Grilled Peach Mascarpone Bruschetta for National Peach Month

Veronique @ Food & Wine Chickie

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August 5, 2017

Grilled Peach Mascarpone Bruschetta for National Peach Month

In celebration of National Peach Month, Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas in Clifton, NJ, is celebrating peak of peach season, shining the spotlight on juicy Jersey peaches, and emphasizing the restaurant’s philosophy of using fresh, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.

In the restaurant, they’re serving with grilled peach mascarpone bruschetta, peach crostata, and peach sangria. And they’ve shared the recipe for their peach bruschetta here, so you can make it at home!

The bruschetta includes fresh local peaches, grilled and placed on top of a warm crostini with mascarpone cheese, honey and fresh basil.

The crostata is made with fresh peaches tossed with brown sugar, spices and brandy and baked in a puff pastry crust. It’s served with house made salted caramel and vanilla gelato.

And the sangria is a refreshing mixture of white peach, peach schnapps and pinot grigio served over ice with fresh peaches.

Grilled Peach Mascarpone Bruschetta

Makes 12

Ingredients

1 loaf of rustic bread, cut into 12 slices, each about ¾-inch thick
¾ cup mascarpone
3 peaches, thinly-sliced and grilled
3 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
¼ cup honey
¼ cup of chiffonaded basil
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

Place the bread slices on a hot grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side until toasted with some char but not burnt.
Spread the mascarpone on each piece of bread.
Place grilled peach slices on top of the mascarpone with Maldon sea salt.
Drizzle honey on top of peaches.
Garnish with the basil and almonds.

Chef de Cuisine Michel Desjardin’s notes on the bruschetta: “Grilling the peaches caramelizes the sugars in the fruit, deepening the sweetness, while mascarpone cheese provides a creamy base balanced with a bit of crunch from the almonds on top. Basil and honey lend a complementary note to the sweetness of the peach, rounding out the dish.”

Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas
70 Kingsland Road
Clifton
973-661-2435

Jersey Gin Mills and Joints: The Linwood Inn Tap House

Peter Culos

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August 3, 2017

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Jersey Gin Mills and Joints: The Linwood Inn Tap House

You can’t fight city hall. Isn’t that how the old saying goes? I guess no one told John “Yosh” Neshimka of the Linwood Inn Tap House in Linden.

Not only did he fight city hall, but he beat city hall.

Of his career in the bar and restaurant industry, Neshimka quips, “I guess you could call me a lifer,” and follows with a hearty laugh. He does that a lot. His first introduction to the business was at the age of 14 when he got a job at the legendary (but now closed) Dasti’s Italian restaurant in Linden. Now in his mid-50s, Neshimka has seen just about everything that the crazy restaurant industry can throw at you—except for that curve ball the city of Linden hurled his way in 2004.

The Linwood is your quintessential neighborhood sports bar. The walls are lined with pine and the large bar has a funky haphazard shape designed for maximum seating. Then there’s the 37 TVs. If there’s a game on that you want to watch, this is the place to go. The structure was built in 1862 but virtually no vestige of the original character remains. Still, there’s a sense of history here.

I may be biased. I’ve been to the Linwood before. My grandmother lived only a couple of blocks away. One Thanksgiving when I was just a tyke, my dad and uncle were sent out for bags of ice to replenish the dwindling supply. I was sent along as insurance, the wisdom being that they would never take little Pete to a bar. But they did. In those days the Linwood had an attached liquor store which, of course, carried ice. To make matters worse, the bar was open. That trip for ice took two hours. “Going out for ice” became a running family joke that my grandmother didn’t think was all that funny. It’s still family lore.

I’ll bet there are hundreds of stories just like that one attached to the walls of the Linwood. Maybe that’s why, when the city of Linden attempted to acquire the property, citing eminent domain, John Neshimka decided to fight.

It wasn’t until 2006 that John and Lori Neshimka found out about the eminent domain proceedings. “We heard it through the grapevine.” he said. By that point they had spent a lot of money on renovations, which included turning that attached liquor store into a much needed new kitchen. His family’s livelihood was at stake. Nine years of legal fees took a toll on his finances. The Neshimkas had to sell their house and move to a more affordable location. Georgia turned out to be that location. Seventy miles south of Atlanta is a long way from Jersey. Still, John spent half of each month at the Linwood. Sometimes he drove straight through because he couldn’t afford to stop at a hotel overnight.

