Go to Applegate Farms every Wednesday in May, from 4-8PM, for a free scoop! To help them celebrate their 160th anniversary, the Jersey-based ice cream shops are giving away a junior sugar/wafer cone or cup of ice cream. All you have to do is bring this coupon. Click the link for a list of locations as well.
— by Donna M.
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As you drive up into their stone-paved driveway with overhead portico, you are greeted with a very pretty fountain and pots of greenery, giving a very nice Italian courtyard welcoming feel. It is only about 1 mile off Rte. 280, so it was pretty easy to find.
We were greeted at the door by the owner, Bobby. He escorted us to our table with lots of happy, small talk. He does know our friends, though, so I don’t know if he does this to all his customers or not. But, it was very nice, nevertheless.
There is a fairly large party room in this place which was being used while we were there. So, we sat in the dining room which has lots of niches with typical white busts of what appeared to be common Italians. The music being piped in was kept at just the right volume to illicit conversation.
There was a short list of appetizers, all reasonably priced, and some stood out that are worth describing We all shared the ones that we ordered, except my husband because his was just made for one; although I did taste his mozzarella. He had fresh mozzarella, roasted pepper, and tomatoes. He would have liked more than one piece of pepper, but he has a big appetite! I thought it looked like just the right amount for an appetizer. It was stacked and called “the tower” or some such. So how much could they have put on without it falling!!?? My friend’s husband shared his plate of sausage slices on a bed of hot peppers with very crispy potato slices, which were also spiced a little hot ~~ not too much, just right…….DELICIOUS! Someone else ordered the seafood salad which had calamari, scallops and shrimp and was in a very large bowl.
For entrees, my husband ordered the chicken Giambata, which is chicken sauteed with onions, mushrooms, potatoes and sweet bell or hot vinegar peppers. A friend had the chicken Betsy which comes grilled and sliced with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions and potatoes in “Betsy’s Special dressing”. I had the tilapia parmesian. I tasted a little of the sauce from both of the above plates with a little piece of Italian bread and thought both were really, really good. The bread was just exactly the way I love it ~~ crispy on the outside and soft on the inside; perfect for dipping in other peoples’ plates!!!
We also all had salad and all the different dressings were excellently flavored and given in good amounts.
The portion sizes were incredible…. easily enough for two people. And the prices were very reasonable. Between $15 - 18 for most meals. Lobster and other higher priced items were about $25.
As for dessert, no one was hungry enough to order any except one lady who ordered the Coconut Sorbet and passed it around for us to taste. And, boy I was glad she did! It was served in half a coconut shell and was very creamy and truly delicious with just the right amount of coconut pieces that I didn’t have to spend the rest of the night trying to remove some from my teeth! There was so much sorbet, that even after sharing at least half was left behind *sniff*,
So, all in all it was a very nice night out. I especially liked how you really get a lot for your money.
The Appian Way
http://www.appianway.com
619 Langdon Street
Orange, NJ 07050
973-678-0313
— by Guest Reviewer
GoOutJersey likes to feature reviews from fellow bloggers, foodies, and everday people who enjoy eating or drinking as much as we do.
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Having already had a lukewarm experience with fondue dining at the Magic Pot in Edgewater, I was wary of going to another similar restaurant. But I had a gift card to the Melting Pot, so I decided to give it a shot. What I found was a much more pleasant experience all around. Allow me to contrast and compare.
My date and I arrived for our reservation a little early on Sunday night, Valentine’s Day weekend. Our table wasn’t quite ready, so we had a drink at the bar while we waited. The bartender was very friendly and told us about some of the exclusive cocktails he had developed, off-menu, for the restaurant. While his offerings sounded great, we decided to keep it simple with wine and beer.
After a while, we looked around and noticed there were several tables free. We wondered why were still waiting to be seated. Just then our host came over and explained that they were clearing off a spot for us in “lovers’ lane.” When we got to our table, we found a semi-private, enclosed table for two. Happy belated Valentine’s Day to us!
The meal at the Melting Pot started off much the same as the one we had at the Magic Pot. Our server came by and took our order (we went with a fixed price selection to get the most variety). When he returned, he began mixing and melting our cheese appetizer – this was just a little awkward, since we ran out of comments as we watched him swirl the stuff around and just sat in silence. But again, the cheese was delicious, and there was a better variety of things to dip – chunks of veggies in addition to the apples and bread. We went with a classic Wisconsin blend, just one of an impressive six choices.
