HobokenFoodCritic

For the past month, we had been seeing signs posted all over town advertising Sparrow’s 12th Annual Wine Tasting event, so we decided to check it out. The event was held this past Thursday night from 6:30 to 10:00pm at the Hyatt in Jersey City. Tickets were $65 each and all proceeds went to support HIV/AIDS programs at the Hoboken University Medical Center, so we could drink as much as we wanted without feeling guilty about it.

I’ve been to many tastings for wine, beer, and scotch, but I must say this event was one of the best I’ve attended. The Hyatt ballroom was jam-packed with over 60 tables, each one featuring anywhere from 5 to 15 wines to taste. With over 400 wines total, it was impossible to try more than a fraction of what was offered, but it was an incredibly educational and fun experience. There were wines from every imaginable region of the world–not only the usual suspects such as France, Italy, USA, Australi

a, Spain, Chili, and Germany, but also some areas less frequently associated with wine, such as South Africa, Brazil, Portugal, and Greece.

My taste for wine was acquired in college, when I spent five months living in Melbourne, Australia. As a result, I’ve developed a particular affinity for the heavy, full red wines, such as Shiraz, which is popular “down under”. I also enjoy a full-bodied Cabernet and a medium to full Merlot.

Of course, I kept notes in the little program booklet on each wine I tasted. My favorite red wines at the event included:  J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Paso Robles 2005, Blackstone Cabernet and Syrah, Lindemans Shiraz, Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, Laura Hartwig Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Kilikanoon Shiraz “Killerman’s Run” 2005, Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz 2004, GV Cellars Merlot and Cabernet (both 2004), and Marion Cab Sauvignon 2001. All can be purchased on Sparrow Wine and Liquor’s website…and they even deliver!

As for white wines, I like them dry with a bit of tanginess, such as the Sauvignon Blanc’s found in Australia and New Zealand. I’m not a fan of Chardonnay’s in general, they are usually too “buttery” and not dry enough for me, but once in a while I come across one that fits my tastes.

My favorite white wines at the event were limited because I focused mostly on reds, but I particularly liked Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc 2006, and J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay 2006.

The event wasn’t only about wine, though. There were also over 15 local restaurants, mostly from Hoboken and Jersey City, each serving up samples of their food. And the food was all included–just grab a plate and eat as much as you want.

Sushi Lounge continuously put out tray after tray of fresh sushi, and it was no wonder their table was constantly crowded–I went back twice myself. Margheritas served up some delicious lobster ravioli in a tomato cream sauce. We also enjoyed the mushroom ravioli in cream sauce served by Porto Leggero.

I never knew there were so many ways to serve plantains–several restaurants such as La Isla, Creative Food, and Cucharamama all incorporated plantains in their dishes, and all were pretty good.

We stayed away from the Charrito’s table, only because we had eaten there the night before.

The spinach dip served by Mikie Squared was unimpressive–it looked like green slime and, much like the other food I’ve had from there, it lacked flavor. Their corn and crab chowder was pretty good though.

The longest food line was for the mini burgers being served by Edward’s Steak House. Though tempted, I wasn’t about to wait in such a long line when there was plenty of other great food and wine waiting to be tasted.

There were also tables featuring scotch, vodka, gin, cognac, beer, and tequila. Samuel Adams had a table, as did Brooklyn Brewery, and a host of other microbreweries and craft beers. There was even a sake table–we tasted five different types of sake, and we were surprised at how different the five flavors were.

And in case you were wondering, Lindemans had a table there, so Ashley was able to get some of her favorite, Framboise Lambic. Only this time the guy working the table suggested that we mix it with some chocolate stout from an adjacent table. The blending of the dark stout with the sweet raspberry lambic made for quite a dessert-type treat.

We didn’t get to bring home wine glasses from the event, but after drinking that much wine in one night, we probably won’t want to even look at a wine glass for quite some time.

