NYC Tastes

It's New Brew Friday and we're heading across the river to New Jersey's Kane Brewing for one of my favorite local beers Sneakbox. Sneakbox is a pale ale made with 100% Citra hops giving off aromas of orange and mango with more citrus fruits, biscuit and malt on the finish.  It clocks in at just 5.2% making it an incredible sessionable beer, perfect for a long day of March Madness basketball watching.  Cheers to the weekend! Kane Brewing 1750 Bloomsbury Avenue Ocean Township, NJ 07712

One of my favorite local breweries isn't even in NYC but across the Hudson River.  Kane Brewing is located on the coast of New Jersey and has been cranking out spectacular beer for three years now. Last night was their anniversary celebration at Barcade complete with 12 taps of Kane goodness.  I honestly planned to drink everything so I started with a few shorter pours. Highlights included the double IPA Overhead which is always one of my favorites... crisp and dry with lots of pine and citrus; Vanilla A Night to End All Dawns a massive stout loaded with flavors of chocolate cream, bourbon and Madagascar vanilla beans and the Sunday Brunch, a frothy imperial porter with flavors of cinnamon, maple syrup, chocolate and coffee.  It was almost like eating a big delicious plate of Cinnamon French Toast.  The event was crowded but not overbearing.  There may even be some great stuff left on tap today so get over to Jersey City and celebrate- Cheers! ...

Mr. T and I loved Thirty Acres so much on our first trip we decided to head back over to Jersey City to check out some new additions to their menu.  To begin Pan-Roasted Mussels with kielbasa, celery, Sichuan pepper and ciabatta. When this dish arrived I was overcome by the sweet, funky smell of sausage.  This brought me right back to my youth standing in my grandmother's kitchen.   I could almost see her stirring the pot as she cooked soup, dropping big chunks of kielbasa into the broth.  Of course she never cooked mussels but I'm pretty sure she would have loved this dish. Of course I had to get the wonderful oysters from last time just for the tangy beet cocktail sauce.  Then it was onto pasta for the Cavatelli with chorizo, zucchini, mint, ricotta salata and apples. I have never been a big fan of mint OR fruit in my pasta but somehow it worked here.  The chorizo gave the sauce a nice richness making this a unique homey dish.  Last bu...

Just a twenty minute subway (PATH) ride away is a cute, airy and welcoming restaurant from a Momofuku alum- Thirty Acres.  Let's talk food.   To begin Oysters with a Beet Cocktail Sauce. Let's check out this oyster up close- Yum.... Grilled Octopus with chipotle, eggplant, oregano and lemon. Beet Salad with cherries, ricotta, mint and pine nuts. Fingerling Potatoes with bacon, creme fraiche and chives. Whole Brook Trout with summer squash, bell pepper and bacon. And to finish a homey and tart lemon bar with whipped cream. From the crispy skin on the trout to the smokiness of the bacon in the potatoes, this meal was spot on.  Every dish was creative and delicious with big bold flavors.  This chef certainly knows what he's doing in the kitchen. Oh and the best part- it's BYOB right now!  Mr. T and I picked a fantastic bottle of Savigonon Blanc from Jersey Wine next door and even scored two b...

We had tickets for Radiohead out at the Prudential Center and used it as an excuse to try out some Portuguese fare in Newark. We walked into Seabra's and took a seat at the bar and ordered some drinks. A delicious pitcher of red Sangria arrived- refreshing and perfectly balanced- this was a good sign of things to come. I was really excited about our New Zealand cockle appetizer and it didn't disappoint.  An enormous bowl arrived filled with cockles and brimming with a delicious butter and garlic sauce. Along with some nice big pieces of bread perfect for sopping up the sauce. Luckily we split our entree because this seafood platter was HUGE!! There was a whole lobster, scallops, shrimp, mussels and clams- we seriously had a feast going here. Not to mention the big plate of rice.  Seabra's was absolutely fantastic.  The amount of food and quality was amazing.  Maybe I'll start heading over to Newark more often. Seabar's Mariq...