Where Quality Is Not Sacrificed For the Early Birds

Amanda’s is a beautiful restaurant in a renovated brownstone with a long main dining room and smaller dining rooms to the sides. The service is stellar without being at all pretentious, and the commitment to quality is evident in each course. It is as if they are intentionally striving to be the finest restaurant in NJ.

While the space, service and menu exude romance and it is a great date spot, I’ve also been there for group celebrations as well as with school-aged children. Two couples I know have even rented the downstairs for their small wedding receptions. The brunch is wonderful and their main dinner menu is also excellent, but the best deal in town is by far the “early bird.”

How much would you expect to pay for a three course meal in one of Jersey’s quality restaurants? Well if you go to Amanda’s in Hoboken, Monday-Saturday at 5:00 or 5:30, you will only pay . . . are you ready for this? $14.00. They also offer a bottle of their house wine for $20. So for under $50 plus tax and tip you can finely dine with wine, appetizer, entrée and dessert.

The server will always pull the chair out for you as you are seated at a pre-set table. The dishes are decorative only and are removed once you place your order. The water glasses are always kept full and you often aren’t even aware they are being filled. If you leave the table to use the restroom or take a phone call, you will find that in your absence, your napkin was neatly folded and placed at your setting. Almost as soon as you are seated, a server comes around with a basket of warm rolls and uses tongs to place one on each bread plate.

For my first course, I chose the chilled melon soup that had hints of pineapple and pesto. It was a little different from anything I’ve ever tasted, but in a good way. Chris ordered the salad which is served with goat cheese and raisins over baby mixed greens and endive.

Because they don’t have a vegetarian option for the early bird dinner, I chose the Flounder stuffed with duxalles (which I found out is a mixture of shallots and mushrooms sautéed in butter) and wrapped in cabbage leaves. It was served over white rice in a cream sauce. I did think the rice could have cooked another couple of minutes but the flavors were still wonderful. Chris enjoyed his short ribs and was impressed that they were boneless. It was served over mashed potatoes and root vegetables with gravy.

We both ordered the chocolate mousse for dessert (other choices were apple strudel and key lime pie). It was served on a plate and encased in a chocolate cup. The mousse was topped with whipped cream, a halved strawberry and a mint sprig. It was a perfect dessert.

We left feeling very satisfied. The portions are just right, so even after a three course meal that included a rich dessert, we didn’t feel overly full.

Even if you can’t make it for the early bird special, I strongly recommend you find a special occasion to go to Amanda’s.

Amanda’s
908 Washington Street
Hoboken
(201) 798-0101
www.amandasrestaurant.com

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This was one of the best Thai restaurants I’ve tried and I recommend it especially because of the diverse (seemingly authentic) curry options.

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Friday evening, I attended the opening night production of Mile Square Theatre’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Sinatra Park Amphitheater in Hoboken.

The big rounded steps leading down to the stage made perfect benches for the audience to sit and watch the show. There were people of all ages, and it seemed like a good family event for parents with small children, or a pre-bar activity for the 20-something crowd. Though I was an English major in college, Shakespeare was not a preferred part of my studies and I wasn’t sure what to expect from a small local theatre.

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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.

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We received many comments on our review of the Park Ave Bar & Grill, and we invited Melissa, who had a particularly negative experience there, to write for GoOutJersey - because of her bold opinions and writing style. We know about her bad night at PABG, now here’s the rest of the story: where they ended up. -Ed.

Un Diamante En Bruto*

I must have passed the dingy yellow building with the red awning on the corner of Park Avenue and 36th Street a million times. It wasn’t until I had a group of 20 people out celebrating my birthday in Union City that, at the suggestion of my friends, Bill and Michelle, we ventured into Mexico Lindo one Friday evening in June around 8pm.

The dining area was free of customers and the wait staff graciously jumped to their feet as we entered and made us feel very welcome as they pushed tables together to accommodate us. The red, green, and white balloons on the walls (in honor of my birthday?) added to the festive atmosphere. Friends, Ed and Koryn, inserted $5 in the jukebox and selected 18 songs . All of the songs were in Spanish, and not being a Spanish speaker, all I recognized were the Ricky Martin tunes (which, I must admit, enhanced the celebration).

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My favorite Jersey vacation destination allows me to get away from city living for a week and just hang out on the beach, catch up on my summer reading and spend quality time with my darling Chris. People are friendly, the air is clean and there is something to do for everyone.

Ocean Grove is a charming beach town that’s one square mile between Neptune, Asbury Park and Bradley Beach on the Jersey shore. It’s about an hour and a half from NYC (Exit 100B off the GSP or take an Academy bus from the Port Authority). Main Street is filled with delightful shops, cafes and art galleries. The Victorian style homes and B&B’s are close together and the open porches with wooden rocking chairs add to the quaintness of the environment. In the center of town is the Great Auditorium with music greats like Davy Jones performing on Saturday evenings and church services on Sundays. Surrounding the auditorium is a “tent city” with more than 100 tent style homes that are owned by the United Methodist Camp Association and leased to families.

The town is refreshingly not commercialized (there’s not a cell phone store or fast food chain to be found). The old-fashioned wooden boardwalk is undeveloped and is great for early morning bike rides and after-dinner romantic walks. The price of a daily beach pass is $7 this year but well worth it for the clean, spacious beach. After the lifeguards leave at 5:30, it’s fun to watch the surfers. If you come on a Sunday, be aware that the beach doesn’t open until 12:30.

During the week, the town is quiet and draws a lot of moms with small children. The weekend picks up and it can be hard to find parking. The diversity mirrors that of NJ with people from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds and ranging from families with small or teen-aged children, to 20- and 30-something singles to senior citizens. I’ve also noticed a number of rainbow flags in recent years.

