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Twists on Classic Cocktails from Salt Creek Grille – Princeton

JerseyBites
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Twists on Classic Cocktails from Salt Creek Grille – Princeton

Sponsored

This sponsored article is brought to you by Salt Creek Grille – Princeton.

Salt Creek Grille’s twist on…

Intro to Aperol

Aperol, Italy’s very popular light spirit, finally arrived in the US in 2006. It boasts a rich, romantic Italian history: in 1919, the Barbieri family of Padua, who created Aperol’s original secret recipe, which was an infusion of more than 30 aromatic herbs and spices including bitter and sweet orange. To this day, the original recipe remains unchanged to this day. It was introduced as a breakthrough innovation as a spirit with an unusually low alcohol content of only 11%.

Due to its relative novelty in on these shores, Aperol cocktails are rare. However, the Pegu Club in New York innovated the Intro to Aperol to introduce its customers to a fun, refreshing aperitif. The intro version removes Angostura bitters from the Pegu Club’s recipe, allowing the zesty orange Aperol flavor—and sun-drenched color—to take center stage.

And without further ado, here’s Salt Creek Grille’s take on the Pegu Club’s Intro to Aperol.

The Introduction

Ingredients:

1½ oz Aperol
¾ oz gin
½ oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
Orange rind, for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
2. Shake and pour into a short glass (or strain into coupe).
3. Garnish with an orange rind.

Jersey Jack Rose

Salt Creek Grille’s twist on…

The Jack Rose, a popular, Prohibition-era cocktail

Jack Rose was a crook who was notorious for using cunning and imagination to pin his crimes on others. Eventually Rose used the same guile and enthusiasm to go into the catering business. Legend has it, he came up with this cocktail, based on AppleJACK and the color is a telling ROSE-pink. Others have claimed it was invented by New Jersey’s own Joseph P. Rose, a world champion mixologist.

Either way, Laird’s AppleJack is making a comeback and the recipe for the Jersey Jack Rose, with its gorgeous color and triple-fruit flavor, is one you should have in the recipe book for the winter.

Ingredients:

2 oz Laird’s AppleJack
½ oz house-made grenadine (equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar)
½ oz fresh lemon juice
Magners hard cider
Lemon rind, for garnish

Directions:
1. Shake AppleJack, grenadine, and lemon juice with ice and strain into a martini glass.
2. Top with a float of the cider.
3. Garnish with a lemon rind.

You can order both of these cocktails at Salt Creek Grille – Princeton’s Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve special dinners. Salt Creek Grille will be celebrating Christmas with a special Christmas Eve menu designed by new Executive Chef Luis Estrada. You’ll be able to enjoy all of Salt Creek Grille’s signature mesquite grilled favorites and more, including baked goat cheese marinara, lobster and shrimp pappardelle, coffee encrusted New York steak and butterscotch pot de crème. Also, you can ring in the New Year in style with Salt Creek Grille’s New Year’s Eve dining options. There are three to choose from, with prices starting at $75 for hors d’oeuvres, an open bar til 1 a.m. and music provided by Rainbow Fresh. To book for either of these events, please call 609-419-4200.

Dining Out for Christmas Eve

JerseyBites
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Dining Out for Christmas Eve

From the Feast of the Seven Fishes, to signature menus, to family-style offerings, Christmas Eve without the prep work or cleanup might just be the way to go! Here are just a few of the many restaurants statewide with big Christmas Eve plans.

Seating is not guaranteed. Please call for availability and reservations.

The Bernards Inn
From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., guests will enjoy Christmas Eve dinner at the Bernards Inn, complete with a visit from Santa. Choose between a three-course, prix-fixe meal, or a buffet in the Fenwick Ballroom. 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville. 908-766-0002.

The Bonney Read
On Christmas Eve, but also throughout the month, The Bonney Read celebrates with the Feast of the Seven Fishes, offering diver scallop crudo, insalata di frutti di mare, spicy clam stew, fritelle di baccala, shrimp scampi, pesce spada, and whole pan roasted bronzino. 525 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park, 732-455-3352.

