Park, Budd Lake, NJ. An all-day celebration of Scandinavia at its best – where you’ll discover the customs, history, food and ethnic variety of the six Nordic nations: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Click for more details.
Hoboken Italian Festival, Thursday – Sunday, September 6th – 9th. This is the 85th year of the feast in Hoboken. The origin of the feast dates back over 800 years in Molfetta, Italy. The procession through the streets is how we honor that tradition.
Enjoy the feast fun! The vendors, the entertainment and the procession, but the real highlight of the feast has to be our famous fireworks. Click for more info.
35th Annual Greek Festival, Thursday – Sunday, September 6th – 9th. St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Union, NJ. Enjoy the tastes and sounds of Greece under the tents, rain or shine! Homemade foods such as mousaka, pastitsio, roasted lamb, souvlaki and gyro as well as homemade pastries including baklava, loukoumades, and galaktonbouriko. Live music, Folk dancing, zeibekiko contest, and free dance lessons! Greek Import Boutique. Don’t forget to bring the kids to the rides and games!
Feast of San Gennaro at the Jersey Shore, Saturday & Sunday, September 8th & 9th. Downtown Belmar. The festival will feature plenty of Italian foods, wines, games and activities, starting with the traditional procession of the statue of San Gennaro, benefiting The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Look for eating contests, dancing, games for young and old, live entertainment and exciting special guests. Click for more info.
Beach Plum Festival, Sunday, September 9th from 9am-4pm at Island Beach State Park. The celebration will include beach plum picking and jelly making demonstration, arts and craft show, food and entertainment, children’s games, bird banding demonstration, environmental and non-profit exhibits, and a kayak raffle. Click for more info.
Philadelphia National Candy Gift & Gourmet Show, Sunday – Tuesday, September 9th-11th. Atlantic City Convention Hall. America’s largest trade show dedicated to the retail confectioner, is sponsored by the Retail Confectioners Association of Philadelphia. There will be confectionery, snack, ingredients, display, packaging, and equipment companies from around the world. The who’s who of confectionary professionals in attendance. Educational seminars to expand your horizons. Click for more info. and register.
An Evening in Normandy, Culinary Workshop, Tuesday, September 11th from 6pm-9pm. Culinary Workshops Offer Taste of Global Cuisine at Atlantic Cape. The home of Taillevent, chef to kings and author of France’s first cookbook, this region, located near the coast and its abundance of lush orchards and dairies, dictates the cuisine that is rich with seafood, butter, cream, fruit and meat. The menu will include Moules Normande, Veal Calvados, Pear and Camembert Salad, and Creamy Apple Tart for dessert. To register, call 609-343-4829 or visit www.atlantic.edu/conted.
Living Social’s Craft Beer & Food Truck Festival, Saturday, September 15th. Brooklyn, NY. I don’t normally post NY events but this one is big and for a great cause! Unlimited 5-ounce tastings of craft beer, top-notch food trucks, DJ dance party, art, games, and more—all at Skylight One Hanson. A portion of all proceeds will go to benefit Move For Hunger. There are two sessions: 12-4pm & 6-10pm. Click here for all the great details.
Sickles on the Road: Discover the Best of Edible Princeton, Saturday, September 15th from 9am-6pm. Spoil yourself this fall and join Sickles On The Road for a day of culinary discovery in Princeton! Hosted by Kirsty Dougherty, On The Road Tour Director and Sickles’ Chef Carol Maxwell, this is an insider’s look at the burgeoning culinary scene of Princeton and a chance to try your hand at mozzarella cheese making! More info. here.
Point Pleasant 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.
WineFest 2012, Saturday & Sunday, September 15th & 16th from 12pm-5pm. Held at Valenzano Winery in Shamong, NJ. Sample award winning, local, wines from seven New Jersey wineries, while enjoying live entertainment. There will also be local restaurants providing food and cheese tastings, try grapes right from the vine, children’s activities, helicopter rides and much more.
Have you voted for your favorite NJ Crab Cake yet? Here are some of the tantalizing entries and a little bit about the innovative Chefs and Restaurants behind the recipes.
