a pizza history

It was thirteen years ago that I met one of my good friends and although I don’t see her often, when I do, it’s like nothing has ever really changed. In high school (Catholic high school), the teachers always sat us alphabetically which I believe is one of the main reasons we became friends. All I had to do was slightly turn around and we would crack jokes about how annoying school was, how this one teacher was WAY too into english, or even how the Chem teacher looked like a fairy from Sleeping Beauty. Although we don’t go to school anymore or even work together, one of our main common denominators is our love for good food.

One Friday, we decided to head over to Arturo’s in Middletown, NJ. As we navigated our way through some back roads, we ended up in a quaint little downtown and our destination awaited us on the corner full of food lovers alike waiting their turn for a seat. The wait was over an hour but there was no way we were turning back now. We were in it to win it. And that’s exactly what we did.

After waiting a bit, we were seated outside and we knew exactly what we wanted to eat. The menu is simple but everything sounded delicious. We first started off with the ricotta crostini and market salad (special). The ricotta crostini was made with slightly toasted bread, topped with fluffy whipped ricotta cheese, black sea salt, and drizzled with olive oil. The flavors blended so nicely to create a cloud of savoriness in your mouth. 

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

if you play your carbs right

I honestly struggled with what to focus on in this blog post. I was blown away with all of the food that I ate at Calandra’s Italian Village in Bloomfield, NJ. The visit to this literal village was definitely unexpected. I never planned and definitely did not expect this delicious of a meal on this particular night. Originally, I was just planning to go with my really good friend and her mom to their dress fitting for her upcoming wedding. I have to say it really was so fun and exciting because they both looked so beautiful in their dresses. I was so caught up in it all that I totally didn’t even think I was hungry.

Then we got into the car…and I was hungry! My friend said we could go to Calandra’s bakery and although I am typically down for bakery visits, I really felt like I needed to eat real food. Who knew that Calandra’s was not only a bakery but an Italian restaurant directly connected to it.

Because it was so late, we had to pick up out baked goods first. The place is HUGE!! I didn’t know where to start. So many displays, so many options. I could have purchased the entire store. and I really wanted to for my dad but I held back.

These are just a few of the displays. The cupcakes looked so amazing and there were so many options. Although the cookie case does technically look “empty”, it was about 9:00 at night which tells me that their cookies are an absolute HIT! I decided to buy a few mini treats. I had a mini vanilla cupcake, mini lemon cupcake, mini raspberry cupcake, an eclair, a cream puff, and a mini fruit tart. All so cute and adorable. The cupcakes were my favorite though. Not too sweet and freshly baked for the perfect fluffy texture. Just the perfect amount of frosting on the top with so much flavor! I want more!

Once finally making a decision and packaging up all of our treats into little white boxes, we headed to the restaurant portion of the building. Which was beautiful by the way. The tables were beautifully set and huge windows lined the walls.

As soon as we sat down this was put on our table…

Oh my God. A whole ramekin filled with grated parmesan cheese- YES! And right next to it…

just beleaf

It’s really easy to find good pizza, burgers, bagels in New Jersey but what is not so easy to find is a really good salad. I mean really good without having to change your expectations and break the caloric intake for the day. I had faith though- faith that good salads were out there and that they were going to find me (or I find them- whatever, that’s just logistics). It took some time, as most things worth having do, but I finally found not one, not two, not three, but FOUR really good salads in just a couple of weeks. They’re out there people, you just got to believe.

Salad #1 comes to you from Stefano’s Pizza in Branchburg. Although this place seems like an ordinary pizzeria, what lies beneath the surface is something unexpected. It’s an outdoor oasis filled with trees, plants, a huge brick oven, and a wood burning fire place. You’d never know that you were in the middle of a strip mall when you enter. That being said, their Stefano’s Salad is just as satisfying to the palate as the decor is to the eyes.

a dairy delicious dream

I guess it’s a safe thing to say that dairy is one of my favorite food groups. Not necessarily because of milk but because of what milk can become- cheese, ice cream, whipped cream, even yogurt sometimes. YUM!

