The Red Bank Trilogy

Over the past six weeks, my friend Shannon and I have made several trips to Red Bank, NJ. It's pretty close to the shore and will always hold a special place in my southern heart. I've heard The Boss even has a place close by! There is such an amazing mix of shops and restaurants that even after this many trips, I'm already anxious to return! We decided that since there is usually so much walking involved, we're going to wait until the spring. The farmers market will be back on the weekends too.

Back in 2004 when my future husband brought me up to New Jersey for the first time to meet his parents, he ended up taking me to Red Bank for the day. Back then, there were a few more cool places that I loved that unfortunately closed down. There are still a lot of great places though. Nowadays, there are several high ends stores and chains (Tiffany & Co and Urban Outfitters) tossed in with independently owned shops that have been around for decades. Over these past few years, my friends and family have been establishing our own history here.

When the Alvino clan came over from Italy to New Jersey, they first settled in Red Bank. True fax. Nowadays, you might spot my inlaws dining at The Broadway Grill or browsing around in this shop...

My father-in-law is an avid coin AND stamp collector. He has given this guy a lot of business over the years. His collections are very impressive.

This is another fantastic place for hobbyists, gamers and the forever young. They sell everything from Madame Alexander dolls, seriously old school toys and board games. Chris was impressed with their selection of Settlers of Catan expansion sets. Geek alert!

The first time we ventured over, Shannon insisted on this place for lunch.

The pizza is tasty but she had been raving about their famous fries...

They are the perfect hybrid between a chip and a fry. I've never had them like this before! If the food isn't enough to get you in here, maybe the fact that you can play vintage arcade games and sit next to a picture of old people shooting the bird might be more of a draw. Don't believe me?

I want to be just like them when I get old.

An important part of my own history also took place in Red Bank.

I had my first real bagel here. This place is small and dark and cozy. People come in and out for coffee, sandwiches and the seriously tasty namesake. I got to come back on our second trip earlier this month and relive the magic. I know I've raved about the place close to us and they do indeed have good stuff. They're just different here. Much more crisp on the outside. When I go in, I find myself wanting to roll up my sleeves, go behind the counter and work some dough. I used to love those Lender's Bagels that you could get in the frozen section at the grocery store when I was growing up in the south. I haven't had one since I came here.

Right across the street is a reasonably good thrift store and right next to it is another cheap place to get clothes and accessories. It's a consignment shop that has a good selection of vintage jewelry. Leave yourself some time to hunt. I scored a gorgeous pair of black leather gloves and a killer brooch here. You'll know you're in the right place when you see the polyester rainbow...

What else does Red Bank have to offer? There definitely was no shortage of hip clothing shops before Urban Outfitters opened up. Backward Glance and Funk & Standard have been serving the community for years. Both are fantastic places to look when you feel like you haven't got a sassy stitch to wear. It's a great town for antiques. There are two huge havens right across from the Galleria. There is also a well stocked record store.

When we were there yesterday, we had plans to go to Carlos O' Connor's for Mexican food but we waited a bit late and lost our chance for a table due to a bunch of reservations. We ended up down the street and waiting outside of the Eurasian Eatery for a table. The place is absolutely tiny so it took a while for us to get seated. We found out later that John Prine was in town and that's probably why the restaurants were so packed. I was grouchy from being cold and hungry, the delicious food immediately lifted my spirits. I'd been told that the place was quite vegetarian friendly but I was still pleasantly surprised. Their menu is all over the place from dumplings to falafel to pasta dishes. I ordered the black bean moussaka and it was everything you could possibly want from a meal if you're cold and hungry. Despite the vast array of things I would love to try the next time we go back, it's going to be difficult not to order that again!

Despite the yummy dessert menu, we skipped out after dinner and walked back towards the Galleria where we'd parked because Shannon was clever enough to make us reservations at The Melting Pot for chocolate fondue. It was the perfect ending to another great Red Bank outing. Two tips I'd offer anyone planning a trip: bring some cash because these smaller places to eat like Bagel Oven or Mr. Pizza Slice prefer it. Also, if you're planning on sticking around for dinner, make reservations!!!!

