Tag Archives: Dining Out

I KNOW A COOL, SECLUDED PLACE Cellar 335 in Jersey City

Cellar 335 in JC, Asian American Fusion with a Side of Polynesian Kitsch

By Sally Deering

Jamie Knott
Owner/Chef Jamie Knott,

 

 

 

 

Jared Bane
Chef de Cuisine Jared Bane
Peter Arnone Manager at Cellar 355
General Manager Peter Arnone

 

The buzz on Newark Ave in Jersey City continues to be: when will White Eagle Hall open and when do the bands come on? Meanwhile, just a few steps beneath the White Eagle hall entrance, Cellar 335 has just opened and it’s a cool looking place.

Next to White Eagle Hall Cellar 355Cellar 335 is the newest addition to Jersey City’s downtown restaurant and bar scene, a cool new eatery designed in urban industrial décor and with a kitschy “let’s have fun” vibe. A darkly-lit Tiki bar stands out in the dark mysteriousness of the bar area as soon as you step in from outside. The bar flanks the left side of the bistro with roomy space between barstools and lots of space for standing and mingling. To the right, there’s an enclosed dining room – the type where you make an entrance – that offers dark wood tables, a muted red background and overhanging lights that slide on wires above, so the lighting can change in an instant. Continue reading I KNOW A COOL, SECLUDED PLACE Cellar 335 in Jersey City

Mom’s Family Recipes with a Dash of Heart- Roman Nose brings Flavors of Southern Italy to Downtown JC

By Sally Deering

 Roman nose downtown Jersey City Back in the day, Frank Fiore’s family emigrated from Southern Italy to the Bronx and after years of big family dinners made from Grandma Fiore’s recipes, Frank, his brother Raymond, his father, Ruggero and his mother Maria, extended their family table to Newark Avenue in Downtown Jersey City and opened Roman Nose–Authentic Italian Kitchen.

 

Outside Roman Nose Restaurant Located next to The Word Bookstore right off Grove Street, Roman Nose landed one of the best locations in town: the Pedestrian Mall that extends west from Grove, Roman Nose offers guests a  hearty taste of Southern Italy and a casual dining experience with white wainscoting on the walls and vintage-style tin ceilings.  It has two areas for seating and a small bar with a big wine and cocktails list.  Intimate and friendly with black & white family photos on the walls, Roman Nose’s atmosphere is like one big family reunion with guests drinking, dining and enjoying the themselves.  Continue reading Mom’s Family Recipes with a Dash of Heart- Roman Nose brings Flavors of Southern Italy to Downtown JC

City Diner in Jersey City Never Sleeps

City Diner Offers Tasty Dishes in a Hip Décor with Free Wi-Fi: 24/7

By Sally Deering

Front of City Diner Jersey City A short walk from Exchange Place on the Jersey City Waterfront, City Diner (formerly the Flamingo) offers tasty dishes in a hip décor, key ingredients for success according to its owners Nicholas, “Lefty” and Mike Giakoumatos. The three brothers from Queens, New York, bought the old Flamingo and in three months turned it into a trendy corner bistro. With its contemporary décor, free Wi-Fi and a bar that looks right out of a James Bond film – the only thing ‘diner-esque’ about City Diner is its hours — open 24/7 – and that it serves breakfast all day. Continue reading City Diner in Jersey City Never Sleeps

Renato’s Pizza Masters Serves Italian Food That’s Traditional, Contemporary and Delish

CLASSIC ITALIAN WITH NOUVEAU TOUCH

By Sally Deering

Renato's Restaurant Jersey City River View Observer  Whether grabbing a slice in the busy pizzeria on Central Ave or joining friends for a sit-down lunch or dinner in the dining room in back, Renato’s Pizza Masters in Jersey City offers the casual gourmet a delicious Italian experience.

Inside dining are of Renato's restaurant JC River View Observer  In the Central Avenue storefront customers line up for Renato’s classic pizzas and subs, and on a recent cold afternoon, the Pasta Fajioli and Escarole with White Bean soups were extremely popular. In the back dining room, which seats 55 very comfortably, the atmosphere is relaxed, open and classy with tables covered in white linen and white butcher-block paper and extremely attentive waiters stationed close by to give customers their best service.