Above Restaurant & Bar
Avenue Bistro Pub
BoulevardFive72
Caffe Aldo Lamberti
Chakra: Visit Chakra in Paramus where Chef/Owner Thomas Ciszak presents great New American Cuisine in a dramatic, sensual setting. His classic European style and gracious hospitality set the scene for a truly memorable experience. His food has won raves from critics at The Record, New Jersey Monthly, and The Star-Ledger! Chakra is an oasis from the ordinary. The Entry: Horseradish Crusted Crab Cake: snow pea shoots, mustard seed vinaigrette
FISH Restaurant in Asbury Park: Located in Asbury Park’s Post Building, one of the region’s most beautiful and historic structures built in 1885, FISH has quickly attracted the attention of both local and regional audiences. Seeking unmatched quality, superior service and can’t-wait-to-return dining experiences. FISH offers a creative menu featuring the freshest seafood and seasonal, sustainable and locally grown foods. The Entry: Jumbo Lump Crabcake: Spicy Remoulade, Mache Salad
Ice House Restaurant and Bar in Wildwood: Entering our fourth season, Ice House Restaurant and Bar is emerging as the option of choice for “down the shore” dining and relaxing. The Dining Room is the perfect choice for parties of all sizes and ages, serving only the freshest seafood and finest steaks in a comfortable and contemporary setting. Our Ice House Deck is a great alternative if you’re only in the mood for appetizers and/or a sandwich while enjoying a “cool” cocktail and the spectacular view overlooking Otten’s Harbor. The Entry: “Ice House Crab Cake: Classic jumbo lump crab cakes with corn relish and served with traditional tartar sauce.”
Fort Lee native Christopher Holland grew up with so many Asian friends that Korean BBQ and Shabu Shabu shaped his palette as much as the influences of his Italian/Irish background. Holland developed a penchant for exotic Eastern flavors that prominently figure into his culinary artistry today. As Head Chef of Session Bistro, the year old boutique restaurant in Maywood adjacent to the Maywood Train Station Museum, Holland imbues nearly every dish with subtle and sometimes more pronounced nods to the flavors of his youth. The son of a chef who insisted Holland “at least take a bite” of new preparations, Holland embraced his father’s admonitions and later used this openness to new taste experiences to shape his palette and orientation in the service of combining flavors, styles and textures. While Holland’s parents divorced when he was young, he and his father bonded over food and remain close. (Holland’s father Thomas, affectionately known as Pops, retired his toque after decades in the restaurant business, but still assists on occasion at Session.)
Before I get into the food, a bit on the restaurant’s ambience. It’s an intimate space that holds about 45 guests. It was recently renovated to remove the sushi bar and drab interior left over by its previous tenants, which were deli owners. With a warm red jewel tone accent wall bedecked with a few dozen clocks (from Holland’s personal collection) and plenty of windows, minimal decor, much of the restaurant’s charm comes from the warmth of Troy and the wait staff. A new partner, Louie Marquez, adds a welcome feminine touch to the restaurant’s outside seating area with a trickling water fall and potted herbs. Add to the mix live music (when I visited, a jazz duet played standards and abstract melodies) and you have a hip vibe. Combine that with Holland’s craftsmanship, and you really get something to swoon over.
Bangkok Mussels ($8.95) are plump, juicy and briny in a delicate green curry beurre blanc, served alongside deep fried pita planks which act as tasty sauce-soaking vehicles. Chorizo Scampi ($11.95) are beautifully cooked jumbo shrimp in a garlic and chorizo beurre blanc with chorizo cracklings strewn about, rendered down bits we fought over.
Pulled Pork Tempura (10.95) is as delicate as it is decadent, a pillow of crispy, airy beer batter encasing tender, richly flavored pork. Bahn Mi style coleslaw lends brightness and acidity while Holland’s homemade bacon BBQ sauce brings a sweet, sultry warmth to a perfect dish. Holland’s bacon BBQ sauce should be bottled and sold as a accent sauce, not something you’d want to slather on chicken or ribs, but carefully add to protein you want to elevate to a sweet, tangy, elegant level. This sensuous sauce starts with five pounds of bacon, which is rendered down for the base of the sauce. I could go on about the sauce, but you get the picture. Serious flavors and plenty of restraint make Holland’s sauces and dishes work so well. Spices peek and beckon, but never over-power.
