Dinner from Teppan in Jersey City, NJ

I felt like sushi we ordered from Teppan.  This time we also got some udon soup, which was delicious and hearty.  The sushi too was such a good deal and full of fish.  The chicken satay, which we've ordered before, was excellent as well.  The food also came 20-30 minutes faster than estimated.

Maki combo with salmon, yellow tail, and tuna.  All for $15.  So much fish!  What a great deal

Chicken Satay with delicious peanut sauce

Nabeyaki udon with chicken, egg, vegetable, and shrimp tempura

Love how they thoughtfully wrapped up the shrimp tempura separately

Complete bowl.  Great broth.  

Brunch at Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken in NYC

Because we weren't that full and also because we were in the area, we went to Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken for second lunch.  Dan didn't love his chicken sandwich as much as I would've thought or hoped.  He said the fried chicken itself was superior - the sandwich seemed less breaded and less fried throughout.  Still he agreed that the fried chicken was unique and worth coming for.

The Firebird - fried chicken with pickled peppers and spicy chipotle mayo.  Not as spicy as one would've thought.

Single fried wing.  I felt kind of silly only ordering that but we had just eaten plus it was 11am haha

Brunch from Russ & Daughters in NYC

Dan and I went to Russ & Daughters in the hopes of eating the best lox bagel sandwich ever.  The line was long and place was hectic as we had to take a number.  Were 957 when 916 was on the board.  Fortunately people drop out like flies and we got our order in about 45 minutes later.  We each got bagel sandwiches with cream cheese, lox and different toppings.  The lox itself was great.  But the bagels were hard as rocks!  Seriously some of the worst bagels we've ever had, let alone what you'd expect from an iconic NYC institution like this.  I guess if we ever bother coming here we should come at a more random time and just got the lox sliced and make our own sandwiches with bagels from somewhere else.

Dan got an egg bagel with scallion cream cheese, Scottish lox, and the works (tomato, onion, and capers).  He said the bagel was not very egg-y, hard, and small.  Contents of the sandwich were good though he liked my lox more

My everything bagel with regular cream cheese, Irish lox and tomato.  Probably the best lox I've had and they definitely gave a hearty portion.  The bagel was so bad though.  So hard and very small.  It hurt to chew :(

Lunch at Light Horse Tavern in Jersey City, NJ

Dan and I had a late lunch post-movie.  Unfortunately because we came at a weird time, the menu was limited.  Also unfortunately whoever was in the kitchen went a little cray cray with the salt shaker.  My salad, fries, and Dan's spinach were all sverely oversalted.  It's too bad because they all would've been delicious without them.

Baked meatloaf wrapped in bacon, sauteed baby spinach and fries b/c they apparently ran out of mashed potatoe.s  Meatloaf was good though a little thick.  Apparently the spinach was very salty which is quite strange

Caesar salad - little gem lettuce, croutons, classic Caesar salad dressing and parmesan.  Everything tasted good together except much too salty.  The dressing was nice and creamy without being too much, and def had a legit anchovy taste.

Side of fries with ketchup and chipotle mayo.  My fries were insanely salty.  Dan's were the perfect amount of salt

Breakfast from Sam A.M. Cafe in Jersey City, NJ

12 days of donuts continues.  So we got more donuts, which was gluttonous haha.  Delicious but gluttonous.

Marscapone filled donuts.  One with confectioner's sugar and the other chocolate frosted

Vanilla frosted and vanilla glazed

Dinner at Jacob's Pickles in NYC

I finally ate at Jacob's Pickles with my cousin pre MC concert.  The music was awesome throughout dinner - lots of hip hop and R&B from 90s to present.  It was a little dark and loud but the food was awesome.  The portions were HUGE.  I wish we hadn't been going somewhere where it would be weird to have all that food leftover with us, though I don't think it would have really been good re-heated.  Definitely would come back to try some of the other delicious Southern dishes.

