The Cup Joint, Hoboken

[markk]

I've fallen under the spell of a new place called The Cup Joint, near the light rail station and the Shop Rite in Hoboken. It's a small corner place, and their sign says "Eat Food Here". So one night I did. It's a quiet, quiet corner, which I love, and it's the simplest menu imaginable. And culinarily, it's about as good as food gets. What's the saying, better a great sardine than a lousy lobster?

But the food is not quite as simple as the menu claims, and the menu offers Grilled Chicken Breast, Meat Loaf, and Grilled Salmon, all with "seasonal veg" and "potato of the day", and in fact those are the only hot dinner items. The rest is salads and all-day Pretzel-sandwiches. Cut to the chase - these are fresh, fresh, and cooked absolutely to order (well, not the outrageous meatloaf, half-turkey, by the way), and they are out of this world.

The secret is that the two partners who do the cooking have very serious talents, and very serious backgrounds in the industry. One partner has a vast experience as a cruise ship chef and has traveled the world doing private cheffing, and the other partner has cooked at such places as Grammercy Tavern and Babbo. But aside from technical ability, they're both creative and inventive, and even in such simple things as "seasonal veg" and "potato of the day", this shines through.

So it's probably time for some photos...

The "house salad" is arugula and watercress, and it is out of this world:

Well, this is a good time to say that after finding that we loved the place, we returned at least a dozen times. And one of those times, a quiet Tuesday night, I said, "Oh, the watercress salad again?", and what came was frisee with candied apricots, champagne dressing, and avocado, two half-portions:

The main courses have been delicious, and here they are. The potatoes have included outrageous mashed potatoes (for the meat loaf), and sauteed potatoes with herbs, and roasted fingerlings, and the seaonal veg have included broccoli rabe, sauteed bok-choy greens with roasted tomatoes, and an obscene casserole of zucchini, tomatoes, olive oil, and herbs:

And the pastas, like the ravioli with tomato and vodka sauce, the lasagne with mushrooms, spinach, and bechamel (no photo, sorry) and the special one night of Orechiette with swiss chard, tomatoes, and sausage, are cooked, well, exactly like you get them at Babbo, but no surprise...

They have gnocchi with pesto, which is sublime, and the night after we had it, I joked the next night, "Oh, the same pesto again?", so they sent out two half-orders of the gnocchi, this time with roast pork (which they make for one of their luncheon sandwiches) and green peas. Again, it was like eating at Babbo, but not a surprise since one of the chefs did much time there:

And for dessert, one of their offerings is a homemade carrot cake, surely the most delicious I've ever eaten!...

And, it's BYO. The dinner prices range from $12 for the meat loaf, to $13 for the grilled chicken. to $15 for the excellent salmon, and a whopping $18 for a substantial portion of marinated Hangar steak, which, not at all surprisingly, was absolutely first-rate.

As I said in the "What Did You Cook for Dinner" thread when I posted my 'farewell' meal, I'm never cooking again!

Edited August 2, 2005 by markk (log)

[jwjojo]

Wow...on my way soon. Exact address please

[Rosie]

When did they open?

[plattetude]

8th and Jefferson. Definitely off the beaten path, as Hoboken hot spots go.... I've only noticed it in the past few months, myself. Been wondering if it's worth a try, and now I see that it certainly is!

Christopher

[markk]

They opened on May 30, 2005.

[dimsum]

Told my brother in Jersey about it. He went by the other night but said it was too crowded (a good sign). He'll try again and we'll see if it lives up to that great description and yummy photos!

[markk]

Tonight's specials were Lobster Tortelloni with a Sweet Pea sauce, which was cooked to perfection and out of this world, and an Eggplant Parmesan with white eggplants from the Hoboken Farmer's Market that was fresh, light, and absolutely ethereal. I'm just loving it!

[Tamara]

Just out of curiosity...I'm a newbie here... did you whip out your camera to take the photos. It's 3am and I'm salvating - will go try it out tomorrow!

[markk]

Just out of curiosity...I'm a newbie here... did you whip out your camera to take the photos. It's 3am and I'm salvating - will go try it out tomorrow!

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Well, yes. I almost always take the camera when I go to eat (doesn't everybody?)

Foods I cook and eat out - my online extravaganza

[markk]

Luckily I had the camera with me last night. We had lobster tortelloni with sweet pea sauce, a superb hangar steak crispy outside and rare inside, with mashed potatoes (topped with crispy shallots) and green beans with onions...

And we snuck into the kitchen to grab a shot of a whole carrot cake after they took a slice from one...

[markk]

We stopped by The Cup Joint late on a Tuesday, and as we sat outside, two couples leaving turned to each other on the way out and said, "How much do we LOVE this place already!!"

I was informed that they were 'experimenting' with a few specials in the kitchen, and I volunteered to eat whatever they sent out.

First came half a grilled Heirloom tomato with goat cheese and an aged balsamic drizzle...

