onate's Profile
Hoboken Lunch Gems?
It's okay. For Mexican take-out, I'd go with Mission Burritos on 4th St., by the park. But if you're looking for lighter burritos or more vegetarian options, then El Barrio might be a good choice for you.
jersey city indian?
I'd recommend Sapthagiri. It's all-vegetarian. They have dosas and other South Indian specialties as well as North Indian dishes. I went there last night and was impressed by the flavors & freshness. We ordered the Iddly and Vada app, had the house specialty dosa with cheese filling (it was fresh grated, not melted), a Saag Paneer (which was very good - not too oily), and a mixed vegetable curry (which had a nice amount of kick).
The ambience is pretty casual, but a step above the nearby fast-food joints with formica tables and harsh fluorescent lighting.
Grimaldi's
I don't know about the Brooklyn location, but the Grimaldi's in Hoboken still serves up great pizza. I think you have to eat it there though - somehow putting it in the cardboard box seems to drain some of the life out of it. Plain is okay - but it's better with a topping or two (I recommend the garlic cloves, pepperoni, eggplant, and broccoli - though not all at the same time).
Hoboken Lunch Gems?
The Cubano sandwich at La Isla is very garlicky, this is true. It's also pretty inexpensive though - about $6 as I recall - so I'm not sure how this other place could be a "fraction of the cost" unless the sandwich is like $3 there. But La Isla for me is not about the sandwiches. Their dinner fish specials are the best, IMO. The lunch specials are also a great deal if you're looking for more traditional Cuban fare.
For other Hoboken lunch options, I'd suggest Grimaldi's for a personal pizza (though I'm not sure how early they open), Sri Thai for good, spicy Thai food, or Karma Kafe for Indian. If you're uptown, The Madison and Amanda's are solid choices for American (Amanda's being more upscale). Oh, and I almost forgot Zafra - another excellent Cuban choice, though I'm not sure what their lunch hours are.
Vegetarian - HELP
I'm not a vegetarian, but my wife is, so I tend to eat at veg-friendly places. I second the idea of Curry Hill for Indian, also the veg platter at an Ethiopian restaurant or at a good Mid-Eastern such as Beyoglu is a good choice. For an all-veg American place, my pick would be Caravan of Dreams in the East Village - it's maybe a bit pricey for the casual atmosphere and food, but the portions are generous, it's fresh and healthy, and I like the laidback EV atmosphere. If you're lucky, there might even be live music to accompany the meal. Gobo, on the UES, is pretty good too. For a more upscale dining experience, Candle 79 isn't bad.
Being relocated from SF bay area to Hoboken- help a fellow hound out?
Patsy's much better than Grimaldis? Hmm, I'll assume you're talking about the original Patsy's in East Harlem and not the chain that now bears that name and has multiple locations around the city. The stuff at the chain is definitely not better than Grimaldis - but I've never had it at the East Harlem location. Obviously best pizza in NYC is a very contentious question, but Grimaldi's (the Brooklyn location) is regularly among the top 5 or so names mentioned in any discussion of the topic - and they have the block-long lines to prove it. The Hoboken location is much less crowded and little-mentioned, but with the same ownership, and (I assume) a similar product (I'm not crazy enough about pizza to make the pilgrimage to Brooklyn and wait in line for an hour or more to find out).
But basically, I agree that Hoboken has lots of pretty good and reasonably affordable restaurants, but not too many world-beaters. It's a pretty small town, so that should be expected. (If you like Cuban, btw, I'd recommend La Isla (on Washington) over Zafra.)
Searching for best store bought salsas
My top two are Herdez and Pace. I much prefer those over Green Mountain Gringo, Newman's Own, or the Santa Barbara deli-case kind. None can compete with good home-made though.
Being relocated from SF bay area to Hoboken- help a fellow hound out?
There is a Trader Joes in Edgewater, as the other commenter mentioned, that is within fairly easy driving distance of Hoboken. There is also a Whole Foods near the Trader Joes. In Hoboken, there is a Garden of Eden on Washington St. that has a decent cheese selection. I haven't found a great place to buy fish in Hoboken. If you find a place to buy fresh tortillas, I'd be interested. There are a couple of decent Mexican restaurants in town: Charritos (two locations on Washington) and Baja (14th St), but they're probably not going to live up to SF comparisons. In terms of Hoboken specialties, I'd recommend the brick-oven pizza at Grimaldis.
