Spinning in Place to Leap Forward

A few months back my friend asked me to be a part of her Cycle for Survival team. At that time I had never even heard of Cycle for Survival, but despite not knowing much about the organization or the mission, I decided to hop on board and give it a go!

At first, I just learned the nitty-gritty of what I had to do. Each team designates a fundraising commitment for a stationary bicycle for a 4-hour ride, the minimum commitment per bike is $1,000. It was up to each individual team to decide how many members to acquire, thus influencing total fundraising amount and ride time for each individual.  Now, if you do the math, if we had 4 team members, we'd each be responsible for $250. However, my friend is a chronic over-achiever and decided her team could raise at least $2,500 and estimated that she could get at least four others to join her, making our donation goal $500 each, thus $500 became my goal and I knew I'd have to go knocking on quite a few doors, virtually speaking.

As I began drafting my first donation request email to friends and family, I started to learn more about the organization. Cycle for Survival is operated by Memorial-Slone Kettering Cancer Center, with 100% of donations received going towards rare cancer research. Since 2007, Cycle for Survival has raised over $31.2 million dollars to research treatment for rare cancers and money raised from the event over the years has been used to fund 53 clinical trials and research studies.

When thinking about "rare" cancers, it is clear that additional research and funding are needed. With monster organizations like Susan G. Komen and Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, among others, a significant amount of money is going to research fairly "common," though no less scary, cancers, and treatment for those cancers have come a long way. However, I quickly learned that 50% of all diagnosed cancers are actually "rare" cancers. The definition of rare cancers is simply that under 200,000 people in the United States are affected by the particular disease. This litany of cancers include brain, cervical, sarcoma, pancreatic, stomach, and pediatric cancers, along with many others. The tragedy of this situation is that there are fewer dollars available to fund research, which is where Cycle fills a niche.

I quickly began hitting up friends and family for donations and found myself halfway to my goal in no time.

As I continued my quest, I started following Cycle for Survival on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Keeping up to date with their posts I stumbled upon a moving piece in the Huffington Post via Twitter. Similar to many Cycle participants who are into social media, I tried to do the little things to help move the cause forward. The post on Twitter declared that all I had to do was watch an online video of a woman doing a "Happy To Be 40" victory dance and someone would donate a dollar for every view. How could I say no? I quickly watched the video, happy to be doing something so small and watching a woman so happy - I quickly assumed that she must have survived. Then, I went back and read the article.

The woman in the video was Jennifer Goodman-Linn. She and her husband, Dave Linn, the writer of the Huffington Post article, co-founded Cycle for Survival when Jen was diagnosed with a rare cancer. The treatment options available weren't sufficient, but existing research wasn't there to provide any real alternatives. Jen would win her fight, only to have the cancer come back again and eventually - 4 months after she shot her "Happy To Be 40" video - she lost her battle.

Phew... some heavy stuff there. That was the first moment the cause really hit me and I knew I had to hit my goal. As the months progressed onwards, I sent about 4-6 emails and two weeks before the ride hit my goal. Since I'm a somewhat competitive person, so I snooped on our team page to see how my teammates were doing and I was the first to hit $500 (plus an extra dollar, thanks to the infamous Unkie Rob). I felt like my mission was accomplished!

On the day of the event, I turned up, ready to meet some new folks and do my part. The event was great fun - definitely a party atmosphere! I began taking it all in and was satisfied with my contribution. I was satisfied up until the moment when it all actually became real.

I didn't internalize much until the day of the event. Somehow, thinking about the stories I had heard about others, I was able to be committed to the cause, while simultaneously keeping myself distant. However, on the day of the event I thought about who I could "ride for" and simply thinking about a person so extremely special to me caused me to start crying in a room full of strangers.

My paternal grandmother battled breast cancer, twice. The second time she fought cancer, she would have lost if the universe hadn't intervened with other plans.

Ginny Nelson was an amazing woman and I am so extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to know her and to have had her influence my life. She was a warm, caring, strong woman. She was an entrepreneur and started her own cross-stitching business out of her basement in the early 80's, when starting a business wasn't necessarily a common thing for women to do. That business eventually outgrew the basement and moved into a store front in Jackson, Michigan that still survives today, nearly 13 years after the loss of my grandmother and 5 years after her friend, and subsequent shop-owner, also lost her battle with cancer.

