Whatâ€s interesting is that Constantine Katsifis, owner and NJ restaurateur, turned the temporary closing into an opportunity: he refreshed Skylarkâ€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 Skylarkâ€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

The post SKYLARK ON THE HUDSON NOW OPEN AFTER SUPERSTORM SANDY CLOSING first appeared on River View Observer.

 In the Marion Section of Jersey City on Broadway near the Pulaski Skyway entrance is where youâ€ll find Rita & Joeâ€s, an Italian eatery that as soon as you walk in the door it feels like home.

 Rita & Joe Pane bought the place in 1985 when it was called the Broadway Tavern, a neighborhood hangout where the bar took up most of the room. Rita would make Chicken and Shrimp Parmigiana sandwiches and dinners for the customers and take out dishes they could enjoy at home. Soon, the bar got smaller and the dining room got bigger as more and more customers came in for the food and became regulars. 

 

In 2007, Rita & Joeâ€s son Michael died suddenly from a heart aneurism and Joe passed away from a stroke a short time later, leaving Rita and her daughter-in-law Isabel (“Izzy”) to take over the business. 

 “Being here is what saved me and the kids,” Izzy says. “Being here kept me going.”

 Running the business together has bonded the two women, although Izzy says:  “We were always close.”

 At 81, Rita comes to work every day to make her special desserts and Izzy oversees staff and ensures guests are welcomed. Thereâ€s a whole lotta love in this restaurant and on a recent visit, as Rita sat talking with a guest in a booth by the door, customers on their way out came over to take her hand and kiss her cheek as if they were saying goodbye to a beloved grandmother.

 The dishes at Rita & Joeâ€s are as authentically Italian as youâ€ll ever get in New Jersey.

Known for their big portions, Rita & Joeâ€s doesnâ€t skimp on anything. The basket of warm crusty Italian bread served at your table as soon as you arrive is bottomless and thatâ€s just to get you warmed up and in the mood for a big dinner. The menu overflows with choices and hereâ€s just a sampling of Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Pizza, Pasta, and Entrees you might enjoy:

For Cold Appetizers you might like the Antipasto (Sm. $8.95; Lg. $15.95), Seafood Salad ($11.95), Clams on the Half Shell (1/2 Doz. $7.95), Shrimp Cocktail ($10.95) or Homemade Mozzarella, Tomatoes and Roasted Peppers ($10.95); Hot Appetizers include Calamari (fried or marinara $8.95), Spedini alla Romano ($8.95), Thinly-Sliced Hot Italian Sausage, Peppers and Onions with Roasted Garlic and Mozzarella Cheese ($9.95) and Baked Clams ($8.95).

Soups include Pasta e Fagioli (cup $3.95; bowl $4.95) and Chicken Stracatelle (cup $2.95; bowl $3.95); and the Salad menu features Orange and Cheese Salad with Grilled Shrimp ($10.95), Sliced Grilled Steak Spinach Salad ($10.95) and Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad ($10.95). Pizza loverscan order a Personal Size Pizza (10 inch pie $7.95 and $1.50 for each additional topping).

Entrees are served with a choice of soup or salad and pasta or vegetable and feature a vast choice of Veal, Chicken and Pasta Dishes including : Veal Milanese, tender scallopine of veal egg dipped and breaded with seasoned breadcrumbs. ($17.95); and Veal Picata, thin slices of veal lightly sautéed in a white wine and lemon sauce with capers ($17.95). Chicken Dishes include Chicken Francese, egg dipped and sautéed boneless breast of chicken in a white wine, lemon and Parmesan cheese sauce. ($15.95); and Chicken Parmigiana, breaded chicken cutlet baked with marinara sauce and topped with homemade mozzarella cheese ($15.95).

The Pastas are homemade using only the finest ingredients. For example, you might want to try the Cheese Ravioli Marinara, traditional pasta pillows stuffed with Ricotta Cheese ($11.95); or Linguini Puttanesca, linguini in a zesty sauce of roasted garlic, plum tomatoes, capers and a hint of anchovy ($11.95).  Rita’s Signature Pasta Dishes are Ravioli Fatto in Casa, homemade Ravioli topped with sautéed Shrimp, Portobello mushrooms and Sundried Tomatoes in a Pink Vodka Sauce ($16.95) and Manicotti Fatto in Casa, homemade Manicotti shells stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella cheese, shrimp and sautéed Broccoli Rabe in a Pink Vodka Sauce ($15.95).

There are daily specials and the restaurant is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Thereâ€s also a newly-renovated catering hall in the back that holds 25-100 people and is perfect for corporate functions, bridal and baby showers and all types of celebrations.

One regular whose grown children live in California says they prefer dining at Rita & Joeâ€s when theyâ€re visiting back east.

“People in Jersey City donâ€t say ‘Iâ€m going to Rita & Joeâ€s for dinner.â€â€ he says. “They say ‘Iâ€m going home.â€â€

If you go:

Rita & Joeâ€s

142 Broadway

Jersey City (201) 451-3606

Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11:30 am-9:45 pm; Fri: 11:30 am-10:45 pm; Sat: 1-10:45 pm

The post Rita and Joe’s Authentic Italian Cuisine-Popular Jersey City Restaurant serves Rita’s Special Recipes with a Whole Lotta Love first appeared on River View Observer.

By Sally Deering

Restaurateur Johnny Leung is a self-proclaimed “Foodie” who opened Komegashi on Montgomery Street near Exchange Place in Jersey City in 1990. He made a successful splash as the only fine-dining Japanese restaurant in town and in 2000, Leung opened Komegashi Too on the Jersey City Waterfront at a time when the waterfront had little to offer as a dining destination and there were few hi-rises beyond the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

 As the waterfront developed, so did the restaurant’s cadre of devoted patrons, some who have eaten at Komegashi Too practically every day since it opened. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Komegashi Too was packed, as usual, with patrons dining on exquisite Japanese dishes beautifully plated and popping with fantastic flavors.

 “Here at Komegashi Too, the style is a little different from Komegashi on Montgomery Street,” Leung says, taking a break during the busy lunch service. “We don’t want it to be the same. Here we have a bigger variety of choices, foods you don’t normally see on a Japanese menu, like Sea Bass from the Mediterranean.”

 Leung ‘s passion for fine Japanese cuisine is evident in every dish served at Komegashi Too, a cozy 120-seat restaurant on Town Plaza, just steps from the NJ Transit’s Newport stop on the PATH and a block from the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.  This Komegashi spinoff of the original offers cuisine that’s not as traditional as its predecessor, Leung says, and although the menu’s star is the Sushi, Leung’s chef is a masterful creator of dishes that look like plated works of art.  

 There are so many Sushi choices offered at Komegashi Too, and some of the highlights are the Godzilla Roll, yellowtail and salmon; Creamy Nirvana Roll, shrimp tempura, eel, avocado, cream cheese; Spider Roll, fried soft shell crab and avocado; Funky Monkey Roll, spicy tuna, shrimp, crabstick; Alaska Roll, salmon, avocado, cucumber, scallions and mayo; and Banana Mama Roll, a delicious blend of eel, avocado and fresh banana ($8.50-$13.50; the  Spider Roll is market price of the day.)

 Featured items are the Hiyashi Nasu with Uni , broiled Japanese eggplant with California sea urchin; K2 Summer Noodles, cold Ramen noodles with broiled chicken, egg and tomato; Soft Shell Crab with Japanese Salsa, the salsa is a light mix of onions, tomato, peppers and cilantro without the heavy tomato base; Kumamoto Oyster appetizer served with spicy radish, scallions and Ponzu; Seafood Cerviche, octopus, shrimp, squid, orange, clams and white fish with lemon citrus garlic sauce; and the chef’s new creation, New Style Sushi with white tuna, salmon and fluke ($7.50-$15.)

 Soups include Miso, white Miso broth with scallions, tofu and seaweed; Hama Sui, Littleneck clams in Bonito fish broth; Tai Sui, Japanese snapper cooked in Bonito broth, with Somen, Shitake and spinach and Gyoza Hot Pot, homemade pork Gyoza dumplings, vegetables and tofu cooked in a tasty chicken soup ($2.50-$13.95.)

 The Salad menu features Seaweed Salad, marinated mixed seaweed with sesame dressing, Steamed Veggies Salad, seasonal vegetables with sesame dressing and Seared Tuna Salad, seared tuna with mixed greens and sesame oil sauce ($5.50-$14.)

For Entrees, there’s the Chicken Tango, tender and juicy roasted chicken (white and dark meat) with orange reduction sauce served with grilled scallions and fried onions; Beef Negimaki, scallions rolled in thinly-sliced beef, served with teriyaki sauce; Tonkatsu, a deep-fried pork cutlet with Japanese BBQ sauce; and Miso Bouillabaisse, lobster tail, salmon, shrimp and mussels with ginger Miso shrimp bisque ($14.95-$29.)

 For busy 9-to-5ers, Komegashi Too offers a special lunch menu that features Salmon, Beef, Shrimp or Chicken Teriyaki; Sashimi & Tempura; and Katsu Curry, fried pork cutlet with Japanese-style curry over rice ($8;50-$11.50.) Brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays and includes Firework Chirashi, seasoned sushi with fish, Ikura, and egg; Crepe with Chicken, grilled chicken with mushrooms, Bok-Choy, red peppers and Nappa cabbage; and Steak & Egg Don, beefsteak, and egg over rice with spicy vegetables ($11.50-$18.)

A resident of Jersey City who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Steven’s Institute of Technology in Hoboken, Leung decided to follow his passion for food after spending several years working in construction. Although he doesn’t claim to be a chef, Leung oversees his business with the careful eye and taste buds of a professional Foodie.

“We’re a neighborhood restaurant,” Leung says. “Eighty percent of our customers are return customers and that’s because of the food.”

 Komegashi Too

Jersey City, NJ 07310

201-533-8888

http://www.komegashi.com/

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 12pm-10:30pm

Fri: 12 pm-11pm

Sat: 12:30 pm-11pm

Sun: 1 pm-10pm

Sat Brunch: 12:30-3 pm

Sun Brunch: 1-4 pm

 Photo Source: Yelp

The post Komegashi Too in Jersey City, Just As Fine As The Original first appeared on River View Observer.

River View Observer Restaurant VIEWS:Brownstone Diner and Pancake Factory
A Friendly Face, a Cup of Joe and Wow!

 By Sally Deering

 New Jerseyans know diners like they know Turnpike exits. They even know the best diners at Turnpike exits. There’s something about a diner’s home-cooked fare and no frills atmosphere that conjures up images of Edward Hopper paintings and memories of 3 am conversations over coffee and pie.

 The diner mystique even has a TV following with viewers tuning in to the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” where host Guy Fieri travels the U.S. eating blue plate specials from the menus of greasy spoons. A while back, one of the stops on Fieri’s show was the Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory on Jersey Avenue in Jersey City across from the Jersey City Medical Center. But unlike many of the diners featured on the show, the Brownstone is more upscale and the menu features entrees you’d likely find in New York and at higher prices.

 The Brownstone offers diner fare, the eggs, burgers and sandwiches are always on the menu, but it’s definitely more than a diner. It’s a nice, easy-going restaurant that serves great food from traditional recipes that go back to when owners Zoe and Bobby Bournias were kids learning the restaurant business from their parents Irene and Peter who owned M&A diner back in the 1960s and ’70s. They converted it to the Newport Pancake House in the 1980s and when their father Pete was going to sell the business in 2004, Zoe and Bobby decided to leave their careers and run the business with their dad. They renovated and expanded and in 2005 re-named the eatery the Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory, transforming it from a plain-and-simple diner to a family restaurant with a menu that goes far beyond blue plate specials.

 “My parents always believed that in this business you have to be present,” Bobby Bournias says. “There’s never a minute when this restaurant is open that one of us, either Zoe, me or my father isn’t here.  It’s not about making sure everything comes out right. It’s our appreciation for the clientele. We make it our business to say ‘hello’ and greet every customer and thank them for coming. Yes, it’s business, but at the same time it’s more than that. It’s something you enjoy doing.”

 Zoe and Bobby added Pancake Factory to the diner’s name and included an extraordinary selection of pancakes to their menu.  Choices include Buttermilk, Cran’Apple, Pecan, Peach, Strawberry and Banana Walnut Pancakes ($4.95-$7.95) and Blueberry, Cherry, Apple, Nut ‘n’ Honey, PB&J and Chocolate Chip Pancakes ($6.75 to $8.75.) There are Potato Pancakes (with apple sauce and sour cream) Coconut Pancakes, Honky Tonk Pancakes (peanut butter chunks and fresh bananas) and Black Forest Pancakes (chocolate chips and cherry compote) ($6.95-$7.95.) These flapjacks are so yummy New Jersey Monthly named them “Best of New Jersey” in its March 2009 issue.

 Belgian Waffle lovers will go crazy trying to decide which waffle to choose, like the Original Belgian Waffle, Fresh Fruit, Raisin, Banana Walnut, Peach Walnut, Blueberry, Cherry, Apple Walnut, Ice Cream, Strawberries & Cream, Chocolate Chip, Dutch Apple and Praline Waffle ($5.25-$8.95.)

Along with the pasta dishes and the meat and poultry entrees, the Brownstone serves what they call Basket Stuffers: Country Fried Chicken in a Basket, Fried Shrimp Basket, Fried Clams in the Basket, Fried Sole, New England Fish & Chips, Fried Scallops, a Hodgepodge Basket (chicken fingers, beer-battered onion rings, mozzarella sticks and French fries) and the Colossal Fried Fisherman Basket (shrimp, scallops, filet of sole and French fries ($8.95 -$14.95.)

     For the hearty diner, the steaks and chops fit the bill. The Brownstone special is the Rib-Eye Gorgonzola (20 ounce boneless cut charbroiled and smothered with aged gorgonzola) T-bone steak (24 ounces; charbroiled) NY Sirloin (20 ounce; charbroiled) London Broil (tender strips of flank topped with homemade mushroom sauce) Roast Sirloin and Beef Brisket ($11.95-$23.95.)

    For dessert-lovers, there’s Cheesecake, Triple Top Cheesecake (topped with chocolate, caramel and raspberry sauce) Lemon Meringue Pie, Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake($3.25-$3.95) and really special desserts like the Waffle Tower (waffle wedges, fresh bananas, vanilla ice cream, walnuts, caramel sauce, chocolate syrup and whipped cream) Caramel Almond Parfait and Bobby’s Treat (vanilla ice cream topped off with a shot of espresso) ($4.95-$7.95.)

     Zoe and Bobby are looking to expand the Brownstone to a new location in either Hudson or Bergen County and they’re also planning a renovation and expansion to the Jersey Avenue restaurant where they will add an outdoor patio, indoor-outdoor bar and enough space for private parties and events. But that won’t happen until 2012 and the Brownstone will remain open during the renovation.

“This is something Zoe and I both truly enjoy,” Bobby says. “When it was the Newport Pancake House back in 2004, I was practicing law in New York and Zoe was working in healthcare. My father was considering retiring and when we got wind of that we realized we didn’t want that to happen. We grew up in this place. There’s definitely a feeling here that we love.”

      And if you have any trouble finding the Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory, it’s on the corner of Jersey and Grand blocks away from the Turnpike Extension in Jersey City.  And if you’re a New Jerseyan, you probably know that.

The Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory

426 Jersey Avenue

Jersey City, NJ

201-433-0471

www.brownstonediner.com

 

 

 

The post The Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory in Jersey City Takes that Old Diner Fare and Makes it New Again! first appeared on River View Observer.

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.