Summer Fun & Food in Hoboken

Yay! It’s time for Hudson County Restaurant Week(s). From Monday, July 23 through Friday, August 3, nearly 30 restaurants in the area are offering a special prix-fixe menu for around $23-$35 for a three course dinner (specifics vary by restaurant) - a reduced price. There are also prix-fixe lunches. Hudson Restaurant Week is a bi-annual event that occurs during slow times of the year for restaurants: January and July.

I was getting together with a long-time friend for an early dinner and we decided to try Carpe Diem, a fairly new Hoboken restaurant under the 14th Street Viaduct. The restaurant is in a converted house and there is café seating outside for 24 people. An Irish flag hangs above the door.

We both got out of work early and arrived at the bar at 4:00 and ordered some drinks as we caught up on each other’s lives. The Happy Hour special from 4-7 is $3 draft beer. They had about seven kinds of beer on tap and the Samuel Adams Summer Ale was an easy choice for me. The wooden bar stools were comfortable and the wood bar and floors were complimented by the mustard-colored walls. There was a flat screen TV on one wall airing MTV2. The room was light yet warm. We were the only customers in the bar on a very rainy, early Monday evening.

We headed into the small dining room, which has two flat screen TVs (both showing ESPN) and a fireplace. There were seven or eight wooden tables with light green woven placemats. We ordered a $26 bottle of Sideways Pinot Noir that we enjoyed (the house wine is $5 a glass). My appetizer was asparagus wrapped in puff pastry over mixed greens with a raspberry dipping sauce. The asparagus was quite tender and the presentation reminded me of pigs in a blanket, but much finer. Zuleika ordered the goat cheese bruschette, which was really tasty with the mounds of juicy fresh, diced summer tomatoes and the subtle taste of goat cheese.

As the main course, I chose a smoked mozzarella sandwich. Again, the presentation was impressive, and I appreciated details like the sprig of thyme inserted in the bun and the pear in my salad sliced so that it fanned out. To be honest, I would have appreciated if there had been more of an entrée type meal available for a vegetarian diner, but the sandwich was delicious and I loved the slightly melted cheese and warm tomato combination on grilled bread. However, as I got toward the end, I found that the bread was getting a little soggy.

While the fanned presentation was lovely, the pear was a little crunchy for my taste. I love mixed baby greens though and these were fresh and light. Zuleika said she really enjoyed the pork chop (though parts were a little dry) and the yam pancake and brussel sprouts were a unique accompaniment. The service was friendly and attentive, and Chef Chad came out to check on our meal.

Love the prix-fixe because there is no excuse to skip dessert. We had the peanut butter chocolate mousse which, like the other food we ordered, was presented beautifully. It had a lovely decorated cake edging and smooth chocolate glaze over a round, very rich, peanut butter mousse. The strawberry ganache was basically strawberries sliced in half and filled with a thick chocolate frosting.

We went back to the bar for an after-dinner drink that our server, Olivia, bought for us. The owner, Joe, was also the bartender and spoke of the venue with pride. He feels they’ve had a warm welcome, especially as that area of Hoboken has become more residential without a lot of options for going out.

There is a second floor bar that is rented out for parties and can fit about 35 people. We left a little after 8:00pm and the bar was starting to get a few more customers, some of whom appeared to be regulars. Everyone was dressed in summer casual, and Joe smiled and greeted all.

— by Melissa H.
Melissa has lived in Hudson County for 16 years. She is passionate about issues of faith and social justice, politics, and creative wholesome vegetarian cooking.

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