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Cafe La Maison

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 by virginia

Like Joey from Friends, I love sandwiches. I like the endless possibilities that sandwiches offer – different breads, different fillings, different condiments. You can make up a different combination every time. When Josh’s parents introduced us to Cafe La Maison in Fort Lee, it was like sandwich heaven. They have 30 varieties of gourmet sandwiches, on your choice of bread, plus assorted wraps, salads, and pastas.

The first time we went, Josh and I had a hard time deciding which sandwiches to try. We ended up splitting the Garden State sandwich and the Fab Four grilled cheese. The Garden State featured turkey, fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, arugula, and olive oil. We opted for a soft Italian hero, which had a nice chewy texture but was a bit too thick and dense. The turkey was thickly sliced and tasted fresh, though between that and all the bread, the sandwich did get a bit dry. The sun dried tomatoes helped cut through it with its tangy saltiness, but I wished there was some sort of dressing on it, and more olive oil. I ended up using some honey mustard, which provided some much needed moisture. I’m sure I could have gotten some balsamic vinaigrette, or better yet, some pesto sauce, if I had asked for some.

The Garden State sandwich

The Fab Four grilled cheese featured fresh mozzarella, cheddar, provolone, swiss, bacon, and tomato. We chose rye bread, which was buttered before it was grilled, making the outside nice and crispy while the filling was just oozing warm, melted cheese. The bacon added yet another layer of richness and decadence, but the tomato sort of faked you into thinking that the sandwich really wasn’t that bad for you. Hey, at least we split one, right? Truthfully, the sandwich was so delicious and such a hit with us that we ordered it on our next visit to Cafe La Maison as well.

Fab Four Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese innards

On our second visit, we also shared the grilled chicken and eggplant hero on Italian bread. The sandwich had a thick piece of grilled chicken breast, thin slices of breaded eggplant, fresh mozzarella, marinara sauce, and pesto on it. It was like a chicken/eggplant parm sandwich, only better. The chicken was moist and and tender, and the eggplant wasn’t soggy or greasy. The pesto added a nice basil flavor, and the marinara sauce was sweet and tangy. Even the bread was better this time around, more crisp on the outside and not as thick. It was a really well constructed sandwich.

Grilled chicken and eggplant hero

All of the sandwiches are served with a light cole slaw that isn’t drowning in mayo, and a sour pickle spear. On the first visit, we shared a basket of sweet potato fries. The fries were fantastic – light, crispy, not the least bit greasy. We happily dipped them in honey mustard sauce.

Sweet potato fries

On our second visit, we opted for the regular fries. These were also crispy and grease-less, but they were pretty flavorless as well. We tried salting them liberally with salt from the shaker but even that didn’t help. I would stick with the sweet potato fries from now on, which not only tasted better, but are probably a bit more nutritious as well.

Regular french fries

Overall I think Cafe La Maison is one of my new favorite lunch places to go to when we’re in NJ. The restaurant is kind of small but it’s bright and comfortable. We haven’t even scratched the surface of the kinds of sandwiches they offer, but I haven’t seen anyone disappointed with their choices so far. The ingredients they use are fresh and top notch, and it’s the kind of place where we’ll happily return to time and time again. The menu is very reasonably priced, with most of the sandwiches, wraps, and salads coming in under $10. They also serve assorted baked goods and breakfast items, like eggs and pancakes. It’s definitely a nice little place to have in the neighborhood.

Cafe La Maison
140 Main St.
Fort Lee, NJ

Tags: Fries, Grilled Cheese, NJ, Sandwiches
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White Horse Tavern

Monday, January 17th, 2011 by virginia

The White Horse Tavern is another one of those NYC institutions that we’ve heard about but had never tried. It is where the writer Dylan Thomas supposedly drank himself to death after imbibing on 18 glasses of whiskey. We wandered in one afternoon after trying and failing to get into the Spotted Pig for a late lunch. We had heard from several people that the burgers at the White Horse were great, even better than the Corner Bistro, which is a pretty strong claim considering the Corner Bistro is our favorite burger place.

The tavern wasn’t very full when we arrived so we got a nice seat in the corner in view of the bar and next to the window so we could people watch. After ordering mugs of Anchor Steam to start, we looked over the short menu that mostly included bar food. Obviously we were here for the burgers so I got a plain hamburger, medium rare, while Josh opted for a bacon cheeseburger, also medium rare.

