Scarfin’ It With The Armpit 4: Hoboken Restaurants and Fruity Pebbles
As a belated birthday trip Miss Sexy Armpit and I stayed at the ultra swank W Hotel in Hoboken and also ate at a couple of excellent restaurants. Dinner at the 3Forty Grill was fantastic and breakfast (brunch as they refer to it) at Bin 14.
3Forty Grill’s menu is packed with creative dishes. We decided to go crazy and share a salad and an appetizer before our entree. We chose the slow roasted beet and crispy warm goat cheese salad which, thanks to their online menu, featured “frisee, candied walnuts, caramelized apples, and sherry viniagrette.” For the appetizer we went with the ridiculously tasty creamy truffle mac n’ cheese fritters which also contained “black forest ham, sriracha aioli.” I’m not really a steak guy but I had a good feeling about the Char Grilled 10 oz. Filet Mignon which is described on their menu as follows: “topped with applewood smoked bacon, blue cheese and glazed shallots, sour cream and chive whipped potatoes, almond french beans, steak sauce butter.” Everything was outstanding. As you can see in the picture, their presentation is equally as good as their food.
If you feel like splurging a little, give the 3Forty Grill a shot. I suggest waiting until it gets dark because the lighting inside the dining area combined with the waterfront view of Manhattan creates a modern, romantic ambiance.
Trying to get into one of Hoboken’s notable pancake houses, Stacks, on a Sunday morning was a gigantic pain in the ass. The line was almost out the door. I’m not one to wait on long lines, especially considering that I don’t even really like pancakes all that much. I just wanted some damn breakfast! Then we discovered there was an hour wait at The Turning Point, so we walked over to Washington Street and waltzed into Bin 14 after seeing their “brunch” sign. To me, brunch is such an absurd word. Do they really think I’m going to tell my readers that I had “brunch?”
Bin 14 is primarily known as a wine bar, but it also has a delicious brunch breakfast. We ordered eggs any style with bacon and potatoes and it was freaking awesome. Something was different about this order of bacon and eggs. You can get that stuff anywhere, but this was not like getting it from a diner. This was one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had. The best part was, I didn’t feel 40 pounds heavier after eating it either, much like I do when I leave a diner or Perkins.
Red Velvet Milk Is Liquefied Lusciousness
No, you aren’t imagining things, Red Velvet Cake Milk by Upstate Farms is indeed a real product. Ever since the Red Velvet trend in cupcakes and birthday cakes started to take the dessert world by storm, companies have tried to weasel the red velvet flavor into everything edible.
To the shock of many, Red Velvet cake doesn’t entice me in any way. What is the appeal of this trendy flavor? Perhaps it’s the visual attraction to its deep red color. One thing is for sure, it’s usually women who have red velvet obsessions. Whatever it is about red velvet, I never thought it would be liquefied and made into a dessert dairy product.
As a skim milk guy, I feel like I’m being super indulgent whenever I drink whole milk. Since this is definitely not a low fat milk, I drank only half the bottle and then saved the other half for the next morning. But it wasn’t because I didn’t enjoy it, quite the opposite actually. The milk was full of flavor, sweet but not sickeningly sweet, and I’d opt for this rather than consuming an actual slice of red velvet cake or a cupcake. I prefer all of my food in liquid form because I’m sort of lazy it makes the whole eating process easier and with less preparation.
The milk’s consistency is mucilaginous, almost like a thick paint for the walls of your newborn girl’s bedroom. It would be weird if red velvet milk tasted like red water, so the thickness made it more of a dessert, especially ice cold. Don’t get freaked out, it will make your spit turn red so you’ll think your mouth is bleeding afterward.
The label on the bottle boasts that it’s ORIGINAL which I found odd because it’s not the like the dairy section is besieged by red velvet cake flavored milk. I must hand it to Upstate Farms and their knack for converting desserts into milk. If you’re not into drinking cake from a bottle but you’re more of a Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream person, you may want to check out The Sexy Armpit’s review of Upstate Farms Mint Chip and Orange Scream Milk.
Scarfin’ It With The Armpit 3: “Authentic” Jersey Cuisine
Eating in a Thai restaurant with nondescript decor and being served by a teen aged white kid with those huge black circular gauged earrings stretching his earlobes doesn’t make for an authentic Thai experience. Even restaurants in the world showcase in Epcot center employee waiters and chefs from the countries that they recreate. But what makes food authentic? Is it the way the food is prepared, where you eat it, who it’s served by, or all of the above?
