SoHo on George, New Brunswick

Oh, how we did eat on the night of Dad's birthday. Mom, Matt, Dad and I found ourselves at SoHo on George to celebrate the big guy's special day, and wooo baby are we glad we did. SoHo on George is a chic establishment in the middle of downtown New Brunswick. It's pretty inside... kind of modern looking, but classy at the same time... some splashes of color, some cool looking architecture, but nothing over the top. It's not stupid fancy, but I wouldn't wear jeans and sneaks here, catch my drift? Like... there's a guy who's job is solely to walk around folding people's napkins when they get up to go to the bathroom or for a smoke... but it's not snooty or anything. What it IS is good, and pretty reasonable price wise for the quality and area.

I started off my meal with a salad from the daily specials list... grilled octopus over salad greens, with fried onion straws on top. It was delightful. The octopus was not chewy (ew.. hate that!) and the grilling gave it a woody, smokey flavor. Since the octopus was still a bit warm it really contrasted nicely with the cold salad. The dressing was tart and a little sweet. The onions were totally crispy and added a nice texture contrast... loved it. All around it was a successful dish.

Matt went with the heirloom tomato and Mozzarella salad. The tomatoes were gorgeous (yellow and red... fancy!), and so fresh and tasty. The Mozzarella was creamy and delicious, too. The real star on the plate, (for me at least) was the delightful pesto that was drizzled on top of the whole thing... it was a little spicy, really clean tasting, and made the balsamic reduction taste even sweeter.

Mom got the mesculin salad, which had a kind of Mediterranian flare to it.... feta, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives.. that kind of thing. We all know these flavors work well together so it was no surprise that they did this time too. The caramalaized vidalia onion vinagrette that was on the salad was also nice...a little too sweet until you got a bite of feta or olive... then it evened out nicely.

The birthday boy picked the real winner in this round. He ordered the Tuscan tomato grilled vegetable soup and it was out of this world. Topped with a dollop of creamy goat cheese, the soup was so fresh tasting it was like drinking a garden... but in a good way (as if there's a bad way to drink a garden). The goat cheese kind of melted in a bit, lending its tart flavor to the thick, rich soup. It really was outstanding... you could taste some woodiness from the grilled vegetables, the sweetness from the tomato, and the cheese just rounded it all out. Yum.

Our next dish was shared around the table... Dad saw it on the specials menu and when nobody ordered it for dinner he figured we NEEDED to try it. It was pasta with Kobe beef meatballs, and it sounded too good to pass up. It wasn't... we definitely could have lived without it. Kobe beef is so delicious and tender (which makes it worth so much money!) that grounding it to make meatballs denies it of its natural beauty. While the sauce was delicious the meatballs were really a bummer. They were dry and flavorless, really not up to par with the rest of the dishes we had already enjoyed. I guess I don't know what we were expecting... we know what the merits of Kobe beef are and we know what meatballs are, so why we decided this would work is beyond me. At least the sauce was tasty.

For dinner I had one of the specials, crab three ways. It was a sauteed soft shell crab, a crab cake, and a Blue crab stuffed with crab stuffing. All were done well but the crab cake was certainly the best component. It was mostly crab meat and very little filling (dontcha hate when crab cakes are all bread crumb? ick) The stuffed crab was kind of eh... the stuffing had a LOT of bell peppers in it, and they kind of took over. I loved the soft shell crab... when they're in season there is nothing better... crunchy, salty, succulent... LOVE 'EM. It was all topped with shaved veggies, which were good, but nothing special. The roasted red pepper sauce on the plate was good and lent a nice flavor to most of the crab... except the stuffed crab, which was peppery enough as it was.