Escape Montclair (pictured above)
On December 24, Chef Bryan Gregg recreates the popular Christmas Eve meal at Escape using the freshest fish and seafood on the market. The dinner is $49 per person plus taxes and gratuity. Reservations for this special dinner can only be made by phone. 345 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair. 973-744-0712. 

Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen
If you’re looking for a family-style Christmas Eve dinner, set up your reservation at the Rathskeller ($75/person or $140 with beverage pairings), while the Dining Room will be serving its Feast of the Seven Fishes ($120/person or $195 with wine pairings). The Oyster Bar will also be open! 110 South Street, Morristown. 973-644-3180.

Landmark
Landmark Hospitality serves Christmas Eve dinner at Liberty House, Stone House, Logan Inn, and the Ryland Inn. Click your desired location for menus, contact information and directions. 

Salt Creek Grille — Princeton
Chock full of mesquite-grilled goodness, the Princeton location of the Salt Creek Grille serves dinner from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. From stuffed jumbo shrimp to roasted squash and ricotta ravioli to flourless chocolate cake, or any of the other selections on the menu, you may never stay home for Christmas Eve again. Forrestal Village, 1 Rockingham Row, Princeton. 609-419-4200.

Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas
Enoy Spuntino Wine Bar’s Feast of the Seven Fishes menu through December 24. The Feast of the Seven Fishes tasting menu is $45 ($65 including wine pairings) and dishes are also available a la carte. The full Feast of the Seven Fishes menu is available here. 70 Kingsland Road, Clifton. 973-661-2435. 

Strip House at the Hotel Westminster
From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. the dining room offers its classic steakhouse menu, with seasonal specials, and the bar will be open from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. 550 W. Mount Pleasant Ave., Livingston. 973-548-0050.

 

Recipe: Vanilla Pizzelles

Amanda Biddle
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Recipe: Vanilla Pizzelles

pizzelles-3These delicate, buttery, waffle-like Italian cookies are one of my favorite Christmas traditions. To bake the batter, you’ll need an electric pizzelle iron (available in many kitchen stores), which will imprint the cookies with a beautiful pattern. I’ve found that the polished plate models (as opposed to those with a nonstick coating) bake the thinnest, most crisp cookies. For an especially light texture, my family uses cake flour in the batter. Enjoy pizzelles on their own with your favorite warm beverage or a bowl of ice cream, or shape them into cones and fill with whipped cream, chocolate mousse, or sweetened ricotta!

Yield: 30, 5-inch pizzelles

Recipe: Vanilla Pizzelles

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1-3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions

    1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until thick. Add cooled melted butter and vanilla and whisk to combine. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder into wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. (You can also use a hand mixer.)

    2. Preheat and grease an electric pizzelle iron according to your manufacturer’s directions. Drop batter onto iron and bake until steam subsides and cookies are a light golden color (this takes around 30 seconds on my iron using heaping teaspoonfuls of batter; models will vary). Remove cookies from iron and lay flat on a wire rack for round pizzelles, or immediately wrap around a cone mold. Pizzelles will crisp as they cool. If desired, use a pair of kitchen shears to trim any uneven edges from the cooled cookies.

    3. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. If pizzelles lose their crispness after storing, place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for 1 to 2 minutes to refresh.

A Ghost of Christmas Past: The Resurrection of Ballantine Burton Ale

Peter Culos
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A Ghost of Christmas Past: The Resurrection of Ballantine Burton Ale

Imagine you’re a New York Yankees executive at Christmas time in the 1940s. A delivery boy drops a crate on your desk with those familiar interlocking rings. You know that you’ve just been added to an exclusive club that even includes a United States President.

Those rings represent Ballantine Brewery and that crate contains a batch of the iconic Ballantine Burton Ale made especially for you. It was a strong, oak aged, barley wine style ale you couldn’t buy anywhere. Batches were aged from 5 to 20 years and if you made the list, they gave it to you as a holiday gift. Your name was even on the label! In 1966, it ceased production. Since then, it’s become one of the rarest “white whales” of beer geekdom.

Ballantne Burton Ale bottleGreg Deuhs, head brewer at Pabst Brewing—the owner of the Ballantine brand—told me, “It was the greatest beer never sold. We wanted to bring that back.” And they did.

