tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436783505421478042012-01-30T17:07:21.697-05:00Jersey FoodiesObjective & honest Restaurant & Wine Reviews by F. Scott and ZeldaNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.comBlogger7051100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-62324612065816357432012-01-29T15:00:00.006-05:002012-01-29T21:17:52.952-05:00Bouchon Bakery - New York, NYWhat is a trip to New York without getting some delicious, baked pastries? Well, it's a trip that is missing something! But what is a trip to New York with a visit to Chef Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery? Absolutely awesome!
Sure, there are plenty of people that feel that a croissant is a croissant. There are plenty of people that cannot appreciate a good macaron, and there are even people NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-11608155900824677952012-01-29T15:00:00.001-05:002012-01-29T20:05:04.721-05:00Momofuku Ssäm Bar - New York, NYIf there is a restaurant in NYC that I have been dying to get back to, yup, it's Momofuku Ssäm. From the casual ambiance to the incredible pork belly, I have been craving this place again for well over a year. So with a gorgeous January day on the East Coast, I hopped the train out of Princeton, for a quick jaunt up to Penn. From Penn Station, I hopped on the A/C line down to 14th Street, and NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.5035183 -74.28538110000001 40.9251873 -73.7265651tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-15467483470108370032012-01-29T14:00:00.000-05:002012-01-29T20:04:24.310-05:002010 Domaine La Suffrene Bandol RoséHad a glass of this today as Momofuku Ssam with lunch, and feel free to check out the review above for my full review of my lunch.
Nice salmon color in the glass with a fruity nose of strawberry, raspberry, grapefruit (really???), and citrus. Some alcohol on the nose, which seemed to blow off as the glass was emptied and this warmed up a bit.
On the palate, the first thing I noticed was the NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-47300180096238542332012-01-24T20:00:00.003-05:002012-01-25T22:21:56.481-05:00The Ferry House - Princeton, NJI have to say that it has been years since I have been to the Ferry House, so since my good pal John from my home roots in Illinois was in the area, I met up with him in Princeton, and we ventured to The Ferry House. I have had a restaurants.com gift certificate for their from Christmas of 2011, and have been meaning to use it, so tonight was the night.
We arrived at the Ferry House, and walkedNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-88342978714438057112012-01-17T12:23:00.000-05:002012-01-18T12:34:52.071-05:00The Farnsworth House - Bordentown, NJDate: January 17, 2011
Name of Establishment: The Farnsworth House
Location: 135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown, NJ 08505
Web: http://www.thefarnsworthhouse.com/
Order: Anything from the bar menu and one of the 20 plus draft beers!
I just wasn't feeling like firing up the stove and putting my chef's coat on tonight, so I took a little drive to Bordentown and hit up the Farnsworth House.
NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-40959710517326571452012-01-16T22:00:00.003-05:002012-01-17T18:17:04.755-05:00Beauty & Essex - New York, NY
So from Death & Co, since we were just a few blocks away, I absolutely had to take John to Beauty & Essex! Now, if you didn't notice Death & Co while walking past it, there is no way you would ever realize that Beauty & Essex was even here.
From the outside, it looks like an old pawn shop or antique/estate jewelry store. But at the back left of the store is a giant door with a doorman, and NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-47243857444506626182012-01-16T21:30:00.000-05:002012-01-17T17:51:13.667-05:00Death & Co - New York, NYWhen my good pal John Rueff sent me a text message before 6AM today, I knew it was going to be a good day, and that he was coming to town. That said, I hopped the train to meet him for dinner, and after dinner we checked out a few places for cocktails that I have been meaning to try at the suggestions of friends.
First and foremost, if you didn't know what this place was, you would probably NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-60944714166343952212012-01-16T19:00:00.000-05:002012-01-17T18:36:39.755-05:00Bar Americain - New York, NYSo tonight I took the train from Princeton up to NYC, to meet my good friend John from back home in Chicago for dinner. I walked up the stairs to 7th Avenue at Penn Station, and hung a quick right to meet John at the Hilton Fashion District. Needless to say, we left his hotel and started walking towards Times Square, so I suggested Bar Americain.
We walked in and the restaurant was packed, NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-91983281256202534202011-12-17T23:50:00.001-05:002011-12-19T17:23:47.902-05:00Coltello Ristorante Italiano - Crosswicks, NJFor the second year in a row, I have held my holiday party at Coltello Ristorante Italiano in Crosswicks, NJ, and based on tonight's performance, you bet we'll try to book Coltello again next year!
We had a party of 42 tonight, and Chef Dominic and the Coltello staff had us. set up at one HUGE table down the left hand side of the restaurant. The setup was perfect, with 2 large round tables at NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2Coltello Ristorante Italiano, 460 Main Street, Crosswicks, Chesterfield, NJ 08515, USA40.1533063 -74.6473955999999840.1488583 -74.65518409999999 40.15775429999999 -74.63960709999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-17489084053544947022011-12-03T12:00:00.005-05:002011-12-05T20:57:27.474-05:00Top 10 North American WinesThough this is not my Top 10 list for 2011, I wanted to talk about my Top 10 Wines from the United States. These wines are wines that I buy year in, year out, and with the current economy, I am not buying much at all. That being said, here are the producers who's wines and mailing lists I will stay on.
I will however note though, that due to the staggering of releases now, there are 2 of theseNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-2193159191584205022011-12-02T23:45:00.001-05:002011-12-04T22:11:43.209-05:00Avenue Restaurant - Long Branch, NJNight 2 with my buddy John from Chicago, and tonight he wanted to stay local in Long Branch to I took a cruise out to see what kind of dinner we could get ourselves in to.
We ended up walking over to Avenue, just a short walk down the boardwalk from his hotel. And I have to admit, though I used to work just minutes from Long Branch when stationed at Fort Monmouth, I have never actually stopped NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-91335567378697541432011-12-01T23:59:00.000-05:002011-12-04T21:45:42.290-05:0020 Manning - Philadelphia, PAWhen my good friend John from Chicago said that he was going to be in Philly tonight, and heading to 20 Manning Grill for dinner, I couldn't resist not meeting up with him. First, he is an old pal, and second, I have heard great things about 20 Manning Grill.
