Community News: JGFT expands their Princeton Tour, Cafe Batata closed, Extended Ani Late Night Menu and more

Jersey City

• In sad news, Cafe Batata will be closing their doors as of this Monday, 3/20. 
• NJ Monthly recently featured Dan Richer of Razza. 
• Ani Ramen has expanded their hours to include their full menu until 1am Sunday through Thursday and until 2am Friday and Saturday. 

A Look at Jersey Girls Food Tours

*Full Disclosure - my ticket was complimentary, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not asked to post a review in exchange for coming on the tour*

Recently, I was invited to join Jersey Girls Food Tours on a downtown Jersey City tour. If you're not familiar with Jersey Girls Food Tours, it's a Jersey City-based company that organizes food tasting tours in Jersey City and throughout New Jersey. I'd been on a tour a few years ago when they first started up, but over time they've grown and modified the structure of the tours, so it felt like a brand new experience. The concept behind the tours is to offer attendees a chance to try a bite or two at every spot while learning a little more about that particular restaurant, the chefs, and to give everyone chance to get to know more about the story behind the restaurant and the food.

Community News - Pinwheel Garden soft opens, JGFT expands, Smith Wine Festival

Jersey City

• Congratulations to Razza on receiving a three star review from the NY Times this week. 
• The Pinwheel Garden, a new dumpling and noodle house in Lafayette, has started hosting soft opening events for a select audience. They anticipate opening to the public at large next month. 
• The 8th Annual Hamilton Park BBQ Festival takes place this Saturday 9/23 from 12-8pm in support of the Hamilton Park Conservancy. Expect a variety of barbecue vendors, drinks, music and more. 

May Calendar of Events

May 5th - June 4th

• Zeppelin Hall is celebrating Street Food of the World over the next month with rotating menus featuring popular street foods from countries all over the world, starting with Mexico and ending with food from all over Europe. 

Thursday, May 11th

• Atlas Public House is kicking off a new weekly live music series with Latin gypsy jazz musicians Benjamin Husil and Frederika Krier. The music will be every Thursday with rotating artists from 6pm-8pm.
• FM Jersey City is having their Grand Open to the public. The 70s-inspired  bar and restaurant had their ribbon-cutting early this month and have been going through a soft open, but join them Thursday for their official Grand Opening. 

Friday, May 12th

• Join Midnight Market as they celebrate this month's theme: BRUNCH! As always, everything is $5 or less and they've got a great roster of vendors with brunch-themed specials ready to feed you. 

February Events

February might be a short month, but it doesn't mean there's any less to do! Check out the list below to see what's happening this month:

Tuesday, Feb. 7th

• Krispy Kreme opens for business beginning at 5 am
• Jersey Girls Food Tours is holding an "Eat for a Cause" tour from 6pm-9pm for $75/person with 50% of the proceeds going to the Food Bank of NJ.
• Check out Speakeasy Burlesque with Lillian Bustle at Miss Wong's Lounge with a $10 cover and drink specials all night beginning at 8pm.

Community News

• Jersey Girls Food Tours is offering 15% all December food tours if you book with code CELEBRATE2016 before Tuesday at 11:59pm including the three special holiday tours they having coming up. 
• Jersey City Ties is hosting their 6th Annual Holiday Toy Drive and Happy Hour beginning at 2pm at Lucky 7's. 
• Tea NJ has a new spicy vegan double-stacked non-chicken sandwich. 

Event Line Up

There are a lot of great events centered around drinking and eating over the next couple of weeks, so it's time to start marking your calendars!  Here's what's going on:

10/12 - Liberty House is hosting a Fall Harvest Hot Toddy Cocktail Class at 7pm for $45/person. Appetizers will be provided.

10/13 - Jersey Girls Food Tours is hosting a reception for Behind the Plate, a photo exhibition and celebration of traditional and experimental Jersey City chefs with photos by Tatsuro Nishimura. Several of the featured chefs will be on hand to provide tastes of their food including Emma Taylor from Milk Sugar Love, Tyrone Greene from Dark Side of the Moo, Elena Cartagena from Pasta Dal Cuore, Alex Sartoga of Garden Steaks, Mike Casalinho from Broa and more.

10/15 - The Harborside Craft Brew Fest will run in two sessions on Saturday with more than 150 beers from over 75 breweries as well as food and live music. Use code Jceats for $15 off the ticket price.

Point Capital Development and RDG Hospitality (the group behind Satis Bistro, Raval, and Lucky 7) are throwing an Oktoberfest celebration at the Baker Building, 234 Suydam Ave, from 12-8pm. The restaurants will run a beer garden while food is being provided by Light Rail Cafe and food trucks Muttley Royale and Burger Warrior. Pacific Flea will also be there with some vintage and hand-crafted goods in case you're in a shopping mood.

10/16 - Departed Soles and Sixpoint Brewery have teamed up for a special fundraiser and celebration including the release of their recent collaboration, Bogan Barleywine. The event will run from 2pm-7pm and is the last in a weekend full of special releases from Departed Soles in honor of their one year anniversary.

10/18 - Pasta Dal Cuore and Cool Vines are collaborating on Autumn in Northern Italy, a five course meal inspired by the cuisine of Northern Italy and paired with Italian wines. Tickets are $75 each and reservations can be made through Cool Vines.

