Wegmans

Wegmans has arrived in northern New Jersey. Naturally I had to check it out. I got as far as grabbing a coffee before I got back in my car and headed back upstate. Work, after all. FYI, the reusable cup was $3.04, including tax. Or something like that... three something. They take 50 cents off of refills. Not bad.

I'll check it out when I'm down next time. Thanksgiving Eve. There's going to be a Chipotle in the shopping plaza. I am pleased. 

Only in Sweden

Kids are lucky these days. Smartphones, tablets, and plush salmon fillets? Complete with lemon wedges, sliced tomato, and what I can only imagine being broccoli. 

The Vietnam (Again)

I've written about this place plenty, so no more needs to be said. Except... did you know they also own Mekong Grill in Ridgewood, NJ? I haven't been there yet, but my cousin has and likes it.

She also likes the guy working at the restaurant who told us about Mekong.

Cute. And go, try them out.

The Fresh Market’s Seafood Bar

boo. hiss. bad fresh market. what was sacrificed for your space? jewish deli, peter wong’s, antique mall, barber shop.

for what? what? a store that sells items you can buy half a mile down the street. and for cheaper!

what do you have to say for yourself… huh?

oh. a seafood bar? well, I suppose that’s okay.

smoked salmon salad. flaked smoked salmon, mayo, scallions, some other things. tasted weird. ended up giving this one away it was that unappealing.

tuna seaweed salad. the closest I’ll get to poke out here on the east coast. good. really good. I hope they sell this at the latham fresh market, otherwise, I’ll have to go back to fm next time I’m home.

the seafood bar is a little pricey, I think 7.99 a pound. I paid a little over 4 bucks for the two.

Apple Cider Donuts

I don’t know about you, but one of these would be good this morning. Perhaps paired with some apple cider? Or at least some coffee. I picked these sugar coated darlings up from DePiero’s Farm, which along with purchasing pumpkins, is the thing to do in Montvale in the fall. The place was packed, as usual… making my shopping mission there as quick as possible.

But these, I waited for. Took a number and waited. But hey, it’s cool. They’re apple cider donuts! Yeah, so what if they use a pre-made mix… I’m sure they add in a ton of their cider into it.

Oh, by the way, Saturday is Tour de Donut. I’ll be there, and if you’re free I suggest you should too.

Blame It On the A-a-a-a-a-alcohol

 
Second wedding so far this season. And oh the fun we had!

Farewell, Peter Wong's

It's been a while since I stopped in for a bite. I should have gone back sooner, before it was too late.

Peter Wong's in Montvale is no more. The Antique Mall and barber shop which neighbored it in that strip mall have also made their exit. I don't know if they were turned out, or left willingly.

That far end of the strip, which seemed pretty empty anyways, has been fenced off and from what I've seen, is in the midst of reconstruction.

And what is filling the void?

The Fresh Market.

I noticed the sign as I was driving toward A&P Fresh, not even half a mile further down the road. The Fresh Market, which M and I both agree is very similar to A&P. Not to mention DePiero's is nearby.

Why?

At first, I thought it was pretty cool- they were expanding and hey... more options, right? But as I drove past, I saw who had to be sacrificed for that to go in. I became livid.

Three local business had to go so that a chain could come in. Mom & Pop's. Stores that seemed to be there forever. Now gone to appeal to the followers of "gourmet markets." It is the trend, after all.

I don't know. Very disappointed. Can't even tell you if I'll ever shop in that FM. I'm sure I'll stick my head in there to give it the once over, but then I'll get back in my car and shop where I usually shop.

Late Lunch

H Mart Dinner

Fried Kimchi maki, sweet & sour tofu, stir-fried vermicelli & vegetables

Heading upstate soon, so dinner has to be fast.

Price Comparison: Crab Meat

Oh, I really do like crab. I've devoted enough posts on this blog to prove that. But other than steaming live ones, I really haven't cooked with them. I think the biggest reason was my thinking I had to pick the meat on my own. Can you imagine? That would take FOREVER... not to mention a whole lot of crab to produce my desired quantity of meat. But lucky me, the stores were selling crab meat, and I was saved from a crabby mess.

For the crab cake post, I had to do some shopping to see just how much crab meat cost. Keep in mind that the stores I checked were in Northern New Jersey/Rockland County area, so prices where you are may be completely different.

