HobokenFoodCritic

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.

I thought it might be a good idea to post my 5 favorite hangouts. Now, understand, I am not saying that these are the best places in Hoboken, but rather they are the places you would most likely find me when I’m not home. I’m not really into many of the trendy, contemporary quasi-lounges that keep cropping up around town. Instead, I usually tend to gravitate toward establishments that have a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere where you can let your guard down a bit, pound a few good beers, or get a solid, inexpensive meal.

Most of my favorite hangouts are in uptown Hoboken, mainly because of their proximity to where I live, but also because I can only take so much of the just-out-of-college craziness that goes on downtown. That is not to say there aren’t outstanding bars and restaruants downtown–there is definitely a ton of variety down there no matter what type of experience you are in the mood for, and there are plenty of places that I visit frequently. However, not as frequently as the establishments I would call my “favorites”.

So, without further ado, in no particular order, here are my 5 favorite hangouts in Hoboken, with some notes on each:

Maxwell’s ~ Corner of Washington and 11th ~ I’ve eaten here more than any other restaurant in Hoboken, mainly because of the variety of good food, friendly service, generous portions, reasonable prices, and really cool atmosphere. It’s Hoboken’s version of South Street Philly or New York’s CBGB’s, but Maxwell’s is more than just a punkish bar/restaurant–there is also a small (but legendary) concert area in a separate room off to the side that hosts local and emerging artists, and sometimes some bigger acts. Strangely, non-punks like myself need not feel out of place. I’ve only seen one concert there, but this place is a favorite of mine because you can always get a good, inexpensive meal–whether you are in the mood for beer-battered shrimp, a huge chicken sandwich, meatloaf, a huge burrito, a ‘health salad’, or ‘Hoboken’s best quesadillas’. They call it all “comfort food”, and let me tell you, it is comforting.

Helmers’ Cafe ~ Corner of Washington and 11th (opposite Maxwell’s) ~ One of best beer menus in Hoboken, Helmers’ came roaring back to life when it reopened in August 2007 after a fire left it vacant for over a year. This place always seems to be busy, and it’s no surprise–the combination of authentic German food, premium Imported beers, and a classy yet relaxed atmosphere makes this one of the more unique hangouts in town. Expect to pay a little extra on average for their beers, but I’m sure the predominantly 30-something crowd can handle it. I usually just go down the menu and try anything I’ve never had before. Ashley loves Helmers’ because it is the only bar we’ve ever been to where she can get Framboise Lambic (raspberry beer) on tap.

McMahon’s Brownstone Ale House ~ Willow Ave between 10th and 11th ~ My local hole-in-the-wall Irish pub. Some of the friendliest bartenders I’ve come across in Hoboken. It’s the only bar on my favorites list that has a pool table, and sometimes on a slow weeknight, the bartender will challenge you to a game. And by the way, pool is free on Tuesdays. On the weekends, McMahon’s is more lively, and often overtaken by birthday parties or large groups of pub crawlers. Awesome digital jukebox. The owner, Francis (”Fran”), is a super nice guy with an Irish accent who takes pride in his bar and his clientèle. The small, old-school TV’s could use some updating, but they have never taken away from my having a great time at this place.

Liberty Bar ~ 14th Street between Washington and Hudson ~ My favorite place to watch sports, Liberty Bar has about 20 crystal-clear flat screens plus a huge projection screen on the back wall. It’s almost like walking into the TV section of BestBuy. They also have some of the best burgers, sandwiches, fries, appetizers, and salads in town. Very reasonably priced. Try the bleu cheese burger or one of the several filet mignon sandwiches they offer. Beer selection is decent (they have Blue Moon and Sam Adams’ Seasonals), service is friendly. Daily drink and/or food specials. Rumor has it that Artie Lange hangs out there once in a while.

