Teak on the Hudson: Lifestyle Leak

Teak on the Hudson is a fabulous restaurant with an amazing deal on Mondays and Thursdays. I recently went there for one of my friend's birthday with a pretty large group of people, we ordered appetizers, drinks, sushi, and entrees and only paid $30.00 a person.

I don't know about you, but whenever I go out with lots of people the tab is usually way higher and I end up paying anywhere from $50.00-$75.00 a person and for a couple it ends up being a lot, but $30.00 a person or $60.00 a couple? That's a fanatic deal, especially since the drinks, food, and atmosphere is amazing.

As far as drinks go I had the Pineapple Upside Down Martini and a glass of Moscato with a splash of Coconut Ciroc and both were delicious! I ordered Miso Marinated Chilean Sea Bass with ginger mashed potatoes (pictured above) and it was super good. The ginger in the mashed potatoes was subtle but different and the fish was fresh and tasty, since I had so much to eat before my main dish came and because when you're with friends you taste a little bit of everything I had about half left over to bring home.

I sent it to the back to be wrapped up and guess what?!? They gave me someone else's food. The next day at lunch I was ready to dig into my leftovers and that's when I saw it... THAT'S NOT MINE!!! I was so upset, I threw it away and had a boring ol' sandwich instead.

Anyway, my friends also got amazing dishes like the Crispy Bacon wrapped Scallops, Lobster Ravoli, Twin Organic French Cut Chicken with Gorgonzola mashed potatoes, and BBQ ribs to name a few items.

Try it for yourself:

Teak on the Hudson
16 Hudson Pl # 18
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5518
(201) 653-6888

www.teakonthehudson.com

Sushi Lounge: A Lifestyle Leak

There is nothing I enjoy more than sushi with my girlfriends! Recently, I went to Sushi Lounge in Totowa with one of my besties and we had an amazing time. The food was not only beautifully displayed it was downright delicious. Not to mention the atmosphere on a weeknight was surprisingly upbeat and lounge-like. Go on a wednesday and enjoy 1/2 price martinis all night!

Here is one thing I love about the friend I went with, she loves to eat just as much as I do. That's kind of a basic requirement I have, if you're my friend and you like to eat you officially become my dining buddy! If you're my friend and you don't like to eat as much as I do, that's okay but don't expect me to call you and invite you out for food, you won't have me looking like a cow!

Anyway, at Sushi Lounge we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves ordering drinks, an appetizer to split, two sushi rolls, and entrees! I had the Chilean Sea Bass with spinach and my friend had the beautifully prepared scallops and rice. Both dishes were delicious and of course we had leftovers.

Try it for yourself:
Sushi Lounge Totowa
235 Route 46 West
Totowa, NJ
(973) 890-0007

Sweet Basil's Cafe: Lifestyle Leak

There is nothing I enjoy more than a nice weekend brunch and usually I travel into NYC for it. I'm on a mini-mission to find amazing places right in New Jersey and this past weekend I scored big! I visited the re-opening of Sweet Basil's Cafe in West Orange for brunch and it was great. Luckily, my party of four just managed to beat the rush. We were immediately greeted and seated.

The first thing we noticed about the menu was that it was lacking waffles, which was a bit of a disappointment until the pancakes and french toast arrived. With pancakes and french toast like Sweet Basil's you don't need any waffles! The french toast is flavored with Madagascar vanilla and a very tiny hint of orange zest, now my boyfriend usually doesn't go for Challah bread but he loved every morsel of this french toast. It was perfectly cooked and delicious.

I ordered the eggs benedict but next time I will have to get the Poached Pear Vanilla Bean French Toast, doesn't that sound amazing!?! Plus, the smoothies are made from fresh fruit and I don't think they have added sugar which is healthy and yummy!

