It’s been a little while since I’ve done a blog post purely focusing on food. And I’m seguing back from my Cuba trip to a Carribean restaurant in nearby Perth Amboy NJ called La Terrazza Latina.

We sat down very hungry for dinnertime, not eating anything the day we went aside from a small breakfast. We went to visit our friends who just had a baby after years of trying and he was adorable.

Anyway, the meal started off with bread and butter that was uniquely made with guava mixed into the butter to give it a distinct color & very sweet flavor that I enjoyed.

We also got a couple of cocktails, mojitos to be specific. La Terrazza has a whole section dedicated to mojitos and the one I got was banana, made with Cruzan banana rum, hierbabuena (a Cuban herb similar to mint), guarapo (sugarcane juice), fresh lime juice & a splash of club soda and it was glorious.

The appetizers we got included chorizo croquettes and chicharrón de cerdo (fried pork belly), 2 staples of Cuban cuisine. Both of them hit the spot in terms of the way they were cooked. We probably ate too much of them and brought most of our entrées home.

I ordered the pescado frito, which is a deep-fried whole red snapper (head & all) with rice, black beans & tostones, while my significant other got the pernil (slow-cooked marinated pork) served with the same side dishes. All of the food tasted just fine both at the restaurant and when we reheated it the next day.

We will definitely be going back to La Terrazza in the very near future and it’ll be worth the 20 or so minute drive to Perth Amboy, New Jersey to do so.

Business Card Count: 41,140

In my most recent blog post, I spoke about the details behind the night I decided to make a lifetime commitment to my significant other. Part of that night was having dinner at Boucherie, a nice French restaurant in Union Square.

Although there are a couple of other locations in NYC including one in the West Village and other in a neighborhood called Petite (never heard of it), I’m specifically talking the location about Union Square. There was a really nice & romantic ambiance with a Christmas tree in front and we were seated next to a piano.

Two of the reasons I picked Boucherie (other than it being open on Christmas Eve with a table being available for when we were going to be in Manhattan) was because they served steak & they offered drinks with absinthe.

The 2 cocktails that we got with absinthe, which I can’t remember the name of or can locate a drink menu to remind me, were very good but definitely sipping spirits.

Our main courses were vastly different. My significant other wanted steak for Christmas (along with salmon, which I made her at home). She had 2 choices that really struck her, the first being the Faux-Filet Bercy that’s a 16-ounce Pat LaFrieda dry-aged bone-in New York strip.

The one she wound up getting is a meal called Steak Frites Au Poivre. This is also a Pat LaFrieda New York strip steak that came with a 4 peppercorn cream sauce that gave the meat a distinct flavor. And not to mention french fries, which is why she wanted to order the meal.

The entree I chose was a first for me: the Caille Farcie. It’s stuffed quail with Hudson Valley foie gras, ground chicken & spinach. The quail tasted so delicate and the other ingredients truly complemented the bird.

And I would never go to a French restaurant without ordering escargot. Their menu item was called Escargots de Bourgogne and contained 12 pieces along with parsley, butter, lemon, garlic & shallots. The escargot was firm & tasty, while the sauce it was in was so savory that I dipped the bread brought out to the table in it once I ran out of butter.

The final course of the night was one that was improvised: dessert. I felt like it was a special occasion since I popped the question right after my trip to Boucherie, so I decided to get the Pistacho Bombe Glacee. It was a deliciously sweet pistacho ice cream dish that came with warm chocolate poured over top of it at the table.

I would definitely head back to Boucherie, whether it’s the Union Square location or one of the other ones. It’s rare to find French food in our area, so a trip to NYC may be the best way to go.

Business Card Count: 41,084

Life works out in the most funny ways sometimes. I knew for years that my significant other grew up in the Astoria section of Queens NY.

And being from Long Island, I had no idea what areas constitute certain neighborhoods in the 5 Boroughs of NYC. I had a work obligation in Queens, but I told her where I was and she was so stoked to tell me that she grew up a couple of blocks away.

