Tune in for an all-new episode of the Two Fat Guys Show where DJ Joe the Great and the One and Only Nicky D bring you the following segments and topic of the week.
Fall is a great beer-drinking season, but pumpkin beer and Oktoberfests have been on the shelves since August. Season creep is real. Now, as the leaves are starting to change color, it’s time to start looking for other ways to celebrate the autumnal equinox.
I found some. If you look hard, you will too.
The Bradley Brew Project
The Bradley Brew Project, in Bradley Beach, is a funky little brewery that’s pushing the boundaries. What’s Happening, My Sister is a light and malty English Mild that they call a Jersey Brunette. It’s a 4.2% ABV session ale with 80% New Jersey-grown barley. Complex, with notes of caramel punctuated by some nuttiness, this beer is perfect for a long night sitting around the fire pit. Like its British counterpart, the carbonation is low, too. Fill your pint up to the brim and settle in for a cozy-in-your-sweatshirt evening around a crackling fire.
Cape May Brewing
Cape May Brewing has invoked the spirit of “the Dude” in a collaboration with Left Hand Brewing (Longmont, CO). Inspired by the Big Lebowski’s favorite drink, they’ve created a White Russian Imperial Stout with coffee, cocoa, lactose and vanilla. There’s no way you could drink a beer like that without a little nip in the air! It is, of course, called Ties the Room Together. I think the Dude would abide this particular beverage.
Ties the Room Together is collaboration of Cape May Brewing and Left Hand Brewing.
Icarus Brewing
Lakewood’s Icarus Brewing debuted a butternut squash chili porter that may just be the epitome of fall. The beer is little sweet, a little smokey, with a touch of heat to warm you up after watching some local football. Is that not fall in a glass?
The beauty of the season is all about variety. How about trying a little variety in your beer, too?
Here in New Jersey we have vintage, factory-built, stainless steel diners from the 20th century; modern, palatial diners decked out with retro accents and neon lights; and friendly storefront diners in shopping malls. And now we have a diner that resembles a dark, medieval castle, sitting in the misty meadows of western Essex County. It’s safe to say this is unlike any diner you’ve ever seen, and its unique design and good food are attracting patrons from the West Orange area and beyond.
Stepping into the castle, it’s clear that the Chit Chat demonstrates a reimagined concept of interior diner design. While most diners—even many site-built modern diners constructed in the last 20 years—lean toward a more intimate interior atmosphere, the Chit Chat is open, airy, and spacious, with high ceilings and large picture windows. Soft ambient light permeates the dining areas.
Patrons at the new Chit Chat Diner will see decorative hanging lamps and chandeliers, grand umber-toned wooden wall panels, and a checkerboard design that dominates the floor, walls, and even the decorative accent pieces. Interior highlights also include splashes of blue, silver, and orange, most notably at the counter and the fabrics used for dining room chairs. There is a most-regal dessert case, stocked with cakes, pastries, and pies fit for any queen, princess, prince, or king. Metal statues of playful children can be found throughout outside grounds of the diner. All told, it’s a feast for the eyes.
Regal chairs at front entrance
Time to Eat
Speaking of feasts, this reporter sat down for breakfast at the castle and ordered French toast with bacon—very tasty. The dish included a most thoughtful and much appreciated surprise: a small bottle of real maple syrup, not the usual sugary goop. Coffee was good, but the topper for the meal was a cup of creamy, smooth cappuccino, expertly prepared via a high-tech, digital espresso machine. This was most impressive.
Digital espresso: at your service
The diner offers an extensive breakfast menu, which includes egg platters, omelets, yogurt bowls, pancakes, waffles, and smoothies.
A few items jumped off the menu:
Worth investigating: The short-rib hash and eggs is certainly worth investigating.
Smart choice: The banana, kale, and coconut milk smoothie sounds rather healthy.