Grandma Nelson was one tough cookie. I vaguely remember her first battle with cancer and vividly remember her last - as vividly as a 14-year old remembers things, anyway. Through it all, she insisted on smiling. My favorite memory was sitting with her at my kitchen table a few months before the accident. She was sitting right in front of the glass sliding door leading to our porch, the sun shining in created a halo-like glow around her. I was being ridiculous, as usual, and she was smiling at me and laughing. Somehow I had the wherewithal to reflect on her cancer at that moment and think, "This is how I want to remember Grandma Nelson" and that's exactly how I remember her.

As I thought about who I would ride for and why, the clear answer was Grandma Nelson, because she believed first, and foremost, in research. When treatments stopped working for her, she began experimental trials. Even in death, she elected to have her body donated to science so that doctors and researchers could learn from her tissues and very composition. In the end, her body could not be donated due to the nature of her injuries, but if she could have had her way - she would have made sure that losing her battle would mean that others could have a better chance of winning theirs.

At Cycle for Survival, I rode for Grandma Nelson.

The rest of the day really felt trivial after having such an epiphany and knowing that I'm more closely connected to the root of Cycle's mission than I had once thought. My team ended up blasting through any goals we set for ourselves and my $501 seemed a miniscule number when added to our grand total of $3,680! We had some really outstanding team members who went above and beyond.

Our team had a great time and many of us have already decided to sign on again and ride next year. Raising money isn't always fun, but it's completely worth it when you think of all the little donations joining together to make a really meaningful difference in the world. I ride because I believe in research. 

A special thanks go out to my team captain, Sarah! Thank you for motivating us and getting everyone involved. Stay sassy, Honey Badger! Also, thank you to all of my friends and family who contributed to my team: Mama Nelson, Uncle Rick & Aunt Sandi, Uncle Dave, Unkie Rob, Missig, Cori, Susan, Kristie & Pat, Robi, Joe, Laura & Mike, Cousin Mere, Christina, and Lisa. Your donations meant the world to me. Thank you.

 

 

  

Wizards of Woz, 2013

In case you'd still like to donate to my efforts, or my team, The Wizards of Woz, efforts, you can still donate until April. Together, we can fight rare cancers and, hopefully, wipe out the more common ones along the way. 

Together, we can make a difference. Cycle on! 

~The Hobokenista

"Big Night" aboard the SS Yankee Ferry: Part 2

As promised in "Big Night" aboard the SS Yankee Ferry: Part 1, here's the part you've all been waiting for - THE FOOD!

I really was honored to receive an invitation from the amazing culinary artist, Jamie Busch, to attend this once in a lifetime event aboard the SS Yankee Ferry. Viewing the extensive and creative menu, I knew I'd be in for something truly special.

Prior to our tour of the ship, Jamie emerged and greeted guests who had arrived. You could tell right away that he was a very warm, caring, and engaging person. When speaking with the guests aboard the ship, he truly connected with each one and made us all feel welcome, further adding to the general excitement about the meal yet to come.

 Jamie & Emma preparing the feast (photo credit: Gwen Charles)

The room where the meal commenced was the deck above the family living quarters. It was an expansive area, split in two, providing enough room for a 25-person dining table on one side and the pop-up kitchen on the other side of a curtain drawn down the middle of the space. The lighting was low - provided by strings of fun shell lights adorning the windows and candles on the table. Further adding to the ambiance was Jamie's good friend, Eric Hayes, who provided the soundtrack for the evening with his cool piano and soothing voice as he performed as assortment of chill cover songs while we munched away. The vibe was perfect.

Before the start of the meal, the first group that toured the boat awaited the arrival of the second. Those people in the first tour group were quickly greeted with the first memorable menu item, a Mojito mocktail (cocktail without alcohol = mocktail). It was so fresh and absolutely luscious, it was like a specialty cocktail I would order at a swanky Hoboken or New York bar; I had to ask for the recipe! The drink contains mint, lime, pineapple, coconut sugar, and salt, which was blended, then strained, and mixed with sparkling water. I think I might have to try and make my own, but I might add a little white rum to mine for an extra kick!

Mojito Mocktail

As the rest of the group arrived, we were encouraged to take our seats at the table and once we were all situated Jamie introduced our meal. To begin, we were all asked to place our hands on our hearts and be thankful for our experiences, our loved ones, our lives, and the meal we were about to enjoy - almost an earthy agnostic prayer. As the courses arrived one by one, Jamie's food philosophy truly shown through as he featured locally sourced items that were from sustainable farms. Everything was completely fresh and flavorful, while the stories behind the meals seemed to make everything richer!