Although it’s rare, bottles of the original beer are still around. I had assumed that Greg had acquired one, but he lamented, “It’s escaped me.” Incomplete records have made this reconstruction a guessing game, although Deuhs watched a number of YouTube vintage bottle tastings for reference. He had already done a lot of the homework when Ballantine reintroduced its IPA, so Greg started there and basically “beefed up the malt and hops.” The malt bill was tweaked to add some chocolate wheat which served to deepen the color. He also consulted their hop supplier, 47 Hops in Yakima, WA, about what would have been available at the time Burton Ale was first brewed.

While the modern Burton isn’t oak aged for years, it does spend months in oak-lined tanks, which impart that signature vanilla note. There’s no plan to start a barrel-aging program at this point, but Ballantine will continue the tradition of brewing Burton Ale as a holiday limited release every year. The company will probably tinker with the recipe, making each year’s batch a bit unique. At 11.3% ABV, this beer will age for a long time and be a natural vintage collectable.

Such an iconic beer has many legends associated with it, including one where the aging tanks were put under lock and key and another about clandestine brewery staff holiday parties with smuggled Burton Ale as the star attraction. There is also the lore that the beer was always brewed on May 12. I had to ask Greg about that one and he felt that it is most likely true. However, no one recorded why they picked that particular date. A birthday? An anniversary? That part of the mystery is yet to be solved.

One mystery I did get to solve was finding out what the new Burton Ale tastes like. The nose hits you with perfume-like vanilla and a hint of orange peel. Very inviting. Even at 75 IBUs, this hop bomb is fighting to a draw with the sweet malt. For such a big beer, it’s not cloying at all. The flavors promised in the nose come through on the palate along with some balancing caramel and alcohol heat. It almost makes me wish I smoked cigars.

While you’re contemplating this blast from Christmas past, know that more historic flavors are coming from Ballantine. According to Deuhs, “We’re looking at a brown stout,”  made from 1850 to about 1950. An antiquated style somewhere between a porter and a stout, it sounds like another interesting taste of history.

Burton Ale will be available in New Jersey now through the holiday season so I hope you were good this year! Happy Holidays!

Kombucha, Kombucha! To Stay or to Go?

Melissa Beveridge
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Kombucha, Kombucha! To Stay or to Go?

A few months ago, I was driving through Bradley Beach, a drive I do pretty regularly, when I saw Kombucha in bold letters on a storefront. I immediately pulled over and investigated. Turns out, this little store is the equivalent of a one-stop shop for freshly made juices and uniquely flavored kombucha flavors.

fine health kombuchaBut wait—a few of you may be wondering, what, exactly, is kombucha? This powerhouse drink starts out with organic tea, purified water, and evaporated cane sugar. The key ingredient? The scoby: a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast that basically ferments the tea over a period of 7 to 14 days. During that process, the sugar is converted to small amounts of alcohol and then into acetic acid, which gives “the booch” its slightly sour taste. The fermentation process also creates an environment where probiotics, antioxidants, enzymes, and organic acids are all created naturally. Then come the herbs, fruits, and spices. The result? A slightly sour, effervescent, and bold drink that comes in a variety of flavors. Loved by many for its immune boosting properties, it can be a great addition to your diet because, frankly, it’s delicious to drink.

Brothers Shawn and Ryan Kelly opened the doors to Fine Health Kombucha in July 2015, becoming New Jersey’s first brick and mortar kombucha store in Bradley Beach. Joining forces with the Kelly brothers is Cassandra Quarantello of Nourished By Nature. The three met by chance and decided to pursue their dream in what Quarantello called a “health nook” of an area.

fine health kombucha

Now that you have an understanding of what they’re selling, let’s talk about how they’re selling it. Fine Health Kombucha is set to bring a little creativity to the scene. Stop by and enjoy one of 12 core flavors from the case or bring in your bottle for a refill from the rotating specials on tap, which have included a basil kombucha. The brothers are even bringing kombucha to the road with their “booch mobile,” which you can expect to see driving around the Jersey Shore in early spring.

