Bourdain on New Jersey: Its Just Like The Sopranos

[fiftydollars]

I’m glad that California has enough diversity to provide many places and people to make fun of without having to cross State lines.

I mean, have you BEEN to Bakersfield?

[coughy]

How are we Comcast subscribers who do not get the Travel channel supposed to view this?

[Curlz]

CR*P!

[Metal Spice]

..... last times there me and my friends went to Virgos and saw my friends dad there..

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I haven't heard that name in so long. My husband had a Virgos T-shirt that he ended up giving to my single at the time brother because I thought it was just in such poor taste to wear it in mixed company! I have no idea if the shirts still look like they did in the early 90's!

We are both transplants from NJ & our families still live there. Mother in Law at the shor in Cape May where she retired & the rest of the in-laws spread out from Frenchtown - Barnegat. As far as stereotyping goes, whener I tell people where I live now, I immediately get this "Why don't you have an accent?". Ok, why must you assume that everyone who lives in Kentucky should have an accent? We love it out here & have more land than we'd EVER be able to afford in NJ. That said, I miss the Italian food & I miss Stuff Yer Face!!! You guys may scoff at Stuff Yer Face, but I love it & I miss it.

I think that while people will ALWAYS stereotype, you should just have a sense of humor about it. You hsuld hear people when they find out I'm Italian, from NJ & my uncle is in waste management. I enjoy Anthony because while he says positive things about the places he travels & their cuisine, he also says what he truly feels about the negative side of those places. He's not just there saying everything is remarkable & all the food is wonderful & that makes him a heck of a lot more human & watchable.

[Kim WB]

Yes thats right.. And New Jersey isnt just filled with a bunch of Blue State Voters supporting corrupt, shady characters like former Govenor James E. McGreevey or Senator Robert Torricelli...

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I'm from NJ, I have a sense of humor, I don't find Bourdain offensive ( well, I find him quite offensive always, actually, but no more or less regarding NJ) BUT...did I miss the part where either of these men were convicted onf anything? Unlike Treffinger. Janasewki?McKenna? Thanks.

Edited July 26, 2005 by Jason Perlow (log)

[Rebecca263]

Gee, is NOTHING "OT" on this site? I think that the political thread starting up here needs to be, because it's taking away my APPETITE!

[john b]

Gee, is NOTHING "OT" on this site? I think that the political thread starting up here needs to be, because it's taking away my APPETITE!

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Same here. I can do without the blue/red discussion unless it's, "Which cotton candy flavor is better?"

[curdnerd]

Rachel, I'm very jealous that you got to see the show before we did, although we did get to see the original, I suppose. Tony was a blast to work with--a real professional. I hope that he can come back up in fair weather, too, someday.

[Rachel Perlow]

Yes, please all, let's keep any political spats offline. Thank you.

I got to watch the show, but it was not in its finished form. I'm looking forward to seeing the final edited version.

Hmm, how ever could we get Tony to see Bobolink on a nice day?

[menton1]

Wow!!!

That shook me as this is a state that I have dis-liked since I've moved here. I'm a Bronx boy looking to return home soon. I enjoy the country side as well as everyone but that's disappated since the early 80's in Jersey. Everything is a strip mall with a chain restaurant. Oh well.

This may sound like a rant but it's not my intention. NJ has just changed since I've been a citizen of the state.

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This is unfair. Most of America has strip malls and chain restos. If you head over to Sussex county, (Not very far from Randolph) there are NO strip malls. Lots of lakes, low mountains, green valleys, and tremendous wildlife. Serene. Of course, if you miss the Bronx you wouldn't like any suburban or rural environment. Overdevelopment is rampant in America-- it is magnified in NJ because of our density. But you will see "McMansions" everywhere, from Tennessee, to Pennsylvania, to Texas. But not in the Bronx!

Having grown up in NYC and now living in NJ, I have to pinch myself often, and would certainly never dream of moving back!!

[=Mark]

Wow!!!

That shook me as this is a state that I have dis-liked since I've moved here. I'm a Bronx boy looking to return home soon. I enjoy the country side as well as everyone but that's disappated since the early 80's in Jersey. Everything is a strip mall with a chain restaurant. Oh well.

