Beccammendations

Sometimes life happens to you faster than you know, you wake up one day and realize you’ve only Instagram-ed a handful of times for your food blog, and even worse - have neglected the actual formal written blog post in over a year! Eeek! Obviously, there’s been no shortage of trying new restaurants and experiencing new flavors in the life of ‘mendations. I felt my return to regular write-ups to be most appropriate by paying tribute to my favorite go-to bar and restaurant in Jersey City. The one I spend the most of my free time (and money) at; the one that when people ask me where they should go for dinner, brunch, drinks and a good time I always suggest, if you know me and follow me on social media, you probably think I live there: South House Bar & Restaurant.

Writing this post, I don’t even know where to start, so I’ll begin with what drew me in first, the atmosphere. South House describes itself as a “simple southern” restaurant, but, it’s decor is far from simple. The detail and time that has clearly been put into the cozy, welcoming ambiance, from the lighting, to the distressed brick walls, the ornate wood workings on the bar(s), and the vintage dining ware. One of the plates I was given to use for appetizer sharing was the EXACT same one my grandmother had a set of in the 80′s and 90′s and it was so cute to see in a restaurant. But enough about the decor, you guys want to hear about the tasty stuff!

Food & drinks. 

Part I, Food

Here we go. At this point I’ve tasted about 90% of the menu at South House and have NEVER been disappointed. The first dish I tried there was the bacon wrapped onion rings. BACON. WRAPPED. ONION. RINGS. yeah - and with chipotle mayo, like what?! Out of this world amazing. Deep fried onion ring, wrapped in thick bacon, served with some smokey chipotle mayo dipping sauce that will make your taste buds twerk. After thinking there’s no possible way it could get better from those greasy goddesses of goodness, I went on to try (not all in one sitting), the BBQ wings, which as someone who’s not a BBQ sauce fanatic, I was blown away by the sweetness and the tanginess of these crispy fried chicken wings. 

Now on to the main courses - my hands down favorite has got to be the Boss’s Reuben. Pastrami, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing packed in between 2 pieces of crispy rye bread. The pastrami is perfectly prepared and never dry or overcooked. What’s so special about this tradition sandwich? With such traditional ingredients it’s still beyond me how it tastes better than any other. Perhaps it’s the fact that the meat gets a little additional TLC in the cooker ;). 

Another notable sandwich is the Wild Fire Burger. It’s topped with fried jalapeños, bacon, pepper jack cheese, and chipotle aioli sauce. If you call yourself a heat seeker, this burger is for you. The perfect combination of heat & flavor packed into this amazing burger. If the word “jalapeño” alone makes your tastebuds run for the hills, then try their plain and simple burger, South House knows their meats! Healthier hack - get the burger without the bun - it’s still definitely enjoyable, take it from me!

Most recent finding was the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich - buttermilk fried chicken tossed in buffalo sauce and topped with a bleu cheese slaw. It’s hands down one of the tastiest buffalo chicken sandwiches I’ve ever experienced. From the crispiness of the chicken, to the spiciness of the buffalo sauce and the bleu cheese slaw to cool it all down. The combination is incredible.

Let’s not forget about the side that comes with the entree(s) - the fries. The PERFECT french fries. Anyone who knows me knows I am potato-obsessed. I’d call these a cross between a traditional fry and a steak fry. Big enough to pack in the fluffiness but skinny enough to eat multiple per bite, crunchy, salty, peppery, amazing. 

Part II, Drinks

Now if you like drinks, South House has some of the most talented bartenders, or shall I say, mixologists (really), that I have ever met. The smoked old fashioned is hands down one of my favorites. It’s Old Forester Bourbon, hickory and mesquite smoked orange syrup, and a dash of angostura bitters topped with a burnt orange peel. If your a bourbon or whiskey drinker, this cocktail is calling your name so you should just drop what you’re doing now and get yourself to South House to drink this smokey, soul warming beverage.

On the flip side - if you’re not a bourbon drinker, a good friend of mine swears the margaritas here are the best in Jersey City. When I’m in the tequila mood, I too find myself craving a traditional margarita from South House.

