New Jersey – Writing With My Mouth Full

Where to eat in Englewood, New Jersey: Nisi Estiatorio

I was attracted to Nisi after a press release came in about their Easter weekend special: lamb on a spit. I’ve been around many pigs and cows on spits before but never a whole lamb, so I jumped on the chance to partake during one of the biggest Greek religious holidays of the year. For some reason, I had a picture in my head that we’ll be on New Jersey greenery whiling away our Sunday afternoon with drinks in hand. Not so. The lamb were definitely roasting on spits just outside the restaurant, but they were along a busy main road next to the parking lot. We didn’t really spend any time outside watching the lamb cook because it seemed silly to be standing on hot concrete when there were white tablecloths waiting inside the spacious and airy restaurant. I was disappointed, for sure, but I soon got over my expectations when the food started to come in.

The grilled sardines were superb with capers and only a drizzle of lemon juice and good olive oil. Grilled sardines made me happy when I was in Tunisia–the closest I’ve ever been to the Mediterranean–and I can’t wait for the day when I finally go to Crete and someone’s grandma will feed me the same dish on the beach. The octopus was so tender, it disappeared in under five minutes.

The magiritsa, a soup made of lamb offal, was the most delicious soup I’ve had in a long time. Thick from the avgolemono, or egg-lemon mixture, and rich from the lamb parts stewing for several hours, it made me want to have the flu just so I can eat a whole pot of it. It’s that kind of soup that would make you feel so much better if you were under the weather. The sweetbread was soft and rich and we couldn’t get enough of the carp roe mousse with ground almonds and the roasted eggplant spread.

When the roasted lamb was finally served, we were glad to see some of the best parts on our plates. It was amazing to me how the lamb was cooked evenly just outside the restaurant. I grew up experiencing roasting animals as a part of a bigger event and I was pretty impressed that this could be done at Nisi without the hoopla of an entire village partaking in the process.

I have to mention something about the service. When we first walked in, we were taken aback at how formal everything looked. We felt out of place because we were the only couple in the entire restaurant; everyone else was seated with their big families. Our waiter, however, made us feel relaxed. He gave us tidbits about Greek food: the red egg on the traditional braided bread, or tsoureki, symbolizes the blood of Christ and the renewal of life, while the magiritsa is eaten to break the 40-day fast undertaken by Greeks during Lent. He was also very helpful in guiding us through which Greek wines matched our meal. He encouraged us to order per glass since we expressed our limited knowledge in Greek grapes and he happily poured us small tastes to steer us towards the best-tasting ones.

We might not have danced or screamed opa! that weekend, but because the food harmoniously came together, we felt like we had our own celebration of Greek Easter at Nisi.

Nisi Estiatorio is at 90 Grand Avenue in Englewood, New Jersey. Call them at 201/567.4700 and ask the next time they roast lamb outside.

Where to eat in Jersey City, New Jersey: Dosa Hut

My first exposure to dosas was from Hampton Chutney and, I must admit, wasn’t the most authentic. I still like eating at Hampton Chutney once in a while even though they’re overpriced and I’ve since searched for good, and less expensive, dosas in the city. Shit, I’ve even spent several hours trying to make a Nepalese version at home.

My parents and I met up with Honey and Paolo in Jersey City to check out a Filipino man in the suburbs who apparently can give you the same diagnosis as a chiropractor and help you as much as a physical therapist can. My father has always complained of lower back problems; my mother almost broke her hip and wrist when she fell off a ladder; I still have a busted left knee from hiking the Pyrenees. He didn’t accept any kind of payment–though we ended up buying tocino and longanisa from the wife who makes them at home–so we didn’t see any harm in visiting him.

An hour later, we were famished. Honey drove us to Dosa Hut for lunch where I introduced my parents to vegetarian meals that actually made them full. My parents, always hard to please, refer to all kinds of South Asian food as “Bombay”. They’ve never seen a dosa before and wouldn’t be able to tell one curry from the next. So when I ordered, I asked the lady behind the counter what made their “special dosa” special. It contained cabbage, green bell peppers and onions and was fit for two people. The flavor wasn’t as special as the classic dosa however, stuffed with cheese and parsley. It didn’t seem much at first, but it was deliciously light yet still filling. The crepe itself was crisp and the different chutneys gave my folks a good education about dips outside of the usual Filipino soy sauce and vinegar.