Most flavorful: The huevos rancheros dish—tortillas topped with refried beans, fried eggs, cheese, salsa and sour cream—is always a flavorful choice.
For Eggs Benedict lovers: You’ll find five “Benny” varieties, most notably the Benedict arepa, which features crispy cornmeal arepa cakes, poached eggs topped with Hollandaise sauce, grilled chorizo sausage, cheese, and plantain chips.
Among the lunch and supper entrees, the grilled Angus skirt steak, fajitas, and pan-fried salmon all seem especially tempting. The menu includes hot open-faced platters (turkey, roast beef and meat loaf) and an assortment of sandwiches and wraps. In addition, there are 19 salads, a host of specialty burgers and fries, and a list of appetizers—many with a Tex-Mex flair (chili con carne, empanadas, nachos, tacos, and guacamole and Pico de Gallo).
Sister, Sister
The menus for the West Orange and Hackensack Chit Chat diners are nearly identical. The two eateries sit 20 miles apart, but they’re linked by family ownership. And the new Chit Chat takes many of its interior design cues from the Hackensack Chit Chat.
The Diner Scene
The opening of the Chit Chat in West Orange is one component of the quiet wave of new diners in the Garden State. The Majestic Diner on Route 17 in Ramsey opened its doors in October 2014. Recent newspaper stories in South Jersey reported on plans to build a new Olga’s Diner on Route 73 in Marlton. Geet’s Diner, a stainless steel landmark on the Black Horse Pike in Williamstown celebrated a reopening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last March. The ongoing saga of New Jersey diners is ever changing, with a mix of old and new.
Chit Chat Diner 410 Eagle Rock Ave.
West Orange, NJ 07052
973-736-1989
Chit Chat Diner 515 Essex St.
Hackensack, NJ 07601
201-820-4033
This sponsored post is brought to you by Port Imperial Food Truck Fest. Please note the date of the event changed from October 27 to November 3 due to weather.
Dine in style at the Port Imperial Food Truck Fest, on November 3, 2018, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Take in the city skyline, kids’ rides, live music, and beer and wine garden. Enjoy a day of food from the best food trucks in Jersey as well as fun activities for the whole family. The event will be held at 4800 Avenue at Weehawken Port Imperial (right next to the Weehawken Ferry Terminal).
What?
The Port Imperial Food Truck Fest, hosted by the New Jersey Food Truck Fest, is open to all, with over 20 food vendors, face painting, kids’ rides, beer and wine garden, and live music featuring the Suyat Band!
Tune in for an all-new episode of the Two Fat Guys Show, where DJ Joe the Great and the One and Only Nicky D bring you the following segments and topic of the week.
Nicky D takes a trip to the Bergen Town Center and has to decide what he wants. He ends up at Bobby’s Burger Palace. DJ Joe goes back to a place he wasn’t crazy about the first time around.
Cookies and cream milkshake at Bobby’s Burger Palace
Bacon Crunchburger from Bobby’s Burger Palace
Cheesesteak at Bogey’s
Fattest Food of the Week
Nicky D brings one of his favorite cakes to a party and DJ Joe eats his Fattest Food of the Week at the Shepherd & the Knucklehead.
Crumb cake from B & W Bakery in Hackensack
BBQ bacon burger at the Shepherd and the Knucklehead
The Rant
DJ Joe rants about something that continues to happen to him at restaurants.
Wow—it seemed eerily quiet. Wasn’t it prime dinner hour on a Saturday evening? Having only been to Nicholas once before—on a Thursday night, just about a year earlier—I remember full bustle. The space was absolutely electric with activity. Today? Serene, quiet, very grown-up. As I entered the bar, a couple sat chatting in almost a whisper at a high top flanking the wall, a few others scattered at the bar, and another couple at the table tucked into the back corner. And there sat a completely empty banquette along the window.