For those who just can’t get into the fermented drinks, the Kelly brothers also create a number of non-kombucha drinks including immune-boosting Switchel (made of water, vinegar, ginger, and maple syrup), healing Chaga mushroom tea, and a detoxing bentonite clay. And of course, there are also fresh juices from their partner in health, Nourished By Nature.

nourished by natureAlso following her passion for health, Quarantello, who comes from a large Italian family, shares how juicing was a catalyst to a healthier lifestyle. It wasn’t until a year ago that she took the plunge and began selling special-order juices, including her best seller, Grateful Green, out of a commercial kitchen. When the opportunity to share her rotating line of juices came along, she took it. Thanks to her, I have become completely obsessed with the seasonal creation, the Ginger Snap Apple featuring apple, ginger, lemon, and turmeric. The perfectly in-season juice.

Despite the small space, there’s plenty of room to sit down on the couch, relax, and even do some work with the free wifi. They’re creating a coffee shop culture—sans coffee.

Fine Health Kombucha
Nourished By Nature
126 Main Street
Bradley Beach
732-361-7309

Recipes: Cocktails to Spice Up Your Christmas

JerseyBites
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Recipes: Cocktails to Spice Up Your Christmas

Sponsored

This sponsored post is brought to you by Atlantic Cape Community College Academy of the Culinary Arts. 

Kick your holiday entertaining up a notch with these festive cocktails!

eggnogHoliday Egg Nog

Ingredients: 

4 cups milk
5 cloves, whole
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 egg yolks
1 ½ cups sugar
2 ½ cups rum
4 cups light cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Combine milk, cloves, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes. Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil.
  1. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves, and let cool for about an hour.
  1. Stir in rum, cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

peppermint bevHeidi

Ingredients:

4 cups milk
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (reserve 1 oz. for garnish)
8 peppermint candy canes (4 crushed, 4 whole)
1 cup whipped cream, fresh
4 oz peppermint Schnapps (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a saucepan, heat milk until hot. Do not boil.
  1. Whisk in crushed peppermint until melted, then add 3 oz. of chopped chocolate. Continue to whisk until chocolate is melted and cocoa is smooth.
  1. Remove from heat and add peppermint Schnapps, if desired.
  1. Pour into serving cups and place a generous dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with remaining chocolate and serve with a candy cane.

Hot Buttered Rum PunchHot Buttered Rum

Ingredients:

4 cups pineapple juice
4 cups water
2 cans jellied cranberry sauce (16-ounce cans)
1 cup dark rum, or to taste
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
10 cinnamon sticks
5 teaspoons butter, or to taste

Directions:

  1. Combine pineapple juice, water, cranberry sauce, rum, brown sugar, cloves, salt, nutmeg, and allspice in a slow cooker, breaking the cranberry sauce apart with a fork.
  1. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
  1. Ladle punch into mugs and add 1 cinnamon stick and about 1/2-teaspoon butter to each mug.

Pomegranate-Champagne Punchpom punch

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups pomegranate juice
1 cup pear nectar
¼ cup orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1 bottle champagne or sparkling cider (750 ml)

Directions: 

In a large pitcher, combine pomegranate juice, pear nectar and orange-flavored liqueur. Slowly add champagne. Serve over ice.

 

About the Academy of Culinary Arts: At the Academy of Culinary Arts, you can work toward a degree, take specialized courses, or just develop basic job skills. The school offers acACA logo 2010credited degree programs and certificate programs that you can take on a full- or part-time basis. Full-time classes meet 7 a.m. to noon, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., or 5 to 10 p.m. In addition, the college’s continuing education division offers a four-month non-credit culinary training program. All programs are designed to prepare you for the real-world challenges of the food and beverage industry. Register today! Call 609-343-4944 or visit www.atlantic.edu/aca. Sign up for our next open house. Ask about our new housing options!