The Staff

Since I’ve become a regular here at South House, I’ve found myself also enjoying the company of the people who work there and make it feel like such a welcoming establishment to unwind in. Ivan, Nikki, Norman, Alyssa, Colin, Lisa, Smitty, and Danay - are just a few of the awesome humans who keep me coming back to South House. They’re an incredibly hard working people who provide unbelievable service to their patrons.

NOT ONLY is this the 50th Beccammendations post- but it’s also my birthday post! I cannot believe I have shared 50 posts with all you guys (I also can’t believe I have eaten that much food in the past hear and half). Yesterday my co-workers and I ventured down to University place for some tacos and margaritas. We found ourselves at the eye-catching Tortaria, enjoying some incredible Mexican cuisine.

I will say I am a sucker for anywhere that has a la carte menus. I love having the option to mix-and-match dishes and try everything. We split a large order of the guacamole and chips (which was enough for the 3 of us) - let me not forget to mention the extensive serve your own salsa bottles available, which also complimented the chips quite nicely. One of my absolute favorite meals when at a Mexican restaurant is chimichangas, because let’s get real, EVERYTHING tastes better fried, especially a burrito. Tortaria serves an order of 2 mini chimichangas, if you can picture 2-taco-sized chimichangas, that was basically what they were. Perfectly crunchy on the outside, stuffed with steak, beans, cheese and rice. It was topped with pico de gallo, crema, and salsa verde. If I had to think of an ideal chimichanga, this was it. Though the portion looked small, personally I was satisfied.

Now let’s talk about the margarita’s. $40 for a pitcher of some STRONG margaritas. I won’t lie I was a tad bit tipsy leaving Tortaria, but they tasted delicious!

*BECCAMMENDATIONS BRUNCH ALERT! 

As summer winds down, my friends and I find ourselves sticking to the city on the weekends and trying new brunch spots. Most recently we ventured out to explore a borough we have neglected in the past, Queens! We found ourselves at Dutch Kills Centraal in Long Island City, described on their website as “more than a pub”, offering a great brunch deal.

$14.99 for a brunch entree with your first brunch drink is an awesome deal in my book. I ordered the Omelette of which I had the option of ordering 3 toppings. I went with goat cheese, mushrooms, and spinach and chose sausage as my side. This omelette was very filling, the ingredients were fresh and the french fries were SO GOOD. There was even a little side salad included. I felt a little bit better about ordering a whole bottle of the sparkling wine to split with my friend since I hit all the main food groups in this meal. My friend Jenn went with her go-to biscuits and gravy order. This was a huge portion (you can see if peeking in the background of the picture of my omelette). Of course I insisted on tasting hers and it was so savory and delicious. Not only was the food exceptionally satisfying, our waiter was so friendly and the service was great!

This is quite literally the freshest beccammendations post in beccammendations history. Since it is 2016 Summer Restaurant Week here in NYC, I find it only fitting to present you all with my insanely delicious dining experience last night at Chef’s Club NY. Nestled in the hip NoLiTa/SoHo neighborhood on Mulberry Street - just South of Houston, the food paired with the ambiance allowed for a truly unique escapade.

A little background on Chef’s Club, “Chefs Club by Food & Wine is a restaurant in New York City’s NoLiTa where guests can experience the spectacular signature dishes of greatest chefs from around the country and the world paired with fabulous wines. The seasonal, innovative menu is a one-of-a-kind blend of recipes by select winners of the prestigious Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs Award as well as other brilliant chefs, including Chefs Club’s very own Culinary Director Didier Elena, Executive Chef Matthew Aita and Executive Pastry Chef Jared Sexton. The dishes are all prepared by the talented Chefs Club team in the open kitchen, which is ringed by counter seating so diners can get an up-close view of the action. The kitchen also provides a dramatic focus of the spacious  Rockwell-designed brick-walled dining room.” I knew right away this was the restaurant I was going to for restaurant week.

One of my good friends who has turned into somewhat of a beccammendations “PIC”, Jenn, accompanied me during this endeavor. We both started with the Calamari A La Plancha - served with hummus toast, the calamari tossed with dill, mint, giardiniera, and smoked paprika. I’m not even sure how to describe the flavors that were coming together in this dish. The spicy, crunch of the chopped giardiniera vegetables combined with the freshly and perfectly cooked calamari was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. When I put the calamari on the hummus toast it was just amazing. As Jenn and I said last night, the word of the night was “wow” because that was what we said after every first, second, and third bite of all three courses. Incredible.