Matt had the Filet Mignon and it was lovely... a nice cut of meat that was cooked exactly how he asked for it. Not over seasoned, not bland, just right. It sat on top of a warm salad of corn, bacon, asparagus and pepper. It was alright but not great... it was a little too wet for me, and again, very heavy handed with the bell pepper. The bacon and the corn worked well together, though, and the sweetness of the vegetable and the saltiness and smoke of the meat really paired well. There was also a potato gratin that was awesome... not too cheesy, nicely browned, a litte salty a little creamy. YUM

Mom got the halibut dish, which was pan sauteed and nice and crispy on top. Still flaky and moist in the middle it was cooked by the books.. not dry at all. There was a pile of fried onion strings on top, which were completely unnecessary for the dish (but tasty to pick at... hey, fried onion strings always have a place at my table). Had the same red pepper sauce that my dish had, but it didn't work as well with her fish... I guess the halibut is a lot more mild in flavor than crab, and the sweet coulis really needed some salt to even it out. The side on her plate, though, was stupid good. Like realllly good. A wild mushroom and brie strudel... uh hello? SIGN ME UP! The outside was flakey and crunchy and the inside was creamy and decadent... if possible I would just order a couple of these bad boys and call it a night. Once again Dad'd dish won the round. The stuffed pork chop was so good it actually worried me a bit. I didn't think it was possible to stuff that much flavor into one piece of meat, but SoHo on George found a way. The two giant chops were each stuffed with chorizo, spinach, and cheese (WARNING: this dish was totally NOT for people watching their caloric intake... but hey... birthday calories don't count so he was in the clear!) The filling gets so creamy and melty it seeps sensuously out of the top of the chop, making the whole damn dish a joyous thing of beauty. The roasted peach chipotle salsa that accompanies it just makes the flavors ten times stronger, really accentuating the spice of the sausage, the salt of the cheese, the sweetness of the peach, the meatiness of the pork..... pause. Must wipe drool from keyboard. Ok back. Of course this is ridiculously rich, so he only ate one chop (and I tricked him into giving me the leftover one for lunch the next day.... score one for me!) This is one of their signature dishes, and it's clear to see why. The flavor and texture pairings are out of this world, and every mouthful is a mini adventure... new flavors working with familiar ones. Le sigh.... yum.

We did get dessert but by that time I was too full to opperate a camera (SORRY GUYS!), but they were easy to imagine. Since nothing says birthday like a cupcake, and luckily for us they have a daily cupcake sampler. Three delicious cupcakes came out (with candles... duh) and they were gorgeous (oh why did I eat the Kobe beef meatballs!? I could have saved a touch of energy for picture taking!) One vanilla, one chocolate and one red velvet they were perfect, with sweet rich icing and light fluffy cake. Perfect ending to dinner.

The price was very reasonable compared to other places in New Brunswick (even some with food only half as good!), the staff could not be nicer (thanks again, napkin foldy guy!), the place is beautiful, and there is a full bar (and a very respectable wine list). I should also mention that you can eat at the bar (they have a seperate bar menu with fabulous selections, like a goat cheese and red pepper pizza or beef and chicken satay). I totally reccomend giving this place a shot! Let me know what you think (especially if you get the pork chop... call me we'll talk about it... seriously... I can talk about it all day)

SoHo on George
http://www.sohoongeorgest.com/
335 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732-296-0533

Terhune Orchards, Princeton

New Jersey rules when it comes to fresh produce in the summer... tomatoes, blueberries, corn (just to name a few)... I mean, hello... we're not 'The Garden State' for nothing. Matt, my Sister and I discovered an awesome farmers market one morning, and while there were several farms displaying their goods there, we were immediately drawn to the Terhune Orchard stand. We grabbed some blueberries and some home made farm stand salsa and went merrily on our way to sample the goods at the rest of the tables. When we got home we dove into our purchases and packed half of the salsa away on the spot. It was SO fresh and SO flavorful, and it was made solely with ingredients from their farm! The bluberries barely lasted the day, too... big plump and fresh... the perfect combo of sweet and tart. YAY! FRESH PRODUCE

Matt and I could not wait until the following weekend to hope that we chanced upon this place again, so we sought out the farm itself. Terhune Orchards is beaaaaauuutiful. The grounds are so well maintained, the staff is super freindly, it's colorful and clean... it just makes you FEEL happy upon first glance!

The smell of baked goods was thick in the air... it smelled like cinnamon and butter and fried things... all good. We walked into the farm stand and were face to face with some of the most delicious looking pies, cookies and tarts I have ever seen. We turned left and were smack dab in the middle of a color explosion of fresh produce... berries, squash, greens, herbs... it smelled earthy and fresh and I loved it. We debated for a good 15 minutes before finally deciding on which sweet treat to try, and in the end, the donuts won. These Apple Cider donuts are made using their fresh pressed apple cider (from their fresh picked apples, from their on site orchards... WOO!) We grabbed one and split it, and while it was delicious, we were confused why the smell in the air was not matching the taste in our mouths. That's when the cashier (so friendly!) noticed what we were eating.