Our food arrived fairly quickly, and the burger looked pretty promising. It was a thick patty with a nice dark crust on the outside, and was served on a toasted white bread bun with lettuce, tomato, and pickles. The burger came with a side of steak fries, my least favorite cut of french fries, but they were well fried and crispy, not mealy or soggy.

Plain hamburger with fries

Josh’s burger looked the same, just with the addition of American cheese and bacon. While the cheese probably could have been melted a bit more, the bacon was nice and crispy.

Bacon cheeseburger with fries

While the burger itself was cooked perfectly, perfectly seared on the outside and pink on the inside, it lacked seasoning. The patty had a soft, crumbly texture that I liked, but the meat was really bland. A little salt and pepper would have gone a long way. I sprinkled some on top but because the burger was so thick, it really didn’t make a big difference.

Autopsy shot

Overall we were both a little disappointed with the burger from the White Horse Tavern. It had a lot of potential and is still a pretty decent bar burger, but the lack of seasoning just ruined it for me. Everything worked texturally, and it was cooked perfectly, but the meat was just really bland. It definitely was not as good as the burgers from Corner Bistro. Nevertheless, the tavern is a nice place to hang out and have a drink. It has an old school NYC feel to it, and the historical aspect of the place is also pretty interesting. It’s definitely worth stopping by for a drink or two (maybe just not 18) just for the atmosphere.

White Horse Tavern
567 Hudson St. at 11th St.
New York, NY

Tags: Bars, Burgers, Fries
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Fava Bean Falafel

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 by virginia

Josh is currently in Israel, the lucky duck, so in honor of his trip I’m going to write about the time we made falafel using the fava beans from our CSA share. Falafel is pretty popular in Israel, although the version we made was actually Egyptian falafel, called ta’amiya. While falafel is more commonly made from chickpeas, we fell in love with the fava bean ta’amiya while we were on our honeymoon in Egypt.

The fava beans we got from the CSA were still in the pods, so first we had to split the pods open and remove the beans. The beans, however, were encased in a tough, thick skin that we needed to peel off before we could eat them. These were a pain in the butt to peel and took a long time. We basically had to carefully cut through the shell without cutting too deeply into the bean itself, and then use our fingers to break the skin off. If you can get shelled fava beans, I suggest going with those!

Fava beans still encased in a thick skin

We based our recipe from this one that we found on the Food Network site. We improvised a bit because we didn’t have everything on hand, but they still turned out really well. This is what we used, which made six falafel balls:

– 1 lb fava beans still in pods
– 2 small cloves garlic
– 1 large handful parsley (we actually ran out of parsley and used carrot greens instead, which worked great and had a similar grassy flavor)
– 1 small bunch chives (we didn’t have scallions)
– 1/2 teaspoon cumin
– 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
– 1/2 teaspoon salt

We ground up the beans, garlic, chives, and greens in the food processor, then mixed in the cumin, baking powder, and salt. It should have a paste-like consistency.

Fava beans, garlic, carrot greens, chives

Josh toasted up some sesame seeds in a pan, which we used to coat the falafel balls. We also ground up a handful of the seeds with some olive oil to make a sort of tahini sauce, though it wound up being slightly too bitter. Next time I’ll just buy pre-made tahini sauce.

Toasting sesame seeds

To make the balls, I wet my hands a little and then scooped up some of the falafel mixture and rolled it into a sphere using the palms of my hands. Then I flattened it a little to make a patty shape, and then rolled it in the toasted sesame seeds. I repeated the process until I used up all of the mixture.

Falafel balls ready for deep frying

We heated up some vegetable oil in our dutch oven to fry the falafel balls. We wanted to deep fry them so we probably had about 3-4 inches of oil in the pot. While the oil was heating up, I put the falafel balls in the fridge to firm up a bit. Then I carefully dropped them in one by one into the hot oil. Once they were nicely browned, I pulled them out and put them on paper towels to drain.

Deep fried falafel balls

I cut one of the balls in half to make sure they were cooked through, and it was beautifully green and creamy in the center.

