Eastern Eats: Part III

Our last day was Sunday and keeping in line with our main objective of the trip (eating and drinking), we had to go out with a bang.  Back in Jersey and after a long day of graduation festivities on Saturday we decided it was in order to have a nice brunch and some breakfast drinks to take the edge off.

My Aunt had foreseen that a brunch would be necessary and had made reservations at Langosta Lounge in Asbury Park.  The place was in a very scenic location - right on the boardwalk, across the street from the Stone Pony (The Boss's old stomping grounds) and right down the way from the Asbury Park Convention Hall (as seen in 'The Wrestler').   It was a grey, rainy day but that only added to the character of this town that has gone from nice, to seedy, to nice again throughout the years.  Thanks in part to the current redevelopment that is going on, we found ourselves walking into a bright, airy and eclectic restaurant to feast on brunch fare with a lobster twist.

The menu had a lot to choose from - everything from Stuffed French Toast to Eggs Marion, which was poached eggs on an english muffin topped with asparagus and lobster.  All the dishes sounded new and exciting, but I finally settled on Papusas and Garlic Shrimp and Bob went for the Lobster Enchiladas.  For the table we got an order of the Lobster Mac and Cheese that had come highly recommended by my aunt.

The service was kind of slow, but we didn't really mind because we had Mango Mimosas and some of the best Bloody Mary's that we had ever tasted to tide us over.  Plus, the Lobster Mac came out pretty quickly and went down even quicker.  It was a tasty blend of creamy artisan cheeses, sweet lobster meat and Garden State fresh peppers, corn and tomato.  We all decided that a few bites of this Langosta delicacy were not enough and promptly ordered another round.

After the Lobster Mac had come and gone from my life I felt comforted by the fact that I still had my Papusas to look forward to.  When they were finally placed in front of me, I cut into the little cornmeal cake stuffed with cheese and lovingly placed one of the tender, white wine marinated shrimps on top and prepared my taste buds for landing.  I was not disappointed - it was like my little food plane exploded with exotic flavor.  After that first bite the Papusas disappeared pretty quickly, almost like they had vanished into thin air.

Bob's food took a little longer to arrive, so everyone at the table decided that they would share a bit of their plates with Bob.  I think he had a bit of everyone's food before his Lobster Enchiladas arrived.  Being half-full, it took him a bit of time to finish his plate, but sure enough he had polished his plate off in his normal fashion.  I know it was good because he didn't really say much in between bites, probably because he had a lot of catching up to do.

Although we were all stuffed, someone at the table insisted upon dessert.  Bread Pudding and a scoop of ice cream.  Even though I was very full, I can attest that dessert was well worth it.

After dining, we headed back to my Aunt's house to sleep away our food-induced grogginess and prepare for heaven on earth:  Kelly's Reuben Sandwiches.  After completing our naps and making an effort to create a new hunger, we headed back to Kelly's (our favorite Neptune bar). We sat in the corner and ordered our beers and sandwiches.  We also started off with some Potato soup which was damn fine.  Now it was sandwich time.  You can either have a half Reuben or a full Reuben.  For a normal person, a half is more than enough.  Bob and I split a full.  When the Reuben arrived at the table, everyone's eyes lit up at the giant mound of cheese, underneath which lay a plentiful amount of corned beef and rye bread.  Between sips of beer and mouthfuls of Reuben deliciousness, we began to reach the limits of what our stomaches could take.  Full from brunch, but unrelenting in pleasing our palates with delicious sandwich goodness, we pushed on.  Needless to say that we came up a little short in our efforts to clean our plates.  Defeated, stuffed and weary we knew that a trip back to Kelly's would be necessary next time we are in Jersey in order to avenge our appetites for the most delicious Reuben in the states.

Well, that wraps up our trip. The next day we waddled onto the plane. Luckily, we both still could fit in one seat.

Eastern Eats: Part II

On the second day of our trip exploring the traditions, foods, people, cultures, history, architecture, sites, music, flora and fauna of the eastern region of this great country we packed up the car and headed to Pennsylvania.  We had been to Pennsylvania before and were excited to return.  How could you not like the state that is home to steel, Scranton, City Tavern, The Liberty Bell, the Amish, Yuengling, and many universities (we passed a zillion en route from Jersey to our point of destination).  Although there were many universities, we had a special one in mind that we wanted to visit- West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. This is because in West Chester was my phantom cousin, Kelly, the only person in my family Bob had yet to meet and this cousin was the reason for our trip - she was graduating from college!