For my main course I ordered the Spicy Beef Ribs, created be Chef Bryant NG. They were made with a chili glaze, basil, and cilantro and accompanied by large lettuce leaves with mint. Meant to be eaten like a lettuce wrap. I asked for my ribs extra spicy, as I tend to be a heat seeker and love a good spicy beef. Chef’s Club delivered on the spicy. It was PERFECT. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, literally fell off the bone, and shredded into a delicious lettuce wrap, my plate was cleaned. I should also note that this was an exceptionally large portion. Some restaurants skimp on portion sizes during restaurant week, but not Chef’s Club! For Jenn’s main course, she ordered the Crispy Florida Grouper - yuzu slaw and shiso emulsion. A great size cut of grouper paired with a refreshing and zesty slaw, gently swimming in the shiso emulsion. This dish had some tangy-ness to it and was nothing short of amazing.

For the third and final course, dessert, I ordered the Panna Cotta, a delicious gelatin, sweet cream mold with raspberry sorbet on top and angel-food-cake-like cubes surrounding it accompanied by fresh rasperries and sugar coated blueberries. This was just out of this world. It was so different, the combination of flavors hitting my tastebuds was overwhelming. Again, “wow”. Jenn ordered the Chocolate Pretzel Whoopie Pie which was pretzel ice cream, peanut, whipped cream, and stout-caramel sauce wrapped up in two chocolate whoopie pie pieces. This was intense. The pretzel ice cream tasted like salted vanilla, with the crushed peanuts, the sauce, and the chocolate pie pieces it was also a “wow” moment. So many flavors, brought together in 1 bite that made up some new, never before-like experience.

As we all know, New York City has copious amounts of fine dining, eateries, cafeterias, pubs, lounges, bars, wine bars, restaurants every other (or some blocks every single) store front. Since working at my new job at Hogarth, 2 of my coworkers and I have made it a point to get together for a sit down lunch every 2 weeks or so on Friday, depending on our availability. Most recently, Whitney, Dan, and I ventured to Pete’s Tavern on East 18th Street and Irving Place. We had heard rumors of the restaurant being haunted, since according to their website, “Pete’s Tavern is the oldest continuously operating restaurant & bar in New York City.” We also heard their burgers were pretty good.

Since I was in the mood for a good burger I chose a traditional bacon cheeseburger with fries and coleslaw. My go-to cheese for a burger is cheddar (unless there’s some sort of house blend advertised), I always opt for my burger to be cooked medium-rare, and my bacon to be crispy. Now first off, this burger was massive. The burger patty itself was at least an inch and a half thick, topped with melted cheddar cheese and crunchy bacon, lettuce and tomato. The french fries were like steak fries and they were crispy on the outside, potatoey on the inside. I have to note that I like when I get french fries that are not overly seasoned, giving me the option to put on as much salt and pepper on my own. Now, can I say this was the greatest burger I have ever eaten? No. But it was pretty damn good for $10.95 at a sit down lunch. Unfortunately, no ghosts were spotted but Pete’s Tavern was definitely decorated with the history of the bar and New York City, having been open since 1864.

This week’s beccammendations has been in the works for sometime, two and a half months to be exact. As mentioned in many previous posts, my sister, Jessica, and I love to try new foods and restaurants when we visit one another. The last time I went down to D.C. she brought me to a truly memorable restaurant. Being a lover of all noodles, ramen, dumplings, wontons, and asian cuisines, Jess knew exactly where to bring me. Her friend, Ari, opened Chaplin’s, named after Charlie Chaplin himself, a cozy Ramen-Asian-Fusion restaurant playing Chaplin movies on the TV’s and serving up some of the most delicious food and concoctions I have ever tasted.