Beautiful green innards

To serve, we heated up some pita bread in the oven, then cut them in half to expose the pockets. We filled each pocket with a few falafel balls, plus chopped lettuce and tomatoes. Then we drizzled some of the homemade tahini sauce on top. It was pretty freakin’ delicious, I have to say. The falafel was really flavorful and had great texture. They were crispy on the outside and moist in the middle. We could taste the fava beans and the herbiness of the carrot greens, while the cumin bound everything together. We were extremely pleased with how these turned out.

Falafel sandwich in all its glory

Since we had oil ready for deep frying, I couldn’t resist making a batch of homemade french fries. It was easy – just cut a few potatoes into french fry shapes. You can make them as thick or as thin as you want. Fry them up in batches so they have enough room to get crispy on the outside. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper immediately. Eat while they’re warm and fresh out of the oil.

Homemade french fries

I would absolutely make this falafel again, though like I said, I would buy fava beans that are already shelled. Yes, the fresh favas tasted fantastic, but I don’t know if they were worth the work. It really was a huge pain to have to shell all of them, and I just don’t have the patience. If you’ve never tried ta’amiya, definitely give this recipe a shot. It’s really easy to make (once the favas are shelled), and it’s a nice change of pace from the standard chickpea falafels. I haven’t found any restaurant yet that serves our beloved Egyptian style falafels, so if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know! But for now, I can just make them on my own and be completely satisfied.

Tags: Falafel, Fava Beans, Fries
Posted in CSA, Recipes | 3 Comments »

Alma Cocina Viva (Puno, Peru)

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010 by virginia

Because our hotel, the Casa Andina Private Collection, was so far out of the main area in Puno, we ended up eating dinner at the hotel restaurant, Alma, both nights we stayed there. We stayed at many different Casa Andina PCs during our time in Peru and the hotel restaurant was always named Alma but we didn’t know how similar the menu was from place to place. Based on the menus on their website, it looks like each restaurant serves local specialties as well as some standard Peruvian dishes that overlap at each location.

Our meal on both nights started off with a basket of bread. There were some soft dinner rolls as well as seeded breadsticks. The rolls were a bit stale but tasted good when dipped into a garlicky spread topped with sweet balsamic vinegar.

Dinner rolls and breadsticks

Garlic spread with balsamic vinegar

On the first night, neither of us were really hungry so we just ordered entrees and no appetizers. We chose a dish that was described as being a traditional Puno dish, called saqta de gallina. Gallina is hen, but we didn’t know what saqta meant. When the dish arrived and I saw it was in a yellow sauce, I was terrified that it would be the ocopa sauce that I disliked so much. My fears intensified when I saw a bright green herb sprinkled on top of the dish, which I thought would be the dreaded Andean mint. Fortunately, it wasn’t. The yellow sauce had a mild sweet flavor and reminded me of korma sauce, which I love. The pieces of chicken were tender, and it was mixed with onions and potatoes. There was Andean cheese on top of the dish but they were easily moved aside. Josh and I both ended up really enjoying the dish, and we were pleasantly surprised.

Saqta de gallina - a traditional Puno dish

Our other entree was lomo saltado, a standard Peruvian dish. It’s stir fried beef with onions, tomatoes, and peppers, served with french fries and rice. The beef was a little salty but it was tender and flavorful. The french fries were pretty good as well, I just wish they had given us more because there were only about a dozen fries altogether. I do love my french fries!

Lomo saltado

On our second night eating at Alma, Josh got a yellow potato cream soup to start. Peruvian potatoes are a bit more starchy than the ones we’re used to, but the soup was rich and creamy with lots of potato flavor. There was a chili oil on top but it wasn’t spicy, and once it was stirred into the soup we didn’t notice it at all.

Yellow potato cream soup

For my entree, I selected the alpaca steak frites because I loved the alpaca we had at Zig Zag, and I love french fries, of course. Unfortunately, the menu did not say that the alpaca would be crusted in cumin seeds. The pieces of meat were absolutely covered, and while I like the flavor of cumin, crunching into whole seeds with every bite was really not pleasant. I tried to scrape of the seeds as best as I could but it kind of ruined the dish for me. The alpaca was also a bit tough and chewy, and I was disappointed with the dish overall. To add insult to injury, the portion of fries was once again pretty paltry.

