The Halsey St. Block Parties have begun once again!
Last night kicked off a month long series of parties on Halsey St, shutting down the street from Central to Bleeker.
Live music, Sangria, Food, Vendors & More. Good times Chilln’ on Halsey!
If you didn’t make it, be sure to hit up Halsey this coming Thursday for Round #2.

]]> http://glocallynewark.com/2010/09/chilln-on-halsey/feed/ 1 http://glocallynewark.com/2010/09/dariooooooooos/ http://glocallynewark.com/2010/09/dariooooooooos/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:23:30 +0000 Miss Q http://glocallynewark.com/?p=15068 Walk through the Glocally branded glass door and inhale the smell of fresh grilled meats and fried tortilla that make delicious Tex Mex. If you work Downtown Newark you many already know where I’m talking about, if not here’s the deal. 20 Academy Street located between Halsey and Broad you will find a small restaurant named Dario’s with a glass front displaying a full grill and a small table.

Dario's Store Front

During lunch there’s a usually a large number of people gathered around the grill which is where you will find the owner, Dario managing the hustle and bustle crowd.  If you have been there twice he already knows your name; maybe even your life story. He is genuinely interested in every customer that walks through the door and understands the value of  lunch TIME – he’ll have your fresh meal to you faster than a Taco Bell commercial.

The Grill

He knows my regular chicken taco salad with no rice, extra spicy w/ jalapenos are the best.  However,I’m not special since he knows exactly how most of his regulars like their order. The menu caters to Tex Mex lovers with burritos, quesedillas, and empandas made with fresh no processed ingredients. One untraditional item on the menu is his red velvet cup cakes which had a woman walk from city hall ( approx 15 min)  to enjoy however, since they go fast she was disappointed to find out that they were sold out. Since that day I haven’t seen the dessert fridge empty because at Dario’s the customers is always satisfied.

Chicken Taco Salad with Jalapeños

Open for breakfast Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm and lunch Saturday from 11am -4pm you could enjoy your meal, watch tv, surf the web with free wifi, or just chat with Dario if it’s not busy.  Mention Glocally to get a free bottled water or canned soda with your meal.

Dario

It’s that time of year again for Newark’s Celebration of  Spirit and Dance. Kicking off Friday, July 3oth at noon with “A Tribute to Newark Jazz Composers” (seeming to be a hot commodity this month, but it doesn’t stop there), this weekend will mark the 5th Anniversary of Lincoln Park Music Festival.  The three day festival will span the weekend packed with lively performances by the Youth Outreach for Performing Arts, Newark’s own Kenny Bobien, & Big Daddy Kane just to name a few. Hosts Dr. Albert Lewis, Amiri Baraka, End of the Weak with many more co-hosts &  surprise guests will keep the audience amped during the down time between sets.  Saturday’s festival will be dedicated legendary music icon Shelton Hayes and Kim Brandon.  On the last day of the festival don’t expect to see things calm down, Sunday is filled with break dancing and a fashion show featuring the Redbuttafly 2011 collection.  Here’s the line up:

Friday, July 30th

Jazz in Lincoln Park: Noon- 3pm

Youth Explosion in Lincoln Park: 3pm – 5pm

Gospel in Lincoln Park “How Sweet the Sound – A Verizon Experience”: 5pm – 9pm

Saturday, July 31st

House Music in the Park: Noon – 9pm

Sunday, August 1st

“Rock Steady for Life”: Noon – 8pm

Aside from back to back performances, music & dancing there will be food and activities for all to take part. Yoga classes, skate board clinics sponsored by State Farm, and health screenings are among the many free services and  activities that will be available at the 5th Annual Music Festival. Also, there will be a food drive for Haiti during the festival thanks to the folks at Food Drive for NJ, PSE&G, and Newark Now  so don’t walk empty handed.

GlocallyNewark will be present as a media sponsor,  find us in the crowd to live blog.