Store Name (location)	Brand (meat type)	Weight	Country Origin	Price
Trader Joe’s (Westwood, NJ)	Chicken of the Sea (claw)	1 lb	India, Philippines	$8.99
A & P Fresh (Park Ridge, NJ)	Trans-Global (jumbo lump)	1 lb	China	$19.99
	Jack’s Catch (lump)	1 lb	China	$9.99 (sale)
	Yao (lump)	1 lb	China	$9.99 (sale)
	Chicken of the Sea (claw/lump)	8 oz		$5.99
	Chicken of the Sea (jumbo)	1 lb	India, Philippines, Indonesia	$14.99
Pathmark (Nanuet, NY)	Jack’s (claw)	1 lb	China	$11.99
	Jack’s (lump)	1 lb	China	$14.99
King’s (Maywood, NJ)	Philips (jumbo)	8 oz	Indonesia	$16.99
	Little River Brand (jumbo lump)	8 oz	USA (wild)	$18.99

Some thoughts:

• Chicken of the Sea seems to have the market when it comes to crab meat, but would that really be surprising?
• I am more comfortable with my crab meat coming from anywhere but China.
• Philip’s crab meat is way overpriced. I’ve eaten at their restaurants in Maryland, and I was not impressed.

Kim Chee Onigiri

After eating at Sushi Park, a classmate and I hit up Edgewater on our way home for some Mitsuwa goodness. He went and ate some gyu don and soba while I grabbed some marked down onigiri (seaweed, ume, and kim chee). Of the three, I think the kim chee (kim chi?) was the best. Will have to replicate this sometime soon, and lucky me… found my onigiri molds.

Jets - Vikings

If I had to pick a team to root for other than my beloved Steelers, I’d have to go with the Jets. The reasons behind this are simple:

1. M is a Jets fan (although I know deep down he’s still rooting for the Detroit Lions).
2. M gets us tickets to Jets home games. Monday night games, no less.

Apple Cider Donuts: DePiero’s Farm

I was looking forward to the Daniel B’s Tour de Donut, but it landed on a weekend that I already had made plans. To make up for the lost donut adventure, I’ve decided to seek out apple cider donuts in the New York/New Jersey area. Specifically, Rockland and North Bergen County.

To start things off, I checked the bakery at DePiero’s in Montvale, NJ.

Pandan Cake

Picked this up from the Philippine Bread House in Jersey City. It’s supposed to be a pandan cake, but I didn’t taste any pandan in it. Should have picked the mocha roll instead… at least I would be guaranteed some mocha flavor.

Max’s Chicken Take Out

Max’s Chicken is finally open! I still haven’t checked out the restaurant, but one of my aunts stopped by this weekend and was nice enough to bring some over. Like Red Ribbon and Jolibee’s that came before it, Max’s is the newest restaurant transplant from the Philippines. I’ve had it over there, and well… chicken was scrawnier and saltier than what I’m used to back here. But that was the Philippines and chain food in general tasted off to me (except for Chow King).

Off the Hook Crab Cake Sandwich (Montvale, NJ)

It’s about that time of year when my weekends get hectic. Saturday I woke up early to get all my errands done before I headed over to New Jersey. Turns out things didn’t take as long as I thought they would, so with the extra time I decided to have lunch at DePiero’s.

I have written before about Off the Hook Seafood. Then I ordered the fish fry, which was pretty good. And that’s what I was going to go with. But there are other options, why go with something I’ve already tried? So I went with the crab cake platter. For $8.50 you get 2 crab cakes with french fries and coleslaw. A few minutes later I changed my order to a crab cake sandwich instead… and fries.

He must not have heard the fries part, because when my order was up, there was only the sandwich. When I mentioned that I had also ordered fries, the guy behind the counter gave me a look before turning around and frying up some more potatoes. If anyone from Off the Hook ever comes across this post – I’m not trying to get the guy in trouble. I’m just saying what happened.

Afterwards, I realized I should have just stuck with the platter. According to their board, both the platter and sandwich are being sold for the same price ($8.50). Fries are not included with your sandwich, and the same goes with coleslaw. An order of fries sets you back $2.50, and you get a good amount- but I ended up paying like 11 bucks for the two. I really didn’t think that through.

That bugged me for a bit, so I wandered around the store for a while to clear my head. On my way out I grabbed a drink and plantain chips. Went back to my car, and headed to the nearest park. It was a nice day, so why not have a picnic?

The sandwich was delicious. Served on a roll with lettuce, tomato, and mayo/tartar sauce. The crab cakes were fried, but it was light, and not at all greasy. Even the french fries weren’t greasy. Everything was just right.