Alpaca steak frites

Josh ordered a dish that was recommended, which was glazed kingfish in a sesame honey sauce served with mashed potatoes and garlic tempura vegetables. The kingfish came from the lake, which meant that it was fresh. However, I took one bite and almost spit it out. The fish had been crusted in sesame seeds, which I found overpoweringly bitter, and the honey sauce was so cloyingly sweet. I wanted to try another bite, thinking that maybe I just got a bad piece, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The first bite had taken me a lot of willpower to swallow and not throw up. It was such a strong reaction that even Josh was a little shocked. Josh liked the dish though, so I guess our palates just reacted very differently to the flavors.

Glazed kingfish in a sesame honey sauce

Overall I wasn’t so thrilled with the food at Alma, but it was certainly convenient for us since it was right in the hotel. I did like the saqta de gallina dish from the first night, and the lomo saltado was decent, but nothing was really super impressive. Prices were on the higher side for Peru, though not very expensive by NYC standards. Entrees mostly ranged from 30-40 soles, or about US$11-14. Service was fine, and they actually brought a phone to us one night when our tour guide was trying to reach us. Still, I kind of regret not eating in the city, especially since we generally don’t like to repeat restaurants when we’re away. Oh well. While I can’t really recommend Alma unless you’re in a bind, I do think that Casa Andina PC is a great hotel chain.

Alma Cocina Viva
Av.Sesqui Centenario 1970
Puno, Peru

Tags: Alpaca, Chicken, Fries, Peru, Puno, Seafood, Soup, Steak
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Zig Zag (Arequipa, Peru)

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010 by virginia

After our early morning start to see the condors at Colca Canyon, we were pretty tired by the time we got back to Arequipa, a four hour drive away. Our experience with altitude had left us feeling a bit sluggish and took away our appetites so I couldn’t stomach the thought of eating anything complicated. While the Peruvian food we had eaten so far was tasty, some of it was really rich, and there were a lot of spices and herbs mixed into the sauces. I was in the mood for something plain and simple, and Zig Zag fit the bill.

One of the couples in our Colca Canyon tour group had eaten there before and recommended it to us. They said that we would probably need reservations but we decided to chance it, arriving at the restaurant at an early hour for dinner. The restaurant was empty but every table had a little “Reserved” sign on it. Uh oh. However, because we were there so early, they told us they could accommodate us if we finished before a certain time, when the reservations were to be honored. Since that gave us an hour and a half to eat, we had no issues. We settled down to eat and they brought us a small dish of cheese and olives to start. The cheese was crumbly and salty, like feta.

Cheese and olives

The menu featured all different kind of meats, most of which were sold by the gram and simply prepared. We picked out three dishes to share, including an appetizer of three different tartares – trout, tuna, and salmon. All three with simply prepared with a little bit of olive and citrus. Each was topped with a sundried tomato that was intensely flavorful. The plate was garnished with cornichon, hearts of palm, capers, peppers, and a tiny quail egg. The fish was super fresh, and nicely cut into small cubes. The portions of each tartare were ample, and we enjoyed every bite.

Trout, tuna, and salmon tartare

While we were eating our tartares, they also brought us some small rolls of bread with herbed butter. The bread was soft and chewy and the butter was flavorful. They were fine to nibble on.

Roll with herbed butter

For the main part of our meal, they brought us paper bibs to wear. Yes, bibs. Our waitress told us they were “necessary”, and when our food came, we saw why. We had ordered a grilled platter that came with four different kinds of meat. The meat was served on hot volcanic stones and were sizzling hot. The juice from the meat was literally sputtering when the platter arrived, so the bibs protected our clothes. In reality, we probably didn’t need bibs but it was all in good fun. We found them amusing and wore them proudly. What astonished me most, however, was the amount of food we were brought.

When we ordered the assorted meat platter (which I actually thought came from the appetizer section), we told the waitress we would be sharing it. When the platter came, there were actually two sets of stone, each with its own set of four meats. It also came with a huge bowl of french fries that could have easily fed four people. I couldn’t believe this was one order, and I worried that the waitress had misunderstood us and had placed two orders instead. Turns out that wasn’t the case. It really was an order for one, and boy, that was a lot of food. The meats were marked with toothpicks so we could identify what each one was, and it came with ostrich, alpaca, beef, and lamb.