I’ve heard a lot of people say Fernandes Steakhouse is the best rodizio in Newark, and I’d be hard-pressed to disagree. Unlike Seabra’s, which I found to be heavy on the salt and light on the most important natural flavors in the food, Fernandes prepared every piece of meat to perfection. The various cuts of beef particularly impressed me. I typically steer clear of steaks when I dine out, because I often find myself disappointed. Too fatty. Too chewy. Too tough. Too well-done. None of those issues surfaced on Sunday, just shortly after noon. I’m not sure if it helped that my friend and I were the first to order the rodizio on the day. (We were either getting the freshest meat, or, I joked, whatever was left over from last night. If the latter was the case, I will gladly eat leftovers forever.)

A wonderful mango margarita.

The salad bar is meager in comparison to Seabra’s expansive selection, but who goes to these kinds of places for lettuce? I’m sad to say I didn’t even bother with our sides – white rice, plantains, black beans – as I was hoping that the next impaled slice of meat would be something out of the ordinary, like gator, ostrich or pheasant. Unfortunately, there was nothing of the sort, but I did enjoy my first experience with chicken hearts.

Chicken hearts.

Shaped like pinto beans on creatine, the hearts were tougher than I anticipated, with a slightly bitter flavor, like they were doused in vinegar. I’d definitely have them again if the opportunity were to arise, but no need to go out of my way for them.

Once you tap out, you're offered a warm slice of pineapple sprinkled in cinnamon. Whoever thought of such a creation, thank you.

I was so full that a walk to Penn Station (20 minutes) seemed to be the best way to get accustomed to my newly-expanded waistline. The tab, which included a pair of the most refreshing mango margaritas you could hope for, came out to a whopping $55, but if you take into account I didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day, it wasn’t so bad. The rodizio itself cost $28.75, but if you’re at Fernandes, its pretty much on par with the rest of the menu’s pricing.

My main gripe is that the service is so speedy you have little time to digest and the next thing you know, your plate is buried in meat. It becomes a daunting task.

If only they served penguin.

Hobby's Newark style cheese steak wrap

MmmBello’s
Price: $8.75
Fixins: Peppers, onions, mushrooms, American cheese
Tale of the Tape: I’m looking at about a foot of steak, bread and partially-melted American.  I’m knocking off points for that last part – it needs to have the liquidity of Robert Patrick in Terminator 2. The other toppings are all pretty good, and overall, this is a solid entry, but unless there is an absolute dearth of good cheese steaks in Newark, I don’t see how this entry can win out.

Prudential Center Belvedere Vodka Ice Lounge
Price: Included with ticket ($250 face value)
Fixins: Pepper, onions, American cheese
Tale of the Tape: Freakin’ delicious.  I’m surprised my fingers didn’t slip off the roll – the fresh Italian kind – it was that greasy on the outside.  The negative is that the Ice Lounge steaks are a special item not available for every game, so it’s a crap shoot, and now… off-season… yeah, it’s a moot point, but worth mentioning come October!

Mike’s Pizza and Coffee Shop
Price: $5.50
Fixin’s: Peppers, onions, American cheese, ketchup
Tale of the Tape: Best described as an adequate girlfriend.  Your friends don’t hate her, and she’s pretty, but no one will ever mistake her for a supermodel. All-around not bad, but missing that extra oomph to make it something really special. Like my ex-girlfriend!

Airlie Cafe
Price: $7.50
Fixin’s: Mozzarella cheese, chipotle sauce, peppers, onions
Tale of the Tape: The Huge Boss is head and shoulders better than nearly every other steak. I’ve written about it once before, and things haven’t changed.  ”Grilled roast beef, mozzarella and chipotle sauce are all amazing separately, but together, they unite to form the Voltron of cheese steaks.  The complimentary flavors of the roast beef, perfectly grilled onions and peppers mingle to create something special.”

Sagres
Price: N/A (It’s a special, so pricing and availability may vary
Fixin’s: Peppers, onions, American cheese
Tale of the Tape: Another recent post described how much I enjoyed this sandwich.  Check it out here.

Sagres' sirloin

BATTLE ROYAL WINNER: This is really hard, a three-way dance between Airlie, Hobby’s and Sagres. For being a mouth-watering sirloin steak, Sagres would be the automatic winner, but since its not available every day, it come in third place. So Airlie or Hobby’s? So hard to choose, so I’m going to go with Airlie for taking a classic sandwich and infusing a fresh spin on it.

