Celebrate the New Year in Jersey City

Happy New Year Jersey City! Here's what's happening in Jersey City on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

NYE
Union Republic is hosting an 8 course dinner that will, in a refreshing change of pace, not have a DJ.

Liberty Prime Steakhouse has three seatings available over the course of the night for $75-95/person which includes live music and a four course dinner.

Community News

• The Kitchen at Grove Station is temporarily closed. They will be reopening in 2016 under the same name and management with a new executive chef and kitchen staff.
• After less than two months open, Bell + Gray has permanently closed their doors.
• The Citizen is hosting a Bernie Sanders Fundraiser Show on January 2nd.
• The Riverview Farmer's Market is raising money to help purchase a portable PA system for use in their Music in the Park series.

Dolma

Walking into Dolma, I could immediately tell that this restaurant would be special. It's not very large, seating approximately 20-25, but sunlight streams through the windows and the space is bright but calming. It's a clean aesthetic, but cozy with a few touches of old world Mediterranean charm.

From the same owner as Two Aprons, Dolma, 270 Grand Street, opened up a couple months ago, initially serving weekday lunch and more recently adding a weekend brunch. They'll also soon be adding in dinner, but in a move I personally can appreciate, are moving slowly, making sure the service and menu is under control and that they're fully prepared. The attention to detail and emphasis on good service is immediately apparent and for a fairly new restaurant, it appears to be running almost seamlessly. I was blown away by the easy, relaxed attitude of the servers and staff and the quality of my whole experience.

Community News

• Feed JC is holding their annual Christmas Clothing and Food Drive where they will be spending Christmas Day delivering clothes, food, and care packages to over 400 of Jersey City's less fortunate. 
• Tomorrow is the last day for the HDSID Grove St. Farmer's Market which also marks the last official day for Farmer's Markets in Jersey City. Swing by, stock up, and say goodbye to your favorite vendors for the next few months.

Last Minute Holiday Shopping in Jersey City

We're heading towards the end of holiday season, but as it seems to fly by faster and faster every year, here are some last-minute gift recommendations from around Jersey City:

Milk Sugar Love has some ready-made treats at the store including frosted and decorated holiday cookies, bourbon sea salt caramels, and bags of decadent caramel popcorn with chocolate drizzle and salted peanuts.

L'Atelier Du Chocolat is the perfect place to stop for a last-minute gift for almost anyone with their high quality chocolates, exotic flavors, jams, and really, what better way to say Happy New Year than with a box of champagne truffles?

JC Fish Stand to Open

For all those in Jersey City who have lamented the lack of a good fishmonger downtown (which seems to be just about everyone), your wishes have finally come true.

Burger Eatery and The Grind Coffee Shop Opening

It's a brand new week and what better way to kick it off than with two new eateries in Jersey City officially opening up soon?

Community News

• Congratulations to The Grind Coffee Shop in Bergen Lafayette who started their soft opening this past Saturday and will be officially open beginning tomorrow (12/14).
• Thirsty Quaker has put together a special Christmas Gift Guide showcasing great gift items from their store.
• Cocoa Bakery has officially released their holiday menu and have started taking orders.

JC West Side Holiday Craft Fair

This Saturday and Sunday is the JC West Side Craft Fair at the Gallo Center in Lincoln Park! There will be lots of small local vendors selling everything from natural dog treats to ceramics to handwoven apparel. And most importantly (because this is a food blog) there will be some great eats and some great food gifts!

Community News

• Sam a.m. is celebrating the holidays with 12 Days of Donuts and there are still 11 days left.
• Greene Hook updated their website and added their menus.
• Congratulations to Satis Bistro who are celebrating their 5th anniversary with a special 5 course tasting menu for $55/person and optional wine tasting
• The Big Straw has announced two new flavors for winter - Ginger Honey Jujube and Red Bean Black Sesame.

Project Market

The Jersey City Project is back again with their third annual Project: Market this Saturday and Sunday from 11am-6pm behind City Hall.

While this particular market focuses on vintage and hand-crafted goods for the holidays, there's still plenty of good eats to enjoy and it's the perfect spot to pick up a few food-related gifts for the obsessed eater in your life - or just some good host/hostess gifts.

Graze and Braise Delivery

A new paleo delivery service, Graze and Braise, has started up in Jersey City.

Created by Ayaz Adiguzelli, Graze and Braise follows the structure of a paleo diet - organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised, free of refined sugars and oils - but uses these ideals to create paleo-friendly versions of comfort foods. They offer salads, soups, entrees, sides, and desserts, all on an on-going basis and with a heavy focus on high quality proteins.

Community News

• In exciting news, the City Council voted unanimously to allow specific food truck parking by the waterfront.
• Iron Monkey has started introducing new menus.
• Razza has announced they'll be doing a pop-up holiday shop on Dec. 13th.

Pre and Post Thanksgiving Events

Now that your Thanksgiving plans are all set, time to plan around the holiday!

• O'Leary's is having a pre-Thanksgiving fest with $2 fireball shots, Dos Equis bottles, and Departed Soles drafts and 50 cent wings.
• Miss Wong's is hosting a special Le Vibes party Wednesday evening.
• Porta is celebrating one year in Jersey City the night before Thanksgiving with a champagne toast and $8 boilermakers.

Who's Open Around Town

Not long ago, I did a construction round-up of a lot of the places in progress around town, and since then, a few of those places have opened, a few more have made significant progress, and a few others not mentioned have also opened.

OPEN
Bwe Kafe, a coffee shop with a social mission founded in Hoboken, opened their Jersey City location at 140 River Drive South.