I saw the menu at Chela & Garnacha, a Mexican restaurant nearby, I knew I had to eat there. But not before I Facetimed my significant other to show me around her old neighborhood. I saw sites like the old apartment building where she grew up, which still has someone she knew from YEARS ago living there, & the bodega that her father owned that’s now for rent.

But she also told me about what businesses were where certain places are now, like her old Chinese restaurant is now a Venezuelan restaurant and the laundromat she would go to was still there. But Chela & Garnacha was a new business that popped up.

I decided to stop into Chela & Garnacha and order some food to stay. And in traditional Mexican fashion, I ordered some tacos served with cilantro, white onion & salsa. But I wanted a combination of flavorful & unique and boy, did I get it.

The first one I tried was the Tinga, which is shredded chicken breast marinated with chipotle tomato & onion. It was tasty enough, but it really gave me the ability to taste the salsa the most, which had a nice kick to it.

The second one is something I was excited to try called the Nopales. That’s because the main ingredient was grilled cactus that’s paired with grilled panela cheese for a distinct taste. The cactus had a texture somewhat similar to zucchini, but with a different flavor profile.

Last but not least is the Adobo, which seems to be their signature recipe since it’s slow-roasted pork loin marinated in the chef’s great grandmother’s adobo rub. This was my highlight of the day, so much so that I got a torta version of the same thing later in the day.

I’d love to take my lady back to her old Astoria neighborhood and dine on tacos at Chela & Garnacha sometime down the road.

Business Card Count: 40,956

I go to the Edison Fall Family Spectacular every year. Sometimes the vendors are the same and sometimes they’re different.

The 2019 edition had a mix of both ranging from banks & insurance companies to people selling their crafts and places like a physical therapist practice & the YMCA. There were even some local politicians on hand trying to get my vote, which failed since I don’t live in Edison anymore & I don’t vote.

But I snagged their business cards anyway for my collection. I also stopped by a few food trucks to try their cooking. With that being said, here’s what I thought about these food trucks.

Amanda Bananas

I started with dessert first because the Amanda Bananas food truck called me. I enjoy the taste of banana, it’s my favorite fruit because of its versatility: bananas solo, peanut butter & banana, banana cream pie, smoothies, etc.

Amanda Bananas offers a unique dairy-free & gluten-free alternative to ice cream that’s made from bananas that are juiced into just the right texture. I ordered just the plain banana treat and it was delicious, but they also offer several topping combinations including these I would try:

• S’mores
• Banana Cream Pie
• Breakfast Banana
• Banana Peach Cobbler
• The Fluff-a-Nutter

Amanda Bananas apparently offer individual toppings ranging from fresh fruit, nuts & cereals to candy, syrups & dry treats like pretzels & crushed Nutter Butter cookies. Not to mention a fun monkey mascot on their business card & truck.

Thai Food Addict

What’s unique about the Thai Food Addict food truck is the fact that they are a repeat at the Edison Fall Family Spectacular. I would have blogged about them last year, but I felt like I didn’t have enough to write an extended post.

This year, their chicken pad thai piggybacks off of these other 2 food trucks. I enjoyed Thai Food Addict’s food since all of the ingredients meshed well together. I had a vegetarian dish last year that I can’t remember the name of, but I believe it contained noodles.

Out of the 3 food trucks, I was least impressed with Thai Food Addict. Though, that’s not saying a lot since all of the food was tasty but it’s one of the dishes I brought home to my significant other to enjoy as well.

Rico Sabor

I couldn’t contain my excitement when I saw a food truck that made Spanish food. That’s where Rico Sabor comes in with their Puerto Rican cuisine with a twist, apparently.

I decided to get the UPR, or the Ultimate Puerto Rican, that’s comprised of roast pork, rice & gandules, beans, avocado & a choice of maduros or tostones. I opted for the tostones because I brought that home & I know my significant other likes those as well.

