Community News: Ai Pho and Vermicelli Now Open, Cider and Cheese Pairing, Girl Scout Doughnuts and More

New Thanh Hoai

Jersey City

• Per JC Upfront, new Vietnamese restaurant Ai Pho and Vermicelli is now open at 515 Avenue in the space formerly occupied by Big Chef. 
• Hidden Grounds is now carrying Dough Doughnuts on the weekends (which if you've never had them, are huge and delicious) and a selection of special treats from WHOS Gluten-Free on a daily basis. 
• Congratulations to New Thanh Hoai which was named one of the 29 Top Vietnamese Restaurants in NYC and the surrounding area by Eater's Robert Sietsema.  He specifically called out the excellent pho and their seafood and it was the only New Jersey restaurant to be included. 
• Tickets are still available to this Tuesday's Cider and Cheese pairing with Jersey Wine and Spirits and Van Hook Cheese. The event starts at 7pm and tickets are $40/person. 
• Zeppelin Hall is holding Pig Out, their whole hog festival, from now through March 1st. They'll have 17 pork dishes along with their regular menu. 
• Congratulations to Modcup coffee on celebrating 4 years in their original location on Palisade Avenue. 
• The Winter Pint Sale at Torico is almost over, so make sure you stop by and stock up on pints now. 
• Congress Station has completed some minor renovations which helped increase their seating space. 

Outside Jersey City

• Purple Glaze doughnut shop in Asbury Park is showcasing a new series of Girl Scout cookie-inspired doughnuts. They have four in rotation - Thin Mint, Samoa, Savannah Smile, and Tag-Along, all topped with one of their namesake cookies. The doughnuts are $2.50 each and will be available for another few weeks. 
• Union Beer Distributor is moving from their current location in Brooklyn to the former Panasonic site in Secaucus. They currently distribute around 8 million cases of beer each year and needed a larger site in order to continue to grow. 
• Several Hoboken bars received liquor violations and are being forced to remain closed during this weekend's LepreCon as well as face subsequent liquor license suspensions. The most severe punishment went to 1Republik who is being forced to close pending the sale or transfer of their liquor license.