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Posts by Mike
Chakra at James Beard 4/4/12
48 days
by Mike
in Restaurant
Rites of Spring
Multiple Chefs
Kevin Takafuji
Blue Morel Restaurant and Wine Bar/Morristown, NJ
Thomas Ciszak
Chakra Restaurant/Paramus, NJ
Celebrate spring at this whimsical, artfully conceived dinner prepared by chefs Thomas Ciszak and Kevin Takafuji. Playing off of their distinct culinary styles, the chefs have designed an extraordinary seasonal menu in which each course will showcase a traditional French dish paired with its modern iteration.
Event Details
Date: Wednesday April 4th 2012
Time: 7PM
Place: The James Beard House
Price: Members $130 / General Public $170
Book: Call 212.627.2308 to reserve
MENU
Hors d’Oeuvre
Cod Croquettes
Grilled Leeks
White Asparagus Soup
Orange Foam
Boudin Blanc
Caramelized Onions and Mustard Seeds
Mangalitsa Pancetta
Green Apple
Tuna Niçoise
Champagne Pol Roger
Brut Réserve NV
Each course will feature a dual preparation: one modern, one traditional.
Foie Gras Torchons
Lieutenant de Sigalas Sauternes 2007
Seafood Quenelles and Lobster
Jean-Paul Mollet Les Sables Pouilly-Fumé 2009
Organic Salmon en Croûte
Müller-Catoir Spätlese Scheurebe 2003
Tournedos Rossini
Domaine Michel Caillot Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2005
Rhubarb Tartlet
Cascina Castlèt Zeno Moscato d’Asti NV
Chakra
West 144 State Rt 4 Eastbound
Paramus, NJ 07652
(201) 556-1530
Let’s YO! Serves Up Frozen Yogurt With a Modern Twist in Marlton
50 days
by Mike
in Restaurant
Area resident Jim Emrich is responsible for opening Let’s YO! Yogurt, a fresh, all-natural frozen yogurt experience, which will open its doors on March 28, 2012 at 101 Route 73 South in Marlton. Situated in Marlton Crossing, Let’s YO! features self-serve frozen yogurt flavors at a weigh-and-pay price. Health conscious, trend forward consumers can enjoy their favorite desserts made from fresh dairy, and real fruit purees, appealing to all customers with a goal to enrich people’s lives with a healthy, nutritious frozen yogurt. The Let’s YO! atmosphere is socially minded –Apple iPads are strategically embedded into the furnishings and are hooked up to flat-screen, closed-circuit televisions within the shop, providing a live, constantly-update feed of the company’s social media networks.
Unique to the frozen yogurt industry, Let’s YO! is open for all three day parts and offers more than 50 varieties of fresh, puréed yogurt derived from a Midwest dairy farmer. Guests can choose from a variety of healthy toppings, including a fun, colorful assortment of toppings geared towards children, which features dominant brands such as Kashi and Bear Naked as well as a wide-selection of fresh fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and bananas. A coffee station featuring a specialty coffee brewer designed specifically for the Let’s YO! chain helps customers kick-start their day, offering cappuccinos, lattes, café mochas, dark brews, light brews and decaf coffee options.
Let’s YO! Yogurt of Marlton will be open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. For more information about Let’s YO! Yogurt or to find the nearest shop, please visit www.letsyoyogurt.com.
Let’s Yo
125 Route 73 S
Marlton, NJ 08053
(856) 751-8400
Regional Italian Wine Dinner and Easter at The Frog and The Peach
50 days
by Mike
in Restaurant
NEWS FROM THE FROG and THE PEACH
April 26, 2011
- Regional Italian Wine Dinner
- Easter
Regional Italian Wine Dinner
Great Wine and Food from Around the Peninsula
“Grand Finale” of our Italian Wine Class
Some of the Finest Wines from the Classes, Paired with Bruce’s Interpretation of Regional Dishes
Saturday April 14, 6:30 pm $125 all inclusive
Open to all ( you don’t need to have attended the classes) Reserve soon to assure a seat
Easter
Sunday April 8
Serving from Noon to 6PM
3 Course Prix Fixe
$49.50
Kids $19
Bring the family together to celebrate the holiday and the arrival of this glorious Spring.
