by Sally Deering

 

Dave  and his sister Anne Marie carved a niche on Grove Street with their handsome little restaurant, The Merchant, where the bar is cozy, the drinks are yummy and the food is All-American delish! It’s a great place to go for a business luncheon, watch a game or hang out with your friends and talk about life.

 Dave and Anne Marie decided to try something a little more upscale and 2-1/2 years ago they opened The Embankment, a beautiful fine-dining restaurant nestled in the heart of 10^th Street in the Hamilton Park neighborhood, where friendly neighbors drop by for brunch, dinner and drinks with friends.

 

 

A truly beautiful restaurant, The Embankment is a jewel in Jersey City’s crown with a warm and inviting dining room that seats 80-100. It’s a wonderful place for private parties, wedding receptions, christenings and corporate functions where corporate heads want to show their employees some class. There’s a sexy upstairs lounge, too, with low-lighting and cozy seating for 40. It’s best to get a reservation, Dave O’Brian says, because on Friday and Saturday nights the upstairs lounge is always booked.

 

The Embankment’s elegance is reflected in the menu – American-style dishes with added flavors that are a little bit French, a little bit Italian and a touch of Mediterranean. For entrees, how about Fried Catfish with Cajun Fries or a Rib-Eye Steak with mashed potatoes and mushrooms? For pasta lovers, you might try the homemade fettuccini primavera – that’s right, they make their own pasta! (Appetizers range from $6-$12; entrees from $18- $26.)

 

For an assortment of different flavors, you might like the Tapas – mini servings of flavorful dishes like marinated artichokes, mushrooms and olives. The Embankment offers 12-15 Tapas to choose from. For light eaters, a cheese plate with five different types of cheeses will definitely satisfy the palate and go beautifully with their vast array of wines from affordable to high-end. The O’Brian siblings also serve a large assortment of beer including cold draft beers – including Guinness, of course!

 

And then, of course, there are the burgers!  In 2009, “New” magazine cited The Embankment’s burger as No. 1 in Jersey City. The secret?

 

“We use high-quality ground beef, well-seasoned and cooked to perfection,” O’Brian says. “It’s simple, but it’s the best.”

 

The Embankment

234 10^th Street

Jersey City

201-222-6115

www.theembankmentnj.com

 

The post Dining Out – The Embankment Restaurant in Jersey City first appeared on River View Observer.

by Sally Deering

 Tucked away in the back of South Cove Commons, a waterfront mall in Bayonne where fast-food places gratify customers on the run, Ten East – Hibachi, Fusion and Sushi Bar Lounge is an intoxicating oasis at the end of an asphalt parking lot. An exotic restaurant where the cocktails, cuisine and atmosphere are so divinely cool, you can practically picture Secret Agent 007 ordering a Jade martini (vodka and melon-pear juice) shaken, not stirred.

 The alluring atmosphere at Ten East whispers James Bond cool as you step inside the sleek and sexy restaurant bathed in red lighting with two stylish dining rooms and the sleek curves of an inviting bar. The lounge serves as the central focal point between the Asian Fusion dining room and the Hibachi dining area where nimble-fingered chefs prepare your meal right at your table juggling cutlery in a dramatic display of culinary “martial arts.”

Pictured (L) General Manager Tokio Naito, Bar Manager Carmella Addesso, Owners of Ten East Anthony and Patrick Franconeri 

 Ten East is the dream child of brothers Anthony and Patrick Franconeri, who grew up in Bayonne the sons of hard-working parents who ran their own local eatery. The boys, who attended Marist High School, decided they would someday design their own restaurant in Bayonne that would reflect their personal tastes. The result:  a sexy, sultry restaurant and club that serves sophisticated Asian cuisine in a sensual atmosphere and perfect location for appetizing adventures.