(Note: I’ll be doing another one of these in the future, but I got so tired of eating cheese steaks that I need a break.  Please send in location suggestions for the next round!)

Newarkers… feel free to venture out to Jersey City tomorrow, and support the organization that has definitely made a mark in Newark by working with the Academy St. Fire House. Saturday, April 17th they are partnering up with “Not Yo Mama’s Craft Fair,” featuring the work of 60 local artists. Proceeds raised will benefit ATG. ATG will actually be on-site sharing information, giving  you the opportunity to meet the faces behind the mission. $5 to enter (includes one raffle ticket); children under 10 enter free.

Not Yo Mama’s Craft Fair
Saturday, April 17, 11am-6pm
@ Parlay Studios: 161 2nd Street, Jersey City, NJ www.notyomamasaffairs.com

“Oh, you’re in Newark now?  Check out McGovern’s.”

“There’s this famous Irish pub in Newark… McGovern’s.”

“If you want to make friends with local cops, go to McGovern’s.”

$8 pitchers and $4 wings during Monday Night Football, trivia on Tuesday nights, $1.50 domestics on Thursdays… Even if you don’t capitalize on any of those larcenous deals, there’s plenty reason to pay a visit anyway.  Cheap beer at any hour. Decent pub fare, too.

New England Clam Chowder. A little watery, but infused with a lot of flavor.

Chicken Parm sandwich and a fresh, made-to-order batch of fries. No frills, no complaints.

Buffalo chicken wrap... Total for all three photographed items and a pair of beers: $18.

It’s everything I expect from an old Irish pub… or an old Irishman.  Direct.  To the point.  No BS.

Sit elbow-to-elbow with a stranger and a story at the bar, sipping away at a longneck or teasing the froth of a Guinness.  Everything about this place has that feeling that this is what it must have been like to hang out in a bar 40, 50 years ago.  A bunch of guys getting off the job – blue collar, white collar, ring around the collar, it doesn’t matter – and unwinding with a pint or two, shooting the shit.

So what is a Newark vegan to do?

Art Kitchen can now satisfy your vegan sweet tooth with the launch of their new vegan cupcakes. The first being peanut butter. Also on the way is a Cocao based raw power bar, which sounds pretty enticing being the chocoholic that I am.

“…eggs, milk, butter-they’re

all staples in the baking world.”

Not exactly a vegetarian, I try to eat as healthily as I can. I went from 2% milk, to soy, and then to almond. I switch out chicken with organic tofu when I make stir fry. I substitute butter for olive oil when I cook. Little changes can make a difference. And it definitely makes it more convenient when restaurants and cafes start offering those types of options for their customers. At Art Kitchen you can make any smoothie or coffee drink vegan since they carry soy milk as a substitution.

The Art Kitchen Menu

Other vegan options at Art Kitchen include: pressed banana and peanut butter, peanut butter and jam, oatmeal made with dried fruit and nuts, hummus and flat bread, and chickpea and olive spread over spinach on whole wheat bread. Some you may already see on the current menu above and others will be there very soon!

Owners Anthony and Kelly Moraes are both vegetarian and have always offered options for the non-meat eater at both Hell’s Kitchen and Art Kitchen. Even their partner and friend Octavio Pires is a recent convert to a lifestyle Kelly has been practicing for the past 4 years and Anthony for 1 year. Soon, Kelly hopes to transition  into an all vegan diet. “With all the owners being vegetarian and vegan, we will surely be featuring more and more vegetarian and vegan options soon. Also, at a discount for our frequent guests”, says Kelly Moraes.

A discount everyone can take advantage of now? Buy 10 cups of coffee get one free or buy 5 paninis and get one free cupcake. How’s that for a frequent buyer card?

Print this punch card and bring it whenever you visit Art Kitchen.