The first course we were served was so excellent that my expectations for the rest of the meal continued to grow. To start, we received a warm spinach salad, featuring lentils, grain mustard, and New Jersey cured bacon. Holy heck. It was absolutely fantastic - fresh and delicious.

Spinach Salad w/ Lentils, Grain Mustard, & Bacon (photo credit: Gwen Charles)

Next, our meal took a slight detour into a community celebration when a guest unexpectedly borrowed the microphone from Eric. The guest began to speak, acknowledging our earlier expression of gratitude prior to our meal. He continued on to say what he was thankful for and concluded with a wedding proposal to his girlfriend! She said, "yes," and we all cheered and gave them a round of applause. Yet another unexpected moment that made our collective "Big Night" even more special. My happiest and best wishes to Daniel and Jaycee. Cheers to you!!

 Daniel & Jaycee's big moment

Following the proposal, we received our second course, roasted sweet potato with maple curry aioli and pea shoots. To be fair, I don't think you can go wrong with a sweet potato, but the pairing of the maple flavor with the crisp pea shoots was to die for! I tried to make sure a little bit of everything was included in each and every bite, which can be difficult with petite pea shoots. I would like to say it was my favorite course of the evening, but the flavors just kept escalating.

 Roasted Sweet Potato w/ Maple Curry Aioli & Pea Shoots (photo credit: Gwen Charles)

The third course of the evening was a winter beef stew with Shiitake mushrooms and wild rice. The beef was so perfectly cooked that it nearly fell apart when you tried to stab it. The flavors were classically rustic, but with a uniqueness added by the mushrooms. The perfect meal for a chilly night, and even better for a chilly night aboard a ship floating on the Hudson.

 Winter Beef Stew w/ Shiitake Mushrooms & Wild Rice

Next came the soup course - a smooth Thai butternut squash coconut soup. The soup was served in adorable handmade country style mugs. Absolutely adorable. However, I need to be completely honest, I typically avoid squash soups, but the day you are offered the most amazing meal of your life, you must suppress your inner childish picky eater and just go for it. I sipped the soup and it definitely wasn't bad! I'm not a connoisseur of squash soups, but I thought it was alright.

 Thai Butternut Squash Coconut Soup

After the soup came Atlantic cod served a top of lemon kale quinoa with a side of sweet sour beet kraut. I'm so glad I was able to save just enough room to eat nearly every spec of food on my plate. Everything about this dish made me want to be able to order it in a restaurant everyday. The mild cod was a great foil to the bitterness of the lemon kale with quinoa, then add the sweetness of the sauerkraut and the whole thing was perfection!

 Atlantic Cod w/ Lemon Kale Quinoa & Sweet Sour Beet Kraut

Oh wow... at this point, I was in heaven and I was very, very full. However, it was time for one last course and, as I used to tell my mother when I was in grade school, "you can always eat ice cream, because ice cream melts!" Still brilliant logic, if you ask me.

As the meal's grand finale, we were served in those adorable homemade mugs fresh milk and raw honey gelato. The milk was locally sourced from a nearby Amish farmer. It was to die for! And, as if that weren't enough, Jamie went around the table giving each of us a square of organic dark salted chocolate.

 Fresh Milk & Raw Honey Gelato

As the evening came to a close, everyone was so completely full and giddily happy that it seemed we were on a food high, but it was just great, local, fresh food - no additives here! Even Jamie was in such a good mood that he decided to join Eric at the piano.

One of my food philosophies is that, no matter where you go, no matter what you do, food is the common language. We've all had meals we've loved and meals we've hated, but this is definitely the former. I've added the night and the food to my mental Rolodex of amazing experiences that I will not soon forget - great food and lovely people, all in a unique atmosphere.

Thank you to all the folks out there who made this night possible. I really do appreciate and value the amazing experience we shared. Thank you!

Follow all the cool folks from Saturday night on Twitter!
Culinary Artist, Jamie Busch @letspoon
The Amazing Miss Emma @wordsprout
SS Yankee - @SSYankee
Crew member and new Hobokenite, Thom O'Donnell @Thom0Donnell
Photographer, Gwen Charles @swamigwen
And of course, yours truly! @TheHobokenista

For your entertainment, here's a photo from when Gwen caught me Tweeting!

