Second Street Bakery

On Monday, Second Street Bakery reopened after their annual two week vacation so I figured what better time to talk about them.

Second Street Bakery is not a bakery. At least, not in the sense of pastries, cakes and other desserts. Instead, Second Street is an old school italian deli with delicious sandwiches, stuffed breads, and other classic italian fare, all made onsite will all the bread baked in a coal-fired oven. It's family-run with a strong sense of tradition and familiarity. On weekends, lines will often go out the door (it's a small place and there's no seating) with firemen, policemen, and EMTs frequently stopping by. Neighbors shake hands, people ask about parents, houses, kids. Long time customers from other parts of NJ pick up party platters and huge brown bags filled with bread and rolls for family events. It's not new or trendy; it's just good, comforting food done the way it's always been done.

Community News

Make sure to check out Jersey City Veggie Burgers' Start Something NJ Challenge! Help them win a 10k business grant by watching and sharing their video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs6jYrMa3iU&feature=youtu.be

The Jersey City Brew Club has announced they will be holding their third annual Jersey City Homebrew Competition on Saturday, October 5th! Homebrewers, enter now: http://jerseycitybrewclub.com/jersey-city-homebrew-contest/

Second Street Bakery is back open tomorrow after a two week vacation!

Why You Should go to La Festa Italiana: An Essay in Photographs

As I mentioned, La Festa Italiana is a really fun annual festival and street fair held in Jersey City. It ends tomorrow night, so you've got two more nights to go (or go again) and here's why you should:

 Live Entertainment

 

Delenio's Menu & the meatballs which were really good. Flavorful, juicy, and in a slightly tart tomato sauce.

Cupcakes in Jersey City

Something I've long been looking for in Jersey City is a bakery to pick up a quick, delicious gift. Something fresh, easy, reliable, able to survive a subway trip and good for a group. While it seems like we're slowly getting more options in this area, one place I found that fits the bill is Sophie Sophia. Located right by Hamilton Park, this bakery focuses day to day primarily on cupcakes although also creates beautiful and creative made-to-order cakes.

The day I went in, I was on my way to a friendly dinner in the late afternoon and they were clearly running a little low on inventory but I was more than satisfied with the choices I had. I selected the sophia (yellow cake with vanilla frosting), the chocolate dream (chocolate cake, chocolate frosting), peanut butter and jelly, and cookie dough.  There were a couple other "standard" flavors and one slightly more creative that I could choose from so it's nice to see they have a mix depending on your tastes.  It's a small, cute, very feminine shop and it does put you in the mindset of sweetness and treating yourself.

Reminder: La Festa Italiana

La Festa Italiana starts today on 6th Street between Monmouth and Brunswick! This traditional Old World Italian Festival is held every year and hugely popular. It really captures a lot of the old and new Italian culture and the traditions that are especially prevalent in Jersey City. It's family-friendly with activities, booths, and of course food!