This may sound like a rant but it's not my intention. NJ has just changed since I've been a citizen of the state.

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Must be living in the corredor along the NJ Turnpike that was constructed as sort of a movie set to keep out of staters from wanting to move here...

[Anonymouze]

I'm a "piney" and a Jerseyan and I constantly hear folks thinking that NJ is chem plants (like you see by the airport & on the tpke.) and cement and factories and commercial spaces. (or the stupid question what exit?! -- I rarely ask that LOL!)

When I think of NJ I think of its beautiful beaches, the mountains in the northwest part of the state and all the wildlife found throughout every town I've ever lived in. For example in my current town I have chipmunks, rabbits, deer, squirrel, raccoons, (stinky) skunks, birds (tons!), foxes and even coyotes and bears on occassions. My previous town (Montvale) too! I grew up in Tuckerton (known for it's little lake and seaport) and in Livingston NJ and these were all pleasant bedroom communities (aka suburbs).

I would never live anywhere else unless we HAD to move for business.

The only drawbacks are pollution from nearby NY, "ciavones" from Rockland county and NYC that come down to "joisey" for the weekends and make this area a torture to shop in on Saturdays.... I thank god for blue laws! It's nice and quiet and song-filled each morning and I love it that way. Hooray for NJ!

[Rebecca263]

Wow! I moved to NJ last summer. I live in Monmouth County. It's so green here! There are farms everywhere, in fact, Kiddle and I can walk to a horse 'ranch' and pet the big guys every day! You can't do that in South Beach. There are pines, maples and birches, fields of sunflowers, corn and berries, apple and peach orchards, homes surrounded by green..... in our neighborhood there is an abundance of birds, bunnies, squirrels, lightning bugs and DEER! Where the heck in NJ are you folks? I see Route 9 and the Garden State Parkway, the Parkway is green and lush too. Route 9 is as nice as a major road could be. My opinion is that the world is both green and urban, industrial, suburban and farm filled, you see what you choose to. Now, if only you could buy a decent bottle of wine in the food store, some independent book shops would appear and it would stop getting cold in the winter..........

[jim07044]

Set your TiVos: the "New Jersey" episode airs on Monday August 8.

So far, the first two episodes seem similar to the Cook's Tour series that aired on Food TV, but with some added 'scripting' for production values (think less documentary, more entertainment). I'm a little dissapointed to-date.

[rozrapp]

Wow! I moved to NJ last summer. I live in Monmouth County. It's so green here! There are farms everywhere, in fact, Kiddle and I can walk to a horse 'ranch' and pet the big guys every day! You can't do that in South Beach. There are pines, maples and birches, fields of sunflowers, corn and berries, apple and peach orchards, homes surrounded by green..... in our neighborhood there is an abundance of birds, bunnies, squirrels, lightning bugs and DEER! Where the heck in NJ are you folks? I see Route 9 and the Garden State Parkway, the Parkway is green and lush too.  Route 9 is as nice as a major road could be. My opinion is that the world is both green and urban, industrial, suburban and farm filled, you see what  you choose to. Now, if only you could buy a decent bottle of wine in the food store, some independent book shops would appear and it would stop getting cold in the winter..........

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I live in the same vicinity of NJ as you do. The deer population has grown significantly around here in recent years to the point where we have families of them regularly nosing around in our backyard and woods, particularly during the winter. However, you've got to be kidding about Route 9. To put it bluntly, it's a horror! I take back roads whenever I can. There used to be a few independently-owned used book stores in the area, but they've been gone for some time.

As for decent bottles of wine in a food store, have you tried the wine shop at Wegmans? My husband does the wine buying, and he says they have a pretty good selection.

[jim07044]

Well ... what did everyone think of last night's episode???

Overall, I felt it was not a very glamorous presentation of New Jersey (but then again, Bourdain's travel logs are not filled with "the glamorous life") but he did show a great amount of geographic and culinary diversity within our state. Too bad it had to be filmed in February with snow on the ground and grey bleak skies. The redeeming quality was his travels to Sussex County and Bobolink, a nice contrast from the grittiness of the industrial version of NJ most visitors are used to seeing. The "Godfather" skit at the end of the show was cute and just light enough to not make a serious statement that all of NJ is Italian and corrupt.