 

Recipe: Witherspoon Grill’s Crab-Stuffed Lobster Tails

Amanda Biddle
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Recipe: Witherspoon Grill’s Crab-Stuffed Lobster Tails

Looking for a new recipe to bring your menu to life this holiday season? Amanda Biddle checked in with Witherspoon Grill’s Executive Chef Chris Graciano and got the low-down on his crab-stuffed lobster tails.

image3Crab-Stuffed Lobster Tails
Chris Graciano, Executive Chef, Witherspoon Grill (Princeton)

Serves 4

Crab Cake Mix:
2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
1 pound jumbo lump crab
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped curly parsley

Directions:
Gently fold ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To stuff the lobster tails and bake:
4 lobster tails
Melted unsalted butter
Salt and pepper

Lobster tail prep:
Cut top layer of shell with kitchen shears to open. Gently pull meat out of shell without disconnecting from the tail and place on top of shell.

Cooking:
Drizzle 2 teaspoons melted butter over top of tail meat. Season with salt and pepper.
Loosely top tails with 4 ounces of crab mixture per tail.
Bake at 350° F for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crab topping starts to brown.

Witherspoon Grill
57 Witherspoon Street
Princeton
609-924-6011
(JM Group) 

Many thanks to Witherspoon Grill and Chef Graciano for sharing this recipe!

 

 

Markers’ Merry Mules

JerseyBites
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Markers’ Merry Mules

Sponsored

This sponsored article is brought to you by Markers Restaurant.

In 1941, John G. Martin of Heublein, east coast spirits and food distributor, and Jack Morgan, owner of the Cock’n Bull bar on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, met in a bar in Los Angeles. Together they invented Moscow Mule by mixing Morgan’s ginger beer with Smirnoff vodka and lime in order to market the proprietor’s struggling Cock’n Bull’s ginger-beer franchise.

They ordered specially engraved copper mugs and Martin went off to market it in the bars around the country. He bought one of the first Polaroid cameras and asked barmen to pose with a Moscow Mule copper mug and a bottle of Smirnoff vodka. Then he would leave one copy of the photo at the bar and take a second copy to the bar next door to show them that their competitors were selling their concoction. Between 1947 and 1950, thanks to their invention, Smirnoff vodka case columns more than tripled and nearly doubled in 1951. The name for the drink we think was selected at random, most likely because people associated vodka with Russia, and mule was probably added to the name because ginger beer delivers a kick of flavor. But no one really knows for sure.

Regardless of the word origins, here are a few recipes worth bookmarking.

Markers Moscow Mule (Mule Tide)

Ingredients:
2 oz Titos Vodka
5½ oz good quality ginger beer (we use Spindrift)
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
½ oz honey syrup
1 lime wedge

Directions:
In a copper mug, pour vodka over ice. Add honey syrup and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with lime slice.

Markers Kentucky Mule (Mule Tide)

Ingredients:
2oz Jim Beam straight bourbon
5 ½ oz. good quality ginger beer
1oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
½ oz. agave nectar
1 orange slice

Directions:
In a copper mug, pour vodka over ice. Add agave and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with orange slice.

Markers Mexican Mule (Mule Tide)

Ingredients:
2 oz Camarena blue agave silver tequila
5½ oz. good quality ginger beer
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
½ oz agave nectar
1 lime wedge

Directions:
In a copper mug, pour vodka over ice. Add agave and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with lime slice.

Markers Restaurant is located on the waterfront at the world-class Harborside Financial Center in Jersey City, directly across from lower Manhattan. Since 1989, Markers Restaurant and Markers Express have been a mainstay of the Jersey City financial district, serving breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and dinner, Monday through Friday.

 

From Farm to Bottle: Claremont Distilled Spirits, Inc.

Veronique @ Food & Wine Chickie
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From Farm to Bottle: Claremont Distilled Spirits, Inc.

Claremont Distilled Spirits in Fairfield takes the farm-to-table concept to a new level, by using Jersey-grown veggies to produce its vodka (potatoes) and moonshine (corn) as well some local fruit as well. Veronique Deblois checked in with the Distillery’s Amy Sutton for the story behind this innovative Essex County business.