Dark Side of the Moo, well-known for their exotic meats, opened their first brick and mortar location in the Heights this past weekend at 52 Bowers Street. They're still in the process of the soft opening and will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, but will be having their official Grand Opening this Saturday

Community News

• Congratulations to David Drake of Greene Hook and Light Horse Tavern for the two write-ups the restaurant received last week, one from The Village Voice and one from NJ Monthly.
• This Wednesday, Departed Soles is debuting their Winter Seasonal, Naughty (list) By Nature during the Tasting Room's Opening Hours from 2pm-7pm
• Busy Bee Organics will be at the Grove Street Farmer's Market tomorrow and they are also offering free holiday delivery.
• Milk Sugar Love has special holiday hours for the week.

A Jersey City Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is almost here and Jersey City has a lot of options to help you keep it local and make it easy. Here are some ideas on where to get all your essential (and non-essential but delicious) Thanksgiving supplies, what to do, and where to go if you're not cooking.

The Turkey
Check in with Ron of Bone-In for sources of local turkey.

Stony Hill was offering local cage-free turkeys from Ashley Farms. They may still be accepting pre-orders, but time is definitely running short. Try calling (908) 879-2696 to place your request.

Community News

• Left Bank Burger Bar is going to appear on Food Network's Burgers, Brew and 'Que. Filming is taking place tomorrow, 11/16, from 3-6pm.
• On Nov. 9th, beginning at 7pm, HopsScotch is holding a five course tasting dinner with beer pairings by BFM.
• Congratulations to  Bwe Kafe who opened their Jersey City location, 140 River Drive South, this weekend.

First Look at Archer Bar

After being one of the most popular vendors at both Project Eats and All About Downtown, Archer Bar is now getting ready to open up their new space to the public. They've been hosting a few friends and family nights and last Saturday they issued an invite on Instagram to the public for a test night.

Veterans Day in Jersey City

In honor of Veteran's Day, several places around Jersey City and Hoboken are offering specials:

Sam a.m., Starbucks, and Black Rail Coffee are offering free coffee to veterans

Choc O Pain is offering 20% off every order for veterans.

The Citizen Opens!

The Citizen, 332 Second Street, formerly known as The Dopeness, is opening to the public tonight.

Community News

• Milk Sugar Love is now accepting orders for their special Thanksgiving cake, featuring carrot cake, cream cheese ice cream, and salted caramel sauce.
• Congratulations to Kraverie whose kimchi-cheese fries were named one of the Ten Best Fries in New Jersey.
• Third & Vine will be closed Monday, 11/9 for a private event.
• FastBoy Delivery is now delivering the Famous Halal Guys every Friday and Saturday night.

Chick-fil-A to Open at Newport Mall

Chick-fil-A, the Georgia based fast food chicken chain, is opening in the Newport Mall. Part of the recently much rehabbed dining space, they will celebrate their Grand Opening on Wednesday, November 11th and it's fair to say that large crowds are expected.

Community News

• Just BeClaws has started serving Cafe du Monde coffee and beignets.
• Greene Hook recently received a nice write-up on Dine With Pat.
• On Thursday, November 12th, Raval is hosting a special Emilio Moro Wine Dinner with specially paired menu items for $75/person. Advance reservations recommended.

Dolma Opens!

Dolma, a new Mediterranean restaurant at 270 Grand Street (sort of in between Grand and Bright), opened for business recently.

Halloween Hits Jersey City

Happy Halloween Jersey City! Here's what's happening:

While not an event, Grandma Downtown is running an Oktoberfest roll special through 11/1. The chicken sausage & onion rolls and bacon cheddar sausage and jalapeno rolls are $2 each for delivery.

942 Summit is hosting Day of the Dead craft-making from 4pm-6pm Wednesday, 10/28

Prato Controvery Pt. II

Several months ago, Prato Bakery, 61 Erie Street, faced some controversy when they were forced to close down the garden they were building and remove some of their indoor seating after being the subject of zoning complaints from a neighbor.

Recently, and most likely in response to the issues they faced, Prato applied for a Restaurant 2 variance which is scheduled to go before the Zoning Board this Thursday. From my understanding (based primarily on what I've read on the Harsimus Cove Association's FB page and some relatively simple Google searches) a Restaurant 2 variance would allow for indoor and outdoor seating, a full kitchen, and the possibility for alcohol to be served on premise with the appropriate liquor license.

Community News

• Cocoa Bakery suffered an oven fire early on the weekend and will have to replace their commercial oven. If you can, stop by to support them and eat something delicious in the process.
• Ahri's Kitchen has added some new menu items.
• Congratulations to Raval for their profile in the Hudson Reporter.
• Seven Sheep Coffee will now be carrying Do You Tea seasonal and signature blends. 

Thirty Acres To Become The Kitchen Step

When Thirty Acres announced they were closing, they mentioned they'd been in talks with another restaurant development group familiar with Jersey City to take over the space and over the weekend, it was revealed that it will be taken over by the team behind Battello, Chef Ryan DePersio and his partners.

Community News

• A correction from last week! I misunderstood the Kitchen's tweet about their new drink menu and the corkage feel is now $25, not $10. Apologies for the confusion.
• Broa Cafe is modifying their hours. They'll now be closed on Sundays but will have daytime hours Friday and Saturday.
• Congratulations to Left Bank on celebrating two years in business.
• Beginning this Wednesday, Downtown Yogurt will be offering fresh doughnuts every day.

Best Side Festival

While there a lot of great events happening this weekend, there's one in particular worth checking out.

Pasta Dal Cuore

Shortly after Pasta Dal Cuore opened their pasta counter, they began working on their next project: putting a restaurant in the back of the store. The restaurant, which naturally focuses heavily on the house-made pasta, opened in June, offering classic but modern Italian dishes with specials that draw from local markets and what's in season.

The restaurant is on the smaller side, but comfortable and noise is kept to a minimum. It's equally fitting for date night, a family night, or just dinner with friends. It does get a little crowded on the weekends, so if you want to come with a group, I recommend a reservation. Keep in mind, it's also BYO, and the staff will happily set you up for whatever you bring.

