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Confession: I will admit that before Jared, my food tastes were pretty limited. In my opinion, the most beautiful part about our relationship is the fact that we’ve encouraged one another to step out of our comfort zones and try new things. Food happens to be the one area where I’ve really made some radical changes!
Since Jared’s step-mom is from the Middle East, we’re always looking for great restaurants that do justice to a Middle Eastern menu. After all, when you’re used to eating the real thing from an authentic cook, you can’t go back! Narenj Persian Grill in Basking Ridge consistently does a great job meeting this standard.
We first went to Narenj on a Sunday in October for a late lunch to celebrate Jared’s step mom’s birthday and again this past Friday for dinner with my fabulous cousin and her hubby. Even though it was around 2 p.m., there were a few people lingering over lunch still. The atmosphere was casual, with tables and booths nicely spaced. Narenj is BYOB, with a wine and beer store only a few storefronts down.
The menu for Narenj is traditional, while still allowing for various options. Since we were with a group, we chose to get an appetizer platter that included a choice of 4 appetizers. I’ve found in the past that taking this option can sometimes cut down on how much sampling you can do of the choices on the platter, but Narenj does a great job catering to the number of people at the table from a portion perspective.
Entree choices ranged from wonderfully flavored kebabs to stews and several vegetarian options. On both occasions, I had the kebabs, one time choosing lamb and the next chicken. While both meats were very well flavored, I have to say I think the lamb was fantastic. Served with a generous portion of rice, it was filling while not being overwhelming. Portion sizes of rice are large, however, the meat portion is enough to fill about one kebab stick.
Desserts at Narenj are deliciously traditional, with a fabulous Baklava, along with an extremely fabulous Zulbia and Bamieh. All desserts pair nicely with a Turkish Coffee, or a Persian Hot Brewed tea.
Overall, Narenj is a terrific, low-key option for lunch or dinner any time of the week. With enough authenticity to please those that know the difference, I’d say it’s a great option no matter who is coming for dinner!
My Rating: 10/10
Narenj Persian Grill
25 Mountain View Blvd.
Basking Ridge, NJ 07320
908-580-0600
http://www.narenjpersiangrill.com
Jared and I are kind of in love with the New Brunswick restaurant scene. Maybe it’s because I can’t get enough of college towns, but every time we head down there, I’m never dissapointed. Jared and his coworkers have been to Harvest Moon Brewery before, and Jared was dying to take me. I read in New Jersey Monthly that they had a new brewmaster, so we decided to go for lunch last weekend.
Harvest Moon’s ambience is not dissimilar to other breweries we’ve been to. We sat upstairs, and were trying to figure out what the building used to be. Maybe a factory? At any rate, the list of beers was also pretty comparable to other breweries. As always, I went with the lightest beer, the MoonLight Kolschbier, and Jared went with the sampler.
Here’s the one thing I usually hate about samplers-they take up the whole table. Seriously, at Long Valley, this is an issue for me. I hate crowded tables. The sampler at Harvest Moon was perfectly shaped. You can see it over here on the right. Jared even remarked that he liked how the shape left room for a plate. My other pet peeve with breweries is when they are out of almost every beer on the list just because it’s a weekend. Harvest Moon was only out of 1 beer that was listed, which they were able to replace with hard cider, which worked out well for me.
Harvest Moon Brewery Sampler
I was impressed with the Kolschbier. Typically, the light beers at breweries, in my opinion, also have the least flavor. Jared even agreed that this was not the case with the Kolschbier at Harvest Moon. It was still a light flavor, but was still noticeable in just the right way.
The lunch menu at Harvest Moon was also pretty decent. I had read great things about their pizza in New Jersey Monthly, so I tried the Chicken Caesar Pizza. I wasn’t quite sure how I would like it, but it was actually very good. Not too heavy, and the crust was perfectly thin without being too hard. Loved eating it during the week as leftovers for lunch too! Jared had the Fajita Salad, which also looked like an excellent choice. Can’t go wrong with a tortilla bowl!