Edited August 9, 2005 by jim07044 (log)

[menton1]

Very disappointing... the Iceland and Paris shows were much better, IMHO...

The show seems to be about 100% scripted, like a stage play. Bourdain is thus forced to become an actor, rather than a documentarian, and it doesn't work a lot of the time. As far as content, it was just not that interesting. Hiram's was the best part of the show-- Asbury Park was boring, the Bobolink advertisement was too long, and the Italian Bakery looked as ordinary as about 30 others exactly like it all over New Jersey. It was just a poor combination of food and history of the state, not really very good choices of discussion topics.

But the show is getting a lot of press, probably doing good ratings-- too bad that the absolube BEST show of this ilk, Globetrekker, is on PBS so that it doesn't get the promos or the accolades it deserves. Ian Wright should be a star!!

[Daniel]

IMO the Korean Place looked like it had the best food out of all of them.. I did think the Bobolink was way too long.. It was an entertaining show..

[WHT]

My criticism is he spent too much time in the north part of the state. Asbury Park is not the shore Seaside is the Shore and still vibrant. I know it is hard to put it all in an hour show but it would be like doing a show on Chicago and never leaving the Loop.

The HoJo on 35 and 66 would have been a better place for him to stop. There is another world south of Perth Amboy that begs to be explored.

Edited August 9, 2005 by WHT (log)

[Anonymouze]

I watched it in between reruns of NYPD blue...

Can someone please tell me, where was that Korean restaurant and what is it's name? It did look appetizing. Bakeries again, in NJ are a dime a dozen you just have to know where to go so you've seen one you've seen em all it's just the taste that sets them apart and trotting out that blond chef (mario?) or something or whatever that guy's name is doesn't make anything better or worse for me... I grow weary of him on the food channels and such.

[Rachel Perlow]

I don't know the actual name of the restaurant, but the only English on their sign is the words "Soft Tofu" and it is on Main St. in Fort Lee, a couple blocks east of Lemoine, on the south side of the street.

I liked most of the episode, but the part about the shore, only showing condemned and depressed parts of Asbury Park pissed me off. He couldn't contrast that with a few shots of the more family friendly (Seaside, Point Pleasant) and/or adult oriented (not in a Bada Bing way) (Belmar, Atlantic City -- he coulda hit White House Subs) areas? It just seemed like he was saying the whole of the Jersey shore is downtrodden.

In the rough cut version I got to see on tape (unfortunately after I had already interviewed Tony), there was also a very nice scene with Jose de Meirelles from Les Halles, where they explored Newark's Ironbound section, including a great looking meal at Seabra Marisqueira. That bit was so much more interesting than a rehash of the "real Sopranos" locales and a run down HoJo's. Did you know that Newark has the largest population of Portuguese outside of Portugal? Jose wants to have a vacation pied a tere in Newark!

[irongut]

Soft tofu is really great for their tofu hot pots & bbq rib tips. Wait times at prime time dinner times can be painful but really worth the wait. This place is a local favorite.

Another tasty Korean place in the area is Koreana @ 1550 lemoine ave.

Edited August 10, 2005 by irongut (log)

[Daniel]

I. Did you know that Newark has the largest population of Portuguese outside of Portugal? Jose wants to have a vacation pied a tere in Newark!

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And I believe Jersey City has more Cubans then Havana.

[moosnsqrl]

I went to great lengths to inquire about the Portuguese food in/around Newark about 8 years ago when we had a long layover at Newark. This was pre-eGullet (pre almost anything, really) and was really jazzed but weather caused a re-routing and we lost the opportunity.

I'd love to see some update Portuguese info.

And I still can't hate or love Bourdain. What's wrong with me?

[menton1]

Did you know that Newark has the largest population of Portuguese outside of Portugal?

Well, it's a good size, but not the largest; that distinction belongs to New Bedford, Massachusetts; The streets here actually resemble a section of Lisbon. Food is great, too, and very authentic-- no giant lobster houses, like Newark, which one would never see in Portugal! A bit more attractive than the Ironbound as well. 3 hours from Northern Jersey, Newark is definitely closer though. http://www.moaa.org/magazine/June2003/f_world.asp