Pasta Lovers

142 W 49th St.
(between 7th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10019

We chose this restaurant because of its location near Radio City.  The reviews across the internet were mixed between really good and that it's a tourist trap and too pricey, but of the choices our group made, this seemed to be the best.

It's location to Radio City, Times Square, Penn Station, Port Authority, and Rockefeller Center is unbeatable.

Our food was fine.  We split a Mozzarella Caprese appetizer, which was quite good.  The mozzarella was super fresh, and the price was about double that of the same meal at a local central NJ Italian restaurant.  

The rest of our group was late due to train issues, and despite having the appetizer, we were given a great deal of pressure from our waiter about where the rest of our group was.  He wouldn't bring us bread and asked us probably three times where they were.  I completely understand the need for table turn around, but the restaurant was empty.  The tables on either side of us were the same size and unused.

My friends enjoyed their meals of varying pasta dishes, and my mom and I each had a pizza roll type thing--basically a stromboli.  Based on the amount we each ate, we could easily have shared one.  It was good, typical, but nothing to really write home about.  These also happened to be the least expensive entrees on the menu; my eggplant stromboli was $10, which I thought pretty reasonable for anywhere, let alone Midtown Manhattan.

Our waiter warmed to us once our friends arrived, but I was pretty ticked off as a result of the pressure about the rest of our party.

So, my recommendation would be to find a small place over on 8th Ave if you're going to the area and are able to walk a little bit away from the center of the action.  It's definitely fine, but who goes into town for a fine meal?

 

Nectresse Review

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NECTRESSE™Sweetener for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I do not like artificial sweetener; I worry about the potential risks of the chemicals in the product and I HATE the taste.  Of course, I know there are risks associated with regular sugar too.  So I was both interested and skeptical when NECTRESSE™Sweetener arrived on my doorstep.

 

First, I tried the product in my tea.  I wasn't a huge fan, but must make a note that I usually drink tea without any sweetener at all.  I then tried it in coffee and while it wasn't bad, it would take me some getting used to.  I then had a friend over and offered it when she asked for a cup of tea; she is an artificial sweetener user and said she really enjoyed it.

 

Nectresse is an interesting blend of no calorie sweetener and all natural (read:  no artificial junk); it's made from "monk fruit," and seems to be 150x sweeter than sugar; this is the only 100% natural sweetener made from fruit in my grocery store.

 

also made a video about the product; you should check it out!

 

 

 

You can get a FREE sample of NECTRESSE™Sweetener by visiting the Nectresse sample site.  Also take a look at the Nectresse Facebook page.

 

Carriage House Cafe

600 W Union Ave Bound Brook NJ
http://www.cafecarriagehouse.com/


We've tried to go here before, only to discover too late that they are closed on Sunday.  We were in the area and decided to splurge on lunch out.

We got our meals to go; the boys shared (and enjoyed) a kids' cheeseburger, which came with fries.    I had a Chipotle Chicken Panini and it was  so good.  Half was plenty for me, especially when combined with the fries I swiped from the boys and the onion rings (perhaps the best I've ever had) I shared with my husband.

My husband had their signature Bulgogi (Chicken) Sub.  It's chicken in a Korean style sauce.  It was tasty, and he enjoyed it, but it definitely wasn't quite as good as my sandwich.

A good, and not too expensive, meal at Cafe Carriage House!

Gateway National Recreation Area

Check out the National Parks Service page for Sandy Hook!

This year, I have made it my mission to expand the beaches to which I (and my boys) have been.  Growing up, we went went to 44th Street Beach in Long Beach Township (at Wida's!) every time.  My mom still goes there. 

This week, we ventured to Sandy Hook.  I'd been there once before, on a field trip in High School.  We didn't go to the beach but rather to the Twin Lights and probably something for bio class.  Otherwise, I don't think I've ever been there.  I chose this because it is the northern most ocean beach, and so is closest to our central NJ home.