JERSEY BITES: How did you get the idea to create Claremont Distilled Spirits?
AMY SUTTON: In December 2013, the state of New Jersey changed the laws on distilling to promote craft distilling. Our owner always had an interest in quality distilled products and the process in which these products are made. He believes that New Jersey provides an excellent opportunity for craft distillers based on the state’s dense population, sizable population of individuals of legal drinking age, and the state’s affluence. Additionally, many of the raw ingredients used in the production of distilled spirits could be easily accessed from within the state as a result of New Jersey’s strong agricultural presence. At the end of the day, we wanted to show that world-class distilled spirits could be made in New Jersey using locally sourced ingredients.

What types of ingredients are you using to create your spirits? Where do they come from?
Our vodka, Claremont Vodka, is distilled from potatoes sourced from New Jersey suppliers. We are also currently making two flavored vodkas: Claremont blueberry and Claremont peach. We wanted to produce flavors that were true to New Jersey with a New Jersey connection. Many people don’t realize that New Jersey is among the largest producers of both blueberries and peaches in the country. All of our flavored products are made with all natural ingredients. We never use anything artificial.

Our moonshine, Jersey Devil Moonshine, is an un-aged corn whiskey distilled from corn and malted barley. Our corn is sourced from New Jersey suppliers. Malted barley is the only ingredient we use that is not from New Jersey, as very limited quantities are available in the state. Our flavored moonshines, apple pie and Flaming Sinamon, are also made with nothing but all-natural ingredients.

Claremont Tasting Room. Photo Courtesy of Claremont Distilled Spirits.
Tasting room

Do you have a tasting room?
Yes, we do have a tasting room at our distillery. The tasting room is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

Any new products you’re working on?
We anticipate beginning production of bourbon and American whiskey in the very near future. We are actually awaiting delivery of our bourbon barrels, which should be in January 2016. We anticipate producing bourbon and a variety of American single malt whiskeys. This is an area where we believe we can be particularly creative in producing a number of unique, quality, craft spirits. We will also look to produce very limited quantities of seasonal vodka and moonshine products.

What is the best advice you have to share with young people interested in getting into the booze business?
Create quality products, have a lot of patience, and remain focused on your core business. Making spirits is not that difficult, as many moonshiners can attest. However, making quality products is much more of a challenge. There is a lot of trial and error [involved in] coming up with outstanding products. Sometimes you have to be willing to dispose of a ferment or distillation if the quality isn’t there. This is often a difficult decision for many craft distillers as every dollar counts and disposing of a product is burning cash. However, it’s imperative that you put out the best product every time, if you want to have a loyal following. One less-than-perfect batch of product reaching the market can result in the destruction of all the goodwill your brand previously created. Patience is also a virtue in this business.  You are constantly dealing with red tape due to heavy government regulation. Whether it’s waiting on licensing, formula approval, or label approval, there’s little you can do other make sure you’ve filed everything correctly and wait. The last bit of advice is remain focused on your core business: producing great spirits. There are numerous revenue stream opportunities, such as tasting rooms, merchandise, and third-party contracting. However, without a great product these other opportunities are likely to be short lived.

It’s your last day on earth, where are you having that last cocktail?
In the Scottish Highlands. Incredible scenery with the largest concentration of the greatest whiskies made. What could be better?

Where can our readers find your products?
We are currently in approximately 50 retail accounts in the state and adding more every day. Readers can check our website to find the closest retailer to them.

Anything you’re working on that our readers should know about?
We are really excited to start making whiskey. We recently ordered another still to be used in our whiskey production and as mentioned earlier we are anxiously awaiting our bourbon barrels. Over the coming months we will be working on various whiskey formulations and starting first production. There will be a lot going on at the distillery during this time.

Photos courtesy of Claremont Distilled Spirits.

Claremont Distilled Spirits
Tasting Room Hours:
Monday through Saturday
12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
25 Commerce Road, Unit K
Fairfield
973-227-7027

Chanukkah Latkes

Sabrina Szteinbaum
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Chanukkah Latkes

Jersey Bites is thrilled to welcome former intern Sabrina Szteinbaum back for this Channukah guest post!

The transformation of a simple potato into a latke can be done the ordinary way — grate a few potatoes, mix in a couple of eggs and some breadcrumbs and throw it into a pot of sizzling oil. But an interesting idea about Chanukkah inspired me to get innovative this year, redefining the “potato pancake” that we have come to know and love.

