Category Archives: Dining

Dining, General

Give Me Liberty! Liberty Bar & Grill Sports Lounge – 26 TVs and Great Food

liberty bar and restaurant
By Sally Deering
On 14th Street in Hoboken, you’ll find lots of hip restaurants and bars to hang out in and Liberty Bar & Grill Sports Bar between Washington and Hudson Streets is a standout especially when it comes to good food.

Walk into Liberty Bar & Grill and you know immediately you’ve landed in a sports bar with the 26 TVs lining the walls and hanging over the large circular bar in the middle of the room. There are cozy booths for couples and parties of four, and high-top tables and chairs for girls and guys who want to get together for some serious flirting.
Owner Dawn Kaplan opened Liberty Bar & Grill in 1998 and it wasn’t until she had some guests in from Pittsburg that Liberty discovered its identity as a Sports Bar, she says.
“I had some guys from Pittsburg that came to Hoboken and wanted to start a Steelers Club and they would come in and watch the Steelers,” Kaplan says. “That’s what prompted us to become a sports bar. So many Steelers fans came in; we just kept it as a sports bar.”
Continue reading Give Me Liberty! Liberty Bar & Grill Sports Lounge – 26 TVs and Great Food →

Dining

Dining: restaurant VIEWS -Something’s Sizzling in Jersey City at Golden Grille

 TheGoldenGrillepic4  Golden Grille Heats Up Newark Avenue with Charcoal Barbecue Grilling

 By Sally Deering

 Jersey City’s urban dwellers can stop longing for that backyard to set up the barbecue grill. Rain or shine, you can now head over to the Golden Grille on Newark Avenue for some tasty charcoal-broiled barbecue pork ribs, chicken, steak and seafood.

Located on the corner where Monmouth Street meets Newark Avenue, the Golden Grille opened its doors a month ago to bring Fusion Churrascaria to an already busy neighborhood. The owners of the new Golden Grille transformed this corner location– it used to be a dessert place – into a hip 26-seat bistro with a contemporary design and house specialty: Fusion Churrascaria – charcoal grilled meats with a smoky barbecue flavor that’s mouth-wateringly delicious (think Brazilian/Portuguese barbecue).  Golden Grille also serves seafood and pasta and all the dishes are made with fresh ingredients.

Continue reading Dining: restaurant VIEWS -Something’s Sizzling in Jersey City at Golden Grille →

Dining

La Reggia Restaurant, Banquets & Lounge Fine Italian Dining at “The Little Italy of Secaucus”

By Sally Deering

 

The beautful dining room at La Reggia Restaurant in Secaucus
The beautful dining room at La Reggia Restaurant in Secaucus

When you step inside La Reggia restaurant in Secaucus your senses are seized by the distinct aromas of fine Italian cheeses and a warm and inviting atmosphere where tables are dressed in white linens and the wait staff is dressed in long white aprons – an homage to fine European restaurants where food and service are of the highest caliber.  

 Once you are seated at one of those beautifully dressed tables in the warm glow of La Reggia’s inviting dining room, you can understand why it’s affectionately called “The Little Italy of Secaucus.” 

 La Reggia serves Italian-American cuisine prepared with only the freshest vegetables, seafood and meats that go straight from the marketplace to the chef’s kitchen and then to your plate.  Co-owners Chef Enzo Carputo and Alfonso Corbosiero set the standards high at La Reggia and ever since it opened its doors in 1998, those standards continue to be met.

 Chef Enzo creates exquisite Italian dishes that surprise, impress and ultimately satisfy beyond expectation. In his own words, “I want to educate the people, I want them to know what real Italian Food is,” he says.

Born in Naples, Italy, Enzo Carputo came to the U.S. in 1980 and settled down in New Jersey. He learned to cook at a young age and his talent led to a career as Executive Chef for several fine restaurants where his dishes earned Five-Star ratings. At La Reggia, Chef Enzo will sometimes step away from the stove to visit with the guests in his dining room. Continue reading La Reggia Restaurant, Banquets & Lounge Fine Italian Dining at “The Little Italy of Secaucus” →

Dining, General

SKYLARK ON THE HUDSON NOW OPEN AFTER SUPERSTORM SANDY CLOSING


Like many businesses near the water in NJ, Skylark on the Hudson located in Jersey City’s Newport section had to undergo a round of renovations after receiving water damage from Superstorm Sandy. Within the last 5 months slowly, we have seen restaurants and retail life come back strong along the Hudson River, and this is a prime example!

