HUDSON Restaurant Week: Summer 2014

Summer is most definitely in full swing— it’s hot, muggy, sunny and almost uncomfortable.  Every year it seems like everything goes downhill after the Fourth of July, but the summer Hudson Restaurant Week is just in time to turn the summer around.  The food and restaurant celebration begins next week on July 28 and runs through August 8, spanning Hudson County with participating restaurants in Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehawken, Edgewater, Bayonne and West New York. It’s perfect for any foodie on a budget with seriously discounted prix fixe meals: lunch starting at just $13 and dinner beginning at $23. The restaurants offering the tasty deals present a diverse range of flavors and cuisines, but are unified by Hudson County’s rich community.

Take a look at my previous Hudson Restaurant Week experiences to see what restaurants have offered in the past and maybe even for a little inspiration:

3Forty Grill, Hoboken

A&W Steakhouse, Bayonne

Bistro La Source, Jersey City

Brass Rail, Hoboken

Clinton Social, Hoboken

Dino & Harry's, Hoboken

Elysian, Hoboken

Hamilton Inn, Jersey City

Haven Riverfront Restaurant, Edgewater

Las Olas, Hoboken

Light Horse, Jersey City

The Madison, Hoboken

Maritime Parc, Jersey City

Marty O’Brien’s, Hoboken

Sabores, Hoboken

Skylark on The Hudson, Jersey City

The Stewed Cow, Hoboken

Sushi Lounge, Hoboken

Check out the Hudson Restaurant Week website to get all the juicy details— the restaurants, their menus and pricing. Don’t forget to follow along on facebook, twitter and instagram for my restaurant week updates and adventures. Stay tuned, delicious Hudson Restaurant Week moments to come! 

*Note all images are from hudsonrestaurantweek.com

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7.23.14

HudsonRW: A&W Steakhouse

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Hudson Restaurant Week kicked off on Monday, and our first stop was A&W Steakhouse in Bayonne, a new participant. It was extremely quiet on their first evening; a hushed front room with a bar and a warm expansive dining room with a contrasting atmosphere. The place gave off an air of an old guard, keeping hold of that lost luxury of a time not too long ago.

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A shallow dish introduced the thick and creamy corn and clam chowder, dense with chewy meaty clams. The soup spoke to familiarity and comfortable predictability present throughout the entire meal. While the fried calamari, topped with parmesan and tossed with black olives and pickled jalapenos, was crunchy and fresh. Though the heat brought the breaded rings alive, the saltiness of the cheese helped to ease the spiciness of sweet chili sauce and scattered jalapenos.

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Even the mains were straightforward, with no dramatic flourishes, just honest steakhouse fare. There was however no shortage of satisfaction with the medium rare fillet mignon and the juicy thick cut pork chop. The fillet was missing some salt, but married perfectly with the peppery mashed potatoes hiding pockets of blue cheese. A browned apple relish on top of the juicy pork chop, rustically replicated homey pork chops and applesauce.

Dessert was just as upfront and dependable. The molten chocolate cake was served warm topped with a quickly melting ball of vanilla ice cream stripped with raspberry sauce. Sweet, but not too overpowering; chocolately, but not too overwhelming, this little molten cake had a lovely balance of flavors, as well as textures, as the outside was crunchy, while the middle was fudgy. The idea of the dulce de leche cheesecake with a graham cracker crust was drool worthy, but the pretty plate fell short, something lost in translation.

The service was prompt and the staff extremely friendly, ready to offer recommendations and to talk. For a HudsonRW menu, A& W offered a ton of options, steakhouse staples and old faithfuls, each as relatable and reliable as the choice above it, solid. The Bayonne steakhouse feels like it could be a place for regulars and dishing up consistency as it is clear they know the value of getting what you ask for.

Keep up with all the #HudsonRW adventures and everything in between on facebook, instagram, twitter, yelp and pintrest! Let me know what places you are going to try too!

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1.14.14

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HUDSON Restaurant Week: Winter 2014

Oh yes! It’s practically here and I can taste it! Hudson Restaurant Week is here and celebrating its 10^th year!! The deals and steals start on Monday, January 13 and run until January 26. The restaurant week features over 40 local restaurants in Hoboken, Jersey City, Bayonne, and Weehawken. Each restaurant offers special pre-fixe menus for lunch and/or dinner. With ten new additions this year, Hudson Restaurant Week is growing and continues to showcase the diversity and gastronomic culture of the county. But wait, there’s more. Some of the restaurants are participating in the event’s Super Week from January 27 until February 2! Check out the Hudson Restaurant Week website or their facebook page to see restaurant listings and menus.

These are the restaurants I went to check out during past Hudson Restaurant Weeks:

3Forty Grill, Hoboken

Brass Rail, Hoboken

Clinton Social, Hoboken

Dino & Harry's, Hoboken

Elysian, Hoboken

Hamilton Inn, Jersey City

Las Olas, Hoboken

Light Horse, Jersey City

The Madison, Hoboken

Maritime Parc, Jersey City

Sabores, Hoboken

Sushi Lounge, Hoboken

I am super excited (as always) and ready to chow down (as always). Stay tuned for photos, impressions, and stories about my Hudson Restaurant Week adventures! Which restaurants will you try? Now, who wants to eat with me?

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1.10.14

 *Note all images are from hudsonrestaurantweek.com

second YELPing...

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Otaiko Hibachi and Sushi Lounge is definitely an interesting place. A Hibachi and Sushi spot in a strip mall, in Bayonne, to top it all off. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. But instead it is oddly enchanting, and truly delicious-- strong drinks, smoking hibachi, scrumptious sushi and sly udon noodles. See more of the deets in my yelp review.

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It is almost the New Year! Are you going to try something different in 2014? Is there anything different I should try? Love recommendations for foodie adventures, so let me know. Thanks again for your support in following foodie ventures on facebook, instagram, twitter, yelp and pintrest! Share the love and let's make 2014 even bigger! 

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12.30.13 

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HUDSON Restaurant Week: Summer 2013

It’s about that time again! Hudson Restaurant Week is just around the corner and I can’t wait. This summer round is set to start July 29 and go through August 9. The food celebration highlights diverse restaurants across the county, featuring discounted prix fixe menus that would tickle any foodie on a budget. Check out the website for a list of the 45 different restaurants and their special menus. There a couple of new additions to the list, as restaurants are trying to expand their reach and participate in the community. I am excited to try out new places, and even revisit some that I went to during the winter restaurant week.

Take a peek at the places I tried out in the past restaurant weeks (it might help you pick and choose where to go):

Dino & Harry's, Hoboken

Hamilton Inn, Jersey City

Brass Rail, Hoboken

3Forty Grill, Hoboken

The Madison, Hoboken

Elysian, Hoboken

Maritime Parc, Jersey City

Light Horse, Jersey City

I am super excited because it is always a fun time and a way to explore the community and get to now the local offerings. Hope you Hudson County people get to try out some of these restaurants and show support. Stay tuned for photos, impressions, and stories about my Hudson Restaurant Week adventures, because there definitely will be some!

*Note all images are from hudsonrestaurantweek.com

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7.16.13