Elmora Avenue, Elizabeth

[Rail Paul]

Brooke Tarabour continues her quest across NJ for interesting and unusual food treats. In today's Ledger, she reports on her visit to Elmora. (the Elmora section is roughly in the south-central area of Elizabeth)

Starting with a recommendation for a Uraguayan coffee shop on the corner of Rahway Ave and Elmora (great looking food, but zero English), the reporter worked her way about five blocks northwest to Puerto Azul (128 Elmora). On the way she encountered a wonderful bakery (Las Americas, again good food, no English) and a Colombian restaurant (same problem). Azul offers Ecuadorian food on the weekends, including shrimp marinated in onions and lime, and a tuna, cabbage, tomato and cilantro soup.

Stews include chicken, goat, and a sampler platter.

Sounds like a weekend trip to Elmora Avenue is in my future, once I brush up on my rusty Spanish...

Taste of NJ

Edited February 13, 2003 by Rail Paul (log)

[jsibley]

If you continue on Elmora towards Union and Kean College, you should get to Fritz's a nice German / Austrian butcher. I believe he closes at 4 pm on Saturdays. I haven't been in quite a while, but I hope it's still there.

[TheMan,TheMyth]

Just off Elmora, I believe it is shortly before the train tressel there is a small Portuguese barbecue place. Excellent barbecued chicken, rice and fresh cut fries. Large portions at a very low price. Outstanding to-go place.

The Man, The Myth

TapItorScrapIt.com

[Rail Paul]

Just off Elmora, I believe it is shortly before the train tressel there is a small Portuguese barbecue place.  Excellent barbecued chicken, rice and fresh cut fries.  Large portions at a very low price. Outstanding to-go place. 

The Man, The Myth

TapItorScrapIt.com

Thank you.

As it happens, I will be in that general area this afternoon, so I'll try to swing by.

My rusty Spanish will probably be of no use in a Portuguese place, but most Portuguese people I've encountered speak at least some English.

[Rachel Perlow]

Is their still a Jerusalem Pizza in Elmora? Love their felafal.

[Rail Paul]

Is their still a Jerusalem Pizza in Elmora? Love their felafal.

It's mentioned in the article, but was closed on the Saturday the intrepid journalist made her visit to the area

[Rosie]

There is a Jerusalem Pizza in Livingston also.

[Rachel Perlow]

Actually, the one in Livingston is now called Jerusalem Restaurant. They moved to a much larger space more than a year ago and wanted to emphasize their other offerings.

[dbrociner]

First meal I ever had in New Jersey was on Elmora Ave at Goodman's deli back in 1967! The restaurants I remember on and around Elmora Ave were Goodman's, Superior (also a deli) Elmora Bagels, the Pathmark Hut (Pathmark's attempt at a fast food restaurant), White Castle which was on the corner of Elmora and Westfield Ave and has migrated into the back of its parking lot so that now it is only on Westfield Ave.

I learned to eat Catonese at the Sun and Moon also on Westfield Ave but only doors away from Elmora. Through the haze of memory the Sun and Moon had great pedestrian Chinese food: egg rolls, roast pork fried rice, lo mein, shrimp in lobster sauce: all the stars of the Jewish-Chinese hit parade. It was gone by the early 80's around the same time I was.

I can't remember the last time I had something to eat in Elmora. I guess its time to go back.

[Rail Paul]

I did get down to Elmora Avenue on Thursday afternoon.

interesting area, lots of people dressed in garb typical of certain Orthodox Jewish sects, many other folks speaking Spanish. The neighborhood runs from the CNJ railroad trestle for about three blocks to Jersey Avenue. Definitely suitable for wandering around.

Stopped by El Depiste, autentica comida Colombiana. Jersey Ave corner of Elmora. Got a carne asada (slightly tough beef marinated in an onion broth) with rice, beans in a thick beef broth, and fried banana. Churasco, Bisteck a Criola, Higardo Encebollardo, Mojarra fritata were also on the menu. Asada was $7.50.

Walked across the street to the Bakery of the Americas. Ordered a pan real con queso (large roll), and a small loaf of white corn bread. Although the counter women did not speak English, pointing worked fine.

Walked back up Elmora to the Bakery Colombia, where I picked up several apricot and lemon filled pastries. One intriguing item was a hard shelled puff, with a sweet doughy center, a bit smaller than a tennis ball.

I made note of the Jerusalem, and several shops with various Hebrew lettering in the windows. There's a Jewish school and house of worship just north of the railway trestle.

On the way, I noticed a Polish butcher shop on Elmora by the college, and an interesting German sausage shop in downtown Union center.

I will undoubtedly be back for another walk when the weather warms a bit...

[Taboni]

The German butcher shop in Union would be Gaisers...I haven't been there in a long time but it was a great place when I was growing up...also Lutz pork store on Stuyvesant ave, but not sure since they changed ownership a long time ago.

FWIW Elmora bagels used to be the bagel by which I judged all others, but alas that was years ago as well....the influence in the Elmora section of Elizabeth has been going through changes for years as the Hispanic community is slowly displacing the long time Jewish one of my youth. Tabatchnick's used to have a store next to Elmora bagel back in the early 70's as I recall as well.

I would have never thought of the area as one to seek out for food...maybe I'll go through next time I head north to see my parents....

[John]

Taboni,

Union is home to a few great German/Polish butcher shops. Gaiser's, which changed owners a few years back, Lutz's, and Fritz's. But the best, in my opinion, is the Union Pork Store on Morris Ave about 4 miles down from Kean College. All kinds of meat and sausages. They were mentioned in N.J. Monthly about 2 years ago for their fresh and tasty German style franks made on premises. They also have the best bratwurst I have tasted, and I have tried quite a few including Lutz's, Fritz's, Gaiser's, the famous Usinger's from Wisconsin, Dietz and Watson, and Schaller & Weber. Their bratwurst is so good, that someone I know who is German and a bratwurst expert, travels a couple of hours from Pennsylvania to Union to pick up these brats for parties. Ask for the coarse ground pork and veal bratwurst.