Frog and the Peach
29 Dennis St
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(732) 846-3216
CUPS Frozen Yogurt – That’s Hot ™ Continues New Jersey Expansion with Morristown Opening on March 16
65 days
by Mike
in Restaurant
CUPS Frozen Yogurt, the beach-themed self-serve fro-yo concept, will open its fourth New Jersey location at 11 am on Friday, March 16 at 7 South Street in Morristown, New Jersey.
As part of the grand opening, the first 100 customers at the new Morristown location on Saturday, March 17 will receive a $10 CUPS gift card. Additionally, CUPS Facebook fans (http://www.facebook.com/cupsfrozenyogurt) can download and print out a coupon for free four ounces to be redeemed at the new Morristown CUPS. The coupon is good from March 16-April 30.
Since opening the first CUPS in Clifton, New Jersey in 2010, CUPS has taken the Tri-State area by storm, becoming the local hot spot forteenagers and adults alike who make their own fro-yo concoctions choosing from 24 yogurt flavors and over 50 different toppings and three sauces.
CUPS recently opened new locations in East Hanover and Bayonne. An East Brunswick CUPS will open in the next few months.
According to Rick Barbrick, President and COO of The Briad Group, and CUPS co-founder, CUPS is much more than great frozen yogurt; CUPS was designed around the experience.
“It’s more of a club like experience. We have loud dance music with lighting and murals that give us a little bit of an edgy vibe versus a normal yogurt bar or ice cream shop,” said Barbrick.
The Morristown CUPS will be open from 11 am to 10:30 pm, Sunday through Thursday and from 11 am to midnight on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 973-349-1188 or visit www.cupsfrozenyogurt.com.
About CUPS Frozen Yogurt:
Marry the beach party and bikinis with 21st century contemporary and you have CUPS Frozen Yogurt. This fun loving environment takes you back to the yellow polka dot bikini and beach party theme with a play on “Cups” in a slightly suggestive, irreverent, yet modern way.
Guests are charged by the ounce so no matter how you fill your “Cups,” you will always get a tasty treat at a great deal.
CUPS frozen yogurt products are Kosher certified by KOAOA Kosher and are made with live and active cultures, so they’re good for you too.
ANNUAL SPRING FEVER WINE & FOOD TASTING COMES TO MONMOUTH COUNTY AS BRANCHES IN W. LONG BRANCH HOSTS 24 WINERIES ON APRIL 1
It will be day of “foolish pleasure” on Sunday, April 1 from noon to 5 p.m. when the second annual Spring Fever Wine and Food Tasting event is held by the Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) at the elegant Branches in West Long Branch, presented by the Asbury Park Press, In Jersey and The Breeze 107.1.
This year, New Jersey’s first wine tasting event of the season will offer a sampling of more than 250 award winning New Jersey wines from 24 wineries and gourmet foods in an award-winning setting noted regionally for its elegance and attention to detail.
Admission is $25 per person at the door and includes valet parking and a souvenir wine glass. Attendees will be able to purchase wine by the bottle and case. Advance tickets are also available for $20 by going online at www.newjerseywines.com. All of the wines available for sampling have been locally produced and feature a number of gold, silver and bronze award winning vintages from major national competitions including the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, The Los Angeles County Fair Wine Competition, the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and the Beverage Testing Institute Wine Challenge.
The GSWGA, which represents 34 vineyards from all sections of the state, annually hosts a Labor Day weekend outdoor festival in Monmouth County at Allaire State Park in Farmingdale. Now, those wineries will be gathered together to sample their award-winning product at the state’s only indoor wine festival of Garden State wines.
“There will be something for everyone,” notes Ollie Tomasello, chairman of the Garden State Wine Growers Association and owner of Plagido’s Winery in Hammonton. “And there will be a number of new releases making their debut at Spring Fever as well,” he adds.
The Spring Fever event also comes exactly one month prior to the new law allowing the direct shipping of wine to consumer homes in New Jersey takes effect on May 1. Thus, attendees will not only have the chance to sample and purchase wine at Branches, but will be able to know they can now purchase wines directly from these establishments in the near future.
Winemakers will be offering a broad palette of wines from dry Bordeaux style with easily recognizable names as well as blends, to more fruity choices. Winemakers will also be offering up several fruit wines, including those made from locally farmed blueberries and cranberries and that have won international awards.
To purchase tickets in advance, visit http://www.newjerseywines.com/spring-fever-2012.html. For more information on the Garden State Wine Growers Association, visit www.newjerseywines.com.