Edward's Steakhouse is having savory tapas and wine tasting beginning at 7pm. Reservations are required.

10/20 - The James Beard House Foundation Greens program is hosting an evening at Mana Contemporary with a tour of the museum and food and drinks provided by some of New Jersey's top chefs including Jersey City's own Clémence Danko from Choc-O-Pain, Ryan DePersio from Kitchen Step and Battello, Ruby Felix from Talde, and Michael Fiorianti from Satis Bistro. Tickets are $60 if you're a Greens member or $75 otherwise. 

10/25 - Coach House is hosting their next Tasting Series on Rock and Rye Whiskey. There will be three different spirits presented and the featured cocktail is a Philly Mule. Appetizers will be served and the class is $20/person if reserved and $25/person at the door.

11/4 - Jersey City's first Midnight Market comes to town, running from 6:30pm-midnight at Transmission Harborside. There will be 90s music all night, drink specials, and all food will be $5 or less. Vendors include Cholita Paletas, A Taste of Poland, and Venezuelan bites from Munchies by Antonio among others. Stay tuned for more details.

Start Something Challenge - Jersey Girls Food Tours & Hudson Kitchen

Congratulations to local businesses Jersey Girls Food Tours and Hudson Kitchen for advancing to the next round in Rising Tide Capital's Start Something Challenge!

Start Something Challenge 2016 - Jersey City Entrants

It's time for this year's Start Something Challenge from Rising Tide Capital. The Start Something Challenge is a business pitch competition for New Jersey entrepreneurs that give entrants the chance to not only gain feedback, but win ipads for their business, cash prizes, and one grand prize of a $10,000 business grant.

Community News

• Jersey Girls Food Tours is celebrating their two year anniversary with a special Chef's Table event at Hudson Kitchen on Wednesday, July 13th beginning at 6:30pm featuring chefs from around Jersey City. The event will feature a nine course tasting menu, wine tastings from Mana Wine, and cooking demonstrations and interviews. 
• Beginning Sunday July 10th, Whealth & Co. will be serving up brunch every Sunday at Transmission. They'll have two seatings, one at noon and one at 2pm with limited walk-in seating at the bar. The menu and tickets can be found here. 
• Congratulations to Milk Sugar Love, Torico's, and Luigi's ice cream truck for being named as semi-finalists for NJ's Best Ice Cream Shop by Pete Genovese/NJ Advance Media. 

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

E. Tittlemouse & Co. is getting into the Halloween spirit early with an All Hallow's Masquerade Soiree tonight, Oct. 24th from 6pm-9pm and Sugar Supply JC is catering.

Also tonight, 9th and Coles will be hosting the official pre-party for Jersey City Pride this weekend. They'll have music, food, drinks and dancing from 5pm on.

The Pride festival itself will be held on Saturday in front of City Hall from noon-6pm and there will be live music, DJ's, and specialty food vendors all day.

The fun continues after the festival with after-parties at both Port-O Lounge and Brightside Tavern. For more information on all the events, check out the Pride FB page.

Community News

• There are only a few tickets left to the Jersey Girls Food Tours Fall Chef Showcase so if you want to go, buy your tickets now!
• Tomorrow night, join Roman Nose as they celebrate their second birthday and help raise funds for Eighty Mag's second issue with a special cocktail. There will be free apertivo snacks from 7-9pm and a DJ.
• Congratulations to Battello on their write-up in the NY Times.

Community News

• The Farmers' Market at Grove Street will be up and running tomorrow even though it's a holiday.
• The Riverview Farmers' Market is extending their season by three weeks and will now have their final market day on Sunday, November 23rd.
• Sam a.m. is debuting a new junior supper club this Tuesday, Oct. 14th. It will be $25 for three courses.

Community News

• Congratulations to Thirty Acres for being included on Eater's 38 Essential New York restaurants!
• The Liberty Science Center is having a Rubik's Cube Cake-Off! The deadline to enter is tomorrow 7/7.
• The Dark Side of the Moo got written up in The Jersey Journal for their wide variety of exotic meats and was reported on by CNBC.
• The NY Times went on an ice cream tasting expedition which included Kwality Ice Cream near Journal Square.

New on Newark Food Tour

A couple of months ago, I joined what was Garden State Food Tours for a tour (full disclosure: it was a trial run and I paid a discounted price).Since then, Garden State Food Tours has evolved into Jersey Girls Food Tours and while the name has changed, the tours are staying!

The one I went on is called New on Newark and it focuses on several of the new restaurants and cafes that have opened up along Newark Avenue in downtown Jersey City. While the locations can be subject to change depending on availability, you can count on hitting several major spots like Union Republic, Left Bank Burger Bar, Tea NJ & more.

Community News

• Congratulations to former Garden State Food Tours, who have officially relaunched as Jersey Girls Food Tours and they will start running tours at the end of June, so buy your tickets now!
• Departed Soles, a new brewery, has recently moved into Jersey City where they will be creating both regular and gluten-free craft beers.
• Jersey City got more recognition from The Village Voice this week with a write-up on the 10 best places to get coffee in Jersey City and Hoboken. Congratulations to all!
• Cocoa Bakery has a new gluten-free cupcake: chocolate with chocolate glaze!
• ME Casa celebrated their second anniversary this Saturday and they expect to be rolling the truck out tomorrow, Monday. 6/8