Seeking an alternative to Starbucks for your coffee desire, as well as spot to study, work, or just read? I have the perfect place. 23 Skiddoo Cafe (33 Carteret Street, Bloomfield, New Jersey) is open from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, and here offered is a variety of drinks (not just coffee), snacks, literature, and just plain old comfort. 23 Skiddoo Cafe is its "own person", inviting you in to an experience and friendliness that make you (well, it makes me) feel euphoric. During my visit, I had just coffee and a chocolate danish, but I also enjoyed nice conversation with the owners, which made the visit complete. I brought along a tiny book to read, The Satirical Rogue on Poetry, written by the late, somewhat-famed Vermont poet, Robert Francis, who was overshadowed by another well known New England poet, Robert Frost. The 23 Skiddoo Cafe folks, who have some handy magazines and newspaper in-house to peruse, also offer a bookcase of well known literary titles, especially one the Sears home library proudly places on its shelf, Letters From a Stoic by Seneca. You've got to love this. Renewing my love of Seneca wisdom with coffee and a bun nearby. Fantastic! Finally, decor. You won't find the comfortable seating here at a Barnes & Noble or Starbucks. Well, maybe you will, but you may not find the below piece (and peace) of beauty. Enjoying java and a snack while reading, and doing all this with the stained glass window in view, is a great thing.
23 Skiddoo Cafe, you are a very cool place, and for that I thank you! Steve
0 Comments
Tucked away in the corner of a tiny shopping center just a few minutes off of busy Route 46 in quiet Lake Hiawatha is a 60 seat eatery that will satisfy you. Welcome to Valentino's Pizzeria & Family Restaurant (7 North Beverwyck Road, 973-263-2022, www.valentinospizzanj.com), open daily from 10 AM - 10 PM. For an early lunch, later dinner, or any type of meal in between, Valentino's is reliable. Thanks very much to our server, Maria, who was saddled with quite a few tables (there are nine booths and five tables) of patrons while at the same time was very friendly and patient. Here's a key thing at Valentino's: quality food is served quickly, which means the kitchen is up to the task of not letting customers wait a long period. For example, the pair of $6.75 parmigiana sandwiches you see below -- meatball on the left, sausage on the right -- were delivered to our table by Maria just minutes after we ordered. Lucille's sausage sandwich was topped with light sauce, exactly as she ordered it, but so was mine, even though I didn't request the same. However, this was not an issue, since even the minimal amount of sauce satisfied us with regard to its quality. Lucille kept saying, "Great sauce." I agreed.
Valentino's Pizzeria & Family Restaurant, whose slogan is "Love at First Bite", certainly lives up to those words, and that translates into more visits. For the Sears family, that means next time sampling a pizza. So many folks ordered pizza during our dining trek that we thirsted for one, regardless of the plated tastiness in front of us. Here's a potential: the Valentino's Special topped with pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, peppers, and onions. Lucille will surely insist the onions not be included, but no doubt the pie will shine. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Walter Macias, counter person at West Caldwell-located Wendy's (840 Bloomfield Avenue, 973-575-0418), you brew a great pot of decaf coffee! It was a cool, post-Labor Day evening when we stopped in, and Walter's attention to detail was commendable, and it wasn't just about grabbing a new filter, filling it with grinds and the coffeemaker with fresh eater. He even offered to bring the coffee to our table. Nice touch, Walter. Steve You have to applaud Rob Da Silva, owner of Centanni Ristorante (11-35 River Road, North Arlington, New Jersey, 201-246-0100, www.centanninj.com) and his team. From the moment you are greeted and seated in the comfortable dining room, until the time you depart, they not only offer and promise by their actions a superb dining experience, they deliver it.
Here is the first thing placed on your table after you are seated, signature Centanni garlic knots. Enough said. Centanni Ristorante, open for both lunch and dinner seven days a week - and if you visit for lunch, you MUST try the Centanni cheeseburger ($12.00) -- has a nice variety of meals on their menu, especially the one my daughter Stefanie and I both ordered, a grilled chicken over a vegetable medley with fresh herbs, lemon and garlic marinade ($15.00). It should be noted that none of the herbs and marinade overwhelmed the taste of two chicken cutlets. A superbly prepared meal. It seems improper to laud Centanni Ristorante with just one meal photo and description, so please visit their website to familiarize yourself with the plethora of choices. There are, I guarantee, only very good ones.
Also, a big thank you to Kevin, who has been a regular server at Centanni Ristorante for a while, as have many of the servers. He is always cordial, explains each entree completely, and is affable with conversation. An excellent server. Plenty of free parking and a full bar as well, and an always wonderful dining experience. Rob and Kevin, we'll see you again soon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A special thank you to Waleed, barista at Starbucks in Parsippany (1429 Route 46 East, 973-316-2695). Lucille and I recently stopped in, me to read the New York Times while enjoying a decaf passion fruit iced tea, and she to share it with me. Waleed, thanks for being the smiling face behind the counter. Steve The story of this week's post? Traveling back in time, staying close to home. I last visited Cousins' Pizzeria & Restaurant (543 Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield, New Jersey, 973-680-8200, www.cousinspizzeriarestaurant.com) about 30 years ago. Emphasis on "about" because I really don't remember. It was around the time my wife and I were newlyweds, so that would put the date around the late 1980s or early 1990s. Anyway, during a recent drive to Bloomfield's center of town, and feeling hunger pangs approaching, I decided to see if Cousins' was still in business. It was, and I was enthused, because daughter Stefanie was with me and I wasn't sure if she'd ever visited. A co-worker way back when had. When I went to work after a visit or two to the eatery and recommended it, he had returned to work after a day off and told me, "Hey, guess where we went yesterday? Cousins!" He then told me he loved it. Word of mouth advertising, the best kind. The afternoon Stefanie and I visited, we each ordered a personal pie ($5.95). Prepared by chef and owner Gino, who when I told him I'd last visited about 30 years ago, he laughed and said, "Wow! Well, I'm still here," the pizzas were excellent. We had enough to bring home to Lucile, who was elated that, after such a long frame of time, we had returned to Cousins'. And, yes, the pizza met with her approval as well. Cousins', which offers quite a menu for eat-in, take-out and catering, has just a few booths for diners, but while you enjoy your food you can enjoy a bit of their history and well as that of local sports teams. The biggest compliment I can pay to Gino and Cousins' Pizzeria & Restaurant, in addition to quality food, is the fact they are a neighborhood spot where many of the customers who enter are addressed by first name. That means, yes, returning satisfied customers, but also genuine friendliness.
And that, my friends, defines "hospitality." Steve |
AuthorAppetizers, hospitality, small plates - the best in dining! Archives
January 2023
Categories |