Top food shops in central New Jersey (or Confessions of a Spice-a-holic)

I have a spice drawer. (Big deal, you’re thinking...) Well, I also have a spice cabinet… two really. They’re so crammed with blends and spices and sauces that I have to be careful when opening them… and that doesn’t include the baking stuff – that’s in another cabinet. Then there’s the top shelf in my pantry which is lined with different mustards, sauces, pastes, etc. Now you get the picture - I love buying and receiving anything that adds flavor to food. So when I come across a shop that sells good stuff, I’m like a little kid on Christmas morning. (Only more dangerous because I have a credit card.)

 

I’ve lived most of my life in central New Jersey. As a foodie, trips into New York were like trips to the promised land. I’d hit Kalustyan’s for my spices, grab bread at Amy’s, cheese at Murray’s, etc. I once hoofed it over to 1st Ave. for pierogis then carried them home on the train. Now that I’m a mom, I don’t get into the city quite as often – but I don’t need to. Plenty of specialty shops have popped up right in my area and more are appearing every day. Plus, grocery stores are carrying more gourmet and ethnic foods, so long treks are no longer necessary.

 

I know there are plenty of NJ foodies who visit my site, so I’ve decided to put together a list of my favorites. Read through it – you might find something new. More importantly, let me know what’s missing – I love finding new shops, so please share! (I’ll find a cabinet someplace with room for more goodies!)

 

Spices

• Savory Spice Shop, 138 East Broad Street, Westfield

Pastries, donuts, and bagels

• The Swiss Pastry Shoppe, 1711 East Second Street, Scotch Plains (try the old-fashioned glazed – AMAZING! And at Easter, the Cheese babka has been a family tradition for years.)
• Cranford Best Bagels & Deli, 107 South Ave, Cranford (Try a breakfast sandwich, mmmm)

Bread

• Dom’s, 506 Grand Street, Hoboken (I haven’t gone in ages, but my brother and his family were regulars there until they moved 2 months ago… try the tomato pie.
• Breadsmith, 32 North Ave W, Cranford (Greek Olive Ciabatta, ‘nuf said.)

Cheese

• Florence Ravioli Company, 1741 East Second Street, Scotch Plains (Homemade mozzarella
• The Summit Cheese Shop, 75 Union Place, Summit (Very knowledgeable staff; they’ll cut small pieces perfect for tasting)
• Cheese… Please!, 26 Eastman Street, Cranford
• (HINT: I buy my Parmigiano-Reggiano at the Wine Library – big, fresh chunks for $9.99/lb or less!)

Meat

• For Polish Kielbasa, Wawel Delicatessen, 571 Raritan Rd., Roselle
• For German sausages (wursts), hot dogs, Merguez sausage, breakfast sausage, steaks – Barth’s Market, 41 South Street, New Providence
• Or Wine Library for D’artagnan Chorizo and Andouille

All things Asian

• Asian Food market, 965 Route 22 W, North Plainfield

All things Indian

• Bhavani cash and Carry, 392 Route 22 West, Green Brook

South American, Jamaican –

• C-Town Supermarket, 1405 South Ave., Plainfield

What’d I miss? Leave a comment and let me know your favorite!

Restaurant review: Ristorante Da Benito in Union, NJ

It's been awhile since I posted a restaurant review. It's not that we haven't been going out, we've just been hitting our favorites - Emma's for pizza, Ginger Sushi, and Splash of Thai. But Valentine's weekend came along and Jeff decided to take me to Ristorante Da Benito in Union, NJ. He'd read about it in the Star-Ledger and it got rave reviews so we made a reservation and headed out.

Upon entering we were seated in the small dining room by the charming maitre d'. The dining room is fairly modern with a small bar. A large screen tv and the paraphernalia over the bar seemed a bit out of place in the otherwise upscale surroundings. Customers around us were dressed in everything from jacket and tie to jeans and sweatshirts. We landed in the middle and I'd say we had hit the right note for attire.

We were promptly served water and bread with delicious olive oil, as well as two small bruschetta topped with a vegetable and cannelini bean mixture. A nice start to the meal, the bruschetta was full of flavor and the creamy texture of the beans combined nicely with the crunchy bread and surprisingly good tomatoes (it is February, after all!)

We shared two appeatizers: one a cold stacked grilled eggplant, tomato and goat cheese. It had some baby arugula and was topped with a few caramelized onions. Drizzled around the plate were an aged balsamic and extra virgin olive oil. The flavors were fresh and bold - I loved the tangy goat cheese with the creamy eggplant! Our second appetizer was a special: a portabello mushroom cap filled with minced veal. This was served warm over baby greens. It, too, was delicious, but topped with a bit too much marjoram. The luxurious texture of the minced veal helped me past that small imperfection, however.

Entrees were served quickly. Mine was a bowl of homemade pappardelle with bolognese. It may have been the best bolognese I've ever had. I would say there was a bit more sauce than I would have preferred, but every bite was delicious. Jeff ordered veal over Swiss chard with white wine, grape tomatoes and ricotta salata. The veal scallopine were cooked to perfection - fork-tender, but a bit caramelized around the edges. I particularly liked the Swiss Chard - so many places put a heap of Spinach (I love Spinach, but was very please to see something different). All in all, both dishes were outstanding.