“Big Night” aboard the SS Yankee Ferry: Part 1

Tonight, as I sat staring at the leftovers I was attempting to stomach for dinner, I could not shake the memory of the immaculate flavor symphony I was able to experience on Saturday night courtesy of Chef JamieBusch aboard the SS Yankee Ferry in Hoboken.

Sometimes you can’t question how or why things happen, but when presented with an amazing opportunity, you just have to say yes and take the plunge. My entire life I have taken the taken risks, forged into the world seeking out unique opportunities, and, as a result, reaped great unforeseeable rewards. Saturday night was no different and I couldn’t be happier for saying, “yes” to the unexpected dinner invitation I received.

Being invited to attend "Big Night" Seasonal Feast & Tour of Yankee Ferry, a houseboat in Hoboken, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. However, I quickly looked up the owner of the boat and co-host of the event with Chef Busch, Victoria Mackenzie-Childs, for a hint of what the night may hold. By viewing items on her store website, I quickly became acquainted with her beautiful, light hearted, design aesthetic and knew I needed to find a sweet colorful outfit for the evening. (Note: If you would like to host an event or inquire about other programs about Yankee, you can contact the correct folks by emailing ahoy@ssyankee.com!)

After choosing the perfect ensemble, I began my journey to the 12^th Street Pier. When I arrived, it seemed like a scene from a movie. The quaint unassuming boat is docked far enough out on the pier that if you don’t make it a point to walk the pier, you might not notice the boat at all. The boat sits quietly basking in light emanating from the Manhattan skyline, a picture of two worlds silently coexisting in the darkness. The entrance to the boat’s gangplank is through a wooden arch and small gate, which you might expect to see at the entrance to a fancy garden and not a boat. This archway served as the threshold to the magical night that lay ahead. 

Photo Credit: "Big Night" Seasonal Feast Eventbrite

The gangplank opens up into the boat’s workshop area with a couple of rope chairs hanging from the ceiling and a window a view of Manhattan’s financial district. We were welcomed with warm mulled apple cider in handcrafted mugs. As guests for dinner arrived, we chatted with one another while marveling at our surroundings. Prior to hearing the history of this 106 year old ship, the master chef of the evening, Jamie Busch, came to greet us. His passion and enthusiasm were evident, further adding to the excitement surrounding our imminent meal.

 

Workshop

Next, the senior crew member addressed our group with the history of the SS Yankee Ferry. I wish I could speak in a more detailed way to the ship’s history, but I decided to soak in the experience instead of scribbling notes. However, it was fascinating and I’ve included some info from memory, with the reference help from Wikipedia (so sue me!) below.

Among her rich history, the SS Yankee Ferry was built in 1907 under the name Machigonne and shipped off to Portland, Maine, where she started carrying passengers back and forth between Portland and the Casco Bay. Next, she was used to transport folks on routes originating in Boston. Then, during World War I, she was acquired by the US Navy to be a patrol boat, and was armed with heavy artillery in case the crew spotted any German U-Boats in Boston Harbor. After the war, she returned to commercial service in the New York Harbor and served as a vessel to ferry arriving immigrants from their ships to Ellis Island and, eventually, to the mainland. A many updates, name changes, and jobs followed her service to arriving immigrants, including a second commission by the US Navy during WWII, until she became Yankee in 1947 and permanently docked in Hoboken in 2006, she doesn't run on her own power at the moment, but for now floats graciously on the Hudson River.

Our tour of the main living quarters was fascinating. Victoria Mackenzie-Childs has truly made this ship her own for herself and her family. Intermixed with the historical elements of the boat from bells to a speaking tube intra-ship communication system are modern paintings, lamp shades, bold designs, playful features, colorful rugs, and more. Off the family gallery, there’s even a small chicken coop providing inhabitants with fresh eggs daily. 

Next, the tour headed up towards the bow of the ship where there was a small love seat stationed with the most beautiful and expansive view of Manhattan straight ahead. Though it was a foggy night, the Empire State Building was still shining through as a beacon directly across the river from the SS Yankee's home.

After taking a quick glance into the old captain's quarters and wheel room, we headed back to the second level, which served as the home base for our meal.

This is where I leave you with a cliff hanger – the meal prepared by chef Jamie Busch was the best meal I have ever eaten! Check out the details of dinner by reading "Big Night" aboard the SS Yankee Ferry: Part 2!