Today I’m going to give you directions on how to make authentic Jersey grub. First, grow a five o’clock shadow, grab a cigarette, gain about 30 lbs and begin sweating. As the stereotypes dictate, this is a cook at a Jersey diner. If the stereotypes continue, he only knows how to cook up a pork roll egg and cheese sandwich, or anything greasy that has peppers and onions slathered on top. Despite what many “foodies” (I’m sorry to all my foodie friends but I hate that term) will lead you to believe, Jersey doesn’t really have it’s own cuisine since we are lucky to have a huge mish mosh of everything there is to offer. Sure we have about a half a million diners in our state, but the majority of our signature meals are very basic and nothing to describe as “mouthwatering” or “savory.” That’s not to say that meals at our restaurants can’t be described that way, it’s just that many of them don’t actually serve the type of “Jersey Grub” that THE JERSEY GRUB TRUCK offers.
Started by a Jersey guy who moved to the west coast, The Jersey Grub Truck can be seen all around Los Angeles. We are known for our blueberries and cranberries, but the Jersey Grub Truck serves mostly fat sandwiches. For instance, an L.A Weekly post highlighted that one of the menu items is The Fat Jerz Sandwich, which is hamburger, egg, pork roll, and BBQ sauce. Is it the pork roll that makes it Jersey? Can you incorporate salt water taffy or pork roll into any meal to give it that Jersey zest? Wow, that’s a stretch. The Sexy Armpit has already glossed over New Brunswick’s fat sandwiches featured on Man vs. Food, and that is essentially what the Jersey Grub Truck serves. The Jersey Grub Truck stole the idea of The Grease Trucks and brought it to Hollywood. If there’s one thing that Jersey is NOT, it’s Hollywood, and if you have not left Jersey that is precisely the reason why. Not only are we on opposite sides of the country, but we lead extremely different lifestyles. Regardless of our differences, I’m glad there’s a little more of Jersey being spread around L.A!
To get “real” Jersey grub, you don’t need to sing “Born To Run,” while cooking or stop at a catering truck. For tips on the best Jersey cuisine check out Jersey Bites and also read Pete Genovese’s book, Food Lovers Guide to New Jersey. But the best way to find authentic Jersey cuisine is to discover it for yourself. Your best bet is heading down to that family owned neighborhood dive, it will surprise you.
You can friend The Jersey Grub Truck on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.
NJ T-Shirt Tuesday 63: Muscle Maker Grill in Warren
The Jersey Burger
The Columbus Farmers Market features tons of stores that sell fresh produce, antiques, collectibles, toys, housewares, pets, candy, clothes, jewelry and more. All that shopping will probably make you hungry so naturally there’s plenty of places to eat. During your visit you may want to stop and try The Jersey Burger!
As if reality shows and movies aren’t enough, even hamburger joints have jumped on the Jersey bandwagon. Obviously, this burger ain’t nothin’ compared to the monstrous New Jersey Breakfast, but it’s a nice appetizer in comparison. I would opt for American cheese over Swiss when eating pork roll, but that’s just me.
For the best burger coverage check out my friend Tommy Salami’s blog PluckYouToo.com and Brian and Allison’s Burger Blog at EatinBurgers.com.
Scarfin’ It with The Armpit
These Sandwiches are INSANE!!!
Just when you thought you saw it all on Thisiswhyyourefat.com, it’s gotten even more extreme on Insanewiches.com. Thanks to @PaxtonHolley from the awesome nostalgia and pop culture blog Cavalcade of Awesome for finding this one. If you haven’t paid him a visit yet, now is a fine time to do so because he’s got a snow machine pumping on his blog! That’s so frigging cool. Can I get a fog machine for The Sexy Armpit? Hmm, that’s my mission in 2010. A Fogmaster 5000 for The Sexy Armpit and I’ll need to find out who the hell actually ate the Insanewich pictured above! Hopefully they have not gone into cardiac arrest just yet.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Starland Ballroom Food Drive ’09
The Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services (M.C.F.O.O.D.S) is in desperate need of food donations, and Starland fans are asked to lend a hand by bringing a canned food item to any Starland show in November and December. And we’re not looking for decade old Sloppy Joe mix either: The present economic woes are affecting those in need harder than ever. Please help us help others this holiday season and bring a can to your next Starland show. For more info on how you can help M.C.F.O.O.D.S visit their official website: www.mciauth.com/mcfoods.htm