esjro's Profile
Crepe n Grill - Flemington
Husband and I just got back from a great lunch at Crepe n Grill, located in Turntable Junction (14 Turntable Junction, Flemington NJ). Their menu consists of soup, salads, sweet and savory crepes, and paninis. The beverage menu is limited to fresh squeezed juices, coffee, and bottled beverages (Gold Peak ice teas and bottled water).
We each had a bowl of cream of shitaki soup. The rich but light cream broth was accented by slices of fresh shitaki mushrooms and sliced scallion.
We decided to share our entrees so we could try the sandwiches and the crepes. My sandwich was an eggplant and roasted pepper panini, served with a side of pesto. The pesto tasted freshly made, and was very delicious. I liked how the pesto was served in a side ramekin so one could season to taste. The bread was delicious and the crust had a nice crunch to it.
My husband had a crepe with mozzarella, basil, and tomato confit. They do not skimp on the fillings. We were both stuffed by the end of our meals. They are in their soft opening faze, so unfortunately they were out of salmon, so we were not able to try the smoked salmon with goat cheese savory crepe. That is on my list for next time. The savory crepes are served with a side salad.
The owners are very friendly and eager to hear feedback on what we liked. They brought us a sample of an avocado spread that is offered as a lighter alternative to pesto for some of the savory crepes, and the chef asked us to try some spicy pickled radishes and cucumbers he is considering adding to the menu.
When the temperatures warm up they said that there will be outside seating. They plan to offer outdoor jazz concerts on the weekends in the summer. (Flemington residents will recognize the planned location as the place where the Ice Cream Parlor used to show outdoor movies).
We wanted to try a sweet crepe but we were too full. Hopefully this place will do well; the quality of their food is definitely a step above the dozens of other places offering paninis.
Mexican Coca-Cola [moved from New Jersey board]
I much prefer the Coke with real sugar. Surprisingly, the Bridegwater Costco has been selling it by the case. The Pepsi Throwback or Flashback (or whatever it is called) is also made with sugar, but it is too sweet for me.
Five Guys in Flemington?
The Five Guys website lists that address as "coming soon," so we'll see. It's going to be across the street from Cheeburger Cheeburger.
Cedars in Somerville is now The Smokehouse Barbecue
One person uses capital letters and the other doesn't. ;-)
Buddies Diner in Lambertville
Thanks for the review! I've been hoping for a new diner in the area, but with all the sewer issues. etc. it looks like we'll have to wait a while for the Flem-Raritan diner on 31 to be constructed.
Back Road BBQ Flemington NJ
Oh yeah, that was mine! :-) They catered our summer party too. Reasonable prices and they included all the sauces. Our guests loved it!
New BBQ joint in Flemington - Back Road BBQ
Yes, though in fairness they are very large. Unless you are with a large group, I wouldn't recommend ordering an appetizer as the entree portions are huge!
New BBQ joint in Flemington - Back Road BBQ
Back Road BBQ opened last month in the place that used to be Crossroads Cafe. Husband and I have been there twice now (dinner and lunch), and it is definitely a welcome addition to the Flemington area.
For dinner I had the half rack of ribs ($11.99), which comes with 2 hush puppies and your choice of two sides. They have FRIED OKRA and a really thick and cheesy mac and cheese. The half rack was huge - I could not finish it. There is at least an inch of meat on top of the bones. Husband had the Back Road Combo ($16.99) with ribs, chicken, brisket and pulled pork. Much of it left in a takeout container. It is a good sampler platter as it also comes with hush puppies and 2 sides.
Currently they have corn on the cob, but I have been assured that once corn is out of season they will offer collard greens with ham hocks.
For lunch I had a chicken sandwich. Normally I am not a chicken breast fan because the meat is often too dry, but their chicken was juicy and tender. Husband had a pulled pork sandwich (sandwiches are served with one side), and we both liked the buns. The bread was light and not too thick, unlike many places where the buns are way too thick.
The dessert menu rotates. For lunch we shared a peach mini pie. It was the perfect size for after a big meal.
The service is friendly and enthusiastic. I think this is a family run place, as the young man working the register called for his Dad to answer some questions we had about catering. They will be catering our end of the summer party...... can you tell I am a big fan of this place? :-)
The restaurant is BYOB, though they also have sweet tea and sodas available.
Their menu can be viewed here:
http://www.backroadbbq.com/Menu.html
Definitely give this place a try.
Pork Chop BBQ in Flemington
Husband and I ate there last week. The service was a little slow as it seemed the cashier/order taker was overwhelmed as all the tables were full and there were a few people waiting for takeout. Hopefully that will work itself out over time.