Follow all the cool folks from Saturday night on Twitter!
Culinary Artist, Jamie Busch @letspoon
The Amazing Miss Emma @wordsprout
SS Yankee - @SSYankee
Crew member and new Hobokenite, Thom O'Donnell @Thom0Donnell
Photographer, Gwen Charles @swamigwen
And of course, yours truly! @TheHobokenista

Until next time!

Hoboken's Happiest Hour: The Cuban Restaurant & Bar

There’s just no competing with the fantastic food and inventive mouth-watering drinks sold at reasonable prices during happy hour. Other happy hours in town might save you a buck, but no location offers deals more delicious AND affordable than The Cuban Restaurant & Bar on Washington Street. Plus, the atmosphere is also not to be missed. Especially the bar area seems to ooze sexiness with warm lighting and dark wood. 

For a happy hour, first come the drinks. Sure, it's great to grab a cheap class of wine, well drink, or pint of beer when you have the chance, but at The Cuban, you get to sample delectable drinks that actually feel special at a very special price. Most run in the neighborhood of $5 each. I have to admit, I've sampled almost all of them, at one time or another, and the only ones I don't like are the spicy variety. However, there are plenty of sweet ones, so I'll never get bored.

The Caipirinha de Arandano is a fresh blueberryish cocktail with a hint of citrus - delicious! My only critique is that the straight glass and the sugar rim make for a messy time and sticky fingers. I always find myself trudging up the stairs to wash my hands in the restroom after I order this one. Hint: ask for it without the sugar rim.

Caipirinha de Arandano

The Mojitos are also excellent and come in "original" with the Mojito Cubano, along with another couple varieties of the classic beverage - El Jefe Mojito features bitters and brugal anejo, while the Mojito de Ginebra is made with gin, cucumber, basil, and jasmine simple syrup. All are fresh and the second two have their own added twist. Same thing with the three Caipirinha drinks - all three similar, but each slightly unique. I'm also a fan of the Parcha Agave, which is sweet and reminds me of the beach, as well as the Antiqua Havana, which is similar to a Cubanized Manhattan. And remmber, all of these drinks are $5 on the happy hour menu!

The only drink I've had here that I absolutely didn't like was the "El Macho." It was ordered by accident when I was trying to be adventurous and told the waiter to bring me something that he liked - whooooops! The El Macho has a bunch of delicious ingredients, but it is topped of with a jalapeno - yuck! Not my drink, folks. However, I'm sure someone out there enjoys it thoroughly.

Then, during happy hour you're bound to work up an appetite, so on to the food! The Cuban Happy Hour features a bar menu where most of the food items are about $5 and all are scrumptious - definitely a step up from other eats on happy hour menus elsewhere, where everything seems to have come out of the freezer and been seeped into a deep frier. Instead, options at The Cuban are hand crafted bar deliciousness.

My favorites on the bar menu include a fresh El Cubano sandwich with slow roasted pork, ham, cantimpalo, swiss cheese, pickles, and garlic mojo - grilled on a sandwich press and served with a teeny tiny friend potato garnish. All that for just $5. Hello, affordable dinner!

El Cubano

Another menu favorites include the Empanaditas, a set of three, you choice of chicken fricassee with chard tomatillo, Ropa Vieja (braised skirt steak) with black bean puree, or crab/shrimp with salsa rosa and avacado purree.

Empanaditas

 And last, but not least, the fantastic Papas Fritas, or French fries, which are served with manchego cheese sprinkled on top and a garlic lemon aioli for dipping. Holy cow, they are delicious! Not your average happy hour deep fried potato, for sure!

 Papa Fritas

The Cuban offers their top of the line happy hour daily. Not only can you saddle up to the bar Monday-Friday from 5:00-7:00pm, but you can also make a weekend appearance on Saturday or Sunday from 3:00pm-6:00pm. It doesn’t get better than that! Make sure to hit it up before the bar is full!

Rockin' Night at Maxwell's

Yesterday night, without much to do, I went searching my favorite local hot spots on Facebook in my usual quest for deals and unique experiences around town. It was about 6:40pm when I stumbled upon a show at Maxwell’s and decided to dig deeper.

The John Corbett Band was playing at 7:00pm. The name was familiar, so I checked them out on YouTube and found a couple grainy videos with upbeat tunes I wouldn’t mind listening to and then I found a video where I could actually see the band members clearly and realized, I know why I know the name JohnCorbett! He’s an actor and most ladies loved him on Sex and the City as Aiden, or on My Big Fat Greek Wedding as Ian, or on United States of Tara as Tara’s tragically handsome and understanding husband Max, or most recently as a recurring character on Parenthood as Seth. Yup, that dashingly handsome, dedicated, lusty dude with a sexy voice and a sweet southern accent is also a musician and was rocking out mere blocks from my apartment for only $15. There was no other choice, I had to go.