The meal begins with a complimentary bread basket, accompanied by a dish or two of something to dip it in. In our case, we had a delicious eggplant caponata and seasoned olive oil. The bread basket is one of the best I've had in Jersey City, containing three kinds of bread including a special Sardinian flatbread reminiscent of an herbed cracker and a Tuscan foccacia-like bread, rich with slightly salted olive oil you could taste in each bite. Definitely take advantage of the variety and try a little of everything.

Update on Bell+Gray, Now Open

Bell + Gray, the revised Carrino Provisions, officially opened Monday evening and a few more details are now clear.

While the space isn't overly changed, minus the addition of the bar and a few other decor details, they did put the TVs back in the front bar area (formerly the market space) which is good news for those who thought a more upscale sports bar would be a good addition to the area. If you're not a fan of that idea, the back dining room remains semi-separated and has its own bar although it is apparently reservation only . That seems like an odd choice to me, considering Jersey City is very much a walk-in kind of town. Yesterday, it seemed as though they were letting people back there without a reservation, but that might have just been for opening night. If you feel strongly about it, I'd recommend calling ahead. The wine cellar in the basement will be available for private events as it was when it was the Osteria.

The restaurant does also have patio seating in the courtyard although I'm not sure how long that will stay considering the season (my question about heaters outside went unanswered) and they are planning on restarting the Weekly BBQ Buffets although don't yet know when they'll resume. The fate of the brunch buffet they had recently instituted prior to renovating is yet to be determined.

While the restaurant still doesn't have a website, the menu can be seen here. While I haven't yet been so can't vouch for size of dishes, the price point does seem relatively in line with most restaurants around town at this level.

They'll be closed for a private event Wednesday (10/13), but are otherwise planning to open at 5pm every night this week.

Bell+Gray
8 Erie Street, Jersey City
973-988-2836

Community News

• Join 9 Bar Cafe for a special Columbus Day and Italian Heritage Month celebration tomorrow.
• The Hamilton Inn will be serving their brunch menu tomorrow in honor of the holiday.
• Congratulations to Brazicki's Tavern, 153 Liberty Ave, on celebrating their 70th anniversary.
• Beginning 10/14, The Kitchen at Grove Station will no longer be BYO and will have a $10 $25 corkage fee along with their all new beer and wine list. Cocktails to follow soon.

9 Bar Cafe "The True Italian Experience"

Join 9 Bar Cafe as they celebrate Italian Heritage Month and Columbus Day with a day-long coffee celebration tomorrow, Monday 10/12.

I've written before about the quality of 9 Bar Cafe and their coffee and tomorrow is the perfect chance to experience all they have to offer with three different deals to enjoy their coffee and food and have the true Italian experience.

Carrino Provisions No Longer

About three weeks ago, Carrino Provisions quietly shut down the market portion of their space. They stopped tweeting and closed off their Instagram. When asked on Twitter, all they'd say was there were some exciting changes to come.

Milk Sugar Love and Taproot Organics Team Up

The first time I met Daniel Grunes, co-owner of Taproot Organics and former chef, at the launch party of the first Eighty Mag, he asked me what I thought was the most interesting restaurant in Jersey City . Not necessarily the best or the trendiest, but the most interesting - and though I didn't say it and in fact, struggled to answer because at the time Jersey City was going through a bit of a dining slump, my first instinct was to say Milk Sugar Love (despite it not being an actual restaurant). It was one of the best questions I've ever gotten about food and I've never stopped thinking about it since. Whenever I do, Milk Sugar Love is always included in my mental list so you can imagine my complete and total delight when I found out they were collaborating on a special new flavor.

Thirty Acres is Closing

Alex and Kevin Pemoulie, owners of Thirty Acres, announced yesterday that they are closing their much-lauded restaurant in Jersey City and will be moving to Seattle. Service at the restaurant will continue through Saturday, November 28th.

The closure doesn't exactly come as a surprise, but it's certainly a huge loss for the dining culture in town considering Thirty Acres is one of the few truly innovative and high-caliber restaurants we have and can be credited with bringing a huge amount of attention and change to the Jersey City restaurant scene. They've gone through a few transitions over the past four years, originally starting as a BYOB dinner spot before getting a liquor license, then adding a brunch menu, and most recently, changing to a ten course tasting menu format, but always with incredible attention to ingredients, detail and flavors.

                                              Shrimp and grits from the brunch menu at Thirty Acres

Community News

• Taproot Organics, local organic soapmaker and vendor at all the markets around town, suffered water damage from a neighbor's fire last week and have had to leave their apartment and workspace. If you'd like to help, here's how.
• The Whiskey Festival of NJ is being held at Taphaus on 10/15 and you can save $10 with code CBC
• Chilltown Kitchen put together a video of their most recent supper club.

New Delivery Service Hits Town

A new delivery service, PostMates, has come to town. Originally launched in San Francisco, PostMates is now in 40 different markets around the United States and could best be compared to the Uber of delivery service. You place your order, they connect you with a driver/personal errand runner, and send you real-time updates on what is happening. While they are available for various services in other cities, it seems like they're currently focusing primarily on food in and near Jersey City.

National Coffee Day

Free Coffee Alert!

Tomorrow (9/29) is National Coffee Day! To celebrate, 9 Bar Cafe will be giving out free 12 oz coffees to anyone who goes into the shop and shows the picture above.

If you haven't already been into 9 Bar, this is a great reason to go. It's one of my favorite coffee shops in Jersey City and they make excellent coffee (as well as some delicious bites to go with it).

Enjoy!

Community News

• Iron Monkey is offering tailgate specials, available for pick-up or delivery and they're offering drink specials during Jets and Giants games.  
• Congratulations to South House who celebrated their Grand Opening last week. 
• Check out this feature on Alysis Vazquez, Jersey City chef, which explains how the Chilltown Kitchen monthly supper club came to be. 

