bfl13's Profile
Osteria Procaccini in Kingston NJ
My wife and I dined there 2 weeks ago and came away smiling! The food was great and the warmth, hospitality and pride the staff shows really added to the experience. We had 2 different pizzas and the cheese & charcuterie platter. A lot of good tasting food. Next time we are planning to try some of the panini!
Brew pub to open in Manasquan?
According to their opentable listing the restaurant was sold.
http://www.opentable.com/mahogany-grille
Catered Whole pig roast in NJ?
google "pig roast nj"and several will come up. there is also a big operation out of staten island ---name has something to do with chuck wagon but is escaping my mind right now.
Northern Monmouth County Fine Dining
It is not illegal to transport an open bottle of wine in the trunk of the car. So you can take the open wine to the BYO ...or conversely take home leftover wine at a licensed establishment if you do not finish it at dinner. I found a small little cooler that can hold a wine bottle with cork in it and put it in my trunk to prevent any mess if it spills.
Disappointing Salt Creek Grille
The menu at Cercle Rouge website looks amazing! Reminds me of a trip I took to Loire Valley France!! I would give anything to have a bistro like that within an easy drive. But alas I will probably need to move to get that.
What is so funny (and sad) is that "Top Chef" is one of the most popular shows on tv currently but if they attempted to serve the dishes prepared by the competitors here in NJ the place would be done in a matter of weeks.
There are a couple places in central jersey that are bucking the trend of "Same menu, different location" that dominates NJ dining but they are often pretty pricey and tough to afford on a regular basis. Elements in princeton is a good example....
Disappointing Salt Creek Grille
They probably dont change things on the menu because 97% of the dining public in NJ wants the same dishes ALL the time! I am in the wine business and know a lot of restaurants that try to run innovative dishes and specials only to have to use them for staff-meals because the guests all order Filet Mignon, Salmon, Crab Cakes, Chilean Sea Bass, etc. etc. It is really sad for foodies who wind up having to travel to NYC, Chicago, New Orleans or some more progressive locales for new things!
Good Butcher in Middlesex County, NJ
Yes you can walk around but you must be member to purchase things.
Good Butcher in Middlesex County, NJ
If you drive south on Rte 27 out of Highland Park you can find 2 great places for meat and poultry.
Griggstown Quail Farm - quail, pheasant, poussin, chicken, duck etc.
PA Dutch Farmers Mkt - meat butcher, poultry butcher, deli, bakery. (open thurs-sat)
North from highland park off Rte 287 is the Restaurant Depot --kind of like costco for restaurants but it requires membership although they have everything under the sun!
Dennis Foy - Lawrenceville Inn? Anyone been there?
I don't know about "old school", but I was just curious how a chef could have such a great reputation when so many of his restaurant projects have closed the doors.
Dennis Foy - Lawrenceville Inn? Anyone been there?
Have any of his restaurants remained open successfully? His NYC place is closed as is the Bistro in Manasquan.
Where can I get some fuyu persimmons?
Glutton- glad you were able to find them at GW. I saw them again last week and meant to post that they were back.
New Brunswick (Rutgers vicinity) must eats for visitors
Harvest Moon Brewery on George St has a pretty diverse menu and usually 7 or 8 of their own Micro Brews available on tap. Decent # of TVs for sports if you are dining alone at the bar....gets packed though during RU football games.
Where can I get some fuyu persimmons?
Last year i saw the persimmons at the Great Wall Asian market on rte 27 in franklin (about 10 miles from princeton) but haven't been there recently to see if they are in stock now.
Prix Fixe Menu at Restaurant Lorena's (Maplewood, NJ)
I had skate in Loire Valley this spring --it was called "Ray"---served in brown butter. It was absolutely delicious.
permitted smoking
I believe that it all depends on the proximity of the outdoor space to doors and/or windows that lead into the main areas of the restaurant that would be non-smoking.
Beach Monkey Bistro- Closed
Neighbor saw them clearing out the fridges today and throwing out food.
Beach Monkey Bistro- Closed
Employees showed up Tuesday and all the locks were changed and some of the managers were told the restaurant will be closed indefinitely.
Beach Monkey Bistro- Closed
Apparently the Beach Monkey Bistro in Manasquan has closed already after only a few months.
Rodizio in South River
The all you can eat rodizio was $21 per person. Came with sides of rice, roasted yucca, plaintains, beans and collard greens. There were 8 different meats brought during the dinner.
My fiancee had one of the BBQ platters with grilled pork @ $18. Came with rice, sausage, cracklings and beans (i think).
Rodizio in South River
Had a hankering for rodizio and since I no longer live near Newark decided to give this place a try. Right on Main St South River. Bright and simple decor. We were some of 1st people there so server informed us right away that the rodizio would take a little extra time to be prepared but "it will be worth it". Boy was he right! Salad bar was sparse but once the skewers came out it was all good. The sides were extremely flavorful as well. Garlic sirloin was my fave-close second was the "cracklins" that came on my better-half's platter. Definitely will return in future! It is BYOB too which keeps the $ nice and manageable.
http://www.brazilcountryrestaurant.com/
Restaurant and Gourmet Supply Stores?
Depending on the ingredients you want you should check out Great Wall Asian Mkt on rte 27 in Franklin and the Dutch Farmers Market on rte 27 in Kingston (thur-sat only). There is a restaurant supply store in Highland Park called Brunswick Supply and a very large one in Neptune called Johnsons.
pork belly - where to buy & eat in central NJ?
The asian mkts on Rte 18 in East Brunswick and on Rte 27 in Franklin have pork belly- both whole and portioned out. Also the the buthcer at the Amish mkt in Kingston sells it.
Monmouth county wine buys
Buy Rite in Tinton Falls has amazing wines and super knowledgeable staff. Ask for Kevin if you like big boy California wines!!