The roast pork is in the style of how she cooks her pernil, which is amazing pork shoulder that melts in your mouth. Rico Sabor’s doesn’t taste as good as hers, but it had the authenticity that really was worth the wait in driving home.

Business Card Count: 40,537

Every year, I enjoy the NJ Taco Festival and the 5th annual one just occurred. There were some familiar vendors such as Jersey Barnfire Hot Sauce & Clyde’s Homemade Ice Cream who I discussed in my blog post about the 2nd annual event.

In particular this year, there were more unique vendors there than usual like a CBD oil saleswoman, a knife saleswoman, bands and even something called CornHub. But I care more about the food and here’s my experience gorging myself at the taco fest.

Waffl’d

I got to the NJ Taco Festival early and I did not have breakfast. Luckily for me, there was a vendor that gave me just the right thing as the most important meal of the day.

The Waffl’d booth offered a variety of choices of their waffle on a stick including:

• Basic B*?$H: chocolate, sprinkles & whipped cream
• Churro: cinnamon, as you’d expect
• Get S’more?: what do you think?
• Wicked Girl Scout: designed to resemble a Thin Mint by adding a chocolate grizzle, Andes mint pieces & a chocolate cookie crumble
• Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm: Fruity Pebbles cereal & a vanilla “milk” sauce
• Nutter Madness: Nutella, chopped nuts & Butterfinger pieces

I chose something at Waffl’d called the Fat Elvis, which was comprised of peanut butter, banana & bacon bits. It was a lot lighter than I expected it to be & not too peanut buttery. It also wouldn’t be the last Fat Elvis I’d eat on that day…

Little Bite of Paradise

The only tacos I tried at the 5th Annual NJ Taco Festival came from the Little Bite of Paradise trailer. I ordered the garlic shrimp tacos with Asian slaw & they were the best thing I ate for the day.

My significant other thought those tacos sounded good also, so I brought home a taco sampler being offered at the trailer that also included the following:

• Teriyaki chicken tacos with Asian slaw
• Loaded cheesesteak taco with peppers, onions & french fries
• Beef taco with cheese, sour cream, lettuce & fresh salsa

The tacos were all good, though I didn’t try the beef taco since I dislike sour cream. I also noticed a typo on the Little Bite of Paradise business card… or should I say Paradsie?

Torta Truck

The first food truck I ate at was called the Torta Truck. I found out that a torta is a sandwich made with a crusty bread roll and the ones they offered looked appetizing.

There was an Al Pastor Torta with pork and a Birria Torta with beef, but I chose the Milanesa de Pollo Torta, which was comprised of:

• Breaded fried chicken cutlets
• Layer of refried beans
• Thinly sliced lettuce
• Sliced tomato
• Stringy Mexican quesillo
• Pickled jalapenos

They also gave the option for mayo, but I didn’t take it since mayo is vile. The Torta Truck’s food was quite tasty, but the only issue I had was that it was hard to eat the way it was served since it was on its side. When trying to lift the torta, it fell apart on me and it became a big mess.

Sweet Lush Cupcakery

Last but not least is dessert, which came from Sweet Lush Cupcakery and their Cupcake Camper. In total, I got 6 cupcakes in 4 flavors:

• Toasted Marshmallow S’mores
• Glazed Donut
• Peanut Butter Cup (chocolate cake)
• Fat Elvis (peanut butter & banana)

I was honestly disappointed with these cupcakes, especially the Fat Elvis since I couldn’t really detect any banana in it and I’m a big banana fan. All of them tasted just okay when I was expecting more, with it seeming like there was cream filling in them but not a lot at all.

Sweet Lush Cupcakery also offered vanilla milkshake & triple chocolate (fancy names for regular flavors IMO), half baked (cookie dough & brownie), cannoli, phish food (chocolate, marshmallow & caramel) & salted caramel at the NJ Taco Festival.

