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! 

Brunch at The District - Better Off at Home

We first tried The District back when they first opened and we are all excited for a new spot in the neighborhood.  Back then, we thought the food was okay but we cut them a lot of slack because they were new and the menu was limited.  We went back once or twice just to grab drinks at the bar, and one of those times encountered a bartender who essentially ignored us... to the point where we just put money on the bar and left even though we were hoping to order another drink.  Negligence at the bar = not so good for business.  Needless to say, we weren't particularly rushing back.  But we were meeting up with Carole and her friend and trying to keep it local, so we figured we'd give them another shot.

We expected a long wait because it was the first sunny and somewhat warm day in a while, and it was also peak brunch time when we headed over.  We were pleased to find that there wasn't a wait at all, but perhaps we should have also taken that as a hint that not too many neighbors are clamoring out of bed for this place.  

Our server was extremely pleasant and attentive, which is always a bonus at brunch time.  But sadly, the food left a lot to be desired.

Kathy's Vegetable Salad

(boston lettuce, chopped vegetables, grilled apples, scallion, sunflower seeds, fresh mozzarella, whole grain mustard vinaigrette)

It sounded so promising on paper, but it was pretty much a bowl overflowing with lettuce.  The chopped vegetables were essentially mirepoix on a plate, and the grilled apples were cooked to a point of resembling gelatinous canned peaches.  (Maybe they ran out of apples and it actually was canned peaches?)  The saving grace of this dish was the chicken - super juicy and flavorful.  But the rest of the salad was so bland, it seemed like they added barely any vinaigrette at all.  Even adding salt and pepper couldn't prevent the experience from feeling like grazing on a meadow.  (Not that we've ever grazed... but we're pretty sure this salad is what it would feel like.)

District Burger

(artisan chop steak, house made pickles, lettuce, beefsteak tomato, aioli, seeded brioche bun)

You can rarely go wrong with a burger and fries.  These fries were pretty tasty - nicely salted and a good thickness.  But the burger seemed to have no seasoning at all.  Again, even adding table salt didn't seem to help.

Our friends got typical breakfast fare: French toast and eggs.  Since you'll find those on nearly every brunch menu in existence, sometimes restaurants will try to play with them a bit and put their own stamp on them.  Contrary to that notion, The District pretty much stuck to the basics.

French Toast

(egg battered challah bread, fresh whipped cream, drunken blueberry syrup)

Two Eggs

(served with bacon, ham or sausage)

As you could probably guess, we don't plan to run back to The District anytime soon.  Though we absolutely love the overall vibe of the space, there isn't anything unique about the food.  It tastes like something we could make ourselves at home.  We suppose people who have absolutely no desire to use their own kitchens would find that appealing, but we'll sooner save a few bucks and buy our own ingredients.

Football Sunday: 3rd Avenue Ale House

Are you ready for some FOOTBAAAAAAAAALLLLLL?!!!??!?!?!?!?!?!

We are!  And to kick off football season, we headed to one of our favorite local haunts: 3rd Avenue Ale House.  We're surprised to realize that this place hasn't made it on the blog yet.  We wind up going there often to grab a drink with co-workers.  But usually the focus is on the beer, not the food.  So perhaps that's why we haven't done a write up yet.  That said, we love this place!  They have a vast selection of beers, and the food is perfect pub fare. 

It can't be football without wings, so we got an order of their hottest ones (yummy!).  Mel paired hers with a 3rd Avenue Ale Salad (super tasty!), 

 

and DJ got an order of the Crawfish Hush Puppies (delicious, and they did not scrimp on the crawfish).

Perhaps what we loved most about this place is that they play every game, yet it's not as crowded and rowdy as a sports bar.  You really can sit, relax and enjoy without being jostled or screamed around every 5 seconds.  Cheers to that!  This place is definitely a neighborhood gem.

Katie and Scott's Baby Shower - Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden

Hooray!  It was time to celebrate Katie and Scott's little bundle!  So we headed over to the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden in Astoria for a lovely afternoon in honor of the parents-to-be and baby.  :)

We had heard about this beer garden a lot because it's one of the few in the area.  The weather was a bit threatening, but thankfully the clouds held back and we could all enjoy sitting outside.  While decorating note cards for Baby Lerner to read (or have read to her) when she arrives, we sampled all the tasty treats:  salad, potato pancakes, pierogies, dumplings, and sausage.  Absolutely delicious!

Cheers to the Katie, Scott and their family as they await their curly-haired cutie!

