A new location ofCinar 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.
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 mojitoBerry lemonade
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!
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.
Chicken wings two ways
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.
Shiso cucumber sour
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.
Ani Ramen No. 6
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.
Visit the Latin Food & Wine Festival at the Meadowlands Expo Center to sample food, beverages, and music from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), Latin America, and the Caribbean. More than 30 restaurants will be exhibiting, offering everything from paella, to pupusas, to empanadas, to mofongo, and more. Beverages will cover the full gamut of wines, sangrías, rums, piscos, and other sumptuous spirits and libations.
Radio and TV personality Chef Ricardo Cardona (who is also Marc Anthony’s personal chef) headlines the event. Cardona is joined by Carolina Arias, an expert on the cuisine of the Cibao Region of the Dominican Republic, Leo Cervantes of Chilango’s and La Playa (Mexican cuisine), and Eddy Fernández Monte, president of Cuba’s Culinary Federation who will lecture and prepare dishes of the classical Cuban cuisine.
“We are asking all those interested to register early, as we expect a large audience, so it is first-come first-served,” explained Bill Colón, lead officer of the World of the Latino Cuisine organization, “We want to accommodate everyone as this will be the place to be for foodies and lovers of the various Latino cuisines,” added Colón.
Admission tickets can be purchased online. Just click here and follow the prompts or call 973-273-0273.
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.”
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!
Jul 22 marks the kickoff of Lutze Eats, on the Jersey City waterfront every weekend through the end of October. Lutze Biergarten, a.k.a. the Lutze, presents an eclectic variety of superbly curated food vendors, as well as live music and noteworthy beverages—which fans of the Lutze have come to expect. The array of foods ranges from Korean BBQ and poke bowls, to arepas, acai bowls, and more.
Lutze Eats is a perfect, family-friendly opportunity for area residents—and friends from far and wide—to spend an afternoon trying new foods or enjoying known favorites, all against the gorgeous backdrop of Manhattan.
Glazed and Confused mini donuts
Come hungry! Here’s what you’ll have to choose from:
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.
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?
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.
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
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!
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.
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!
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.”
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 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.
Larry Osman graduated from Rutgers with a degree in computer science. Soon after college he took a job with Nabisco, where he worked for over 30 years.
Now he makes Schlumpia.
In March of 2016, Osman officially launchedUncle Larry’s Schlumpia, his Jewish-inspired take on lumpia, or Filipino spring rolls.
Osman says Schlumpia isn’t a way of introducing Jewish food to Filipinos, or Filipino food to Jewish people. It’s about going after everyone who wants to have fun and try something unique. It’s about taking the classic New York deli foods and traditional holiday dishes and finding how to showcase them in a new way.
Larry Osman
JERSEY BITES: When did you realize you wanted to make cooking a career? Was there an “aha!” moment?
LARRY OSMAN: I went to the beach one day with my wife and some friends. On the way back we went to Efes [in New Brunswick] and had great shawarma. Then my wife asked to go to Thomas Sweet. Sure. We were married 20-something years at the time, so I was probably six feet in front of her crossing the street—we weren’t newlyweds holding hands. Next thing I know they’re carrying me into an ambulance. Someone turned and I got hit by a car. I had a brain bleed, orbital fractures and all this stuff. That’s when it hit me that life is short. I love computers and Nabisco, but I want to do something different. As soon as I hit the age of early retirement, I asked them that the next time they do a company reorganization, could they pick me. They did, and I got a retirement package. The good aha moment would’ve been if I had seen the car coming. But I realized I had some longevity in my family. My dad is going to be 93. At anytime something could happen, and I want to do something different. I had to wait about two years for it all to play out. I was thinking about what I was going to do. I couldn’t sit around all day and watch TV. I just had a passion for food, and that’s when I said, “I always make lumpia, and I make them with Jewish fillings. So instead of lumpia, Schlumpia.” That’s how it all came together. My wife was extremely understanding. Within a week of me telling her I wanted to leave, she got a full-time job. I said, “Honey are you doing this because you don’t trust my retirement Excel spreadsheet or you don’t want to be in the house with me?” She just kind of nodded, but it’s working.