There you have it and I’m sure I’ll report back next year!

Business Card Count: 40,431

One of my favorite restaurants is Cracker Barrel. I enjoy going to the shop after I eat to get candy, specifically the Smarties lollipop that I get many of.

I also enjoy playing checkers as I wait for my table in a rocking chair on the picnic blanket-looking board. Speaking of games, what about that triangle peg game that calls me an eg-no-ra-moose that’s on every table? I enjoy it, although I suck at it.

But the main reason I like the Cracker Barrel is for one food item: the chicken fried chicken. It’s a fried chicken breast with white gravy on it, which sounds so easy yet it’s so good. I don’t know what they put in it, but I have to always get it.

On the side, they ask if I want biscuits or cornbread. I much prefer the biscuit over the cornbread since their cornbread is like a hockey puck and their biscuits melt in your mouth. The cornbread is bearable with lots of butter (or dipped in any extra white gravy), but only when it’s warm.

In terms of the sides, they leave a lot to be desired. I once got a Cracker Barrel waitress admit to me that the vegetables were canned, which explains why they tasted so bad. The one exception seemed to be the broccoli, which is why I double up on it and also get the mashed potatoes with gravy.

I’ve never gotten breakfast or dessert at Cracker Barrel either and it appears I talk a lot of bad things about the restaurant. But, doesn’t that make it THAT much better that I always want to go there for the chicken fried chicken?

I also like to look around the shop for more than just retro candy you can’t get anywhere else. They also have some pretty unique knickknacks and such that are great for window shopping, especially when you’re waiting for a table. It’s more fun than waiting at other restaurants.

I think the novelty of Cracker Barrel lies in the fact that there aren’t any too close to me, which is why it’s usually my favorite destination on road trips. I grew up on Long Island, where Cracker Barrel has never gone, and I live in a part of NJ that doesn’t have them either.

I’ll always look to stop at a Cracker Barrel to stay & eat or take an order to go like I did during a road trip at their location in Santee, South Carolina. It was hard eating chicken fried chicken while driving, so I’d advise against it unless you pre-cut it.

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If you’re an avid reader of my blog (I know there’s 1 or 2 of you!), you know I’m a big fan of pizza. And I recently had my first ever slice of pizza in the Bronx at a place called Emilio’s of Morris Park.

And as you can tell from the name of the blog post, I ordered the vodka pizza and it was the best pizza with that sauce I’ve ever had. I personally enjoy vodka sauce, though I don’t eat it that often along with penne a la vodka that I have only occasionally since I don’t like pasta all that much.

But I’m picky about the vodka pizza I eat. There are a few different types that I’ve seen. The first one is the usual one and the worst one: a slice of pizza with penne a la vodka on top of it. It’s just carbs on carbs and doesn’t taste very appetizing.

The second is a slice with vodka sauce replacing the marinara you’d typically find. I’ve had a variety of slices like that, but it gets to be too saucy. My favorite pizzeria Il Pomodoro even has a grandma slice in the same vein, but the issue with it is that sometimes it’s not saucy enough.

The third is one in the style of Emilio’s of Morris Park and it’s one I’ve never seen before. It’s vodka sauce topped with chicken & some herbs and I must say that the sauce is just the right thickness.

As is the crust and dough since it was harder than a usual slice, probably because of the vodka sauce. They gave me a knife & fork to eat it with, but I don’t use utensils to eat pizza.

I got 2 slices of it and was surprised to find that there was no cheese. I think the cheese would have taken away from the flavor of the sauce and the team at Emilio’s of Morris Park knew that. I’d definitely go back for another slice or more.

This place in the Bronx also offers other specialty slices like chicken creamy pesto, chicken francese and grilled chicken & broccoli topped with cheddar cheese, but I don’t know if I’d want to give up the vodka pizza to try the other slices.