That said, I arrived around 9PM and loved the vibe of this restaurant. I ordered a glass of Bila Haut - Grenache Blanc from Languedoc, NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-81123596868575326002011-11-10T08:02:00.008-05:002011-12-11T11:58:49.562-05:00Chef Luis - New Canaan, CTToday I took a drive to New Canaan, CT to halve lunch with an old friend from my pre USAF days, and we met at a new restaurant called Chef Luis. And what are the odds that the NY Times just did an article on Chef Luis that can be found HERE.
I arrived to New Canaan around 11:45, found the restaurant, and had no problem finding parking right across the street from the restaurant. With 15 minutesNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-79875816825073645102011-09-16T23:55:00.002-04:002011-09-20T17:18:53.223-04:00Coltello Ristorante Italiano - Crosswicks, NJTonight Zelda and I headed out with People Papers pioneers Bill & Marilee, and headed back to one of the best Italian restaurants in New Jersey, Coltello Italiano located in Crosswicks.
For whatever reason, we haven't made it back to Coltello in the last 8 months, so tonight was a great night to do so. And yes, that is Chef Mario Batali in the picture with Chef Dominic. And let me tell ya, ifNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-1906673303635550802011-09-11T15:00:00.004-04:002011-09-12T21:24:38.090-04:00Otto Enoteca Pizzeria - New York CityIt has been quite a few trips to the city since we have ventured over to Chelsea, so today was the perfect day to make a visit to Mario Batali's OttoEnoteca. Today, as expected, the restaurant was pretty dead, and we walked in only to see 6 or 7 other tables seated, but it was also 3PM in the afternoon as well.
For whatever reason we were seated in the back of the restaurant all to ourselves NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-82313641252816671882011-09-10T13:00:00.002-04:002011-09-12T21:26:54.724-04:00Jersey Girl Cafe - Hamilton, NJSo today we decided to give a new place a try that we heard about through a friend, so on our way to Whole Foods we hit the Jersey Girl Café in Hamilton.
Nice colors when you walk in, but the place needs a bit of décor. The owner (I think she was the owner) was an absolutely sweetheart and very pleasant. Zelda gave the egg salad sandwich a whirl, and I went the burger route with bacon and NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-32093934634394068632011-08-08T20:27:00.000-04:002011-08-08T20:27:29.862-04:00Charlotte's Pizza - Barrington, ILFor many years, people have reminsced about the delicious thin crust of Charlotte's Pizza in Barrington, IL. Having grown up in Barrington, there is not a pizza memory that I have that didn't include my family and Charlotte's Pizza.
To this day, I still remember going there my father, and sitting at the bar or one of the tables while we waited for our pizza to take home, or to dine in. I can NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-28676098805352978182011-08-03T17:11:00.000-04:002011-08-03T17:11:56.783-04:002009 Congruence 2009 Congruence Zinfandel (USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley) County, Dry Creek Valley)Everything I love in a zin, without the over extracted jamminess! Gorgeous ruby red garnet color in the glass, and a nice fruity nose of strawberry, cherry, and other red fruits. There are also some nice spice elements of black pepper, and tobacco leaf rounding out the nose.
On the palate, the red fruits seem to be the shining star here. This is not your typical in your face zin. This is NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-7189097269626167282011-07-20T13:15:00.009-04:002011-07-20T19:26:18.968-04:00Belly Buster's - Browns Mills, NJWell, this used to be a great place, and I had heard that the owners had change a few years ago. Went back for the first time in years, and th place is still pretty much the same.
Still pretty much a dive bar, and still the same bar crowd from way back when I think. The girls working in the place were nice, but the cheese steak has definitely changed since way back when.
The bread is NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-66333573975358762542011-07-19T14:15:00.001-04:002011-07-20T19:26:58.563-04:00TC's Stone House Eatery - Wrightstown, NJTC's hands down has to be one of the busiest restaurants in the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst area, and today was no different. You walk in, and the line to order is all the way to the front door (the counter to order is in the back right of the restaurant). But even so, they get you through the line quick, and in the mean time you are scrambling to fnd a table.
Today, we have 5 of us for NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-63226422765217586922011-07-18T14:00:00.000-04:002011-07-18T21:59:51.516-04:00Sugar Cane (Carribean Restaurant) - Wrightstown, NJI have driven past this restaurant countless times the last few years, and at the urging of some of my colleagues that I am in a class with at the USAF Expeditionary Center, we finally visited this place.
The restaurant might not be a lot to look at from the inside or the outside, and maybe it's not the cleanest place with the friendliest service. The first thing I noticed today was the heat. NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-65972978588385026192011-07-17T13:00:00.000-04:002011-07-18T23:17:28.828-04:00Il Fiore - Collingswood, NJ
What is there to say other than we found yet another gem in Collingswood! Stay tuned for a full review, but both of these main entrees were under $13 for lunch! Awesome!
Il Fiore Restaurant 693-695 Haddon Ave
Collingswood, NJ 08108Phone: (856) 833-0808NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-63369769087356936412011-07-16T11:30:00.001-04:002011-07-18T23:05:16.083-04:00Mud City Crab House - Manahawkin, NJGOT CHOWDA?
GOT BLUES?GOT DUNGENESS?1185 East Bay Avenue
Manahawkin, NJ 08050-3915
Phone: (609) 978-3660http://www.mudcitycrabhouse.com/NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-42225195327984359142011-07-15T23:00:00.000-04:002011-07-18T22:42:17.921-04:00Hamilton Grill Room - Lambertville, NJFriday night fireworks in Lambertville from Memorial Day to Labor Day? Did I hear that right? Every single Friday night? If that's the case, then how about a little dinner at Hamilton Grill Room!
