the circles of life

I couldn’t help myself…

From the morning we awoke from our slumber

And walking, stepped into the car

There’s more to crave than can ever be craved

More to eat than can ever be eaten

There’s far too much to indulge in here

More to taste than can ever be tasted

Social Feedia

There is no better way to wind down from a long, work day other than to be social with your friends by sharing drinks, food, and fun. (And this time, I mean physically sharing these things, not like posting about them on social media). The best time to do this is during happy hour when the prices won’t break your piggy bank and you don’t have to feel guilty for having that second martini. Recently, I stopped at a place called “Social” in Somerville.

Social is a nice restaurant and bar with a “cool”, contemporary vibe. There are huge windows along the walls that bring in massive amounts of natural light to lighten up the mood during the day but when it’s night time, there’s a more serious, almost club-like atmosphere. The bar is in the center of the dining room and is the focus of attention. I have to say, even the bathroom is really nice. There are rocks in the sink! Something about it makes you feel like you’re at a spa and that you should be treating yourself really nice.

All of the workers are extremely friendly and attentive. As soon as my friend and I were seated at a table, we were given the happy hour menu. Monday- Friday from 4-7 pm, Social offers items such as $5 UV Vodka cocktails, $5 martinis, and a few small plate appetizers for $3. 

To commence the happiest of hours, I decided to try their pomegranate martini. (Pictured left) It was delicious! Extremely refreshing, a tiny bit sweet, a little bit tart, and freezing, freezing cold! On the right, is the pineapple upside martini which is also a very decadent and delicious martini option- just a little bit sweeter if that’s what you like!

Along with the two martinis, my friend and I also ordered our own small plate of crispy calamari. It’s just enough to have a crunchy sampling while you wait for your main dish and at $3 a piece, it’s hard to not go for that kind of delicious deal.

Also, while you wait, they serve a delicious, warm, crunchy bread with a roasted pepper dipping sauce. Definitely worth the extra carbs.

So after all of the picking and sipping, more food arrived at the table. Instead of going for a salad like I was planning, I decided to eat a real diner. I was told the chicken francese was amazing. I couldn’t really remember the last time I had really good chicken francese so I was pretty excited to try it!

Come on. How good does that look? I have to say although it was a slow process, I ate about 80% of the food that was on that plate. It was so good, I just couldn’t stop eating it! The chicken was ALL white meat, lightly breaded, and perfectly tender. There weren’t any of those weird bad pieces that I am so picky about. It had a good lemon flavor that wasn’t too powerful and an amazing butter flavor that was extremely addicting. I would go back again and again for that chicken francese and that wasn’t even one of the happy hour specials offered.

Finally, to finish off the happiest of hours, I ordered an espresso martini. This was my first espresso martini and I’m so glad I finally tried one! It’s a different take on the chocolate martini. Same kind of thick, rich consistency but with a coffee flavor that is perfect for dessert! Also the three little espresso beans floating on the top add a nice touch. You eat with your eyes first, right?

The perfect night cap.

Side note: Have you ever logged on to lets say facebook, instagram, twitter, maybe even pinterest and said to yourself, “Okay, only five minutes”? Only to realize that two hours have a passed and you don’t know where your life went? That’s kind of what happened this night. Except, I wasn’t upset at all more like sad the the time flew by so quickly and the experience was over. Luckily, the restaurant still remains and the specials are still offered so I can go back and get lost in my social feed all over again.

Put down your devices and start being social the right way!

For more information visit: Social Restaurant

hit the board running

When this hits your table, you dive right in with enthusiasm! This beautiful display includes thinly sliced bread drizzled with olive oil and black pepper. Down the center, the board is a piece of parmesan, brie, and blue cheese. Along the sides of the cheese is a smear of mustard and pepper jam. The furtherest away in the picture are spicy cashews and tiny chopped pieces of bacon. 

curry up, i’m so hungry

I’m one of those people you don’t want to mess with when hungry. I have a bad attitude, I don’t find anything funny, I’m snippy, and extremely impatient. Other people just have to understand this and make sure they hang around me when I’m eating or have just eaten.

