“A white guy walked into a Filipino restaurant” is how this review should begin. Actually, Will and I are both white by appearance, but since he is half Filipino, I was the only Haoli in the restaurant at this particular time. I say all of this in humor, but as is the case with each…
Tag: Garlic
Restaurant Review: Pete & Elda’s Bar and Carmen’s Pizzeria (Neptune City, NJ)
It is and always will be known by everyone simply as Pete & Elda’s. In actuality, that’s just the bar area. Where the magic happens, though, is Carmen’s Pizzeria. It is interesting that for such legendary pizza not just for the Jersey Shore, but nationally, that no one ever says, “Hey, let’s go to Carmen’s!”. It…
Restaurant Review: The Brothers Italian Cuisine (Red Bank, NJ)
I had not been to The Brothers in about five years. I remember the outside being nothing to look at, and the inside kind of dark and dram. But still, there was an atmosphere to it. Something old and classic. When I visited there the other day, I was surprised to see the inside was…
Takeout Joints: Pizza/Italian Volume 2
Following the first part of my “Takeout Joints” column, here are three more pizzerias and Italian restaurants in my area. They each offer something different, from a special crust to childhood memories, and finally some wild and wacky slices you will not find anywhere else. Esposito’s Pizza (Matawan) Three words: sesame seed crust. Without it, unfortunately,…
Hunter’s Casual Crusades: Top Five Comfort Foods for a Snow Day
I’m that guy who sleeps with his window open slightly in the winter to make it even colder in my room. Sounds insane, though you have to admit nothing beats getting wrapped up in a warm blanket when there’s a chill in the air. I would rather be too cold than too hot, as you…
Restaurant Review: Thai Thai Cuisine (Old Bridge, NJ)
With two friends who own Thai restaurants in New Jersey, I know good Thai food when I see it, err, taste it. I had eaten at this establishment years ago when it was Pooket. Since it changed to Thai Thai, I had driven past many times without giving it much thought. Then last week, Will and…
Takeout Joints: Chinese/Asian Volume 1
“You can’t swing a dead cat” without hitting a Chinese takeout place near my hometown of Hazlet. Like pizzerias (reviews of which to come at a later date), they are everywhere. But for every gem there are three or four that are just average, and a couple more bordering on abominable. Many seem similar on…
The Recipe Book: Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Soup
The following recipe is heavily tweaked from what I found online. My alterations were to make the dish a little cheaper, as well as much healthier. The original called for three cups of coconut milk in place of the vegetable stock I will use. I never cooked with coconut milk before, so when I got to…
Restaurant Review: Haldi Chowk (Middletown, NJ)
There are a few Indian restaurants I hold dear to my heart. In a way, I felt like I was cheating on them when I visited Haldi Chowk in Middletown last night. But it’s the new show in town, and given my affinity for this flavorful cuisine, I had to give it a try. I…
Restaurants We Miss: Steak & Ale (Middletown, NJ)
A recent shot of Middletown NJ’s defunct Steak & Ale. (From The Middletown Patch) They served up a steak that was to die for—literally and metaphorically. It was a garlic butter sirloin. I was only a teenager, but I had reached that point in my life where a slab of bloody meat on a plate…
Restaurant Review: Portuguese Manor (Perth Amboy, NJ)
There are some people that may call Portuguese Manor in Perth Amboy dated. Some may complain that the decor and menu has not changed in at least 12 years (that’s just how long my family and I have been eating there; they have been in existence much longer). But with that reluctance to change comes…