We once again took a chance tonight, and Zelda ran up to see if she could use her charm and grace with the well dressed maitre d, and it worked! Moments later, she sent a text to my iPhone to let me NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-61811984437062660542011-07-10T13:30:00.000-04:002011-07-10T16:43:23.863-04:00Manila Cafe - Mount Laurel, NJZelda heard about this restaurant while she was presenting to the Medford Rotary about a month ago, so she suggested we give it a whirl for lunch today. That said, I jumped on the iPad to ensure they were open, and they were indeed today.
This was very easy to get to for us off of Route 295, and conveniently located in a strip mall. The location is a little off the beaten path, and quite NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-32472020367249660442011-07-08T22:30:00.001-04:002011-07-09T09:48:50.969-04:00West Side Gravy - Collingswood, NJIt's been way to long since we've made the trip down to West Side Gravy, so why not on a rainy Friday night? We parked out back as the streets were packed, and as we walked up, we could see that Blackbird was absolutely packed. For those that don't know, Blackbird is Chef Alex Capasso's first restaurant, that moved to this location earlier in the year. Now, Chef Capasso has both great NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-45104418529773658172011-07-08T22:00:00.000-04:002011-07-09T09:18:01.183-04:002007 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Picked up from offsite today, so why not after a 6 hour decant in the cellar. Poured back into the bottle, and then brought to the restaurant. Unfortunately, I had e-mailed my storage facility telling them I wanted the 2007 "Red Wine," and they instead pulled the cabernet sauvignon. I didn't realize which wine this was until I got to West Side Gravy, and unfortunately for me, this was a $125NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-49986145080727285452011-07-05T14:00:00.001-04:002011-07-12T19:45:49.915-04:00Vienna Beef - Genuine Chicago Style Hot Dogs!Well, a trip home over the 4th of July wouldn't be a trip home without having some true Chicago style hot dogs. When you hear the term Chicago style, you know that I could only be talking about Vienna Beef!
So as I wait in the terminal for my flight to Philadelphia, you bet your bottom dollar I am going to have my last Chicago style hoorah. Even though it's at the airport, they were are still NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-53148866701060307952011-05-30T12:30:00.000-04:002011-06-06T23:26:34.375-04:00Vincentown Diner - Vincentown, NJAfter such a wonderful experience the last time we visited the Vincentown Diner, we figured we'd stop there today on the way to the Vincentown florist where we buy our gorgeous hanging baskets every year. Unfortunately, it couldn't have been any more of a drastic turn for the worse on this visit.
We walked in and were immediately seated, and then had about 12 minutes to browse the menu before NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-65358977857578454552011-05-18T21:40:00.003-04:002011-05-18T21:53:32.688-04:002010 Kaella Winery Rosé of Sangiovese Ciel du Cheval VineyardHad the pleasure of tasting this at a Wine Library Forum offline on 30 April 2011. Special thanks to board member Sheila F for bringing this along. I have seen the notes on this wine on the board, and the much praise that it received. After having it, I am a HUGE fan, and I immediately placed an order for a case. Special thanks to owner and winemaker Dave for digging deep into his cellar to NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-31570568983748033012011-05-16T21:58:00.000-04:002011-05-16T21:58:51.595-04:002007 Next of Kyn Syrah No~1 Cumulus VineyardDrank this from a friends cellar who also made the list, and just doesn't know any better (but a HUGE thanks for sharing - LOL). Needless to say, he came walking down the street, we popped and poured it "on the bistro," poured about a 1/2 glass, and I suggested we decant it in the cellar for a couple hours while we sipped some non vintage Krug.
After a 2 hour double splash decant, we poured NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-55523793772976278552011-05-09T12:35:00.001-04:002011-05-09T12:35:39.652-04:00Sonata Restaurant - Philadelphia (Fishtown), PAWell, after attending an offline with the Wine Library Forum Members on April 30th and being wowed by the cuisine, I felt the need to go back, but this time I was brining Zelda! And once again, I left a very happy camper!We definitely took a chance driving down on a Friday night, but with so many other options in Philadelphia, we weren't worried about it in the least. Needless to say we got NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-48341276061238863592011-04-09T14:00:00.032-04:002011-04-10T11:37:57.699-04:00Sea Catch Restaurant - Washington, DC (Old Georgetown)Well, today we decided to take a drive to Washington, DC for a variety of reasons. Originally, Zelda wanted to go to the Ann Hand store to look for some new broaches, but we found out earlier in the week that they were not open on the weekend.
That said, we headed to Georgetown for lunch before meeting up with our friend Rob in Alexandria to pick up some Sine Qua Non wines that he let me NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-811310279542007872011-04-08T22:40:00.001-04:002011-04-10T10:17:52.182-04:002009 Bedrock Wine Co. Sémillon Lachryma Montis, Botrytized Old Vine Monte Rosso VineyardThis was pulled from the 55 degree cellar and transported to Drew's Bay Shore Bistro in Keyport, NJ and put on ice through dinner. We then popped this with dessert, and I cannot believe how ready for business this wine already is based on how young it is.
Popped and poured, with a gorgeous nose of peach nectar, apple, pineapple, pear, and caramel! There was quite a bit going on with this wineNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-37789984058545580822011-04-08T22:30:00.001-04:002011-04-09T09:48:46.153-04:00Debiase Wines Pinot Noir Fritschen Vineyard (Russian River Valley - CA)Our good friends Tom an Denise brought this wine along with them for us to try, and what a treat it was! Tom decanted this at home for a bit, and poured it back into the bottle before we headed to Drew's Bay Shore Bistro in Keyport!
The nose was dominated by strawberry,and it was not shy! Gorgeous dark berries are all over the nose, especially raspberry, along with some floral hints, and just NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-44727525592970091332011-04-08T21:00:00.006-04:002011-04-10T10:02:52.240-04:002007 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot VineyardHere is a wine that we've had at many offlines, yet we've never popped one of our own. Tonight was the night as we dined with our good friends Tom and Denise. They were bringing their son Tommy's new pinot noir, so I wanted to bring a white so that his Russian River pinot noir was the star, and it was.