 On one side, executive chef Jose’ Ronquillo is in charge of the Fusion dining. The room boasts long tables in a dreamily-lit setting where guests dine on appetizers like Hot Rock Kobe Beef, Crispy Phyllo Lobster and Drunken Clams with Baguettes ($8-$29) and entrees like Roasted Free Range Chicken, Grilled Asian Double Cut Pork Chops, Spicy Lemon Whole Lobster and a Kobe Strip steak. ($23-$105)

 In the Hibachi dining area, diners experience the sensual thrill of watching their chef perform a spectacular display with knives that dazzle, entertain and serve up mouth-watering dishes that tantalize the taste-buds. Hibachi Chicken ($18,) Hibachi Chateaubriand ($32,) and Hibachi Twin Lobster Tails ($34) are just a handful of specialties.

 “We wanted to give people options,” Anthony Franconeri says. “Hibachi, Asian Fusion, Sushi – and all upscale. Our parents taught us that no matter what we do, we do the best of our ability.”

 Patrick agrees with his brother: “We put our passion into designing every detail of this restaurant. We figured if we can satisfy ourselves, we can satisfy anybody.”

 They even auditioned the Hibachi chefs as if they were trying out for parts in “Casino Royale.”

 “They had to cook for us,” Anthony says.

 On a recent Saturday night, twins Rob and Beth Pepe of Lincoln Park and members of their family are dining Hibachi-style to celebrate the twins’ 30^th birthday.  Everyone seems to be having a really good time.

 “The food is amazing,” Rob Pepe says. “The calamari was fabulous. The dipping sauce was fantastic. The chef was very entertaining. He set his hat on fire,”

Beth agrees: “The food was fantastic and very entertaining, a great way to spend a 30th birthday,”

 Bar manager Carmela Addesso, who looks like a sleek “Bond Girl” dressed all in black tells a visitor, “There’s nothing like this in Bayonne. You feel like you’re at a trendy New York Club.”

 She then goes behind the bar to help pour drinks as the lounge fills up. The bar serves appetizers and Sushi can be ordered in every dining area in the restaurant.  To cook all the specialties on the menu, the Franconeri brothers employ seven Hibachi chefs and three Sushi Chefs with General Manager Tokio Naito in charge.

Ten East opened a year ago and now the Franoconeri brothers are starting something new – Friday and Saturday night dancing from 10-to-3 am. After the dining rooms close (the bar menu is served ’til 12 am,) Anthony and Patrick turn the Fusion dining room into a dance area with a live DJ who spins tunes under flashing colored lights and through a high powered sound system for late-nighters who enjoy a little two-step to spice up the romance.

 Ten East is a beautiful, tantalizing restaurant where the food is upscale, the cocktails trendy and the atmosphere cool and divine. It’s the kind of place where you can go for an intimate meal or a birthday celebration. And who knows? You just might see that tuxedoed-stranger standing at the end of the bar sipping a Jade Martini – shaken, not stirred.

 Ten East

Hibachi – Fusion Dining – Sushi Sake Lounge

South Cove Commons

Route 440 North 125 Lefante Way, Bayonne, NJ

www.teneastdining.com

For reservations and information, call 201 437-1212

 

Dining Hours:

Sun 3-10 pm

Mon – Thurs 5-11 pm

Fri-Sat 5-12 midnight

Bar lounge – Fri & Sat 12 midnight to 3 am

Dancing – Fri & Sat 10 pm to 3 am

 

The post Ten East – Hibachi, Fusion and Sushi Bar Lounge first appeared on River View Observer.

By Evelyn Bonilla

 Emerging new artist John Marto aka “Johnny Pens” is unique and very talented; his ability to create cartoon drawings with the use of color pens is amazing as it is impressive. An artist in the downtown Jersey City area, Pens, inception into his art began by making small circles and lines on regular paper. As Pens recalls it, it began as just simple doodling on the Path train, but later turned into an assortment of cartoon characters.