“If that lowly potato can be so educated and so dedicated then there is hope for us also to gain much more than just mass quantities of calories, enjoying quality time during these days of eight,” (www.torah.org).

Latkes7 (Sweet Potato)

Like the ancient Greek culture, which elevated the ‘everyday’ with philosophical thought, art and theatre, so too can the average potato be elevated into something more enticing.

With the idea of taking the potato out of its comfort zone, I found two recipes which definitely twist the traditional.

The first recipe, from Kosher in the Kitch, combines broccoli, potato, and cheddar cheese for a delicious dairy latke that comes together in minutes.

The second, from Tori Avey, is a more labor-intensive recipe, which celebrates all things sweet with sweet potatoes, a brown sugar glaze and toasted pecans with a kick.

May the eight days of Chanukkah bring light, joy and innovative twists on traditional latkes to you and your family! Happy frying!

A Visit to the Oakland Diner

Michael Gabriele
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A Visit to the Oakland Diner

Now that the blustery winds of winter are upon us, here on the Garden State diner circuit, it’s a nice time to get cozy, grab a cup of coffee, kick back and reminisce about the warm tropical breezes and exotic surroundings of the Oakland Diner.

Oakland 5Nestled on the edge of a wooded tract of land on Route 202 (Ramapo Valley Road), the Oakland Diner’s decorative architectural design is part greenhouse, part roadside eatery. The joint is surrounded by a variety of rain forest-like potted plants, flowers, and assorted vegetation. The hibiscus blossoms were especially charming, providing vibrant dabs of color that popped against the green background. The diner’s exterior walls display a painted collage of classic food images (desserts, burgers, fries, sunny-side-up eggs, coffee cups) and ketchup and mustard fireworks, while the roof is a patriotic illustration of red, white, and blue stars and stripes.

All of this decoration and landscaping serves as a dazzling beacon to entice hungry travelers. The colorful artwork continues throughout the diner’s interior, with images of Elvis, James Dean, palm trees, Route 66 signs, and scenes. Not to be outdone, the centerpiece for the diner’s interior is a huge glass display case filled with luscious cakes, pies, cookies and pastries—all works of art in their own right.

Taken as a whole, the diner’s interior and exterior presentation is joyful statement of pure Jerseyana entertainment—a fun feast for the eye. As they say in the diner business: “food is only half the meal.” The feast for the palate kicks in once you saddle up to the counter or plop down in one of the Naugahyde booths. The servings are delicious, generous portions; platters that are thoughtfully prepared and delivered with pizazz by the attentive, courteous wait staff.

Last August this reporter enjoyed a most satisfying meal, the highlight of which was a sumptuous bowl of matzo ball soup (pictured at top)—a staple in most New Jersey diners. The dumplings were tender and tasty, and the broth was a savory collection of veggies. It was heartwarming. The soup was followed by another NJ diner standard: a hot open turkey sandwich platter, with fries on the side. Well done!

Oakland 3My visit was for a late afternoon/early evening supper, so rather than top off the meal with coffee, I decided to go with a chocolate egg cream. It was a wise choice—a refreshing drink with a perfect foamy head. It’s always reassuring when a diner knows how to properly create an egg cream. (And of course, as we all know, chocolate is the only authentic kind of egg cream there is. Any other flavor is absolute blasphemy. Hey, if you don’t believe me, just ask anyone from Brooklyn.)

The Oakland Diner offers a comprehensive menu—breakfast, lunch, and supper. For breakfast, menu items that sounded yummy included egg-white omelets, French toast, Belgian waffles and the specialty crepes. Just a hunch, but I’ll bet the banana/Nutella crepe is a winner. Selections for lunch feature classic burgers, wraps, paninis and sandwiches. For supper, there are beef, chicken, pork and lamb platters, along with Greek and Italian favorites.

Oakland 2

There is a variety of salads (the Buffalo chicken salad sounds rather mouthwatering) and appetizers (Greek fries with feta cheese, oregano, and lemon would be hard to resist). These are choices to consider for my next visit. They do provide a children’s menu for kids under 12. Those who choose to partake in libations can order beer, wine, or cocktails with their meal. (Please drink responsibly. Cheers.)