Our appetizer was followed by a salad, and it was a nice break to eat something cold and with a fork – an option the other restaurant didn’t offer. Just as with the appetizer, we were allowed to deviate from our fixed menu and choose from one of the other four options on the regular menu, so each of us could try something different and share a few bites with the other.
Next came the main course, and this is where the Melting Pot really took the lead versus the Magic Pot. We had a wider variety of items, including lobster, filet mignon, rigatoni, pork, and chicken (although it was more expensive - $88 versus $80 at the other place, and no drinks included), with a surprising number of different dipping sauces. But more importantly, the execution was much more streamlined. My date and I had only two skewers each, and they were color-coded. This led to far less confusion about what ingredients were in the pot and how long they had been in there. We only had to keep track of two items each at one time instead of what had seemed like dozens at the other restaurant. The broth was also nicer, with fewer herbs floating around and getting in the way at the surface of the liquid. And hats off to the person who decided to put the overhead lamp directly over the pot so I could see what the hell I was doing in there.
The service between courses was pretty slow, since they got busy just after we got there, and the presentation of each course is rather time-consuming for the server. But I was glad for it, since I really needed the time to digest and avoid that unpleasant impending-stomach-explosion feeling. Plus I didn’t mind relaxing and enjoying my surroundings.
Finally, it was time for dessert. Again, we were allowed to substitute whichever option we wanted off the regular menu. In this case, we were selecting a chocolate blend. There was a raspberry dark chocolate, milk chocolate with peanut butter, and a cookies and cream blend, among many others. But we went with the Bailey’s Irish cream mixture. I wouldn’t have minded an extra shot of the liqueur, as the flavor was very subtle. But it was tasty nonetheless. We happily dunked our pieces of Rice Krispie Treat and cut-up strawberries.
The Melting Pot seems to have a better handle on how to make fondue dining a fun and easy experience; maybe because it’s a national chain, they’ve worked out more of the kinks than the Magic Pot. (I didn’t even almost pull the cord out of the wall!) The Hoboken location has a great atmosphere, even outside of lovers’ lane, and I definitely recommend it for a date. All that steam and low lighting just lends itself to romance.
The Melting Pot
100 Sinatra Drive
Hoboken
(201) 222-1440
http://www.meltingpot.com/
— by Nicole Little
Nicole, GoOutJersey's associate editor, is a Nutley native and recent Weehawken transplant. She loves dining out and imposing her opinions on others, which makes her a well-qualified reviewer.
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Friday, March 14
>>Seanchai & The Unity Squad at 8:30PM at the Kearny Irish American Club, located at 95 Kearny Ave., Kearny. (I have to point out that the club does not allow women to be members. Ummm…archaic much?)
Saturday, March 15
>>The Skels at Maxwell’s, in Hoboken.
>>The Canny Brothers Band at Molly Maguire’s Irish Pub, in Clark.
Sunday, March 16
>>West Hudson St. Pat’s Parade, 1PM (begins at 3rd Street and Harrison Avenue in Harrison, travels through the Borough of East Newark and ends at Quincy Ave. in Kearny.) Other parades throughout NJ are listed here.
All Weekend
>>Shannon Rose, the not-as-of-yet Irish pub chain with authentic Irish decor (and satisfyingly delicious food) celebrates St. Patty’s day throughout March. They also have “St. Practice Day” on the 17th of every month, which I think is just awesome. And they of course also celebrate this most famous green holiday all weekend (sorry Earth Day). Check out their websites for specials and entertainment (however, aside from the 17th itself, don’t expect specials outside of happy hour).
Monday morning, should you be lucky enough to have the day off or call in >cough< sick, they’ll be serving “kegs & eggs” from 10 AM to noon and, yes, there will be bagpipers.
Friday, March 21
>>2U at Whiskey Bar, in Hoboken
— by Donna M.
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Gencarelli’s Cucina in Montclair is a new feature of Bloomfield Ave, having opened only a few months ago. My friends and I tried the place out for my birthday a few weeks ago (no, it’s not too late to send cards/gifts). When we arrived, we discovered they had not received our reservation, which had been left on their answering machine. The staff hustled to find us a table in the modest, brick-lined dining room. I was aghast when I realized we were being placed right next to the middle-aged lounge singer, his keyboard, and his giant tip jar, all crammed in next to the dessert case. More on him later.