Eurasian Eatery

110 Monmouth St

732- 741-7071

Bagel Oven

72 Monmouth St.

732-842-1141

Mr Pizza Slice

10 Monmouth St.

732-747-9165

The Melting Pot

2 Bridge Ave.

732-219-0090

Here's a list of some other places to eat.

Funk and Standard Variety Store

40 Broad St.

732-219-5885

Jack's Music Shoppe

30 Broad St.

732-842-0731

Nearly New Shop

70 Monmouth St.

732-747-2772

Toymasters Inc.

62 White St.

732-530-8697

Feels Like The First Time

Chris and I have a new favorite meal and it comes to us courtesy of my friend Shannon. I know what you're thinking S, it's not the sprouts with ghee but we do love those too!

Like anything else on this blog, this meal has a backstory.....

The very first time I ever had bok choy was after I moved up north. It's not a common sight in Alabama. We were living right outside of Philly and every once in a while we'd go into the city and shop at this amazing grocery store called Essene. Parking on South Street can be nearly impossible and we wouldn't have even bothered if this place wasn't so awesome. It came highly recommended by our friend John. He does these cleansing fasts a few times a year and when he prepares to break it, his first meal is usually this total hippie soup. It's chock full of nutrients and quality ingredients and he buys it all from Essene. He informed us that if you go a while without eating, the first meal that you ingest is going to be deeply absorbed into your system so it better be top notch.

Chris and I never got around to fasting but we did decide to go check this place out for ourselves. We did some shopping and decided to sit down and enjoy a meal from their entirely vegetarian and mostly organic food bar. I thought the bok choy cabbage looked great so I put some on my plate. I don't remember anything else I had but I remember how much I loved those greens. The texture was a cross between crunchy celery (but more mild tasting) and a flat leaf kale. It was very simply seasoned but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I didn't have nearly as much experience with that sort of thing as I do now. I think it's funny that our Turkish friends avoid bok choy because bok is their word for shit. Pardon my French. Or should I say Turkish?

Fast forward through several years of cooking up bok choy in several different and pleasing ways but never really forgetting the greens from Essene. I know, it's a bit ridiculous the way certain things stick with me. A few months ago, my friend Shannon gave me an old grill pan that she was going to Freecycle. I'd been wanting to get my hands on one so I was excited! Our condo doesn't allow grills. Some people have them anyways but we have a nosy neighbor who has the association on speed dial and would probably rat us out!

While we were snowed in last week, we had company. Our friend Vahe is a complete health nut so while we were getting ready to play some Settlers of Catan, I looked into the fridge to see what I could cook up. My bok choy was looking sad so I figured I'd use it or lose it. We were at Whole Foods the day before and I saw some heads cut in half and grilled with a glaze. It looked great so I decided to try something similar with my pan. I cut them up and mixed some tamari, sesame oil and some ginger juice together to brush onto the mix. I cut up a brick of tofu and threw on some shitake mushrooms that also were looking a bit dejected....

Look at those lovely grill marks!!!

This really turned out to be quite tasty! It's definitely the closest I've ever had to the Essene bok choy. I think the slight char is what did it. It made everyone happy and gave me the fuel I needed to lay the smack down in Catan. I made it again for dinner tonight and the family scarfed it up. The best part? The entire meal is very low in calories and quite high in fiber and nutrients so it's very diet friendly. Between the watermelon I had for lunch and the grilled dinner, it almost feels like summer despite the fact there is a foot of snow on the ground!

If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend treating yourself to a meal from Essene. There's never a lack of inspiration for future meals you can cook at home. Bonus: There is a cool tea shop across the street!

Essene Market & Cafe

719 South 4th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19147

215-922-1146

A Bucks Outing

Last Saturday, the family met up with some friends (Shannon, Laura and Kate) and we did a little caravan into Bucks County, PA so we could wander around in Doylestown. We'd been there before but so many of the adorable shops close early so we wanted to come back when we would have more time to explore. I've been to several Bucks towns now and for the longest time, I really loved New Hope. Doylestown has it beat! They have everything I could possibly want: good food, used books, vintage jewelry, music, stuff for my dog.... Really, that is just the tip of the iceberg. I would advise you to arrive at noon if you plan to make a day of shopping because we still missed out on several places that closed at 5.