I didn’t realize that dairy had hypnotized and lured me into a place of no return until I really thought about the dinner I ate last Tuesday- that I’m still dreaming about. That I wish I could have again, right now.

This dream-like meal took place at Chimney Rock Inn in Bound Brook. Now when I tell you I used to eat mozzarella sticks like it was my job when I was younger, I’m not lying. Maybe if I a got a quarter for every mozzarella stick I ever ate I wouldn’t be so stressed about finances and where my future is headed. But unfortunately, that salary never came through and I realized that mozzarella sticks aren’t really good for the figure either. So, I hardly ever have mozzarella sticks. Until I do. And I am hooked on the homemade mozzarella sticks from Chimney Rock. Yes, homemade. Fresh mozzarella is breaded and fried to a crunchy perfection. The cheese is stringy, warm, and super satisfying. Topped off with some tomato marinara and it’s like when you’re head hits the pillow after a long day and you take that first relaxing sigh of relief. Ahhhhh…

Alright, so now I feel like life can’t get any better. But it does- good things are always coming my way. This was brought to the table…

green tea, healthy me

Summer time is coming! Although it doesn’t actually feel like it or even look like it here in New Jersey, I’m preparing for the rain to clear, the temperature to rise, and the sun to shine. For those of you who know me, I’m a planner so this completely makes sense. Bikini season is coming!

What better way to plan for that bathing suit weather than to begin by eating healthy. I once read (a meme on pinterest) that abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. I’m not exactly sure how accurate that statement is but when I skip a gym day, I certainly believe I can make up for it by eating healthy(er).

On this day, I didn’t eat breakfast, skipped the gym, worked on my meditation by laying in bed extra long, and finally got up to meet my friend for a long awaited, healthy brunch at Raymond’s in Montclair. 

This is such a cute little diner type restaurant that hosts a large crowd. Because it wasn’t raining and the table was available, my friend and I decided to eat outside. The menu has a variety of options and it was honestly hard to decide what I actually wanted to eat. Being the good food stalker that I am, I looked around at other people’s plates to see what they were ordering. Let’s just say, it didn’t help because everything looked so good!

Since again, it was slightly chilly, I decided to order a warm beverage. A matcha green tea latte.

If you’ve never heard of matcha, it is a VERY healthy version of green tea. And regular green tea is already healthy. It has protein, fiber, caffeine, iron, potassium, and vitamin C! Matcha is made from pulverized green tea leaves. The powder dissolves in boiling water or milk. This really gives the drink a frothy, and grassy type taste. I know grassy doesn’t sound that great but if you add a little bit of sugar or honey-it’s amazing! I’ve tried to make matcha lattes at home, it’s good but it isn’t this good! I certainly can’t make that fancy milk design-that’s for sure.

Going with the green theme, I decided to order the avocado toast. This is also something I’ve tried to make at home because it looks so good in those pinterest posts but it just never comes out the way I expect it too.

This was amazing! A large piece of ciabatta toast held a heaping pile of avocado, tomato salsa, and two perfectly cooked poached eggs. For garnish, paprika. On the side, salsas and pickled vegetables. This dish is simple but intricate. Bite by bite, you cut through the crunchy toast and the smooth mashed avocado. When you get to the egg, the yolk runs all over your plate and works as a perfect, buttery, dipping sauce. This not only satisfied your taste buds but also yours eyes. The colors of bright, green, red, orange, and yellow could brighten any sort of day.

After I finished my last bite, just as I predicted, the clouds started to part and the sun was shining. Good thing, I was prepared.

I absolutely want to go to Raymond’s again. I love any place that can make healthy options just as delicious and satisfying as a basket of mozzarella sticks. It’s a perfect lazy Sunday eatery.

For more information visit: Raymond’s NJ

 

food for president

Seems like all we see on TV these days is news about the upcoming presidential elections. This person did this, this person said that, this person dropped out of the race. It’s all exhausting especially because when it’s over, I’m not too sure there will be a “bright light” for us to really see and experience. When you need a break from all the hype, there’s one place you can go to get connected to our Nation’s roots: George and Martha’s in Morristown. 

