Itâ€s January and the winter blahs are knocking on the door, but that doesnâ€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 22^nd anniversary. It will be held at Stevens Institute of Technologyâ€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. 

 Proceeds from A Taste of Hoboken will go to the Hoboken-North Hudson YMCA which recently received the approval of a $500,000 grant by the Hoboken City Council to finish the $15 million construction of new “single apartments” at the Yâ€s Washington Street location.

 Tickets to A Taste of Hoboken are $60 for general admission; $80 if you want to go to the 6 pm Champagne Reception prior to the gala. Tickets can be purchased online at Brown Paper Tickets. If you decide to get your tickets at the door, add $10 to those ticket prices. And donâ€t forget to bring your dancing shoes! Music will be provided by Swingadelic.

Less than a week later, starting Mon, Jan. 28 and running through Fri, Feb. 8^th more than 35 eateries in Hoboken, Jersey City, Bayonne and Weehawken will serve up prix-fix menus at discount prices. Lunches will start at $12 and dinners will cost no more than $35, not including alcohol, taxes or gratuities.

Hudson Restaurant Week began in 2005 as a culinary celebration to promote Hudson County as a premier dining destination in New Jersey. Held twice during the year, in January and July, Hudson Restaurant Week continues to gain popularity and attract foodies from all over the tri-state area.  

Every year new restaurants jump on board, too, and this yearâ€s newbies are The Fig Tree, Raaz, Ruthâ€s Chris Steak House, Pilsener Haus, Las Olas Sushi, VB3, Goodfellas, O’Hara’s Downtown, and Skylark on the Hudson. Eateries that are back for another year include 3Forty Grill, Amandaâ€s, Chart House, Maritime Parc, Liberty House and Light Horse Tavern. To see a full list of participating restaurants visit www.hudsonrestaurantweek.com.

Hudson Restaurant Weekâ€s organizer Tamara Remedios of Xplore Communications offers some fun aspects to Hudson Restaurant Week with“Tweet from your Seat” where if you tweet #hudsonrw from your seat you might be eligible to have your meal free. You can use that same hashtag — #hudsonrw – and instagram your food photos.

“We are excited to celebrate Restaurant Week for its ninth year,” Remedios says. “It has become a part of Hudson County culture to celebrate the culinary scene and support our local economy. Now, especially after Sandy, our community businesses need help recovering. So we encourage all to eat and shop local this year.”

If you go:

 

Tues, Jan. 22, 7 pm (6 pm Champage Reception)

A Taste of Hoboken

Stevenâ€s Institute of Technology

Canavan Arena

Castle Point on Hudson

Hoboken

For tickets: http://tasteofhoboken.bpt.me/.)

 

Mon, Jan. 28-Fri, Feb. 8

Hudson Restaurant Week

For info: www.hudsonrestaurantweek.com

 

 

The post Calling all Foodies! Hudson Restaurant Week and A Taste of Hoboken invite Foodies to Feast first appeared on River View Observer.

Local Hudson County Restauants and Wine Suppliers participate in Fundraising Event for Weehawken Free Public Library

By Sally Deering

 Book lovers, Kindle and Nook lovers and those who just adore the Weehawken Public Library for the stellar services it provides are invited to step out on Tuesday, April 26^th for an evening of delicious food and wine at “A Taste of Weehawken” at the Lincoln Harbor Food Court (next door to Houlihan’s) on the Weehawken Waterfront. All proceeds from this fundraising event go to the library’s special programming.

 This marks the 11^th year for “A Taste of Weehawken” and Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner visited the library on a rainy Tuesday morning to announce the upcoming event with members of the library’s board of directors, librarians and restaurateurs who will be donating their time, culinary specialties and services at Tuesday night’s fundraiser.

 “We raise $20,000 and it goes to all the odds and ends that we can’t provide in the budget,” Mayor Turner said. “The $20,000 goal really makes a difference in the services the library provides.”

Leona Nersesian, who has been president of the library’s Board of Trustees for the past five years and a member for 28 years, says this year’s event promises to be bigger and better. There are more restaurants participating and wine tastings will be set up throughout the food court. There’s also a raffle of prizes like dinners for two and tickets to shows worth way more than the price of the raffle. It takes a lot of work to pull the event together, but to Nersesian it’s a labor of love for a childhood retreat.

 “This library is like home to me,” Nersesian says. “I’ve been coming here 45 years. Our director started here as a teenager. The librarians and the staff here are all great people and we have programs for everyone from 18-months to seniors.”

 “A Taste of Weehawken” typically attracts 400-450 visitors and last year, the money raised paid for new computers and programs like “Books for Bingo” and computer classes for seniors; Circle Time and Story Time for the little ones and a math tutoring programs for kids of all ages. In the past, “A Taste of Weehawken” helped underwrite library activities like the NJ Aquarium program, poetry, music, author readings and signings and Family Passes to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

 Participants in this year’s “A Taste of Weehawken” include Allied Beverage Group, Amanda’s, Antonia’s by the Park, Ben & Jerry’s, Bertolotti Desserts, Carlo’s Bakery, Charrito’s, Chart House, The Clinton Social, Flaming Burrito, G.P.’s, Houlihan’s on the Waterfront, Lepore’s Home Made Chocolates, Lorraine’s Table, the Madison Bar & Grill, Paula’s Restaurant, Porto Leggero, Rita’s Italian Ice-Hoboken, Robongi on the Water, Rosa de Saron Florist, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Son Cubano Restaurant and Bar, Starbucks, Tomaso’s, Touch of Spice, and the Weehawken High School Culinary arts Program. The evening will feature a special wine tasting by Giannone Wine and Liquor Company.

 And best of all, guests are invited to meet and talk with the chefs preparing the dishes – an exciting plus for “foodies” who can’t get enough of cooking shows like “Top Chef” and Hoboken’s own “Cake Boss.”

G.P.’s, an Italian restaurant located on Boulevard East in Weehawken from 1968-1976 was founded by George Politis, who was born and raised in Weehawken. At the event his son, also named George Politis will be serving the restaurant’s home-style meatballs in gravy and Greek salads. The restaurant has been a part of “A Taste of Weehawken” since it began 11 years ago and even though G.P.’s is now in Guttenberg, the Politis family continues their commitment to George Politis’ hometown.

 “As a participant, ‘A Taste of Weehawken’ is a fantastic event,” Politis says. “You get to eat wonderful food at a low price. If I wasn’t participating, I would still come.”

 Tues, April 26^th, 6:30-9:30 pm

A Taste of Weehawken

Food Court at Lincoln Harbor

1200 Harbor Boulevard

Weehawken, NJ

$55 per person (6:30-9:30 pm)

$30 per person (7:30-9:30 pm)

For information/tickets call the library at 201-863-7823

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post A TASTE OF WEEHAWKEN BENEFIT APRIL 26TH, 2011 first appeared on River View Observer.