After my day in the city with Mom and sister last week, I was surprisingly still hungry, so my husband and I looked for somewhere to eat. We searched the web to its end and decided on Casa Nova 68. After a day of such great food in the city, it didn't live up to expectations.
We started with mozzarella carroza trying again to match what we had at Pastaria in Red Bank but nothing can compare. We also split a caesar salad which was ok. We then ordered chicken parmesan and lobster ravioli which again were ok. We bailed on dessert. The food was just ok, nothing that blew me out of the water but edible and satisfying. The bottle of wine we enjoyed was very nice. I just wish I could remember the name.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
A cupcake worthy of a spoon
Last weekend, my Mom and sister came to visit, and we went into Manhattan for the day. It was definitely a day of food (separated by lots and lots of walking all around the city). When my husband and I lived in West New York, for the first many years, we didn't really explore the city. During the last two years though, we changed that and really delved into what the city had to offer. What I discovered is that the best thing (at least in my mind) about Manhattan is the food. Last weekend, I tried to show that to my Mom and sister too.
We started off the day wandering around Chelsea Market, stopping for coffee and a loaf of bread at Amy's Bread, looking at all the bakeries with wide hungry eyes and checking out the fresh fish. It was enough to make anyone's stomach start to growl. When we reached the end, our stomachs were definitely telling us it was time for lunch. My hair dresser back in Philadelphia always tells me how his favorite restaurant in Manhattan is Pastis. So we decided to give that a try. We ended down to the restaurant. When we got there, the restaurant was so crowded but we were seated right away. We sat down, our water glasses were filled and then we looked at the menu. It was brunch. I don't understand brunch. In the city, on Saturdays and Sundays, so many restaurants forgo their lunch menus from the week and enter "brunch" mode. They might have the best lunch menu, but I for one never get to enjoy it because I have to work during the week (foreign concept I guess). I get relegated to "brunch." Some places will at least put part of their weekday lunch menu on their brunch menu. At Pastis, this was not the case. At Pastis, brunch was waffles and eggs, true breakfast food. My Mom, sister and I were not having any of it. Besides, the restaurant truly was jammed, and there were people hovering over our table. So we put the menus and got up and left. We headed up again back the way we came to a a spot more our style - Company. Company is a little pizza restaurant with one of the best Margarita pizzas I have had in a while. We started with a little white pizza with just bread, olive oil and parmesan. It was tasty. Then we each had a glass of wine and a margarita pizza. No one's plate had a crumb left. It was a good thing though that our next stop was completely across town. We walked over to Chikalicious for a triple chocolate cupcake, the absolute best cupcake I have ever had. I have been professing my love for these cupcakes to my Mom and sister every since my first one two years ago. I'm happy to say that they weren't disappointed. It's a chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate ganache and a thin chocolate frosting. It is truly an out of world experience tasting this cupcake, true bliss for the tongue. It was a great end to a true foodie day!
We started off the day wandering around Chelsea Market, stopping for coffee and a loaf of bread at Amy's Bread, looking at all the bakeries with wide hungry eyes and checking out the fresh fish. It was enough to make anyone's stomach start to growl. When we reached the end, our stomachs were definitely telling us it was time for lunch. My hair dresser back in Philadelphia always tells me how his favorite restaurant in Manhattan is Pastis. So we decided to give that a try. We ended down to the restaurant. When we got there, the restaurant was so crowded but we were seated right away. We sat down, our water glasses were filled and then we looked at the menu. It was brunch. I don't understand brunch. In the city, on Saturdays and Sundays, so many restaurants forgo their lunch menus from the week and enter "brunch" mode. They might have the best lunch menu, but I for one never get to enjoy it because I have to work during the week (foreign concept I guess). I get relegated to "brunch." Some places will at least put part of their weekday lunch menu on their brunch menu. At Pastis, this was not the case. At Pastis, brunch was waffles and eggs, true breakfast food. My Mom, sister and I were not having any of it. Besides, the restaurant truly was jammed, and there were people hovering over our table. So we put the menus and got up and left. We headed up again back the way we came to a a spot more our style - Company. Company is a little pizza restaurant with one of the best Margarita pizzas I have had in a while. We started with a little white pizza with just bread, olive oil and parmesan. It was tasty. Then we each had a glass of wine and a margarita pizza. No one's plate had a crumb left. It was a good thing though that our next stop was completely across town. We walked over to Chikalicious for a triple chocolate cupcake, the absolute best cupcake I have ever had. I have been professing my love for these cupcakes to my Mom and sister every since my first one two years ago. I'm happy to say that they weren't disappointed. It's a chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate ganache and a thin chocolate frosting. It is truly an out of world experience tasting this cupcake, true bliss for the tongue. It was a great end to a true foodie day!