What’s interesting is that Constantine Katsifis, owner and NJ restaurateur, turned the temporary closing into an opportunity: he refreshed Skylark’s menu and hired a new chef, Darryl Harmon. Chef Harmon, a native of South Jersey, will be using his local roots and culinary skills to enhance Skylark’s Jersey-focused, farm-to-table menu, which supports area farms by using their in-season fruits and vegetables.

www.skylarkonthehudson.com
Phone: (201) 533-8989
Hours of Operation: Brunch: Saturday – Sunday: 9:00am – 1:45pm
Lunch: Monday – Friday: 11:00am – 4:00pm
Dinner: Sunday: 2:00pm – 10:00pm
Monday – Thursday: 4:00pm – 11:00pm
Friday : 4:00pm – 11:30pm
Saturday: 4:00 – 11:30pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Dining

Hearty Fare, Cool Drinks and Lasses in Plaid -A Peek inside the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery

 By Sally Deering

 

 At the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery in Hoboken, owner Nirav Patel gives his customers a big bang for their buck: hearty portions, an extensive beer list and 39 flatscreen TVs.  As an added bonus, the waitresses don uniforms that are a mix of Scottish lass and sports bar hottie. It’s all in good taste, Patel says. He prefers to compare the Tilted Kilt to the bar on TVs “Cheers” a neighborhood hangout where everybody knows your name.

 “We’re a pub,” Patel says on a recent afternoon. “I’m not into the Hooters thing.  I’m the brother of three sisters and my sisters come here all the time because the food is amazing. In fact my middle sister is my partner in the Jersey City Tilted Kilt I’m opening. I would never do this concept if it was degrading to women.”

 And although the waitresses are eye-catching in their plaid uniforms, the dishes are the stars at the Tilted Kilt served in portions that are flavorful and generous. Continue reading Hearty Fare, Cool Drinks and Lasses in Plaid -A Peek inside the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery →

Dining

Breakfast at Midnight-You Can Get Anything You Want at the Coach House Diner/Restaurant 24/7

 

By Sally Deering –

 Coach house diner sign river view observer jan 30 2013Maybe it’s the shiny chrome and vinyl-covered stools at the counters that lure us in? It might be the stacks of luscious layer cakes slathered in icing in the pastry cases? Or maybe it’s the bountiful menus that offer flavor-fests of choices that you can mix and match – like chocolate chip pancakes with a side of spaghetti – and the waiter doesn’t question your sanity. I’m talking about the All American Diner. And each one has its own mystique, a noir-esque appeal that draws us in like an Edward Hopper painting.

 Diners and Jerseyians go together like a burger with fries and here in Hudson, we have some of the best diners in the state including The Coach House on Kennedy Boulevard in North Bergen which opened in 1939 and stays open 24/7. Coach House Owner Nicholas Pappas and General Manager Constantine “Gus” Tountas don’t even have a key to the front door.

 The Coach house exterior touched upWhen Clem Pappas opened his diner back then it was a train car-sized eatery where the grill was behind the counter and a cube steak sandwich cost 5 cents. More than 70 years and several renovations and expansions later, the Coach House is a sprawling diner/restaurant and popular go-to destination that features a bar and lounge area that’s a “Happy Hour” hotspot with HD TVs and cozy nooks.

 “It’s a neat place to have a drink,” Pappas says.

Bar at Coach House Restaurant in North Bergen Riveer View Observer Jan 30th, 2013
The Coach House Bar

The diner area features a counter with stools, rows of roomy booths, two pastry cases and a terrific salad bar that’s a customer favorite and an expanded dining room for those who like that restaurant feel. The menu offers old diner standbys like burgers, sandwiches; eggs, omelets. pancakes; steaks, chops, pastas; and for a change of pace, all sorts of daily specials where old recipes sometimes become new again.

 Recently Pappas had the idea to go back in time and view older Coach House menus to see what dishes were popular. He remembered a German chef at Coach House who, Pappas says, made “the best sauerbraten” and other traditional German dishes like loin of pork. Customers seem to have nostalgia for these dishes, Pappas says.    photo by Sally Deering Continue reading Breakfast at Midnight-You Can Get Anything You Want at the Coach House Diner/Restaurant 24/7 →

Dining, General

Jersey City’s Newest Restaurant, Loradella’s Family Pizzeria, to Open in Newport

River View Observer Staff 

Jersey City, N.J. (Jan. 15, 2013) – Jersey City’s booming waterfront will get its first family-style Italian restaurant this month when Loradella’s Family Pizzeria opens at 126 River Dr., a 4,000-square-foot, ground-floor retail space at Newport’s Aquablu apartment tower. Owned by George and Lorraine Arthur, the new Italian eatery will be the 16th addition to The Restaurants at Newport, a diverse collection of upscale to fast casual restaurants located at Newport, the LeFrak Organization’s mixed-use development community on the Hudson River in Jersey City.