Try for yourself:

Sweet Basil's Cafe

641 Eagle Rock Ave

West Orange, NJ 07052

973.325.3340

DelMonico Cedar Grove: Lifestyle Leak

There is nothing I love more than a perfectly cooked steak. I prefer a steak with a bone and a beautiful ribbon of fat running through it and YES, I like a little ketchup on the side. There I said it! Anyway, I tried an old favorite and it was very disappointing and I will not be back. Since, then I've been on a mission to find a new favorite and this is it!

DelMonico Steakhouse and Beyond is a winner! I ordered the large DelMonico steak medium well and it came out perfect. It was perfectly cooked, seasoned great, and the fat was charred perfectly. Just writing this now is making my mouth water. My boyfriend ordered the filet mignon and that was great too, but like I said my steak has to have a bone. Anyway, the menu is really extensive. There are tons of pages and for someone who can't make up their mind that might be a problem. All the sides are a la carte and we ordered way too many, two people can easily share one or two but we ordered four! Talk about overkill, but we had leftovers so it was okay.

The decor is pretty, dimly lit, and reminded me of an old school burlesque parlor, but the bar was most impressive to my boyfriend. Translation? There are a ton of TVs so he could see himself going there to watch the games and snack on the $4.00 small plates they offer for Happy Hour Thursday to Saturday. Overall, the food was fantastic, the service was great, and we had an amazing date night at DelMonico. I can't wait to return during the spring and sit at the table with the fire pit in the center, but being that there is only one I would suggest making reservations well in advance for it.

Try it for yourself:
Del Monico
"Steak and beyond"
505 Pompton Ave
Cedar Grove, NJ, 07009-1701
Phone: (973)433-0333

The Orange Squirrel: Lifestyle Leak

Whenever I read about great restaurants right in my area, they are automatically added to my mental list of places to try. Then when I read about the place having amazing steak, it immediately hits the top of my mental list which was the case with The Orange Squirrel.

The location of the restaurant is terrible, but that's not a deal breaker for me. I ended up getting a parking spot right in front of the restaurant, so no complaints there. When we walked in there was no one to greet us so we stood there for about 1 minute before getting seated, but we were about to select our table (there's only about 10-15 tables). The decor is very simple, pretty much just plain tables and orange chairs.

I read an amazing review on the Dry Aged Rib Eye so naturally that's what I selected. My boyfriend on the other hand selected the Salmon with spinach cream. I was not in the mood for alcohol so I didn't have any drinks so no reports on the bar. For side items, which did not come with our meals, we picked the Fontina Macaroni & Cheese and the Creamed Spinach.

I ordered my steak medium well and it was just a tad bit overcooked! Seems to be a trend lately, huh? It smelled amazing and came to the table an old school cast iron skillet, but it really didn't taste that great. I ate a few bites and took the rest home, my grandmother liked it and my puppy Prince LOVED the huge bone.

My boyfriends meal was lacking too, first of all it came out in a puddle of green 'sauce'. The top of the salmon had a great crispy texture and a nice flavor but the piece was so thick that the inside wasn't as cooked as we like, but that's a preference thing. The sauce under it had little to no taste, so that was disappointing and the side dishes fell flat as well. Overall our meal did not live up to our expectations and was a bit on the pricer side, not a problem if the food had been outstanding. Bottom line: We won't be back.

Try it for yourself:

The Orange Squirrel
412 Bloomfield Ave.
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
Tel. 973.337.6421

website

Alexus Steakhouse: Lifestyle Leak

Alexus Steakhouse in Clifton, NJ used to be one of my favorite places to get a steak, a Delmonico steak to be exact. My family and I have been going to Alexus for birthday celebrations, retirements, and other parties for years but I couldn't help but notice that the quality of the food and the service has gone way downhill and I will not be back.