The Linwood Inn's Hog Wings — Hog wings: slow cooked, dry rub pork shanks

Tough as they were, those seven years down south had a positive impact on the bottom line, and the menu, too. If you only eat one thing at the Linwood, let it be the hog wings. Neshimka learned about these slow cooked, dry rub pork shanks during his time in Georgia. Those days, which he calls his “laboratory time,” also opened his culinary mind to other styles of food. He’d been focused on Italian food from his formative years at Dasti’s and still makes a killer boardwalk-style pizza.

The Linwood Inn & Taphouse Korean barbecue shrimp appetizer — Korean barbecue shrimp appetizer, in sauce with garlic bread

Now, Neshimka recently added a Korean barbecue shrimp appetizer that comes swimming in sauce with some crispy garlic bread to sop it up with. It’s almost a meal in itself. Of course, no neighborhood joint would be complete without an award-winning burger. They have one.

It’s a pub food menu that has some surprisingly tasty curveballs of its own. Even better, for the beer lover, there’s almost as many taps as there are TV’s so you’re good to go!

In the end, it all came down to a technicality. As it turns out, it was the previous owner of the property who received the official eminent domain notice. Since the Neshimkas hadn’t been officially notified, the city had to drop the case and today the Linwood Inn Tap House still stands at 15 South Wood Avenue. To make the happy ending complete, he roars, “I’m the only guy who moved back to Jersey! I guess I have to prove I’m Polish every day!” Since I share some of that heritage, I know just what he means. Someone who’s stubborn and tough with a good sense of humor is a formidable foe. To add a touch of irony, the blighted buildings that were taken over in that eminent domain initiative are now condominiums where some of his new customers live. Business is great and the Linwood is back on solid financial ground.

If you go on game day, don’t be afraid to wear your team’s jersey. You’ll get some good-natured ribbing but that’s about it. Just make sure you’ve got some stats in your back pocket. This crowd knows their stuff. Who knows, you might even make a new friend.

Sometimes a humble neighborhood bar is worth fighting for. This one sure was. Na zdrowie to the Neshimkas and the Linwood Inn Tap House!

This is the first in a series of articles that will highlight the great stories behind some of the most beloved Jersey Gin Mills and Joints that make up the character of the Garden State. If your local watering hole has a great story, I want to hear about it. Contact me at [email protected] and stay tuned.

NJ Food Truck Faves: Mannino’s Cannoli Express

Food Trucks

JerseyBites

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August 2, 2017

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NJ Food Truck Faves: Mannino’s Cannoli Express

For Gabriella Mannino Tomasello, cannolis are more than just a treat—they’re a connection to family and tradition.

Gabriella graduated from the Academy of Culinary Arts in Mays Landing in 2012, after spending years around her father, Vito Mannino, in his pizzerias and restaurants. Equipped with her background in pastry making and years of cannoli experience at her father’s restaurants, Gabriella went mobile when she started Mannino’s Cannoli Express, in 2014.

Gabriella shared her story with Jersey Bites.

Gabriella Mannino Tomasello with a tray of blueberry cannolis at the Hammonton Blueberry Festival.

JERSEY BITES: How did you get started?
GABRIELLA MANNINO TOMASELLO: My family has had a pizzeria and a restaurant since 1988, and I’ve always made the pastries and all the desserts for my father and the restaurant. [This] all started with the Hammonton Blueberry Festival in 2010. It was my idea to make a blueberry cannoli. I was a culinary student at the time, doing my volunteer work, and I went to the president of the chamber of commerce and I said, “We should do a blueberry cannoli.” The following year we started, and then in 2014 I decided to go mobile. I bought my first trailer, and it kind of took off from there. Now, every year, we’re pretty much known for the blueberry cannolis. Having the background of being Sicilian and having the restaurant helped.

How do you decide what works?
We did trial-and-error [with] a lot of things just to get a recipe down and see what flavors work. We’ve actually made savory cannolis as well. We’ve done a maple bourbon bacon cannoli. Our big time seller is our original chocolate chip, and we do get our shells imported from Sicily. During our trial-and-error process, we did try out a couple different companies for our cannoli shells, and it was just either they got too soggy or they just weren’t sweet enough. My dad actually opened a brick oven pizzeria in Pitman last year. He had to go over to Sicily to get a certain olive oil for his pizza dough, and while he was over there he discovered this company that makes cannoli shells. Now we’re probably getting over 25,000 a year from there, so we do get them imported. They are the best cannoli shells you will ever find, and that’s what we’re looking for.