Oakland 6

As for the diner’s history, there are remnants of an older diner that once was on the current site. The diner’s vintage black and white terrazzo floor is an indication of the original layout. Over the years, the place has been expanded and modernized. The front vestibule and side dining room feature curved, tinted exterior glass.

The Oakland Diner
72 Ramapo Valley Road
Oakland
201-337-1262

Sunday through Thursday: 6 a.m. to midnight
Friday and Saturday: 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Michael C. Gabriele is a historian, freelance writer and the author of the book “The History of Diners in New Jersey,” published by The History Press.

 

Choc-O-Pain French Bakery & Café

Veronique @ Food & Wine Chickie
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Choc-O-Pain French Bakery & Café

Note: Jersey Bites was invited to visit Choc·O·Pain and our writer received a complimentary meal.

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to lunch at the popular Choc·O·Pain in Hoboken. The French bakery, restaurant and retail shop is the brainchild of the owner, Clémence Danko. Danko moved to the USA from France in 2009 and quickly realized it was difficult to find a truly authentic French bakery with proper croissants and baguettes in northern New Jersey. She switched careers from the pharmaceutical industry, received the necessary pastry arts training and opened Choc·O·Pain in 2013 in Hoboken. After two years of hard work and dedication to her craft, Clémence opened her second location, in Jersey City.

When I visited, I enjoyed the atmosphere immediately. Patrons stopped by the café at their leisure, bought pastries and bread to go, ordered savory lunch items to eat in at the café’s downstairs dining room and upstairs lounge area, which has a children’s play area.

Sourdough-Based Breads
CHOC-O-PAIN crafts all of its sourdough-based breads in traditional European fashion using 4 simple ingredients: water, flour, salt, and leaven. Signature breads include the traditional miche, baguettes, pain d’autrefois, bordelais boules, and multigrain pain au levain aux céréales.

Pastries and Sweets
Popular pastries and sweets include the fabulous petit kouign, seasonal tartes, croissants, macarons, bread pudding, financiers, flourless chocolate heaven cake and, of course, the chocopains.

Savory Café Classics
The café’s savory favorites include dishes made using seasonal, locally-grown ingredients. Signature dishes include the classic croque monsieur (sourdough, homemade béchamel, D’Artagnan French ham and Swiss cheese), quiche Lorraine and seasonal quiches (goat cheese, leek, collard greens), sandwiches, salads and vegan soup du jour. In addition to the tasty food, the café serves lattés (hot and cold) and cappuccino by La Colombe coffee.

While I was at CHOC-O-PAIN, I sampled the vegan black bean soup that I was told would taste very “meaty.” Being from south Florida where Cuban black bean soup is pork-laden and delicious, I was skeptical—but my skepticism was unfounded—the rich soup was indeed porky in flavor and completely satisfying. Perhaps one of the best black bean soup I’ve had. I also enjoyed the quiche Lorraine, with its perfect, buttery crust and good-quality cheese and a side of salad dressed with a zesty vinaigrette that made me feel as though I was eating sort of healthy.

Dessert, of course, couldn’t be missed. Our party sampled the petit kouign, a croissant-like mini pastry with a touch of raspberry that has a caramel-like exterior: think ultra-flaky croissant with a slightly sticky outer crust…delectable and a must-try menu item. We also had the aptly-named flourless chocolate heaven cake with its deep chocolate flavor and dense-yet-light-texture. Simply decadent.

There are expansion plans in the works for Clémence and CHOC-O-PAIN that will be announced in the coming months. Based on my experience during this calorific visit, I’m looking forward to what’s next and so should you.

CHOC-O-PAIN
157 First Street
Hoboken
201-710-5157

530 Jersey Avenue
Jersey City
201-435-2462

Weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Weekends 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Cheers,

Veronique Deblois, Food & Wine Chickie: Veronique is a food and wine writer based in Morris County, NJ. As the author of the popular blog, Food & Wine Chickie Insider, Veronique shares recipes, wine and restaurant reviews and insight into the travel industry. Follow Veronique on Twitter or like her Facebook page.

 

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