Huge platter of meat - ostrich, alpaca, beef, lamb

The meats were already cooked to perfection so we quickly removed them from the stones to prevent them from overcooking. They were very simply prepared, just a little seasoning and grilled on the stones. After all the rich foods we had eaten on our trip, it was a welcomed change. The alpaca was tender and tasted similar to veal or pork. The beef had actual beef flavor, and the lamb was nicely gamey. The only meat we didn’t like was the ostrich, which was tough and bland. We dipped the meats into the various bowls of sauce that included an ajo sauce (garlicky), tartar sauce, herbed butter sauce, and a spicy rocoto (pepper) sauce.

The fries that came with the meats were heavenly. They were super crispy on the outside, potato-y on the inside, and not greasy at all. They were seasoned with salt and that was it. I ate handfuls, even without ketchup, and enjoyed every one of them. I am an avid french fry eater and even I couldn’t get through all of it. We left half the bowl behind, and let me tell you, I was really tempted to ask them to pack it up for us.

Awesome french fries

We had been worried that the meats wouldn’t be enough food so we got a small order of camarones, or crayfish, which are an Arequipan specialty. The camarones also came sizzling hot on a volcanic stone. We were too busy eating all the meat first, however, so they did get a bit overcooked sitting on the hot stone. They were still really tasty though, fresh and flavorful.

Camarones on the hot volcanic stone

The camarones came with a choice of a side dish so we opted for fried yuca. They turned out to be breaded yuca croquettes, with a crisp exterior and creamy interior. They were really good but a little starchy, and we were beyond full at this point.

Fried yuca

The veggie action in our meal came from a side dish of ratatouille. To be perfectly honest, we really didn’t eat it because we were too busy stuffing our faces full of meat and carbs.

Ratatouille

Josh and I had walked into the restaurant not feeling so hungry, and the amount of food we ended up ordering (by accident) was pretty hilarious. Our table was absolutely filled, and despite not having an appetite to begin with, we made a pretty good dent into everything.

So much food!

Overall we both absolutely loved Zig Zag. It was one of the best meals we had in all of Peru, even though it was one of simplest meals we had. The meats and camarones were all top notch and the presentation was pretty neat. The fried sides were all well prepared, and I couldn’t stop eating the french fries even after I was stuffed. The restaurant was empty when we arrived but by the time we left, it was packed and there was a line at the door. The vibe was upbeat but not stuffy, and it’s someplace that I wouldn’t have minded hanging out at the bar. Service was great and the prices were actually really reasonable. For all of our food, which included the trio of tartares, the assortment of meats, the camarones, all sides, plus a few Cusquena beers, the total was S/182 after tax and tip. That’s about US$67, which would be an absolute steal here in NYC. If you find yourself in Arequipa, run, don’t walk to Zig Zag! Reservations are definitely recommended.

Zig Zag Restaurant
Zela 210 – Cercado
Arequipa, Peru

Tags: Alpaca, Arequipa, Crayfish, Fries, Lamb, Ostrich, Peru, Steak, Tuna Tartare
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BYO Brunch at Nook

Saturday, August 28th, 2010 by virginia

I’ve written about Nook twice already, first about brunch and then about dinner, but it’s such a great little place that I couldn’t resist writing about it a third time. We went for a late brunch one weekend with our bottle of champagne in tow and got some of their tasty freshly squeezed orange juice to make mimosas. Josh was in the mood for something sweet to start, so we split an order of Nutella on a baguette with strawberries and bananas. It’s such a simple combination, but oh so delicious. The strawberries were juicy and sweet, and they went perfectly with our champagne.

Baguettes spread with Nutella and topped with strawberries and bananas

For our entrees, Josh and I split two sandwiches, the turkey sandwich and the croque monsieur. We ordered the croque monsieur last time as well, but it’s such a great sandwich that we can’t resist ordering it time and time again. It’s not the typical Parisian style of sandwich, with ham, gruyere, and bechamel. Rather, it’s a ham, cheddar, and tomato sandwich on thick, buttered bread that’s grilled until the cheese is melted. It’s salty and gooey, though the tomato helps cut the richness a bit. The sandwich comes with a big pile of rosemary fries and a small mixed greens salad.

Croque monsieur autopsy shot, and fries

The turkey sandwich was smoked turkey, tomato, cucumbers, and a spicy beet relish on a baguette. The turkey was sliced thickly and moist, while the spicy beet relish was actually horseradish with beets, the kind that Josh’s family serves with gefilte fish. I thought the cucumber was an unusual addition to the sandwich, but it added a nice crunch. The sandwich also came with a big pile of rosemary fries.