Farside ~ Washington Street between 5th and 6th ~ Casual, good beer menu, good music, good service. Black motif with red light bulbs (gotta love it), and there are about 10 flat screens showing whatever sporting events are on at the time. Darts. Limited outside seating, but if it’s not crowded you can sometimes snag the coveted wicker couch. This place is usually packed on Sundays. Decent bar food….I have not yet tried their fabled ‘Fat Bastard’ burger, which is smothered in a mound of bacon. I’ll post an update when that day comes, if my arteries don’t clog before I get home. Farside is a great place to hang out when you just want to go somewhere and chill, particularly during the week, and it is also a great place to hit for a few drinks to get warmed up for a big weekend night out.

Being not-too-impressed by the produce, deli, and seafood sections of the ShopRite in town (which is where we do most of our grocery shopping), we sometimes take the walk down to Garden of Eden (on Washington St. between 2nd and 3rd) to get the hands-down freshest groceries in town. So, when we wanted to cook a meal that was a bit more daring and exquisite than we are typically used to (we were thinking seafood), we hit up Garden of Eden in search of some fine ingredients.

Garden of Eden is (to stick with the biblical references) like heaven on earth–at least when it comes to specialty food markets. Much like the story of Adam and Eve, one can easily be seduced by the mounds of colorful, perfect fruit arranged outside the front window that seem to beckon you to come inside.

Walking around inside Garden of Eden is as much of a feast for your eyes as it eventually will be for your stomach. It is a relatively small food market, as compared to ShopRite, A&P, and even the Kings’ in town. But the place is impeccable, clean, neatly arranged, and, as I mentioned, colorful and appealing. It’s the kind of place that you walk into and want to buy everything. The fresh fruit and vegetables look so perfect they almost appear to be fake. I couldn’t resist the asparagus.

They even have some unique, reasonably-priced, pre-packaged veggies that can save you some prep time. I found a package of 3 different kinds of sliced zucchini–regular, yellow, and light green (I don’t know the technical names)–which I thought would be a good compliment to seafood, so I grabbed it and threw it in my basket.

Then came the seafood section. Since this would be the main course, this was the toughest decision. The fact that all their seafood looked amazing didn’t help. So, I did what any Hobokenite would do when faced with a buying decision. I splurged. I bought 1 pound of Chilean seabass, 4 huge sea scallops, and a crabcake. Probably enough food for 2 people.

It was difficult to control myself from buying more food as I walked through the hot prepared foods, fresh breads, cheeses, and the deli section (which features meats from Applegate Farms in Montclair). Somehow, I managed to make it through.

The total cost of what I bought was $49. As I left, I couldn’t help but think that we could have dined out, saved ourselves the work, and had a professionally cooked meal for not too much more money than what I spent. But what fun is that?

Actually, you don’t have to empty your wallet like I did to get great stuff at Garden of Eden. As a matter of fact, most of the fruits and vegetables are comparable in price to ShopRite–and MUCH better in terms of quality. However, you do have to be careful, because some stuff can be pricey, so it is best to be an educated consumer. Self-control is also key–you can easily find yourself being lured into stuffing your basket full with as much food as you can carry. Nevertheless, if Garden of Eden sold basic household products such as paper towels, cleaning supplies, and garbage bags, I would probably shop there exclusively. But that might take away from its devilish appeal.

In a town where the Italian restaurant scene appears to be dominated by the celebrity-frequented, high-profile Tutta Pasta and the charming, authentic, always-crowded Margherita’s, it can be easy to overlook some of the less flashy establishments along the Washington Street strip. So, for our anniversary night, we ventured to find an authentic, romantic, inexpensive (we had an expensive weekend planned–more on that in a later post) Italian restaurant that we hadn’t already tried.

We decided upon Trattoria Saporito because it seemed both quaint and elegant, and the menu not only offered the standard Italian fare, but also showed a bit of creativity as well. Since it’s BYOB, we brought a bottle of Cabernet that was left over from our visit to the Brotherhood Winery in upstate New York last winter. We opted to sit inside to escape the slight mugginess, though there were a few people who didn’t seem to mind.