This however was popped and poured at Drew's Bay Shore Bistro in Keyport, NJ, and well worth NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-88650192507741010242011-04-07T08:39:00.003-04:002011-04-07T20:37:00.115-04:00Local Smoke BBQ - Cookstown, NJBefore I headed South to Texas for 2 months, the location that was formerly home to Adam's Rib right outside of McGuire Air Force Base had a sign up saying that Local Smoke BBQ was coming soon. Well, they just happened to open while I was gone, so I had to check it out my first full week back to work. Note that I had some damn good BBQ in Texas, and visited anywhere from Rudy's, to the famous NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-44828629276599096362011-04-02T22:30:00.003-04:002011-04-03T20:46:33.933-04:00West Side Gravy - Collingswood, NJWell, was it West Side Gravy we ate in, or was it Blackbird? The beauty of it is that we ate at both! While physically we were in West Side Gravy, we actually ordered items from both menu's! So again, Chef Capasso's latest venture is an absolute winner! What is there to say other than another killer night on Haddon Avenue with Chef Capasso and his team! Stay tuned for details as this post isNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-14171296263162278652011-04-02T21:00:00.000-04:002011-04-03T08:28:04.927-04:002006 Mollydooker Shiraz Carnival of Love (Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale)It's not often I pull a wine like this from the cellar, and never really buy wines like these anymore. But tonight, I was in the mood for a massive wine, and having this one in the cellar for many years seemed to make it the right wine. And as much as I hate to admit this, I actually enjoyed this massive fruit bomb! Stay tuned for formal notes coming soon!NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-83162013176012918262011-04-02T17:48:00.003-04:002011-04-03T11:12:03.158-04:002008 Congruence Wine Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, CA)After having the 2007 Congruence and loving it, I figured it was time to open a 2008. If I remember correctly, this wine is 95% Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, and the final blend got a bit of petite verdot, as well as some cabernet franc. Sorry, I don’t know what the exact blend was here. Popped and decanted at cellar temperature for 4 hours.
Gorgeous garnet color in the glass. On the nose, NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-66255478229815885802011-04-01T22:00:00.000-04:002011-04-02T11:11:02.313-04:00Tastebuds - New Hope, PAWell, my first Friday night home in almost 2 months, and you bet I wanted to have a great dinner! I was craving a steak, so Zelda recommended we head back to Tastebuds in New Hope! Great call, and once again, we were super impressed, and our stomachs left very happy! This place has a solid meal dinner in, dinner out, and at VERY affordable pricing for the quality of food you get, it's amazing NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-79233338487808431292011-03-31T16:08:00.039-04:002011-04-01T17:16:26.074-04:00Trenton Social - Trenton, NJ
It's not often that a new restaurant or bar opens in Trenton, let alone one that opens and gets the town excited. But times are a changin'!
With the Trenton Steel now making their new home at the Sun Bank Arena, Trenton Social could not be located in a better place! And to top it off, the Trenton Steel corporate office shares the walkway and courtyard, so the team and their players are NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-72939226813572926612011-03-25T19:00:00.051-04:002011-04-01T16:01:17.614-04:00Fogo de Chão - San AntonioIf there has been a restaurant in Philly that I have wanted to try, it has been Fogo de Chão! The thought of ll you can eat grilled meat has always sounded delicious to me, however, with Zelda only being a fish and fowl eater, it has never made sense to go here. That said, while being stuck overnight in San Antonio on business this past weekend, me and the "Budda" headed out for a little NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-12997062296049580162011-03-23T20:30:00.000-04:002011-03-23T20:41:52.919-04:002008 Cambria Pinot Noir Julia's VineyardPopped and poured this tonight on a Friday night in at room temperature after having to source this on a business trip last week. Ruby red and purple hues in the glass, thinning significantly towards the rim showing its youth.
On the nose, some strawberry and cherry dominate, with some side spice, cola, and earth. On the palate, the first thing I get is sour cranberry, and lots of it. NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-46202493751833759032011-03-19T23:00:00.050-04:002011-04-01T16:00:32.872-04:00Zinc Bistro and Wine Bar - San Antonio, TX
Well, here I am out of town on business in San Antonio once again, and after a little lunch at a local fast food Italian chain, one of my fellow Air Force members, "Budda," was in the mood for some good vino tonight. That being said, I busted out my iPad when I got back to my hotel, and looked to see where we could go tonight to enjoy a nice bottle, and grab a bite to eat.
In doing my researchNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-74988409136899900332011-03-19T21:00:00.003-04:002011-03-27T01:20:57.427-04:002008 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot NoirPopped and decanted tonight off of a restaurant wine list with friends at Zinc. Ruby color in the decanter, and not looking as dark as Southings of the past, but it might have been the lighting in the restaurant.
Youthful nose with some alcohol definitely prevelant. Lots of dark berries, raspberry, black cherry, a ton of strawberry, and some anise, clove, cranberry. Over the course of 2 hours, NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-13388915569749966992011-03-15T23:05:00.003-04:002011-03-15T23:10:41.033-04:00RELEASE ALERT: 2008 Scarecrow Cabernet SauvignonDear Friends,
We deeply appreciate your devotion to Scarecrow. In recognition of your seniority on the mailing list, we are pleased to extend this offer to purchase our 2008 vintage. From 12:01 am Eastern Time on March 11, 2010 until 11:59 pm on March 20, 2011 you are invited to purchase the 2008 Scarecrow at the price of $225 per bottle. Please visit www.scarecrowwine.com and log in using the NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-3461335835571877892011-03-15T22:57:00.002-04:002011-03-15T23:03:11.307-04:00RELEASE ALERT: Spring Offer from Bedrock Wine Co.Spring 2011 Release Newsletter
Dear F. Scott and Zelda: I am thrilled to be able to offer a small amount of every single one of the Spring Release wines to the Waiting List. Quantities are very limited on some of the wines, with case numbers in the teens available on most of the reds with a little more available on Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé. Anyone who orders in this round will be added to the NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-83070873910302030482011-03-12T23:00:00.011-05:002011-04-01T15:59:19.436-04:00Boudro's - "Texas Bistro on the River Walk" - San Antonio, TXZelda came to visit and at the urging of one of her friends who lived here for 19 years, we hit Boudro's! Needless to say, both the service and the cuisine were great! We were told that there were only two restaurants worth visiting on the River Walk, and this was one of them!
