ejebud

Hey guys, Thanks for the kind words about our fries, we put alot of labor into them and we think it is worth it. Since the topic of great fries was brought up, I would like to put out there that NJ Monthly is asking readers to submit their nominations for the best fries in NJ. If you think we qualify, please email to fries@njmonthly.com they worded their request like this in the Cheap Eats issue: "Where do you go for the best fries in New Jersey? And what makes them the best?" Thank, as always, for your support. Eric

This is located down the street from Mannys and Home Depot? Going AWAY from 78? ← YES, that s exactly where it is. DEELISH!!!

OK people, ya know that little place that doesn't look like much on the outside, maybe has old signage, or is not in the best neighborhood? Ya know the place you've been driving by for years and never would dare stop in to check it out? Well, let me tell you, at the recomendation of some nice folks on a South Orange/Maplewood forum I ventured into Church's Kitchen on Springfield Ave in Vauxhall. To my surprise, it had been 10 years that I have been driving by the place much to my detrement. As a lover of all foods comfort, I won't drive past this place again, in fact It wil be destination for me. First of all, Judy and Leroy Church are two of the frendiest people I have ever met. They have real southern hospitality and talk to you like you're family. Now, the food- Here's what I ordered- 1/2 rack of beef ribs, 1/2 rack or pork ribs, 8 pieces of fried chicken and dinner rolls, a pint of Collard greens, a pint of Mac and Cheese, 4 pices of cornbread, an a peach cobbler. Folks if I tell you that I had an out-of-body experience that night it would be an understatement. The beef ribs were more like Brontosaurus ribs, albeite a little boney, but the meat was falling off the bone. The pork ribs were fabulously meaty and tender. The fried chicken was darn near the best I have ever had. It was served in a box and remained crispy on the trip from Vauxhall to West Orange. As Leroy cooked it, I could see him inserting an instant read thermometer at various intervals throughout the cooking process which made me feel like he really knows what he is doing. The Collards were bitter/sweet and smokey, just the way I like 'em. The mac and cheese was quickly devoured by my kids so I assume it was good. Peach Cobbler was homemeade-'nuff said. They also have fried fish, pulled pork sandwiches, french fries, etc.. The place is take out only, when I asked Judy why she said "Honey Child, I want you to come in, get your food and leave so I can go home" A right fine response if you ask me!!, LOL They are open until 9PM and are closed on Sundays. I suggest that unless you want to spend 30 mins or so shooting the breeze with Judy, you call in your order. There isn't a whole lotta rushing going on in the kitchen. My entire order came to $40.00 and fed a family of 4 twice. They also take credit cards which is a plus. Church's Kitchen 2117 Springfield Ave Vauxhall, NJ 07088 (908) 810-1686

THE PICTURES: The View from the street: THE APPETIZERS: MINI VEGGIE BURGERS: SHRIMP SPRING ROLL: COCONUT ALMOND SHRIMP: JUMBO TANGY CITRUS WINGS: GRILLED FLATBREAD PIZZA-tomato,basil,parmesan,mozzarella, and Soranno Ham: THE ENTREES: GRILLED SKIRT STEAK-vinegar an herb tomato, Crispy Basil Spaetzle: GRILLED PORK CHOP-roasted potato, mixed mushroom, tomato confit, apple cider Jus ALASKAN BLACK COD "CHOWDER"-Fingerling potato, clam, pea, curry and lime broth CHICKEN POT PIE-black truffle,roasted cauliflower cream, yukon potato, carrot, pea: CRISPY SCOTTISH SALMON-basmati rice, baby spinach,red wine and mustard glaze: DESSERTS: BANANA TART with GINGER CARAMEL and DARK RUM SABAYON: N.Y. CHEESCAKE with RED GRAPE and PEAR COMPOTE: THE SUPER DUPER CHOCOLATE ERUPTION-chocolate espresso cake, chocolate hazelnut layer cake, chocolate-ginger milkshake: STAY TUNED FOR THE COMMENTARY BY OUR VERY OWN CURLZ!!!

someone was waiting for the text via email to put together a post, but if you want to put the cart before the horse, pics coming right up

Thanks SueWho321 and Curlz for your congratulations!! Seems that this recognition combined with the word of mouth that has been building since we re-opened has really got us buzzing niceley. Thanks again guys!! Eric

Beth and I went yesterday and this was our exact experience. I personally don't see the draw of this place. I tasted 2 pieces of cheese and bought nada. We were there for all of 6 minutes. We expected to walk through a warehouse but were corraled into a very small area. We did discover that is right down the street from one of our favorite restaurants; Solar do Minho. Afterwards we went to Hana ah Reum in Ridgfield- What a fun place that is!!