In just twenty minutes I was able to whip off my p.j.'s, piece together an outfit, throw on some makeup, recruit a friend to come with, and dash out the door. I made it just in time. I arrived at 7:05 and the show started at 7:20.

The show was excellent! I didn’t know any of their music, of course, but it was a blast just the same! They played lively tunes, many with a country twist and John was that super charismatic joyful guy that you would hope he would be. Unfortunately, he seemed to be a bit under the weather and somehow decided whiskey would fix that and, I know from personal experience, nothing hurts your voice more than a shot of whiskey! But the guys played through it and John’s long time music partner and friend, Tara Novick, played a couple songs where he was featured to give John a break, but the change up also added to the diversity and overall energy of the show. 

 

The John Corbett Band @ Maxwell's 2/23/2013

As the show ended, John was quick to offer photos with fans and to hang out after the show. This, unfortunately, proved a bit difficult because there was another band supposed to play at 9pm and the audience had to clear the room. Since my friend and I are notorious rule followers, we left the room before John came back, but ran into him in the hallway! She was quick to ask for a photo and we grabbed ours quick. He was super gracious and just as handsome up close. 

 The Hobokenista, John Corbett, & The Vegan in Training

Since both my friend and I had skipped dinner, we decided to stick around Maxwell’s to grab a bite. As we waited for a table to open up we actually met Tara Novick, too! He was a social butterfly making the rounds, greeting fans, etc. As we were chatting with him, I apparently was standing next to a painting that looked a lot like me and he insisted on taking my photo, so he did and sent it to me, check it out! (Note, he made me open my eyes wide, like the girl in the picture.)

Me with a painting from Little Punk People

I later learned that the paintings around the bar are part of the latest installation by Little Punk People - check out their website here.The picture I'm with is entitled, "Ghost in the Graveyard" and is priced at $65. The artwork reminds me of Tim Burton creations and I think it's kind of funny that the most innocent looking Punk Person is the one that Tara thought looked like me, but I'll take it! (Shout out to the helpful hostess who located the information for me about the paintings! She definitely went above and beyond to make sure I had the information I wanted about this particular installation.)

When we eventually grabbed a table, we were already ready to order since we’d been checking out the menu earlier. I was in the mood for mac and cheese, while my friend is still trying to just eat raw stuff.

Our waiter was friendly and our food came lightening fast! We barely waited 10 minutes after ordering for our food to appear on the table. The reports are that the salad was great, but it was really just veggies, avocado, Parmesan cheese, and walnuts, so hopefully it would be what she expected. However, my mac and cheese was sort of blah. It wasn’t cheesy or very creamy at all. It was like someone made a roux (mixture of flour and butter, used as a thickening agent) and forgot to add any cheese. It was edible, but not much more than that.My dish came with a side of greens, which was lucky because if I'd just had bland mac and cheese I would have been epically disappointed.

 

Pear & Walnut Salad with Avacado 

 Mac & Cheese

Maxwell's is always a great time for music, and last night was no different! However, it'd be great if the food was stepped up a notch. In the future, I'll probably just go for something that can't be screwed up, like a salad.

Vegan Adventure in Jersey City

When you’re friends with a wandering vegan who enjoys "juicing" (not the steroid kind, but the healthy all-fruits-veggies-liquified kind) among other eating habits foreign to this Hobokenista, you inevitably will be challenged to try things you might not necessarily go for on an average day. Hanging with my healthier alter ego, I was convinced to go to a vegan eatery in Jersey City called Subia’sOrganic Café and Market.

Inside Subia's

I’m cautious of vegan restaurants. There is just this stigma about vegan food and, for those who have tried it before, chances are you’ve been disappointed at least once. I’ve had spaghetti that was served cold and room temperature water because the restaurant “didn’t subscribe to extreme temperatures.” I've tried veggie burgers that have attempted to look, taste, and act like beef, yet fell completely flat in that arena. My honest feelings are if you're attempting to be filled with veggies, beans, and other vegan items, just own the items instead of over processing and trying to be something else entirely. However, despite my poor experiences, I have had a couple decent vegan experiences which helped to inform my choice of meal at this particular juncture.  