As we waited for the remainder of our party to arrive, our attentive high-school-aged waiter opened up our BYO bottles and checked on us regularly. We indulged and ordered a few appetizers; allow me to recommend the mozzarella in carroza, which is basically a giant mozzarella stick that you cut up and dunk in marinara. Mmmm, salty.
While our dinners were nothing spectacular, they were tasty and satisfying. I had the cavetelli with ricotta, which was like baked ziti without the baked part. The creamy ricotta mixed with marinara was delicious, but the choice of pasta was a little too thick in this type of sauce. Come to think of it, ziti would’ve been perfect. Prices were reasonable, falling in the $15 range for non-meat dishes and $20-25 for seafood and meat.
Gencarelli’s offers a wide variety of traditional desserts and coffees. I had the key lime pie, which wasn’t bad although the whipped cream was the best part. I probably should’ve tried something more Italian. I also heard raves about the chocolate lava cake and chocolate peanut butter cake.
Since it is a new establishment, Gencarelli’s owner and staff are eager to please. It seems they are really striving for a welcoming, familial atmosphere, which is all well and good, until the creepy lounge singer finds out it’s your birthday. You may not know this about me, but I am not fond of being the center of attention, particularly in the company of a room full of strangers. So when Donny (which I can only guess must’ve been his name) announced to all present that it was my birthday and handed me a maraca to help accompany him on his next number, I pretty much wanted to die. Thank goodness my best friends were there to make fun of me, as the situation warranted. But the best part of the evening was when they brought me my slice of key lime pie with a candle in it, and I inadvertently blew it out early. Obviously they made me light it again at the end of the song so everyone could clap. Mercifully, it was someone else’s birthday too, so the attention shifted to her. That’s when the dancing began. Check please!
Gencarelli’s Cucina
381 Bloomfield Ave
Montclair
(973) 744-8881
http://www.gencarelliscucina.com/
— by Nicole Little
Nicole, GoOutJersey's associate editor, is a Nutley native and recent Weehawken transplant. She loves dining out and imposing her opinions on others, which makes her a well-qualified reviewer.
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We almost didn’t go inside Mucho y Rico. It is a Peruvian restaurant on Park Ave in Weehawken that really doesn’t look like much when you first go in. Plastic chairs, cheap tables with plastic tablecloths, and plainly painted walls. Stark. Unappealing. Small-diner-esque.
Call me a snob, but this is not the kind of decor I look for when I want to eat seafood. I’ll be honest - when it comes to seafood, I’m paranoid about unsanitary kitchens handling my shellfish. And I often feel the decor, even if it’s cheap, can give you a sense of how much they care for the kitchen. But since this place was Peruvian, I decided to put my fears aside for my obsession with ceviche.
While I can’t say I will never again judge a restaurant by its appearance, I am thankful I didn’t do so here. We actually ate there three times before I had a chance to write this review, and I must say, the portions are incredibly generous (most plates can easily feed two hungry people), and so far no dish has been a disappointment. The prices are wallet-friendly, and the service is warm and friendly. It’s not the best Peruvian food I’ve had, but it’s authentic and inexpensive (it’s clear where they’ve cut costs, and it’s not with the ingredients).
The meals are typical Peruvian food - tallarin saltado, chaufas, meat dishes with rice, tremendous-looking soups, several seafood dishes, and ceviches. They also have a special daily menu for $5.50 which includes soup, a main course, and soda.
Mucho y Rico
4114 Park Ave
Weehawken, NJ
(201) 867-5695
— by Donna M.
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It is one thing to choose a restaurant for the first time sans prior knowledge of its food as you’re walking past. There are visual clues that at least hint to the flavor inside; the decor, the smells, the crowd (and sometimes reviews are hung in the window to help out the true skeptics). It is quite another to sit amidst boxes in your new apartment, in your new neighborhood and, desperate for nourishment, google for local fare when there really aren’t many sites with good reviews of local food.
It’s culinary Russian Roulette. Yet it is exactly what my family and I did last weekend.