For $15, the whole car-ful gets access to the National Park.  This is a great deal if you'd be paying for your whole family's beach badges, but for just me and my two little (free on most beaches) boys, it really wasn't worth it.  If my husband was with us, though, it would be a day that would make everyone happy, since he'd have plenty of trails to ride on his bike and there's more than just the beach to see (he's not a fan of the beach at all). 

A friend mentioned that the beach at the Sea Gull's Nest restaurant was nice, so that's where we went.  As soon as we arrived, we hit the bathrooms; they are plentiful and clean.  I saw many outdoor (and not private) showers, and found online that there are indoor showers available (I couldn't confirm that by spending many minutes searching and calling the visitor's center).  We walked to the beach and it's really wide.  Luckily for those of us towing a heavy Wonder Wheeler, it's fairly flat (though still difficult going back up with said Wonder Wheeler and two tired kiddos who aren't interested in carrying anything).  We chose the lifeguard protected side; it was nice because you don't have to worry about swimming "between the flags" like on many other beaches.  Here, as long as you go to the lifeguarded side, it's ALL "between the flags." 

It didn't seem like such a clear day, but yet:

Manhattan; you can see the Freedom Tower on the left.

The waves were pretty gentle here.  My almost 5 year old got knocked down a few times, standing at the water's edge, but it is definitely not a place to go surfing.  It didn't even seem like really a good place to go boogie boarding; the waves were crashing maybe 10 feet from the water's edge.  The nice thing about this, though, is that you can get out pretty far just by walking, or be in up to your hips and yet you're out past the breaks.

One complaint, and you'll see it on any review of the beach here, is that there are no trash receptacles anywhere.  It's a carry in, carry out place, which makes sense, except that many people DON'T.  There was trash around us, which I picked up and carried out, only to find there was NO WHERE to throw out what I picked up (and sorry, I'm not carrying other people's garbage and beer bottles home in my car with me).

We then went for a little drive to see what we could see.  We passed the famous Gunnison Beach (that would be the nude beach to which my high school boyfriend always said he was going to take me), and drove around the lighthouse and Fort Hancock barracks area.  My son was thrilled to see missiles and canons... not so impressed by the lighthouse.

In short, we had a great time, but it's not going to be a regular beach destination for us; the price is prohibitive... at least until I have to pay for each of my sons to join me.   We will definitely be back, though, with my husband and his bike in tow.  Maybe we'll even combine a beach and bike tour one day!

Shore Fresh Seafood Inc

703 Bridge Ave Ste 707 Map.7142063
Point Pleasant Boro, NJ 08742

I wanted to do something fun this afternoon, so we decided to take a ride to the boardwalk and get dinner before we got there.  We chose this spot largely because of its high marks for being kid friendly, but also because it was off the beaten path.

What an excellent choice; this place rocks!

My husband and I started by sharing a bowl of Lobster Bisque.  We both really enjoyed it; it had the right amount of spice and creaminess with big and small chunks of lobster throughout.  Our boys split an adult size Shrimp and Chips; I tasted the shrimp and it was delicious.  The fries were really good "boardwalk fries," which went perfectly with the malt vinegar on the table (this is not my preferred version of french fries, but they were really good nonetheless).  My husband had a shrimp po' boy; I suspect it was good since he devoured it in probably 5 seconds.  As for me, I tried a Mahi Mahi special.  It was outrageously good; this french fry addict ate all the fish and only half the fries.  I really enjoyed the fish; it was in a sweet sauce with a tiny bit of kick at the end.

As for atmosphere, it's BYOB and very kid friendly; there were families all over the patio, some of whom had arrived by bicycle.  There are indoor seats, but it seemed to us that it was much nicer to sit outside and enjoy the great weather.  There's a fairly busy street next to the restaurant, so not the world's best outdoor dining atmosphere, but we had a great time anyway.

This place is fantastic; we will definitely return again.  Prices were pretty reasonable; we fed our family of four for slightly less than $50.

The Grub Hut

 

The Grub Hut has been on "my list" for a very very long time.  We finally wandered over there when another place on the list was closed on a Sunday.