We got a rib dinner ($10 for 4 ribs with rice and a side) and a beef and chicken combo. The ribs were good but on the small side, so I would suggest spending extra for the plate with more ribs. The chicken was very good, as was my beef spare ribs. The combo was a HUGE amount of food! We got our order to go, and the combo was served in a big foil tray. In retrospect I wonder if the combo was intended for two people.
All the dishes are served with rice and your choice of side. The rice was plentiful but somewhat soggy for my taste, though I did like that they topped it with pickled vegetables. The coleslaw was good, and the corn bread was not too bad if you like sweet cornbread. (I do, my husband who is from the south does not).
In addition to meats, the menu listed some seafood items that I would like to try, as well as a few dishes I didn't recognize. They offer paella, but it was busy so we didn't want to wait for it to be prepared. I didn't see any takeout menus available, but hopefully they will have some soon because I'd like to phone in my order ahead of time to avoid the wait.
I figure I'll be back in a month or so after they've had a chance to work out some of the kinks.
Tacos Cancun-- Lambertville
The Torta Cubana at Tacos Cancun is soooooo good, though it is a heart attack on a bun - loved the sliced hot dogs they put on there!
Stockton Farmers Market
We went to the market last night and this morning after not going for about a year. The number of vendors has increased quite a bit, and we were really impressed by the selection of foods available for takeout.
Friday night we had fish and chips from Metropolitan Seafood Company. The meal was a good deal for $9. While waiting for our food to be prepared, they gave us samples of sweet shrimp from Maine, and anchovies. The fishmonger fileted the little anchovies, sprinkled them with lemon juice, sea salt, and olive oil and they were absolutely delicious!
Today we went back for lunch from Old Tyme BBQ. They offer a variety of meats available as sandwiches, platters, or by the pound. The platters are a great deal at $14, as they come with a HUGE slab of corn bread (Southern style - very little sugar) and your choice of two sides. The creamed spinach was particularly delicious. I thought they'd put a scoop of each side on the plate, but instead they give you each side in a separate soup cup. The husband, dog and I could not finish the two platters we bought! For those who like their meet sauced, they offer 4 sauces: chipotle, smokey BBQ, a mustard-based sauce, and a Cuban style sauce. Deeeeeelicious!
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Metropolitan Seafood Company
1320 Route 22 West, Lebanon, NJ 08833, USA
Quinta Bistro in Flemington
Tried this place for dinner last week. For starters we shared the "Sexy Olive Mix" (a steal at $2.95), and a spinach salad with goat cheese fritters, figs, and serano ham. The salad was excellent.
For entrees I had the mariscada, a blend of seafood in a green sauce served with saffron rice, and a side of veggies. It was very good! Much better than that awful Spanish place on 202 near Bridgewater. My husband had a baked cod in olives, which was also good, but my entree was better.
The only downside was the service. While the servers seemed well-intentioned, they did not seem very familiar with the menu, I had to point to the dish I wanted. Also, they didn't seem to have a very good system for how to handle the tables worked out. For example, our server asked if we were interested in dessert but we were not and asked for the check. A few minutes later another server brought a dessert menu. Hopefully these kinks will be worked out in time.
The prix fixe lunch at $10 includes soup or salad and an entree - this would be a good option for trying Quinta Bistro before spending >$50 for dinner.
It is nice to have another option in the area though, so I hope this place does well.
Whole Food meats: local supplier
I'm a member at Simply Grazin' and we love it. Great family owned and operated business.
Philippine Cuisine near Flemington
"They now have a printed menu that you can use to identify the items on the steam table. "
Oh thank goodness! :-) That should speed up the service too, before they were describing every entree for each customer.
New Thai Restaurant nr. Flemington
According to their (incredibly slow) website, they opened last Monday, the 18th. Going to see if husband wants to check it out tonight - will report back if we go.
Philippine Cuisine near Flemington
The downside is that most of the food is premade and sitting on the dreaded steam table. It is also unidentified, though not expensive. In the Flemington area we have to take what we can get. :-) Last night my husband got a whole fried tilapia, some spicy pork stew, and rice for $6!
Best to go earlier (they close at 8 most nights) for a good selection - they run out of a lot of things, but hopefully after they are open for a while they'll have a better feel for what quantities to make.
Philippine Cuisine near Flemington
Just finished eating a take-out from the newly opened Philippine Cuisine in Raritan Township. It shares a building with a beauty salon, and is located across the street from the Dunkin Donuts on Rt 31 near Best Tile.