Any interesting stories about where and with whom you started cooking professionally?
One of my first days at Rutgers I went into the Hill Center for calculus class. It was a lecture of 300 people. I sat next to some guy who had a tennis racket necklace. His name is Neato, and we became really good friends. We actually cut out of class and played tennis a couple times. He lived locally, in Somerset, and I would go to his house a lot whenever they had parties. I was introduced to Filipino culture and cuisine, and the food was just great. They had lumpia, and they were great. His mom gave me the recipe. Years later when I got married and had a family–I do all the cooking–that was one of our go-to foods. The kids loved them. I would start to fill them with cheeseburgers or mac and cheese—whatever the kids wanted. I guess it was some holiday and my relatives were coming over, and we needed an appetizer. The kids asked for lumpia. You can’t really fill them with pork and vegetables for Rosh Hashanah, so I filled some with potatoes and onions, like a knish, and kasha. It was a big hit. I would make them over the years, so when I was contemplating early retirement and trying to get mentally ready for it, I knew I had always wanted to do music or cooking or comedy. I [decided I was] going to do cooking. It was such a fun experience starting from nothing and getting all my training and certifications and developing recipes. It was just so good doing something totally different than what I had been doing.
Kasha Varnishkes Schlumpia served with a fresh peach spicy duck sauce
What is your cooking style?
It’s not just good food: I try to make it really fun. It’s about having fun with the whole experience. I came from corporate America where everything was a bit more rigid and you couldn’t really go outside of the norms. So my title here is CFO, but it’s Chief Frying Officer. It’s really a fun thing, and there really isn’t any Jewish-Filipino fusion food, so why not?
What is the best advice you have to share with young people interested in becoming chefs?
I have a real appreciation now for how hard a food business is [to run]. It’s not just the work. It’s getting sales, understanding where to source your ingredients, how do you make a profit, how much do you have to sell to make a living? It’s extremely hard, and that’s why so many restaurants fail. People have these wild dreams, and it’s a hard thing to do. My real advice–most chefs would just say work hard and keeping going–is get a job in a field that you can make a good living in, do it for 30 years, and then enjoy this as the next step. That’s what I tell my kids. This is fun and I’m going after my dreams, but you do need to raise a family. That’s very tough.
Are you working on any upcoming projects our readers would be interested in learning about?
What I’m really looking to do next is a pop-up restaurant. I’d love to take over a restaurant for an evening, especially one that has a good bar, because beer goes with Schlumpia. I want to have a Schlumpia tasting event.
What New Jersey restaurant do you enjoy dining at?
White Castle is probably the number one. I also took a lot trips out to Chicago and the rest of the country to realize how great New Jersey pizza and bagels are. And the family really loves Stuff Yer Face in New Brunswick.
What is your beverage of choice?
What I like to do is to stress the fusion aspect. If I’m eating Schlumpia, I’d say a Filipino San Miguel beer or something from Shmaltz Brewing Company, or even Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry or Cel-Ray tonic.
What is your favorite comfort food?
My favorite comfort food might be potato latkes. Just a pile of them and sour cream. Not applesauce.
What doesn’t work in a Schlumpia?
I tried a falafel Schlumpia, which just didn’t do it. I tried a potato latke Schlumpia. It was just way too fried. Then I tried it with the raw batter inside, and it didn’t work. Mostly anything that you can eat in a deli, as long as it’s not too moist, is perfect for a Schlumpia
What is the one staple food you always have in your cupboard at home?
When it’s in season, it would be Mallomars. When it’s not in season, we try to keep some in the the freezer. That’s the whole reason I got the job at Nabisco. My dad said that even if the job was no good, they make Mallomars so I had to say yes. I ended up loving my whole career there.
If you could have dinner with any three people, living, deceased or fictional, who would they be and why?
I think they would be Larry David, Mel Brooks, and Anthony Bourdain. I don’t know if they’d all get along. I don’t know if it would get so annoying that I would leave, but it would be fun. I’d also invite Richard Lewis, but I guess he doesn’t get a chair.