The menu features a number of pasta dishes as well as several veal, beef, chicken and fish entrees. There was also one lamb dish on the menu.

Our final decision on Ristorante Da Benito is that it was a nice change for a special occasion, but we'll stick with Bel Paese in Cranford when we want Italian - it's closer to home, less expensive and the food is superb. But if you're in Union looking for a nice evening out, you wan't be disappointed.

Restaurant review: Brasa Grille

After a break of a couple of months, Ladyberd's Kitchen is back in business. I'll save my excuses for another post. But first, I have to tell you about this little gem of a restaurant...

Tucked in the corner of Hickory Square Mall in Chatham, this family-run Portuguese restaurant serves up food that'll knock your socks off (perhaps its the garlic!). With a few seats at the granite bar facing the open kitchen and a handful of tables, be sure to call ahead for a reservation. Upon entering, you'll be greeted by Claudio or one of his family. Fresh bread and olives are brought to every table and you'll find deliciously fruity Portuguese Extra Virgin Olive oil for dipping.

Don't fill up on bread though! I went on a Tuesday evening with one of my girlfriends. As we perused the menu, we were informed of the daily specials: grilled whole red snapper or Chilean Sea bass fillet. We both chose items from the regular menu. To start we shared an order of clams with cilantro and garlic sauce. A dozen or so clams came in a pot with a light sauce loaded with cilantro and garlic. (Note: now would be a good time for the bread!) We soaked up the sauce with some of the bread and already swore we'd come back - even if only for those clams!

Our main dishes gave us more reason for a return visit. I opted for my favorite Portuguese dish: Carne de Porco Alentejana, or pork and clams. I was served an entire pot of chunks of tender, marinated pork and browned potatoes in a cilantro sauce. Five clams completed the dish. Lighter than any pork and clams I've ever had, it was full of flavor. Some pickled vegetables lend just the right amount of acidity to this hearty dish. I ate about a third of it and had to have the rest wrapped up to take home.

My friend chose the Bitoque, a grilled shell steak topped with fresh ham, a fried egg and their special grilling sauce. A pile of homemade potato chips came on the side. Ordered medium, the steak had a warm pink center and was another very sizable portion. The egg looked perfectly cooked with a bright yellow runny yolk.

A glance around proved that all the portions are huge - paella looked big enough to serve at least two (or one with lots leftover - even better!).

All in all, friendly service and delicious, fresh Portuguese food put Brasa Grille on the list of restaurants I'll visit again and again. If you're looking for good Portuguese, give it a try - it's a lot easier to park than in the Ironbound district of Newark... And as I told the owner: it's as good as any Portuguese food I had in Lisbon!

Restaurant review: Emma's Brick Oven Pizza

On weekends, Emma's Brick Oven Pizza and Cafe in Cranford, New Jersey, usually has a line to the door. This no-reservations, BYO pizza and pasta place definitely draws a crowd. Perfect for families, it's a great place for an inexpensive dinner out. We've eaten at Emma's many times. If there's a line, don't fret; it moves pretty fast.

Lately, we have our meals picked out before we even get there, so we hardly glance at the menu - but have a look. The front page is all about pizza. Build your own or select one of their specialty pies. Inside you'll find three pages of salads, appetizers, pastas, entrees, panini and more. Our preference is for the pizza - thin-crust brick oven pies. Yum! We've tried the pasta, and it's not bad, but Emma's is our stop for pizza. If we want pasta, we head across the street to Bel Paese.

For starters, the fried calamari is enough for at least two people and has a light batter. Served with homemade marinara, it's a great start to a meal. We've also tried the mozzarella en carozza - basically a fried mozzarella sandwich - crispy, gooey, cheesy and wonderful! Salads are large enough to share as well.

When it comes to pizza, we haven't found another place in our area we like nearly as much. The pies are made fresh when you order and each is fired in the brick oven that occupies center stage in the restaurant. My favorite is the vodka pie. Homemade vodka sauce is spread over the crust and then topped with mozzarella, bits of prosciutto and a few mushrooms. A sprinkle of Parmesan completes the pie. This is a pie for garlic-lovers. A personal size has 4 slices - I usually bring at least 1 home. My husband opts for the classic margherita pie with pepperoni, mushrooms and onions. Emma's uses fresh mushrooms and red onions which are cooked, but still a bit crunchy. The marinara sauce has fresh basil that adds another layer of flavor to the pie. And the pepperoni is cooked to perfection - it gets a little crisp on the edges and isn't drowning in grease.

On other visits, we've tried the pesto bianco pie. This white pie has mozzarella and pesto ricotta. Add broccoli or broccoli rabe for a vegetarian meal that's outstanding. The Emma pie has provolone, fresh sliced tomato and basil, another winner.

With a BYO policy and friendly service, Emma's is a great place for a casual lunch or dinner. It's hand's down our favorite for pizza.

Have another favorite in the area? Leave a comment and let me know!