I traveled to the far side of the bar, where I love to sit, taking in the full view of the restaurant, out to the entryway, with a slight view into one of the dining areas. I enjoyed how the evening unfolded and the space evolved with the crowd, transforming from a space for “real” grownups, where I may feel slightly out of place, to an easier, more raucous hang for a pretty eclectic mix of people!
Who Served Me
Christian. Tall, dark, and with an accent I couldn’t quite place. While I loved capturing his photo as he poured my luscious cocktail, I didn’t get the chance to engage with him as he ultimately ran the far side of the bar, while the lovely Ashley took over and became our amazing go-to for any and every need for the rest of the delightful evening.
Bartender’s Favorite Bite
Since Christian had wandered down-bar during our stay, we ended up being adopted by Ashley. Knowledgeable, warm, and bubbly with a great smile. When I asked about her favorite dish, she just about burst into a stream of consciousness, “the beets, the beets!”
Being a beet lover, myself I appreciated her enthusiasm but pried, “How come?”
And without skipping a beat (pun SO intended), she told me, “Because I love beets and they do them really well here. They have a little bite to them and, just, mmmm.” You could tell her mouth watered while she thought about it.
“And,” she blurted out, “the cavatelli. Did you try that tonight? Oh it’s so, so good. It’s with shiitake and enoki mushrooms, those are the super small ones with the little heads the long stem, and they are pickled so they have that little bit of bite, and it’s just so good because it’s in a light cream sauce. I really don’t even like mushrooms but this is just so gooood. It’s one of my favorite dishes.”
The Vibe and My Vantage Point
The restaurant is a lovely space—elegant and pristine. The bar is high-polish chic. It’s a large granite bar, with the staff in vests and ties. They’re friendly, with their arms tucked behind them to avoid any awkward bumping or gesturing while pouring wine from a single hang.
You had me at tequila. And at banana. The rest was just cake. Even though I just knew it would be sweet, I was excited to taste this wonderful concoction of deliciousness. With many flavors I like, the least of which was guava, this sounded like another interesting mix of flavor profiles mixed into magic. It was indeed delicious—and a beautiful shade of pink. Icy cold, sweet, and spicy, with a subtle knock of smokiness from the tequila.
What Fed My Soul
Assorted, Baked Breads, Complimentary
OMG. This was fresh-baked goodness presented in a perfect little box lined with Nicholas-printed paper. Seeded, sliced, with fresh butter, yes. Yes. Yes. I had a little of each, of course, and marveled at the tastiness of the seeds on the whole-grain roll, the ideal combo of raisins and nuts in the second, and the wonderful chew on the rustic roll. I could have stopped there. But you know I didn’t.
Gorgeous. Fine. Delicate. Subtle. Here is a dish that makes you pay attention. Perfectly seared yellowtail, often used in sushi, in a super-light broth with lovely fresh herb tendrils and crisp wonton ribbons. Delicious, fresh, soft, and sexy on the palate. The complementary flavors ensured the fish was the star. A lovely composition and light start for what would come next!
MIND. BLOWN! I could hardly contain my excitement. My dad always said I had an adventurous palate. I remember somewhere in my late teens trying foie gras and other paté-style foods and loving them—even after I realized their origin. Tonight was no different. I ordered it like a kid at an ice cream shop getting a super-duper ice cream sundae!
The dish arrived as expected: Over. The. Top. Crushed pecans atop a large piece of foie gras, ooey-goey with the sauce, and shortbread crumbles scattered around the edges of the dish. The first bite was pure, decadent heaven: rich, sweet, salty, crunchy. And then there was the final, smooth delight as the heaviness of the foie gras lingered on the tongue. While it was too large a portion for me, given its richness and depth, this was a dish to even make the foie gras skeptic change their mind.
October Three-Course Tasting Menu, $45 We indulged in this option to allow an expanded review, given my husband was my sidekick. I’m thrilled to report it was magical!