Continue reading Renato’s Pizza Masters Serves Italian Food That’s Traditional, Contemporary and Delish

Lot 13 Gives Bayonne New Hip

18 Taps, a Great Whiskey Selection and Upscale Comfort Food

   By Sally Deering

Jean and Charles Stewart first met at a bar; she was serving drinks at an establishment in the East Village and he was a member of the Coast Guard stationed in Bayonne out for a night on the town. The two fell in love, married and started a family and now they’re raising a son and building a new career as restaurateurs and owners of Lot 13 in Bayonne.

Lot 13 opened in 2011 and both husband and wife share all the responsibilities of running a restaurant and busy bar.

Continue reading Lot 13 Gives Bayonne New Hip

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

RESTAURANT VIEWS- EXECUTIVE CHEF MICHAEL COLETTI- VB3 RESTAURANT, JERSEY CITY

As part of our Ten Ingreditent series where Sally Deering our Senior Writer  interviews  the Chef’s that oversee the kitchens of some of the finest restaurants in Hudson County -we present Chef Michael Coletti of VB3 Restaurant

Ten Ingredients

By Sally Deering

VB3 on Washington Boulevard in downtown Jersey City features theVB3 Pizzeria where office workers and neighborhood residents dash in for a slice or a pie; and the VB3 dining room and lounge with the sexiest bar in Jersey City. It’s an eye-catching island of dark wood with a surface of “orange liquid lava” and bar stools with bright-orange backs and faux leopard print seats.  No detail in this beautiful restaurant has been overlooked by Owner and Executive Chef Michael Colletti, General Managers Giuseppi “Little Joe” Russo and Giuseppi “Big Joe” Russo; and business partners Gary Leff and Ricky Leff. This team put heart and soul into the place and it shows.

Chef Colletti, 29, attended the Culinary Education Center in Asbury Park and after graduation worked at the prestigious Le Cirque and then Chef de Cuisine at Mai House. After five years in New York, Chef Colletti joined his friend and celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn at the Sunnyside Group and helped him open Good Stuff Eatery in Washington D.C. In 2010, Colletti and Mendelsohn appeared in “Iron Chef” competing in “Battle Proscuitto” against world famous chef Michael Symon. Chef Colletti also cooked for President Barack Obama and his staff at The White House.

Let’s meet Chef Colletti!

RVO:  Chef Colletti, can you tell our readers a little about your background?

CC:  My family is from Sicily. My father moved here at 14 and I was raised in Elizabeth. My grandfather would be in the garden all day and my grandmother would cook in the kitchen. There would be 20 of us in the kitchen – we’re a big Italian family. Continue reading RESTAURANT VIEWS- EXECUTIVE CHEF MICHAEL COLETTI- VB3 RESTAURANT, JERSEY CITY

Mayor Healy Announces Expansion of Restaurant Row In Jersey City

Restaurant Row Doubles in Size as Jersey City Becomes Even More Business-Friendly

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy speaks during a press conference Thursday announcing the recent expansion of Restaurant Row.  (from left:  City Planning Director Robert Cotter, restaurateur Alice Troietto of Madame Claude Cafe, and Housing, Economic Development & Commerce Director Carl Czaplicki.)
Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy speaks during a press conference Thursday announcing the recent expansion of Restaurant Row. (from left: City Planning Director Robert Cotter, restaurateur Alice Troietto of Madame Claude Cafe, and Housing, Economic Development & Commerce Director Carl Czaplicki.)

Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy and city planning officials announced today the expansion of the city’s Restaurant Row during a press conference at Madame Claude’s Café, a French restaurant now situated in the new Restaurant Overlay Zone.

In August, Mayor Healy and the City Planning Division presented the ordinance expanding Restaurant Row, which was adopted unanimously by the City Council on Aug. 31, 2011. Continue reading Mayor Healy Announces Expansion of Restaurant Row In Jersey City