As he always does, Jared bought a growler and he actually chose the MoonLight Kolschbier, which was perfect for me, since I loved it. Usually, he gets a growler filled with something darker that I’m not a fan of, and then it goes to waste. The Kolshbier growler certainly did not go to waste!
Overall, Harvest Moon is a great option for lunch, and I’m sure dinner or any other outing. I’d be interested to see how the atmosphere changes when Rutgers is back in session. But maybe most college kids aren’t fans of craft brews. 😉
My Rating: 9/10
Harvest Moon Brewery
392 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ
If it wasn’t for New Jersey Monthly, I’m not sure if Jared and I would ever be able to find some of the great restaurants we’ve found in NJ. I decided to sign up for “Side Dish“, which is an email newsletter from NJ Monthly that provides restaurant reviews and a general wrap up of dining in the state. A few weeks ago, the newsletter featured Bell’s Tavern in Lambertville. Since the description mentioned that the tavern had some great beers on tap, we decided to go that night!
We’ve been to some great restaurants in Lambertville, a super cute town situated near the PA border on the Delaware. Bell’s Tavern can be found a few miles from the more popular downtown area. Although the tavern does not have it’s own parking lot, street parking was available, although a bit out of the way.
We went on a Friday night, so the tavern was a little crowded and noisy. However, once we were in the main dining room, things quieted down a bit, although all of the tables were full. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive, coming over almost immediately to take our beer orders. Jared was able to find a beer on tap he had never heard of before, which is quite the feat!
For dinner, I was really in the mood for a cheeseburger with fries, since I’ve spent most of the past year denying myself these indulgences for a wedding dress. Jared also went with a non-exciting meal, the cheesesteak, so I can’t speak too much about some of the more fun options. The special’s menu was pretty robust for a small kitchen, and the options looked pretty decent. The fries were fantastic and the burger, although not quite done the way I like, was also pretty good.
Although we skipped dessert, the dessert menu looked pretty great, although very traditional. Maybe next time!
Overall, we had a pretty good experience with the food and staff at Bell’s Tavern. One thing to note: they only accept cash, which we weren’t prepared for, however, they have an ATM on site to handle people like us, which I consider to be a great service! Although I’m not sure we’ll go back again for dinner,the bar seemed pretty popular with a really great selection.
My rating: 7/10
Bell’s Tavern
183 North Union Street
Lambertville, NJ 08630
609-397-2226
I grew up in Sussex County, NJ. Not really a hot bed of fun restaurants. In fact, going to the Lockwood Tavern was a treat for us. Sussex County has come a long way with its food choices, though, so it’s time to go back to my roots. 🙂
I’ve passed Salt about a million times on my way up 206 to Newton. As you all know, Jared is a major fan of microbrews, and Salt, from what we read on Yelp, had a great selection. So, one afternoon, we decided to try it with my mom, sister, and her boyfriend.
From a beer perspective, Salt really did have a nice list. I tried the New Jersey Lager, and it was very flavorful. I like my beers on the lighter side, and this provided a crisp taste without being too overpowering.
The food, however, was not what I had hoped it would be. I’m not really super picky anymore when it comes to food, but I have to say I was having a hard time finding something to get excited over. I decided to just go with a plain old burger. The burger was perfectly fine, I was just hoping for something a bit more exciting. Harsh, I know, but for a picky eater like my sister, it was especially hard. She ended up with an entree size portion of the Mac and Cheese, which looked pretty good!
Dessert was honestly the best part. It looked like they make all their desserts in house, and on the day we went, I had the peanut butter pie, which was great. Jared had the Guinness Creme Brulee, which tasted just like regular creme brulee. It looked a bit watery to me, though.
All in all, Salt wasn’t a terrible choice. The atmosphere was decent, and the wait staff was very friendly. Would have loved to see more choices on the menu for lunch, but it certainly wasn’t a deal breaker!