How do you make your product?
Everything is homemade; they’re all my recipes. It’s all ricotta based. We don’t do any filler to cut it, no thickeners, no flour. We use a very high-grade cheese. It’s just, straight up, the Sicilian way. We make them a little cheesier than sweet because we are putting powdered sugar on top, so we like to complement the cannoli. We don’t like to over sweeten it, so we tend to do it the old-school way. And we make everything to order. Our big thing is we’re freshly filled. That’s the only product I want to put out.

What challenges have you faced?
The trial-and-error days were very hard. It probably took a good dozen times just to get my recipe straight. My whole thing is that it’s all family. My whole family works with me. It’s a good time and I like to make people smile through my product.

Tell us more about your ingredients.
We use Hammonton farmers for our blueberries. We also do a peach cannoli, so we use peach orchards in Hammonton. Come September and October, we do a pumpkin cannoli and caramel-apple cannoli. In December we do an egg nog cannoli. I like to keep it in the seasons.

Where are you located?
We’re out of Pitman, but we go all over. North Jersey, South Jersey, we even do events in Philadelphia and New York. I have four trailers, so we are expanding. Come September, we’ll actually be expanding down in Florida. We also have a huge following on social media and we do deliver, Monday through Friday. And if you can’t find me at a trailer, you can go into the pizzeria. The cannolis are made in-house as well.

Why cannolis?
We go through so many cannolis in the pizzeria. The love people have for the cannolis is crazy. It’s something so delicate. I’ve mastered my degree in it. I eat, sleep, live cannolis. It took me a good time to find the right shells, the way I wanted to make [them], what pairs with everything. It was a long time before I was able to completely master my recipe to match the cannoli shells. The way my following has grown is absolutely insane. These food truck festivals, people live for them. The best way to explain it is that everybody calls me the Cannoli Queen.

Do you have a favorite?
The birthday cake and blueberry cannolis are big sellers. Our original is always top notch. Then I would say birthday cake and blueberry are second and third. They go really well with red wine.

What else pairs well with a cannoli?
Espresso. We do make Sicilian espresso, freshly brewed at the trailers, as well. It’s a medium type of espresso. Very old school Sicilians eat their pastries in the morning or for a snack with their coffee or espresso. It’s a tradition. That’s what I want to do. I want to continue to bring the Sicilian tradition here.

What are your plans for the future?
I would like to add St. Joseph’s cakes to the menu, but don’t want to turn to zeppole or anything like that. We’re unique. I like to run a tight ship and keep it small. When you start having a crazy menu that’s when things go haywire. Our menu probably includes four to seven flavors, depending on the event. And hopefully in the future I can franchise this. Honestly, I’d like to see this go nationwide. We do ship our cannolis all over. We sell to a couple food trucks up in New York. We’re also in Rastelli Market.

Who has helped you in this process?
My dad and I are pretty much the masterminds behind all of this. He told me to go mobile. He just had a brick oven pizza trailer built, so he’s on the road with me now.

What other NJ food trucks do you like?
I am a member of the New Jersey Food Truck Association, so we are like a little family. My favorite is probably Top Shelf Mobile Cuisine. They’re located out of Vineland. The menu is top notch. It has filet mignon sandwiches and scallop sliders—stuff you would never see on a regular food truck. Another one I would say is Not Your Mama’s Tacos.

Have you had any memorable moments in your truck?
One time somebody came up and asked for peanuts instead of cannolis. They thought I was a peanut truck. That was funny. I also have people, all the time, ask me what a cannoli is.

by Andrew Blustein

New Cinar Turkish Restaurant Locations—and Bakery!

Jon Faronea

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August 1, 2017

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New Cinar Turkish Restaurant Locations—and Bakery!

A new location of Cinar Turkish Restaurant opened in March—in Emerson—followed by a Cliffside Park reopening, this time as Cinar Pide and Bakery, in July. The bakery is located just down the block from the Cliffside Park restaurant location. Along with the West Caldwell spot, open since 2016, owner Tunc Ozlu has made a name for himself in Essex and Bergen Counties.