"Wait! Stop... put that down. Let me go get you some that are fresh out of the oil! They're a million times better when they're warm!" She didn't have to twist our arms! While we waited we drank a cup of cider, perused through their selection of home made soups and dips (fresh Gazpacho? Corn and tomato salsa? It all looked insanely good) She came back with the donuts (a half dozen on the house, because we were new to her farm...so generous!) and they were INSANE. They were hot and fresh and smelled like heaven. Upon first bite they literally fell apart in our mouths.. like warm puffy clouds of cinnamon happiness. Needless to say we are now lifelong fans.

The grounds are gorgeous, they have live animals that kids (or grown ups) can feed, a pond, some picnic benches, and the orchards themselves. Make a day of it! Head over to Terhune Orchards with the whole family, pick your own produce (you can see the schedule of what's available to pick on their website!), grab a healthy lunch, feed some animals, have a donut, take a walk. It's all worth it!

Terhune Orchards

http://www.terhuneorchards.com/

330 Cold Soil Road

Princeton, NJ 08540

609.924.2310

Tortuga's Mexican Village, Princeton

Oh Mexican food, how I love you so. Spicy, cheesy, meaty, carb-y... what's not to like? Cousin J (you remember her, yes?) introduced me to Tortuga's Mexican Village a few years ago when she was working in Princeton, and I have been a believer ever since. Its bright and colorful on the outside and inside, with awesome modern art on the walls (along with the necessary yet cliche sombreros and maracas), and the people are super friendly. Also they have the best salsa. Ever. Period. It's not in a swimmy puddle mess of tomato glop; it's good, honest chunks of tomato, onion, herbs and pepper in an almost vinegary base. Too yum. Craving it now... eek! It is SO good in fact that the first bowl is on the house and then they make you pony up for seconds (which I always do... it's magical.... I dream of this salsa... sad but true) Now when J first took me to this place she introduced me to the California burrito... I have since tried everything else on the (pretty extensive) menu, but I always go back to this dish. It is a grossly oversized burrito stuffed with a meat of your choice (on this day I chose beef but you can do pork, chicken, steak, chorizzo... pretty much anything they have), beans, rice, guacamole, cheese, tomato, lettuce (yes the lettuce is INSIDE), and sour cream. They they top it with red sauce and more cheese and bring it over on a burning hot plater of happiness. It's weird.. although the lettuce does get a liiiiitle wilty, it's still pretty cool and crunchy even though it's been through the salamander. Same with the sour cream... it stays cool and delish. This is my favorite item on their menu... it is sideless (the rice and beans are shoved into the burrito itself!) but super filling... I don't recall having ever finished one in a single sitting.

Matt ordered the Chile Relleno, which is basically a Mexican stuffed pepper dipped in egg batter and cooked up. I think he opted to have his filled with chicken. It was done really well... the batter wasn't too thick, the filling was nice and soft with a touch of heat and loads of cheese. The platter was huge, and overflowing with rice and beans. The cheese and sauce on top made it gooey and rich... it was definetley not considered a low fat meal. While it's not very pretty to look at, it was delicious to eat!

I love this place, and I wish I was able to get there more often. Their menu has all sorts of delicious options, and no, not everything is covered in cheese and sauce (although, why shouldn't it be? SO GOOD). They have salads, soups, and house specialties, which include seafood enchillads, lime marinated catfish, and pollo mole (my Mom's favorite dish... I should take her here!) One thing to note,though... Tortuga's Mexican Village is a cash only place... no credit cards wil be accepted. It's a small inconvenience to an otherwise fantastic place. Go there! Tell me how much you love their salsa!

Tortuga's Mexican Village

http://www.tortugasmv.com/

44 Leigh Avenue

Princeton, NJ

Phone: (609) 924-5143

Elements Asia, Lawrenceville

iEatDC and her husband J came to visit us recently (Life long foodie friends... could I BE any luckier?) As happens when old friends come to visit, we immediately got schnockered on copious amounts of delicious wine. While there is no issue with this (we are all consenting adults!) it did limit our options of where to dine (can't be driving after drinking... that's a no-no!) Luckily Matt and I live within walking distance of a great place that was worthy of our foodie friends. Elements Asia is another local gem hidden away in some random strip mall... Easy to pass by, but hard to forget once you've gone. The menu features Chinese, Japanese AND Thai cuisine... something for everyone!