For some, I will make an exception. For some, I will wait to be seated and wait for my food to be delivered to me all while feeling joyous, hopeful, and patient. Who gets to be so lucky, you ask? Thai Kitchen I in Bridgewater, NJ.  

I don’t know why I was surprised when walking into Thai Kitchen on a Saturday night that every single table was packed and people were waiting out the door to be seated. I had read reviews and even had this as take out once before and knew it was favored by many.

Well in my favor, since their staff is so efficient and meals are cooked in what seems like almost an instant- I was seated in less than twenty minutes since entering the door. While walking toward my table, I did the whole “look at everyone’s food to see what looks good and what I want to order” bit. EVERYTHING looked SO good. EVERYONE looked SO happy. I couldn’t help but think it was directly correlated with the food they were eating. So I knew the decisions would be tough…

First…

A Thai Iced Tea. A strongly brewed tea topped with evaporated milk and served over ice. The best part is getting to stir the milk that floats on top of the tea and watching it all swirl to perfection. Each sip is refreshing, cold, a light tea flavor, sweet, and a little bit thick. It’s hard not to guzzle it all down at once. But you must not do this because Thai dishes are typically spicy so this will be the perfect beverage to cool the flames in your mouth later on. (you’re welcome)

Then…

A table full of appetizers is my kind of table. Farther away are steam shrimp dumplings. Closer to you are curry puffs.

The shrimp is delicately embraced in a thin dumpling wrapper that when steamed, tastes like a very light pasta that holds small pieces of fresh shrimp in a perfect little pouch. You could pop these in your mouth or (depending on who you are eating with) you can dip part of the dumpling into the garlic soy sauce (left) and the other part into the ginger, peanut sauce (right). The dumpling soaks up all the flavor from the sauces creating an explosion of flavor and texture in your mouth-chewy, delicate, hearty, smooth, salty, garlic-y, peanut-y, slightly crunchy.

After finishing the dumplings, I headed right into the curry puffs. Now, I have to say, I have had curry puffs from other places and I have not enjoyed them so for me I was really feeling this one out with caution. These puffs are filled with chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery. In these puffs, the curry flavor is not overwhelming at all. It’s very subtle. These reminded me of empanadas with a slightly different take- and I LOVE empanadas. To counter the flavor of the curry and flakiness of the puff pastry, it was served with a cool cucumber relish. Perfect combination. I fear the curry puff no more.

Finally…

The main event. Pa Nang Curry dish with chicken. No this is not soup. The dish comes in a bowl because chicken, onions, carrots, and bell peppers are flooded with panang curry paste, coconut milk, and lime leaves. On the side is a dish of jasmine rice. All of which are extremely aromatic and enticing.

In order to eat this dish properly, first you must lay down the steamed, jasmine rice. Then, using a spoon, you dish all of the ingredients on top of the rice. Finally, put as MANY spoonfuls of the sauce as possible so that all of the rice can soak up that flavor. The chicken was so tender. I’ve never had more tender chicken in my life- seriously. The carrots and onions are cut julienne which I think adds to presentation and to the flavor when you take a bite. It’s not like “HEY there’s a carrot and onion in your mouth!!” which can be extremely overwhelming for some. The peppers are a little bit bigger but that’s okay because they keep their freshness and crunch this way. The best part is the sauce. It has so much depth and flavor you could get lost in it. It’s thick, nutty, spicy, (take a sip of your iced tea) a little bit grainy, and sweet too. It’s just so amazing, I could have this every day of my life.

I must say that when finishing, the owner came over to the table and informed me that the dish gets even better over night because it gives the flavors even more time to blend together. She also said that sometimes instead of rice she will eat it over pasta. VERY interesting an intriguing! I always appreciate workers who pay attention to their customers. It yields towards a very comfortable atmosphere.