My rating: 6/10
Salt
109 US Highway 206
Stanhope, NJ 07874
973-347-7258
Since I’ve now been to Eccola twice, I figured it was time to give it a proper review. I have to admit, a few things initially turned me off to this restaurant, the first thing obviously being the name. Sounds a little too close to Ecoli for me. And who wants to think of Ecoli when they think about dining out?? Second was the location. Located in a tiny strip mall on beautiful Route 46 in Parsippany, there’s not much going on aesthetically for this restaurant from the outside. But let’s head inside, shall we? 🙂
Eccola has impressed me each time I went. Even though the parking lot has been packed both times, since it shares a lot with other stores, they have people outside to direct you to a spot. It’s valet without valet! I hate narrow parking lots with no room, so this appealed to me. Inside, Eccola is warm and friendly, a total surprise from the outside. The wooden bar looks cozy, and the seating arrangements are close, but not so close that you’re afraid to talk with your dining partners.
I found the service at Eccola to be fantastic as well. Each time I dined there, the wait staff was attentive and quick without being overbearing or rushing you through a meal. And you definitely don’t want to rush through this meal. The first time I went to Eccola, I had the Gnocchi con Pesto, which was a very filling dish, but not to the point of making me feel ill. I thought the sauce was creamy, without being too heavy. The second time, I had the Meat Tortellini alla Panna, which was also very good. The sauce on this was a little heavier than the Gnocchi, but still definitely worth it.
During my first trip, we did indulge in dessert-the peanut butter pie was absolutely fantastic! The serving of dessert was a bit awkward, as some of us got our desserts before others, but that was really the only service mishap.
Every now and then, you just feel like having a giant carb fest-Eccola is the perfect place to do so! I’ve dined there on both a Friday and a Tuesday and would recommend calling ahead for reservations on the weekend. During the week, although there are more people there than you would think, there are still plenty of tables.
My rating: 9/10
Eccola Italian Bistro
1082 Route 46 West
Parsippany, NJ 07054
973-334-8211
A gem in the middle of nowhere
Another Hunterdon County gem! We have passed The Tewksbury Inn a few times on our way to the Long Valley Brewery, and always commented by how nice it looked. Last Friday, we finally made a reservation and indulged!
We had read on Yelp that the dress was a bit more upscale, so Jared wore Dockers and a sweater and I wore work-type clothes. We had a 6:30 reservation, but we got there early and they let us sit for dinner. We chose to sit in the dining room area rather than the bar-menu is the same, but if you’re looking for a quieter atmosphere, avoid the bar at all costs! It was pretty noisy, even at 6 p.m. We also noticed that a lot of people were wearing jeans. Dress code is one of those things that seems to be going away these days, but I certainly felt more comfortable in nicer pants.
I was pretty excited about the menu. The soup special was a Potato Leek with Proscuitto, so that was an obvious choice. The soup was very good, but I’m not sure I tasted too many traces of my favorite meat. It must have been ground to a pulp. Still good, and the soup serving was more than adequate.
As an entree, I chose the “Maple Glazed 14oz. Duroc Pork Porterhouse with whipped sweet potatoes, caramelized local apples, haricot vert and natural pan jus”. I had never had a Pork Porterhouse, and of course the addition of the sweet potatoes made this hard to pass up. I was extremely glad I chose it. The sweet potatoes were simply delicious, and the addition of haricot vert and the glaze of the pork just made for an absolutely wonderful combination of flavors. The perfect November meal, in my opinion! While I’m not a fan of caramelized hot apples, Jared thought they were very good, and, once again, a great fall/winter meal addition.
The dessert menu was less than impressive, and our dinners were so big that we decided to forgo the options they had. To be honest, none of them were very original, and in my opinion, it’s not worth wasting the calories on something you can get anywhere!
The serving staff at The Tewksbury Inn was extremely attentive. We’ve been to a lot of restaurants lately where the service has been absolutely terrible, but the staff here was attentive without being overbearing. The pace of the meal was just perfect.