Feed JC - Dinner in Columbia Park

This Saturday, 9/26, is the 4th dinner in Feed JC's Dinner in the Park series. Each dinner is held in a different ward of Jersey City and proceeds go to benefit the JC Parks Coalition and help feed the hungry as well as offer skill-building and job training experience for a group of Jersey City teens.

Top Food Events in Jersey City

There are a lot of exciting culinary and drinking events happening around town over the next few weeks, so I thought it would be helpful to just compile one complete list of dates.

Ongoing Events
Sam A.M. is still holding weekly supper clubs every Tuesday through Thursday. Check in with them on a weekly basis to see the menu for each week; they usually post it on Monday.

Every Friday & Saturday through October and November, Whealth will be serving a three course tasting menu celebrating fall harvest at Smith and Chang. The series begins on Friday, Oct. 2nd and tickets are $45/person

9/24 
Oktoberfest at Satis Bistro, beginning at 8pm. Advance reservations are required.

Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits Cocktail Party at HopsScotch beginning at 7pm

9/25
South House is celebrating their Grand Opening with some live Blues bands.

Oktoberfest at Zeppelin Hall begins on Friday and will continue every weekend through October 24th. There will be German party bands, traditional German food and beers.

Hamilton Park BBQ 2015

This Saturday is the 6th Annual Hamilton Park BBQ and it's sure to be a good time filled with lots of delicious eats. If you're new to the barbecue, check out my round-up from two years ago - although I have to say it's grown a lot since then.

Sponsored in part by Silverman, the HPNA, Sawyer Smith Residential Brokerage and others, this annual event is a major fundraiser for the Hamilton Park Conservancy and always draws a big crowd. It runs from 12pm-8pm at 232 Pavonia outside of GP's and boasts vendors like Milk Sugar Love, Taproot Organics, Just Jenny's Love, Outer Limits Hot Sauce, and Republic of Pigtails - and that doesn't even cover the barbecue vendors. There's also live music throughout the event and fun for kids with face-painting and a bouncy house.

Community News

• Congratulations to Talde, Word, Skinner's Loft, Dullboy, and Taqueria for being mentioned in the New York Times on where to go near Grove Street.
• Talde will be hosting the next Battle of Newark Ave on Monday, 9/21, to see who the best bartender is. A daiquiri happy hour will start at 7:30 and the competition begins at 8:30pm.
• Prato Bakery has introduced porchetta sandwiches to their weekend menu. 
• Congratulations to farmer's market vendors  Novello Cucina and JC Fish Stand who have both recently announced they are opening store fronts. 

All About Downtown Street Fair 2015

The 2015 All About Downtown Street Fair is nearly upon us and it's promising to be bigger and better than ever with over 200 vendors, an expected attendance of over 25,000, two extra hours of festival time (it runs from 11:00am-8:00pm), over ten food trucks from all around New York and New Jersey, and almost non-stop live music. The fair will stretch from Newark Avenue at Grove Plaza all the way down to Jersey Ave.

Weekend Events

Ready for the wekeend?! Lets start making plans.

Tonight, head to WORD bookstore at 7:30pm to hear chef Dale Talde, the chef behind local restaurants Talde and Carrino Provisions,  speak about his new cookbook, Asian-American.

On Friday, O'Leary's Publik House will be celebrating one year in business with $2 domestic drafts all day and lots of other drink specials after 4pm. 

Zeppelin Hall is hosting a a country music weekend with live music Friday and Saturday nights, slow smoked barbecue, and it's also their Wonderful World of Spam weekend.

Departed Soles

Departed Soles, Jersey City's first brewery, has been hard at work this summer, distributing their gluten-free beer to bars around the city, developing and tweaking recipes, and (the best part for us) opening the tasting room.

Community News

• Greene Hook opened up this weekend! They'll be open beginning at 5pm Tuesday through Saturday for now.
• Don't forget to register for the chili cook-off at Lincoln Park on Sept. 27th.
• Archer Bar will be giving us another preview of what's to come at next weekend's All About Downtown Street Fair.
• Milk Sugar Love is now officially offering soft serve. Don't forget there's still time to join Pint Club too.
• Join Satis Bistro for their Oktoberfest with traditional German food and beer on September 24th at 8pm.

Greene Hook Opens to the Public

(photo from Greene Hook Press Release)

Greene Hook, the new restaurant from Light Horse Tavern owner Bill Gray, is set to officially open  to the public at 70 Greene Street tomorrow, Saturday, 9/12. The bar will be open, drinks will be flowing, and they are going to debut their signature dish, a mangalitsa pork burger (mangalitsa pork comes from a special breed of domestic pig, usually humanely raised,  and is a well-marbled, very flavorful and juicy meat reminiscent of beef but with more pork flavor) topped with bacon.

The restaurant itself is quite spacious, has a shuffleboard table, bar seating, reclaimed wood floors and handcrafted tables.

Weekend Events

Happy Weekend Jersey City! Here's what's going on:

The Journal Square Green Market runs from 11:00am-8:00pm.Village Yoga will be there holding a yoga class from 1:00pm-2:00pm and Bang Me Bakery with be there with a limited amount of their newly revamped Bust a Nutter Butter cookie along with their other offerings.

This Friday is the last Groove on Grove of the season, combining with the Artists & Makers Market at Grove Plaza as part of the JC Fridays festivities happening all around town. Expect to see a lot of great vendors out there including Raval, Orale, Milk Sugar Love, Iced Tea Fusion, Koro Koro and more along with (yes, alcohol) live music, craft vendors, jewelry stands, and henna.