Sweet potato gnocchi
First Course, Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Crispy kale, spicy chipotle purée I could hardly contain myself as the dish arrived. I dove into the mounds of crispy kale and sweet potato goodness. Nicholas knows how to balance on the very edge: he mixed flavors and textures in such a pristine way you are almost surprised each time you take a new bite. The super-faint, but ever-present kick from the chipotle brought a smile to my face every time—the same way a great joke makes you laugh again hours after you hear it. So damn good!
Char-grilled Mexican pink shrimp
Second Course, Char-Grilled Mexican Pink Shrimp
Avocado banana purée, Cotija, sauce “Cáceres” The whimsical presentation of this dish was fun: colorful with a schmear of avocado/banana puree at the edge of the dish. The combination of smokiness from the char on the shrimp, against the softness of the avocado and the crispiness of the homemade tortillas reinforced the chef’s mastery of mixed textures.
What more to say? This was ridiculous on so many levels. Nicholas’s obsession with ice cream led him to his newest venture Nicholas Creamery (Fair Haven and Atlantic Highlands) and the ice cream is really out of this world. Super rich and bursting with flavor, this coffee sundae was just the right “icing on my cake!” I chose Nicholas at this time as it’s my birthday week—and I chose wisely. Right down to the last delicious creamy, melty, chocolate-saucy coffee ice cream, and caramel spoonful.
Beyond the Bar
Located in a funky spot along Route 35, not far over the Navesink Bridge toward Middletown, but on the south side, Nicholas Harary opened in 2000 with his wife, Melissa, and created a culinary destination built to last. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting them both, briefly, during my very special first visit here, where friends treated me to the chef’s table on the lower level. Their warmth and passion were immediately apparent, and no detail is too small. The service, the presentation, care, and craftsmanship that goes into every moment at Nicholas is evident without being too fussy. The staff is warm, the bar is fun, and yes much to my disdain, there’s a large-screen TV, too!
When to Show Dining Room Hours
Tuesday through Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Bar N Hours
Tuesday through Saturday, cocktails at 5:00 p.m.
Know Before You Go! Nicholas is open year-round. Please check the website for more information. Hours, prices, and menus are subject to change.
Tune in for an all-new episode of the Two Fat Guys Show, where DJ Joe the Great and the One and Only Nicky D bring you the following segments and topic of the week.
With a comfortable pub-style atmosphere, Dunellen Hotel Restaurant & Rathskelleroffers a range of fare and consistent, solid service, whether you’re grabbing a table or sitting at the bar. For me, once summer turns to fall, it’s all about food and football, and Dunellen Hotel is the perfect place to sit back, order a beer and a burger, and watch the game. Here are a few things you’ll enjoy when you go!
1. Extensive Menu and Weekly Specials
When it comes to pub grub, nobody beats Dunellen Hotel’s menu. A few of my favorites are the pretzel crab meltaway, which is a braided soft pretzel topped and baked with a blend of cheese and crab; the flat iron steak salad, which includes flat iron steak over romaine lettuce with grape tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese, green peppers, and red onions with a roasted garlic balsamic vinaigrette; and finally, the Rathskeller burger, which is an 8 oz. charbroiled black angus burger topped with Taylor ham and American cheese.
Dunellen Hotel also offers unique weekly specials. Currently, they’re featuring Octoberfest themed specials.
Salad with fresh scallops, from the specials
Guacamole shrimp wrap with sweet potato fries, from the specials
2. Dual-Ambiance Dining
Want to grab a beer and watch the game? Head down to the Rathskeller, which features a long wooden bar with beers on tap, high tops, TVs to watch the games, and a working, old-fashioned popcorn machine.
Looking to meet friends for a casual dinner? Then head to the dining room, upstairs from the Rathskeller. Both dining options are casual, comfortable, and inviting.
3. Friendly, Welcoming Service
The atmosphere at reflects the service. Once you’ve eaten there, Dunellen Hotel is the kind of place where everyone remembers you when you walk in. You’re sure to see familiar, smiling faces both behind—and at—the bar, and yes, everyone might just know your name.