We made ourselves extremely comfortable at the downstairs bar area, as I knew I would want to pick Ari’s brain while we were tasting everything. Jess insisted we get the Whiskey-A-Go-Go described on the menu as pork dumplings, Japanese whiskey, and lemon. I must say I was blown away by these deep fried, juicy, tangy-savory-flavor packed dumplings. You bite into it, crunchy at first, then all of a sudden a burst of the hot Japanese whiskey pours out, and BOOM the lemon and pork take over. I have never tried a dish quite like this one. Ari surprised us with an order of the Tori Karaage which is Japanese style fried chicken with spicy house mustard. At first glance they look like very crunchy chicken tenders, but once you bite into one of them you taste the Japanese-style seasoning and the breading mimic what you imagine an asian-style chicken finger would taste like (incredible, duh). The spicy house mustard was the perfect dipping sauce to accompany these crunchified tenders. And these were just the appetizers…

Onto the main courses (keep in mind we were probably there for a total of 3 hours). We ordered 2 ramen bowls; Chaplin A.S.S. and the Tan Tan Men. Now, before you get your minds lost in the gutter or are utterly disgusted by the abbreviation “A.S.S.” being in the title of a dish, this tasty bowl is described as asian spicy sour, chicken, scallion, lemongrass, coconut milk, red chilli and pork butt chashu, bamboo shoot, scallion and cilantro. This was indeed spicy, the lemongrass was so bold and zesty. Traditionally, I am not a fan of the coconut milk broth but this dish was done exceptionally. The Tan Tan Men was just as satisfying, boasting different flavors. Described on the menu as ground pork, bok choy, sesame paste, hot sesame oil and miso. This one popped off the menu at me as I love literally every ingredient in this piping hot bowl! The sesame flavor mixed with the miso broth, ground pork, crunchy bok choy, and even some bits of corn sprinkled in, it was a perfect combination. Last but not least, I have to touch on the final astonishing item I enjoyed which was my carefully crafted cocktail. The Cure drink was Elyx vodka, amaro, charred citrus, strawberry, sassafras, and smoking rosemary. I had to take a video of this cocktail being finished off by having the rosemary literally torched before my eyes.

Hi Everyone! Sorry for the lack of weekly posts. Summer is one of my busiest times of the year! Recently I stopped into a new “eatery” that just opened in Union Square called, Union Fare. On their website they describe themselves as, “a contemporary marketplace and restaurant with two iconic bars. Spanning a full city block”. I stopped into this hip new spot for lunch with my sister when she was visiting.

Let me start off by saying this is EXACTLY what this area needs. An upscale-feel with traditional cafeteria flare. We went to the marketplace area and were immediately drawn to the Union Fare Poke counter. For those of you who don’t know what Poke is, it’s basically like a sushi bowl or a “fish salad”. I ordered the Hang Ten bowl which is made up of salmon, yuzu, edamame, cilantro, pickled mushrooms, and sesame seeds served over a bed of greens and rice. Both my sister and I were extremely impressed with this bowl. The salmon was fresh, edamame was perfect, and the pickled mushrooms offered so much flavor and a little bit of a bite and gingery taste which truly tied the entire dish together. The sesame seeds and cilantro are the perfect garnish, adding an extra pop of crunch and flavor. These bowls cost $12 and they are packed, I remember saying when I picked mine up, “Wow, this is heavy!”. It felt like a substantial salad. I was satisfied with my decision.

This week’s beccammendations holds a very special place in my heart. I’m going to start with a bit of a backstory for those of you who may not know me personally. My mother is Italian and Russian, and my father is Irish and Swedish. Basically, this makes me a European mutt, A.K.A. an American. However, the two cultures that I felt the strongest influences from were Italian and Irish. In regards to food and cooking, specifically Italian culture. When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to make her Sunday sauce weekly, my mother then took over making quarts of sauce on Sundays after my grandmother passed away. If you ask my parents, I always had my hands in some sort of ingredient to assist my mother in any cooking or baking that was taking place. Little did I know as a kid, I would eventually work in an amazing family-owned Italian restaurant and pizzeria. Posa Posa Restaurant and Pizzeria, the best in Rockland County, NY, where I grew up. I will always feel like they are an extension of family, and I always know I can find an incredibly delicious and reasonably priced meal here.

