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Town Hall Deli
Anthony
April 21, 2011
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Featured Cuisines
Essex
Sonny’s Bagels
Anthony
April 11, 2011
I tasted my first bagel growing up in Somerville, my first bagel and lox at my college’s “Kosher Kitchen,” and the best tasting bagel from New York’s legendary H&H Bagels. After moving back to New Jersey from Brooklyn, I thought New York-quality bagels were too much to ask for. We tried a couple local places, the ones that were the easiest to find, and they were just ok. Right shape, wrong taste. For five long years, we were resigned to inferior bagels in New Jersey. Then, friends of ours unaware of our bagel suffering, casually mentioned Sonny’s in South Orange, “You’ve got to try them, they’re the best bagels in New Jersey.”
At first, we couldn’t find the place. There’s barely a sign on the small South Orange Avenue storefront. But once you find it, your New Jersey bagel perspective will change forever. Sonny’s Bagels have that perfect bagel taste – dough flavored with salt, malt and yeast; hand-rolled, boiled and baked to chewy perfection.
At 6:15 am on a Sunday morning as the sun comes up, enter the the steamy shop and you’ll see fresh bagels scooped out of boiling water and placed in neat rows on well-worn, wooden racks carved for bagels, in a rotating oven. After the large oven cycles through once, the bagels are turned over by hand, lightly sprinkled with any toppings (poppy seeds, sesame, garlic, salt), and sent through once more before they hit the baskets at the counter. Eat a warm Sonny’s bagel, with butter, cream cheese, or just plain, and you taste a bagel as good as the best around. Better take home a baker’s dozen.
Links
Il Vecchio Cafe
Anthony
April 8, 2011
Eating at Il Vecchio is like eating in a theme park, except the food is good.
Il Vecchio Cafe is part of Calandra’s Italian Village, the McMansion of Jersey Italian restaurants. There’s a tavern, a bakery, a gelateria, a wine shop, a deli and, of course, a gift shop, all in one convenient location. Just like Disney, it’s difficult to leave without buying something else.
The Cafe dining room is cavernous and very, very loud. Too many tables to count, large windows, and a prominent blue-tiled pizza oven. The atmosphere is Epcot’s Italy Pavilion with design updates by Carmela Soprano (of nearby North Caldwell).
Despite the decor, Il Vecchio is worth a visit for the food, which ain’t bad at all, and only moderately expensive. The homemade pastas are excellent. Lasagna has just the right cheese mixture and a straightforward sauce. Bread is fresh-baked from the bakery next door and the “Calandra” branded wines are decent. The pizza is just ok, though, with good quality toppings but a nondescript crust. Go for the pasta. The large menu includes soups, salads, burgers, and meat dishes.
Services is a bit chaotic given the size of the place, yet friendly. Many tables means no wait, even when busy.
St. James Gate Publick House
Anthony
March 10, 2011
Review – March 2011
One of the first places we tried after moving to Maplewood, St. James Gate (known in our house simply as “the Pub”), is a welcoming spot with an impressive bar, a comfortable dining room, and more than solid food.
The well-worn, wooden bar surrounded by dark wood paneling is the perfect place for a pint of stout. Beyond Guinness, there are always a few interesting global beer and cider selections on tap. Ask the friendly bartenders for a recommendation. The bar area is separated from the dining room by a partial wall, making it even cozier for drinkers. For a nice view of passersby while sipping your brew, grab the high table next to the bar by the window.
In the family friendly dining room, there’s a working stone fireplace and live Irish music some weekends. The Gate’s menu includes Irish standards like Shepherd’s Pie, a full Irish Breakfast, and a very generous portion of well-made fish and chips. Like many Jersey Irish pubs, Irish-American food also stands out. Try the Chicken Murphy with hot peppers or the Tipperary Reuben. The heaping bowl of Bantry Bay Mussels in white wine with spicy sausage makes an excellent appetizer, or small meal. Our kids love the mac and cheese, grillled cheese, and burgers.
Every Jersey town needs a comfortable old world style pub. Maplewood has one of the best.
Piast Meats & Provisions
Anthony
March 7, 2011
Prepared foods for take out only. Maplewood is the original location. There are two additional locations in Garfield.