Turkey sandwich autopsy shot, with fries

The brunch at Nook is definitely one of my favorites. The restaurant is just very low key, and service is super friendly. It’s not the typical brunch scene, but the food is good and it’s a cozy place to chat. Don’t forget to bring a bottle of champagne (or two!), and I’m sure that you’ll have a great experience as well.

Nook
746 9th Ave. between 50th and 51st St.
New York, NY

Tags: Brunch, BYO, Fries, Midtown West, Sandwiches
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Country Pancake House and Restaurant

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 by virginia

We were in NJ one weekend and went for brunch with Alice at the Country Pancake House and Restaurant in Ridgewood. It’s sort of like a homestyle diner, with a massive menu and even more massive portions. There’s a huge list of breakfast options, with many different kinds of eggs, omelettes, waffles, frittatas, etc., and, of course, pancakes. There are also multiple lunch/dinner options, with sandwiches, burgers, chicken, even seafood and steaks. Since it was still early, we decided to stick with the breakfast items, though there were so many choices that it was a bit overwhelming. We finally made our selections and settled in to munch on the basket of chocolate chip cornbread that they brought us.

Chocolate chip cornbread

The cornbread was sweet and fluffy, lightly toasted on the outside, and chock full of chocolate chips. They were a tad on the sweet side but still a pretty tasty way to start off the meal.

The restaurant also has a pretty extensive juice bar, so Josh decided to get a glass of cantaloupe and carrot juice. It was bright orange and a little frothy on top. Taste-wise, I thought the carrot flavor was stronger than the cantaloupe flavor. It was pretty refreshing though, with the natural sweetness of the vegetable and fruit shining through. I felt healthier just drinking a little bit of it.

Cantaloupe and carrot juice

For breakfast, I chose the country corned beef hash platter, which was a huge pile of corned beef hash topped with three poached eggs. It came with a side of home fries, but I substituted french fries, and two giant pancakes (I selected chocolate chip). The amount of food I got was just ridiculous, and there was no way for me to finish it all.

Corned beef hash, three poached eggs, french fries

The eggs were all perfectly poached, soft on the outside and runny on the inside. The corned beef has was nice and meaty, with not too much diced potato filler. It wasn’t overly salty, and when I mixed it with the egg yolks it became rich and velvety. The french fries were crispy and a little seasoned, just the way I like them.

Nicely poached eggs with runny yolks

The chocolate chip pancakes that came with my platter were the size of dinner plates, and there were two of them. They were light and fluffy and studded with lots of chips.

Chocolate chip pancakes

Both Josh and Alice chose the country spirit platter, which came with three eggs any style (they opted for over easy), bacon, sausage, ham, home fries, and pancakes. And no, it wasn’t a choice between bacon, sausage, or ham, the platter came with all three. They both also opted for blueberry pancakes, which were just as large as mine.

Blueberry pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, ham, home fries

We barely made a dent in our platters though, and all around us, everyone was getting huge doggy bags to go. After we had eaten our fill, I combined all of our leftovers and ended up taking home four eggs, four pieces of bacon, two pieces of ham, one sausage, about a pound of home fries, a huge pile of corned beef hash, and a huge pile of french fries. On top of that, we had four pancakes left over, three blueberry and one chocolate chip. This amount of food lasted me the entire week. I ended up eating some of it for lunch and some of it for dinner.

Despite the insane amount of food we each received, everything was well prepared and properly cooked. All of our eggs were appropriately runny, the bacon was perfectly crispy, and everything was served hot. To top it off, our platters were under $10 each. How can you beat that?

I feel like there’s some sort of Man vs. Food challenge in here somewhere. Adam Richman – if you’re looking for a place to visit in the northern NJ area, the Country Pancake House and Restaurant definitely fits the bill!

Country Pancake House and Restaurant
140 East Ridgewood Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ

Tags: Bacon, Corned Beef Hash, Eggs, Fries, NJ, Pancakes, Ridgewood
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Vintage

Sunday, June 27th, 2010 by virginia

In honor of my last year as a 20-something year old, a large group of us met up for a boozy brunch at Vintage. I’ve walked past the bar/restaurant many times before but had never gone in, but one Saturday I noticed that they offered all you can drink brunch for an additional $8 on top of a brunch entree, which is quite the bargain. It included unlimited mimosas, bellinis, and bloody marys, with no restrictions on time or switching between drinks.

