The Power of First Impressions

Advertising Fail

Never underestimate the power of a first impression... A small "greasy spoon" style lunch counter near my day job recently changed names (the original actually had pretty decent burgers)- I, however, will probably not eat there or ever give any real review- simply because- well, you can see the photo above... I can understand that the sign company maybe made a mistake, or the owner scribbled the text on the order form in a rush, but when the sign comes back from the printer like this, and you still put it up in the window, I have to wonder if this is the type of establishment I'm willing to trust handling my food! Sorry to stadium pizza in Carlstadt, New Jersey- but I won't be reviewing your establishment.

A Simple Steak Dinner

My readers may have noticed that I've been posting far fewer home cooking articles, and more about restaurant food. Over the past few months, my "day job" has been going through a few changes- I'm not home as often, so my wife ends up doing most of the day-to-day cooking, plus my job now involves occasional travel and more meetings with clients, vendors, and whatnot- meaning more opportunities to eat out at interesting places... In any case, this was my first opportunity in a while to spend a little time really cooking, so I chose something simple and classic that stands on it's own with little need for adornment...

Stuffed Peppers - Paradiso Deli & Cafe, Moonachie, New Jersey

There is a small Italian Deli/Cafe occupying part of the ground floor of an office building very close to where my "day job" is. Paradiso is a classic, traditional Italian deli, with a handful of tables crammed into their relatively small space. They have a small deli counter packed with a tempting assortment of cured meats whose names end in vowels, and generally make a nice Sicilian boy from New York, like me, feel right at home. Their location makes them a perfect spot for hungry workers in this mainly industrial/commercial area, so they also feature a selection of high quality hot food specialties. Despite the fact that the food is served in styrofoam take-out containers, they get it right, absolutely, wonderfully right.

McDonald's Shamrock Shake

Writing about anything from a fast food restaurant isn't a very "foodie" thing to do, but I'm doing it anyway. I haven't had McDonald's annual St. Patrick's Day treat in, I'd estimate, at least 20 years- So this week, on a whim, I decided that I had to give in to this guilty pleasure.

The Shamrock Shake I remember from my youth was a mass of weird green goop served in a tall paper cup that looked just like every other McDonald's beverage. The modern 2012 Shamrock Shake has had a significant facelift- it now sports a clear plastic cup with a domed lid (so there's no mistaking it for a non-green beverage). It is also adorned with ribbons of whipped cream (I think) mixed in with the green stuff, and capped off with a generous helping of the same. It looks considerably more "sexy" than it did back in the 70s or 80s, and it is surprisingly lighter than expected, with a refreshing minty flavor. There's no mistaking this for anything healthy or "high end quality"- but the Shamrock Shake has taken great strides towards outgrowing it's humble roots as a novelty item.

It still is a yearly novelty item, but, I feel, it brings more to the table than it used to- or at least that's how I'm rationalizing my purchase! With March 17th right around the corner, you'll miss your chance to dive into this guilty pleasure if you don't hurry up and get one. Yes, I'm beginning to sound like a commercial, I think fast food has that effect on me, so I'll quit while I'm ahead!

Rivoli's - Toms River, NJ

So we took the family down to the Jersey Shore to take a look at vacation rentals for the summer. This year's vacation spot is a short walk from the Seaside Heights Boardwalk, made famous (or infamous) on the reality TV show "Jersey Shore". In our experience, the town bears only a passing resemblance to the 24/7 party shown on TV. We've been going there for day trips and short vacation getaways since well before the show brought the shore into the national spotlight. Despite this, we couldn't resist the urge to check out a restaurant featured on the show. After reading the harsh reviews on Yelp, and wondering if we were making a big mistake, we threw caution to the winds, and drove a few minutes inland to Rivoli's in Toms River, New Jersey...

Frank's Pizza and Italian Restaurant, Manville, New Jersey

Frank's is one of those unassuming pizza places that also has a full restaurant attached. They have a combination of reasonable prices, convenient location, and local charm that makes it a busy place all week long. Their pizza is considered a staple by many locals, and their restaurant menu, packed full of the kind of Italian-American classics that everyone craves from time to time...

Shogun 22 - Why do they call it Hibachi when it's really Teppanyaki?

We took our kids out to Shogun 22 in Green Brook, New Jersey for a meal and a little entertainment. The odd thing is that they call themselves a "Hibachi" restaurant! As you can see in the video of the ever popular onion volcano, the cooking is done on a flat top grill- known in Japan as a "Teppan". If you look at the actual definition of  "Hibachi" you'll find that it is an open grill (like that on an american barbecue), and the cooking is done over an open charcoal or gas flame.

So why are places such as this frequently called "Hibachi" restaurants America- even by themselves? The proper term is "Teppanyaki" (cooking done on a flat iron grill), and a reasonable alternate is "Japanese Steakhouse". The answer? I really don't know. Maybe "Hibachi" is less of a mouthful for native English speakers? Either way, Teppanyaki is as much about the entertainment value as it is about the food. The food at Shogun 22 is good, and served in massive portions, but it's the entertainment that keeps the kids happy!