Ganges, Princeton Junction

I seriously think that anyone who loves Indian food as much as I do should live in this area. It is oh so abundant, and so far all of it has been pretty good! This rule certainly applies to Ganges in Princeton Junction. It is close to home and has just what we were craving... authentic Indian food. It's a liiiittle tricky to find, as it's tucked into a strip mall on an awkward corner. Once you find it and walk inside I'm pretty sure you'll be impressed with what they've done with the place. It's charming and well decorated, with a warm and inviting feel.

We started off with the vegetable samosas and they were lovely. The perfect crunch on the outside is what really makes a samosa stand out to me. The filling of peas and potato was perfectly seasoned... a little heat and a LOT of flavor. The accompanying chutneys (one sweet (and I believe plum based) and one hot) were perfect... they added just the right depth to the samosas (and everything else I ended up smearing them on!) For our bread we chose an aloo (potato) Paratha. This is pretty much always going to be delicious.... creamy potato shmeared between flat bread? What could be bad!

For dinner we ordered one chicken dish and one lamb dish. For our poultry we went with chicken Tikka Masala (which is one of our favorites). The color on this was unlike anything I have ever seen. It was BRIGHT red. It looked almost fake.... I was convinced that the coloring had to be artificial. Whil ethe sauce was really tasty, and the chicken well seasoned (although a litle dry) I couldn't get over the color of the sauce. It weirded me out. That color red is not one that I have ever seen in nature, so I cannot even tell you how it came to be in the dish. There was a drizzle of yogurt over the top of the dish, so it lightened up a little by the time this picture was taken, so if this doesn't seem 'all that red' it's because it isn't. Long story short, though, it was tasty. Darned tasty.

We ordered the lamb Boti Kabob Kandhari and, unfortunately, we could have done without it. While seasoned exceptionally (and with a perfect citrus kick from some added lemon) the meat was super dry. So dry, in fact, that it was hard to eat. The spice was perfect, the onions burnt to a caramelized crisp (just the way I looooove them!), the portion size ideal, and yet we left food behind. Such a shame. This could have been my all time favey, but instead it was chewy and sad. Wah.

I will definitely go back to Ganges, despite the tough lamb. Everything TASTED fine, and the service was awesome, so they certainly deserve another shot. If I am once again served icky, over cooked meat, though, I am going to be so mad.

Ganges Authentic Indian Cuisine

http://www.gangesonline.com/

33 Princeton- Hightstown Road

Princeton Junction, NJ 08550

609 750 1550

Alchemist & Barrister, Princeton

Matt and I ventured out to Princeton the other day with KW and RW to get our eat on. Eat we did. We ended up at Alchemist and Barrister in downtown Princeton, a hip yet elegant place right in the center of all the action. They have live music three nights a week and delicious food even more regularly.

We started off our meal with the AB nachos. They were covered in grilled chicken, chunks of tomato, cheddar and jack cheese, slices of jalapeno, red beans, chickpeas, black olives and adouille sausage (side note.... if you haven't noticed from my other posts I love andouille sausage... LOVE it... it's so flavortastic it makes me smile... ok end note). I know it sounds like a lot going on, but somehow it worked. The only thing that was weird was that all of the ingredients were pretty dry... the cheese was melty (obvs) but there was no guac or salsa or sour cream, so it was a bit odd. Delicious all the same, but odd. Also the chickpeas and whole red beans added a really nice textural thing... those are not standard nacho ingredients, but hey, maybe they should be.

RW ordered the bleu cheese and mushroom burger. This was a good thing EXCEPT he ordered it well done. Hey. I am not here to tell people how to order food, but I am just syaing that I would have done it differently. I digress. the burger was delicious. It managed to stay somewhat moist despite the doneness, and the seasoning was dead on. Alchemist & Barrister are very generous with their bleu cheese, which I love to see. It was sharp and creamy and just really worked well with the meat. I will say that I would have liked to see more mushrooms on this bad boy, but maybe thats because they were so tasty. Sauteed mushrooms are really simple, but can pack so much flavor.