When we got to West Chester, home to everyone's favorite Jackass (no it's not Bob) Bam Margera, we checked into our hotel.  Kelly came over soon after with an 18-pack of beer and with that simple gesture, she endeared herself to Bob. So, we talked, drank and readied ourselves for steppin' out on the town.

The first stop was Iron Hill Brewing Co. located in this quaint little college town.  Food and more beer time!  The interior of the restaurant was nice and dark with some pretty cool paintings on the walls.  Seated right by the kitchen, we could see plenty of action, as well as, some of the dishes that were being prepared.  We were actually surprised by what they had on the menu since we had a preconceived notion that the place was going to only be bar fare due to the fact that the place was a brewery.

They had plenty of Iron Hill beers on tap in a wide variety: Lagers, Stouts, IPA, etc.  Although we love beer, we didn't really get into doing a tasting and comparison of each other's beers due to the fact we were already a little fueled up from the aforementioned case of beer at the hotel. We were hungry and were pleased when our appetizers arrived.  Calamari with a cilantro cream sauce and teriyaki chicken wraps.

The calamari was nice and crispy with an amazing sauce that neither of us had encountered before.  Bob had his fair share, as calamari is one of his favorite tasty morsels.  The wraps were also really good as the lettuce and other veggies were nice and fresh (maybe right off the wagon from Lancaster).  Along with the teriyaki sauce, there was a peanut-based sauce that added a delicious twist.

I ordered the Swordfish with Herb Aioli and Bob ordered the Pork Tenderloin Medallions.  The swordfish was fresh with a lemon pepper crust and the aioli added a nice kick.  Coupled with the fish was Potato Croquets and a bed of peppers and onions.  Delish!

I'm not a huge fan of pork, but Bob is a connoisseur of our little curly tailed friend so he was fired up when his large serving of Pork Tenderloin Medallions appeared in front of him.  He stared down lovingly at his stack of breaded pork covered with a delicate sauce of corn, potato and other diced goodies and dove right in.  I could tell Bob's food must have been pretty good since he was doing a lot of chewing with his eyes closed while making noises of a foodie in bliss. Oink, oink!

After dinner it was time for a nightcap or ten.  Right as we came out of the front door of the restaurant, we spied a seemingly authentic Irish bar named Kildare's.  We like Irish-themed bars, so we didn't hesitate and crossed the street like any Irish people would who knew a fine pint and some spirits were a few feet away - quickly! 

Kildare's had a true Irish look, mimicking that of a Pub you would find in the heart of Ireland. The bar, seating, walls, etc. all were made up of a dark wood that looked as if it were shipped in from Ireland years ago.  I was impressed with the décor, they even used gaelic on the front window to let any wayward Irishman know that Kildare's was an establishment where he would be at home.  I had an Irish coffee to get going again, since I was near food coma and Bob enjoyed a handful of Guinnesses.  Kelly, Bob and myself found ourselves settling in and looking forward to an evening of drinking and conversing in our little corner of the little pub.

As we sat and talked while waiting for Kelly's boyfriend, we noticed that a lot of young people were entering the bar.  The kind of people that were looking for a party.  The kind of people that didn't look like they were just heading in for some Guinness and warm conversation. People that didn't look like they were entering Kildare's to enjoy it's authentic look and feel. These people were there to grind uglies and listen to horrible music.  Alas, the authenticity of Kildare's was slipping away.  From Irish bar to obnoxious college kids dance party, we were all heartbroken.  Shortly after, we found out the place was one of many Kildare's in a chain of these faux-pubs.  We were fooled.  Bamboozled.  Hoodwinked.  This was not an Irish bar.  It was a front for sweaty dance parties that used the guise and goods of Ireland to trap unsuspecting barflies like ourselves to spend money during the early evening when the dance floor was empty.

How did we get home that night? Well I'm glad you asked, my cousin sent us off on a drunk van with all the liquored up college kids, lovingly provided by Kildare's well after 2am. How was the graduation the next morning at 9am? Well, that's a stupid question - you all know the answer to that one.

Tunesday: Lucero

Well, it's that time of year where Lucero comes to town.  Definitely one of our favorite bands to see and indulge plenty of booze while watching them go off.  Lucero is from Tennessee and they combine a bit of a country feel with some blazing rockin'.  It's hard to explain or express the awesomeness of seeing these guys live, but the gravelly voice of Ben Nichols and the tone of Brian's guitar tell it all alongside with lyrics about drinking and women, you can't go wrong.

We'll be seeing them twice this week and enjoying it.  See you out there.