4 pickle selection - (1) Candy Red Beets, (2) Dill Green Beans, (3) Big Dill Kosher Cukes, and (4) Sweet and Spicy Carrots.  The whole meal confirmed that I am not a pickle fan hahah.  The red beets were good because they were pretty much normal beets with a slight tang.  The green beans and carrots I could tolerate but after a couple it was too sour for me.  I didn't both trying the cukes because my cuz said they were rather pickly and I know I do not like that

Poutine appetizer.  Fries smothered in brown gravy, cheese, and hollandaise drizzle.  Delicious and Ginormous, but NOT real poutine.  A nice version of disco fries would be more accurate, since poutine involves cheese curds, not just melted cheese.  The fries were nice and thin and perfectly fried.  You can't really tell how big this is but it was like a 9 inch skillet. 

My Southern BLT Chicken biscuit.  Buttermilk fried chicken, fried green tomato, pickle slaw, and nitrate free bacon.  This was giant.  Like no chance of putting this in my mouth.  Def had to use my knife and fork.  Made it through a lot of it but it was really huge.  I would've preferred two of these half the height

My chicken biscuit in the light.  The top biscuit is missing as it is on the other side, but the sandwich was massive.  The grits that came with it were good but I was too preoccupied with trying to take down the sandwich to really eat them

Dinner at Liberty Prime Steakhouse in Jersey City, NJ

Dan and I went to Liberty Prime Steakhouse for a celebratory anniversary dinner.  It is SO nice having a delicious and high quality steakhouse literally steps away.  We've never had a bad meal there and always find new things we'd like to try.  We ordered a LOT of food though and had tons of leftovers, which isn't a bad thing, just kind of funny.  The drinks are also solid there.  Stro-ong.

Complimentary bread.  Not warm but nice and soft

Bacon appetizer.  Delicious bourbon blood orange sauce.  Huge thick slabs of bacon with the right amount of fat

Tuna tartar.  Soo delicious.  Wish they gave us more chips though

Porterhouse for two.  Huge portion.  Undercooked but when we had it for leftovers it was just as we wanted ha

Side of mashed potatoes were perfect.  Great creaminess and butter and salt with lots of garlickyness

Creamed spinach with lots of cheese.  Also great compliment

Some delicious dessert with nut ice cream and caramelized pecans on top.  Perfect ending

Brunch at Bistro La Source in Jersey City, NJ

Had brunch at Bistro La Source on an unseasonably warm day with Dan and my parents.  We got to sit outside in December, though were bummed that we didn't bring the puppy since we were surrounded by people and their pups.  The food was pretty good though I was disappointed that the dish I ordered lacked beans (I was oddly craving an English breakfast).  Overall it was a solid meal though and glad to know they are so welcoming to puppies.

Gourmand Breakfast with eggs over easy, breakfast sausage, bacon, tomato, goat cheese fritter and home fries.  Sadly no baked beans as advertised on the website menu

Andalusian Omelet - onions, peppers, chorizo and cheese with home fries.  Dan really enjoyed it

Dinner at Carroll Place in NYC

For Debbie's birthday a bunch of ladies went to Carroll Place.  The place had delicious Italian food though pretty bad service, both at the bar and when we were eating dinner.  I know it was a weekend and crowded but some of it could've been avoided - i.e. remember to put in the appetizer when people order.  Honestly all the food was solid and worth coming back for except for the horrible service.  Questionable whether I will return.

Linguine Vongole - clams, white wine, chili flake, and tomato.  Some of the best pasta with seafood I've had. Cooked al dente with delicious garlic /wine sauce.  I shared this and the pappardelle with Susie and actually liked this dish even more than the one below, which had meat.  Crazy.

Housemade Papparadelle with braised pork ragu, zucchini and parmigiano. This was also really good but the linguine was much more memorable   

Wood Fired Rosemary Wings with blue cheese sauce.  Delicious.  Great char and loved the herbs, but these came AFTER our entrees so was already full :(

Brunch at The Kitchen at Grove Station in Jersey City, NJ

Dan was craving the avocado sammie from the Kitchen so we headed there for brunch.  I ordered something - steak and eggs - and was surprised by how full I was.  The steak itself was a small portion but the marinade was so deeply entrenched into the meat that it was super flavorful.  It was a bit sweet, probably had soy sauce in it.  Nicely balanced with the fluffy eggs and herbs.