First, the hot wings was always a staple at our table. The sauce was great and despite being covered in spicy sauce the wing itself was completely crispy, fast forward and the wing was completely soggy and there was hardly any sauce on there. Another thing I always looked forward to was the hot peppers and pickles that were brought to the table, like a typical restaurant would bring bread. But instead, I was asked if I would like the pickles and peppers. I know we're in a recession and everything but geez they gave me 1 pickle sliced into four spears and 2 slivers of a pepper. You asked me if I wanted it and I said YES! Bring me the real deal not some scraps that you just thought you could spare, please and thanks.

Now on to the biggest deal breaker, my steak. I always request my steak to be medium well and if the waitress tells me that they tend to over cook the meat I will ask for it medium because what I'm looking for is a light pink center, not bleeding onto my plate or totally brown in the center. If it was a restaurant like Fridays, I wouldn't expect it to be cooked correctly but this is supposed to be a STEAKHOUSE! Needless to say, my steak was overcooked. It was dark all the way through and tough. When I let the waitress know, (which took some time because she seemed to vanish) she goes oh yeah they tend to overcook the steak. Well, don't you think you should have shared this information? Overall, the experience was terrible and it's really sad to see how far this restaurant has slipped. But the good news is, I've found a new spot! I'll be sharing it for Lifestyle Leak in the upcoming weeks.

Try it for yourself:
Alexus Steak House & Tavern
955 Valley Road
Clifton, NJ 07013
Phone: 973-746-6600

Lifestyle Leak: Bahama Breeze

I'm not exactly a chain restaurant kind of girl, but there are a few that I happen to really enjoy. The newest chain restaurant that I've added to the list that I like is Bahama Breeze, with it's fresh and creative menu selections and delicious Frozen Bahamarita I'd say it's up there on my list of faves. Specifically, it's the Frozen Bahamarita that I LOVE and keep going back for, made with strawberry, kiwi, and mango ice mixed with a little Cuervo Gold what's not to love?

Try for yourself:

BahamaBreeze.com to find a location near you!

Lifestyle Leak: Southern Belle Montclair

I absolutely love to go out and eat, that's why you're typical run of the mill fad diets will never work for me and I've accepted that. Anywho, with that being said I found a brand spankin' new brunch spot that I absolutely love. Introducing, Southern Belle in Montclair, NJ. The decor is crisp and clean but also mellow and relaxing, I especially love the huge padded headboard look seen on the walls.

But I'm sure you want to know more about what makes this a great brunch location. Well aside from the fact that usually I have to travel into NYC for a decent brunch spot and now I don't, the menu is right on point offering things like Chicken and Waffles, Sunday Morning French Toast, and cheese grits as well as classics with southern flair like the Southern Eggs Benny which is your typical eggs benedict but instead of an english muffin it's on top of a homemade biscuit.

Plus, to compliment the brunch items the Specialty Drink menu doesn't disappoint. I ordered a Mint Julep (non-alcoholic featuring tea and fresh mint) which was refreshing a delicious to a tea drinker such as myself. The boyfriend on the other hand, hated the Mint Julep but loved the Southern Sunrise which was just as yummy as the Julep.

My favorite items were the Fried Chicken which was crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside, seasoned perfectly it gave my Gram's Fried chicken a sprint for it's money. YES, it was that good. In fact, I called my mother from the table and told her, "don't tell gram but I'm eating chicken that's just as good as her's ... maybe even better!" The waffle was just a typical belgium waffle, if you're interested nothing special.

The Southern Eggs Benny was good too, but it wasn't super duper filling but no eggs benedict really ever is. Also, making it onto my list of favorites was the homemade Miss Jane's Crumb Cake that comes to your table as soon as you sit down. The topping is crumbly and good, while the bottom layer is moist and rich, making it the very best crumb cake I've tasted. Me and my boyfriend agreed we'd be back and guess what? We went back that very night for dinner! More on that another time!