All three restaurants feature Turkish favorites and modern dishes, made from scratch on site. Cinar features an extensive menu of appetizers, entrees, and deserts. The Emerson location, which is spacious while remaining warm and inviting, also offers Turkish wines. If you are unfamiliar with Turkish food, fear not: the descriptive menu is super helpful and the servers are more than willing to help you decide which dishes to try.

Cinar Turkish Restaurant
214 Kinderkamack Road
Emerson, NJ

677 Palisade Avenue
Cliffside Park, NJ

632 Bloomfield Avenue
West Caldwell, NJ

Cinar Pide and Bakery
671 Palisade Avenue
Cliffside Park, NJ

Blueberry Cocktail Recipes from Spuntino

Veronique @ Food & Wine Chickie

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July 26, 2017

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Blueberry Cocktail Recipes from Spuntino

Summertime is blueberry time, and Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas, located in Clifton Commons, is currently featuring specialty cocktails starring the little blue beauties. Check these out as NJ blueberries’ poppin’ flavor comes into full seasonal swing.

Stop by to try one, or make them at home!

Blueberry Mojito (available through July 31)

Ingredients:

2 lemon wedges
4 mint leaves
¾ oz simple syrup
½ oz The Real McCoy 3-year rum
½ oz St-Germain
1 oz blueberry puree
Club soda

Directions:

Add lemon wedges, three mint leaves and simple syrup to pint glass or cocktail shaker and muddle. Add ice, rum, St-Germain, and blueberry puree. Shake vigorously and empty contents into a highball glass. Top with a splash of club soda and garnish with a mint leaf. Enjoy!

Blueberry mojito, Spuntino, Veronique Deblois, Jersey Bites — Blueberry mojito

Berry Lemonade

Ingredients:

1 whole strawberry
6 blueberries
½ oz simple syrup
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1½ oz Double Cross vodka
1 oz St-Germain

Directions:

In a cocktail shaker, muddle strawberry and blueberries with simple syrup. Add lemon juice, vodka and St-Germain to shaker with ice, and shake vigorously. Empty contents of shaker into a highball glass. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Veronique

A Visit to Ani Ramen in Jersey City

Veronique @ Food & Wine Chickie

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July 25, 2017

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Note: Our writer was invited to visit Ani Ramen and received a complimentary meal.

One of the hottest ramen spots in New Jersey, Ani Ramen, opened a second location, in Jersey City, in April. Now the ramen obsessed can now SLURP. SIP. REPEAT. (Ani Ramen’s by-now-famous slogan) in a location that boasts 2,000 square feet of space, with 110 seats.

Ani Ramen’s Jersey City location serves lunch, dinner, and late-night selections, featuring its six house-made signature ramen dishes with custom-made noodles by Sun Noodle. The Jersey City menu also offers some of the side dishes and add-ons made famous at the original location (in Montclair) as well as some fun “midnight menu” items.

This location boasts a full bar with reasonably-priced cocktails, sake, wine, and beer. The beverage program was developed in collaboration with Kenta Goto (Bar GOTO), an award-winning mixologist and 2017 James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist. Ani Ramen Jersey City offers the largest Japanese whisky selection in the United States with blend and single malts up to 25 years old.

Chef/Partner Julian Valencia developed the original menu served in Montclair and Jersey City, and he, along with Chef Chris Arturo, are overseeing the Jersey City location’s kitchen operations.

Much like he did at the Montclair outpost, notable artist and New Jersey native Rich Tu created a series of mural walls featuring an east-meets-west theme, the Ani family motif, and playful pop culture details.

I was invited to dine at the Jersey City location recently and enjoyed it just as much as I enjoy the Montclair location…but we had incredible drinks—a definite plus. The drink I sample is the shiso cucumber sour: gin, Cointreau, lemon, chili, cucumber and shiso. The drink is refreshing, packs a punch and the exotic citrus notes compliment the spicy ramen nicely.