]]> http://glocallynewark.com/2010/03/once-you-go-vegan/feed/ 1 40.7405 -74.17150340.7405-74.171503 http://glocallynewark.com/2010/02/one-year-later/ http://glocallynewark.com/2010/02/one-year-later/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:35:34 +0000 Quade Connolly http://glocallynewark.com/?p=8756 Last year, one of my first posts for Glocally Newark was about a new-ish restaurant called 60 Park Grill.  Service was tortoisian. (I made that up. It means “sssslow.”) The only ambiance was a lack thereof.  The food was good, but I had little reason to ever revisit.

It’s managed to stay in business all this time, though nearly everyone I’ve spoken to, including a few lifelong Ironbound residents and other Brick City lunchtime explorers, have never heard of the place.  (It’s across from the PSE&G building on Park Place, right by Military Park.)

It's easy to miss this vertical awning in the middle of the block on Park Place.

Feeling whimsical, I figured I’d see how things have changed/stayed the same.  On the positive side of the 60 Park Grill battery, there’s framed sports photography, art and jerseys on the walls – not an overbearing amount like you’d find at Stadium Bar and Grill, but not Gobi Desert barren, either.  A handful of guests and the white noise of radio waves eliminated the feeling that I’d be eating in a funeral parlor again, which seemed to be the case last year.

Much more inviting than last time...

I stood at the hostess’s dais for too long, so I took it upon myself to grab a seat at the bar.  And from there on out, I knew this was a much different 60 Park Grill than the one I patronized in February 2009.  Illegible menu, neglectful service and even the Jersey Giant – a cheeseburger draped in Taylor ham – were all out.  In their place were an attendant staff, and enticing entrees ($12-23) like the Asian chicken salad, with oranges, cranberries and ginger vinaigrette; plate-filling sandwiches ($8-10) like the turkey and chicken clubs; and popular dishes like penne with vodka sauce and “The Gov,” an 8 ounce burger slathered with melted cheddar cheese.

I appreciate the switch to a menu that doesn't look like the Where's Waldo spread in which there are 35 million Waldos and you need to find the one missing a sock.

Each day, from 11:30 AM – 3 PM, there’s a $5 lunch special.  Choose from a half-plate of penne, chicken Caesar wrap, The Gov (no fries) or devil wings.  I went wings, and wasn’t disappointed.  Seven meaty chicken limbs with a tolerably-hot Buffalo sauce filled me up just right.

So wings don't fit my "be healthy" game plan, but not over-eating does. Seven of these were enough to silence the banshee in my belly for most of the day.

I was most impressed with the cordiality of bartenders Drew and Peter, who chatted me up on a range of topics from architecture and photography to the Jets, Devils and cheese.  Even the drunk woman throwing back spiced rum and Long Island iced teas was good for a sound byte.

My impression of 60 Park Grill is vastly different – and for the better – than it was a year ago.  I wonder what February 2011 holds?

Gone is the ranch-like grazing field of tables and copious buffet – the buffet is still there, but very scaled back.  In their place are bottles of herbs, amino acids, vitamins and pills stacked from floor to ceiling, a few islands of general store goods (juice, chips, nuts, raisins and the like), and a corner of the space designated for floral arrangements.  It all really threw me off.

I’ve tried a few of their fruit smoothies, loaded with powdered proteins and vitamins, and I have to say, psychologically, there’s something to be said for the theory that any food or drink that tastes like shit must be good for you.  The initial ingredients are fine: any combination of banana, mango, orange, pineapple, strawberry, blueberry and ice blended before your very eyes.  But it’s those damn added nutrients that get you every time, scarring the roof of your mouth with a chalky residue, as if your tongue were punished into doing a Bart Simpson writing assignment on the blackboard.

At $4.99 for a 16 ouncer (add a dollar for another 4 ounces), I’m probably better off getting a salad.  Despite that, the horrific aftertaste is the reason why I think I’m being healthy in drinking what anyone under a blind taste test would surely consider poison.  The perky Asian woman blending this witch’s brew is always so pleasant, and even lets me slide for not meeting the $7 credit card minimum, so I almost feel like I owe it to her to suffer through these smoothies, which would be more aptly titled “harshies.”  So yeah, I suppose I really am a masochist.