I enjoy renewing friendships with eateries, no matter they be a gourmet restaurant or tiny deli. And , if I do so while enjoying a true New Jersey, traditional favorite, all the more better. New York Bagel Café II (154 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, 973-857-2554) is a spot I used to visit on regular basis when commitment required me to be nearby. A tiny location of about 12 seats which is conveniently located on a busy main road, the folks here have their regular customers -- visit often and you'll get to know them -- and newbies, of which I was one prior. Then, my once-a-week breakfast stops sometimes became instead lunch trips, even bringing some deliciousness home to my family. On this warm Wednesday visit, I ordered a Taylor Ham (how much more Garden State can you get?), scrambled egg and American cheese on hard roll, with a small coffee to wash it down ($6.73). I have found that how well the sandwich is "stuffed" depends on the eatery, and perhaps the above offering could've been filled more, but as always the taste and preparation was there, and most of all so was the counter service, which here is always friendly no matter length of line in customers.
That's what counts most of all. Steve
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Ah, to get away from the horn beepers! Last Wednesday, while my daughter conducted a newspaper interview in Montclair center, I visited nearby Montclair Book Center, from whom I purchased quite a few books in the past to "beef up" our home library book count. After I was done with searching the stacks, I sought a peaceful refuge after crossing busy, loud, and "populated by a few impatient, obnoxious, continuous horn beepers" Bloomfield Avenue, and made my way to an old favorite of mine, the Simit House Bakery & Co. (2 Church Street, 862-283-3181), for a quick cup of coffee and a snack. The "quick" turned into an over 2-hour reprieve, I escaping a busy writing desk and really, just really taking it easy. There is inside seating for 12, and also outdoor seating for the upcoming warm weather. You have to love the front window decorations -- especially the books -- and the tiny plant that called my table "home" was a sure de-stressor. Bear in mind that my stop was just for coffee and a treat, but Simit House Bakery & Co. also offers yogurts, specialty rolls, a meat pie that kept staring at me from the display case, and more. My snack, pictured below, cost me $6.41, perhaps a bit steep. However, it wasn't just about the coffee and chocolate chip cookie. I considered the price paid also going towards my respite and my calm, feeling comfortable to stay the distance as my daughter toiled at her assignment, I enjoying some nice conversation with the team on duty, as it always should be. The visit also reminded me of my first visit to Simit House Bakery & Co., when my wife Lucille and I stopped in a few years back while walking Church Street, shielded that night from the busyness of the main road. We were treated well that night, the owner offering to let us try Turkish coffees and some fresh bread.
So, Simit House Bakery & Co. is the definition of where it lives, then and now: comfort on a comfortable street. Thanks, folks, for bringing me peace. Steve There are just 5 seats inside Budd Lake, New Jersey's B.J. Sandwich Shop (329 Route 46, 973-448-0303), and although just tiny stools that are accommodated by a small counter near two windows, I attest that any seat is the best in the house. You can't beat the view! The same Hero, this time with the view, a very blue Budd Lake just across the highway. Stefanie gave this a big thumbs up, and as well to my order, a cheesesteak with American cheese only ($7.95). It wasn't long before both sandwiches were devoured.
Roughly 85% of B.J.'s business is takeout, and catering on Saturdays is also pretty popular. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Saturday. We wish B.J. Sandwich Shop, helmed by a very friendly husband and wife team, a continued long life along this peaceful stretch of Route 46. Steve There's a lot that's very special about WindMill Hot Dogs. WindMill Hot Dogs (200 Ocean Avenue\Route 36, Long Branch, 732-870-6098, www.WindMillHotDogs.com) is "Jersey shore." Devour a WindMill hot dog, or any other item on their menu, and you "hear" waves crashing at the shore line. And with seven Garden state locations in the shore area, you dine nearby the Atlantic Ocean realm. WindMill Hot Dogs is an actual, turning windmill -- and you can see it at the first ever location in West Long Branch -- and a tiny, lending library onsite in North Long Branch. WindMill is most of all about its people. Like Nishon, who I first met in his early days as an employee when I visited to write an article for Hitzel's Restaurant Magazine in 2013, and this day took our order. The ownership team, siblings Rena Levine Levy and Steven Levine, who truly embody friendliness all around, and are key charitable contributors in the area. Lucille and I visited on an overcast Tuesday afternoon, and ordered hot dogs ($4.69), mine with just mustard, hers with the same with the addition of sauerkraut, along with a side of French fries ($3.69). We enjoyed them so much, we each ordered another one. Please consider that we are over 50 miles away, therefore the extra order. We're never sure when we'll be in the area again.
A special thank you to Tony's Pizza & Restaurant (300 Route 35, Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey, 732-441-3444/7/9, www.tonyspizzacliffwood.com), often a stop for us either on the way to see a show at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, or for a pizza pickup prior to tour trip home. Monday - Wednesday, a large plain pie is $8.50, pickup or delivery.
It somehow, someway, remains well intact during the 35 mile trip home, delicious and ready when placed on our dining room table. Steve |
AuthorAppetizers, hospitality, small plates - the best in dining! Archives
January 2023
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