While I wouldn’t recommend The Tewksbury Inn for families with very young children, the restaurant is an excellent option for a night out with friends or parents. Before you go, make sure to make a reservation, as the dining rooms get crowded on the weekends.
My rating: 8/10
The Tewksbury Inn
55 Main Street
Oldwick, NJ 08858
908-439-2641
A few weeks ago, I wrote that I would be participating in The Great American Taste Test. Well, today’s the day to see how it all played out!
First, a bit about the book: Ron Douglas has spent the past 5 years of his life ensuring that American families can enjoy restaurant-quality food without the restaurant price. With his easy-to-follow steps in America’s Most Wanted Recipes: Delicious Recipes from Your Family’s Favorite Restaurants, families can now enjoy the meals they love most at a price they can actually afford.
Ron Douglas' "America's Most Wanted Recipes"
It wasn’t easy to pick a restaurant. The rules of the experiment were that bloggers were to choose a recipe from the book, visit the restaurant to eat it, then make it ourselves using the book to compare. Jared and I found the choices to be a bit limiting, menu-wise, at some of our favorite restaurants. A lot of the recipes were for sauces or other small menu items, and I wanted to try to prepare a full meal from one of the restaurants. Not necessary, I know, but it sounded like fun!
After much debate, we decided to go with Chili’s. We hadn’t been there in awhile, and the menu options allowed me to make a full meal, from appetizer to dessert.
So, we ordered the following:
Chili's Southwestern Egg Rolls
Chili's Margarita Grilled Chicken
Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie
So, how did things turn out? We’ll go dish by dish!
Southwestern Egg Rolls
We were pretty excited to try these at home. If you haven’t had the chance to try these at Chili’s you really should. They are simply delicious. And the home version was pretty simple as well. The “hardest” part was probably the frying, but otherwise, it really is just a matter of mixing ingredients, rolling them into tortillas, freezing, and frying.
My version of the Southwestern Egg Rolls
The frying was a bit tricky, as I think our oil got a little too hot, overcooking the tortillas. Next time, we’ll definitely have to take them out earlier to achieve the same softer, fried consistency that Chili’s has in theirs. From a taste perspective, I can’t really say that these tasted the same as Chili’s version. While they were definitely very good, there was something very different about the taste. I suspect it might have been a bit too heavy on the pepper flavor. Regardless, they were very good and I would definitely give these another shot with less time in the frying oil.
Margarita Grilled Chicken
This was a dish I had never tried until we went to Chili’s for this project. The home version was super simple and had very few ingredients: just mix margarita mix, tequila and garlic, marinate 4 chicken breasts, and grill! Really couldn’t be any easier.
My Margarita Grilled Chicken
From a flavor perspective, I think they chicken could have used a bit more margarita flavor. The chicken was very sweet, and we let it marinade longer than the suggested two hours, but it was still lacking a bit in flavor. I think the other issue with trying this dish at Chili’s and trying it at home is that Chili’s serves its own version with black beans, mexican rice and pico de gallo. I did not serve mine with that, and I have to admit it was lacking. This was my own fault, as I just noticed now that the book says to serve it with those ingredients. I missed it, since it wasn’t part of the recipe. Oh well. The beans and rice certainly enhance the flavor of the chicken, so, if I were to do this again, I would be sure to add those elements in.
Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie
Jared and I both agreed that this recipe came the closest to the restaurant version out of everything we tried today. Once again, very simple to make: a simple graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, and a dough-like topping. When topped with ice cream, hot sauce and caramel sauce, this dessert definitely came extremely close to the original.
My Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie
We did choose to use almonds in our version. The recipe called for walnuts or almonds, and I happen to prefer almonds. I can’t specifically recall if the restaurant used walnuts or almonds, but the recipe tasted just fine with almonds.