Our shared starters were the double-fried chicken wings two ways (with seven-spice dry rub and a sake soy glaze), pork buns with spicy miso mayo, shrimp buns, and tempura shrimp with sake soy glaze. The wings were outstanding, with their ultra-crunchy skin and their juicy meat—truly crave-worthy. The buns are served two to an order on appropriately pillowy soft steamed buns. My favorites were the classic pork belly buns, the rest of the group favored the shrimp version. Both very good options.

For our entrées, we all opted for ramen—after all, that’s truly why we visit this popular place. I selected the #6, the Ani Ramen, with traditional pork bone broth, pork belly, and a soft boiled egg. I admit that when I first had the pork broth at Ani Ramen’s Montclair location, after it first opened, I thought it needed some work. The version I had in Jersey City was right on point, with the extra porky flavors I look for with this type of ramen—well done. As I mentioned earlier, the noodles are by Sun Noodle, and they’re some of the best available on the market: tender with a good amount of chewiness.

For a fun and affordable night out in Jersey City, be sure to visit Ani Ramen.

Ani Ramen House
218 Newark Avenue
Jersey City
201-408-9811

Happy slurping,
Veronique

Come One, Come All to the Latin Food & Wine Festival!

JerseyBites

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July 24, 2017

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Come One, Come All to the Latin Food & Wine Festival!

UberEATS Takes it on the Road in NJ

JerseyBites

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July 20, 2017

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Sure, you know Uber. But what about UberEATS? After an initial Garden State launch in Hoboken and Jersey City, this new-to-NJ food delivery app has expanded into much of Bergen, Essex and Passaic Counties, and will continue to roll out throughout the state in the coming months.

“Partnering with thousands of restaurants globally, UberEATS offers meals for every taste and occasion,” said Prab Singh, general manager for UberEATS New Jersey. “One day, we hope to serve eaters across the entire state.”

According to Singh, many of the New Jersey restaurants on UberEATS had not previously had a delivery option.

“We want to make sure that anyone who uses UberEATS has a wide variety of cuisines available to choose from, all within a reasonable delivery distance,” said Singh. “I think the value we bring is our expertise in technology and logistics, so the restaurants can focus on making delicious food and we can focus on the rest.”

To use UberEATS:

Download the app or go to ubereats.com
Add your address and choose from the menus in your area. (Users can only pay with card and a delivery fee–or “booking fee” as UberEATS calls it–will be charged, but customers are kept in the loop every step of the way.)

“Just like you can watch your driver approach your location in the original Uber app,” said Singh, “you can track your delivery every step of the way on UberEATS–from preparation at the restaurant and right to your door.”

It’s also simple for restaurant owners to get involved. As UberEATS looks to expand in New Jersey, new restaurants are always welcome. Interested owners just have to fill out a form online.

According to Singh, UberEATS has seen strong demand since its launch, and new restaurants are joining every week.

“UberEATS also provides a unique option for delivery partners,” said Singh. “If you’re someone who already drives with Uber, you can opt-in to UberEATS deliveries. Or, you can choose to do food delivery only. If you’re someone with a two-door vehicle, you can’t give rides on Uber, but you are eligible for UberEATS, so we’re able to reach a whole new set of people looking to earn flexible income.”

UberEATS initially launched with close to 100 partners in New Jersey. Since then, the list of restaurants has more than doubled. Here are just a few!

Ben and Jerry’s, Englewood
Bucket & Bay Craft Gelato Co., delivering to Jersey City and Hoboken
C Food Palace, East Orange
Cinco de Mayo, Fort Lee
Izzy’s Pizzeria, Edgewater
Jackson Hole Burgers, Englewood
Just BeClaws, Jersey City
Oh My Cod, Montclair
Redd’s Biergarten, Newark
Silli Point Indian Fusion, Cliffside Park

DISCOUNT ALERT! Use the code NJEATS15 to get $15 off your first UberEATS order. (Code is valid for new UberEATS users only, and expires July 31).

Lutze Eats Hits the Boardwalk in Jersey City Starting July 22

JerseyBites

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July 19, 2017

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Lutze Eats Hits the Boardwalk in Jersey City Starting July 22

Saving Big with NJ’s Coupon Queen, Cindy Livesey

Entrepreneur Spotlight

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor

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July 18, 2017

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Saving Big with NJ’s Coupon Queen, Cindy Livesey

One of the reasons I just adore social media is the opportunity it gives me to meet some really interesting, creative and inspiring people. My recent meeting with Cindy Livesey is case in point. She followed me on Instagram about a month or so ago and her profile caught my eye. I had to find out what this spunky, pixie-haired @LivingRichwithCoupons gal was all about.

I noticed that she mentioned ShopRite quite a bit and thought, “Hey, she may be a Jersey girl.” Sure enough, not only does she live and work in New Jersey but our offices are in neighboring towns. After a quick look at her insanely popular website, I had to meet her.

Coupon Queen Cindy Livesey — Cindy showing off her Living Rich with Coupons Coupon Organizer at the Danish Cafe

A few back and forth calls later and we were sitting across from one another at the Danish Café in Red Bank, me devouring a melt-in-your-mouth cheese danish (OMG) and Cindy a nice size hunk of blueberry cake. Within an hour and a half, I was bursting at the seams with all the details from her background story and tons of money-saving ideas. Her energy and enthusiasm for saving and living on a budget is truly infectious.

Cindy describes her life BC (before couponing) as one of “living beyond our means.” She lived with her husband and three kids in Livingston at the time and said she was “buying whatever I wanted” and “just making the minimum payments on our credit cards.” Then her husband lost his job. She was working part-time at a job that didn’t pay much and now she had to figure out how to survive with less money—a lot less.

He first step was to put her family on a budget, which meant tracking their spending. After a month of saving receipts and looking at where the money was going, she couldn’t believe how much of it was covering groceries.

Cindy started clipping coupons and looking for deals to match them with so she could maximize her savings. She researched ways to save online and started putting even more tactics into her couponing strategy. After a while, friends and family were asking her for advice so Cindy decided to blog about her weekly saving scores.

From her humble blog beginnings to today’s massive LivingRichWithCoupons.com (and her book of the same name), she certainly turned the lemons of her family’s financial struggle into lemonade (and probably had a coupon for it). Cindy has appeared on The Rachael Ray Show a total of 6 times and has been interviewed and quoted in numerous publications including the Asbury Park Press, Yahoo News, Huffington Post, US News and Everyday with Rachael Ray.

There’s a science and a system to maximizing your couponing, as I have learned. It involves filing your coupons and pairing them with great deals, then stacking coupons, and, well, it can get a little confusing and intimidating. That’s where Cindy’s website comes in. She now has 16 employees who do all the heavy lifting for you. Oh, and did I mention her website is free to use? The whole operation is supported by ad revenue. Just what the frugal shopper wants to hear, right?

Your first stop should be LRWC’s Coupon Lingo Page. And then, there’s a whole beginner’s section with tons of video tutorials.

Since I’m a ShopRite and CVS shopper, I asked Cindy to give us the inside scoop on couponing at my favorite stores. Here’s the lowdown.

ShopRite:

You can use a digital coupon with a manufacturer coupon. A lot of times you can get items for free by stacking those offers.
ShopRite from Home allows you to stack promo offers and they track right on the ShopRite from Home site so you can see which offers you have qualified for.

CVS:

Scan your Extra Care card at the price scanner machine for CVS Coupons. Scan it twice for even more savings. These coupons can be stacked with manufacturers’ coupons.
Take advantage of Extra Bucks offers that allow you to get “money” back (in the form of ExtraCare Bucks) when making a qualifying purchase. Many times this can result in getting items for free or super cheap.
CVS is a great place to get started with couponing because it’s easy and the deals are limited. You can stock up on your health and beauty care items, household items, and paper goods fairly quickly and easily.
Sign up for the CVS Beauty Bucks rewards program. It’s free to join and allows you to rack up even more rewards on top of the weekly promotions they run.

I was eyeing Cindy’s Coupon organizer at our coffee date. I really want one. They’re free but you need to work for them a bit. Readers can earn them as well as their reusable shopping bags and even Amazon gift cards by referring Living Rich With Coupons to your friends. I’m hoping you’ll do me a solid and help me get that organizer by using my link to sign up for this amazing website. Thanking you in advance.

End of story: I have a huge girl crush on this coupon queen and entrepreneur and I’m so glad I had the chance to meet her. Please check out her website and Facebook page and Instagram.

Entrepreneur Spotlight: Jeffrey Orel

Veronique @ Food & Wine Chickie

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July 10, 2017

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Denville Meat Shop is a specialty store off the main street in Denville offering quality all-natural meats, including dry-aged, a wide selection of take-home prepared foods, fine cheeses, imported condiments, GMO- and gluten-free breads and products, and more.