Although the store has a couple aisles of grocery items, most of the customers were there for the takeout. A variety of meat and fish entrees are available a la carte, or as parts of meal combos. The meal pricing is very reasonable: a 2-entree plate with poultry or veggie-based entrees plus white or fried rice is $5.00. Combos with beef or fish are 50 cents more. "Family Meals" are also available. Family Meal #1 consists of 25 beef spring rolls (they are small), 6 skewers of BBQ chicken, fried or white rice, cabbage, and sweet and sour sauce for $14.99.
Unfortunately there is no printed menu, so the service is slowed down by people asking what each entree is. Also, there was a beef noodle soup that we would not have known was available had we not seen people eating it (there is a one table available for dining in). Hopefully that will change in the future.
The fried noodles with bits of meat and veggies were delicious, and a steal at $3 a pint. The BBQ chicken skewers were also delicious, and tasted as though they had marinated for a long time in their teriyaki-like sauce. The beef noodle soup bowls are reasonably priced at $5.90, and have slow cooked chunks of beef, scallions, and cabbage in a cloudy garlic-based broth. The soup had LOTS of garlic - I made my poor husband munch on parsley afterward. We plan to go back and try some of the other entrees, most of which looked like meat stews.
The ladies who work at the store are very friendly, and handed out cups of a melon-tasting juice for customers to try while they waited in line for food. I hope that it stays as busy at it was tonight, because I'm sure I'm not the only person in the Flemington area dying for something other than Italian and chain restaurants!
Good Ramen shop in Princeton area?
My husband and I tried Rai Rai. It is a hole in the wall, but not expensive and the server was very patient in answering my questions about the menu. I recommend getting one of the mini ramen sets with fried rice - their pork fried rice was absolutely delicious! Oh, and the ramen was good too. But I love fried rice!
Good Ramen shop in Princeton area?
Edo in New Brunswick is now advertising themselves as a sushi and ramen place. There is also Rai Rai Ramen #3 in North Brunswick, which I have been wanting to try but it is an hour+ drive for me. Has anyone been to either?
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Edo Japanese Restaurant
68 Easton Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Rai Rai Ramen #3
1980 New Jersey 27, North Brunswick Township, NJ 08873
CJ Garden Buffet in East Windsor
To answer my own question, Rissin Buffet is closed. We tried to go there today, and there was an eviction notice on the door.
CJ Garden Buffet in East Windsor
Not sure if they are the same owners or not, but Fuji has a larger sushi selection than Rissin does, but Rissin has a LOT more hot food than Fuji. Fuji is more expensive, but has better atmosphere than Rissin.
Does anyone know if Rissin is still open? :-\
Chinese restaurants in Central Jersey
Hunan House at 49 lafayette rd, fords, NJ is very good if you like hot food, but I have never eaten off the English menu.
Lo-Fatt Chow nr. Flemington, NJ
It is some of the same people, like my post said, it is now owned by the Lo Fatt chef. He bought it from the crazy Canadian guy.
CJ Garden Buffet in East Windsor
Is Rissin still open? We called to see if they are open tomorrow, but the phone has been disconnected. It is about an hour from our house so I don't want to go if it is not open. I like it, it is good and cheap!
Noodle Gourmet, New Brunswick
I like the egg noodle soup with pork and shrimp wontons. They will bring a bottle of hot sauce so you can make it as hot as you like. Yum! The prices at Noodle are very good, and (if you can find a parking spot) you could eat something different every day of the year. Actually, I have a friend who went to Rutgers and did just that.
Lo-Fatt Chow nr. Flemington, NJ
Went to get take-out here tonight, and it has changed names! It is now Ming's Chinese Kitchen. Apparently the chef bought it out, and the counter guy said it was too expensive to keep the name. The food is the same. The new menu has a few new traditional Americanized-Chinese food items, and the combo prices are a dollar less.
What happened to the crazy owner who would make you order by numbers????
Cheeburger Cheeburger Coming to Flemington
The Mexican place is not bad, it is like Chipotle or Quedoba (burritos, burrito bowls, etc.) They do have a grilled veggie option, which Chipotle lacks. Cheap too.... the giant burritos are around $6.50.
New Jersey Chefs who bicycle, or bicycle-friendly NJ restaurants
The Sergeantsville General Store has restrooms for cyclists. It is owned by a Chinese gentleman, and they have very good home made dumplings (pork, chicken or veggie) as well as other Chinese foods (sesame chicken, fried rice, etc.), soups, subs, and pastries.
There is a general store in Stockton that has a variety of sandwiches as well, and the Carousel Deli in Ringoes has pizza, subs, and hot entrees.