Here's a clip from one of their DVD's that gives you a good glimpse of what they're all about.

Eastern Eats: Part I

This past weekend we were in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  Before you say, 'Oh, I'm sorry', let us just set you straight - New Jersey is awesome once you get past the concrete, industrial jungle of Newark, which is, often times, all people have to base their judgement upon.  People heading to New York on business, or for pleasure, fly into Newark Int'l Airport take one look around, assume that what they see is representative of the whole state and then go forward to propagate the myth that Jersey is somehow inferior to whatever square state they're coming from.  Well, let us just say we're from Los Angeles and we would hope that visitors would not assume that the whole state is like the city of Compton, if that happened to be the first thing they saw.  After spending much time in the Garden State and especially after this trip, we are convinced people put Jersey down because they are threatened by it.  Jersey has gorgeous beaches, quaint towns, amazing food and breeds some of the world's finest talent (Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, etc.).

The reason for our journey east was for Alison's Cousin's graduation and her Nana's 80th birthday.  We flew in on a Thursday and when we arrived at her grandparent's house we were weary and in need of sustenance.  See, our flight was fine (despite the swine flu frenzy and the fact that if you so much as sniffled people looked at you like you were a leper), but our shuttle to the Jersey shore was long, very long.  There is really no other way to describe it, other than to say our driver was just stupid and it took him about 45 minutes to do a head count before we could even leave the airport.

All was forgotten, however, the moment we stepped foot into Al's Grandparent's house and smelled the feast laid out in front of us from Pete and Elda's:  pizza, New England clam chowder and Italian chopped salad.  We would argue that the pizza in New Jersey is the best.  It's like eating cheese and crackers, and who doesn't like cheese and crackers?  Many people from New Jersey and New York have migrated west and brought thin crust pizza with them, but it is just not the same.  It must be something in the water because when you hold up a piece of thin crust pizza in L.A. it is limp and flops over like a you-know-what.  When you hold up a piece of Pete and Elda's pizza it is erect, well, like a you-know-what.  A piece of Pete and Elds's pie is perfect; thin, crispy crust, a light smathering of sauce and perked up with some sausage and pepper.  If you never get to Jersey for some cheese and crackers, you leave us no choice but to call you a mook. You mook!

Shortly after we devoured our first meal upon our arrival east, we decided it was time to wash it down with some delicious beverages at our favorite watering hole:  Kelly's Tavern.  We fell in love with Kelly's on our first visit to Jersey due to their amazing bar and delicious open-faced Reuben sandwich (more on that later).  Kelly's was founded by an Irish family and is very heavily decorated with an Irish flare.  Right up our alley.  They have an amazingly long wooden bar that looks like something you would find when visiting a pub on the Emerald Isle.  Well, despite the bar being long and expansive, the service is remarkable.  From the moment you order a beer, to the moment it arrives in front of you, there is hardly a moment to develop a thirst.  Not only are their servers quick, but they're also pretty entertaining.

Our bartender personally took it upon himself to school us on the proper pronunciation of Smithwick's.  'Smiddicks' he would yell, 'Smiddicks!' Then he would go to each of us and make sure we said it correctly... there's no time to press your tongue against your teeth when thirsty at Kelly's.

Our bartender also took a shine to Al's Uncle when he found out that he was born and raised in Jersey and visiting from California.  'That's my BOY!' our bartender yelled, when Al's Uncle expressed his happiness to be back in Jersey.

As time drew closer to closing time, Al's Dad decided that it would be a good idea to have an Irish Car Bomb.  See, Al's Dad was unaware of what a Car Bomb was, but when he saw the fun a group of guys were having while pounding their drinks, he decided that he should indulge in the fun too.  Al's Dad and I raised our glasses and tipped them toward the ceiling in honor of his first bomb and our trip to Joisey. We downed our Guinness, Irish whiskey and Bailey's blend, although half of mine ended up on my shirt.

Next up... Pennsylvania delicious dishes and an Irish Pub that turned dance party.

Tunesday: Schaefer

Normally I like to put up a band that I think is worth sharing due to their great musical prowess,  message and presence.  Today I am going commercial.  A great commercial with a great message... and even a pretty good jingle.

While back on the East Coast, Alison's Dad and Uncle started talking about an old beer ad they remember when they were growing up.  Suddenly Alison's Dad starts into song, followed in harmony by her Uncle.  Not only was I amazed that the two were singing an old beer commercial, but that this was the tag line sang in the song: "The beer to have when you're having more than one."