Verde Vita Toscana in Hoboken, NJ

When Choco-Pain opened downtown Hoboken, it was like bringing a bit of France to the city: delicious bread, pastries and viennoiseries, made traditionally and tasting like it should. I hate when I buy a croissant and it is not buttery! So, we were wondering when they would open Uptown. But no, it did not happen yet. Instead, Verde Vita Toscana, an Italian café opened few month ago, replacing a beauty salon, with the great idea to get its bread from Choco-Pain!

It is a great place with a very European feel and a relaxed atmosphere: ceramic tables, brick walls and a long counter where one can sip a delicious espresso with a croissant. 

Besides this, they sell different olive oil

The Brick Pizzeria in Hoboken, NJ

We decided to try The Brick, a new pizza place uptown Hoboken. I am sure the stakes are high for The Brick considering the number of pizza places in Hoboken, such as Benny Tudino's, Johnny Pepperonni or Basile's. So I was curious to see what would make it stand out.

The decor has nothing fancy, but there is a bit of warmth from the bricks on the walls.

I decided to try their homemade mint lemonade.

It was delicious, not too sweet, with the right amount of mint, making this drink quite refreshing.

Rosticeria Da Gigi in Hoboken, NJ

Rosticeria Da Gigi, located uptown Hoboken, is the kind of small joint where you would go to grab a quick bite: nothing fancy, but comforting.

It is a small place that probably sits 16 people.

So we sat at one of the tables and went through the menu. It consists of standard breakfast dishes like eggs, pancakes...as well as panini, sandwiches or items from their rotisserie.

Jodi decided to try their croque-monsieur:

When the plate arrived, we were a bit surprised as it did not look like a croque-monsieur, but more like a panini.

Brunch at City Bistro in Hoboken, NJ

If you come to Hoboken, there is one thing that you cannot miss: the number of bars in the mile square city. City Bistro, located uptown, is one the popular ones that has a big advantage over the others: its rooftop. Not that it is very useful in the winter, but in the summer, it is definitely the place to be and they sometimes even ask bands to come perform there. 

It was not our first time there, being there for drinks, but also a dinner few years ago, that I hated, not because of the food, but because of the noise level that very loud, not allowing me to understand a word of the conversation. So, this time, we decided to go for brunch, thinking that it was probably quieter. I am sure that there would be a game, it would have been a madhouse though...

It is a bar, so the decor is pretty standard: wooden floor, bricks, high and low tables. The first time we went, I noticed all the strollers at the entrance and a large number of families inside.

I had hopes for the brunch, because a lot of time, bars are proposing great comforting dishes. Their menu offers the classic choices you get for brunch, as well as their own dishes. The first time, Jodi went for the salade Niçoise, a French specialty made of tomatoes, hard boiled eggs and tuna.

Brunch and Lunch at Schnackenberg's in Hoboken, NJ

Schnackenberg's is one of the oldest restaurants in Hoboken, opening in 1931 few years after the founders, Dora and Henry Schnackenberg, came to the US, immigrating from Germany. This soda shop remained opened until being purchased by Eugene and Joyce Flinn who also own Amanda's and the Elysean Café, two of the most popular restaurants in town. After undergoing renovations for few months, the restaurant reopened in December 2013. So, it was time for us to try it! We went twice: once for breakfast and once for lunch (the lunch menu is available after noon).

Entering there is like traveling in the past, not only because of the decor and the different artifacts witnessing the old time, but also because of the overall atmosphere: from the music (lots of Frank Sinatra who was from Hoboken), to the uniform of the staff. 

Right at the entrance is the old cash register that did not leave the place.

As well as an old mirror that probably had some history.

When we went for breakfast, we sat at the bar where large cakes were on display. These cakes are not prepared in this place, but by a bakery in a neighboring town. 

Jodi tried the coconut cake, but did not like it though.

However, we tried their homemade donuts that they sell for $1 and they were delicious.

They have different kinds and we went for the cinnamon sugar.

I started off with some coffee, served in a mug with the mascot of the restaurant on it, a mascot that we will see on every plate.

As it was brunch, I went for the eggs Benedict.

Mexican brunch at Sabores in Hoboken, NJ

I am not sure how to start this post, the experience at Sabores being so disappointing, food and service wise. And it is not as if we went there right after they opened! 