Construction Updates #3

Expect another round of new places to check out, Jersey City! Some of these have been long term projects, others seemed to have popped up almost overnight, but we've got more restaurants and coffee shops headed our way. Here's a round-up of some of the new food and beverage spots coming to town.

On Newark Ave, past the pedestrian plaza, there are three new spots all opening within fairly close proximity to each other, extending what has become known as "Restaurant Row":
Archer Bar, which was previewed at JC Project Eats, will be opening in the former Box Spring space at 176 Newark (they moved in with More on Grove) and will focus on specialty cocktails with a limited menu available, along the lines of elevated and revamped bar food. Their original projection for opening was mid to late September and I did recently see what looked like booth seating being moved in so it seems like they're close to meeting that timeline. I think we can expect to see them open within the next month.

Digest: The Town Benefit

This Thursday, Sept. 10th, join The Digest as they host a networking event in collaboration with David Trotta of Whealth and Base Gym benefiting the York Street Project.

Community News

• Milk Sugar Love is bringing back the Pint Club! And the final summer sundae, a collaboration with Thirty Acres, is now on offer every weekend in September.
• Sam A.M. announced their three day supper club menu for the week.
• Art House is hosting a Fall Spectacular next Saturday with food trucks, live music, beer tasting, and a cake baking contest.
• Dark Side of the Moo is hiring.
• Carvao BBQ was featured in The Jersey Journal.
  

Labor Day Weekend Events

We all know what Labor Day Weekend means: Summer is officially winding down. But if you're staying in town, you might as well make the most of it!

First, what's closed:

Thirty Acres will be open Saturday, but closed Sunday and Monday per their normal schedule.
Milk Sugar Love will be open for regular hours all weekend but closed Monday per their regular schedule.
Third & Vine will be closed on Monday
Sam A.M. will be closed on Monday
Hamilton Inn will be offering brunch on Monday

Battello will be closed all weekend, beginning Friday, and reopening Tuesday for lunch.
The Grove St. Farmer's Market will not be open on Monday.
Pasta Dal Cuore is closed from Saturday, Sept. 5th-10th, reopening Friday, the 11th

Fast Boy Delivery is offering a Labor Day Weekend Delivery Special - 10% off on Saturday and Sunday.

The tasting room at Departed Soles Brewery is open from 1pm-8pm on Saturday and will have special Monday hours from 1pm-4pm

The Journal Square Green Market will run as usual on Friday from 11am-8pm. They'll have fruit and veggies to stock up on for the weekend, fitness classes, Taproot Organics, and an ever-expanding food vendor roster.

Friday night is another great night for the RNA's Live at the Lumberyard  with great live music, food trucks, and more. El Chilango will be there, bringing special spicy shrimp ceviche tostadas with them.

Community News

• Lincoln Park is hosting a chili cook-off at the end of September! Register to participate. 
• Congratulations to McGinley Square Pub for their feature in the Jersey Journal and subsequent story by ABC7 on their decision not to allow cell phones. 
• Grandma Downtown is offering draft party specials for delivery including Mac & Cheese.
• Thirsty Quaker is now carrying the first ever bottled beer by local brewery 902 Brewing.

Weekend Events

This weekend is all about the outdoor eats, so check out what's going on:

Today, join the #SaveLSP picnic in Liberty State Park from 1pm - sundown. Bring some food, hang out, meet some new friends, and help fight against privatizing the park. 

Today is also Rustique Pizza's four year anniversary so to celebrate, they're giving out free plain slices from noon-6pm. 

Save LSP Picnic (and where to stock up!)

This Friday, join the family behind E. Tittlemouse and Co. for a picnic in Liberty State Park! The goal of the picnic - which is a casual get-together, not an organized event- is to help raise awareness about the importance of saving LSP from development and privatization. The idea is to have anybody who's interested show up between 1pm and sundown to enjoy their own picnic, have some food, have some fun, and just enjoy the park, showing their support.

To help get you in the mood, I've compiled a list of picnic best bets from around Jersey City, nothing that needs to be kept cold, warmed up, or requires major preparation:

Dinner in the Park Series #3

This Saturday is the third event in the Dinner in the Park Series, a program benefiting Jersey City parks and helping feed the homeless with each dinner estimated to feed over 100 less fortunate. This great project is being put on by FeedJC, a collaboration between Whealth and Andy's Market, and also act as a training ground for Jersey City teenagers hoping to work at restaurants and in food service.

Each dinner is held at a different park in a different ward of Jersey City to help celebrate that culture and neighborhood. Lincoln Park and Van Vorst Park have been checked off the list and this week's dinner is in Pershing Field in Jersey City Heights.

To get a better sense of what you can expect from these dinners, check out my photos from the dinner in Van Vorst Park :

Jobs in Jersey City

Hoping to get started in the restaurant/food industry? Jersey City has options for you.

White Star Bar recently took over the former La Conguita space and as part of their expansion, they've started looking for help in multiple kitchen and FOH roles.

Madame Claude Wine is looking for a part-time sales clerk. While wine experience is helpful (beyond drinking it), it's not necessary.

Razza is searching for an experienced prep cook to join their kitchen team.

Bucket & Bay is looking for an experienced pastry cook who loves working with fresh, seasonal fruit and ideally, has gelato experience, but if not, would be willing to train.

Community News

• A Greenville Food Pantry is in danger of closing. They're hoping to find a space large enough to serve their current population to which to relocate, but so far haven't found anything.
• A new food truck, The Angry Crab, has hit Jersey City!
• Don't forget to check out all the great things happening around town as part of Pride.
• 9 Bar Cafe announced new fall/winter hours beginning September 7th.
• Village Yoga will be at the New JSQ Green Market on Friday 8/28 so stock up on fruit and vegetable and a little midday relaxation

Seven Sheep Coffee Opens!

Seven Sheep Coffee, a new coffee shop in the Hamilton Park/JC Village area, is opening its doors today for a soft opening with limited hours.