Who could resist a sign like this? We couldn't so we went inside. They had adorable things and two of my friends splurged on something.

The next place we ended up was the Doggie Deli. This shop is full of decadence for your pooch. They have an amazing selection of treats big and small plus an incredibly friendly and helpful owner. He actually has little stations set up all over town with free treats to lure in potential customers. Shannon already wants to come back for some Christmas shopping and I think I saw the perfect gift for Chowder.

This is the case and as you can see, the selection is quite vast. We got our little man a few treats and they've all been enthusiastically gobbled up!

We walked past a fancy little bakery called Let Them Eat Cupcakes. They must be pretty popular because they were cleaned out! The cupcakes are $2.50 a pop and were a decent size. They had a good selection of flavors as well. We were saving our appetites for dinner so we passed but I have every intention of hitting them up next time.

I might have been more inclined to spoil my dinner if I hadn't been distracted by the amazing vintage jewelry shop across the street!! This lady had my number! We went inside and I immediately wanted everything! The selection of gorgeous baubles is unbelievable and the prices are not bad. Of course, the main thing I wanted was over $200 but it was over 100 years old! I did score a bunch of stuff off of their 5 dollar rack as well as a Christmas gift for my Oma. I've already worn one of my pieces and still can't believe I only paid $5 for it. I have a killer piece to wear to the opera in Vienna next week!

We wandered in and out of a few more shops including a fabulous record store and some clothing and knick knack shops. We stopped in at a used book shop that had a fantastic selection at some seriously good prices. I got a copy of A Confederacy of Dunces for less than five bucks. Most of their paperback selections that were still in the bestseller list were priced around the same mark.

After the bookstore, we searched out some dinner. We decided to go somewhere low key and found everything we were looking for in Basically Burgers. We walked in and they even had the Alabama/LSU game on! (ROLL TIDE!) Not only did they have a nice selection for the omnis, they had a choice of three different veggie burgers. Morningstar and even Boca for the vegans. They also had gluten free buns. I had a black bean burger with cheddar and a few other fixings. We shared some fries (I recommend the sweet potato fries!) and I splurged and got a chocolate shake that was absolutely amazing. They have a reasonably priced kids menu with pb&j (you can even get it grilled!) and other classic fare. Don't come looking for anything outside of the basic American burger, hotdog and fries spectrum. They don't branch to far from that but they do deliver a solid meal at a reasonable price with friendly service. I would definitely go back. They beat the pants off of Cheeburger Cheeburger.

You wouldn't have to twist my arm very much to get me back to Doylestown! However, I think they should rename it Averystown!

Basically Burgers

12 West State Street

Doylestown, PA

18901

Central Books

35 West State Street

Doylestown, Pa

18901

Twenty East Vintage Jewelry

20 East Oakland Ave

Doylestown, PA

18901

Let Them Eat Cupcakes

17 East Oakland Ave

Doylestown, PA 18901

Doggie Deli

19 Donaldson St

Doylestown, PA 18901

Siren Records

25 East State St

Doylestown, PA 18901

Sweet Blossoms Lingerie Boutique

65 South Main St

Doylestown, PA 18901

Of Love and Noodle Soup

Chris and I got married a little over three years ago. We went to three different places for our honeymoon tour of 2006. The weekend after the wedding, we decided to go to Vermont for some much needed peace and time to ourselves. We stayed for three days in the southern town of Putney which is very close to another little town, Brattleboro. The New Hampshire state line is right next to it.

The hosts of our bed and breakfast told us that we should definitely check out Brattleboro and I'm so glad we did! It was chock full of stuff to see and do. Thrift shops, a movie theatre, a used CD store and lots of places to eat. That may not sound exciting to some people but I was set! We wandered into an Asian restaurant for dinner one night. I had no idea that this particular meal would stick with me for years to come!