In all, I can see how the recipes in this book would be a great alternative to actually going to the restaurant. From an ingredients perspective, I’m trying to figure out if we really saved any money, since we had to buy a lot of the items required. We had a lot of the basics, but still spent about $50-$70 for the ingredients for all three recipes. When we went to Chili’s, I think our bill was almost the same. However, for larger families, I can certainly see how this would be a cost savings. Also, I think over time, making these recipes at home would end up being a huge cost savings.
Although the recipes didn’t quite match up to the Chili’s version, and we definitely didn’t feel like we were at the restaurant, it was still fun to give this a try and see how close they came. I’m certainly planning on trying more from this book. It has to be challenging to develop these recipes on taste alone, so, hats off to Ron Douglas for coming pretty darn close to the originals! Next time you need taste-testers, make sure you call Jared and I. 😉
For the sake of my hungry fiance, my next attempt from the book will be Applebee’s Walnut Blondie with Maple Butter Sauce….yum!!!
If you’ve ever taken the NJ Transit through Bernardsville, you may have seen The Station Pub & Grub through your little train window. Jared and I have driven by it a few times, and started to become interested in it in the summer, when we saw how crowded the outside patio was. So, we decided to make it a local night after the book sale in Bernardsville and try The Station for ourselves.
I have to admit, my first impression was not positive. I had read that the indoor dining room was noisy due to the fact that there was nothing separating it from the bar, and this was definitely the case when we arrived. We practically had to shout to hear one another. Our waitress was NOT knowledgeable about the beer list and could barely tell us what was available. She also didn’t understand what I meant by “White Zin” and then carded me almost immediately before she even wrote down what I wanted. I may not look 25, but at least I understand that names of wines!! I ordered the Proccuito Wrapped Chicken and hoped for the best.
In the area of food, The Station did not dissapoint. The chicken was fantastic, and the port wine sauce was one of the best I’ve ever had. Sometimes, I find chicken sauces are a bit too runny, but this was thick in the best way possible. The roasted potatoes were a nice treat too, and something I don’t see very often as a dinner option. Jared got the classic pizza with onion, which tasted a lot like onion soup in the best way possible!
For dessert, I had the chocolate cake, which was pretty good, but had clearly spent a lot of time in a fridge or freezer, as it was a bit cold in the middle. Jared had the coconut carrot cake, which he liked, but he said he could tell it was likely from a box and not homemade. The dessert selection in general was pretty decent, with two different kinds of cheesecake and carrot cake and a tiramisu as well. And who can resist the dessert tray??
Overall, I’m not sure how often I would return to The Station, but I do have to admit, that chicken is definitely something I could see myself eating again and again!
My rating: 7/10
The Station Pub & Grub
45 Mine Brook Rd.
Bernardsville, NJ 07924
908-766-5198
For some different insights, check out the reviews on Yelp (including mine!).
Happy Monday! Figured we needed to talk food for awhile to get everyone in the mood for a great week. And what better way to kick it off than by talking about Mexican food!
I spent some time in Mexico when I was in college, and the thing I miss most, besides the people I met, is most certainly the food! At the time, I would have considered myself a picky eater, but after being presented with so many options that looked amazing, I quickly let go of those qualms. However, upon coming back, the question remained: where in NJ can you get some great Mexican food??
Enter Sol Mexican Cafe, a new build on Route 22 in Somerville. Jared and I have been salivating over the sign for a month or so, and after one bad day last week, we finally decided to try it! Every time we drive by, it looks relatively crowded, so we decided to go around 6 p.m. and that seemed like the perfect time for a Thursday.
Inside, the restaurant is small, but very festive looking. Even though there were a lot of people (and kids!!), it still managed to maintain a certain sense of quiet that made talking easy. After spending some time with the fabulous drink menu, Jared decided to go for a Magic Hat brew and I went for the sinful pomegranate margarita. Always a favorite! It was served on the rocks, which is fine with me, but for those that prefer the blended kind, speak up!