I started working at Posa when I was 14, before I worked there my sister did, and my mother currently hostesses there on weekends, and my younger brother, who is now 14, will begin working there this summer. Obviously, I’m not just here to tell you about my family, but about the absolutely amazing food and pizza Posa pumps out seven days a week! I honestly cannot narrow down the best dishes here, because literally everything is incredible. From the fresh ingredients, the homemade house dressing, the pizza, the garlic knots, pasta, chicken, seafood. The list quite literally does not end. Aside from the extensive menu that is offered daily, they also serve up a list of daily specials. You may wait an extra few minutes for your food, but you are getting made-to-order dishes in a cozy, warm environment.

Ok, time to talk about my go-to orders. For pizza, you will not find me ever missing a Roman slice from Posa’s pizza counter. Similar to a stromboli, this stuffed square pizza is made up of 2 pizza crusts filled with potatoes, cheese, onions, pepperoni, and sausage. Dip it in some warm, homemade marinara sauce and it tastes like you’ve transported to pizza heaven. Undeniably my favorite pizza. For pasta, I would say my all time favorite dishes off the menu are the Ziti Aum Aum and the Rigatoni Modo Mio. The Ziti Aum Aum is made with ziti pasta, diced eggplant and mozzarella cheese, in a light tomato sauce. This is a traditional Italian pasta dish, head to Positano, Italy and you will find yourself the same dish served up in most restaurants. The Rigatoni Modo Mio is a newer dish, added to Posa’s new menu a few years ago. Rigatoni pasta, with grilled chicken, crumbled sausage, fresh tomatoes & fresh spinach in a pink sauce. I would personally recommend splitting this dish with a friend, family member, or significant other if you’re not absolutely starving. Don’t get me wrong - I have finished a whole dish on my own, but, I did need a nap immediately following. It is honestly one of the tastiest dishes.

As a food blogger, the lifestyle can get expensive. I have no shame in getting deals when I can find them. One way to try new restaurants is through sites like Groupon or LivingSocial. One Sunday, my weekend warrior and Sunday dinner companion, Jenn, and I found ourselves on Groupon, looking for a good deal at a cool new restaurant. We stumbled upon Fatty Crab in the West Village. This place IS my newest obsession.

We really did our homework with this one. Jenn on groupon, me on yelp, cross-referencing reviews, checking menu items, really making sure we made the right move. This adorable little restaurant has so much to offer and should not be overlooked by any means. If you like asian food like me (and Jenn), you will NOT be disappointed. We started with the shrimp chips and the shrimp and belly, found on the “snacks” and “small bites” section of their menu. The shrimp and belly was AH-mazing. So good, we didn’t even have a chance to snap a photo since we immediately devoured it. Crispy chili glazed shrimp, lardons, onion, cilantro. Literally life changing experience. We were sitting at the bar, and the bartender told us that the noodle dishes could be shared, as they were larger portions. So, we split the Wet Wonton noodle soup. Shrimp & pork dumplings, char siew, broccoli, noodles, broth. This was seriously delicious. The flavor of the broth alone was incredible. I would drink it everyday. The noodles were perfectly cooked, dumplings were juicy, everything complimented each other exquisitely. I’m sure most of you are wondering what char siew is, as was I when I was there, it is a barbecued pork that is popular in Cantonese cuisine. There was a lot going on in this soup and it was amazing. Our meal did not end there, our kind bartender offered us their homemade pickle juice, pickle back shots. THEY WERE SO GOOD. I love pickles, I love whiskey, I love asian food, all around fantastic experience. We do have to go back though, as the one small plate we wanted to try was not available at the time, the quail egg shooters described on the menus as slow-poached quail eggs, tasting of sambals. Stay tuned for the update on that one!

Do you find yourself looking for a new, affordable, cozy place to grab dinner or drinks with your friends? Maybe you’re looking for a new date night spot. My good friend was looking for a restaurant to have her birthday dinner and elected me to choose one (common occurrence due to the whole ‘food blogger’ thing I have going for me), I knew just the place. Over the winter, a good friend of mine introduced me to Carroll Place near NYU. Located on the corner of Thompson and Bleecker streets, I find it easily accessible as there are plenty of subways nearby and the PATH is a few short blocks away. Whenever I try a new restaurant I ask what they are known for. Carroll Place did not disappoint.