Brisket Schlumpia served with au jus dipping sauce
Six generations of the Heritage family have farmed this land in Mullica Hill, since 1853. Until today’s generation, apples and peaches were farmed. The current generation is changing things on the 150-acre estate to grow grapes for premium wine production. This dedication to the vineyards by the Heritage family accomplishes two things: the preservation of the family land and creation of a fruitful (!) family business for future generations.
Bill and Penni Heritage, foresaw the potential of the evolving wine industry in New Jersey and founded Heritage Vineyards & Winery in 2001.
Today, the couple’s children uphold their parents’ commitment to NJ wine excellence. Richard Heritage, their eldest son, is the director of sales and marketing. And Erik Heritage has recently joined the family winery and aims to keep refining the guest experience at Heritage Vineyards.
About the Vineyards
Mullica Hill, where Heritage Vineyards is located, is part of the Outer Coastal Plain American Viticultural Area (AVA). Established by the federal government in 2006, this AVA covers over 2.25 million acres in southeastern New Jersey, making it the state’s largest wine growing region.
Q&A with Bill Heritage—Owner, and Stacy McGuigan—Events Manager
Jersey Bites: What inspired the Heritage family to want to establish a winery in southern New Jersey? Bill Heritage: We wanted to continue to farm our land. We wanted our children to grow up on the farm. We hope our children’s children grow up on the farm. Wine grapes is the crop that will bring our hopes to reality. We fell in love with wine as our grape vines matured. This is why we have a vineyard and winery in south New Jersey.
We understand your tasting room is under renovation. What new features should visitors expect to see in the new space?
Stacy McGuigan: We are extremely excited about the tasting room remodel. This is literally a floor-to-ceiling update. In many ways, it feels like a real-life HGTV project! Guests will see a total transformation of the space.
New remodel features will include:
A newly constructed wine bar with 50% more serving space
Wine club nook to display special wine club-only releases and wine club only promotions
New checkout area
New materials for our walls including shiplap and stone
New floors
New ceiling
New accent lighting and two huge chandeliers hanging from the center of the space
A large feature wall with backlighting and a modern cable display for our wines
What is really going to bring this space to life is the fact that we were able to incorporate many materials from the actual farm and community where we grow grapes. The new space will help tell the story of how our once struggling apple and peach farm was converted into a sustainable vineyard and winemaking operation. For example, we were able to dig up old wooden W.W. Heritage & Sons apple boxes from the 1950s to build our checkout counter, a wooden latter—also used for apple picking—from the same time period will hang over the entrance, and wooden beams from an old mill in the heart of Mullica Hill were used to frame out the north and south upper level walls.
There were two reasons for the tasting room remodel.
First, our winery name is changing to William Heritage Winery and the space is meant to reflect the updated look and feel of this new brand.
Second, our wine quality has increased tremendously over the past few years through various improvements to our vineyards and winemaking facility. We felt it was now time to align that quality with better interior design.
Expected completion is late summer or early fall.
Any fun events our readers should know about where they can sample your wines and meet the team? Every Thursday during the summer, we have our Vino & Vibes event from 6 to 9 p.m.m with live music and food trucks in a relaxed setting. Ticket can be found on Eventbrite on a weekly basis.
The Annual Heritage Wine Festival will be September 23 and 24, 2017. Click here for details.
Tasting Notes
I was recently at an event where I had the opportunity to sample several of Heritage Vineyards’ wines. Following are tasting notes on the wines I tasted.
2013 Heritage Vineyards Vintage Brut ($40): Tiniest of bubbles in the glass on this lovely sparkling wine. Ripe apple aromas with lots of yeasty notes. In the mouth, the flavors are of lightly buttered bread and Asian apple. Lots of great acidity and minerality. Creamy mouthfeel.
Made using the traditional champagne method. Aged 12 months in bottle before disgorging and dosage.
72% Chardonnay, 28% Pinot Noir.
2015 Heritage Vineyards Semillon ($18): I was excited to see a Semillon in the lineup as it’s one of my favorites. Big rose petal aromas in the glass, as expected. On the palate, the flavors are understated papaya, pear, and green apple.