Orel, who owns the shop, was an executive chef prior to opening his shop, also offers extensive catering services ranging from barbecues to tailgating to more formal events. The busy entrepreneur also does private chef dinners.

Jeffrey Orel, Denville Meat Shop, Veronique Deblois, Jersey Bites — Jeffrey Orel

JERSEY BITES: What is your earliest food memory?
Jeffrey Orel: Walking through my mother’s garden with a salt shaker.

We know you were a chef prior to opening Denville Meat Shop. Any interesting stories about where and with whom you started cooking professionally?
I have cooked all over the states and did an apprenticeship abroad.

What made you want to move away from restaurant kitchens to open a specialty food store?
Most corporations and privately owned companies are only concerned about bottom lines. My desire is sourcing out organic, locally grown, seasonal, quality products—working for those types of places did not satisfy my desire. Most of the cooks now are not cut from the same cloth as they used to be; the workforce has changed. I also wanted to do something that was close to my heart and that I was undeniably excited to do every day, and I found that when I had the idea to create a store that rooted itself in what I believe in. Our food sources have become contaminated and our goal is to correct that by bringing food back and available to our communities the way it used to be before chemicals. The crazy chef schedule was not difficult to talk me out of, either!

Jeffrey Orel, Denville Meat Shop, Jersey Bites — Prepared foods

We know from visiting your shop that catering and prepared, on-the-go foods are a big part of your business. What are some of your most popular items?
All of our products are organically grown and pasture raised which is reflected in the flavor of our raw selections. With that said, our raw products are in high demand. We also prepare custom cuts like our porchetta, roulades, pates, wellingtons, tomahawk steaks, sous vide products, and more. Not too many butchers do these things. Having a cooking background allows me to prepare items that some butchers would not and this is another aspect that helps us to separate ourselves from other butcher shops.

Denville meat shop, Veronique Deblois, Jersey Bites — Specialty meats

What is the greatest opportunity that has come to you from cooking?
I would have to say that creating Denville Meat Shop was my dream and without cooking, this would never have happened. I wanted to create a place where we don’t just cut meat.

What is the most memorable meal you’ve had?
This is tough. I would probably have to say my meal at Minibar in DC! José Andrés threw down a tasting menu that blew me away. I had mozzarella that was glowing, clear pasta filled with liquid chorizo, tomato caviar, “dirt” that tasted like foie, and more—just outstanding!

It’s your last day on earth. What’s your final meal?
Just let me fire up the smoker, sit around with great friends and let the meat do the talking! That’s more of a final wish, but hey.

What is the best advice you have to share with future, hopeful chefs?
To be good you have to be dedicated, not entitled. Don’t expect to be paid for learning because most of the learning happens before or after your shift.

What restaurants do you enjoy dining at in New Jersey?
Redux, Escape (or the spot formerly known as Escape), Chakra, Highlawn Pavillion, 90 Acres, and my backyard! There are many places that I would love to visit so I am sure my list will get bigger!

Cheers,

Veronique

Denville Meat Shop
28 Diamond Spring Road
Denville

Lyndhurst’s Colonial Diner: More than Disco Fries

Michael Gabriele

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July 7, 2017

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Lyndhurst’s Colonial Diner: More than Disco Fries

Last May my wife, Julie, requested we “do lunch” as a date to celebrate Mother’s Day. Somewhat surprisingly (because diners typically are not her first choice for a lunch outing), she picked the Colonial Diner in Lyndhurst as our destination because, during her recent travels, its sparkling, silver and crimson roof had “caught her eye.”

Colonial Diner, Michael Gabriele, Jersey Bites — Owner Georgia Gremanis, left, with customer and friend, George.

Georgia Gremanis, who owns and operates the diner with her family, was in a jovial mood and good spirits as she waited on us, demonstrating her mischievous sense of humor. “Are you ready to order?” she asked. “I’m ready,” I declared, straightening my shoulders. “Ah, men are always ready,” she quipped, waving her hand as if to flag her more-than-obvious double entendre. As we talked, there was a pleasant surprise; Georgia smiled when her good friend and loyal customer George arrived with a floral arrangement for her.