The ambiance was great, minus the family who felt the need to literally butt up to our table, where their asses were NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-622636968761301762011-03-12T23:00:00.000-05:002011-03-24T23:18:03.333-04:002007 Scarecrow Cabernet SauvignonThis is the 4th time we have been lucky enough to have this wine now, yet we still haven’t open up one of ours from our cellar yet. Life is good! This is however the first note I have written on this wine, and let me say that this wine is still VERY young, but drinking surprisingly well! This is only going to get better with time, and before you ask, I will not give this wine a numbered score.NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-50023295405183512832011-03-11T23:00:00.026-05:002011-04-01T15:58:35.330-04:00Ostra - San Antonio, TXI know exactly what you are thinking, and I was thinking the exact same thing! A restaurant in a hotel on the River Walk! Absolute tourist trap! Well, you would think so, but we were pleasantly surprised!
We walked past Ostra and the bar looked very inviting. From the outside, you could see the soft blue glow of the wine cellar against the bag wall, and the glass topped bar had nice lightingNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-83972166086465284002011-02-22T20:18:00.002-05:002011-04-01T16:04:15.938-04:002007 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)Picked up on base purely because it was '07 Napa and popped and poured. Nose of black fruits and oak, with vanilla and coconut tones. On the palate, very dry, very tannic as expected, with lots of alcohol as expected. Some blackberry and cassis on the palate, with slight mocha tons. After an hour in the glass, the alcohol is starting to blow off, and it is turning into a drinkable wine. NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-63627736455665410692011-02-15T10:00:00.001-05:002011-02-16T20:55:08.111-05:00Trenton Social Grand Opening Scheduled for 12 March 2011You heard it here first, yes indeed, the grand opening of Trenton Social is scheduled for March 12th, 2011!
What is Trenton Social? Well, it is a place to eat, drink, and be social right here in New Jersey's capital! If there is one thing that Trenton needs, it is a place like Trenton Social, and being located across from the Sun National Bank Center, I don't think it could be any more NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-20584745266933500872011-02-14T22:30:00.000-05:002011-02-15T10:59:15.037-05:00Tastebuds - New Hope, PAWell, this year we agreed to celebrate Valentine's Day a few days early, so we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Under the Moon in Bordentown this past Saturday night. But with our busy schedules, and the fact that I was feeling a bit lazy today and not feeling like making lobster tails or something elaborate, I decided to test my luck to see who might still have room tonight for a NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-22142580004075628922011-02-06T15:43:00.003-05:002011-02-06T15:52:43.711-05:00Elements - Princeton, NJYet another restaurant that I have been dying to try for quite some time, that we have driven past a half million times, yet never visited. When my buddy Mark asked us where they should go for brunch, I threw Elements out there, and we decided to join them.
“French style” scramble - creme fraiche, our bacon, chive
Avocado & barley salad - apple, Griggstown chicken, walnut, raisins $18
NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-4590993682550067282011-02-05T23:18:00.001-05:002011-02-06T15:20:57.302-05:002006 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle VineyardCarlisle Zin! Need I say more? This was gorgeous! Formal notes to come! Cheers!NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-5574188231056899252011-02-05T22:14:00.002-05:002011-02-06T15:18:16.044-05:00Delorenzo's Tomato Pies - Robbinsville, NJWhat is there to say other than the simple fact that we had another great dinner at Delorenzo's Tomato Pies in Robbinsville? Always a pleasure, and stay tuned for the notes. In the mean time, enjoy the pics of our Antipasto salad and tomato pie! Cheers!
NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-76046981704135743122011-02-05T13:55:00.000-05:002011-02-06T15:57:12.152-05:00Charcoal BYOB - Yardley, PAAfter having a great dinner at Charcoal last weekend, we figured we'd step out of our norm and check them out for lunch.
Stay tuned as there is more to come, but I will say that dinner was a lot better, and to me their strong suit. Stay tuned! Cheers!
NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-21617921728772700612011-02-04T23:06:00.001-05:002011-02-06T16:10:14.121-05:00West Side Gravy - Collingswood, NJWest Side Gravy has been renovated, and has re-opened! WOo HOo! That said, 7 of us ventured out to check out the new space, and as always, we left plenty satisfied! Stay tuned for the latest and greatest! Cheers!
Meat loaf sandwich with West Side Gravy fries.
NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-40811547953426359282011-02-04T21:30:00.000-05:002011-02-06T16:29:43.946-05:002008 Stefania Chardonnay Chaine d'Or (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains)NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-7412548411890214372011-02-04T08:18:00.001-05:002011-02-06T10:04:08.867-05:00Charcoal BYOB - Yardley, PAHere is a restaurant that we have driven past hundreds of times, yet we've never stopped in. We've even had drink, appetizers, and dinners right next door at the Yardley Inn, but for some reason, we've never stopped in. One of my former coworkers has even told me about this place, and how he and his wife used to visit here for prime rib on Friday or Saturday nights, but again, we've never stoppedNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-73784896680405806742011-02-03T22:30:00.005-05:002011-02-06T16:38:44.385-05:00Toscano Ristorante - Bordentown, NJNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-75732473341361145102011-01-23T19:00:00.010-05:002011-01-24T20:00:25.547-05:00Farewell Manila Bay - Castor Avenue - Philadelphia, PAIt's with a very heavy heart that I say that today we visited our favorite Filipino restaurant for the very last time. After 15 years of faithful service to the neighborhood, Manila Bay is closing its doors due to this tough economy!