New Zealand Wine Dinner 3/13 @ Chakra
71 days
by Mike
in Restaurant
Join Winemaker Greg Hay for a
Three-Course Dinner
Tuesday March 13th 2012
6:30PM
RECEPTION
RIESLING, MOHUA 2009
APPETIZER
Sea Salt Roasted Golden Beets
goat cheese, chervil, grapefruit
SAUVIGNON BLANC, Mohua 2010
ENTREE
Local Trout “Almondine”
cauliflower puree, fennel salad
PINOT GRIS, Peregrine 2008
DESSERT
Maytag Bleu Cheese
fig tart, walnut crostini
PINOT NOIR, Peregrine 2009
$52 per person (plus tax & gratuity)
All wines will be served as 2oz. Tasting Pours
All wines will be available by the glass (6oz) for an additional $6
Call for Reservations
201.556.1530
Seats are Limited
Chakra Restaurant
West 144 State Rt 4 Eastbound
Paramus, NJ 07652
(201) 556-1530
Garden State Craft Brewers Guild Newsletter – March 2012
Welcome to the Garden State Craft Brewers Guild Newsletter for March 2012 — keeping you posted on what’s brewing in New Jersey.
NJ Senate Committee Approves Small Brewer Bill 5-0
After a lot of give and take between the Guild and representatives of the beer wholesalers, liquor stores, restaurant association and liquor distributors, an amended version of our legislation cleared the committee 5-0. One of the big reasons for the vote was that each committee member’s office received more than 200 phone calls/emails from NJ consumers promoting the bill. We thank you for all your help.
There are still several more steps to go: vote in the full Senate, hearing/vote in the Assembly Committee, vote in the full Assembly and signature by the Governor. We’ll be reaching out to you to make your opinion heard before each of these steps. We’re hopeful that sometime later this year New Jersey will become a lot more friendly to craft brewers–and craft beer consumers.
JJ Bitting Introduces Commemorative Abbey Ale
On March 10th, as JJ Bitting Brewing Company celebrates 15 years in business, they will be introducing their commemorative Abbey Ale. It is an Abbey Single style (6.5% abv) dry hopped with Hallertau and fermented with Bastogne yeast. It is blonde in color and light in body carrying notes of plum and spice. The day will include a ceremonial tapping of a firkin (gravity pour) of this special ale to kick off the celebration.
For St. Patrick’s day JJ Bitting will be serving the “O’Halloran’s Irish Red Ale” (a slightly maltier libation with a different hop profile) to temporarily replace the ever-so-popular “Avenel Amber”. The “Barley Legal Barleywine” is already available at the taps weighing in at a hefty 9.1% and featuring flavors of vanilla, pear and an assertive (American) hop character. Also there will be the “Vintage XX Stout” (6.8%). This one has been aged for 4 months on oak and carries a distinctive tartness complimented by complex flavors of bitter chocolate and dried fruit. It’s a great one for those vintage beer enthusiasts.
Join Harvest Moon for 16th Anniversary Beer Dinner
The Harvest Moon will be hosting their 16th Anniversary Beer Dinner on Thursday, March 22 at 7pm. Cost is $40 per person and will include 4 specially prepared courses each paired with one their delicious craft beers. The menu should be available very soon on their website. Seats are limited and are already going fast so call soon to make your reservations — (732)249-6666.
Heading into March Harvest Moon has an Abbey Single, Paddy’s Irish Stout, Moonshine Barley Wine and Columbus Double IPA in addition to their usual brews. The first week in March should see the release of their Zythos Double IPA, followed towards the end of the month by a Belgian Triple.
Ramstein Maibock Debuts on Saturday 3/10
The High Point Brewing Company will debut its award winning Ramstein Maibock at their open house on Saturday, March 10 at 2 PM. They will be tapping a wooden barrel filled with Maibock. Currently, Ramstein Maibock is rated 100 points by Rate Beer.
The beer will be available for growler fills at the brewery and on draft in NJ, NY and PA. High Point brewery’s giftshop and tasting room is open for growler fills and samples from M-F 10am-6:30PM and Saturdays from 1-4PM (except on 10th, hours 2-5PM).
Gaslight Hosts Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Draught Night
Join Gaslight Brewery & Restaurant on Thursday, 3/8 for an Innis & Gunn Rum Cask draught night. Also, they are having a bus trip to Tap NY on Sunday April 29. Tickets are limited and going fast.