Heck yes I was hungry- not hangry though. Because honey, some things are just worth the wait.

For more information visit: Thai Kitchen I

dream cheese

After an all nighter sleep over with your girlfriends, the best thing to have in the morning is for someone to take care of breakfast for you. Something that is fast, easy, and delicious.

So, what’s a girl to do? You stop at Morristown Bagel and Deli to help you wake up and get enough energy to help you make it through the day.

Did I hit the jackpot with this place or what? Not only are the bagels freshly rolled and baked to perfection, but they also have a plethora of cream cheeses to choose from. Yes, I prefer cream cheese on a bagel to butter. It’s just the way I am.

Here are some examples of what they have to offer: Walnut Raisin, Bacon Scallion, Jalapeño Cheddar, Lox Spread, Strawberry Spread or Sundried Tomato Spread.

I said I wanted something easy but they make it extremely difficult to pick a cream cheese. The struggle was real at the decision moment.

you’re in big truffle

Aside from being a blog writer on the weekends and week nights, during the day time, I am a teacher. Being a teacher has many highs and I won’t lie, some stressful lows that I’m sure any teacher can attest to. One very high perk about being a teacher is that I am gratefully showered with many types of chocolate during the holiday season.

Although it doesn’t really have a positive impact on my waistline, my serotonin levels shoot through the roof. And because I had so many options to choose from, I can safely say that my favorite box of chocolates was from the The Fudge Shoppe in Flemington, NJ.

Opening a box of these beautifully presented chocolates will definitely put you in a truffled spot. Of course you have to eat them. They can’t go to waste.

So in order to maximize the full experience of these delicately decorated chocolates, I decided to have one a day until the box was empty. 

breaking bread

What better way to spend the holidays than by breaking bread with the ones you love? Breaking bread is an easy way to make peace, show kindness, build friendships, and share stories with others. It’s simple but thoughtful.

So where should you go in order to put such positivity into the universe?

Take a ride to Mediterraneo Bakery in Bound Brook, NJ. This bakery is top notch when it comes to bread and pastries. I’ve had their bread twice in the past week and it’s just one of those things you cannot say “no” too. It’s always baked fresh and there are MANY varieties to choose from. (Literally an entire wall of bread to choose from.)

now watch me dip, dip

Dip is a word that has multiple meanings. For instance, in one scenario it can be a dance move when one slightly and briefly lowers their upper body to the beat of a song. In another, it can be a delectable, thick “sauce” that is transported to your mouth by bread, crackers, chips, or vegetables. But what happens when you are eating a dip that makes you want to dip?

My friend had told me about Bolu in Basking Ridge, NJ awhile ago and I finally got the chance to go with her this past week. The restaurant is an upscale version of your regular brick oven pizzeria. Everything is very clean and well put together. They offer many organic, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options. The staff are extremely friendly and attentive. And the food… well …it makes me want to dance.

To start, they place charred Italian bread on a wood board with a pimento cheese spread. It’s irresistible. It’s sweet and salty. The bread is crunchy and it is the perfect delivery vehicle for the creamy spread. My taste buds are starting to get their groove on. It’s truly difficult to stop eating it.

But I eventually do because the MAIN EVENT has arrived at my table.

circa chow

This may be my all time favorite restaurant.

Circa is located in the quaint town of High Bridge just outside of Clinton. It is small but nicely decorated with white lights and small candles on the tables. The staff is extremely friendly and it is very obvious that they really don’t mind being there on a Saturday night. The atmosphere is overall very welcoming and comforting. It’s the exact place I wanted to be (and still want to be quite frankly).

Then there’s the menu…

There are many traditional dishes with a slight flair to choose from. I honestly wanted to try everything. While debating what to actually order, fresh french bread and hummus was placed on the table. HUMMUS! No, not bread and butter. No, not bread and olive olive. Delicious, grainy, garlicy, hummus.