Oh, my left knee has been okay since that visit.

Dosa Hut is at 777 Newark Avenue in Jersey City, New Jersey and is all vegetarian. You can call them at 201/420.6660.

Where to eat in Palisades Park, New Jersey: So Moon Nan Jip

Dave drove the group to Dae Ga on Lemoine Avenue in Fort Lee, New Jersey where it was dark and, well, out of business. We didn’t have a Plan B even though the surrounding streets were peppered with Korean signs, so Dave called his brother-in-law who seemed to know all of the Korean bars and restaurants in the area. Without hesitation, he told us to keep driving to Palisades Park where it is now more Koreatown than Flushing, Queens and eat at So Moon Nan Jip.

The place was buzzing at 6:30pm on a Sunday night but we only waited for five minutes before we were seated in the back under a silver hood. Banchans were laid out and the hot coals were brought out for our barbecue. We were enveloped in smoked as we hungrily ate the kalbi with steaming bowls of white rice and discussed what our last meals would be if we were in death row. (Lamb chops for the Dr.; my dad’s Filipino sinigang for me) We also ordered the daegu muhri tang, a satisfying cod fish head stew. The bowl of naeng myun, or cold noodle soup, didn’t pass Dave’s test, but the grilled kalbi bones were a hit. A bottle of soju and OB beers were opened and shared.

I don’t go to New Jersey too much but now I have more reason to: Korean food across the George Washington bridge is so much better than the city’s.

So Moon Nan Jip is at 238 Broad Avenue in Palisades Park, New Jersey. Call them at 201/944.3998.

Where to eat in Fort Lee, New Jersey: So Kong Dong

Soondooboo is Korean for the tofu that doesn’t go through the process of compression. It’s soft, silky and slushy, and dear lord, it’s the perfect spicy stew after a long day under the hot, beating sun. Soondooboo chigae, or soft tofu stew, is usually made with minced pork or clams and then flavored with garlic, scallions, sesame oil and the ubiquitous red pepper powder. Everything is boiled over intense heat using a ceramic pot that doubles as a serving a bowl. Raw eggs are served with it so that you may plop one in to add to the broth’s consistency.

If you ask Koreans where to get the best soondooboo in Los Angeles, I would be surprised if they didn’t say So Kong Dong on West Olympic. I’m still not sure if the two restaurants are related; I’m just glad we have one in the east coast.

So Kong Dong is at 130 Main Street in Fort Lee, New Jersey. You can’t reserve a table and there’s a bit of a wait on weekends, but you can call 201/242.0026 and order ahead for pick-up.

Where to eat in Princeton, New Jersey: Olives

I never thought I’d eat the best Reuben sandwich in Princeton, New Jersey. We drank until 4am during the reunion party, so we were naturally hungry after only a few hours’ sleep. We stopped by Olives to look for breakfast but instead we salivated and bought a big lunch.

A Reuben sandwich is made of grilled rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing. It doesn’t sound much–Thousand Island dressing? That’s so 1980s!–but Olives made their version look so good that we had to order it for our first meal of the day. The bread was grilled with butter which made it even tastier. It remained crunchy and toasty until we had our last bite. The Swiss cheese melted as we split it in two. Melted cheese in a grilled sandwich always brings back pleasant high school cafeteria memories. The corned beef? Superb. I could only think of Wylie Dufresne’s corned beef carpaccio as I devoured my half.

The dolmades, or stuffed grape leaves, were also delicious, especially with the orzo with grilled vegetables and pine nuts. I wasn’t exactly in the mood for Mediterranean food, but then again, I also wasn’t aware I could find a satisfying meal in Princeton, New Jersey. Sometimes, life is full of nice surprises.

Olive’s Deli & Bakery is at 22 Witherspoon Street in Princeton, New Jersey. There are no tables inside, but you can call 609/921.1569 and order ahead for pick-up.