Gaslight beers for March:
- B.A. Massive
- Eliminator Honey Double Mai Bock
- Enkle Biter Belgian Single
Flying Fish Releases Exit 8 Chestnut Brown Ale
This long-delayed eighth stop on our multi-year trip to explore New Jersey though its beer and culture brings us to, coincidentally, Exit 8 and celebrates what puts the “Garden” in Garden State.
Did you know that New Jersey has more than 9,800 farms covering 790,000 acres? We’re in the top four nationally in blueberries, cranberries, spinach, peaches, bell peppers and head lettuce produced. Not bad for the most densely populated state. To celebrate Exit 8, one of our big farming areas, we’ve brewed a beer that uses a lost local ingredient chestnuts–and a popular current one–two varieties of local honey.
This full-bodied hybrid Belgian-style brown ale brings forward a nutty character from the chestnuts, accented by the flavors of honey, roasted barley and oat flakes. There’s a nice spiciness from the Mt. Rainier hops while the Chinooks add a touch of pine. Fuggles and Columbus round out the hop profile.
Exit 8 pairs perfectly with hearty foods like roast pork, sausages or a nice aged gouda.
Babe’s E.S.B. on Deck at Krogh’s
Krogh’s Restaurant & Brew Pub at 23 White Deer Plaza in Sparta will be introducing their latest Seasonal, Babe’s E.S.B. in the beginning of the month. They will be celebrating the “luck of the Irish” with their own Irish Stout for St. Patrick’s Day! Their Irish specials go well with their beer! And when April rolls around, Krogh’s has their “Best of Show” beer from the New Jersey State Fair — a maibok! Call them with questions or for reservations (973) 729-8428.
March Events
The Garden State Craft Brewers Guild website is continuously updated with new events. Check out the calendar to see what’s brewing in New Jersey this month.
We Need You to Help NJ Craft Brewers and Craft Beer Consumers
For the first time since craft brewing was legalized in New Jersey, there’s an opportunity for you to make a difference and help NJ brewers and consumers.
On Monday, March 5th, the New Jersey’s Senate Law and Public Safety Committee will meet to vote on S-641. The bill, developed by the Garden State Craft Brewers Guild, will give all craft brewers in the state more flexibility in how, when and where they sell and promote their beer. Current regulations highly restrict what NJ brewers can do–especially when compared to the surrounding states of NY, PA and DE.
This will lead to a healthier environment for small brewers and more choices for craft beer consumers.
By Friday, March 2nd, please contact the 5 members of the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (listed below) to let them know that you support the legislation as a craft beer consumer and ask them to VOTE YES on the bill.
For your information, Committee Chairman Donald Norcross is already a co-prime sponsor of the legislation. You should thank Chairman Norcross for his sponsorship and for allowing the bill to be voted on in committee on the 5th.
When calling the other members of the committee, you should comment on how this bill will help small brewers continue to create jobs, improve tourism opportunities and cut needless red tape. From the consumer perspective, you should comment on how the bill will allow you to have better access to the locally made craft beers you love and want more of.
Remember, please call or e-mail these members by Friday, March 2nd to make sure your voice is heard and your support for S-641 is registered.
Thank you for your continued support of New Jersey’s craft brewers.
Garden State Craft Brewers Guild
Members of the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee
Norcross, Donald – Chair
Audubon Commons Shopping Center
130 Blackhorse Pike
1st Floor
Suite D-3
Audubon, NJ 08106
(856) 547-4800
sennorcross@njleg.org
Greenstein, Linda R. – Vice-Chair
7 Centre Dr.
Suite 2
Monroe, NJ 08831-1565
(609) 395-9911
sengreenstein@njleg.org
Bateman, Christopher
36 East Main St.
Somerville, NJ 08876
(908) 526-3600
senbateman@njleg.org
Holzapfel, James W
852 Highway 70
Brick, NJ 08724
(732) 840-9028
senholzapfel@njleg.org
Sacco, Nicholas J.
9060 Palisade Ave.
North Bergen, NJ 07047
(201) 295-0200
sensacco@njleg.org
Thanks for your support of New Jersey’s small brewers.
Mompou Presents – Fine Wines From Portugal – Wednesday March 7th., 2012
80 days
by Mike
in Restaurant
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