I don't remember what Chris ordered but I'll never forget what I had. It was chilly outside so I went with the noodle soup bowl. I had several choices for additional ingredients at 75 cents each: egg, tofu, spinach or kimchi. I went with an egg and some tofu. They brought me back a huge, steaming bowl of noodles swimming in a light amber broth that was speckled with oil. The rich scent of sesame made my mouth water. I'd had very little experience with sesame oil before. I can recall ruining at least one dish by adding too much of it. The stoutness is definitely an acquired taste. That soup showed me what could be accomplished if one knew how to use it the right way. It also lit a torch for Korean food that still burns bright in my belly. Nowadays, I rarely seem to be able to get enough of that bold sesame embrace on my tongue and within my nostrils. It's one of my absolute favorite flavors.

I was so infatuated with this soup that we went back for lunch the day we left Vermont to come home. I can't count how many times over the past few years that my mind has wandered back to that steamy bowl of Heaven. During our recent trip to New England a week and a half ago, I pushed for a detour through Brattleboro on the way back home and my husband was gracious enough to indulge me. We were rewarded by an absolutely gorgeous drive through the state of New Hampshire that was draped with fabulous fall foliage. We listened to classical music and did our best to take in as much as possible.

When we got to Brattleboro, the sentimental history of that spot overtook me. I was in a fantastic mood as memories from our honeymoon played out during our walk through the downtown area. We crossed the familiar threshold of Shin La and I smiled. It looked just as I'd remembered it. It doesn't really have the typical ambiance of an Asian restaurant. It almost looks like a pub. We sat down, looked at the menu and my eyes immediately fell on my heart's desire. I was tempted to add kimchi along with my tofu and egg but I wanted to say true to the original. I have a Polaroid from three years ago of me holding a bowl of this soup but you'll have to settle for the picture I took from a week and a half ago.

It's difficult to say how it feels to have actually experienced it again. It actually managed to live up to the memories which was somewhat of a relief. It would have been sad to have my fantasies dashed by mediocre soup! I feel confident that I could probably recreate it at home now. I don't know it if will be the same but I suppose it better to try than to have to wait for several more years to have it again.

Shin La

57 Main Street

Brattleboro, VT 05301

802-257-5226

Been there, ate that.

I mentioned in a previous post that we stopped in Mystic, Connecticut on the way up to New Hampshire last week. My friend Shannon has been raving about this place so I was excited to see it! The skies were grey but that only seemed to add to the charm of this little New England town. I hope to go back and spend some more time exploring someday. Lots of cute shops and very scenic areas to walk and take pictures.

We stopped in and ate at the famous Mystic Pizza. I normally don't go for touristy traps like this but Shannon and Eliezer insisted that this was good stuff. We were in between lunch and dinner so we managed to score immediate seating. It's really famous because of the old movie that was filmed here starring Julia Roberts. They have it showing at all times on a screen inside of the restaurant. It's funny because although I've heard of the movie, I've never actually seen it. I didn't really put 2 and 2 together until after I was inside. Ha! I'd heard of Mystic Pizza because I've seen some of their frozen products in grocery stores.

I was hesitant to get too excited because of all of the hype but I was sold on the first bite. It's difficult to come by a thicker crust in New Jersey so when my teeth took more than a second to make their way through this slice, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a long and drawn out bite. They had a nice selection of toppings so we went for roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and (this was the kicker) gorgonzola cheese. I am now of the opinion that EVERY pizzeria should offer this as an option. It really made for an excellent flavor! The next time we make pizzas at home, I am going to make sure we have some!

We have a lot of excellent pizza around these parts but I have found my mind wandering back to that particular pie a few times since we got home. I've been exposed to so many fantastic mom and pop pizzerias over the past few years that I find it nearly impossible to pick an absolute favorite. I imagine that it is similar to having more than one child. You love each one for different reasons.

Mystic Pizza

56 W Main Street

Mystic, CT 06355

860-536-3700

Festival Food

Last weekend, we took a much needed vacation to New England for the 20th Annual Milford Pumpkin Festival in New Hampshire! We were lucky enough to be accompanied by the Silver family. Lots of fall fun was had. Foliage, pumpkins, food and even a zombie apocalypse! There was a haunted walk on Saturday night through a wooded area where zombies were on the loose! My kidlet was scared to death but she was still better than I was! I didn't even go in!