“George and I were looking to start a new project and discovered Newport at the recommendation of our chef and manager, Adel, who lives nearby. We immediately fell in love with the location,” said Lorraine Arthur, co-owner of Loradella’s Family Pizzeria. “At Loradella’s, we hope to bring Newport a family-friendly atmosphere and good food at a reasonable price. We know the kids are going to love the arcade too.” Continue reading Jersey City’s Newest Restaurant, Loradella’s Family Pizzeria, to Open in Newport →

Dining

Calling all Foodies! Hudson Restaurant Week and A Taste of Hoboken invite Foodies to Feast

 By Sally Deering

GP's Restaurant located in downtown Jersey City. One of the 35 restaurants participating in this year's Hudson Restaurant Week.
GP’s Restaurant located in downtown Jersey City. One of the 35 restaurants participating in this years Hudson Restaurant Week.

It’s January and the winter blahs are knocking on the door, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit home with another Lean Cuisine. Why not skip the frozen dinner, throw on your overcoat and head out for some yummy neighborhood dining during Hudson Restaurant Week and a night of yummy delights at A Taste of Hoboken. Both events are a terrific way to spice up these cold wintery days – and nights.

 On Tues, Jan. 22, A Taste of Hoboken, the Hoboken-North Hudson YMCA’s annual gala fundraiser celebrates its 22nd anniversary. It will be held at Stevens Institute of Technology’s Canavan Arena in Hoboken with 40 restaurants, bakeries and cafes participating. These eateries will be offering tasty bites from the dishes on their menus and some chef surprises, too.  And for the first time since A Taste of Hoboken started all those years ago guests will have the opportunity to sample beer and wine from all over the world.  Continue reading Calling all Foodies! Hudson Restaurant Week and A Taste of Hoboken invite Foodies to Feast →

Dining

Bayonne’s Bella Sorrellas, a Fine Italian Restaurant

    Italian Cuisine served with a Whole Lotta Love

 By Sally Deering

 

Bella Sorrellas Restaurant Bayonne
David Rivera, owner, Bella Sorrellas

Bayonne has its share of Italian restaurants and Bella Sorrellas on the corner of 50th Street and Broadway, stands out from the crowd with a menu of classic Italian dishes served with a home-style flair. Owner David Rivera opened Bella Sorrellas three years ago where the old Welcome Inn used to be. The son of Ana and Demetrio “Lumen” Rivera, David grew up watching his father run his Jersey City restaurants: The Seagulls Bar & Grill on Communipaw Ave; The Old San Juan on Jersey Ave; and The Fan Bar on Grove – and he knew early on he wanted to be a restaurateur like his dad.

“I was about 5 and my father picked me up at school and took me to his restaurant, The Seagulls,” Rivera recalls. “I went behind the bar and started cleaning the glasses. He asked me what I was doing and I said, ‘I want to be like you’ and he hugged me and said ‘One day you will.’ Since I was 16 I worked with him after school and through college.”

Rivera worked ten years as transportation supervisor for Christ Hospital in Jersey City and decided he wanted to go back to the restaurant business.

Chef Leo Compi formerly of Just Sonny's Restaurant in Jersey City
Bella Sorrellas Chef Leo Compi with owner David Rivera

            “There was something empty in my heart,” he says. “My father’s philosophy was ‘make sure the customer is fed well and feels at home’. He was in the business over 30 years. Everybody loved my father and I wanted to be like that. ”

            Rivera followed in father’s footsteps and Bella Sorrellas (which is Italian for “beautiful sisters” and named for his daughters Analexa, 18, and Isabel, 5) is a cozy corner bistro with an extensive Italian menu. The star of the show – as always – is the food and Rivera works closely with Chef Leo Compi (formerly of Just Sonny’s) a friend for more than 10 years. Continue reading Bayonne’s Bella Sorrellas, a Fine Italian Restaurant →

Dining

Houlihan’s, Still Delicious After All These Years in Weehawken

By Sally Deering

Houlihan'spic2Houlihan’s restaurant has always been a big attraction on the Weehawken waterfront. Located in Lincoln Harbor with stunning views of the New York Skyline, Houlihan’s offers customers a hearty lunch and dinner menu, divine drinks and delish desserts and even though it’s been a Weehawken staple, the restaurant’s standards are as high as the day it opened.

The décor is cool and the atmosphere cozy with overstuffed booths and tables that give patrons enough space to hold a private conversation. The three-sided bar is large enough for groups to gather to watch their favorite games on the big HD TVs and the lighting, warm and relaxing.

houlihan'spic1 “We’re very customer-oriented,” general manager Keith Miller says. “Our goal is to make every customer a repeat customer. Regulars and repeat customers are the pulse of the restaurant.”

If the customers are the pulse, the food is Houlihan’s heart and soul. The cuisine is Asian, Italian and American-inspired. Everything is cooked to order and only fresh ingredients are used. Continue reading Houlihan’s, Still Delicious After All These Years in Weehawken →