Sawa X2
Lent makes dinners on Friday nights so tough. It basically limits the options to pizza, pasta or seafood. Is anybody has any other go-to "Friday night during Lent" dinners I'd love to hear them? Last night was especially tough since we had had pizza on Thursday and are potentially going out for seafood tonight so that left pasta, but we just weren't feeling pasta last night. Then my husband had a great thought - sushi and hibachi. While it's still seafood, it's just different flavors and textures. So we went back to Sawa in Eatontown. After moving to Old Bridge, I wanted to spend the first year trying different restaurants all the time, never returning to the same one twice. We've ordered delivery from the same place more than once but eating out, we've kept to the "no return" philosophy so far. Last night, we finally broke with that tradition. The food at Sawa did not disappoint. It was just as delicious the second time as the first. We enjoyed salmon rolls, tuna and avocado rolls, shrimp hibachi (for me) and steak and lobster hibachi (for my husband). I think Sawa will definitely become one of more frequented places while living in Old Bridge.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Little Italy in Woodbridge
A couple Saturdays ago, we went out to dinner at Mulberry Street in Woodbridge, NJ. Again, we had read good reviews online and liked the menu on their website so we decided to give it a try. It is pretty amazing how "word of mouth" has changed over time. I for one definitely use the internet to check reviews for everything before I try it whether it be a new restaurant or a cell phone. There is just a overabundance of information sources these days. I'm not sure sometimes if it is good though. I mean how much can you really trust reviews from strangers. They could have been having a bad day or they just might have different priorities or standards than yourself. I guess in saying that though, here I am posting my own reviews in this blog. I think though that if you start to follow one individual and like what they suggest, you can start to trust their recommendations. Most reviewing sites allow for so much anonymity that you can't follow a particular reviewer through their recommendations. I'm hoping that I can erase some of that here and just give you one person's take. You might agree or disagree with me but at least you'll know that if you like one of my suggestions, you will most likely like another.
Sorry for the momentary rambling but now back to Mulberry Street. After having mozzarella en carrozza at La Pastaria in Red Bank, we have been searching for it again. The mozzarella en carrozza at La Pastaria is delicious. Other places have yet to live up to it. Mulberry Street's was ok but still not on par with La Pastaria. We also enjoyed a caesar salad s an appetizer which was very tasty. For dinner, we had chicken parmesan and Mussels Fra Diavolo. Both dinners were very filling and enjoyable. The flavors were nice.
We drank a nice bottle of wine at Mulberry but I can't remember the name.
Our dinner at Mulberry Street was very reminiscent of the real Mulberry Street in Manhattan. The food and wine were both delectable. We will definitely be returning to Mulberry Street.
Sorry for the momentary rambling but now back to Mulberry Street. After having mozzarella en carrozza at La Pastaria in Red Bank, we have been searching for it again. The mozzarella en carrozza at La Pastaria is delicious. Other places have yet to live up to it. Mulberry Street's was ok but still not on par with La Pastaria. We also enjoyed a caesar salad s an appetizer which was very tasty. For dinner, we had chicken parmesan and Mussels Fra Diavolo. Both dinners were very filling and enjoyable. The flavors were nice.
We drank a nice bottle of wine at Mulberry but I can't remember the name.
Our dinner at Mulberry Street was very reminiscent of the real Mulberry Street in Manhattan. The food and wine were both delectable. We will definitely be returning to Mulberry Street.
The Jester just wasn't funny
A couple Fridays ago, my husband was craving good bar food - wings, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, onion rings and french fries - all the food that while it is not good for you is sometimes just what will hit the spot and satisfy your cravings. So we turned to google and searched for a bar food restaurant in the area with good reviews. We found the Court Jester in Freehold, so we went for it.
I had a chicken caesar wrap with a side of waffle fries, and my husband ordered the sampler platter (chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, buffalo shrimp and buffalo wings). What a disappointment! Everything was just "ok." Nothing was special or tasty. It just felt like we were eating just to eat, not because we were enjoying the food. The highlight of the meal was the order of waffle fries.
To drink, we had one of the lagers that they have specially made for them by Blue Mood. It was a tasty beer, but the fries and beer are definitely not enough to make us return. Our search continues for good bar food in Central Jersey. We have heard that JJ Bitting in Woodbridge is good. Next time we are craving some good bar food we'll head there and check it out. I'll let you know how it goes!
I had a chicken caesar wrap with a side of waffle fries, and my husband ordered the sampler platter (chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, buffalo shrimp and buffalo wings). What a disappointment! Everything was just "ok." Nothing was special or tasty. It just felt like we were eating just to eat, not because we were enjoying the food. The highlight of the meal was the order of waffle fries.
To drink, we had one of the lagers that they have specially made for them by Blue Mood. It was a tasty beer, but the fries and beer are definitely not enough to make us return. Our search continues for good bar food in Central Jersey. We have heard that JJ Bitting in Woodbridge is good. Next time we are craving some good bar food we'll head there and check it out. I'll let you know how it goes!
Bad blogger
So I know I've been a bad blogger since it's been over a month since my last post, but things have been busy with work. After a long week in the office staring at spreadsheets, it's tough to log on to my home computer to do anything. I just can't stare at the screen. I'm back now though, and hopefully I'll be better! I will try for my fans (all 3 of them that is...they may be limited but they are definitely valued).
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