Hoboken411 posted some good photos from the event if you want to check them out.

A few weekends ago, I went with a group of friends to Brewtopia, the Great World Beer Festival, in NYC.

Brewtopia really is a great concept. You pay about $50 to taste as many beers as you want for four hours. When you walk in, they hand you a small “tasting” glass (which you get to keep), and then you are unleashed into a big room full of over 100 booths and tables, which are occupied by breweries from around the world. There are imports, domestics, and a wide variety of microbrews. There are even some of the big name brands. Most of the breweries have several different beer varieties to try, and as a result you have the opportunity to taste over 400 different beers.

This year there were three four-hour sessions over a two day period. We went to the session on Saturday, from 12pm-4pm. Due to ferry delays from the uptown Hoboken ferry terminal, we didn’t get across the river until about 45 minutes into the event. Even though we arrived late, we had more than enough time to accomplish our mission.

This was my second time attending the event; my first experience was three years ago. I have been trying to learn about beer for quite some time, and beer tasting events have definitely educated me and helped me develop a taste for what types of beer I enjoy most. It’s great to be able to try different styles of beer right next to each other, as well as talk to the people at the booths about how their beer is made.

I have realized that Belgian and Belgian-style beer is probably my favorite type. I also like some German beer such as Hefeweizen or anything with the word “Weiss” in the name or the description. I also like most wheat beers. I am not particularly fond of IPA’s (India Pale Ale), Pilsners, or anything described as “hoppy” (adding too much “hops” makes beer taste too bitter in my opinion). Some flavored beers (blueberry, pumpkin, etc) are ok, but they tend to be hit or miss. I feel the same way about stouts.

The beer selection this year was not nearly as good as I remembered it from last time, although it is nearly impossible to avoid packing on a pretty serious buzz after only about an hour of tasting beers one after another, so perhaps my memory is a bit blurred. There were several beers we particularly enjoyed though. One of my favorites was Hennepin, a domestic Belgian-style brew with a 7.7% alcohol content. I also enjoyed a couple of the beers from Heartland Brewery, a local brewery with restaurant/pub style brewery locations around New York City. One of my friends really enjoyed Cricket Hill and kept getting in line to taste it over and over again. Original Sin hard apple cider was a big hit with everyone in our group. Lindemans was supposed to be there, but their booth was empty for some reason, so Ashley didn’t get a chance to have any of her Framboise Lambic.

I was a little disappointed that Samuel Adams wasn’t there this time. Last time they had a big table where you could try their whole line of selections (except their famous “Utopia”, which is pretty expensive), and they gave out Sam Adams visors to everyone who tasted their beer.

Come to think of it, while I came home from my last Brewtopia experience with all kinds of bottle openers, coasters, keychains, and other beer memorabilia, this time I came home empty-handed. For some reason, barely any of the vendors were handing out promotional materials this time. Also, last time, the 4oz glasses they gave us to use for tasting, which we were able to keep, were made of real glass. This time the “glasses” were actually made of plastic. I would guess they switched to plastic because of people dropping the glasses on the floor and shattering them. Still, though, it was nice to get a real glass the first time–it’s more nostalgic as a keepsake than a flimsy plastic cup.

Food was limited, and sadly not included in the $50 ticket price. I paid $8 for a bratwurst sandwich. It was greasy and fatty and gave me a stomach ache within 15 minutes.

There were a few non-beverage vendors worth mentioning. Thrillist is a free email list that tells you about upcoming events, new restaurants, new shops, trends, and other topics of interest in the NYC area. Thrillist, which I subscribe to, is a great way to be alerted about next year’s Brewtopia and other simialr events. Another vendor called Beer Chips was selling small bags of their potato chips for $1 each. The chips are kettle-cooked and have a bit of a sweet and salty flavoring. They were so good I went back for a second bag.

Although this year’s Brewtopia wasn’t quite as amazing as my original experience, I will continue to attend the event in the future–it really is too much fun to pass up, especially with a group of beer-loving friends.