Local Dinner: District

When we first moved, we noticed folks very hard at work on a new corner pub not too far from our building.  We vowed that when they finally opened their doors we would give them a chance.  Well, the time has come!  District is officially open for business.  :)

A couple of pitfalls: they still don't have a website and they're not offering a full menu yet.  Just burgers, fries, wings, salads and drinks for now.  BUT, we did see why they were so hard at work on construction all these months; the decor is absolutely fabulous!  The dark wood, stained glass, and mirror details give it the cozy old world feel of an established neighborhood pub.

It was quite busy (especially considering the abridged menu), but service was very friendly and prompt and they offered a nice variety of beer.  

Mel tried the burger and fries (juicy and well-seasoned)...

and DJ tried the wings (well-seasoned, but all the sauce was on the side which isn't his usual preference).

Overall, we wouldn't necessarily go out of our way to return to District if we didn't live nearby.  It's pretty much what you'd expect from a corner bar.  But considering how close it is to our place, we're willing to keep an eye on it and return when the menu has expanded.  Or perhaps for an afternoon of Sunday football watching on one of their 4 screens at the bar.  :)

Surviving Sandy

Well, it appears that the world has to brace itself for much more severe weather patterns.  Hurricane Sandy ripped through the Northeast with wind gusts like none of us have ever seen.  Our building was swaying so much, we actually felt a bit of motion sickness.  Not going to lie: it was frightening.  

During the fierce night, the garage below our building flooded, circuits shorted, and we were left without power or water.  Here's a picture of the hose slowly pumping water out of the garage.

We were told it could take anywhere from hours to days to get power back, so after waiting for a day we decided to take Ladell up on his kind offer to stay with him in Harlem.  (So grateful to have good friends nearby!)  But as luck would have it, just as we pulled away from our building in a cab (no trains, obviously) we got a text saying our power had come back.  So we decided to at least clean up a bit with hot showers at Ladell's, grab some food, and then head home. 

For those who were not around NYC during Sandy, you might be wondering where on earth we expected to find food in the midst of the aftermath.  Well, if you can believe it - places were PACKED!  A lot of areas of Manhattan were left unscathed by the storm, and so people who either had no power or just had a case of cabin fever were heading out to their local eateries.  We tried going to Red Rooster, but it was too crowded!  So we hopped across the street to the more laid-back Corner Social.  It was also very crowded there, but the host was able to wrangle 3 seats for us so we could have some soothing drinks and snack food.  We were so impressed with how gracious the staff was during a stressful time, and how tasty everything was even though it was a limited menu.  We will definitely return under calmer circumstances.  

Major shout out to Corner Social for being a haven!

Lessons Learned from Sandy:

• take meteorologist warnings seriously; many New Yorkers were a bit flippant about Sandy because no one could fathom a hurricane in our area being that bad; this type of severity may sadly be the new norm
• speaking of unprepared, we had enough water for a while but not nearly enough to have lasted us for multiple days; we will definitely know to stock up seriously should we get warnings again
• speaking of lack of water, we learned that a combination of seltzer, cheap beer, flat soda and perishing fruit juice can also flush a toilet... and make your bathroom smell like a dive bar
• we need to own a battery-powered radio
• our families need to have better emergency contact plans; if cell service and texting had been down too, we would have been woefully out of touch

All that said, we consider ourselves among the lucky ones.  The devastation Sandy caused is sobering.  Even as this entry is being written, some of our relatives are still waiting for power and heat to come back.  But we are grateful that our home and our families' homes are still in one piece and we are all safe.  Our thoughts are with those who face a much harder recovery. 

Brooklyn Public House

It was an ECS/Costa Rica 2008 Reunion when we met up with Emily, Nilda, Rob and Sean at Brooklyn Public House.

This place is a great low-key hang out spot that Mel used to frequent on her summers off from the library.  A great collection of beer (including Mel's favorite Blueberry Ale), amazing burgers, and a chill pub setting make for a great time anytime.

Most of the crew got the burgers...

but DJ figured it would be fun to try one of the specials - blackened catfish (fabulous, but the spinach was so savory he could tell it was soaked in butter - ha!)...

and Mel decided to try the bacon-wrapped scallops (delicious for the first few bites, then a little too salty).

 

Afterward, we swung by Drink Up NY on the way home because a friend had mentioned they have a fabulous rum selection.  DJ picked out a cool one from Guyana.  Since it's named Pyrat, he decided to try pulling out the cork with his teeth like Captain Jack Sparrow.  Unfortunately, we do not have photos or video from the debacle that ensued, but needless to say it did not go as planned and we might need to see a dentist in the near future.

  

But the rum is fabulous and even has a hand-written certification of hand bottling!  Love it.

 

Lillie's Victorian Establishment

We met up with Liz in Union Square for a bit of brunch at Lillie's Victorian Establishment (the name speaks for itself).  

The food was typical brunch fare - the various egg and side dish options.  But they did also have a few specials of the day, of which Liz opted for the spaghetti and meatballs.