What you don’t find in Ocean Grove is a party. Because it is a seriously dry town (you can bring in your own alcohol but there are no bars or liquor stores), things wind down around 11:00. If there is a night or two that I need a little more excitement, we usually take a 15-minute walk into Asbury Park and go to The Saint on Main Street, which features local musicians. Usually, however, I am content to sit on the front porch with a bottle of Sam Adams, hanging out with friends.

As tradition dictates, our last night we go out for a cup of the best ice cream in town. We pass the obvious Nagle’s (a pharmacy turned kitschy restaurant on a prominent corner of Main Avenue) where the line at the ice cream window stretches down the block. Instead we head around the corner and off the beaten path to Day’s ice cream parlor. Besides serving the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted, they allow you to order a small ice cream but get two flavors. While the most popular flavor “It’s a Goody” (vanilla ice cream, swirled peanut butter and chocolate chips), is well worth trying, my favorites are the chocolate espresso and butter pecan.

Ahhh. . . after a week in Ocean Grove, I’m ready to face my real life again.

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Sitting on the front porch after dinner, we heard an acoustic guitar being played down the street. We took a stroll to the sidewalk in front of the Daily Grind, home of the grinder which happens to be served on pita bread (?). But that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Anyway, the strumming we heard was from a young Pennsylvania guy named Dirk Quinn who had an interesting shtick. He plays a bit, records it on a loop station and plays back the recording while strumming over it. While I enjoyed the sound, I wasn’t familiar with any of the music. Then I recognized one of the songs . . . it was the Super Mario Bros video game . . . I was cracking up. Overall, he had a funk/jazz sound that was distinct and appropriate for a Friday night at the shore.

We caught about the last half hour of his gig. There were about 10 people sitting in front of the cafe at tables but no one seemed to actually have ordered anything. Friday nights in Ocean Grove are pretty calm but I expect that Saturday will be a lot busier. There was a group of about 4 guys in their early 20’s who absolutely loved him.

My darling Chris (an artist) really enjoyed it and even bought the studio CD for $10. He especially liked the cover art that was designed by Lars Leetaru (Dirk’s childhood friend), a Philadelphia artist who also does some work for the New York Times Book Review.

Dirk signed the CD and spoke to us a bit afterwards. He will perform with the Dirk Quinn band on July 5 (Thursday) at The Saint in Asbury Park (the town just north). He said when he’s with the band, the sound is even funkier. He enjoys having his own band because he can make the sound exactly like he wants it and can fire people without changing everything about the band. He was enthusiastic and gracious and seemed to appreciate that we stayed to talk to him.

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I’m on my vacation in Ocean Grove and one of my vacation joys is having the time to prepare my own food with fresh ingredients. A friend directed me to Delicious Orchards in Colt’s Neck, just off Route 34. I know that for many people grocery shopping, at best, is a chore but, for me, it is a culinary adventure (few things make me happier than a farmer’s market or a Trader Joe’s).

The store opened and all the ladies with their shopping carts rushed inside. The people who worked there all seemed either significantly older than us or exceptionally young and there was not a lot of diversity in the place. The staff was very friendly though and you had the sense it was a good place to work.

The space is very open and has a country store feel with low ceilings and no aisles. The first section we entered was the bakery where it all looked quite good and we were told items were made on site. We picked up a loaf of Italian style bread. Our fellow vacationer, Bruce, bought a pan of brownies and a coffee danish ring.

Next came the fruit — mounds of local strawberries that you could pick through and choose your own. There were melons, grapes, peaches pears, citrus, berries, dried fruits, and nuts. They also had prepared fruit plates and mixed fruit.

At some point this summer, I’d like to make another trip here to go raspberry picking.

Onto the beautiful vegetable section. Corn on the cob is a must-have on vacation. They had morel and chanterelles which fascinate me but my budget does not allow me to buy $25-a-pound mushrooms, so I got the portabellos to put on the grill and top with goat cheese. The mesclin and baby arugula looked so fresh and the parsley was super cheap so I got some of that too. After tasting their “ugly Jersey tomato” samples with sea salt, we had to have a few pounds of those to make bruschetta — which meant also getting a lovely bunch of aromatic fresh basil.

I eat mostly vegetarian food, but Bruce and my darling Chris are omnivores and thoroughly enjoyed the meat department where the hamburgers, fresh sausage and pork loin looked appetizing even to me. There is a prepared foods area too, for those who don’t enjoy cooking but appreciate wholesome food. There were bbq’d chicken tenders, stuffed peppers, spinach lasagna, and veggie burgers that appeared to have real veggies in them. The store also carries fresh pasta (I noticed ravioli made in Hackensack), fancy gourmet jarred food, cheese, fresh milk and eggs, and drinks like lemonade and apple cider.

The coffee and candy section was next. After sampling a free cup, I ordered a half pound of Delicious Orchards blend freshly ground — six of the world’s finest coffees make up this blend of higher-grown Arabica beans; it was distinctively sharp and medium bodied, with a smooth, rich delightful flavor

The sorbet I wanted to buy was made in Red Bank but was $8 a pint, so I went with the Ciao Bella Blackberry Cabernet sorbet. When we got back outside, I tried out a kid’s portion of their ice cream which is made in Staten Island. I had the butter pecan which was delicious.

The only real criticism I have is that the only organic produce they carry seems industrial organic (instead of small farmer organic). All in all, it was a fun way to spend the morning and we have a bounty of produce to grill and make some very healthy & delicious meals.

Delicious Orchards
The Country Food Market
36 Route 34
Colts Neck NJ 07722
(732) 462-1989
www.deliciousorchardsnj.com

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