Recent transports to Weehawken, we had had some knowledge of good nearby restaurants that don’t deliver, and some fancier sit-down places which, if they do deliver, would be too pricey and ordering would have been a trial. So we decided pizza even though my family is extremely picky about their pies. (It must be a thin, crispy slice for my parents or it’s quickly declared inedible.)
We didn’t want this to be the first thing we ever say to our new neighbors, so I just googled +pizza and +Weehawken. Sadly, not many good sites came up, but I did find a sketchy-looking page that mentioned Monetti’s. My mom, who I’ve mentioned to you before, shrugged, “Well, at least it has an Italian name.” So, I called.
Two pies arrived within 35 minutes, smelling promising. A quick look inside showed piping hot, thin crusts with plenty of fresh toppings (one pie had sausage and peppers and the other had mushrooms - which weren’t the canned kind, as far as we could tell).
Crunchy, but not burnt-tasting or dry, the crust held firm under the hot, stringy cheese and delicious sauce. The sauce, which my Munchmobile cohorts would delight in, was neither too sweet or tangy.
We didn’t have to curse ourselves for such a risky venture, thankfully. Could we have done better? Probably. But their menu is staying close by my phone. And, who knows? Maybe someday I’ll head over to the actual restaurant.
And now that the GOJ editors are dusting off our keyboards and forks, others just like me will have us to discover on late nights in new Jersey ‘hoods, desperate for good food.
Monetti’s (est. 1927)
201 Hackensack Plank Rd (on 32nd St.)
Weehawken, NJ
www.monettisnj.com (found only after I got the menu)
201-863-7474
201-863-0509
Delivery from 11am-11pm, 7 days/week
— by Donna M.
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Hudson Restaurant Week 2008 is just 2 weeks away!
From Jan 28 - Feb 8: thirty-two participating restaurants will offer prix-fixed meals at reduced prices. And new for 2008? Eight new restaurants have been added to the list: Hudson Tavern, City Vino, Azucar, East LA, Gaslight, Harsimus Cove, Ox and Sawadee.
Prix-fixe lunches start at $13 and dinners start at $23 (beverage, tax and gratuity not included). An up-to-date list of restaurants, menus and details can be found at www.hudsonrestaurantweek.com or call 201-388- 6232.
If it weren’t for Hudson Restaurant Week, I probably never would have been able to afford Hudson Bar & Grill, so it’s definitely a really great way to enjoy restaurants that may otherwise be out of your wallet’s league.
— by Donna M.
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Before I visited Lee’s Hawaiian Islander in Lyndhurst a few weeks ago, I had driven past it countless times, pondering its facade. It’s a huge, very orange, windowless building right smack dab in the middle of residential River Road, with a big sign that says Lee’s on top of it. Faux palm trees decorate the structure. What, I wondered, is this anomaly of a building? I never ventured in, though, because there was something inherently creepy about it. But co-editor-in-chief Ali and I were feeling adventurous one night, and we decided to see for ourselves what mysteries the interior held.
When you walk into the restaurant, you first see a tiki bar, complete with that grass skirt-type stuff hanging from above, little twinkly Christmas lights all over everything, and palm tree murals painted on the walls. The dining room leads off to the right, and that’s where you’ll find the real atmosphere. Booths along the perimeter feature giant Polynesian (I guess) masks, tiki wood walls, and more Christmas lights. One whole side of the dining room is a “rock wall,” with water trickling down from some unseen source above. “Lee’s” is spelled out in yellow flowers.
The thing about all this décor is, I get the feeling it looked really nice approximately thirty years ago. Something about it gives off a dejected retro vibe, a unique Hawaiian getaway of yesteryear that needs a fresh coat of paint and new fake flowers. The place was mostly empty when we arrived, and we sort of expected the wait staff to be falling all over themselves to serve one of their few customers. On the contrary, our waiter took our order in a perfunctory, half-disinterested manner, while his boss scolded him about goodness knows what.
The menu offers a number of cocktails with intriguing names, such as Flaming Virgin, Fog Cutter, and Love Potion. Descriptions of the drinks are nowhere to be found. So, in the spirit of adventure, Ali and I each selected something we had never heard of and hoped for the best. While we were getting ready to order our food, I surveyed another patron’s dinner out of the corner of my eye (a rude habit I have when I’m hungry). I couldn’t help but notice that one of the customer’s items arrived at the table engulfed in flames! I decided I too wanted fire at my table, so I ordered a random chicken dish with “flaming” in the title.