Tooling around Caldwell in late summer, I noticed that a new restaurant had seemingly sprung up overnight in a small row of stores on busy Bloomfield Avenue.Kimchi Mama, owned by Leslie Newport and her family, offers traditional, slightly kicked-up-a-notch, delicious Korean cuisine.
Background
Leslie’s stepfather, Pyung Ho Hwang, went to culinary school near Seoul; but interestingly, he went to culinary school to master western food because he already knew how to make Korean food. Leslie explained that food is such a big part of Korean culture that you learn from your family. When he got to the United States, he realized that everybody wanted him to make Korean food, not American food. He worked as head chef in various restaurants in Bergen County, while Newport’s mother, Seung Ae Hwang, is an entrepreneur who has owned other restaurants.
Newport grew up in Florida, where she worked in the hospitality industry and social media marketing. When her mom opened the original Kimchi Mama in Fair Lawn about three years ago, she asked Newport to join her.
Dokbokki, a very popular Korean snack food
The Start of Something Good
I asked how they chose Fair Lawn and Caldwell for their first two restaurants, as Korean food doesn’t seem to be incredibly well known in those areas. Newport said that was precisely why those communities work so well.
Their mission is to make Korean food accessible, easy, and less intimidating to people who have little or no experience with it. They designed the menu accordingly. Even though all of their recipes are traditional, everything is geared toward making the experience very user friendly. In the beginning, they needed to spend some time explaining the food, both to staff and customers: which sauce goes with which dish, and how you don’t dump the rice in because it will soak up all the broth.
One big misconception people have around Korean food is that it’s all spicy. It’s not. Everything can be customized because they make everything to order. This is not conveyer-belt food. They start the cooking process when the customer orders, and all the produce, protein, and other components are brought in fresh and whole and broken down on site. Newport’s stepfather makes all of the sauces and kimchi in Fair Lawn and it comes to the Caldwell location, fresh every day.
Dumpling soup, also known as manduguk
In Caldwell…and Beyond
They’ve had a great reception in the Caldwell location, which opened earlier this year. In addition to the food being downright delicious, people have become aware of the many health benefits of Korean food, such as kimchi (a traditional side dish of fermented vegetables), which has gained immense popularity in recent months. For instance, on many menus you’ll see kimchi hot dogs or kimchi fried rice. Korean food is at the forefront of Asian cuisine now so Kimchi Mama’s timing is spot on.
On my first visit for lunch, I fell in love with the miso soup. Unlike any other I’ve had in various Asian restaurants where it’s usually a thin, bland, watery consistency, this was thick and fragrant and absolutely addictive. More, please!
Another hit was the dumplings—both the vegetable and the beef fillings were delicious—tucked into a very light and crispy dough.
When we went back for dinner, we ordered the Korean dumpling soup (homemade beef bone marrow broth topped with more of those great veggie dumplings!), the spicy pork bibimbap, and a wonderful stir-fried chicken (bokkeum). Everything was terrific! Tip: if you go and plan on enjoying beer or wine with your meal, bring your own glasses. Kimchi Mama only has plastic cups.
Leslie and her parents want people to know that family is everything to them. They make their customers feel like they are dining in their home, and their employees go the extra mile to make everyone welcome.
In the future, they might offer tastings, or hands-on classes to teach people how to make kimchi. But for now, The Kimchi Mama team is laser focused on customer service, food quality, and spreading awareness about the deliciousness and health quality of their food.
Just as I was putting this article to bed, I got a note from Newport letting me know they’ve just opened their third location in Palisades Park, a full sit-down restaurant. Caldwell and Fair Lawn are set up more for takeout and delivery, with minimal seating. The Kimchi Mama empire is growing!