Since HobokenFoodCritic.com is intended to be based on the Hoboken area, I might sometimes write about experiences slightly beyond Hoboken that may be of particular interest.

One of the great things about Hoboken is it’s proximity to Manhattan, and the accessibility of all the dining experiences New York City has to offer. We decided to take advantage of one of these unique experiences to celebrate our anniversary, as I had mentioned in a previous post.

As we were driving through the Lincoln Tunnel, with our bags packed for an overnight trip, Ashley still had no idea where I was taking her. Somehow, I had managed to keep it a secret for almost four months. We emerged from the tunnel on the New York side, and made our way over to the West Side Highway, where we headed due north.

Almost immediately, we saw a pair of immense cruise ships docked along the Hudson. One of those ships was the Norwegian Dawn, a ship we had spent 10 nights on back in February on a cruise of the Eastern Caribbean. We had a great time on that trip, but we were saddened to hear that by November, the Dawn would no longer be cruising out of New York–it is being sent to cruise out of Miami, and will be replaced in New York by the Norwegian Gem, a bigger, newer ship. So, as attached as we were to the Dawn, we might never step foot on it again.

“There’s our ship!” Ashley exclaimed–she still had no idea what was going on. I continued to play dumb, but as we made the turn on 52nd Street toward the piers, I had to tell her. “We’re going on an overnight dinner cruise on the Norwegian Dawn!” I don’t think I’ve ever seen her flip out more than when I said those words.

The Norwegian Dawn, “our ship”, is 965 feet long and can hold a capacity of 2,224 guests and 1,086 Crew. It is equipped with 13 restaurants and 9 bars and lounges, along with a ton of other amenities including a casino, spa, fitness center, golf driving net, auditorium, internet cafe, 2 swimming pools, 6 hot tubs, and a jogging track along the outside perimeter of the ship. Yet, while an overnight trip aboard a floating city might be a bit overwhelming for first-time cruisers, we knew its layout like the back of our hands after spending 10 nights on the ship back in February. We had eaten at all the restaurants, and gone to all the bars. We had already done our exploring, and we knew what we liked. And now we had one more night to make the most of it.

Norwegian Cruise Line differentiates itself from other cruise lines not only because it pioneered the use of New York City as a port of embarkation, but also because it originated the concept of “freestyle dining”, which means you can eat whenever you want at any of the wide variety of restaurants onboard. Reservations are recommended at some of the restaurants, and a few of the more upscale ones charge a small cover of $10-20 per person. The rest are free. I like the freestyle concept because you are not bound to eating at any certain time and you can enjoy the intimacy of sitting at your own table, much unlike many other cruises where you are sitting with a bunch of people you don’t know. That’s not my style.

The variety and quality of the restaurants on board is amazing. Among the 13 restaurants to choose from are a Japanese restaurant adjoined to a sushi bar (complete with a moving sushi train), a Spanish restaurant called Salsa, an upscale steakhouse called Cagney’s, a French restaurant called Le Bistro (which features glass-encased rare artwork on its walls), and even a casual buffet called the Garden Cafe. Many of these restaurants are not exclusive only to the Dawn–the same ones can be found aboard other Norwegian ships as well.

We decided to have dinner at The Venetian, which is one of the no-cover, no-reservation restaurants aboard the ship. That is not to say it is lesser quality than the others–the restaurant resembles a grand ballroom with high ceilings, complete with a magnificent chandelier, and windows on three sides looking out to the sunset over the water. Although the ship was filled to capacity, we walked right in and got a table by the window immediately.

The portions at most of the restaurants are a bit smaller than you would expect from a traditional restaurant. But the great thing about it is, you can order as many courses as you want. You can even order two main courses if you are feeling adventurous (and shameless). Ashley started with a butternut squash soup, which was served cold. She said it was good, but I took her word for it.