This rustic-chic, intimate establishment has hands down some of the BEST wings I have ever had in my life. Wood fired rosemary chicken wings. If you’re sitting at the end of the bar you can see opening of the wood fired oven where the pizzas and wings are on a constant rotation. The smells is intoxicating. The wings are crispy, juicy, meaty, exploding with aromas of rosemary and garlic. Every person I have brought here after has agreed, these may be some of the best wings they’ve ever consumed.

Carroll Place also offers an insanely good cheese and charcuterie selection as well as amazing small plates, main courses, and sides. I am guilty of pretty much devouring as many wings as possible when I do go there. I feel wrong not ordering them. My favorite side is either the sauteed broccoli rabe or the truffle fries, and for the sake of being fair, I usually order both (go big or go home, peeps!). Make sure to ask what wine’s are on tap, yes, I said wine on tap, the perfect compliment to the chicken wings, in my opinion is a nice, dry, Chardonnay.

As most of you know if you’ve read my past posts, I work in New York City and live in Jersey City. Recently, I have made my way out to Brooklyn, as exploring the different neighborhoods is one of my favorite activities. I found a deal online for a whiskey tasting and tour of Van Brunt Stillhouse in Red Hook and brought my friend for her birthday, before we decided to get food at a little restaurant close by called Fort Defiance. The restaurant was great and the distillery was amazing as well.

First I’ll talk about the restaurant. Fort Defiance offered most traditional brunch items on their Sunday Brunch Menu. One in particular sparked my interest. The French Toast. I must say, I never order or eat french toast. It’s just not something I would normally order. So why THIS french toast? Well, this is the menu description: French Toast with blackberry syrup, mascarpone, and Nueske's bacon. There was also some sort of almond or nut bark or brittle crumbled on top. SO amazing! Life changing. The French toast was so crunchy and crispy, the syrup was sweet but not too heavy, the mascarpone spread gave a creamy, cheesey pop to the dish and the berries and brittle were like little kicks of flavor in every bite. The bacon was crunchy, crispy, and tender, and was drowning in the blueberry syrup. The sweet/salty of the bacon and syrup was delicious. My friend even said, she wished she had ordered the French toast too because it was THAT good.

After we enjoyed a very tasty brunch, we headed over to the Stillhouse for our whiskey tasting and tour. The minute you walk up to the Stillhouse, you are almost intoxicated with the scent of vanilla and whiskey. It’s so aromatic. You walk in and see the open warehouse with the barrels of whiskey and then a small bar area off to the side. My favorite was by far their American Blend Whiskey. I bought a bottle because I had to enjoy more of it than just 1 glass. The tastings and tours are only $10 per person! It was very casual, laid back, and a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

So - sometimes you may feel like you exhaust the same lunch spots, repeatedly. Find yourself eating the same 2 or 3 salads, sandwiches, burritos, or tacos, day in and day out. I found myself in the same rut over the winter time and needed to try something new. When I was working at Nice Shoes, I would channel inspiration in every client lunch order. Tina’s Cuban Cuisine was frequently ordered and always looked and smelled SO good. I had to try it.

I took a look through their menu, noticing the lunch specials immediately. I decided to order one of the more popular items, the breaded chicken (milanesa de pollo) lunch with yellow rice (arroz) and fried sweet plantains (maduros). This meal doesn’t necessarily need anything else to make it tastier and can absolutely stand on it’s own, but, for us spicy-lovers and sauce fiends of the world, the green sauce is essential. I always get as much extra green sauce as they are willing to give me. It is so tasty, garlicky, spicy, flavorful, and I can dip the chicken in it, pour it on the rice, and even dip a plantain in it! Green sauce compliments all flavors. The chicken is perfectly fried and breaded to a delicious, and crispy delight. Plantains are sweet, and a little salty on the outside and the rice is traditional yellow rice, cooked to fluffy perfection.

This is an especially unique and special version of Beccammendations! To be able to go to an old school and traditional New York City restaurant that has been in business for over 90 years was truly an honor. As I have transitioned jobs, and am now working at an ad-agency, Hogarth Worldwide, I have a whole new pool of foodies to consult! One specifically, Stephen Badalamenti, is a 30-year patron of the infamous, The Palm Too restaurant. He insisted I go after finding out about my blog, and ordered the timeless dishes he has enjoyed there for the past 30 years.