2014 Heritage Vineyards Rosé ($15): Light floral aromas on this light rosé wine. Sweet pink grapefruit and some strawberry flavors with a citrusy, slightly tart finish. 45% Cabernet Franc, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot.
2012 Heritage Vineyards Estate Reserve BDX: Check out the below grapes blend – What’s not in this wine!? Inky in color in the glass, this big boy offers aromas of ripe dark berries, cherries with some mocha notes. Ripe fruit flavors with a round texture from the Merlot. Definitely a grilled meat kind of wine. 61% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec.
Jersey Bites received a complimentary invitation to attend this event.
Last week, I was invited to an event at Chef/ Restaurateur Chris Siversen’s BURG: Burgers & Taps, in the heart of Newark’s revitalized Military Park.
The Space
On the evening I visited, the atmosphere was picture perfect: twinkling lights, mature trees canopying above us, kids riding the nearby carousel, a lavish grassy area with lawn games, and lush flowers beds aglow with lightening bugs.
The modern BURG structure houses the kitchen and there’s an outdoor bar with stools and adjacent tables. I found a mix of hipsters, folks just out of the nearby corporate buildings, and locals looking for a casual, tasty meal. There’s even a DJ onsite on Thursdays.
The Booze
The Iceberg
BURG offers beer and wine on tap. Chef Siversen admits there simply is no space in the kitchen building for bottle storage and that was fine with me, and the dozens of guests at BURG the night I was there.
Beers are $6 and feature local brews and some fan-favorite craft beers from around the country. Note that during happy hour, beer is $4—a steal! Wines are $8, $6 during happy hour, and interesting: NY riesling, Greek Moschofilero, and more. Specialty cocktails are $9—I had The Iceberg, a frozen Manhattan adorned by three cherries. The drink was refreshing and packed a nice boozy punch.
The Food
I’d been a “beta tester” (or is that taster) for Chef Siversen’s burgers prior to BURG’s 2016 opening and was really thrilled to see—and taste—that he’s chosen to stick with the beef burger blend he’d originally created in collaboration with DeBragga: short rib, brisket, and chuck. Of all the tasty items we had an opportunity to sample, The Classic burger, simply topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and special dressing was my favorite. It’s juicy, beefy with the right amount of fat-to-meat ratio and a great bun. Another winner was The MP: an incredibly messy (in the best possible way) burger that works as a representation of either Military Park or Maritime Parc, Siversen’s landmark restaurant in Jersey City. This burger is topped with Califon Tomme cheese from Valley Shepherd Creamery, grilled onions, lettuce and special sauce. I’m not typically a fan of veggie burgers, but The Veggie is a solid choice with its curry mayo, apple, lettuce, tomato and crispy onions. Another item I would also typically stay away from on a burger menu is the chicken burger. BURG proves again that I should have more of an open mind as The Chicken was likely my second favorite burger of the night. It’s topped with a kale pesto, Gruyère cheese, pickled onions, and sautéed mushrooms.
The Classic
The Chicken
Fried broccoli
Spicy piggie wings
The fun snacks and finger foods we tried were the Spicy Piggy “Wings,” Buffalo-style pork riblettes, and those bite-size little ribs proved to be very addicting. We also had crispy broccoli, fried pickles and disco fries. Both the fried broccoli and pickles are good with a tangy dipping sauce. The disco fries with a nice rendition of the diner classic with ultra-flavorful gravy and melty cheese.
Birthday cake ice cream
As if all the savory foods weren’t enough, Chef Siversen had big plans for us for dessert. There were hot doughnuts served in fair-worthy paper bags, a coffee float with maple bourbon ice cream and the star dessert, in my opinion: a cup of vanilla soft-serve ice cream with birthday cake topping—yes, birthday cake! The staff makes birthday cake with tons of sprinkles, bakes it, crumbles it and places it in a low temperature oven overnight to create crunchy-yet-chewy birthday cake-flavored crumbs. Kudos on this brilliant idea that I’ll shamelessly borrow for my next party.
For a fun night out that won’t break the bank—most items are under $10—in a relaxing outdoor park with delicious casual food and drinks, head to BURG.
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.
CVS:
