Melting the Night Away

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/

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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

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Familial Culinary Joys

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/

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A Cheap, Yummy Plastic-Coated Gem

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

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Sometimes You Just Luck Out

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

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