Shrimp and Grits ($20.95) is a homey, soulful dish that deeply satisfies. Holland sautés jumbo shrimp and finishes them with a chorizo cream sauce. Served with NJ corn he grates and cooks down with cream to resemble a lush polenta, this is a smooth, buttery, rich foundation to enjoy the well-seasoned shrimp against.
A transformation has taken place at the Applebee’s at 1057 Route 46 East. Step inside this Parsippany restaurant and you’ll spot it immediately: huge floor-to-ceiling photo collages featuring local high school students and other stars from the community are the centerpiece of a fully remodeled interior.
Melissa d’Arabian’s new book was sent to me this week for a quick review and yey!! GIVEAWAY!! We have two books to give away and a taste tested recipe below.
I started by sautéing some onions and garlic in a little olive oil. I followed up by adding some shredded rotisserie chicken, diced chilies, salsa, and 2 different types of chili powder. I came very close to using my basic pantry chili powder, but ended up buying the chipotle chili powder suggested by the recipe’s creator. If you reproduce this recipe at home, I would definitely suggest that you spring for the chipotle chili powder. Live dangerously! The chipotle gives this dish smokiness and complexity, as well as a fiery kick to your taste buds.
To assemble the dish, the recipe called for corn tortillas to be dipped in enchilada sauce before assembling the enchiladas. Do not make my rookie mistake by rushing the soaking process-let those tortillas soak and bathe in the sauce for a little while. They will be a lot more pliable and easy to fill with the sautéed chicken mixture.
Mom Made Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas (Serves 4-6)
Cape May Craft Beer & Crab Fest, Saturday, August 11th from 11am-8pm. Held at the beautiful grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May, an all-day festival featuring local and regional craft beers to wash down favorite summer picnic foods. Click for more details.
Silverton Farms Screening Food Inc., Friday, August 10th at 8pm. The owners of Silverton Farms in Toms River are hosting the first-ever movie night outside at the farm. They will be screening Food, Inc., a documentary about corporate food production in the U.S. The event is free and kids are welcome. You are encouraged to bring blankets and/or chairs to sit on. There will be a concession stand with organic popcorn and other goodies, but guests are also welcome to bring their own snacks if desired. There is no RSVP required, but if you are planning to go, you can stop by the farm or call ahead to let them know: 732-244-2621.
Shore Chef Crab Cake Cook-Off, Saturday & Sunday, August 18th & 19th from 12pm-5pm. Monmouth Park. Shore Chefs compete for the best crab cake award and the coveted People’s Choice Award. Taste fare from your favorite local restaurants. Crab cakes, fried catfish, and clam chowder bread bowls are just a few of the favorites. 
Great Tomato Tasting, Wednesday, August 29th from 3pm-dusk, Pittstown, NJ. This event includes the very popular tasting of over 60 heirloom and hybrid tomato varieties, chef demonstrations, guided educational wagon tours of the farm’s research plots, tastings of honey, basil, apples and peaches, professional advice offered by the Hunterdon County Board of Health Staff on stink bugs, mosquitoes and black flies – pesky insects near and dear to local residents, and “square foot” gardening demonstrations for those interested in small, productive gardens. 
Sickles on the Road: Discover the Best of Edible Princeton, Saturday, September 15th from 9am-6pm. Spoil yourself this fall and join Sickles On The Road for a day of culinary discovery in Princeton! Hosted by Kirsty Dougherty, On The Road Tour Director and Sickles’ Chef Carol Maxwell, this is an insider’s look at the burgeoning culinary scene of Princeton and a chance to try your hand at mozzarella cheese making! More info. 
Can’t-miss fried choices ($6) are the Arancini – fried risotto balls filled with peas and Mozzarella and the Carciofo – fried artichoke hearts served with tangy lemon aioli. The Arancini are ultra-crunchy on the outside with gooey, creamy risotto on the inside – a truly delectable treat.
