A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.
Hoboken, N.J. spends a lot of time in the shadow of New York City. For many people, Hoboken is best recognized as "the last place your frat brother who was planning on going to business school" resided. But though many of its residents travel across the Hudson for work, Mike Farley, manager of Hoboken's the Mile Square, believes people shouldn't have to travel into the Big Apple to find a good beer.
"We have 30 taps," says Farley, speaking with pride about Hoboken's largest tap selection. "And we rotate about 17 of them constantly with all craft beer." He admits they have to keep on some of the standards -- Miller Lite, Guinness, Stella -- Hoboken is still a somewhat conservative place compared to, say, Brooklyn. But Farley believes their selection stands up to even some of the best bars in New York.
"Last month, we had 11 different Octoberfests," Farley points out. "People are already coming in asking for Christmas beers."
See the yesterday's complete draft list after the jump. ...
Everyone knows drinking and driving do not mix, so it was sort of strange that Mothers Against Drunk Driving decried Flying Fish's latest limited-edition seasonal, Exit 11.
"The combination of a roadway and advertising for any kind of a beer doesn't make any kind of sense," said Mindy Lazar, executive director of New Jersey's MADD chapter.
For serious? The New Jersey-based brewery's Exit Series does not champion boozing and cruising; Exit Series is a celebration of the state's traffic-clogged turnpike in liquid form. The first release, Exit 4, was a Belgian-style Trippel kicked up with copious hops.
Exit 11, the spaghetti-like juncture where drivers steer toward the Jersey shore, takes a turn toward the land of wheat ales: "[It's] a fresh, citrus-y summer beer perfect for beachgoers and those who only wish they were headed 'downa shore,'" explains Flying Fish head brewer Casey Hughes.
Gala apples, one of the key ingredients in the Mortgage Apple Cake. Photo: The Marmot/Flickr
You've probably heard of a rent party, but how about a mortgage cake?
That's what one New Jersey mother of three is whipping up to help keep her home out of foreclosure. Angela Logan of Teaneck, N.J., surpassed a goal of making 100 $40 "Mortgage Apple Cakes" in 10 days to meet her $2,559.94 mortgage payment. The Bergen Record reports the divorced actress has received more than 500 orders for her desserts, which she says fight "foreclosure one cake at a time."
"Purchase our moist delicious Mortgage Apple Cakes (M.A.Cs), made with loads of fresh Gala and Delicious apples and whole grain flour, covered with buttercream cheese frosting, made with vanilla and organic confection," Logan writes on her Web site. "It's a gourmet treat."
I spent most of June anticipating the 4th of July. It's not that I harbor a particular love for fireworks, crowds or parades. I was looking forward to it because it was was a Friday off from work that I could use to go berry picking. I got up early and drove out to rural New Jersey to Mood's Farm Market to pick blueberries. Sadly, the berries weren't quite as ripe as I would have liked (I imagine they are absolutely perfect today) but I still managed to pick 8 pounds of sweet, spicy and tart berries.
While at the market, I also picked up 2 quarts of tiny plums, half a dozen super-fresh ears of corn, several pounds of new potatoes (destined for a quick trip through the oven with rosemary and garlic), a dozen fresh apple cider donuts (possibly one of the best treats ever created), a whole mess of Kirby cucumbers and half a bushel of small, sweet white peaches. Details about how I used all this wonderful, fresh abundance is after the jump.
I stopped into my favorite local produce stand after work on Wednesday, to pick up some salad makings (for once, I had used up everything from my CSA share) and a pound of fingerling potatoes for roasting (I've been experiencing something of a roasted potato yen). While I was there, I saw a cluster of woman standing around a display, cooing and exclaiming. Eventually they dissipated, and I was able to see what all the fuss was about. It was a box of tomatoes.
However, these weren't just any tomatoes. These were the very first New Jersey tomatoes of the season. I approached the box with a sense of reverence and briefly considered genuflecting, before determining that the story was a little too crowded for rapturous displays of produce-inspired passion. I reached out and picked up one. It was heavy for its size and felt good in my hand.
I took it home and as soon as was finished photographing it (I knew it was worthy of a blog post), I cut in. The interior was a deep red (none of that pale pink you find in conventional February tomatoes). I ate the first thick slice atop a piece of gently toasted pain au levain, before devoring the rest of the tomato with nothing more than a sprinkling of salt. I officially declare Jersey tomato season open!
When I start talking about hot dogs I've made road trips for, one that always comes to mind is Rutt's Hut in Clifton, NJ, and their famous Rippers. These are deep fried hot dogs that are cooked until they are golden brown and starting to rip open. I spent several hours on a road trip there and back one day, and found them very interesting.
I have always liked my hot dogs well done. As a kid I wanted to improve on NYC's dirty water dogs which, while they tasted great, had just too soft a texture for me. At home I would always put my franks on a skewer and toast them over the flame on the stove until they got brown, crispy, and started to burn and split open. Well, Rutt's Hut takes this one step further with their Rippers. Personally I found the hot dog itself to be the player here. The heavy potato rolls were a bit too much for the frank, and the condiments left a lot to be desired. This was a lifetime first, where I actually just wanted a few Rippers, or even the super well done Cremators, served on a plate with some decent spicy brown mustard like Nathan's. I could go on about them, pros and cons, but so many others have that I will let you hear their views as well.. Here's some links to articles and reviews about getting Ripped at Rutt's. Jane & Michael Stern's Roadfood on Rutt's Hut
If you know how to bake really good chocolate chip cookies or everyone loves your lemon bundt cake when you bring it to parties, odds are that you've had at least one or two people tell you that you should go into the business of baking and open a bakery. Perhaps you've even thought about it on your own a few times. It'll be easy, right?