After being seated (and promptly opening some more wine) we came up with a game plan. We'd do two appetizers, two sushi rolls, a Thai dish, a Chinese dish and one side dish and just all go to town (sharing is caring people... I can't stress it enough! You get to taste a little of everything!)

For our appetizers we chose one from the sushi bar and one off the main menu. Our sushi bar appetizer was called Wasabi salsa and it was awesome. Cucumber matchsticks wrapped with either tuna, salmon or yellowtail and then topped with tomato, mango, and onion in a vinegar sauce. J and I particularly liked this... we both commented on how much we appreciated the contrasting textures and flavors. Soft, buttery fish over cold, crunchy cucumber. Spicy onion and sweet mango and tart vinegar. Rich flavors and light flavors working together to create one perfect mouthful. It sounds like an odd combination but it worked... it tasted clean and fresh.

Our second appetizer (which I forgot to take a picture of.... too eager to eat it! D'oh!) was an order of the Peking Duck wraps. They looked like pre rolled fajitas, and were stuffed with all of the fixins that usually come with Peking Duck.... Hoisin sauce, cucumber, and scallions. Rolled up in thin rice crepes they were each big enough to split in half... an order of two full wraps was perfect for the four of us. These were DELICIOUS. The duck had a bit of crunchy skin, making it nice and salty, which blended really will with the cool greens. The Hoisin sauce was deep and rich, a little sweet and a little spicy. I especially appreciate that they didn't slather it on too thick, as Hoisin has SUCH a strong (yet incredible) flavor. These could not have disapeared into our mouths any sooner.

After those delicious appetizers (and some more wine...we walked, remember?) we were excited to get to the rest of our meal. My pick for the night was the Autumn of Alaska roll. It had succulent Alaskan king crab and Tempura crunch on the inside, and was topped with salmon, then covered by thinly sliced avocado. All of this was served over a honey and black pepper sauce. It was AMAZING. The crab was none of that artificial crab leg nonsense... it was shreddy, salty, fresh, rich crab meat. The crunchies were nice, but not absolutely necessary. The salmon was crazy fresh and the avocado atop it was creamy. The real winner, though, was the sauce. Thick and sweet with a spicy kick from the black pepper, it was a fantastic substitute (or addition!) to soy sauce. We loved this. Tooooo good.

J picked our next dish... ginger chicken. This was delicious. One of their Chinese specialties, this dish had what we were all craving... flavor, crunch, texture. I know for a fact that I was pushing hard to get something with green beans in it (because I saw the lady at the table next to us eating them and they looked SO good), so this dish shut me up nicely. We all agreed that the ginger was not too over powering (so key in any dish with 'ginger' in the title), the chicken was cooked nicely, and the green beans were (as I suspected) perfect. Plus there was a lot of it... like a whole lot (which can be a bad thing sometimes, I guess, but not when its this tasty).

iEatDC picked the next dish, and it may have been my favorite of the night (we knew she was a true foodie, didn't we?) Her roll was called the Ivory Tower (my picture does not do it justice at all). It was ridiculous... unlike any roll I have ever had before. It was filled with spicy tuna, ginseng carrot, and arugula and then topped with potato crisps with a mini martini glass of ginger sauce for dipping.. sounds absurd, right? It was! The texture was unbelievable.. crunchy from the carrot and arugula, smooth from the spicy tuna... I have never had a roll like that. The ginseng carrot alone would have been special... it was sweet and almost tasted pickled in a way, but still so bright and colorful with a nice snap to it. The potato crisps were strange.. like having sushi and chips... it wasn't bad, just confusing to the mouth (in a fun, exciting way) Loved this dish. LOVED it. And it was so pretty.. I really must work on my photography skills...

Matt's pick was the Thai dish, beef Pad See Ew. This was also a hit at our table. The flat, fat noodles were perfectly cooked ... not gummy at all (HATE when that happens!) The beef was at a perfect temperature and there was a (welcome) surprise ingredient that we weren't expecting... tofu! It was lovely, and provided a nice change up from the beef. The flavors were spot on, the sauce wasn't too sweet and not too salty.. Matt was nuts for this. The only complaint would be that I was missing some of the heat that is typically associated with Thai food... was easily fixed though, as the waiter brought us over some suuuuper spicy hot sauce.