There is also a Mexican market amongst the outdoor veggie markets and such on Railroad Ave in Paterson around the corner from Corrado's. ← what is the name of the market? what street behind corrado's? ← Sorry, I don't remember the name, but if you pull out of Corrado's on the side where the ChildrensWear store is and make a left to the next traffic light which is Crooks Ave and make a right, go just over the railroad tracks and make a left. The Mexican market is on your right about half way down the block.

Here's a ling to Ricky's: Ricky's Candy Cones and Chaos

There is also a Mexican market amongst the outdoor veggie markets and such on Railroad Ave in Paterson around the corner from Corrado's.

**Paging KatieLoeb,Please pick up the white courtesy phone**

Brett, Thanks for your insight on the area. It helps alot. This week we are focused on a locaton a little closer to home. Nice "L" shaped strip mall anchored by a TJ Max, Blockbuster and a few other small nat'l brands like H&R Block. Parking lot is packed most of the time. It's at the other end of Bloomfield ave only 4 miles from Verona but a good 20 minute drive because of lights and traffic. It also would draw from a completley different area ie. Fairfield, PineBrook Montville, etc..

Then I think you ought to check out the newly redone strip mall on Valley Brook Road between Stuyvesant Ave and Ridge Road! The only food in there is a Dunkin' Donuts, a long-standing pizza place (Mr. Bruno's) and a Chinese place that never seems to have any business. There is also a bank and a VERY busy Rite Aid. It's right next to town hall, the police and fire stations, near the train station, a few schools, has a huge parking lot, and you would get foot and car traffic. The strip used to be about 8 stores, but last year they started to re-do the facade to make it a 'transit village'; now they've added another small strip (Wine Country, Mandee (WHYWHYWHY?), and there are a few other small EMPTY/AVAILABLE spaces. ← What town is that in, exactly?

Best case scenario is a former food place, however we are looking at ANY available space. The bank would be happy to lend us more money to start with a generic empty space

Eric, I work at a deli just over the hill from you in Montclair, so I get a good sense of the traffic (car as well as foot) on Bloomfield Ave. , & I can tell you that it's dropped off ASTONISHINGLY this week. I am emphasizing this because it's so markedly different from what it usually is. I have no idea where everyone has gone, but we're seeing the same thing. I assume it's some weird seasonal thing & it will pass. Or is the W. Orange Whole Foods just sucking everyone in now? ← Ghostrider, Thanks for sharing that with me(us) It is a bit comforting to know that it isn't something we did or didn't do. Eric

Went to this Ewing location today. Nice Shop Rite. We questioned the tolerance the local demographics would have for a $3.00 hot dog. We did speak to and meet up with the managing realty co in Princeton and they showed us a few other strip malls that they have. There is a nice one on 206 in Montgomery. There's a Shop Rite there too and a Friendly's, an Asian noodle place, and a Middle Eastern place. Also an Eckerd and a Movi Theater. We like that location more than Ewing but they said there were enough food tenants already. I think if we REALLY showed an interest they would bend a bit. The search continues!!! ← The local "demographics" can be deceiving in Ewing; there are as many upscale shoppers as urban ones, and what impresses me the most about that location, as opposed to the Montgomery location, which is a tough terrain to physically navigate, is that the traffic in Ewing is constant from early morning till 10PM. Montgomery can be quiet during the day and almost dead at night. We are friends with the owners of the noodle house, and their lunch and dinner business is slow except on the weekend. ← Great "insider" information Rich. Thanks alot. Any idea how the Italian place does in Ewing? We popped in and bought a soda to check the place out. Seems like a nice place.