Mel went for the Norwegian Eggs so she could get a taste of the smoked salmon, and tacked on a side of the Irish sausage to share with the table.

DJ was adventurous and got the Irish Breakfast in honor of the Victorian theme.  The black and white pudding was questionable (we couldn't really figure out what it was exactly) and a bit salty, so DJ didn't really eat it.  Upon further research, turns out that this delicacy is a form of Irish sausage that involves a lot of pig blood.  That would explain the saltiness, indeed. 

At the end, we all took a few bites of the molten chocolate cake with ice cream, which was delightful (but really, when is it not?).  

Overall, the food at Lillie's is perfectly good pub grub, but we'd actually return more for the cool decor and the fact that we did not feel at all rushed in the midst of the popular brunch hours.

Another bonus: pints of beer count as a free drink option with your brunch (as well as the usual Bloody Mary or Mimosa).  Gotta love the Irish!  :) 

Yuca Bar and Back Fence

We were way overdue for catching up with our fav Rock Band buddy, Liz.  So we met up at Yuca Bar for a little end-of-the-week happy hour and tapas.

The food was all delicious; we sampled a bit of guacamole, shrimp ceviche (great seasoning), vegetarian arepa, chicken platano, steak, Spanish meatballs, and bread pudding.  Everything tasted extremely fresh and light, and Mel and Liz thought the mojitos were phenomenal.  (DJ felt they were a bit strong and stuck with his fav sangria.) 

 

The only down-side of this place was the service.  We got there early enough to get a table without a hassle, but then they took about 45 minutes just to bring us guacamole.  After it finally came, the rest of the food was served much more efficiently which was nice because it was all piping hot.  But then as the place got more crowded, they kept rushing us to pay the bill and essentially glared us out of there.  Talk about feeling unwelcome.  Perhaps next time they want to pressure people to be speedy, they should remember to be just as speedy bringing us our order!  We're chalking this up to being a casualty of the invading NYU crowd, and since the food was so good we're going to try going back on a less popular night so we hopefully don't get rushed.

Afterward, Liz had an awesome suggestion: some live classic rock at Back Fence.  Best way to spend a Friday night EVER!  The place is so unassuming, with a down-home decor and peanut shells strewn on the floor.  The bartender was generous in mixing, and every song the band covered brought back Liz and Mel's memories of dancing around the living room in pajamas.  DJ was a good sport and got into the groove too, but we promised that next time we'll try to find a spot that plays some Metallica.  :)

Goodbye, 2010... Hello, 2011!

The end of 2010 was filled with celebration up to the very last minute!

On the eve of New Year's Eve, we met up with Dave and Elim at Clandestino for her birthday celebration.  Not only did we love this place because of its proximity to the subway stop (less trekking in the snow), but it's a super friendly spot.  The vibe is very low-key, and they allowed Elim to bring in food for her guests to snack on while chillin at the bar.   The bartender also took time to make perfect Hot Toddies for Dave and DJ to help them kick their cold symptoms.  Great place for a comfy birthday gathering!

 

Then on New Year's Eve, we hunkered in for a quiet night free from snowy travel.  DJ, The Grill Master, worked his magic using the oven and fabulous seasoning to cook us up some mouth-watering steaks.

 

Coupled with some glasses of Prosecco and a movie marathon of The Bourne trilogy, we rang in the new year with happy hearts, happy tummies, and HAPPY DANCING!!  :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Wind Down at Wined Up!

What better way to spend a Friday evening than with good friends at a wine bar!  We met up with Carole, Liz, and Rich at a cute spot called Wined Up, not too far from Union Square.

The wine selection is quite extensive, and all the food was delicious!  We all sampled a mini pizza and a cheese plate, and then DJ tried the pasta, Liz opted for risotto, Carole took on the chicken, and Mel combined appetizers to try a bit of crab cakes and a bit of salmon avocado rolls.  Fun times!

 cool wall of wine!

 awesome pizza... with bacon!

 crab cakes and salmon avocado rolls

risotto

 chicken a la Frenchie

fab pasta with meat sauce

Football on Flatbush

On the days we don't feel like venturing into Manhattan for Sunday football games, we found a great sports' bar nearby: Ocean's 8 on Flatbush Avenue, right by Grand Army Plaza.  Just 5 stops away on the Q, this place offers an entrance right next to the subway stairs, 30 large TV screens playing every game, comfortable seating, and a great beer selection.

This week we got adventurous and actually tried the food.  We admittedly had low expectations, so the surprise was even more pleasant when we realized that everything tasted like it just came off the grill!  DJ tried the chicken sandwich, Mel braved a buffalo chicken salad, and the empty plates and happy smiles spoke for themselves.  :)

Ocean's 8 = our new local football spot