He went from drawing on the Path train to drawing in front of his home, which would soon gather an audience of children as well as adults; they would stop in front of his home during the summer to view him as he drew. Pens began to sketch these lively cartoon characters on manila folders, and with each drawing he captured more and more detail. Framed and displayed they are artistry at its finest.

Never without his pens, has he drawn on an average of 10 hours a day. He has surmised a total of 30 paintings in one year and counting. Each drawing is unique and some when observed feature a message, with a majority that is love inspired. His drawings have attracted many and he is petitioned daily to create special cartoon characters for special occasions. Not only does he draw the cartoon, but he also adds poetry and prose to the drawing, making it an extra-special gift for whoever is to receive it.

Some of the things he has been asked to draw are clowns and baseball players which are drawn in his special cartoon form. Most recently Pens has begun to transform his artwork on to canvas with the use of oils.

Asked how he received his name Johnny Pens, he explained he always has drawn with colored pens, so his good friend Carla Anderson, from Balance-Salon for Hair in Jersey City named him none other than “Johnny Pens”.

Inspired by people he believes as an artist he is paid twice; once by seeing the end product and the other by watching the faces of the people who buy his art.”

Looking forward Jersey City can be proud to have such a talented artist, and as the future unfolds we look forward to the wonderful creations of this new emerging artist called “Johnny Pens”.

If you’re interested in viewing the artwork of “Johnny Pens” make a stop at Balance-Salon for Hair on 18 Erie Street, in Jersey City where they are on displayed. They can also be viewed on a video created by Carla Anderson. Log on to www.vimeo.com and select Johnny Pens.

Or visit his facebook page

The post Art Views- Emerging Artist Johnny Pens first appeared on River View Observer.

             HOBOKEN, N.J. (January 11, 2010) – The much-anticipated pancake house, Stacks Pancake House & Café, finally opened its doors on December 11th in Hoboken on trendy Washington Street drawing record crowds and endless lines on the weekend.  Filling a void of offering pancakes for dinner, as well as other reasonably-priced American comfort cuisine, Stacks is bringing families, Hoboken professionals and the late-night bite crowd together to enjoy delicious food in an upscale, trendy atmosphere.  Stacks serves 22 different varieties of pancakes, as well as omelettes, salads, sandwiches and burgers, plus milkshakes, floats and coffee drinks.  Stacks replaces Junior’s Papaya, which closed in 2009.

            “I am passionate about breakfast food and always wanted to open my own restaurant,” said Andrew Cohen, day-to-day manager and one of the three owners of Stacks.  “Plus, there are so many restaurants in Hoboken, but no one was serving breakfast.”

Cohen and his two other partners, Elliot Cohen and Scott Handler, decided to fill that void and came up with the ingenious idea of offering a niche product around the clock: pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  In the few short weeks Stacks has been open, diners are flocking, and during the weekend, waiting in lines to get in to the newbie restaurant to try their signature dishes such as a Mama’s family-size pancake, a 16-inch pancake that serves a family of four or the pancakes wraps – appropriately named after Hoboken streets such as Hudson, Observer, Garden, Bloomfield and Washington — which are oversized pancakes filled with your choice of the standard breakfast fare:  eggs, taylor ham, sausages, cheese and vegetables, among others.  For the super sweet tooth, the Oreo Cookie pancakes are a menu standout and are served with Oreo cookies mixed into the batter, as well as crumbled on top.

Other popular dishes include the Belgian waffles and French toast, double-decker deli sandwiches, grill specialties such as a Philly cheese steak, Stack’s burgers and super salads.  Lighter alternatives are available and include whole grain and wheat pancakes and egg white omelettes.  On the  children’s menu you will find pancakes (that come in a variety of shapes:  truck, airplane, flower, Mickey Mouse and a ghost), French toast and waffles, hamburgers and chicken fingers.

 

 

 

 

“Our vision for Stacks is to become a staple household name in Hoboken,” said Cohen.  “We also want to provide our customers with a feel-good dining experience, a place where they can stop to get a great meal, socialize with family and friends and hopefully leave with a smile on their face – not to mention stuffed!”        

            Stacks’ progressive design and upscale ambience was the work Rose Meechan Interior Design of New York City.  Meechan is an interior designer with 15 years’ of industry experience, in a diverse range of styles and budgets.  Educated at Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Meechan has collaborated on projects which have been featured in Architectural Digest, Better Homes and Gardens, Traditional Home, The New York Times, and on NBC’s “The Today Show”.  In addition to projects in the tri-state area, Meechan has worked on projects in Virginia Beach Va., Palm Beach, Fla., Carmel and San Francisco, Calif. and St. Martin. 

“My vision was to incorporate a coziness that worked with the finishes already in place, and was consistent with the comfort food on Stacks’ menu.  I stayed away from flashy, bright colors typically seen in fast food restaurants and diners so that customers feel a sense of warmth from the food and their environment, rather than ‘eat and run’,” said Meechan.

Stacks is owned by a partnership of three entrepreneurs and will be managed by Andrew Cohen.  Cohen, 25, previously worked in accounting and investment banking at Ernst & Young and Price Waterhouse Coopers.  He is a 2004 graduate of Adelphi University on Long Island and is engaged to be married in 2010.  He resides in Edgewater and grew up in Bergen County, N.J

The two other partners, Elliott Cohen, father of Andrew, is a former managing director at Banker’s Trust, and Scott Handler, is a former car wash owner and general contractor. For the senior Cohen, he left the corporate world in 1999 to become an entrepreneur after taking a buyout.  Since then, he’s been in the bagel business and has opened several shops in Bergen County.  In 2005, Cohen and his partner Handler, decided to trademark the Wide World of Bagels name and expand the bagel franchise.  Cohen resides in Park Ridge, N.J. with his wife Judy.  Handler resides in Cedar Knolls with his wife, Laurie and three children. The Wide World of Bagels store and corporate headquarters are located in Ridgewood, N.J.

The partners envision franchising the Stacks brand in New York City and surrounding boroughs. “We hope to make Stacks a dining destination around the tri-state area,” said Cohen.

Stacks is open 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. seven days a week.  The goal is to keep the restaurant open 24 hours a day Thursday through Saturday beginning in mid-February. Seating capacity is 49; outdoor seating will be available in the spring.  Stacks does not accept reservations.

            For more information, please visit www.stacksofhoboken.com or visit Stacks Pancake House & Café at 506 Washington Street, Hoboken, New Jersey, 07030; 201.710.5777.

The post NEW UPSCALE PANCAKE HOUSE OPENS IN HOBOKEN – DRAWS RECORD CROWDS first appeared on River View Observer.

Source You Tube- Thanks Roger Muller-Muller Insurance

The post I Was Born In Hoboken- Fantastic Video with Former Mayor Steve Capiello first appeared on River View Observer.

 

HOBOKEN, NJ (December 2009) – Chris Onieal, owner of Onieal’s in Hoboken, NJ and a member of the New Jersey Restaurant Association (NJRA), is one of thousands of restaurant owners who say the limited tax deductibility of business meal expenses is eating into their profits.

            Onieal and others are driving a national movement to restore tax deductibility for business meals and entertainment to its former level. In 1986, Congress reduced the allowable tax deduction from 100 percent to 80 percent. Congress further reduced the deduction to 50 percent in 1993.

The “reduction in the deduction” has hurt businesses nationwide – particularly small businesses and the people they employ.

“It’s amazing that almost every other business expense including travel, gifts for clients and hotels are fully deductible and business meals are not.  The business meal should be treated as a legitimate business expense also,” noted Onieal.  “With today’s economy, face-to-face client meetings are more important than ever.  Plus, those business luncheons translate into job creation in the restaurant industry.”

However, legislation introduced earlier this year by Representative Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) would increase the federal tax deduction for business meals from 50 percent to 80 percent. The move would augment business meal sales by $6 billion annually and power an $18 billion boost to the U.S. economy, according to research by the National Restaurant Association.

In New Jersey, restaurants and hospitality companies represent the largest private-sector employer in the state. Industry observers emphasize the critical connection between President’s Obama’s current initiatives to create new jobs and the beneficial impact the tax law change would have on reducing unemployment here and across the country.

 “No other single piece of legislation would have the positive effect that this bill, HR 3333, would have on the New Jersey, the regional and the national restaurant industry – particularly from a job-creation standpoint,” said Deborah Dowdell, president of the NJRA.

“NJRA applauds this proposed legislation not only because it would improve restaurant sales, but also because it would directly benefit small-business owners and their employees, many of whom are part-time workers who have lost employment opportunities because of the negative impact of the deductibility restrictions,” Dowdell added.

Studies have shown that two-thirds of the companies that claim the business meal tax deduction are small-business owners, who tend to use restaurants as “conference rooms” for conducting business with customers and prospects. Consequently, the tax deduction has historically benefited small enterprises, which rely on it to help them from both a marketing and customer relations standpoint.

Jamie Hoyos, of the Manhattan Steak House and 2010 chairman-elect of the NJRA added, “The reduction in business meal tax deductions has clearly had a negative ripple effect on businesses in New Jersey and across the country. To increase the percentage of deductibility to its former level would have a similar ripple effect – but in a dramatically positive way.”

The NJRA believes restaurants will continue to face serious financial challenges in the year ahead.  “Despite the fact that we’re sensing an imminent upturn in the economy, restaurants will still contend with onerous market conditions in 2010. Increasing the business meal tax deduction will go a long way to helping the restaurant industry, as well as other sectors of the economy –  like business travel and tourism industries – which also rely on the tax deduction,” continued Dowdell.

            When looking at jobs creation and the impact that jobs in the restaurant industry have had on society, nearly one-half of all adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some point during their lives while 32% of all adults got their first job experience in a restaurant. America’s eating-and-drinking places employ more minority managers than any other industry.  One-quarter of restaurants are owned by women, 15% by Asian-Americans, 8% by Hispanic- Americans and 4% by African-Americans.         

“Restoring business meals deductibility will benefit all segments of the industry from casual to fine dining, and will be beneficial to urban revitalization that relies so heavily on the labor intensive-job creating restaurant industry that employs so many first time job holders, teenagers and entrepreneurs looking to transition to new careers by starting their own businesses,” noted Dowdell. 

The NJRA represents owners and operators of full-service restaurants, catering facilities, taverns and pubs, brew pubs, diner restaurants, hotel restaurants, coffee shops, limited and quick service restaurants, institutional feeders, delis, pizzerias, country clubs, culinary students and schools.  Today, the New Jersey restaurant and hospitality industry includes 23,000 eating and drinking establishments with over 300,000 employees – making restaurant and hospitality the largest private-sector employer in New Jersey.  Visit www.njra.org.

The post NEW JERSEY RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION AND LOCAL RESTAURATEURS RALLY BEHIND PROPOSED INCREASE IN BUSINESS MEAL TAX DEDUCTION first appeared on River View Observer.

Power Outage Causes Chaos On Cruise Ship

 A cruise ship that lost its power on Friday has finally made its way back to Miami after a power failure left cruisers stranded without running water and air-conditioning  in the Caribbean.

 It has been reported that some passengers became chaotic, pushing, fighting, shoving and screaming at each other when the tempetures in their cabins climbed to over 100 degrees and hundreds of people took to the deck to sleep for 2 nights

What would you have done if you were on the ship?

Cruisers become Chaotic source AOL TRAVEL

The post Cruise Ship -Not The Love Boat This Trip Out! first appeared on River View Observer.