Kimchi Mama 691 Bloomfield Avenue
Caldwell, NJ
973-228-4371
Closed Monday
Tuesday to Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
7-09 Fair Lawn Avenue
Fair Lawn, NJ
201-703-2905
Closed Monday
Tuesday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to to 9:30 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
280 Broad Avenue
Palisades Park, NJ
201-585-1083
Call for hours
Famously known for its iconic ice cream trucks (and cart!),Lexyliciousopened the doors of its first brick-and-mortar location this summer. The business began when a teenage Alexa Hesse began making ice cream sandwiches from home. “It was honestly just a silly, fun thing at first,” Hesse says. “I was 17 and was making them for my friends. People started asking me for them so I decided to sell them. I told my parents at dinner and my sister said, “Call it Lexylicious!'” The rest is history.
A Big Day
When asked what the inspiration was for expanding into the retail space, she says, “I’d been looking for a store for a pretty long time and never really loved anywhere. I knew for years I wanted to be on Bay Avenue in Point Pleasant Beach, but for so long nothing came up. My cousins actually rented my store and were going to put something there, but changed their mind. They called me and I had to make a decision fast. I went for it!”
After spending several summers traversing the Jersey shoreline, Hesse officially opened the doors to her first store on July 6, 2018.
Smart Cookies
Lexylicious offers seven homemade cookie options, including classic chocolate chip, peanut butter chip cookie, sprinkle sugar cookie, jumbo Oreo wafer, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and marshmallow cereal cookie. The shop’s most popular cookie, the Fruity Pebbles and marshmallow cereal cookie, is a big seller. “Fruity Pebble cookies with vanilla ice cream is the most popular for sure, and the runner up is—of course—chocolate chip,” says Hesse. “Now that we have the store, we have 16 ice cream flavors.” This includes a vegan option. (Vegan flavors change often so check with the shop if you’re looking for something specific.)
With fall upon us, Lexylicious has moved into new sandwich flavors like apple pie (pictured at top) and cinnamon rolls. “All of our products are handmade with a lot of love,” she says. “We’re really focusing on expanding our menu and special items. Now that the summer is over it gives us a minute to focus on perfecting everything and creating some new fun flavors. I’m learning a lot as we go so I can only imagine what the future holds for us.”
We can’t wait to find out, either.
Lexylicious 512 Bay Avenue
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
732-451-2600
Tune in for an all new episode of the Two Fat Guys Show, where DJ Joe the Great and the One and Only Nicky D bring you the following segments and topic of the week.
This sponsored post is brought to you by FoodBizNJ.
The Details
On Tuesday, October 16, the NJ Food & Beverage Summit will take place at the Palace at Somerset Park, in Somerset, NJ. The free event will focus on the changing landscape of economic and workforce development within the food industry across New Jersey. Hosts include NJBIZ, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJLWD) and the Rutgers Food Innovation Center (FIC).
According to Choose New Jersey, the Garden State is home to a $126 billion food industry and agriculture sector, employing more than 440,000 people.
“New Jersey is home to some of the world’s largest food and beverage companies and having a strong and well-educated workforce is paramount to keeping our state on top of the global food chain,” said Ken Kiczales, publisher of NJBIZ. “This event showcases the strategies and forward-looking thinking required to develop the next generation of employees that will drive the state’s food industry forward. Partnering with the NJLWD and FIC will ensure an insightful exchange of ideas on meeting New Jersey’s hunger for food industry talent.”
Jersey Bites will have a booth, so please stop by!
Tune in for an all-new episode of the Two Fat Guys Show where DJ Joe the Great and the One and Only Nicky D bring you the following segments and topic of the week.
Stepping into the castle, it’s clear that the Chit Chat demonstrates a reimagined concept of interior diner design. While most diners—even many site-built modern diners constructed in the last 20 years—lean toward a more intimate interior atmosphere, the Chit Chat is open, airy, and spacious, with high ceilings and large picture windows. Soft ambient light permeates the dining areas.
2. Dual-Ambiance Dining