After going back and forth with deciding what to eat and devouring the bread and hummus on the table, I finally placed an order for the sweet and sour cauliflower, goat cheese tart, and a small plate of salmon with green bean tempura.

The sweet and sour cauliflower was just that- sweet and sour. (Little bit spicy too). The cauliflower was crunchy and filled with delicious sauce in all its crevices. It tasted like sweet and sour chicken without the fried chicken and replaced with a vegetable that leaves you full but not feeling heavy. I’ve never had anything like it and I don’t think I will have anything like it any place else. It may have been my favorite part of the meal. At least, so far.

Look how pretty this plate is. There’s nothing I didn’t love about this crispy, pastry tart filled with goat cheese topped with mixed greens and honey. The smooth, creaminess of the goat cheese was a great complement to the crunchy, buttery crust. The mixed greens and honey brought the dish to the next level of flavor-with freshness and sweetness. It all mixed together to be heaven in your mouth.

My main dish was pan roasted salmon with green bean tempura and spicy aioli. Do you see that picture? The salmon was crunchy and perfectly seasoned about a quarter inch deep into the salmon. I’ve never had salmon cooked so perfectly. The green beans were fresh and bright green on the inside. They were evenly coated in panko breadcrumbs and fried. The outside was very crunchy and slightly salty. One bite of salmon, green bean tempura, dipped in the spicy aioli sauce is all anyone can really ask for in life. It’s amazing.

How could I forget? (I really didn’t forget). Mac and cheese was ordered.

And boy did I enjoy it. Cheese delicately enveloped each of the chewy, but soft elbow noodles as if it was giving it a generous hug. A hug that I would have loved to be a part of. Bread crumbs were not only on the top of the mac and cheese but all throughout the cheesy noodles so it wasn’t just that top layer baked to perfection but the entire dish.

Moment of silence for how good this meal was.

I honestly cannot think of the perfect words to describe how much I loved this food and atmosphere. I tried my best but I know it does not suffice. I cannot wait to go back and try something else! My mouth is watering right now. Is yours? Now is the time to try something new! Circa is definitely the place to chow down.

For more information visit: Circa Restaurant

satur-thai night

Hm. It’s Saturday night again. You can do the same thing that you do every weekend- get ready for four hours, meet up at your friends at 10, drink there for two hours, call an uber, and possibly make it out of the house by 12 am. Only to stay there for two hours and return feeling tired, depressed, dizzy, and nauseous.

You see, that kind of night doesn’t really appeal to me. I like to feel good and none of that stuff leaves me feeling good. What makes me feel good? Wearing leggings. Sitting on my couch with my comfy blanket. Watching TV. Reading a book. Baking. And of course- eating.

So for once, I decided that it’s okay to not follow the crowd and do exactly those things that make me happy. My Satur-thai night plans involved ordering Thai food from the hole in the wall Thai Garden in Metuchen, sitting on my couch with my comfy blanket, and watching a good documentary about Jackie O. Call me a nerd if you wish but I won’t be throwing up later tonight and to me, that’s a win.

If there’s one place on earth that I would like to live, it would be here in this bed of rice noodles covered in peanuts. If there’s one place on earth that I would like to die, it would be here in this bed of rice noodles covered in peanuts. (The only reason I would die would be because I suffocated myself in noodles.)

The noodles are chewy but super smooth. The peanuts are sweet and savory and give you a good crunch. There are huge pieces of chicken all throughout the tangled the noodles. They’re perfectly cooked and thinly sliced. There are bean sprouts that taste fresh, crunchy, and kind of explode with water every time you bite down into them. There’s also scrambled egg within the dish that gives you a buttery flavor but also absorbs the sauce that everything is covered in. It’s perfection. It’s heaven on earth.

That bite was so good. I had to eat it right out of the container.

So, finally I serve myself a dish, get my comfy blanket, sit on the couch, and turn on my documentary. This is the perfect Satur-thai night for me.

 

For more information visit: Thai Garden