My limited experiences with vegan food has led me to believe that the best vegan options for non-vegans are those from south of the border. In the past, I’ve really liked vegan nachos. I’m not one to ask many questions at vegan restaurants, but I have learned that the cheese is usually made with plant based products and nuts like cashews and almonds, even utilizing tapioca flour and natural cultures/proteins. For more on vegan cheese, which actually isn’t bad at all, check out the link here What the Heck is Vegan Cheese Made Of, Anyhow? However, despite the odd bad experience, I am ever the optimist who wants to encourage my friend and her superb eating habits, I gave it another go.

We arrived on an off time on a weekend, but the place was pretty full. From the outside, I wouldn't think there was a cafe here since it looks like a grocery store, but low and behold, there are a few cafe tables and a counter to your right as you walk inside. We saddled up to the counter and I began looking at the menu in dismay. One issue I have at places like this, I don't like it when they try to pass off non-meat items as meat items. For example, there is no way that a vegan joint should have something called a meatball Parmesan sandwich on their menu. It's just not right.

After staring and debating, I located my meal of choice - the nachos grande. However, they didn't have it! So, I went for the Subia's burger instead. They didn't have that either! ::crushed:: At that point I just sort of gave up and asked for whatever "burger" they did have. To the credit of the woman working, she suggested I go for the quesadilla. Unfortunately the wait was extremely long! We waited over half an hour for my friends soup/salad and my quesadilla. Frankly, that was a bit ridonkulous.

Vegan Quesadillas (they tasted better than they looked)


 My friend's gigantic salad with avocado

Despite the slow service, the food was actually delicious! The quesadilla was a great choice for my non-vegan self and my friend really liked her salad. I was so impressed with the food quality and so tempted by the cakes on the presentation plates that I even decided to go for a slice of the chocolate layer cake and it was no different than a non-vegan cake! It was moist, the frosting was thick and fudgy. Absolutely worth eating!

 

Vegan chocolate cake (actually moist and delicious!)

I guess I could sum up my experience here by saying, it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. It was actually quite delectable, but the service could stand to be much quicker.

Brunchy Goodness at Charrito's Downtown

Without a doubt, this Hobokenista is a girl who loves a good brunch. However, since most of my friends live on the other side of the Hudson, I always tend to make brunch plans in NYC. To my pleasant surprise, two friends decided they wanted to venture into Hoboken for brunch over the three day weekend. I wanted to find a place near the train station where we could also have a few breakfast beverages. With tequila in the fridge there was only one option, downtown Charrito's!

Charrito’s opens at 11:30am and we were there right at 12:30. Table-side guacamole and margaritas were first on the docket. Of course, I knew the scrumptiousness that was in store, but my friends ranted and raved about the fresh delicious flavors.

The brunch menu at Charrito’s waivers slightly from the standard dinner fare. On the dinner menu you can’t really find standard tacos, instead I always end up going for the Tacote Norteno – four tortilla stuffed with chicken and mixed vegetables, with rice, beans, and guacamole. However, Tacote Norteno was not an option at brunch, so I went with the sautéed steak tacos. They were fresh, authentic, and absolutely hit the spot! My dish came with two lime wedges and a green cilantro sauce.

However, our meal did not stop there. Since I’m awesome at choosing brunch dates, I was able to do a brunch swap – one of my tacos for one of my friend’s quesadillas.  The quesadillas were, in essence, similar to the Tacote Norteno – a mix of fresh sautéed vegetables and cheese grilled in three separate mini folded-over tortillas, so one of those for one of my tacos was the perfect swap. The cheese was a cheese I’d never had before, this isn’t your standard cheddar. It was a white cheese that looked ooey gooey, but actually had more structural stability than I would have originally expected. Lovely.

Our service throughout was great. The waiter was understanding and didn’t rush us through our breakfast decisions. He also answered all of our questions fully and completely, even if we didn’t quite recognize the name of the cheese in the quesadillas, which I think might have been Oaxaca, but don't quote me on it. 

Charrito’s is undeniably popular for dinner in Hoboken, but don’t forget to go for brunch every once in a while. The prices are more reasonable, the menu offerings are slightly different, yet the experience is still excellent. 

 Homemade Guacamole & Margaritas

 Chicken Burrito with Black Beans & Rice

 Vegetable Quesadillas

 Sauteed Steak Tacos