Josh and I arrived first (shocking!) and staked out tables in the front near the bar. There are also lounge areas in the back with couches and low tables, as well as an outdoor garden, but we figured regular tables were more conducive to eating. We started out with a round of bloody marys while we waited for everyone else to arrive.

Spicy bloody mary

The bloody marys were pretty tasty, with lots of horseradish that made it nice and spicy. There was a strong celery flavor as well, and it was perfectly seasoned, with just the right amount of vodka. I ended up having a few of these before moving on to my next batch of drinks. Most everyone else stuck with mimosas, which were slightly heavy on the orange juice but didn’t really skimp in the champagne department either.

Table full of mimosas

The brunch menu is pretty extensive at Vintage, with various egg/omelet options, french toast, burgers, and sandwiches. Josh had classic eggs benedict with the hollandaise sauce on the side. The eggs were well poached and still runny, and it was a perfectly adequate rendition of eggs benedict. The hash browns though were really good. They were made from shredded potatoes, nicely seasoned, and crispy on the outside. Yum!

Eggs benedict with shredded hash browns

I opted for the chicken sandwich with avocado, hardboiled egg, bacon, and mayo. The chicken was tender and not dried out, and the avocado added a nice creaminess to the sandwich. The bacon was extra to add on but provided a crunchy saltiness that balanced out the flavors and textures. The sandwich came with a big pile of shoestring fries that were hot, thin, and crispy. This place really knows how to cook potatoes!

Chicken sandwich with bacon, egg, and avocado, plus shoestring fries

In addition to the bloody marys and mimosas, I also tried the bellinis. They were made with peach juice and champagne and were refreshing, though a tad sweet. I could definitely taste the peach and it was nice and bubbly.

Peach bellini

I really liked the brunch we had at Vintage and thought it was a good deal, especially for all you can drink brunch. Most entrees ranged from $8-$10, and the unlimited drinks were only an additional $8. Our waiter was super friendly and not stingy with the drinks, topping off everyone’s drinks before they even got half empty. It wasn’t crowded at all so it was quiet enough to hear each other talk. I really liked the laid back atmosphere and the great service. We’ve since gone there for after work drinks, and they have an extensive martini list with over 200 concoctions. Everything we had was tasty and appropriately strong, and I’m sure we’ll be going back there more often from now on.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who came out! I had a blast!

Vintage
753 9th Ave. between 50th and 51st St.
New York, NY

Tags: Bars, Brunch, Eggs Benedict, Fries, Midtown West, Sandwiches
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Jane

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 by virginia

Josh and I are fans of brunch but we’re not big fans of the stereotypical “brunch scene.” We prefer low key places, preferably with cheap drink specials, that serve reliably good food. We also don’t wake up that early on weekend mornings so having a place that serves brunch late is also important. Occasionally, however, when we go out with a large group of people, we end up going to brunch places we normally wouldn’t attempt on a typical weekend. Such was the case when we were in a group of nine and tried to get a table at Jane in Greenwich Village during prime Sunday brunch hours.

In our defense, we had made a reservation for brunch knowing full well what the scene is like there. In their defense, half our party showed up late. However, they kept us waiting for well over an hour after that, and it didn’t appear that our table would have been ready at the designated reservation time regardless of whether or not everyone showed up on time. To make matters worse, it was pouring rain and there really is no space to wait inside the restaurant. There’s an awning outside but that was packed with people as well. Our table finally freed up, and we were led downstairs away from the main dining room. I honestly didn’t mind because it was a bit quieter downstairs and the tables are further apart.

We were pretty fed up at this point and quickly ordered a round of drinks. Josh and I both got bloody marys, and Jane makes one of the best versions that I’ve had. It’s tangy and spicy with lots of horseradish mixed in, and packs a decent alcoholic punch.

Spicy bloody marys

Next we attacked the bread basket while we looked over the menu. There were pieces of a crusty Italian bread, a cranberry and walnut wheat bread, and some peppery crispy crackers. The bread came with a sweet strawberry butter that I really enjoyed slathered on everything.

