From Seamless to Door Dash: Star of India

When we lived in Manhattan, Seamless was our savior when we wanted quick and easy take-out dinners without having the leave our apartment.  When we moved to Jersey, we logged on to the site to discover that only one local pizza place took part in the service.  Um... what the what?  We resigned ourselves to the fact that we'd now have to drive and pick up food when we didn't feel like cooking.  But then, lo and behold, we recently noticed on a few local restaurant websites the option to order online using Door Dash - basically Uber for your food.  The model really makes sense for the suburbs where delivery areas need to be much larger.

Over the past few months, we've tried a few different new places using the service.  While the Door Dash experience was always great - easy to track the delivery, very prompt, and no cash needed even for tip - the food was always mediocre at best, therefore not really worth blogging about.  But then came Star of India in Kenilworth.  Our "Dasher" was awesome as always, and the food - fantastic!  Piping hot, perfectly saucy and spicy.  We will definitely make this our place whenever we are craving Indian food.

 Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag Cholle,  and Vegetable Samosa

Jersey Exploration: Moonshine Supper Club

We drive past Moonshine Modern Supper Club often and DJ always wonders aloud: "What exactly is a supper club as opposed to a regular restaurant?"  According to the dictionary:

Intrigued, we decided to see for ourselves one day.  While there was no entertainment when we chose to dine, we could see where Moonshine is trying to distinguish itself from other local spots.  In addition to the usual table set-up, they also have comfortable lounge areas where one could conceivably enjoy a quiet drink and conversation along with a show.  We will certainly keep an eye on their event calendar.

In the meantime, their menus offer quite a nice variety of interesting dishes - some Asian, some Italian, some American.  Such a wide selection sometimes makes one question whether each dish is actually quality - can one kitchen have such a broad focus and still deliver on all the flavors?  But we were pleased to discover that everything we tried was quite enjoyable.  

We were choosing from the Bar Menu, and ordered the Crispy Sticky Calamari, Truffle Gnocchi and Meatballs, House Made Ricotta (recommended by the waiter), and Buffalo Chicken Grenades.  We are accustomed to bar menu plates being relatively small and intended for snacking, so we were quite surprised by how much food arrived at our table.  Cheers to suburban portions, the invention of "to-go" containers, and not having to cook for 2 days afterward!

We sampled each one just enough and packed them up for home so we could enjoy a splurge of dessert: the Warm Cookie Dough (walnut-chocolate chip with crème brulee gelato), also a waiter recommendation.  Behold the "wow" factor of the cookie coming straight from the oven and the gelato melting around it in sugary rivers.  #NomNomNom  We did not leave any of that one to take home.  (Shocker.)

Really enjoyed checking this place out and look forward to returning to try more of the ambitious menu (and hopefully a bit of entertainment)!

Jersey Exploration: The Cassidy

There was a ton of buzz surrounding the opening of The Cassidy in Maplewood.  Since a lot of places are BYOB in the 'burbs, folks are understandably pumped when a place boasts a huge bar area with unique cocktails and an innovative menu.   Mel had a chance to visit on a girls' night with her cousins, but just had wine.  So she made it her mission to go back with DJ to try some of what the mixologists have to offer.

(This is only a small portion of the restaurant; the bar area is huge and the space wraps around to a separate seating area with a view of the kitchen.  With high ceilings, tons of natural light from the massive windows, and a modern rustic decor, the whole place is very inviting and relaxing.  Great vibe.)

We went on a quiet afternoon and just sat at the bar for drinks and a few bites.  As luck would have it, the two drinks that caught our eye were created by the bartender serving us: Caribbean Old Fashioned for DJ and Up in Smoke for Mel.

In a word: amazing.  Definitely two of the best drinks we've had here in Jersey.  In fact, Mel complimented the bartender that Up in Smoke is truly the best mezcal cocktail she's had since our favorite Mexican spot in Manhattan, Toloache (of grasshopper taco fame).  A wonderful balance of sweet and tart mixed with the smokiness of the mezcal.  And the fresh orange rind on top creates a wonderful, refreshing whiff of citrus each time you lift the glass to take a sip.  Really a beautifully crafted drink.

We ordered a charcuterie plate and the Buffalo Cauliflower to go along with our libations.  Both super tasty.  The cauliflower was surprisingly good and a nice alternative to getting wings, which is particularly helpful now that Mel has grown increasingly suspicious of how there can be wings on nearly every restaurant menu (and in supermarkets) yet real chickens only have 2 wings each.  (How are there enough wings to go around?  They can't all be real.  What are they really?  Don't want to think about it too much because we like wings.  But ew... there seriously can't be that many wings to go around...  PASS THE CAULIFLOWER.)

The pretzel roll was so delicious, we decided to get a separate plate of them to help finish off the charcuterie.  Super fresh with just the right amount of salt and doughy texture.  Perfect bar food, for sure.

We can't wait to go back to The Cassidy, not only to try more of the food menu but also the cocktails.  As always, our mission will be to try every single one.  We'll keep you posted as we go!