Try it for yourself:
Southern Belle
615 Bloomfield Ave.
Montclair, NJ 07042
(973) 746-2233
www.southernbellemontclair.com

Lifestyle Leak: Joe's Crab Shack

After watching all those "Eat at Joe's" commercials featuring delicious looking seafood buckets, me and my boyfriend took the 40 minute drive down to south Jersey to Eat at Joe's, Joe's Crab Shack that is. Then waited about 25 minutes before we were called to our table and this was on a weeknight, mind you. Yes, I guess you can tell that I'm one of those people who hate having to wait to be seat, but such is life.

To get things started we decided to share the Classic Sampler featuring Crab Dip, Great Balls of Fire and Crispy Calamari. Then for the main course I had Samuel Adams Steampot (Sweet Snow crab, 1 pound of clams, meaty lobster claws, sausage, fresh corn and potatoes all steamed in Samuel Adams lager) which the man had The Crab Daddy Feast (Snow crab, Dungeness crab
and King crab). The main courses both blew the appetitizers out of the water, but guess what? They ran out of nut crackers so we had to resort to using our hands (peep the bandaid on my finger in the photo, because I left with 3) to crack open crab. As for drinks, I had the Strawberry Comfort (Squeezed lemons mixed with sweet strawberry purée, SOUTHERN COMFORT, BACARDI limón Rum and Sprite), and it was super good - actually one of the best mixed drinks I've had in a long time. We will probably be back because the crab was very tasty and the lobster claws? AMAZING.

Plus, there was live entertainment! The song Ride the Train came on and the entire wait staff busted out in this dance, it was great!

Try it for yourself:

4901 Stelton Road

South Plainfield, NJ 07080

908-753-4204

or visit JoesCrabShack.com for a location near you

Lifestyle Leak: Il Corallo Trattoria

One of my favorite types of food has to be Italian dishes, I'm a huge pasta fan. About a year ago, maybe even longer me and my boyfriend spent the day down in SoHo shopping and just having a blast. To make a long story short, we ended up randomly stopping at Il Corallo Trattoria and we've made it a point to make it back there every few months.

In typical NYC dining fashion, the tables are close together and when it's crowded it gets super cramped but I won't let that stop me from eating there because the food is fantastic. The prices make the seafood dishes a real steal, the portions are generous and the quality of the ingredients is not sacrificed. To date, I haven't had any dish that I haven't loved. Just be warned - go with a small party (4 or less) because the layout really doesn't allow for a much larger group.

Here are a few of my favorite dishes:

Taglierini Sorrento - fresh thin black noodles with shrimp, lobster meat, scallops, clams, fresh chopped tomato, parsley, olive oil, white wine and garlic sauce $13.95

Capellini Corallo - angel hair pasta with mussels, scallops, shrimp and crab meat in a light tomato sauce $13.95

and

Fusilli Tiberio - spiral pasta with lamb chunks, artichoke hearts, finocchio and onions in an olive oil and herb sauce. $9.95

Image Credit

Try it for yourself:

Il Corallo Trattoria

176 Prince St, New York NY 10012
(Btwn Thompson & Sullivan St)

(212) 941-7119

Lifestyle Leak: Mr. Chow's Tribeca

For restaurant week, me and my boyfriend hit up Mr. Chow's Tribeca. Neither one of us had ever been, but in my mind I thought it was a super hip place. The decor fell below my expectations, it was sleek but I wouldn't call it super hip. I always people throwing the name around, Mr. Chow this, Mr. Chow that.

Mr. Chow is so popular that the food has to be great, right? Well, to tell the complete honest truth? It wasn't that great, in fact it was just average. I ordered the Green Prawns while the man had the Ma Mignon, but the best thing we ate was the Mr. Chow noodles and the Mixed Sorbet. The Mr. Chow noodles are soft asian style noodles covered in an interesting meat sauce that really tastes great with the spicy sauce added in. Unfortunately, after eating there both of us had upset stomachs so needless to say we won't be back.

Image Credit

Try it for yourself:
Mr. Chow's Tribeca
121 Hudson Street
Ny, NY
212.965.9500