At the door, we were greeted by a friendly paisan who looked and sounded like he belonged in an Italian restaurant. He showed us to our table (there were only two other tables occupied inside) and proceeded to recite by memory a specials list that was quite possibly longer than the actual menu. After a few minutes, I had to hold back from bursting into laughter. When he was finished, I asked him to repeat everything.

It is often said that you can tell a lot about a restaurant by the bread they serve before the meal. The bread we received was a step better than a typical Italian baguette–it was obviously homemade and it was warm, which scores extra bonus points in my book (or on my blog, for that matter).

What really impressed us was that even though we did not order appetizers, our waiter brought us two delicious bruschettas to hold us over until mealtime. Keep in mind, I make it a rule not to tell restaurants that I will be writing about my experience, because I want the real experience, not special treatment. I cannot guarantee they will give all their guests free bruschettas, but I will say that they did it on their own. And while it did seem a little strange that we did not receive salads before our meals (especially at an Italian restaurant), perhaps they serve bruschettas instead. I guess we will have to go back again to find out for sure.

The food arrived to our table in a reasonable amount of time. Ashley had the Bucatini alla Giulia, which was pasta with red sauce, lightly fried eggplant, and shaved ricotta. The pasta was obviously homemade and we both thought her dish was delicious.

I went with one of my favorite Italian dishes–Linguine with white clam sauce. It is a dish that you can find at almost any Italian restaurant and even most pizzerias, but it takes real skill to perfect. For that reason, I feel it is a good dish to use as an assessment of a restaurant’s quality and attention to detail. The dish was very good, though not the best I’ve ever had. I liked the way they topped the linguine with a mound of opened baby clams, though I was a little disappointed to not find little pieces of clams mixed in with the sauce itself (which was a bit soupy). All in all, though, it was a hit.

As we dined into the night, the lighting inside the restaurant was dimmed to create a bit more intimate atmosphere. To our surprise, however, the faint music playing in the background progressed from romantic Italian music, to modern pop, with even some 80’s mixed in (I guess you can’t go anywhere in New Jersey without hearing a little Bon Jovi).

The portions were hefty but not un-appetizingly huge. I managed to finish all of mine (hey, it was good), while Ashley brought the rest of hers home to have for lunch the next day. We were tempted to try dessert but we just didn’t have any room left. I guess we should have planned for dessert earlier.

Perhaps the most satisfying part of the night was that, after having such a great meal, I was amazed to see a check of only $32! At that moment, Trattoria Saporito became not only a solid and authentic Italian restaurant, but also one of the best value restaurants in all of Hoboken. If we had ordered salads, appetizers, and dessert the price would obviously have been higher, but for what we paid we were extremely satified (and full).

By the time we left, around 8:00pm, the restaurant had filled to about half capacity, and the streets outside were lively. I guess Hobokenites eat late. Of course, I had to be the one to carry the doggy bag nine blocks up Washington Street during the busiest time of the night.

This website was created to document personal experiences at food establishments in the Hoboken, NJ area. Hoboken has such a large number of restaurants, bars, pizza shops, deli’s, bakeries, juice bars, and ice cream shops that my girlfriend and I thought it would be fun (and helpful) to start keeping track of what we liked and what we didn’t. And so HobokenFoodCritic.com was born.

I don’t claim to be any kind of expert on food or the restaurant industry (although Ashley tells me I’m a pretty good cook). I’m just a regular guy that enjoys dining out, ordering in, or just grabbing a quick bite while on the go. This blog is meant to be an authentic review of restaurants by regular people. It is not my intention to become the next Zagat restaurant critic. You will not find scores or ratings on any of the restaurants talked about on this site. Just good, honest, down-to-earth accounts of actual personal experiences.

Please feel free to comment on any of our reviews. Let us know what you think. We would love to hear from you. Let us know if you had a similar experience, or a drastically different one. And you can shoot me an email anytime at anthony@hobokenfoodcritic.com. But most of all, enjoy…….and as the Italians say……”Mangia!”