I did, however, partake in the food part!! We had all kinds of meals in all sorts of places since we took several day trips from New Hampshire. We stopped in Mystic, Conn on the way up. We took a trip to Salem, Mass on Sunday and on the way back home on Monday, we stopped in Brattleboro, Vermont. Vermont and Mystic will have a separate post! ;-)

For today, I will post about the seasonal goodness of the Pumpkin Festival. We had two special treats in particular that deserve to be mentioned....

Butternut squash bisque with cranberries. This stuff was incredible! The bread bowl really sealed the deal and it made the cold weather much more bearable.

This is cotton candy made out of maple syrup! There was a guy handing out free samples and I bet he snagged a lot of sales! He definitely hooked us! I also bought a bottle of syrup from him for a housewarming gift. When you go to New Hampshire or Vermont, you've gotta bring back some maple goodness!

The food wasn't the only star attraction. There was a giant pumpkin contest.

The winner weighed in at over 1,200 pounds! Wow!

We had so much fun! New England is so gorgeous in the fall and it's an ideal destination for a family trip! We're already talking about going back next year!

That Summer Feeling

I had the most delightful time in Asbury Park last night! I saw some great places, amazing fireworks and ate some incredible food!

My friend Eliezer works in Asbury Park and has been raving about this pizza place called Crust and Crumble for a while now! I tend to get let down eventually when this happens but this place was anything but crumby! When you live in New Jersey, it's hard to get excited about a new pizza place because everyone I know already has a favorite spot or two (I know I do!). Asbury Park doesn't have the friendliest reputation but this place is very veg friendly! There is something for everyone here! You can even get vegan cheese and faux meats on your pie! Ours had whole wheat crust, smoked mozzarella, BBQ sauce, fake sausage and caramelized onions. We have two slices in the fridge and we're going to have it for lunch today! Mmmmmm....

If that wasn't enough to send you over the edge, this might! Right next to the pizzeria is a friggin' fantastic retro kitchenware store!!! The place is called Flying Saucers and it is full of antique and quality reproductions. I planned to expand my jadeite collection but I saw a few vintage pieces that I had to have. Since the jadeite isn't going anywhere, I decided to grab the other stuff since I had no guarantee it would be back.

I've been wanting to get my hands on a Fire King Candle Glow dish for a while now and this one on the back right was too good to pass up. I scored it for $13. The three plates on the right are also a favorite pattern and I got them for $15. The prices at this place are quite reasonable! I got my husband an old version of the game Stratego. He was happy because his game is missing a piece. The shopping center also has an artesian glassworker. Chris got me a gorgeous pendant made of sea glass and it was really inexpensive. $18 for a handmade pendant. There are some great things to be found here! We even had our pictures made in an antique photo booth. The machine is about 40 years old and has been donated and restored.

The owls were a flea market find later on in the night. A sugar dish, plate and napkin holder. The guy let the set go for $3! I was in dish heaven when I got home! We stumbled upon the market on our way to the boardwalk to see fireworks. We were right down the street from the famous Stone Pony. The boardwalk was packed but we found a nice spot to lay down a blanket and chill. I'd seen fireworks the past few nights but I was glad I was there because it was a prime spot and I don't think I've ever been this close to the action before. For lack of a better term, we all had a blast! The weather was absolutely perfect too!

On the way back to the car, Shannon showed us some of the other galleries where they like to shop. I should mention that one of our favorite merchants from the farmers market is also located in Asbury Park. Twisted Tree decided not to come back this year but while you're in the area, I'd definitely make it a point to stop in for some delicious vegan vittles and baked goods. You can purchase many of their decadent dressings and spreads to take home.

Asbury Park doesn't have the best reputation but hopefully this latest effort to revitalize the area will work. I definitely look forward to coming back!

Crust & Crumble Pizzeria

658 Cookman Ave

Asbury Park, NJ

07712

Twisted Tree Cafe

609 Cookman Ave

Asbury Park, NJ

07712