The Palm Too is located on 2nd avenue & 45th street in Manhattan and opened in 1972. The owners are originally from Parma, Italy and were misunderstood when they tried to name the restaurant “Parma” which in turn gave them the name, The Palm. There are now 27 locations across the country, but according to Stevie B, The Palm Too is the real OG.

When we walked in I felt like I was dining with someone famous. Oh wait - I was! Everyone in this place knew him! Stephen has a caricature on the wall, and his picture on the wall too, I’m sure from being a loyal customer, but, Stephen has claim to fame in his acting roles and cameos in “Public Morals” and "Demolition”. In case you haven’t been to The Palm Too, the walls are literally covered in caricatures of famous people who have visited the restaurant.

Ok, now on to the real reason for this blog post, the AMAZING food! We started with the lump crab meat salad. This fresh, chilled, delicious crab meat was complemented by the house made cocktail sauce and horseradish. My description for this entire meal was - simple and fresh ingredients that haved enough incredible flavor to stand on their own. We moved on to the GiGi salad. Named after one of the original owners, GiGi. Stephen insisted on cutting out the new spin on the salad, and keeping it traditional, so no onions or avocado. This fresh dish consisted of chopped green beans, tomato, bacon, and shrimp tossed in a light olive oil, salt and pepper dressing. Again, simple but a combination of great flavors. Time for the main course...are you ready? This was my FAVORITE part. Surf & Turf. Filet mignon, cooked medium-rare, a 3 pound lobster that was split in half for the 2 of us, and the creamed spinach. I love a good steak and firmly believe anything cooked past medium may as well be chicken. This filet was cooked to medium-rare perfection and I was a happy diner. The lobster was so meaty and juicy (and buttery once I doused it in butter!). The creamed spinach was the perfect side to accompany this meal. Not too creamy and tasted impeccable. I had no complaints - zero. I can’t forget to mention the bread basket, an assortment of raisin bread, onion rolls, and italian bread. It was a dining experience like none other.

Whenever I see a new restaurant is opening or has opened I like to wait at least a  few weeks to a month to visit for the first time. Often times, I find that restaurants need time to work out the kinks and establish a full menu during their first month or two, and really find their stride. Hamilton Pork in Jersey City has been on my radar since they opened earlier this year. When I saw on Facebook that they were having a ribbon cutting ceremony, I knew I had to get over there soon to see if it was all it had been hyped up to be.

My friend and I made reservations for the night of the ribbon cutting (missing the actual ribbon cutting part but let’s be honest, we were there for the food). The ambiance alone when you walk in makes you feel like you could be in the south grubbin’ on authentic barbecue. Now, you better believe the taste of the food matched the ambiance. I almost felt like I had closed my eyes, and clicked my New Yorker heels and said, “There’s no place like the South” and boom, I was transported.

We knew we were there to eat, there was no being shy about the amount of food the two of us ordered. We decided to have the jalapeno cornbread, the spicy slaw, the Mexican street corn, the mac n cheese, a half rack of ribs, and an order of the brisket. I honestly don’t even know where to start. My favorites were probably the brisket, the corn, and the mac n cheese. I decided to put the slaw on the brisket and make a flavor explosion of my own. The ribs were nothing short of amazing either, messy, smothered in barbecue sauce, falling off the bone. The mac n cheese was just perfectly cheesey and seasoned with a bit of a smokey flavor. The street corn was covered in cheese, mayo, paprika, cayenne, and lime. I died and went to barbecue heaven.

We figured we were going to hell in a handbasket after the amount of food we stuffed our faces with. We decided to take a little breather to see if we could handle the one dessert on their menu. After a few moments, and a few glasses of whiskey, we decided why the hell not? We went for it. The churro waffle ice cream sandwich made with fried churro waffles, filled with dulce de leche ice cream (mic drop). Yep, zero regrets there. Out of this world - bravo, Hamilton Pork.

A few months back, I wrote a D.C edition describing my food adventures while visiting my sister, Jess, down in our country’s capital. Like a good little sister, I try to visit as often as possible. As 2 whiskey-and-brunch-loving-sisters, Jess brought me to Barrel on Capitol Hill. (If you’re a reality TV junkie like myself, you may have caught Barrel on “The Real Housewives of Potomac”).