I first heard of Manila Bay when I was serving on the Asian Pacific American Heritage organization on McGuire Air Force Base back in 2003. At the time, I was NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-81857475814593075992011-01-23T16:00:00.000-05:002011-01-24T20:16:02.790-05:002004 Sanford Pinot Noir (Central Coast, Santa Barbara County, Santa Rita Hills)This was quite possibly our favorite Sanford pinot noir for years, and I hate to say it, but I think that it may just finally be on the decline. Storage conditions on this bottle, as well as the others have been perfect since release.
Popped and poured today at Manila Bay on Castor Avenue in Philadelphia, as we celebrate 15 years of faithful service to the neighborhood. Today however, Manila NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-66047481309210964172011-01-23T11:45:00.000-05:002011-01-24T21:54:19.563-05:002005 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon MateriumFom 15 JAN at Blackbird Dining Establishment:
Knowing this wine needs some time, I popped and decanted this for 4 hours in the cellar, and then strained this with cheese cloth before returning it to the bottle and heading to dinner. This wine had a lot of sediment in it, and I am glad that I decanted this ahead of time! I was actually a bit shocked at how much sediment was on this wine for NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-74276248028910856072011-01-22T17:00:00.035-05:002011-01-24T21:13:08.432-05:002007 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ReserveAfter having this at our Christmas Party back in December when someone at our table brought it, I figured it was time to pop one of our own. That said, this is the second time we've had this wine. Unfortunately, it didn't show nearly as well as the first time.
Picked up this bottle from the Class 6 on McGuire Air Force Base, the same place that one of my colleagues got the wine from for our NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-35985436605977689192011-01-16T13:25:00.001-05:002011-01-17T21:30:02.390-05:00Legend's Gourment Pizza & Salads - Burlington, NJStay tuned for some info on some great thin crust right downtown in Burlington City! This was a treat, and a heck of a steal on a Sunday! Definitely worth the trip! Cheers!
Legend's Gourmet Pizza & Salads
318 High Street
Burlington, NJ 08016
Phone: (609)386-3001
http://www.legendspizza.com/NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-12060108062423576902011-01-15T22:45:00.018-05:002011-01-19T20:54:20.358-05:00Blackbird Dining Establishment - Collingswood, NJThere really isn’t much else to say about my love for Blackbird Dining Establishment. This has proven to be one of my favorite restaurants, not just for the food, but for the service as well. With the move from its current location to Haddon the main drag in Collingswood happening in just a few weeks, we thought we would stop in for one final visit at the location where we fell in love with Chef NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-43247406491318424202011-01-11T22:05:00.008-05:002011-01-13T21:30:56.422-05:00Jersey Foodies 2010 TOP 10 WINE LIST!As with every year, it is nearly impossible to compile 500-1000 wines, and whittle it down to the best 10. There are hundreds of honorable mentions, and even many wines that in the end received higher scores than ones on this list.
This list however is not about the best score or the highest ratings that we have given. This list is more about the most memorable wines of 2010, and why they were NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-65878772378156587992011-01-11T21:32:00.004-05:002012-01-30T17:07:21.709-05:00Jersey Foodies 2010 TOP 10 FOODIE LIST!Every year, I try to come up with a Top 10 List that talks about the most memorable new restaurants we’ve visited, or great events that we’ve attended. Some years, I actually get around to writing this list, while other years it falls by the wayside. This year, I actually found the time to do it, so here we go.
Many times, people will disagree with events that I list here, and that is fine. ItNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-26775508631379275772011-01-11T20:23:00.001-05:002011-01-11T21:02:53.691-05:002009 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Release is coming!Below is the e-mail that I received from Rivers-Marie today! This is always a must buy for us as we really enjoy their wines! Check out the letter, and keep an eye on your Inbox! This release will have the 2009 wines!
As much as we love these wines, we still haven't touched the last two releases, with the exception of a Sonoma Coast from both the 2007 and 2008 vintage. Other than that, they NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-43074754327218981542011-01-11T20:12:00.001-05:002011-01-11T20:12:40.105-05:002008 Yali Winemakers Selection Cabernet Carmenere BlendTwisted open and poured into the glass, with a nice ruby red color in the glass. A bit of alcohol on the nose, but this fades as the bottle is open for 2 hours. 60% cabernet, but that is not blatantly obvious on the nose. Nice currants, and a bt of green pepper on the nose, with some nice black cherry, strawberry, and vanilla. The nose is rounded out by hints of mocha and spice.
On the palate, NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-67718411055053766662011-01-11T20:00:00.009-05:002011-01-13T21:12:26.039-05:002009 SCHRADER CABERNET RELEASEWell, another mailer hit today, and this is one that I am very excited to get on! Unfortunately, my long wait for Schrader is going to have to wait another year, as it just isn't in the cards this year.
My goal for 2011 is t cut back on wine purchases by 75%, and the only way I can do that is to cut back on my mailers. That said, sorry Schrader! You are more than cellar worthy in my house, NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-3650716524477838652011-01-08T21:00:00.000-05:002011-01-11T21:02:17.494-05:002008 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma CoastPopped and poured tonight with sushi and noodle bowls at Tsukasa in Bordentown, NJ. It seems tradition to pop a Sonoma Coast right after the first of the year as I know the next vintage will be released in just a matter of days. That said, we did it again, and I am sure the offering for the 2009’s will be coming any day!
Nice red/purple color in the glass, thinning towards the rim and showing NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-26818899299724440662011-01-01T01:00:00.000-05:002011-01-04T20:52:52.975-05:00Happy New Year - Hello 2011Well readers, as always, 2010 ended with a bang, and we were as busy as we could possibly be! I have a ton of reviews to finish, and a whole stack of notes, napkins, business cards, and e-mails to myself with more notes that I need to consolidate and write up to post here!
Unfortunately, my schedule is pretty insane between now and the end of February, but I am going to do my best to get NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-69980060317225739562010-12-30T23:40:00.003-05:002011-01-13T20:39:43.013-05:00Manila Bay - Philadelphia, PAHere it is on the eve before New Year's Eve, and what better to do with tomorrow being a federal holiday than head out for a little Filipino cuisine at what I consider the best Filipino restaurant on the East Coast, Manila Bay. We loaded up the car, and headed over to Northeast Philly to get our grub on.