Off the Hook, right now you’re batting a thousand in my book. The next time I go back (maybe this week) I will have to try that soft shell crab sandwich. I overheard one of the guys (I guess he’s runs it?) mention to a customer he still had some left and it was definitely something worth trying. I don’t have a fishmonger, but kind of got the impression that he would be a good one.

Off the Hook Seafood @ DePiero’s Country Farm
300 West Grand Avenue
Montvale, NJ 07645
201-391-4576

Open seven days a week 7:00 – 6:00

Ramen Combo

 

My grandparents went back to the Philippines for a nice long holiday and I offered to drive them to the airport. On the way back I decided to stop by Mitsuwa for some lunch.

I ordered the small miso ramen set. Everything was great, as usual. And even though I wanted to pick some things up in the grocery store, I refrained and just got some Hoji soft serve.

Engagement Party

Saturday afternoon I found myself driving down to South Jersey for an engagement party. The bride-to-be I've known since we were toddlers, and I rarely pass up a chance to visit.

The cake was fantastic. Definitely buttercream icing, and the cake I'm guessing was a chocolate chiffon. I asked where they got the cake from, but I forget which bakery. Somewhere in Voorhees, NJ.

As great as the cake was, the barbeque surpassed it. Pork and chicken skewers and Korean style ribs. To guarantee that you got to try some, you had to stand by the grill. Which I did. Several times. I really should have asked how they marinated the meat- not one tough piece.

No clue what kind of beer was served. It was in a keg, and bearable. I stuck mainly to the sangria, both red and white. It was good, but perhaps a little weak. I kept drinking it and didn't feel a thing. Or maybe I finally got my tolerance back.

I passed up on the flip cup and beer pong, because really... it's not cool to do that stuff in front of family.

This is why I grill with the husks on. ick.

Atlantic City!

The same weekend my classmate held her graduation party (which must have been two weeks ago), Mags, M and I took a bus ride down to Atlantic City. It was one of those deals where you pay a certain amount, and you get a certain mount back in vouchers. As you can see, we got $25 to gamble with, $5 to eat... and it only worked with those specific places.

I'm really not into gambling, but I gave it a go... and I won! Thirty bucks! Mags won over forty, and M got about eight. That took about two hours, and by the time the cash out ticket had been printed, we were famished. We didn't know where to go, but we definitely wanted to hit up the Boardwalk.

On our way to the exit, we found Nathan's. It was on the voucher list, so we placed our orders. M and I had to pay a little more out of pocket, but whatever. I got the fish sandwich combo, M got cheese fries.

Sat outside and did some people watching. We ran into some people from our bus and found out one of them won a grand on the slot machines! I wish I had that luck.

Nathan's was right next to a Rain Forest Cafe, a restaurant I haven't seen in a long time. They used to have one in the Palisades Mall, but that was years ago... and was replaced with a Cheesecake Factory. The two times I went to Rain Forest I liked it, and was curious about trying it again... but I guess that'll have to be for next time.

Didn't have to walk too far on the boardwalk before spotting out this sign. They run all along the boardwalk, and look like the Monopoly cards. Mags and I kicked off our shoes, and we decided to walk a bit on the sand. M followed, but I know he wasn't happy about it (how can you not be a beach person?!?). The water was ice cold, and walking underneath the pier... in the shade... on wet sand. My feet were numb.

We finally made it back onto the boardwalk (I totally forgot about those burr things) and decided to walk around off strip. M and I had been talking about picking up some salt water taffy, and hello... just happen to see this.

Along with taffy, they also sold a variety of candies and sea foam fudge. I meant to ask what sea foam fudge is... another thing to do next time.

We bought about a pound of taffy, in all different flavors. I like the peppermint and green apple ones best. M still has the candy, that is, if he didn't finish them already.

No reason behind this, other than I thought it was funny.

If you need plans for MDW, there will be a hot dog eating contest in Atlantic City! It is being held at the Trump Plaza Beach Bar May 29th at 2:00pm. According to the description, AC is one of the stops on the hot dog eating contest tour.

California Pizza Kitchen (Garden State Plaza - Paramus, NJ)

California Club Pizza. I didn't get a chance to try it (my classmates got to it before I could), but I heard it wasn't bad at all.

I did get some of the barbeque chicken pizza. Because I missed out on the California Club, I had quite a bit of this one. The downside to CPK is that their pizzas are tiny. I can eat one all by myself, and that wouldn't at all be piggish.