KW got the chili marinated grilled chicken sandwich, but this was not a hit. The chicken was super dry and between KW and myself we couldn't really find the chili marinade anywhere! The other stuff on the sandwich was good (there was some guacamole, pepper jack cheese and chipotle aioli ) but all in all it was kind of boring. Not a lot of flavor packed in to what sounded like an awesome dish.

Matt's, on the other hand, was amazing. He ordered the garden vegetable burger, which is SO out of character for him, but it was unlike anything I have ever had. When I think veggie burger I usually think dried out yucko hockey puck of grains trying to pass themselves off as something resembling meat. SO not the case here. This veggie burger was outrageous. It was like a fallafel but not fried... it tasted like a chickpea puree that has been pressed into a patty and grilled a little on each side... it was firm but soft and the flavor was exceptional. It came with tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, cucmbers, tomato, lettuce and it was all on a perfectly grilled flat bread. It was SO fresh tatsing, it was really surprising. I loved this. I miss this veggie burger. I sometimes find myself thinking about it. Seriously, this was good. It wasn't, however, the best dish of the night.

Because THAT dish was mine! I ordered the baked shepherds pie and it was awesome. The ground lamb was cooked so nicely that it basically melted away in my mouth. The gravy that surrounded the meat, carrots and peas was nothing short of succulent. It was so rich and so flavorful, I was in heaven. Everyone at the table couldn't keep their forks out of my dish. The potato top was a bit browned and crispy, but the center of each dollop was creamy and smooth. This was SO good. SO good. Hearty and homey, delicious and well executed, warm and charming... it was perfect. The texture of the creamy potato, the smooth, rich sauce, the fresh tatsting peas and tender meat made every bite a pleasure. Yum

Alchemist and Barrister was a lovely experience. Part comfort food, and part gourmet, it has something for everyone. It boasts a full bar, and is located right in the heart of Princeton, so you can start OR end your night there. Or stay the whole time. Why not!? The food was great, they have a variety of unique beer on tap, a moderately extensive wine list and there is often live entertainment. Go! eNJoy it!

Alchemist & Barrister

http://www.alchemistandbarrister.com/

28 Witherspoon Street
Princeton, NJ 08542

609 924 5555

OddFellows, Hoboken

The last time that I tried Cajun food in New Jersey it was no good. In fact it is currently the only thing under the 'Meh' label on this blog. That being said, I was willing to give Cousin D (sister of Cousin J, who we all know and love by now, daughter of Uncle S who made the meh recommendation the first time) the benefit of the doubt when she suggested we go out for a little New Orleans cuisine. Cousin D and Cousin A are very familiar with the Hoboken area, and have never steered me wrong food wise, so I figured, what they hey, let's give it a go. It was a very different experience from my first bout with Garden State Cajun. This was actually good (well the food was at least!).

We started off with a drink at the bar so we could catch up and relax for a few. The bartender was attentive, the 'house wine' was nice in both price and tatse, all was right with the world. When it came time to finally sit for our meal, though, we waited an awfully long time to get a table (even though there were several open) and even longer for someone to come over and greet us (Cousin A actually started counting minutes, because it became THAT absurd). Eventually (I think we got up to 15 minutes of wait time?) someone came over to take our order. We shared an appetizer that was composed of black olives, tomatoes and shrimp in a garlic and tomato based broth (not particularly Cajun, but whatever, it sounded good). It was bruschetta-esque in that we had crusty bread to top with the tomato shrimp mixture. My one note on this dish was that it was garlicky... but to me that's not a bad thing. I could see, though, if someone didn't like a strong garlic flavor this would be a bad choice... both the bread AND the mixture were seasoned with the stuff, so it was garlic upon garlic. We all enjoyed it, but def not a first date dish. The shrimp were cooked perfectly (no chewiness here!) and the flavors all worked well together.
Cousin D ordered the blackened catfish, and it was exactly as it should be. This had all of the flavor that I was craving back when I was at meh-town... not too salty, a little slow rising heat, a nice peppery kick. It was delicious. It was cooked to a tee, pulling apart with very little pressue from the fork. It had a tomato relish on the side that paired really well with the blackening spice... cool and refreshing against the pepper. She picked the fries and coleslaw as her sides, and neither were particularly memorable, but they were definetley edible. OddFellows has a HUGE selection of sides, and most of the entree dishes allow you to choose one or two. They range from pretty traditional Cajun fare (red beans and rice or collard greens) to safe and Americanized (mashed potatoes or sauteed spinach).