We arrived at Manila Bay about 45 minutes later, only to find the restaurant empty. We were NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-73170448770327735222010-12-21T18:52:00.005-05:002011-01-04T21:01:12.414-05:002008 Maremmalta Micante Maremma Toscana IGT (Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana IGT)For what this wine costs, it is again another good QPR. Nice bright red, young color in the glass. Reminds me of some bright young pinot I’ve had based on the color. On the nose, this wine screams sangiovese, but I have no idea for sure what is actually in here as I don’t have my speck sheet in front of me. It also doesn’t say on the bottle.
Super young Tuscan, with a nice nose of strawberryNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-79552670500271768302010-12-21T14:00:00.002-05:002011-01-04T21:22:29.010-05:00West Side Gravy - Collingswood, NJWith the big news that West Side Gravy would be closing afte the 1st of the year from renovations, we figured we had best get down there today to get our fix before the restaurant closes for a few weeks!
For those of you who don't know, Chef Alex Capasso announced that Blackbird, his first venture, will be moving to the West Side Gravy location on the main drag in Collingswood! But wait, there'sNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-7641025378773372252010-12-18T19:45:00.001-05:002010-12-21T19:17:01.448-05:00Coltello Ristorante - Crosswicks, NJHuge thanks to Dominick, Richard, and the rest of the gang at Coltello in Crosswicks!
Tonight, they were kind enough to host te 514th Logistics Readiness Flight - McGuire Air Force Base, NJ Holiday Party, and as always, they did an amazing job!
The restaurant looked gorgeous, the food was amazing as always, and the price could not have been any better! Special thanks to the Conti family for NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-75588542460136591252010-12-13T19:15:00.001-05:002011-01-04T20:58:55.953-05:002000 Bodegas Navalon Valdepeñas Anciano Gran Reserva (Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Valdepeñas)Well, here it is a Monday night, and what better to drink a Tempranillo with than some homemade fajitas? OK, I can think of plenty of other things, but we'll give this one a shot anyway. Popped and poured this tonight and poured into a Riedel XL glass where it decanted for about a half hour. Nice red color in the glass.
The nose was not what I expected in the least, and I was really waiting NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-3190499710294550002010-12-13T15:31:00.005-05:002010-12-13T17:47:46.652-05:00Quilceda Creek Spring Release - 2008 Cabernet SauvignonWell, just as the end of the year approaches, you figure you can give the credit card a rest, and spend money on gifts for the holidays, and maybe even replenish a bit of the savings from the past year of wine buying. Then you get an e-mail like the one I received below, letting you know that January brings a new mailer season, and more wines.
This e-mail was about the 2008 Quilceda Creek NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-11567136953737965892010-12-12T18:17:00.004-05:002010-12-12T18:22:20.669-05:00CoolVines - Princeton, NJWhat is there to say other than WOW, and congratulations to Mark Censits and the the CoolVines Team on their move this summer to their new and improved location down in the heart of Princeton! Although the old store was gorgeous and quaint, their new location is absolutely gorgeous, and very well deserved.
We first discovered CoolVines when they came to Princeton at the corner of Harrison and NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-11818787258356749172010-12-12T16:37:00.005-05:002010-12-12T16:53:27.325-05:00Princeton Soup and Sandwich Company - Princeton, NJSo today we had to make a run over to Whole Foods to pick up some pork and turkey loins for dinner tonight, and we ended up stopping in town for lunch.
Princeton Soup & Sandwich Company is located in Palmer Square, at the old location of the Soup Man. I had no idea that this had even changed hands, or changed names for that matter, which is pretty sad considering we drive past here almost everyNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-83119217312254566992010-12-12T12:14:00.001-05:002010-12-12T15:47:51.092-05:00Tsukasa - Bordentown, NJ - from 11 DEC 2010Tonight we had a wine tasting to attend at our good friend Dee's house, so we headed into Bordentown a bit early to grab something to eat. The town was definitely buzzing tonight, with the Christmas Historic Homes Tour tonight. Parking on Farnsworth Avenue was packed, so we rounded the corner and went to Tsukasa Japanese restaurant for some noodle bowls.
We walked in and there were 3 other NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-70777274493991406412010-12-12T11:32:00.000-05:002010-12-12T11:32:34.233-05:001994 Château Pontet-Canet (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac)Definitely a different wine that the Leoville Barton that we had before this, but would have been a great representation in the difference between St. Julien and Pauillac had the vintages been identical. This however showed that I think the '90 Bordeaux are drinking far superior than the '94's like this one.
Decanted for sediment, and this didn't show as dark in the decanter as the Leoville. NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-33903377132465160342010-12-11T23:13:00.000-05:002010-12-12T11:21:11.825-05:001990 Château Léoville Barton (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien)Leave it to Dee to bust out some mature Bordeaux that she always says is over the hill, and that she is always so nervous about opening. LOL! You gotta love her, and as always, she was again proved wrong here!
Decanted for sediment, showing a gorgeous dark color in the decanter. Gorgeous nose of dark currants, cassis, cherry, tobacco, and spice. There was just a bit of bret on the nose, but NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-69833221994516844902010-12-11T23:07:00.000-05:002010-12-12T11:09:00.462-05:002006 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills)Decanted for about 2 hours in the bottle before pouring my first taste. Great Santa Rita Hills nose, with black cherry and oak, with some raspberry, strawberry and spice. A bit of earthiness on this as well, but gorgeous.
On the palate, this wine still needs some time to integrate I think, but it could also be the vintage. As I've said in the past, I haven't been a big fan of '06 pinot noirNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-80480825131960547902010-12-11T22:58:00.000-05:002010-12-12T11:00:02.934-05:002006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast (USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast)"Decanted' in the bottle for about two hours before consuming, this was really closed down at first. Even so, the gang really loved this wine, and Kosta Browne is always a crowd pleaser within our local tasting group.