I have wanted to have dinner at Renault Winery Resort and Golf in Egg Harbor City for some time now and finally found the perfect time. The resort hosts many wonderful culinary events on their expansive grounds that include their own vineyards. Renault has wine tastings with food pairings, farm to table feasts, wine tours and wine making and many other delicious happenings throughout the year.
The men stayed untill the end of the event as the owners of their respective mean machines pulled away in all their glory, some even “burning rubber” as they exited the property. I in the meantime had made my way inside the resort to Joseph’s Restaurant to select a table by the window. My husband eventually joined me sans my son and his pal (who both decided to skip dinner, kids!) and we began the part of the days’ event at Renault that I most looked forward to enjoying.
We both chose a salad to start as our primi, Burrata Mozarella with vine ripe tomatoes and twelve year old Balsamic vinegar and fresh basil for me and romaine hearts with creamy parmesan, croutons and finished with shards of parmesan and freshly ground black pepper for him. What’s not to like? All fresh and seasoned perfectly. I decided I also wanted a Flatbread, which was crisp and topped with some of my favorite bites, Kalamata Olives with Fresh Mozzarella and Roasted Tomatoes and Arugula before our main course.
Tortelloni with Cheese with Imported Prosciutto in a Blush Sauce and my husband’s selection of Double Cut Pork Chops with Saba (aged vinegar made from red wine), Cippolini Onions, Herbs, Potatoes Gratin and fresh Carrots. The double cut pork chops were juicy and tender, which is hard to find and much to my husband’s delight with delicate potatoes and tender onions. My tortelloni were cooked just right, (a major pet peeve with me) and well crafted with a creamy cheese center. I loved the blush sauce and the imported Proscuitto gave the dish a nice smokey undertone.
Supporting small business is something I strive to do and family-owned restaurants are a category I hold dear. I visited Bella Campania recently in nearby Hillsdale after an absence of a few years. I was pleasantly reminded of what I enjoyed on my earlier visits with husband and kids in tow. While the kitchen was slammed (7PM on a summer Thursday evening) and nearly every table occupied, 30 year old Chef Chris Tarta was keenly focused on not only take out, but warmly greeting customers as they entered and exited while manning the kitchen nearly solo. Tarta is a determined guy, buying Bella Campana at the ripe age of 23 when then-owners planned to sell the restaurant and he was a sous chef.
Our server Joe recommended Fried Calamari ($10) in the Portugese style (as opposed to traditional, Buffalo or Balsamic varieties). This was a winner. The crispy calamari had a fresh, briny flavor and delicate texture underneath a bit of crunch left over by flash frying. Tarta tossed it with a garlicky lemon butter mixture of julienned smoked and sweet peppers and chopped parsley for a flavor-packed mouthful. This was everyone’s hands-down favorite. From texture, taste and addictive quality, Fried Calamari Portugese is a clear winner.
Salads and soups are prepared lovingly and have a homey goodness to them. My daughter loved the Pasta Fagioli ($5) with its simple, honest flavors of tomatoes, garlic and beans.
Hunger relief hit a jackpot in Atlantic City last weekend with a $10,000 donation during the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival.
They presented summer pudding with roasted stone fruit tarts at Saturday night’s Sweet & Stylish fashion show, where Southern Branch Executive Director Margie Barham and Mr. Uniacke accepted the $10,000 check from Joseph Giunta, vice president of non-gaming operations for Caesars Entertainment and Katie Dougherty, director of public relations for Caesars Entertainment in Atlantic City.
If you find yourself on the way to Cape May, a stop at Jessie Creek Winery is a must!
Right now Jessie Creek offers 5 wines, two whites and three reds. I am glad to see that this new winery decided to go for quality over quantity. Morrison and Reale have worked closely with several established wine makers in New Jersey to carefully craft their first vintage. And it shows.
The winery is located on the grounds of The Inn at Jessie Creek, an elegant bed and breakfast in a beautifully renovated 1846 farmhouse. Choose from 4 large suites all with private baths, TV, and high speed internet. Just imagine enjoying an evening bonfire with a glass of wine or sunrise over the vineyard.
