not just nourishment: SAINT ANN's Italian Festival

RER 7.25.14

It was that kind of summer night. The air was thick and dense, too much humidity and too many bodies. It felt darker than it really was, late July clouds hung heavy in the sky, oppressive with tangible heat.

But people were out in droves, flocking to the bright lights, delicious smells, and pulsing sounds of live music and carnival games. Lit arches of red, green and white welcomed them to Saint Ann’s Annual Italian Festival, celebrating the patron saint of  Saint Ann Church, one of Hoboken’s many churches. This year the feast ran from July 23 until July 27.

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RER 7.25.14

Yells of vendors hawking their wares—deep friend Oreos, oozing with warmth and grease; Italian sausage and peppers overfilling long rolls; crunchy, sticky, sweet fresh-popped kettle corn— echoed through the night sky. Teens shouted at the top of their voices, enticing kids and adults alike to play games to try to win itchy stuffed animals in an array of neon colors. The music pulsed as the performers belted out covers of familiar songs to create even more of a stir.

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RER 7.25.14

But the food— sizzles of fresh sausage, other tasty meats and corn cakes alive with stretchy mozzarella hitting the massive steaming flattops, reverberated with the background sounds emanating from the throng and the temporary stage opposite the large Catholic church. Powdered sugar dusted the faces of the hungry and satisfied, lingering reminders of the ever-popular zeppole, hot fried dough served in a brown bag the grows translucent from grease and time. Paper plates wobbled in hand as people navigated the multitude, searching for friends or food. Hot dogs dished out from a food truck were gleaming under the yellow glow of street lights and beaming smiles, and funnel cake fingers searched for dirty money in hidden wallets while waiting in line for even more deliciousness.

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RER 7.25.14

Saint Ann watched and participated in the feast through laughs and heartbeats.

Saint Ann, the mother of the Virgin Mary, is the patron of unmarried women, childless couples, mothers, housewives, pregnancy, women in labor, and grandmothers. In Hoboken she is honored with a ‘novena,’ a nine-day period of intense prayer and reverence for the important saint. The novena culminates with the procession of the adorned statue of Saint Ann. This 600-pound statue is carried through the streets, decorated with jewelry and pendants representing prayers, wishes and the deepest of hopes.

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RER 7.25.14

Saint Ann’s Festival is a staple in Hoboken, bringing memories and moments that people across generations look forward to and hold on to. It is nights of fun and remembrance, fried food and prayers, reconnecting and good times.

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7.25.14

RER 7.25.14

TASTE of Tribeca I

 

JAR 5.18.13

The foodie fantasy, Taste of Tribeca, took place on not-so-dry Saturday, tempting the crowd with tiny bites (sometimes not so tiny) and tastes from renowned restaurants of the Tribeca area. Let me just tell you, the rain deterred some but it did not stop me from tasting as much as I could. The best part about getting a plus one may be getting double the food. When there are over 70 high quality and high caliber restaurants and each ticket is allotted only six tastes, coming with a partner in crime is definitely a plus. Take a look at my recap article for Miss A here. 

RER 5.18.13

Taste 1

Rillette of Home Smoked Salmon on Rye bread, Pork Pate with Pickled Vegetables—Ammanns-Copenhagen

The salmon rillette automatically made us think of bagels; you know, hefty amounts of smoked lox and a thick smear of cream cheese. It was reminiscent of a spread, like pate, a mousse or a cream cheese, but it was speckled with dill, like a sandwich salad, and topped with a thin slice of radish. The salmon was light compared to the dense seedy rye bread, populated with most any seed found.  The pork pate on the other hand was dense and heavy, rich and meaty, only to be broken by the bright beet that rested on top. It was completely luxurious (and delicious) in comparison to the typical dry rye bread.

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Taste 2

Salted Cod Brandade with Tomato Compote Crustine— Cercle Rouge

This bite was crunchy, smooth, and almost creamy at the same time. The crisp buttery crouton served as a base for the spreadable salt cod and olive oil emulsion. It was topped by a bright red dollop of tomato compote that was surprisingly acidic, and overwhelmed the other more subtle elements. However, at the finish, the cod flavor peeked out, ending on a salty and mildly fishy note. The mix of the textures was a fun play and invited the mouth to wander.

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Taste 3

Chef’s Surprise— Blaue Gans

As it turns out the “chef’s surprise,” was around sausage filled dumpling resting on a bed of wet and tangy sauerkraut. The dumpling was doughy  and rich, but balance was achieved with the tang and sweetness of the pickled sauerkraut. Inside the soft round dumpling  was a filling of sausage, reminiscent of fancy hot dogs and spices. The micro greens were beautiful in decorating the dumpling, but were too earthy for the rich dish.

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Taste 4

Buttermilk Dipped Chicken Fingers— Dirty Bird To Go

The lady asked barbeque sauce or honey mustard… and I thought, why do I have to chose? We landed on honey mustard. These plump white meat chicken tenders were absolutely juicy and delicious. They were hot and near perfect. There was not too much breading, but it was well seasoned and almost crisp. The honey mustard was thin and runny, sweet with a little warmth. I was not a fan of the honey mustard, but somehow those tenders needed it.

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Taste 5

Bacon Wrapped Scallop with Strawberry Serrano Relish— The Hideaway

There was a choice at the Hideaway’s stall, between glorified pigs and a blanket and a bacon wrapped scallop. No contest. The scallop was alone on the paper plate, lonely but oddly vibrant. The strawberry Serrano relish that was draped over the seared scallop and translucent like bacon, was bright and hot. It was sweet with the fruit of the strawberry, but it was also spicy and tropical. Its heat was balanced by the sweetness of the succulent scallop, although cold was just right, while the saltiness of the bacon melded each part to make a whole. The heat of the strawberry relish broke up the richness and offered a forceful kick at the finish.