Cousin A ordered the seafood jambalaya and it looked fantastic (I didn't try it because I was so busy eating my own meal, but I digress). The generous portion was filled with tons of seafood, including mussels, shrimp, scallops and crawfish. It was colorful and fragrant, and he said it was not at all dry (which happens a LOT in rice based dishes). I am sure he enjoyed it because he cleaned his plate!

I couldn't make up my mind on what to order, but luckily OddFellows accounted for that. In their "Li'l Taste of New Orleans" I was able to try the chicken jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, and chicken and adouille gumbo. There was nothing li'l about this. I was served three heaping bowls of food, easily enough for two people. I will go in order from least favorite to most enjoyed. Despite Cousin A's claim that his jambalaya wasn't dry, mine was. Really dry. Maybe it's because his had seafood, which has a lot more natural moisture, who knows... what I DO know is mine was dry. The flavors were all delicious, but the chicken was sticking to the top of my mouth and I just couldn't enjoy it. Next was the crawfish etouffee, which I really enjoyed. The sauce was delicious, rich and creamy. The rice added body to it so it wasn't too thin. The crawfish were as good as I have had outside of the bayou, sweet and meaty. It was almost decadent. Very good. The real winner of this trio, though, had to be the gumbo. SO good. There was some really nice spice to it, with a heat that wasn't overwhelming but was most certainly present. The chicken in this dish was definetley less dry (though I don't think I would describe it as moist), but the sausage was perfect. Andouille sausage is so flavorful it can bump up the wow factor of any dish, but I feel that this one would have been good even without it. It's all in the roux, people. Anyone who knows Cajun cooking knows that the roux is half the battle, and this crew knew their roux.

All in all I have to say that this place was good. The service stunk (seriously, we practically had to do the wave to get our server's attention) but overall we were all pleased with our meals. The food was plentiful, the technique was accurate, and the flavors were authentic. This just goes to show that while Uncle S is not to be trusted, he makes fabulous foodie children. Lucky me!

OddFellows

http://www.oddfellowsrest.com/

80 River Street

Hoboken, NJ

201 656 9009

Sophie's Bistro, Somerset

French food is so rarely done correctly... people make something taste super rich and decadent and say it's French. Alas, this is not true, and while those foods may be delicious I can assure you they are not authentic. Enter Sophie's Bistro, an establishment where they know a place for the rich, calorie drenched foods AS WELL AS the simple, classic flavors that are so synonymous with French cuisine. Tucked away a mere few blocks from the hustle and bustle of New Brunswick, this place is a real find. I will admit that I am partial to them, not just for their fabulous food, but for their friendly and knowledgeable staff. I was first introduced to this culinary gem by my parents about four years ago, and I have been back at least once a month ever since.

The Sister was in town recently and we (Mom, Matt, Sister and I) decided to hit up our long time family fave. While we all had a basic idea of what we were craving we had to be sure to check out the specials menu... it changes every day and offers inspired dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. I decided on the Salade Frisee aux Lardons (a frisee salad with chunks of delicious thick cut bacon all topped with a poached egg). This is my favorite salad here. They use a very light vinaigrette on it, and the tang from the dressing mixes with the salt from the bacon making my mouth tres happy. Frisee is a bitter, really textural green and it holds the runny yolk from the egg in all of its bends and twists... so we have bitter, we have a little salty smoke, we have some tart, we have some mildness from the egg... the salad is a downright adventure. A perfect bite would have all of the components in it, but even the ones that are missing one ingredient or another are delicious and complex. Too good. Really.

Sister ordered the much tamer (but still delicious) Salade Verte a la Sophie (I am sure that you all guessed that it simply means Sophie's green salad.... you're so bilingual, yes you are!) I don't want to say it's nothing special, but it really is just a simple, fresh mesclun salad. Allow me to move along to more exciting things (sorry Sis).