Anytime we go for Mexican, we have to try the guacamole. This one did not dissapoint. It was made tableside so you could specify mild, spicy, or atomic. We chose mild and left out the tomatoes (Jared’s preference!). Although it was a bit heavy on the salt, it was still great, and a decent amount for two people.
My one complaint was that our meal came out almost immediately after the guacamole was prepared. I’m very used to having some time in between courses, and I’m not a fan of feeling rushed, but since they were so busy, I guess it was a good thing. I had the “Mexican Lasagna” which was a delicious tortilla and chicken layering covered with a great cheese sauce. It came with a side of rice and beans that was too much to eat, but still welcome. The portion size was pretty decent for the lasagna, not too big and not too small. I’m sure the delicious cheese sauce was super healthy, too. 😉
Time for dessert! Any time we go to a Mexican restaurant, I keep my ears open for those little two words I love “tres leches”. I had homemade tres leches in Mexico, and ever since then have been attempting to find something just as good here. Sol ruined it for me by adding fruit, which I never appreciate in desserts, so I had to settle for the carmel flan. This is another dish that’s hit or miss with me after having homemade flan in Mexico, but this dish lives up to my expectations.
Overall, Sol Mexican Cafe is a place I would return to again and again! They recently opened their Tiki Bar, so that’s definitely worth a shot at some point.
My rating: 10/10
Sol Mexican Cafe
3366 US Highway 22
Somerville, NJ 08876
908-526-4907
Read more reviews on Yelp (including mine!).
A few weeks ago, Jared and I celebrated our 2 year dating anniversary. Since we’ll use any excuse to eat out, we decided to try a local restaurant. Which brings me to my review for the Gladstone Tavern.
I’ve always liked the looks of this place. The Gladstone Tavern was fashioned out of an 1847 colonial farmhouse. The tavern has a dining room and outdoor terrace as well as a private dining room for events. We chose to sit in the dining room since the outdoor terrace was a little crowded. It’s always a good sign to me when a restuarant is crowded on a weekday!
We had a hard time picking an appetizer, as all of the choices looked great. We ended up going with the Wisconsin Artisan Cheeses, which came with grapes and sliced apples as well as three large chunks of cheese and a basket of baguettes. Another plus: typically, restaurants will give you a cheese platter with only a handful of baguettes, assuming you’re not going to come close to finishing even 1/4 of the cheese they provide. The cheese was excellent, and it was a great starter to our meal. Probably shouldn’t have eaten as much as I did, but I can’t resist a fresh block of parmesan. 😉
As a meal, I decided to get the hanger steak in a cabernet sauce. I’m not usually a huge steak fan, but the other menu choices just didn’t jump out at me. I don’t like a lot of fish, and the pork and lamb dishes did not catch my attention. The steak was very decent, although definitely undercooked based on what I asked for. I did change my mind about that, so it’s possible the waitress got confused, but still. This is why I hardly ever order steak! But the sauce was definitely worth it.
Dessert: the best part of an anniversary meal! Out of all of the restaurants we’ve been to recently, this one wins as far as dessert choices are concerned. I hate when it’s the typicaly creme brulee, chocolate molten cake, and sorbet choices. Really? That’s all you can think of, amazing chefs? Although they did have some of the usuals on the menu, the Gladstone Tavern also featured interesting desserts and specials that made it hard to choose. I chose the Peanut Butter “Sandwich”, a great mix of cake and icing. It was to die for! Definitely a nice option for those of us that get tired of creme brulee!
For those that may not be interested in the full dining experience, the Gladstone Tavern also features a tavern menu where the beer list is longer than the food list. Might be worth going back for the more casual menu!
In total, I really enjoyed eating at the Gladstone Tavern. The dress code seemed to be mixed, with some patrons arriving in work attire and others in jeans with young children in tow (I believe there was a children’s menu!). Overall, definitely a place I would go back to!
My rating: 9/10
Gladstone Tavern
273 Main Street
Gladstone, NJ 07934
908-234-9055
http://www.gladstonetavern.com
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