Before I start with the details, let me give you some information on the restaurant. It is located in the middle of Washington street, and area that has always been tough for restaurants because there is more foot traffic downtown. Several restaurants tried but failed; the last one was Piri Piri, a Portuguese BBQ, unique in Hoboken. Of course, food or service are not the only reason: rent increase is a big factor that led, for instance, to the closure of my favorite Indian restaurant in town: India on the Hudson. 

So, Sabores serves Mexican cuisine. In fact, we were greeted by: "Here we serve real Mexican cuisine", probably a dig to East LA, a popular Mexican restaurant located few steps from it. 

The place is big (high ceilings) and very colorful with dark pink walls.

So, Sabores means "savors" in English: let see how the food measured up! Similar to most of the mexican restaurant we went to, they brought us some tortilla chips and salsa, a little after we ordered.

I guess it is the equivalent of bread and butter, Mexican style! I appreciated to have chips that were not stale as it happened some other times in other restaurants.

Then, we decided to order our favorite appetizer: guacamole!

Nice presentation, however, the avocado was not ripe, making it inedible. Interestingly, the table next to us had the same problem!

Jodi ordered the ensalada verde, made with red onions, tomatoes, avocados, arugula, corn and radish.

My nephew culinary visit: day 8 / part 2: Hibachi at Ayame in Hoboken, NJ

For his last evening, we brought Valentin to Ayame, a Japanese restaurant in Hoboken that proposes Hibachi. It was for sure for the show, but I admit that their food is delicious. It was a Friday night and the place was packed, full of people enjoying the show of the different Chef's that were serving tables. If you have never eaten in an Hibachi place, the video below will give you a good perspective on how it works!

The Hibachi dinner included a soup:

or a salad, made mainly of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot and ginger dressing.

My nephew culinary visit: day 8 / part 1: Italian sandwiches at M&P Biancamano in Hoboken, NJ

Next stop with Valentin was M&P Biancamano in Hoboken. Why? Well, first to try a good Italian sandwich and then, because we discovered this place recently and loved it!

First of all, it is not a restaurant, but a deli with few tables next to the entrance if you cannot wait to inhale your sandwich and shelves full of food, mainly Italian, from Pasta to Olive oil to panettone. 

But it is in the back that the whole operation to create fantastic sandwiches takes place and you cannot miss the huge pieces of charcuterie hanging from the ceiling, promising some fresh cuts of meat!

The owners, Terry and Peter were there to serve us each time, very courteous and ready to help us if were not sure what to order, making the experience enjoyable and highlighting the fact that it is a family business, a sort of neighborhood shop that makes you feel welcome.

Looking at Peter slicing the meat is always a fascinating, considering how generous he is with the portions. Yes, their sandwiches are huge! The first time we did not know and ordered the one with ham, prosciutto, salami, sopressata, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomatoes with a balsamic vinegar dressing. There was so much meat that we could not even close the sandwich and shared held for lunch and half for dinner! But this is not it: it costed us less than $18 with chips!

My nephew culinary visit: day 6: Cuban cuisine at La Isla in Hoboken, NJ

La Isla is a great Cuban restaurant in Hoboken: cheap with great cuisine. So we were thrilled to bring Valentin to that place for what would be another discovery.

We sat at a table, more convenient than the bar to share dishes when more than two people. The service was very quick and we got some very good comforting food.

We started off with beef empanadas, a must have.

The crust is flaky and a bit crispy, and the inside, made with beef and some tomatoes, moist and slightly salty.

We also had maduros, that are fried plantains:

Zafra's in Hoboken, NJ

The last time I went to Zafra's was in March this year. We went there few times before, but that time, it was to drink their hot chocolate with machica that was ranked number 15 of the best hot chocolate in the US! We tried it and it was delicious, however, we were out of luck because their fryer was not working and they could not prepare some of the dishes we wanted to order. 

So we decided to go back for a Sunday brunch! The place was crowded: normal, considering it is a very popular restaurant in Hoboken!

I love this colorful tiny place, that serves some delicious Cuban and Latin food crafted by Chef Maricel Presilla!

Of course, we started off with the hot chocolate:

It was fantastic! Not too sweet, it had this fantastic flavor that emanated from the cinnamon.

Then, we decided to start with arepitas con queso, small arepas with cheese:

We got three of them, served with creme fraiche and salsa. It was very good: I love the taste and texture of the corn flower. The cheese was probably queso blanco. It was a great, inexpensive appetizer, perfect for sharing.

Then, Jodi ordered the Carimañolas con Huevos or Yuca Cheese Croquettes with two fried eggs: