Summit, Madison and Jersey City

The week started with a trip to Jersey City for a brunch with Connor at a location Martin recommended,  White Star Warren Street where I had the Chorizo and Kale hash which was very good.  We then walked over to Zeppelin bar and restaurant for a couple of beers to finish off a very nice afternoon.

During the week I tried a bbq place Tyler recommended and got the brisket sandwich.  I will definitely go back.

This Saturday I finally got a chance to go to Fin in Summit which has been hard to get into.  Thanks to the Summer season and we got in and had a very good meal.  We started with the lobster and scrimp sliders and the excellent spring rolls.  Leslie had the salmon and I was thrilled to be able to try the Barrimundi with scrimp and bacon - Excellent.  We finished off with a creme brule with fresh berries which Leslie polished off and embarrassed herself by licking the bowl. :) :)

Origin's Morristown and Wood Stack Pizza in Parsippany

We tried a restaurant recommended by Arnold namely Wood Stack Pizza Grill in Parsippany.  The Pizza was good but the pasta dish and the crispy brussels sprouts were even better. 

 We have not been to origins since we moved out of Basking Ridge but the duck is still very good.  What really interested me was Don's Wild Boar which he was nice enough to provide me with a taste.    I have to say it was excellent and better than the duck! Leslie and I shared the tasting appetizer with four apps which was very good.

Point Pleasant Beach

No restaurants this weekend but some great home made italian food, breakfast, maryland crab balls, cupcakes (my contribution) and cookies.  Thanks to our great quinnipiac lacrosse alumni friends who pulled off a successful weekend down at Point pleasant beach.  Epic corn hole games, Sambuca, homemade bird houses and mini beer pong.  

Pinehurst, NC, Morristown, Sparta and Somerville

The BRRC guys had a fun trip down to Pinehurst last weekend and we have some pretty good food in addition to some fun golf competition.  Friday night we ate at the Country Club of North Carolina and had some universally acclaimed shrimp and grits.  Saturday night we went to a local restaurant named Ironwood and the soft shell crab was unusually presented and it was excellent.

The Becker group met the big boss with a lunch at the Office in Morristown and the crab and avocado  bread was very good.  Also at Morristown Leslie and I went to Revolution and enjoyed the Pierogies.

Elsewhere we went back to Dafillipo's and everything was very good especially my Fugilli which I had not even heard of before.

Murphy and I went up to sparta for a lacrosse game and wanted to try the cheesesteak from Fat Stevie's.  The Sandwich was very good but I recommend asking them to cut in half the amount of cheese since it overwhelmed the steak.

Summit House and Black Horse pub

Birthday fun for Leslie at the Summit House in Summit. Nice clean upscale place without the really high prices.  I enjoyed my Duck but the pasta appetizer was excellent. The Aquerello Risotto with crushed peas, smoked ham, herb oil, parmesan was good but the best was the House-Made Campanelle with porcini, pickle peppers,  and harissa was excellent.

After my bowling event I was pleasantly surprised that the Black Horse Pub has brought back the stuffed lobster with shrimp salad.  Good move!

Some old favorites and new experiences in Somerville and Hoboken

We got snowed out of a return trip to da Fillipo's on Saturday in Somerville but the past few weeks we enjoyed a new spot at Del Frisco's Grille in Hoboken for lunch.  We loved the cheese steak egg rolls, the fish tacos.  My steak sandwich with parmesan crusted fries were strong.

Old favorites were the corned beef sandwich at Harold's deli in Edison and we went back to Boulevard Seafood in Somerville for one of my favorite appetizers in the crab cannelloni.  This time I had the Grilled red snapper with a hash and herb butter sauce which stood out. 

Common Lot in Millburn, H2Ocean in Cedar Knolls, Wegman's, Olive Lucy's in Morristown and Zach's Oak Bar in Hoboken

I have to lead off with the duck for two at Common Lot in Millburn which the chef had recommended when me and Leslie were there a few months back. You have to call at least one week beforehand but the call is well worth it. The chef orders a whole duck and then splits it up into a breast, chopped duck salad and a really strong duck fried rice.

For an appetizer the octopus was as meaty an octopus as I have ever had.  The meal closed with a nice apple tart and a ice cream made with goats milk and a drizzle of maple syrup which was as interesting a desert as I have had in a while.  Our board president had the venison which looked great.

 We enjoyed seafood at H2Ocean in Cedar Knolls with the Calabrese's. The blackened sea bass with asparagus wrapped bacon was tasty as was the Lobster Empanada at Olive Lucy's in Morristown.

 The biggest surprise was actually at Wegman's burger bar where I had a very tasty Shrimp po' boy with fries.

This morning we went to Zach's Oak Bar for Brunch and I had the salmon eggs benedict while Leslie had the chorizo breakfast burrito.