This past week happened to be restaurant week in Morristown. A friend and I had plans to go to a specific restaurant for one of their prix fixe dinner specials. That plan went down the drain when I saw the bright sign for “George and Martha’s”. I had told my friend that next time I wanted to go there and she suggested we go there this time instead! I voted-YES! Because first off, this place looked adorable even from the outside. After going inside, there are light bulbs to decorate the walls, comfortable chairs (like the ones in your living room), and there’s a section for the bar as well as for the restaurant. It has a great vibe and the staff are extremely helpful and friendly.

After sitting down and being very excited to try this place, a waiter brought a delicious looking drink to a table near by. As soon as the waiter, passed our way again, my always outspoken (in a good way) friend asked, “WHAT WAS THAT??” The waiter directed us to their drink menu and their signature fishbowls. We voted- YES to the Singapore Sling, an old fashioned, fancy cocktail made with gin. Although undeniably large, it’s a great way to split a drink with a friend. The fishbowl in total is actually about four cocktails. So instead of buying 4 cocktails separately which would have added up, my friend and I split this one for $25 and it worked out just perfectly. Again, it does seem like alot but when you nurse it and you have food on top of it all-it’s all good.

Now, we needed something in our system. After seeing all of the options and what they had to offer, we voted-YES to the blue cheese spinach fondue with homemade potato chips. This dish made so many promises, it was difficult to say no. 

pizza fri-yay!

Ever since I can remember my family would always resort to pizza for Friday night dinner. I actually believed at one point that all families have pizza on Fridays. Turns out, they don’t. Some actually have pizza on Tuesday nights. Which is totally cool but if you know me, I like consistency and pizza on a Friday evening is something I look forward to every week.

I mean I do change up my order from week to week. I’m not exactly like Sheldon Cooper ordering the same exact take out meal prepared exactly the same way every time. I do like variety.

If we’re lucky, sometimes we order pizza from a special place. A place that is extremely delicious but just a little bit out of reach for a rush hour Friday drive. We heard of Sciortino’s in South Amboy from a family friend. They told us that it is their FAVORITE pizza. So, we had to give it a try.

soy special

There’s nothing better than eating dinner with people who are not technically related by blood but seem like they could and should be. These are the people that you would say are a step above your “friends” and the ones who bring out the best in you. They’re the people that make you forget your cell phone and that the outside world even exists- they help you escape. I’m sure there are people in your life you could think of that fit this kind of description. Well, at least I hope you can.

So long introduction short, I got to spend a special Saturday night at Sushi-O in Edison with the thing that I’ve cared about for a long time and I’m not just talking about the sushi rolls that I ate.

To start this amazing, very fulfilling meal, we ordered the miso soup and the kani salad.

The servings were HUGE. This wasn’t just a tiny bowl of miso soup but a full bowl of warm, salty broth loaded with tofu and scallions. And the kani salad wasn’t just a couple pieces of crab broken up and mixed with spicy mayo. It was an entire dish of crab mixed with this creamy and spicy condiment over a huge bed of lettuce.

To follow, we ordered WAY TOO MANY sushi rolls. This is a perfect of example of our eyes being so much bigger than our stomachs.

That was just one plate.

There’s the second.

I won’t go through and bore you by naming and explaining each one. But the bottom line of the story is… Every roll and piece of sushi is very fresh. The rolls were intricately created, designed, displayed, and eaten. The sauces mixed together forming explosions of flavor in your mouth. From spicy to cool. From creamy to crunchy textures. From fried and battered to fresh and bright. This meal fulfills all of the cravings that you may have. We were full of food and full of happiness.

I know I have written about a few sushi places in the past but I can say that Sushi-O sticks out in my mind from all of the other places around because of its creative menu. It offers more than just the typical spicy tuna roll or California roll. There are full pages in the menu with specialty rolls that have creative names and combinations of different fish, rice, seaweed, soy bean wraps, and sauces. I’m sure all of which are equally as delicious.

Check out there soy special menu at Sushi O

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