Weekend Events

Summer is slowly winding down, but there's still plenty going on around town.

Jersey City Pride kicks off today, 8/20, with a flag-raising at the Brennan Courthouse, starting over a whole week full of great, celebratory events. Of particular note this weekend is Brightside Tavern's Sundays are a Drag Brunch from 1p-5pm. Advance ticketing required.

Bone-In has a special deal going through Friday 8/21 when you order delivery through FastBoy. They're offering 15% off for Jersey City deliveries and 10% off for Hoboken.
                              

Jersey City Ties Back to School Happy Hour

Jersey City Ties, in partnership with WomenRising, is hosting a happy hour/school supplies at LITM tonight beginning at 6pm and running until 9pm. 

Community News

• A new restaurant, BawarcHi Biryani Corner, opened near Journal Square.
• Ahri's Kitchen has introduced some new dishes, offered as limited specials, including some gluten-free soups.
• Congratulations to Just BeClaws for being featured in Grub Street's list of local seafood boils.

Weekend Events

Jersey City is feeling very multi-cultural this weekend so get out there and enjoy it!

Today is the Journal Square Green Market with Bang Me Bakery, Taproot Organics, Stella's Empanadas, & more. This market seems like it's growing by the week, so make sure to check it out.

La Festa Italiana will continue every night through Sunday with music, games, 50/50, bull-riding (!) and lots and lots of food.

After water damage from a fire in the upper floors of their building shut them down, Taqueria Viva Mexico is opening back up today!

Departed Soles Brewing Company will be opening its doors on Friday from from 4-7pm and Saturday from 12-5pm for taste tests of some of their pilot kegs.

La Festa Italiana Part II: The Eats

Beyond all the music, games, and general fun that La Festa Italiana offers, they've also got a lot of offer to eat and drink, so check out this mini photo-tour of what's available and all the reasons why you should be heading there this weekend!
We'll start with the important things: drinks! Lots of beer and specialty cocktails from White Star Bar and the church's homemade limoncello and wine and peaches.

Chilltown Kitchen Announces Next Supper Club

Local collaborative catering company, Chilltown Kitchen, has announced the details for their next monthly supper club.

HopsScotch Presents Special Dinner with Hitachino Nest

This Thursday, 8/13, HopsScotch is hosting Japanese brewery Kiuchi for a special dinner to be paired with the Hitachino Nest beers. The meal will have Japanese influences and there will be a brewery rep on hand to discuss the pairings.

La Festa Italiana Begins Tonight!

Get ready for five straight days of enjoying rice balls, wine and peaches and live music! La Festa Italiana on 6th and Brunswick begins tonight!

Community News

• La Festa Italiana starts this Wednesday! It will run through Sunday, August 16th, on 6th St. between Monmouth and Brunswick.
• Talde JC is hosting Talib Kwali for the launch of RE Classics on August 22nd. Talde will be providing drinks and bites and tickets are $20, purchased here.
• Congratulations to Short Grain for their write-up in the Jersey Journal.
• Milk Sugar Love is now available for delivery via FastBoy Delivery. They've also started offering their August Flavor of the Month, Caramel Corn.
  

Weekend Events

Want to spend as much time outdoors as possible before summer's over? This weekend is for you.

On Friday, visit the Journal Square Green Market, open from 11:00am-8:00pm with regulars like Stony Hill, Taproot Organics, Stella's Empanadas, and their ever-expanding vendor list including Bang Me Bakery and El Chilango Taqueria.

This Saturday, help support No Kid Hungry with Bambino Chef who will be fundraising with a lemonade stand at 213 Newark Ave from 10am-1pm. Each lemonade is $1 and their are two corporate matches, so every dollar makes a big difference.

Dinner in the Park Series Pt. 2

Feed JC, a collaboration between Andy's Market and Whealth, has announced the second dinner for their Dinner in the Park series!

The Battle of the Bars

Tonight, Monday, August 3rd, there will be a Battle of the Bars in Downtown Jersey City.

Community News

• Torico Ice Cream is going to be featured on The Food Network's new series, Great American Food Finds. It will premiere Monday, August 3rd at 9:30pm
• Carrino Provisions has started a Monday night prix-fixe of two courses plus cannoli for $25 or $30 with a glass of wine and this week's Tuesday BBQ theme will be Thai Street Food.
• You can now order Milk Sugar Love for delivery through Fastboy Delivery! They even have special coolers and ice to prevent melting.
• Milk Sugar Love has also started offering the August sundae, a collaboration with Third & Vine. Made with blue cheese ice cream, blueberry chutney, bourbon caramel, and bacon candy, the sundae will be available every weekend through August. 
• Noches de Colombia will be moving into Jersey City Heights on Central Ave.

Weekend Events

It's the first weekend of August so get out there and enjoy!

Hudson Restaurant Week is continuing through the weekend and into next week, so go check out some new restaurants. There are 10 restaurants in Jersey City participating and over thirty throughout Hudson County.

The Journal Square Green Market runs today from 11:00am-8:00pm.

Do You Tea will be closed next Monday 8/3 through 8/10, so stop by this weekend to stock up for iced tea.

Jersey Fresh Peach Festival at Riverview Market

Next Sunday, August 2nd, the Riverview Farmers Market will be participating in the 4th Annual Perfect Peach Pie Contest!

This is a statewide contest run by the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council that several markets throughout NJ participate in. The winners at each market go on to participate in a second and final round for a grand prize of $300.

$1 Taco Tuesday at Dullboy

Dullboy is one of my favorite spots to have opened up in Jersey City over the past six months or so. It's flat out one of my favorite spots in Jersey City altogether. The drinks are excellent, the atmosphere is relaxed, and it's nice to have a space where conversation is promoted rather than restricted.