First thing I noticed on the nose was the alcohol, which I didn't remember when we had this wine 11 months ago. Black cherry, cola, and spice on the nose, with some strawberry NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-8838321982516524042010-12-11T22:48:00.001-05:002010-12-12T10:50:11.493-05:001999 Sanford Chardonnay (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County)An absolute gem found deep in the cellar many years ago, and it hasn't gotten a chance to be opened until tonight at Dee's annual holiday tasting. Popped and poured at fridge temperature, showing a dark yellow color of a well aged chardonnay.
A nice tropical nose, some citrus, honey, pineapple, and buttery caramel. On the palate, this could have passed for white Burgundy. What? Seriously? NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-67246085496613468462010-12-09T21:07:00.003-05:002010-12-15T21:45:31.351-05:002008 Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon ReservaPopped and poured through the Vinturi, then through another funnel and into a decanter. I then poured the wine back into the bottle, and then did this process all over again. From here, it sat in the decanter for about a half hour, and then in a Riedel XL glass for another half hour.
After an hour decant, this nose has some serious funk on it. Lots of vegetal and herbal notes on it, with someNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-18227560929831992332010-12-03T22:00:00.002-05:002010-12-09T21:05:19.632-05:00Dish - A Restaurant - Red Bank, NJMet one of my good pal's from back home, John Rueff here since he was in town and doing some work in Long Branch. With its proximity to Red Bank, Dish was the perfect option tonight, so I called earlier in the day and left a message on their machine for a reservation. I then saw their e-mail address on their site, so I e-mailed them and got a reply back, so we were good to go.
Got into Red NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-63614239914085817972010-12-03T09:30:00.001-05:002010-12-04T09:37:39.940-05:002003 Stags' Leap Winery Cabernet SauvignonPopped and poured with John Rueff tonight at Dish in Red Bank. Gorgeous dark garnet color in the glass. The nose was a bit subdued, but had everthing to do with the stems at Dish. Some black currants, black cherry, boysenberry, spice and just a hint of soy.
On the palate, tons of of dark fruits. More black cherry, jammy raspberry and blackberry that were perfectly ripe, and not overly ripeNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-79573136687429787332010-11-20T21:00:00.000-05:002010-11-21T20:01:00.613-05:00Nomad Pizza - Hopewell, NJI’ve been reading about all the hype at Nomad pizza for years now, and tonight seemed as good as any to go check it out! That said we loaded up the wine bag with stems and wine, and trekked on over to Hopewell to see for ourselves.
.From everything that I have read on Chowhound, Nomad turns their tables very fast, but there can be waits to up to an hour. Fortunately for us, we found a parking NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-21471818786773011302010-11-20T19:00:00.001-05:002010-11-22T19:09:59.213-05:002007 Roots Run Deep Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Educated Guess (USA, California, Napa Valley)Popped and poured this at Nomad Pizza tonight, after finishing off the last of a third of a bottle of ’06 Kosta Browne pinot noir Koplen Vineyard. Popped and poured, full knowing that this was not going be finished, also knowing that I could throw a vacuum on it overnight, and put it back into the cellar to get some air. This had a nice ruby/purple color in the glass.
I did a quick rinse on myNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-24772150928733326042010-11-20T16:13:00.006-05:002010-11-21T20:11:10.774-05:00Blackbird - Collingswood, NJWell, unfortunately it is a work weekend for me, so that means no late nights, and also means limiting the wine sipping to a bottle or so tonight! ;-)
.That said, we took a drive over to Collingswood tonight, thinking that we wouldn’t be able to get into Blackbird, and assuming that we would be dining at West Side Gravy instead. We pulled up however around 7:15PM, and were pleasantly surprised NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-16580196577550739372010-11-19T21:30:00.001-05:002010-11-22T19:10:45.470-05:002006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen VineyardGrabbed from the Avanti, thrown in the Riedel carrying case along with two glasses, and popped and poured at Blackbird in Collingswood, NJ. I always forget that Blackbird has good stems, and we really didn’t even need to bring our own, but I forgot. This has always been one of my favorite Kosta Browne’s, especially this vineyard designate from the 2005 vintage!
Gorgeous ruby color in the glassNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-47322683180131585682010-11-18T21:38:00.019-05:002010-11-22T19:35:24.177-05:00Houseki Asian Fusion - Hamilton, NJHow many times do you go out on a Thursday night and have a 10 course dinner? Well, for us, my answer is never, and this was a first! But we had an absolutely amazing dinner tonight at Houseki Asian Fusion in Hamilton. The new owner/host Patrick did a great job introducing us to his new restaurant, and our server Patrick was awesome! What a night! We will be back soon for certain!
I will try to NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-9417365530791871332010-11-18T21:35:00.000-05:002010-11-18T21:35:03.636-05:002007 Auteur Pinot Noir Manchester Ridge (USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino Ridge)Popped and poured tonight at Houseki Asian Fusion in Hamilton, NJ, and consumed over the course of an hour and 45 minutes.
This was gorgeous from the get go, with an amazing red color in the glass. I decanted this in the glass for about 10 minutes, and as I swirled this in the glass, I could smell it a good 4 feet away.
Gorgeous cherry dominate the nose, with hints of strawberry, black cherryNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-53764274399832222792010-11-14T14:00:00.003-05:002010-11-15T21:28:03.146-05:00Barnacle Bill's - Rumson, NJWell, 've been reading about Barnacle Bill's burger for years, and on this gorgeous Sunday, it was time to take a drive to Rumson just to give it a try for myself.
So we took a drive down 195, and took the scenic route down Route 537, then took a ride through Red Bank, and arrived at Barnacle Bill's. The lot was jam packed, but somehow we managed to get some rockstar parking. We walked in, andNJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543678350542147804.post-45253786112879256412010-11-13T22:00:00.000-05:002010-11-14T22:09:12.343-05:00Butter Lane - New York, NYI gotta say that Butter Lane had some awesome cupcakes, and it was worth the 13 block walk! Stay tuned!NJFoodieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921125676936980185noreply@blogger.com0