The place buzzed with the sounds of a convivial lunchtime crowd. Platters sailed efficiently from kitchen to tables. But only one thing was missing: Gus.

Two years ago Augustus (Gus) Gremanis passed away, at age 74. Georgia confessed that she and her family dearly miss him. The two were married for 46 years. By all accounts, Gus was a warm, compassionate man. He also was an accomplished, hard-working veteran of the Jersey diner scene. Born in Andros, Greece, he was a co-owner of the old Kless Diner in Irvington during the 1970s. Gus and the family bought the Colonial Diner in 1985 and spent years building up a loyal clientele in southern Bergen County and beyond. During the last five years, they expanded and renovated the diner.

Amid the cheerful background chatter and syncopated clinking of plates, cups and silverware, Georgia paused and revealed her feelings. We were honored to share “the moment” with her. “What are you going to do?” she said with a sigh and melancholy smile, referring to her beloved husband. “The only thing we can do is keep on going.” We expressed our condolences and praised her courage and determination to carry on. She regrouped, took our orders and once again flashed her charming smile.

We enjoyed a delicious meal and superb coffee. Julie ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon. I started off with a cup of Manhattan clam chowder and sprung for a daily special: shrimp salad on a roll with bacon, avocado, fresh spinach, and tomato slices. Just couldn’t resist five of my faves stuffed into one delightful sandwich. Every bite was a treat, a rich blend of textures and flavors. Blueberry crumb pie with vanilla ice cream and sea salt caramel syrup was the topper for the meal; a bit indulgent for sure, but certainly appropriate for the occasion.

Shrimp salad, Colonial Diner, Michael Gabriele, Jersey Bites — Shrimp salad on a roll with bacon, avocado, fresh spinach, and tomato slices

In recent years this reporter has visited the diner a handful of times for lunch and breakfast. Each meal was well prepared and on target, with good vibrations coming from the cordial, courteous wait staff.

The menu is extensive, much as you would expect from a solid, well-established Jersey hash house. Along with the multitude of breakfast offerings (eggs, pancakes, waffles and French toast), lunch and dinner choices include broiled and fried seafood; meatloaf; beef, chicken, and ham roasts; hot open sandwiches; burgers; triple decker clubs; wraps and panini; and numerous salad options. The Cobb salad, with bacon, grilled chicken, avocado, sliced egg, and blue cheese dressing certainly sounds like a selection worth exploring.

The Colonial, which opened nearly 70 years ago, is a vintage, stainless steel beauty—built and installed by the long-gone Mountain View Dining Car Company, which operated a small factory on the Newark/Pompton Turnpike (Route 23) in the Singac section of Little Falls. The diner displays the signature Mountain View exterior design feature: pointed, “cow-catcher” corners. The bright interior is highlighted by a long, spacious counter and round swivel stools, along with stainless steel wall panels and decorative tile. The grand, glistening roof with its many abstract angles is, quite literally, the eye-catching crown of the Colonial.

Founded in 1939 by Les Daniels and Henry Strys, Mountain View was a prolific manufacturer—an estimated 500-plus diner cars. The company’s marketing slogan touted its design and production expertise: “A Mountain View diner will last forever.” By the mid-1950s, a downturn in the diner market forced the company to close up shop and go out of business.

There are at least two Mountain View-built diners on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places: the 29 Diner in Fairfax, VA; and Davies’ Chuck Wagon Diner in Lakewood, CO.

Closer to home, following Route 206 north, and not far from the Milford/Montague Toll Bridge that spans the Delaware River, an extra-large Mountain View (the Village Diner) is located in Milford, PA. Another Mountain View in the Keystone State, a stone’s throw from Lake Wallenpaupack, is the Hawley Diner. Within the confines of New Jersey, the Pink Cadillac Diner in Wildwood, the Key City Diner in Phillipsburg, and the diminutive 54 Diner in the tiny burb of Buena are three other roadside eateries that carry the Mountain View brand.

Gus no doubt would be pleased to know that his Colonial Diner on Orient Way is in good hands and, fortunately for diner fans, courageously “keeps on going.” Amen.

Michael Gabriele is the author of The Hi story of Diners in New Jersey, published in 2013 by The History Press.

The Colonial Diner
27 Orient Way
Lyndhurst
201-935-3192