Basket of bread and sweet strawberry butter

Josh and I went halfsies on our entrees, choosing one from the “brunch” section of the menu and one from the “lunch” section. First was the Benedict Jane, which was poached eggs on crab and crawfish cakes with spinach and tarragon hollandaise. The eggs were poached pretty well, still runny on the inside, and the crab and crawfish cakes were pretty tasty. I also liked that it wasn’t drowning in hollandaise sauce, since we forgot to get it on the side. The accompanying roasted potatoes were pretty bad though, limp, soggy, and greasy.

Benedict Jane

Our lunch entree was the BLT & E, which was bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a sunny side up egg on a ciabatta roll with lemon aioli. The sandwich was absolutely fantastic, and exactly what I hope for in a BLT & E. The egg was nice and runny and the bacon was crispy. The lemon aioli really brightened up all the flavors. The accompanying rosemary fries were thin and crispy – way better than the sad roasted potatoes.

BLT & E - how good does that look?

While the food at Jane is passable for the most part, I still can’t get over how crowded it is during brunch and how long the wait is for a table, even with a reservation. The restaurant is packed to the brim and incredibly noisy, making it hard to carry on a conversation. It’s also on the pricier side for brunch, with most options hovering around the $15-$16 dollar mark, although that does include one brunch drink (lunch items don’t include a drink). Additional drinks will cost you though, $12 for specialty cocktails and $11 for champagne cocktails. While I love the bloody marys they serve, the atmosphere and the wait is really hard for me to deal with. It’s worth checking out once in a while but it’s definitely not somewhere we frequent. I definitely recommend trying to get a reservation, and hopefully, they’ll keep it.

Jane
100 West Houston St. between Thompson St. and LaGuardia Pl.
New York, NY

Tags: Bacon, Brunch, Eggs Benedict, Fries, Greenwich Village
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The Ridge Diner

Monday, April 19th, 2010 by virginia

Josh and I were in NJ running some errands and had lunch with Alice at The Ridge, a diner in, appropriately enough, Park Ridge. It’s fairly standard in terms of diner decor, understated and not kitschy, but I was pleasantly surprised by the extensive menu. There were tons of breakfast-type options, assorted sandwiches, and all different kinds of wraps, burgers, entrees, etc.

There were quite a few things that looked appealing to me but ultimately I settled on a grilled chicken panini with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and pesto sauce. The panini was pressed to a nice crisp, though I wish the cheese had been a little bit more melty. Flavor-wise it was pretty good, especially with the fresh tasting pesto sauce slathered on the flatbread. I also opted for seasoned fries, which turned out to be curly fries – score! Who doesn’t love curly fries? They were freshly fried, nicely seasoned, and very yummy.

Grilled chicken panini with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and pesto, plus awesome curly fries

Josh ordered the shrimp po’ boy, which was more like a shrimp cutlet sandwich. Instead of small, bite-sized pieces of fried shrimp, they used large, butterflied, breaded pieces of shrimp. It was served on a decent french roll with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce, and despite the unusual preparation, it was still a tasty sandwich. Josh opted for regular fries with his sandwich, which were sadly limp and disappointing. Curly is definitely the way to go!

Shrimp po' boy, sort of, with regular fries

Alice got a BLT on rye toast with avocado. It was a huge sandwich (she only ended up eating half) and the bacon was extra crispy, just as she asked for. The avocado, which she added on extra, was actually a clever touch. It added a nice creaminess to the sandwich and rendered mayo completely unnecessary. That’s something I’ll have to try the next time I get a BLT or a club sandwich, since I’m addicted to mayo. Avocado is a much more healthful choice.

BLT on rye toast with avocado

We also got a plate of onion rings, which were big slices of real onion that were lightly breaded. They were pretty crispy, just slightly greasy, and very tasty.

Crispy onion rings

As far as diners go, The Ridge would be a great one to have in the neighborhood. There are lots of options available, portions are large, and prices are pretty reasonable. Service was quick and attentive but they didn’t rush us at all. Too bad it’s a bit far from our hometown but I would definitely go back if I was in the area. There were still other things on the menu that I wanted to try!

The Ridge Diner
125 Kinderkamack Rd.
Park Ridge, NJ

Tags: Diner, Fries, NJ, Sandwiches
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