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For years, my significant other has been raving about the atmosphere of a restaurant called the Captain’s Table, located in Monroe NY.

She used to live near this place and would frequently go because of how it combines a regular bar scene inside with a beach bar outside. It even has a sand area where kids can play and build sandcastles & the sort.

What I didn’t think about that enhanced the atmosphere is the fact that it’s not near the beach, but in Upstate NY. So replacing the ocean next to the sandy beach scene was some nice trees to give contrasting natural landscapes.

We went there with my brother & his wife to catch up and wound up staying there for 4 1/2 hours. We got drinks including a sangria with Angry Orchard as an ingredient, but it tasted awful since I believe they used the gross Angry Orchard Rose version that is a crime that the brewery is pushing.

I got another hard cider to drink with our Captain’s Tables appetizers. I didn’t try the fried pickles, but we opted for the nachos supreme with cheese, black olives, lettuce, tomato & jalapenos along with salsa, sour cream & guacamole on the side. I’ve honestly made better nachos at home with similar ingredients. They didn’t taste bad, but choose a different appetizer.

The entrees came out and they were a big improvement. I ordered the chicken in a basket, which is really well-cooked & seasoned fried chicken, and I opted to have sweet potato fries on the side. Sometimes, I crave fried chicken made just right and the Captain’s Table did just that.

My significant other got the fish & chips and I was impressed with the way the haddock was made. Instead of several strips of haddock, they fried up one huge filet and it was flavorful as well. How appropriate that a place called the Captain’s Table has good seafood…

Not that we really listened that closely, but a band came on inside at 10 pm that played classic rock cover songs. The conversation went until 1:30 am, right as the restaurant was closing. It was good quality time with good quality entrees.

It sounds like I wouldn’t try the Captain’s Table again, but I would. The atmosphere is unique and the entrees were good. I’d try other appetizers like the fried calamari, buffalo wings or sesame seared tuna.

Business Card Count: 40,192

Father’s Day has been a day of sad reflection for quite a while for me since my father passed away in 2010 and I no longer have grandparents who are among the living.

But over the past few years, it’s also been a day that I take super seriously since I’m the stepfather of 2 amazing kids. So my significant other decided to take me out for the occasion to Labebe in North Brunswick, New Jersey because of her great experience going there with a friend.

It’s a Mediterranean restaurant that provides a pretty distinct atmosphere with nice chandeliers and patio seating. We sat at an inside table/booth combo for our drinks and appetizers.

The waiter at Labebe recommended the Pompeii Mojito, a great combination of Bacardi pineapple infusion rum, fresh citrus juices, fresh mint, fresh blueberries & fresh pineapple. I had 2 of those drinks & my significant other wanted something not as sweet, so she tried and liked the O Morpheus that’s comprised of Johnny Walker Black, Chambord, fresh muddle blueberries, fresh lemon, agave & mint.

We ordered 2 appetizers as well, spinach pie & falafel. Both were cooked just fine, but were made differently than they’re usually served. The falafel wasn’t too flavorful and the spinach pie was somewhat sweet, but they were fine 1st courses.

The entrees we ordered were delicious. I got the stuffed fillet branzino that was a well-cooked piece of fish with crab meat inside along with sides of fingerling potatoes & spinach seasoned just right, while she got the best the Agnes New York strip steak with 3-herb pesto & the same sides.

I liked hers better. But I did get a glass of red wine from Lebanon with my meal that tasted just fine, though I probably wouldn’t order it again. I like to try different things and Labebe made it possible to try a Lebanese wine.

For dessert, they had housemade gelato in 2 flavors: fig and cinnamon. Both tasted wonderful in their own way, but my significant other made fun of the fact that I asked for 2 bowls. Personally, I don’t think fig & cinnamon mix together, but I was the butt of that joke.

Labebe was definitely worth the drive to their North Brunswick NJ location and I’d definitely come back. It was a shame that the place wasn’t very crowded.

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