"Easy" is subjective, so you can judge for yourself. Egullet has two threads that chronicle members starting their own bakeries. One of the threads followed every detail that went into building (physically) a Portland bakery, attracting a clientele and working through the first year of he business. Unfortunately, Criollo Bakery has now closed, but the level of detail and dedication that went into it was phenomenal and truly awe-inspiring for a would-be baker.
The second thread, a newer thread, follows a couple that moved from San Francisco to New Jersey with dreams of opening their own bakery. With pastry backgrounds, a generous relative who is happy to help them with accommodation, and a lot of hard work, they are just starting out on their journey to open The Sweet Life Bakery. So far, after only a couple of months, it sounds like they are really building up momentum. It's another interesting read, especially since it will be on-going as their journey progresses.
At the rate at which new "world's biggestburgers" are cooked up by restaurants all across the world, we should probably give up in trying to say which one is the biggest. After all, it will only be a few weeks before it is replaced with something larger. That being said, there is a new giant burger on the block, this one from the Clinton Station Diner in New Jersey. The Diner was previously known for its 50-pount Mt. Olympus burger, which is nothing compared to the 8th Wonder of the World. The massive cheeseburger weighs 105 pounds and is 28 inches across and 11 1/2 inches tall. After measuring the heavyweight sandwich for the Guinness Book of World Records, it was carved up and passed out to customers - in 7 pound slices.
Assemblywoman Joan Voss is disgusted by foie gras.
But she doesn't want to go the way of Chicago and ban the sale and serving of it. Voss simply wants to regulate how it's produced. She wrote a bill that would prohibit farmers from force-feeding ducks and geese through tubes. "I don't care if people eat it. My bill just says produce it in a humane way."
Such a regulation doesn't go without opponents. Foie gras distributors in New Jersey would lose millions of dollars in sales.
As of next month, Rolling Rock will be produced in Newark, NJ, not Latrobe, PA, its home of over 60 years. Anheuser-Busch acquired the green-bottled lager back in May. Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light will be brewed from a new water source, but the AB brewmasters have managed to keep the taste the same, according to a press release. "We locate our breweries where we know we have an excellent source of fresh water. And, of course, Newark is no different," one brewmaster told the Associated Press. Ah, the sparkling waters of Newark. The bottle will also keep the 33, as well as its other painted lettering.
Strolling through a casino, especially a newer one like the Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is always fun. You can admire the
architecture, shop in cute but overpriced stores and people-watch to your heart's content. The two other major
attractions of casinos are, of course, gambling and eating. I'm not too lucky when it comes to the slots, but I lucked
out by picking Cuba Libre for brunch.
Now, there are many restaurants around the country that share the name, but this particular restaurant has but two
locations, in Atlantic City and Philadelphia. I hear that the Philly location has dancing, but the Atlantic City one
serves brunch seven days a week. The brunch menu
is packed with options, but isn't overwhelming. The black bean hummus is excellent and the plantain chips are a
nice touch with the tasty sandwiches.
Who didn’t hear the phrase “Don’t chew gum at school!” when they were growing up? Of
course, this sort of instruction always encourages a few people to flout the rules and chew gum even more frequently.
The main reason that gum chewing was frowned upon was that students would probably stick the used wads under the desk
or on the floor, where other unsuspecting students might come into contact with them. For some reason, though, the
teachers always claimed that the reason was that students couldn’t pay attention while chewing gum. This was a
ridiculous excuse since people are more than capable of engaging in other activities while they chew, like walking, for
example.
A look at the banh mi craze currently sweeping Gotham, with young Vietnamese 
If you know how to bake really good chocolate chip cookies or everyone loves your lemon bundt cake when you bring it to parties, odds are that you've had at least one or two people tell you that you should go into the business of baking and open a bakery. Perhaps you've even thought about it on your own a few times. It'll be easy, right?
Assemblywoman Joan Voss is disgusted by 
As of next month, Rolling Rock will be produced in Newark, NJ, not Latrobe, PA, its home of over 60 years. Anheuser-Busch acquired the green-bottled lager back in May. Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light will be brewed from a new water source, but the AB brewmasters have managed to keep the taste the same, according to a 
Strolling through a casino, especially a newer one like the 
Who didn’t hear the phrase “Don’t chew gum at school!” when they were growing up? Of
course, this sort of instruction always encourages a few people to flout the rules and chew gum even more frequently.
The main reason that gum chewing was frowned upon was that students would probably stick the used wads under the desk
or on the floor, where other unsuspecting students might come into contact with them. For some reason, though, the
teachers always claimed that the reason was that students couldn’t pay attention while chewing gum. This was a
ridiculous excuse since people are more than capable of engaging in other activities while they chew, like walking, for
example. 
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