Recently, they've started working in some rotating specials and events to the weekly schedule like $1 oysters on Monday, gypsy swing brunch on Sundays, and what I most recently stopped by to check out, $1 Taco Tuesdays.

Community News

• Carvao BBQ is now open!
• Hudson Restaurant Week starts tomorrow.
• Carrino Provisions will be grilling up shrimp, chorizo, elote and more at this week's Mexican-themed barbecue.
• Next Friday (7/31) marks the beginning of Zeppelin Hall's Beer and Barbecue Festival running until August 10th.

Weekend Events

Start drinking a lot of coffee, Jersey City! You'll need it with all the great events happening around town this weekend!

Tonight, join the Chopping Block and El Chilango at the Lumberyard in Jersey City Heights for dinner beginning at 6:30pm and live music starting at 7pm. El Chilango has even created special shrimp and skirt steak dishes for the event!

942 Summit is hosting a special botanically-inspired Avant Garden event to benefit the Riverview Community Garden with custom-created goods and refreshments.

Arlington Park Farmer's Market

Arlington Park in the Bergen Lafayette section of Jersey City got its first Farmers Market this year! Organized through Friends of Arlington Park, the market opened two weeks ago and will run every Saturday through November 21st, from 9am-2pm

I went to go check it out on opening day and immediately loved it. The park is green and beautiful with some small playground areas and shaded benches, and the market takes place in an open area surrounding a gazebo. It's peaceful, quiet, and has enough space to spread out and enjoy your time outdoors.

Hudson Restaurant Week

Hudson Restaurant Week kicks off another season this Monday, celebrating the height of summer with two weeks of prix-fixe menus at more wallet-friendly prices!

Dinner in the Park Series

This Sunday, July 26th, Feed JC kicks off a new monthly charitable dining event, Dinner in the Park, a series of six dinners in a park in each ward of Jersey City.

Feed JC is a collaborative effort between Whealth and Andy's Market, each of them working together to make something amazing, generous, and delicious happen in Jersey City. Last year, they organized a huge, city-wide effort to provide food for the homeless on Christmas Day and have come together again in an effort to create this ongoing dinner series that will benefit the Jersey City Parks Coalition and help feed Jersey City's homless population while being part of a job training program for Jersey City youth.

Community News

• South House opened this past Friday for drinks and a limited menu. They plan to switch to the full menu and open up the roof and basement within the next few weeks. They'll be closed tomorrow, but reopen on Tuesday. 
• This Thursday, Satis Bistro is hosting a Riesling tasting for $45/person. Call for reservations.
• Congratulations to Jersey City Veggie Burger for celebrating three years in business and to Chopping Block Food Truck on their one year anniversary, both this weekend!
• This week's Tuesday BBQ menu at Carrino Provisions is Mediterranean themed with slow roasted lamb shoulder, kafta & veggie kebabs, falafel, hummus, and more. $30 for all you can eat and drink.

Project Eats: The Specials

Project Eats is ONE DAY AWAY and we've already covered what last year was like, who will be there this year, so now it's time to discuss some of the actual food*.

One of my favorite things about Project Eats and all of the The Jersey City Project's projects is that the vendors get really into it and a lot of them offer special menus, new items, and use it as a chance to introduce something they want to start making part of their regular line-up. It's like a sneak preview, except not just a preview - it's the whole thing. 

Here's some of what we know vendors will be bringing this year:

Weekend Events

Hey Jersey City! Here's what's happening this weekend:

This weekend's biggest event is the two day Project Eats happening in front of City Hall from 11am - 7pm on both Saturday and Sunday. To find out more and what you can expect, check my post here about all the vendors.

This Friday, 7/17 (before the gluttony begins) is the soft open for the newest restaurant to hit Newark Avenue, Southern-insprired South House! They're planning to open around 4-5pm seving food and drinks but most likely won't have the basement or roof open for another few weeks.

Project Eats 2015 Vendors

In case you've missed the news, The Jersey City Project's Project Eats is this weekend! This year, they're expanding it to two days, both Saturday and Sunday from 11am-7pm (this means if you time it right, you can pretty much have every meal of the day here). Here's a quick look at last year's event.

Not only is this a great festival for all the best eats around, there's a special food-centric marketplace, highlighting some of the best small businesses and product vendors around.

Recapping Project Eats

This weekend, The Jersey City Project is presenting Project: Eats*, a TWO DAY event full of some of the best eats from vendors in Jersey City and beyond. There will be food stands, trucks, and other specialty vendors selling food-related items of all sorts.

Prato Bakery Controversy

Last week, Prato Bakery was the subject of some construction and zoning complaints from a nearby neighbor which led to a temporary removal of their tables and chairs. Obviously, this action affects their business and it created a lot of concern amongst the local community, even spurring a petition to Mayor Fulop.

Prato has quickly become a neighborhood favorite, serving up delicious foccacia, sandwiches, and cantucci, just to name a few, all made fresh and on-site. They are a small business putting out great products and to see them face a lot of bureacracy and red tape, as well as suffer perhaps unnecessary, expensive, and overly restrictive punishments, is not something anyone wants to see. However, there do seem to be some grounds for the complaint, but how much is yet to be determined.

Community News

• The biggest food event of the year, Project Eats, is next weekend, July 18th and 19th. Join in the fun and visit dozens of different vendors from Jersey City and beyond.
• Thirty Acres was featured on Vice's Munchies, showing their favorite stops in and around Jersey City.
• Via Taproot Organics, Cafe Presto has joined the Journal Square Green Market, serving fresh coffee, juices, and a specialty pressed waffle menu.
• Via WiredJC, a new bar/lounge/performance space, Club Transmission, is coming to Jersey City in the 150 Bay Street building.

Non-Stop Eats!