The Grub Hut is a pretty interesting fusion of BBQ and Mexican food.  As you can see, I went all out with the Mexican, ordering a Make Your Own platter with a Jefe's Way taco and a ground chicken burrito with black beans.  Oh, it was so good and way too much for me to eat for lunch (their website indicates a lunch menu, but we were not given it as an option, maybe because it was Sunday).

I loved their eclectic decor; it's really a cozy place with a neat vibe since it's in a small walking/downtown area.

Pilsner Haus

1422 Grand St
Hoboken, NJ 07030

(201) 683-5465 

http://www.pilsenerhaus.com

We met friends here for an adults only night out.  The original plan was for us to meet at the Biergarten in Jersey City, but our friends like the Pilsner more, so that's where we went.
I can't tell you about the beers we sampled.  I overindulged.  The food, though, was great!  I can't imagine much of it going along with summertime, but it was great in December--very comfort food.  We started with the Bavarian pretzel, and it rocked.  I could probably have just eaten that and been good to go, but I also got a Weisswurst, hoping to relive my time in Germany.  It was excellent.  It's a pretty cool system; for grill food, you just walk right up to the grill, though you can order other food from the menu via your server.

The atmosphere is pretty cool; you eat at a long table and it does feel European.  It's a bit loud, so it's kind of hard to hear the people across the table.

I had a ton of fun at the Pilsner.  The food was awesome, the atmosphere rocked, and the beer flowed!

Gabriel's Fountain

1948 Washington Valley Rd
Martinsville, NJ 08836
http://www.gabrielsfountain.com/

My husband got the idea to take the family out for ice cream tonight, but with the constraints of giving the boys their bath and getting them to bed on time, we decided instead to go someplace we could get dinner AND ice cream.  Gabriel's Fountain fit that bill; it's close to home and was on my list, has ice cream as well as food.

We thought the vibe was super cute, and there's a patio that would be great to hang out and eat food or ice cream.  The food options are really varied but we went with pretty low key, standard meals.  The boys got mac and cheese, my husband got  a Jazzed Up BLT with onion rings and I got a Chicken Portobella Wrap.  Mine was really interesting, so tasty, and HUGE.  I could only eat half and saved the other for tomorrow's lunch.  My husband enjoyed his sandwich (and didn't even offer a taste; guess it was THAT good!), saying the bacon was cooked just the way he likes it and the bread was tasty.

We then ordered ice cream.  The choices are extensive and different from anything you'd find anywhere else.  We got a sundae with Scarlet Knight (the Rutgers love extends far and wide), which is chocolate ice cream with cream cheese frosting and red velvet cake, and a banana flavor (forgetting the name and it's not on their online menu) with brownie chunks.

Our food was great, the place has a great atmosphere and is kid friendly!

Bahama Breeze

520 Woodbridge Center Drive
Woodbridge Township, NJ 07095
http://www.bahamabreeze.com/

I'd heard before of Bahama Breeze because there's one in Cherry Hill, where we often meet up with friends from Delaware; we'd never made it to that location, but when we had an opportunity to visit the new location in Woodbridge, we jumped on the chance.

In what I call "The land of the chain restaurant," Bahama Breeze stands out.  You won't find potato skins or mozzarella sticks on their appetizer menu, but rather dishes that are truly inspired by the Caribbean.  We were so impressed with everything the restaurant put forth: 

• our service was great, responsive to our needs as well as those of our two children, and very friendly.
• the food was delicious.  The prices were pretty reasonable, and the portions seemed decent.  We commented that the food didn't feel like chain food, probably because the menu is so unique compared to other chains around.  Hey, not many chain restaurants on Route 1 offer curry anything, but BB does.
• this restaurant was incredibly clean.  My husband mentioned that he had to go under the table to retrieve one of our kids' toys, and that it was spotless.  Yes, the place is brand new, but surely other diners have sat at that table before and spilled something.