The fried rice was tasty... and plentiful. Nothing special. Just good, delicious fried rice. Oh! In addition to standard peas and onions there were baby corn in it... so ya know... that's kind of special! It was a perfect side.

Between the good friends, good wine, and good food it's pretty obvious that we had one hell of a night. Elements Asia is a real find, and their innovative dishes make every trip there a mini adventure (they make a spicy tuna pizza... yeah.. with mozerella and everything.. cool right? Oh and you should see what's in some of their more creative rolls... we played it SAFE!) It's so worth a visit, and there's something for everyone. People who like standard fare will be pleased with the list of traditional dishes while adventure seekers will want to try all of the wacky combinations there have to offer. Grab your fave foodie besties (it worked for us!), take the ride, and tell me what you think!

Elements Asia

www.elementsasia.com

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

(609) 275 4988

Palace of Asia, Lawrenceville

Mom and Dad came to visit our new place for the first time, and we decided to go exploring in the neighborhood. After a little research we decided on Palace of Asia, an Indian restaurant that was pretty close by, and, to Dad's delight, had a full bar. (We have always wondered why more ethnic restaurants don't have them.... spicy food calls for full bodied red wines!)

The place is not only HUGE but also gorgeous.... I'm not talking like 'hey what a nice looking place' but more like I immediately regretted not having my bat mitzvah there. Yeah... that pretty. Warm, inviting colors, large statues, and big hanging light fixtures made me feel like I was walking into an Indian palace. I could not WAIT to sit down and order!

After ordering our beverages-glass of house red for me, two different Indian beers (Taj Mahal and Kingfisher) for Matt and Dad, and a vodka cocktail for Mom- we took a look at the menu. Strangest thing, folks... this Indian restaurant has BEEF on the menu!!! Yeah, I know... Weeeeeiiiirdd.... it would be like walking into a kosher deli and getting a ham sandwich. We didn't order any beef dishes, but we all thought it was worth mentioning. But I digress... we picked the Tandoori mixed grill for an appetizer, and everything on it was delicious. It had Tandoori Chicken, lamb Boti Kabob, Chicken Tika, Tandoori shrimp, and Seekk Kabob, so there was plenty to go around (actually it was enough for a party twice our size). All of the chicken was so tender that none of us used knives to cut it, and the flavors on each of the meats were perfect... not too spicy, not too mild. It was very well balanced, especially after we threw a splash of lemon over the meats... YUM! Gotta love that acidity!

For dinner we ordered a few dishes and all shared (the best way to enjoy as many options as possible, in my opinion). We got the chicken Achari, Daal Makhni, and lamb Saagwala as well some bread (a traditional Naan and a garlic Naan). The chicken was good. It was described as chicken cooked with onions, tomatoes, garlic and chili peppers, flavored with pickled spices. It sounds like a lot going on but all of the elements worked well together... if anything I wish they would have used more pickled spices and chilis! The chicken was tender, and the sauce was perfect for scooping up with the hot delicious bread... the dish worked, and I am glad we got it.

The Daal Makhni was decent but after having this none will ever be able to compare. It was still delicious, and we all enjoyed it... I have just been spoiled when it comes to Daal Makhni...the bar has been set extraordinarily high. The lamb Saagwala was also good... creamy and rich, the spinach lent a great freshness to it. Visually it was less than appealing... a very weird brownish green, and it's texture was a little too 'squishy' for Matt, but again it was a tasty dish. I happen to love spinach, no matter the application, so this was actually my favorite part of the meal. The lamb was super tender and fell apart with just a bit of pressure from my fork... no knife needed.

All in all the food was very good, but a bit pricey considering all of the options in the area. The convenience of the bar is a plus, but it does pad the bill quite a bit. The service was super friendly, and the place is GORGEOUS, so it's definetley worth at least one visit. Not sure it will become a staple in our rotation, but it was a lovely night out!

Palace of Asia
http://www.palace-of-asia.com/
540 Lawrence Square Blvd South
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
(609) 689 1500