Eric, We are definatley NOT set on S. Jersey or Princeton area. Today's jaunt was a part of our "leave no stone unturned" campaign. There is, however, a bit of urgency involved in finding a second location though. Unfortunatley, in Verona, we tripped and fell after a mere 40 days of business by having an unexpected electrical fire in the middle of the night, closed for 9 weeks in order to rebuild from scratch, what we had just built a month prior, re-opened to a "ghost town" of a summer, and have been clawing our way back, trying to regain what once was. Truth be told, we are holding our heads above water in Verona, but are doing a fair amount of head scratching around the question "where did all those people who originally came out to enjoy AHD in droves, disappear to?" We have a great loyal fan base and a steady stream of new people every day, but still nothing like when we first opened. Now I understand the initial rush and excitment of a new restaurant with lots of people wanting to try it, and would expect a small percentage drop in customer attendance, but the drop has been substantial. Bigger than we imagined. Again, we are doing OK in Verona,except the last 2 days; slowest days we've ever had, but can handle ALOT more volume. We put out customer "comment cards" hoping that people would feel more comfortable anonymously writting negative experiences on paper and slipping them into a comment box, rather than confront us face to face, but besides a few "toast the bun" comments, ALL the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. People RAVE about our food; they tell us that they were told about us by (fill in the name of a friend or loved one), and that they tell all their friends about us, etc.. We just haven't been able to figure out what has changed. (boy did this post turn into a doozie, LOL) I am open to ANY and ALL feedback you or other Egulleters may have on this topic, after all, you guys have been with me since day one and I value your input. Lastly, I am doing a little cooking demo at the Bloomies in Hackensack on Dec 15th in the houswares dept. Stop in and say hello. Eric

Went to this Ewing location today. Nice Shop Rite. We questioned the tolerance the local demographics would have for a $3.00 hot dog. We did speak to and meet up with the managing realty co in Princeton and they showed us a few other strip malls that they have. There is a nice one on 206 in Montgomery. There's a Shop Rite there too and a Friendly's, an Asian noodle place, and a Middle Eastern place. Also an Eckerd and a Movi Theater. We like that location more than Ewing but they said there were enough food tenants already. I think if we REALLY showed an interest they would bend a bit. The search continues!!!

We have someone looking for places in Hoboken. I understand though, a few hot dog places have tried and failed in Hoboken, but I'm sure they weren't doing what we are doing. Eric

Do I smell a convergence of EEG coming soon?

Thanks Rich, I'll check it out. My brother lives in the area so I'm a little familiar with it.

Hello everybody!! I hope your Thanksgiving celebrations were excellent. I wanted to put it out there loud and clear that AMAZING HOT DOG IS LOOKING FOR A SECOND LOCATION!!! If anyone sees a location that they think would be a home run, or hears of any restaurant that is closing and available, please let us know. We need at least 1500 sq/ft and if the traffic is big, we're not afraid of big rent. We are leaving no stone unturned. On the Verona homefront, We have been nominated to be in the running for the AOL City Guide Best Hot Dog in North Jersey and are asking that any one who has been to AHD and likes our food to please go hereand vote for us. Only one vote per customer please. (If the page loads slowly, refresh it while it's loading and it will pop up; wierd but it works) Also, we have begun to sell our Mini Eggroll Dogs frozen in packs of 25 pieces. They are par-fried and ready to bake at home. Many people have ordered them for holiday party platters and the feedback has been extremely positive. They come with Duck sauce or Spicy Brown Mustard and are 13.75 tax included. And finally, we are beginnng to get a feel for the flow of traffic in the restaurant and continue to tune our hours accordingly. We are now open M-Sat 11am to 8pm and Sunday from Noon to 6PM (may change to 5 PM) As always, Matt and I are grateful for your support. Eric

Lobel's is selling their Wagyu strips for $120 a pound. That is hardly inexpensive.. ← Here's the real stuff: 1-800-kobebeef.com Regularly $299 a pound on sale for $149 click here

Additionally there is this.