If you want a unique and enjoyable experience, definitely check out Bahama Breeze in Woodbridge!

Fallen Behind

Argh, life has gotten in the way of blogging.  Additionally, we've been trying to limit our meals out A LOT.

In addition to the post a few back, here are some places I still need to blog:

• Aunt Nanny's
• Pete's Pizza
• Bahama Breeze

Luca's Ristorante

109 Harris Ave
Middlesex, NJ 08846

(732) 560-1292 

In our continuing quest for awesome pizza in central NJ, we decided to try Luca's in Middlesex tonight.  We ordered a large, half mushroom, pie and an order of mozzarella sticks and the order came to $18.99.  

The pizza was really tasty; the sauce was different from others we've tried, in a good way.  The crust was a little crispier than I tend to like up at the "handle" part, but overall the crust was a good texture, and the pie had the right amount of cheese. 

As for the mozzarella sticks, they were great too.  Sometimes. I find, sticks can be bland and I'm not willing to indulge, but that was not the case here.  The sticks inside weren't too melty, and the breading had flavor and crunch.

Moe's Southwest Grill

120 Cedar Grove Ln, Somerset, NJ 08873

(732) 560-5000

Moe's welcomes you from the second you walk in the door.  Literally, they yell, "Welcome to Moe's!" when you walk in.  We took the whole family, and my husband was really excited to see that they have one of those "make your own" Coke machines where you can make a huge number of different combinations.  It was pretty cool getting a Raspberry Coke rather than my typical Cherry Coke.

I loved Moe's.  First, they use really fresh ingredients, grass fed steak, free range chicken.  It's fresh like Baja Fresh but customizable like Chipotle.  I got the Joey Jr the first time we were there, which was the perfect size for me.  I loaded it up with all the stuff I like.  It also comes with really fresh tortilla chips and you can visit the salsa bar.

On our second trip, I decided to give their tacos a try, choosing a soft and hard shell taco, both with chicken.  These were really tasty to, though the hard shell pretty much fell apart and I sort of had a taco salad by the time I got home.  I forgot to visit the salsa bar since I got take out, and was pleased that the chips were plenty good enough to snack on without any salsa.

Love Moe's!!

Clinton Station Restaurant

2 Bank Street, Clinton, NJ
(908) 713-0012 ‎
 clintonstationdiner.com 


We watched season 6 of The Next Food Network Star and were very excited when Tom Pizzica got his own show, Outrageous Food.  On the first episode, he visited The Clinton Station Diner to try their Mt. Olympus Burger, a 50 lb hamburger!


With this publicity (and no intention of going anywhere near the 50lb burger) in mind, we chose this restaurant on our way to  the Crayola Factory in Easton, PA.  We knew our sons would love the train atmosphere as well.


We were lucky enough to be able to eat in the former train car section, which thrilled our boys.  We ordered pancakes and typical breakfast food and one panini.  The boys enjoyed their blueberry pancakes, and I thought my apple filled pancakes were tasty as well.  My husband enjoyed his sandwich, which was a pretty creative diner panini, the Roasted Chicken Panini with chicken, roasted peppers, eggplant, and mozzarella.  


In all, this is pretty standard NJ diner with an interesting train focus.  Prices are typical of an NJ diner, which means fairly reasonable.  Service was decent, and the food was good.

So long since a post

December was so busy, I'm so behind on posting my thoughts.  I have to add:
http://www.pilsenerhaus.com/
http://www.365bistro.com/
http://www.tapastre.com/
Jersey Subs in New Brunswick
The Dessert Plate
Food Architects
Sandy's Luncheonette-East Brunswick
Wasabi Wok
Attilio's
Freddy's



And others, I'm sure!  I also want to update my review of Joe's Crab Shack in South Plainfield.  On the ever growing list of my goals for the year is to blog more on my many personal blogs.  Also on the list is to reduce our eating out bills, so this one will likely suffer.  But I'm sure we'll keep going to new places so the two of you who look at this thing will get ideas!