Mom went with something off the special list... a beet and bleu cheese tower. This was absurdly good. First of al, it was just pretty... beets are such a unique, rich color that they make any plate look magnificent. They were sweet and tasty... I love the texture of beets... firm and soft at the same time... there is nothing quite like it. There were also some delicious walnuts thrown into the mix, and it was a textural shock everytime they were bitten into.The tang of the cheese really offset the sweetness of the beets and the meatiness of the nuts, and the presentation was lovely... I think anything in tower form looks awesome.

Matt ordered what I consider to be the best appetizer on the menu, which is the Tartes aux Tomates, a delicious pizza type thing. The real key element of this dish is crust. Its so flakey, rich, and buttery that I would seriously order a Tarte des Crust or something. A really mild cheese is used ( I want to say it's emmental) with bright, fresh tomatoes and the flavor is something I have never experienced before. The crust melts away and your left with chewey cheese and tomatoes that literally burst in your mouth... it's such an amazing food experience. I would have ordered this for sure, but the waitress took Matt's order first (damn her) and i hate 'repeaties' at a table, especially if I haven't written about it yet. Yum Tartes aux Tomates.... yum yum yum. Seriously go eat one of these. Now.

For dinner I had yet another appetizer... the moules marinieres (mussels in a white wine, butter, and garlic broth). I know from prior experience that the portion is HUGE... way bigger than an appetizer should be. The sauce is crazy good (what could be bad about garlic butter and white wine smothering sweet meaty mussels? exactly) My favorite thing to do is take some of the crusty house bread and soak up the garlicky liquid at the end of my meal. Oh man. Delicious.

Mom got yet another dish off of the specials menu. This was a crabcake and it was good. Not the best crabcake I have ever tasted, but good... more crab than bread crumb, seasoned well, nice crispy crust. It was over an interesting salad, though. Greens, beets, melon (both honeydew and cantelope) and corn made for an extraordinarily colorful presentation with a lot of flavors and textures going on. Again, not bad, but not amazing. Verrry pretty though (you eat with your eyes first, people!)

Matt had steak frites which, in my honest opinion, would be hard for anyone to screw up. Matt claims, though, that this was beyond good... it was 'perfect'. Well seasoned and cooked exactly to his request, it was a Matt pleaser for sure. My favorite thing on the plate, though, were the fries. Oh wowzers, the fries. They are thin, crispy, perfectly salted and mind blowing (hello FRENCH fries? I'd be mad if Sophie's made them anything other than spectacularly) Oh their fries. I eat these by the fistfull (side note: if your entree does not come with fries (what were you thinking!) you can order them as a side and they come in a delightful cone. Just so you know)

Sister ordered the roasted chicken (poulet roti) which is usually her go to dish, but tonite it was dry. Really dry. She was truly disapointed, as she had been looking forward to the dish ever since we announced where we would be dining. Luckily for us the staff at Sophie's Bistro is not only attentive, but they care about their food, reputation, and customers. The owner came over to ask how everything was while doing his rounds (he is very hands on and can almost always be found on site, mingling) and noticed immediately that her dish was not up to his standards. A new plate was out to her within minutes, and THIS time the chicken was succulent and juicy... a real home run. Matt always says that the chicken here is so good because they brine (a mixture of salt and water used to plump and season meat) their birds, making them that much tastier, especially under the beautifuly crispy skin. Also it comes with fries so YAY bonus points.

All in all this place is a real gem. Its away from the hullabaloo of New Brunswick's theatre area, but close enough that you could still come for drinks and desserts after a show (or come for dinner... they're open late enough!) The food is good, and you can get a great meal for a decent price. The staff is crazy friendly (and clearly they care about your overall dining experience... so important). I want to say it's almost like visiting family, it's that kind of experience, ya know? Happy faces, reliable food, clean and open space, witty banter. Try it out. Get the fries, You'll love me forever, I swear.

Sophie's Bistro

http://www.sophiesbistro.net/

700 Hamilton Street

Somerset, NJ 08873

732 545 7778