I started with a Greek salad, which had olives and feta cheese and was topped with some kind of sweet, lemony dressing. That was followed by a cold seafood appetizer that basically looked like an ice cream sundae, but instead of ice cream it was filled with shrimp, lobster, and chunks of fish. Ashley was jealous of that one when she saw it, but she refrained from ordering one herself to save room for the main course.

For the main course, we both ordered peppercorn crusted sirloin steaks with a side of vegetables and rice. I ordered it medium well, which was probably a mistake because it was a bit too well done for my liking. Ashley’s was medium, and was cooked much better. The steaks were a little flatter and not quite as mouth-watering as the ones you would get at Cagney’s (where there is a $20 cover), but they were decent.

For dessert, I had a chocolate lava cake, which oozed chocolate goodness. I was happy that it was a perfect portion for one person, because that meant I wouldn’t have to share too much of it. Still, though Ashley managed to get a few spoonfuls, though she was busy enough with her peach sorbet. I washed mine down with a glass of Remy Martin VSOP (though I prefer scotch over cognac).

After dinner, we barhopped a bit, and then went to a show called “Band on the Run” in the Stardust Theater, which is similar to going to a show on Broadway. The show was impressive, with a mix of up-tempo music and acrobatics. I would highly recommend attending the live entertainment provided on Norwegian’s ships–they are known for their outstanding shows, and often feature well-known performers.

Did you ever see that commercial where the guy sneaks the beer bottles into the theater and they all smash in his coat when the performer hits a high note? Well, when you’re on a cruise you don’t have to worry about sneaking alcohol into the shows, you can just flag down one of the many servers walking around the theater and order a drink. You can even order a bucket of beers if you don’t want to keep ordering drinks throughout the whole performance [Warning - may cause excessive trips to the bathroom!].

Later on, we went to an audience-interactive, and highly raunchy, “game show” called The Quest. All I can really say about that is that it involved numerous articles of women’s undergarments as well as men having to put on lipstick and all kinds of crazy and embarrassing acts. Plus, since it was almost midnight, everyone had a pretty good buzz going by that time of the night.

We stayed out for a while, and after winning $52 on slot machines in the casino, we finally got to bed around 3am. We only had one night on the ship, so we made sure we didn’t miss anything.

The ship cruised east, almost out as far as the tip of Long Island, before turning around in the middle of the night to make its way back home.

When we woke up the next morning, I knew there was one thing that was still missing. See, on our previous trip on the Dawn, there were these little bran muffins available at all the cafes and breakfast restaurants. I had developed such a liking for those muffins that by the time the trip was over, it was a little joke of ours that I would miss the muffins more than anything else on the trip. So, naturally, on our current trip I had kept my eyes peeled for the muffins, but they were nowhere to be found.

We went to breakfast at the buffet-style Garden Cafe, and we filled up our plates with breakfast foods such as eggs and Canadian bacon. As we were nearing the end of the buffet line, lo and behold, I found the muffins! Knowing this would be my last time on the Dawn, and I wouldn’t be going on any cruises in the near future, I knew what I had to do. I took one bran muffin and put it on my plate, and then took another one and wrapped it in a napkin. I savored every bite of the one muffin with the rest of my breakfast, and yes, I smuggled the other one off the ship, and took it home.

The following night, back at our Hoboken apartment, I re-lived our cruise experiences on the Dawn one last time, as I enjoyed my last bran muffin along with a dram of the Glenlivet 12 year that I bought at the duty-free “Galleria” on the ship.

In November, the Dawn will make its way to Miami, where it will be stationed permanently. I am glad we were able to stay on it one last time to give us a sense of closure. But there are other ships that will continue to voyage out of New York. The Dawn’s replacement, for example, will be the Norwegian Gem, which is a brand new ship, and is supposed to be even more spectacular. We look forward to giving it a try–perhaps it could be “our new ship”. I can only hope it will have the same bran muffins.