6 oz NY Strip Steak and scrambled eggs.  Really enjoyed the radish and whatever the green herbs were haha 

Farm Egg Avo Sandwich.  Dan's usual

Dinner at Grand Sichuan in Jersey City, NJ

Dan and I went on a double date at Grand Sichuan.  I had forgotten how awesome the food was because we hadn't been there in a long time.  Everything was delicious so well-prepared, flavorful, and inexpensive.  The hot dishes were definitely packing heat.  The food was so good that we ordered take out only a few days later.  I combined both dinners into one post out of sheer laziness haha.

Boneless roasted pork.  Delicious and sweet and tangy.  Great char and very large portion for being the small

Pork soup dumplings! Delish as usual

Mapo tofu.  Great texture and flavorful but too hot for me

Double cooked pork.  Hot and spicy as well.  Served with leeks and peppers

I think sauteed pea shoots.  Nice and healthy and not spicy ha

Best General Tso's I've had?  Quite possibly

For take-out ordered cold cucumber with scallion sauce.  Nice and refreshing

Crystal Shrimp dumplings.  Great dim sum

General Tsos take out was good but less good than when we ordered it at the restaurant

Same for the roasted pork

Lunch at Blaze Pizza in Newark, NJ

My friend Diane and I went to Blaze Pizza for a delicious though hectic work lunch.  The line wasn't too long but the ordering process was a little intense - lots of yelling and uncertainty about where exactly to go/stand.  The pizza itself literally took 3 mins to cook.  Once we ordered and paid it wasn't a long wait at all.  I loved my pizza and it was huge considering it was only $8 with any toppings I wanted.  A great deal and love pre-selected options as well as the opportunity to build your own.  Would love to come back at a less crowded time, or even order in advance to pick up.

My white cream sauce pizza with mozzarella, ricotta, zucchini, grilled chicken, roasted garlic and mushrooms.  Soo good and lasted two lunches

Breakfast from Sam A.M. Cafe in Jersey City, NJ

Just days after the donut bacchanalia we had from Downtown Yogurt, we picked up fresh donuts from Sam A.M. Cafe just a few blocks away.  I have also been stalking their instagram to see when they would be available.  Again, WORTH IT.  I normally don't like filled donuts (i.e. Boston Cream) but these were incredible - the marscapone was unbelievably good.  The perfect thickness/consistency.  Good both topped with glazed chocolate and confectioners sugar.  The vanilla glazed donut was a little sweet for me but Dan was in heaven.  The chocolate glazed and cinnamon sugar which we had later in the day (and thus not as fresh) were good, but not as amazing as the marscapone donuts.  Life changing.

Two Marscapone donuts - one chocolate frosted and one with confectioner's sugar

Vanilla Glazed, Chocolate Glazed, and Cinnamon Sugar

Donuts from Downtown Yogurt in Jersey City, NJ

For some time now I have been meaning to pick up donuts from Downtown Yogurt.   We had a week where Dan and I went a little sugar-crazy and ate tons of ridiculously rich donuts.  We actually went to Downtown Yogurt twice - though the second time only got two donuts.  Everything was pretty amazing and I definitely think the cannoli donut is one of the best I've had.  Over the past year or so I have become obsessed with all things cannoli (see post on Nasto's ice cream).  Downtown JC was sorely missing a legit donut place so I'm so happy they have this! Right by the PATH for all your fat kid, post-work dreams.

4some of donuts

Glazed donut - done just right.  Vastly superior to DD's.  I think better than Krispy Kreme too which can be too rich.  Right amount of bounce and glaze

Also really enjoyed this Maple Bacon donut.  Not too cloyingly sweet and loved the saltiness from the bacon.

Best of the bunch - cannoli donut.  No words other than go there and eat it.

Bananas Foster donut.  I got this for Dan since he loves bananas.  I tried a small bite and  it was good. I'm sure it was delicious but I just don't love fruit in my dessert generally.

Second trip that week got another glazed and this Apple Crumb donut.  Again, don't love fruit in my desserts generally esp. filled.  But again you could tell this was a quality donut.

Neopolitan, Cheesecake, Red velvet, Oreo, Glazed, and Ring Ding.  All were crazy rich and delicious but it was a lot of donuts for just the two of us. Dan said the Ring Ding was his fav.  My all time fav from here will always be the cannoli