A Tale of Two Pies - The Pumpkin and the Pecan

Christmas is a time for celebrating with great food- and with great food, you need to have a great dessert. Pies are always fairly easy to make, and usually make everyone happy. For this past Christmas, I was called upon to produce two pies for the family dessert- a traditional pumpkin pie, and (by request), one of my favorites- a chocolate covered pecan pie.

Eggs and Corned Beef Hash - Brookside Diner, Whippany NJ

 

The classic diner breakfast is an integral part of the local culture in the state of New Jersey. New Jersey has more diners per capita than any other place on the planet- and just about all of them take special pride in their breakfast offerings. It had been a while since I've been to any of the Garden State's many diners. My travels took me back to an area near where I once worked, so I took the opportunity to stop and have a little breakfast at one of the places  I used to eat at from time to time- the Brookside Diner in Whippany, New Jersey.

Thin Crust Pizza from Chimney Rock Inn, Bridgewater, NJ

Chimney Rock Inn is a place high on the list of local favorites in the Somerset County area of New Jersey. For one, they have been in business for over 200 years- and is probably one of the oldest businesses in the state. The inn has a reputation for serving classic Italian fare, and has a reputation for great thin-crust pizza. By a quirk of the local Postal system, the Inn is located in the town of Bridgewater, but has an address in neighboring Bound Brook- this quirk has obviously not made it difficult for customers to find- it is always busy.  The area was the focal point of a conflict between two native american tribes, and the restaurant is named for a lanmark where, according to local legend, star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the conflict met with their untimely end in a murder-suicide scenario that plays out like the ending of Romeo and Juliet. So with a quirky location, a long and storied local hostroy, and an association with a fascinating local legend certianly makes for lively conversation, and an interesting place- but does the food live up to the setting?

Gnocchi Bolognese, Gianna's, Carlstadt, NJ

Gianna's is a cozy little Italian Restaurant located in the middle of a large business dsitrict in Carlstadt, New Jersey. I've been there before on business lunches, so it is a natural choice when it's time to talk business over a nice meal. Gianna's was also one of the first retaurants in the area to reopen after Hurricane Sandy and an over-topped levee caused considerable flooding for large parts of town. Even one of the worst natural disasters to hit the area failed to put a dent in the quality of their food...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, enjoy your holiday meal wherever you may be!

Shiraz - Greenwood Village, Colorado

As I've said in my last few posts- the Denver area appears to boast a very lively, varied, and vibrant restaurant scene- especially to the south of town near the concentration of technology companies known as the Denver Tech Center. When I stopped for my sushi lunch, I noticed there was also an interesting Persian restaurant in the very same shopping center, so when the opportunity arose, I paid a visit to the restaurant called Shiraz...

Samurai Fine Japanese Cuisine and Sushi, Greenwood Village, Colorado

The south side of Denver is home to a large concentration of technology companies, and the money that comes with them. It also means that the area is a melange of many cultures. In my travels through the area, I found not only a large number of restaurants, but a wide variety of food cultures represented- all within a few scant minutes drive of my hotel. The area had at least three sushi restaurants almost within walking distance- so I took a spin around the neighborhood, and went with the one that my gut told me would be a good one- Samurai Japanese Cuisine and Sushi.