So, my sister and I are both foodies, and take eating & food very seriously. We are both exceptionally adventurous and basically go on a food & alcohol tour every time we are together. Since my bus back to NYC wasn’t until later in the afternoon on Sunday, we decided to brunch it up with one of her foodie friends! We Uber-ed on over to Barrell, described on google as a “rustic whiskey lounge featuring a modest menu of Southern small plates, Sunday brunch & a cozy feel.” Accurate depiction. We dove into some bloody marys and mimosas. I immediately noticed the fried chicken, biscuit, smoked sausage gravy, and blood orange jam. SOLD. I figured I couldn’t get more southern than that.

Amazing deicison. Award-worthy, crispy, juicy, flavorful fried chicken and orange jam was the perfect sweet-salty combo with a little bit of tang. My plate was cleaned and I was one happy and slightly tipsy camper boarding the bus back to NYC.

This Beccammendations post is the first Jersey City edition! Originally I started this blog for a smaller audience and it has grown over the past year. I work in New York City, but go home to Jersey City at the end of each day. I like to think of Jersey City as the metro-areas best kept secret. The restaurant scene is nothing short of amazing. From now on I will be posting a lot more about some of my favorite Jersey City eats! I will start with one of my favorites, just thinking about it makes me feel warm & fuzzy (hungry too). Roman Nose is the place to go for traditional, old school, Italian cuisine.

I have dined here many times and never been disappointed. The pasta is homemade, the wine selection is divine, the desserts are delicious, and the pizza is particularly delectable. Roman Nose is conveniently located on Newark Avenue in the downtown area of Jersey City, just steps from the Grove Street PATH Train station. For those of you who are city dwellers all day everyday, take the 17 minute train ride to Jersey City and TREAT YOURSELF. 

Personally, I have tried every pasta on the “Primi” section of the menu, and I would eat them all day everyday if it didn’t come with the risk of gaining weight. At the top of the “Primi” section the menu tells diners, “All of our pasta is made from scratch with love daily and topped with grated cheese and extra virgin olive oil” uh yes please & thank you! If I had to pick a favorite it would have to be the Gramigna con Salsiccia, described as “comfort food house-favorite with fennel-pork sausage in flavorful rosemary cream sauce”. Let me just tell you right now, this was by far one of the best pasta dishes I have ever tried, no questions asked. Knowing I was planning to enjoy this creamy, meaty, delicious pasta dish, I ordered the Insalata Caprese as an appetizer; homemade mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil with extra virgin olive oil and aceto balsamico. Fresh and light. Accompanied but a bottle of one of my favorite Italian wines, Montepulciano. In case you’re wondering, I did have a dining companion, my roommate shared the appetizer and wine with me but ordered her own meal. I was so wrapped up in mine I couldn’t even tell you what she ordered!

As we all know, there is no shortage of good restaurants in NYC. There’s practically one on every corner. The key is finding out which ones are better than the rest. A classic, go-to restaurant in the heart of Union Square, is Coffee Shop. Just thinking about their French fries makes my mouth water uncontrollably.

Coffee Shop delivers AND they are open 24-hours. They also have a pretty awesome late night bar-scene with a killer cocktail list. It’s literally every (drunk and sober) New Yorkers dream! It was a chilly February afternoon and I was starving. I was wondering what I should order for lunch. I wanted those fries SO BAD. Yes, I’ve mentioned the fries twice already so let me break it down for you. Fries, with rosemary, salt and pepper, and various other herbs, fried to perfection. I am a potato lover, so these are up there in my top 10 fries list. I enjoyed this delicious side with the ahi tuna sandwich. As I mentioned in my Dig Inn post, I have been trying to cut bread out for the most part since the new year, so I enjoyed the sandwich without the bun. To get the full effect of the sandwich though, I did try the first bite of the fully assembled sandwich. A huge cut of ahi tuna seasoned and seared rare with a ginger-wasabi mayo, Asian slaw, lettuce, and tomato, piled onto a potato bun. I LOVED this sandwich. I also thoroughly appreciate when a restaurant doesn’t skimp on the fries or the cut of meat. There was no shortage in either department in this case. It is still on their menu, part of me thinks it was just that good and therefore will not be switched out seasonally.