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Taste 6

Pulled Pork Sandwich— Walker’s

There is nothing like a classic pulled pork sandwich, served with a hearty scoop of rough chopped slaw, and a sliver of watermelon. Walker’s more than taste, reminded us what summer means on that grey Saturday. There was nothing astonishing about any of the elements; the pork was tender, but not as assertively seasoned and sauced as I would have liked and the coleslaw was tangy and rushed. But the trifecta created a feeling, stirred memories of summers past, and made us eager for summers in the future.

Stay tuned for more of our Taste of Tribeca adventure, it's a whole lot to wrap your mouth around.

RER

5.20.13

RER 5.18.13

not just nourishment: HOBOKEN arts and music festival

RER 5.513

Ok. “not just nourishment,” might be a lie, because all we really did during the Spring edition of the Hoboken Arts and Music Festival, was eat (take a look at the other feasts and festivals Hoboken offers). We walked down Washington Street, Hoboken’s main drag where the massive annual event is held, and took in the sights and smells; from the smoky air of barbeques, to the sweet scents of fried batter, to the festive sounds of local bands, and wild paint strokes of home grown artists. There was a lot to see, smell, hear and taste. But what we wanted to do was to E.A.T (Eat a ton), and that we did.

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Check it…

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First Course: Mozzarepa ($5 each)

These delicious corny and cheesy feast and festival  favorites are two rounds of cornbread like cakes, filled till bursting with mozzarella cheese, and then toasted on a griddle until crispy, hot and melty. They are sweet and salty, and perfect for on-the-go. Each year, however, they seem to be less good, but appear at more and more stands. This time around was pretty good or I was super starving.

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Second Course: Pulled Pork Sandwich from Texas Smoke BBQ ($7 per sandwich)

At the very end of the festival (close to Observer Highway), we spotted a stand with high pennants and the letters B B Q caught our undivided attention. At first the line looked daunting for our ferociously hungry bellies, but it was a quick trip to the front and a hot pulled pork sandwich was quickly within our grasp. There were three options for sauce: mild, hot and spicy (what, pray tell is the difference between hot and spicy?... but we dared not ask). We took our chances with the mild and the hot, and it turns out the hot was pretty spicy. The meat was delicious, tender, flavorful, with just the right amount of fat. It was not greasy or dripping, but just enough to melt in our mouths and soak up the mix of mild and hot sauces. I could have done without the bread, because it was dry, but it was just a base. I really wanted it to be soft, doughy, yellow potato bread. We almost got in that line again for the brisket sandwich… but more food options awaited us.

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Third Course:  Soft Pretzel ($3.50 each)

Who can resist a giant, salty soft pretzel? Obviously we can’t. It had been maybe 10 minutes since we devoured the pulled pork sandwich, and maybe 17 since the acquisition of the mozzarepa, but we were tempted, and gave in. This was the best pretzel I have had in… well, ever. It was super soft and airy on the inside, but the outside was sweet in that bread kind of way and littered with salt. The chew was perfect (no water chaser needed) there was nothing dry, stale, old, or used about it. It was fresh, hot, and … gone.

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Fourth Course:  Chinese BBQ ($3.50 pork/ $4.50 steak)

But this is what I wanted the whole day. Those three other stops were impulse, instant gratification. I peeped this Asian stand on our first pass, and I knew it was what I wanted, but my boyfriend wanted to hold out until we saw everything. So on our return, we stopped and stood in the disorganized line and ordered pork and  beef steak skewers. I have never really been one to participate in meat on a stick, but there is a first for everything. The steak was kind of dry and cold, but the pork chunks were hot and succulent and probably one of my favorite things of the day
.

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Fifth Course: Belgian Waffle from Waffle de Lys ($4 base price, $1/topping)

We smelled the sweet, syrupy crater cakes from miles away, saccharine, warm, toasty, sweet and delicious. I knew that we were going to make our way back to get one. The list of toppings ranged from chestnut cream, to bananas and strawberries, to whipped cream and ice cream. We chose the salted caramel topping which in the end was not really sweet or necessary. The waffle was tender on the inside, almost doughy, and the outside was caramelized and crunchy. Each tiny square was filled with the warm, wet salted caramel, which added nothing. I do love Belgian waffles, with their tricky dichotomy of textures, and savory sweetness.   

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Sixth Course: Fried Fiesta ($13 plate)

Lastly, was a wild plate of fried delicacies that might have been more than superfluous. We were already mostly full and satisfied with the wide array of treats that we had previously eaten, but something about plantains drive us into some kind of feeding frenzy. At first we were going to only indulge in a sweet plantain, slit in half and stuffed with mozzarella cheese, and a huge meat empanada. But then giant, flat, golden tostones were put out. They did not give us one, but four of the large rounds, and piled them on top of the already grease laden plate. Either this was far too late in our day and we had already E.A.T.en too much, but this leg of the food adventure was too much. The empanada meat was tasteless and greasy, and the pastry on the outside was much greasier than its innards. The tostones were also tasteless and less crunchy than anticipated. And finally the sweet plantain was not as sweet as we longed it to be-- the contrast of the sweet plantain and the salty cheese would have been magical together.

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The moral of the story is… we deffo stuffed our faces. But we knew that going to happen. We had been forewarned that there was going to be far more food this year, so we were overwhelmed and prepared at the same time. Can’t wait for the Fall installment of the Hoboken favorite.

RER

5.6.13 

JAR 5.5.13