Aall of a sudden. it seems like the entire week just filled up with amazing food events! There isn't a day without something delicious and most days have multiple somethings, so I thought I'd do a quick round-up of everything food-related happening over the next several days!

WEDNESDAY

• Prato Bakery is hosting a Prosciutto di Parma tasting at 11am
• Patsey's, a new Italian American Bistro located at 93 Franklin Street in Jersey City Heights will open tomorrow. They'll be open from 6am-3pm.
• Groove on Grove is exciting enough, but on Wednesday, the'll also have the Artists & Makers Market! Milk Sugar Love, Sincerely Sweet Confections.Koro Koro, Park and Sixth, Raval, Orale, Hard Grove Cafe and more will be there with food and drinks!
• There are still a couple of spots open at both seatings (6:30pm and 9:30pm) for Raval's Live Flamenco Show and Unlimited Tapas.
• It's the 13th Annual Newport Beach Party!
• Wednesday means Bluegrass at both Union Republic and Park & Sixth

Newport Beach Party!

This Wednesday, July 8th, is the 13th Annual Newport Beach Party!

       (photos provided by Quinn PR)

Community News

• The Kitchen at Grove Station has started carrying bee pollen truffles from local favorite Busy Bee Organics.
• This week's BBQ at Carrino Provisions will be a Pork Slope-inspired pop-up! $30 for all you can eat and drink.
• Want to know more about catering company Chilltown Kitchen and their upcoming supper club at Porto? Check out this write-up from the Jersey Journal.
• Box Spring will be moving from their current location on Newark Avenue to 218 Grove Street, replacing MORE, by the end of July.

Milk Sugar Love's July Sundae & Ice Cream Social

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of everything Milk Sugar Love. If you asked me to, I can rattle off every flavor I've ever had (and it's not a short list). So I'm extremely excited to be able to help introduce a special new ice cream creation!

Today is the launch of Milk Sugar Love's July Sundae, the Doce De Avo, part of the Summer of Sundaes created with and inspired by restaurants around town.

4th of July Weekend, 2015

Kick off the long weekend Thursday night with a special Food Truck Rally, held at the lot on Newark and Brunswick from 5pm-10pm. Chopping Block, ME Casa, and new vegan truck Green Radish will all be there!

Zeppelin Hall is having a Rib Rumble that runs from Thursday, July 2nd through Monday, July 12th with 20 different kinds of ribs.

Ahri's Kitchen

I'm going to cut right to the chase: Ahri's Kitchen is killing it.

Of the many new restaurants to open downtown over the past year, Ahri's stands out as one of the best. It's also one of the more unique, serving up authentic Korean food, something we don't see a lot of in Jersey City. Everything about this small, friendly spot is meeting, and often, exceeding expectations.

For being a fairly limited menu, they offer a lot of options with everything from appetizers to Korean BBQ to Korean ramen and everything I've had so far has been delicious. While the menu is a bit heavier on the seafood/meat side of things, there are a couple of strictly vegetarian options and some meals I'm sure could be made vegan upon request. They also specify which dishes are entirely gluten-free. It's fairly affordable too, meaning you can easily get out of there for under $20/person, having enjoyed pretty generous portions.

On the appetizer side, they recently added Korean dumplings (Mandu, 5 to an order) with a chicken, scallion, and carrot filling that was tender and delicious and I would definitely recommend them. However, in case you're not willing to eat the entire menu, either of the fritters are a much better choice (unless you're getting take-out; they tend to get a bit soggy although still delicious). My particular favorite is the kimchi fritter: crisp triangles of their housemade spicy kimchi sliced, floured, and fried, but the seafood version is also excellent. Both are packed with flavor but are light enough to be an excellent  and nonfilling start to your meal.

Community News

• Congratulations to Short Grain who celebrated their Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting today.
• Carrino Provisions is hosting a special "Pink & White Summer Night" wine tasting and dinner with Anthony Giglio on Wednesday, July 8th for $50 pp.
• JC Wingery debuted a new flavor: Sweet Thai Chili. Look for it at local Farmer's Markets around town.
• Congratulations to The Hamilton Inn who won an OpenTable Diner's Choice Award.

L'atelier du chocolat Expands their Menu

Since opening in March, L'atelier du chocolat has been hard at work making the most out of their new location. Within the first couple of months, they've expanded their selection to include not just their delicious artisan chocolates, but also pastries, tarts, and other baked goods - many of them incorporating the unique flavors they use in their truffles.

Community News

• Carrino Provisions still has tickets available for their La Quercia Sunday Supper next Sunday, June 28th. Tickets are $120 plus fees for a 5 course meal.
• WHOS Gluten Free has updated their hours for the summer and will be offering brunch on Sundays only
• After suffering water damage from a fire in their building, Taqueria Viva Mexico will be closed for an indeterminate time.
• Choc O Pain has started offering hamburger and hot dog buns for summer. They will be available on weekends.

Weekend Events

Get ready for the weekend! Lots to do, lots to eat, and don't forget to enjoy Father's Day!

This Saturday is the Hamilton Bark Festival, a fundraiser for local non-profit animal shelter Liberty Humane Society. There will be fun for humans and dogs alike, food trucks, beer, and live music. 

Farmers' Market at Lincoln Park Starts Up Again!

Beginning this weekend and running until November 1st, the Farmers' Market at Lincoln Park is back every Sunday from 9am-2pm!

Short Grain: Great Place for a Quick Bite

While it wasn't the avocado toast that initally drew me in, I did give in to it. And I'm so glad I did.

Short Grain, a small but bright open space located right across from City Hall at 183 Montgomery Street,  opened in late May as a café and eatery with a Vietnamese-influenced menu, Balthazar baked goods, and specialty coffee service. One of their first menu items was the avocado toast, capitalizing on a current trend and one that would appeal to the neighborhood, guaranteeing this place would spark a lot of initial interest.