At last, our drinks arrived. They were appropriately tropical in flavor, topped with various combinations of pineapple chunks and maraschino cherries. I got the vague sense that some alcohol may have been involved in their preparation. On the plus side, I got to drink out of some kind of tiki man-shaped tumbler.
When the waiter dropped off our food, I couldn’t help but notice my meal was not in any way on fire. It was just a couple of chicken breasts, doused in sweet and sour sauce, served over rice. A token pineapple slice lay forlornly at the side of the plate. Ali’s meal, while satisfying, was also nothing to write home about. We may as well have stayed home and ordered Chinese.
Maybe to be fair I should go back and try something more Hawaiian. But frankly, the place creeped me out. And one final note, in case Lee’s wasn’t weird enough, the restroom looked like it had been lifted straight out of an elementary school girls’ room – mini toilets and all.
Lee’s Hawaiian Islander
768 Stuyvesant Ave
Lyndhurst
(201) 939-3777
— by Nicole Little
Nicole, GoOutJersey's associate editor, is a Nutley native and recent Weehawken transplant. She loves dining out and imposing her opinions on others, which makes her a well-qualified reviewer.
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I am not in the habit of talking to strangers, and I don’t make “bus friends.” You know - those people who insist on making small talk while you’re waiting for the 5:40 bus that always seems to be late, or who look at what you’re reading as you try to scrunch away from them in your seat. They are usually in their 50s… or 80s… and wait until you happen to make eye contact and then they lock right in.
Well, recent experience has taught me that having a bus friend can actually come in handy .. at least for restaurant reviewers. One such bus friend mentioned to a cohort of ours about a couple different places in the North Arlington area that they insisted were really good. And Carucci’s, which advertises regional Italian food, was in their top 2, so we went.
The bus friend actually recommended we go during their happy hour, which I may try to do this week since I’m off (a perk of being an overworked teacher). They told us that the happy hour offers all their appetizers for dirt cheap - like about $1 - from 3pm to 6pm Monday thru Friday (I have yet to confirm this).
On our first trip (as well as the second and third), we simply went for dinner since we got to NA after 6pm. We ordered some usual pub-style appetizers like wings and chicken fingers, but also got fried calamari, a family favorite. For entrees, we chose their cheeseburgers and fries, as well as their chicken sandwich with mozzarella and roasted peppers.
Because of its location (in basically a North Arlington-sized strip mall), it’s way too easy to pass Carucci’s up and not give it a second glance. If you’re like me, you’ve been driving by assuming it’s (at best) just like all the other local Italian eateries, or (at worst) a boring little place in a boring little strip mall. Don’t make either mistake! The decor is very comfortable, with a rather pretty wooden bar and tables, and flat-screen TVs, giving it almost an upscale pub feel. Plus, as far as I can tell, word still hasn’t really gotten out, so it’s usually not very crowded or noisy, so it’s still dinner-date-worthy.
In terms of the food, most of us were really pleased on our first and return trips. The sirloin burgers were a hit; they’re clearly homemade and the buns were soft but not soggy. The appetizers also went over really well — the calamari is a definite must, and although we didn’t have them, I hear their mussels are a reason to go. The fries, which were neither under- or overdone were eaten with a quickness. We were all satisfied — with the bill, too! They really offer quite a good deal - you can get a bacon cheeseburger intended for someone with a really large mouth, with coleslaw and fries for just under $8. Very filling. The chicken sandwiches with roasted red peppers, however, were not received well. Those who ate them felt the peppers were lacking a marinade and it was kind of dry. We have not tried their dessert.
The weekly specials are similar to most bars: Wild Wing Nite on Mondays offers you 10 cent wings & $2.00 Domestic Drafts. On Thursdays, ladies’ drinks are $3.00 and there are $2.00 Domestic Pints “for the Boys.” Not sure what they do if a woman orders a domestic and a guy orders a “lady drink.” Oh, and rumor has it they offer karaoke some nights.
Carucci’s Restaurant and Pub
440 Ridge Road
North Arlington
(201) 998-4500
http://www.caruccis.com/North_Arlington
(there’s also a location in Saddle Brook)
— by Donna M.
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