That was followed by gnocchi (cooked to perfection) with baby arugula and sauteed porcini mushrooms...

And that was followed by an equally sensational grilled veal chop over olive-oil mashed potatoes with frizzled shallots, and roasted brussels sprouts, all just as good as it looks...

And also, as we sat down outside, a young couple heading into the restaurant asked us "what's good here?" and we answered separately, "The Meat Loaf!" and "The Grilled Salmon!" and they said thanks as they went in; when they came out a while later, they stopped by to say that that's what they had, and loved it.

For now, it's mostly the basic food (at this point I've photgraphed most of it above) and it's always cooked to perfection, but I see with some of the daily specials that they're getting a bit more adventurous with each passing week. What was ironic for me with this meal here, is that I had actually had a reservation at Babbo in New York and cancelled it in the morning because I wasn't up to going into the city to start a late dinner. But of course, I remembered as I was eating the perfect gnocchi with porcini mushrooms, that one of the Cup Joint partners used to cook there, and for a couple of bites during the pasta and the veal chop, I honestly wasn't quite sure where I was.

Edited August 17, 2005 by markk (log)

[Rosie]

I called and was told that they don't take reservations. How many tables/seats do they have? I usually avoid restaurants that don't take reservations.

[reinholdt]

I called and was told that they don't take reservations.   How many tables/seats do they have?  I usually avoid restaurants that don't take reservations.

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They have 47 seats inside, and 12 outside, soon to expand to 24.

The outside has been filling up lately, and as I go a good 3 or 4 nights a week, I have been seeing the same people there over and over again (including one couple who comes from Hackensack; their daughter in Hoboken took them once a few weeks ago and they loved it so much they keep coming back. However, at the moment (and I expect this will change when summer ends) you can always get a table inside, and if outside is important, you can of course move when something opens up.

When you get there, you will see that this is just a simple, very simple storefront restaurant (that just happens to have some very serious cooking going on) and that reservations can't be part of their game plan. But don't let this stop you from going. I almost said that "the food gets better and better" but it's been amazingly strong from the start. Go, and whether it's inside or out, you will get a table. And if there's a wait, it's a lovely area for strolling!

[tommy]

reinholdt,

what other restaurants do you appreciate? that would help to form a baseline for your opinion on this particular place. for me.

thanks.

[markk]

Reinholdt's message (above) should have shown as posted by me; sorry about that; he's a friend of mine based in Mannheim, Germany most of the year whose step-parents live in New York, and he's staying with me for the end of summer, and he registered for this forum on my computer, and it logged in under his account when I posted.

The friendly folks at The Cup Joint confirmed to me tonight that while they don't in fact take reservations, if there's anybody coming from outside of Hoboken who doesn't want to make the trip with the possiblity of not getting a table, they should say this when they call, and a table will certainly be held for them.

[Rosie]

Thanks for the info markk. The weather may be delightful for strolling now but what happens in the winter?

[markk]

Well, I'm not entirely sure I understand your question... do you mean 'what happens if they don't take reservations and they're full when you get there and you have to wait for a table?'. That would be the same that happens at Hoboken's two most popular restaurants, "La Isla" and "Margheritas". Neither of those takes reservations, and if you get there you just have to wait, sometimes 90 minutes or more. Many is the cold winter's night I've stood bundled up with scarves around my face and hat pulled over my ears waiting outside for a table at La Isla, which has only 5 tables, and if the've all just sat down when you get there, it's a long wait in the cold. And in fact, dozens of Hoboken restaurants don't take reservations.

[plattetude]

Well, having been a few times now, I'll chime in with a brief report.

It's REALLY GOOD.

Those who'd like a little more detail, here goes: it's a small, unassuming space, and between the diner-like atmosphere and diner-ish menu, well, there's plenty of excellent touches that make it all stand a cut above. The lone server (and co-owner, I believe), Jeff, is never overly solicitous, always helpful, and always good-natured. Yes, it's casual, but hey, it's a neighborhood joint. And one certainly worth a detour.

Tonight, my wife and I each started with the Symphony Salad, which was greens (mostly romaine, I think, chopped to bite-size, with some watercress) with almonds, crumbled blue cheese and dried apricots with a honey vinaigrette. The sweetness of the vinaigrette and apricots played beautifully off the piquant blue cheese, with the sliced almonds adding just the right crunch and added flavor.

My wife had one of the two specials (and at 7pm, nearly the last order of it available) which was a hangar steak sandwich with sauteed onions and muenster on grilled garlic bread. Oh. My. God. Really superb, the steak in a substantial rough chop, onions well browned and impossibly sweet, and the muenster adding its unique funkiness. Granted, it was standard US-style muenster slices, and not the gloppy, super pungeant Alsatian kind, but it did its job well. Oh, and a side of very nice cole slaw (mayo-based), with the cabbage in fairly toothsome strips and not minced ala KFC slaw.

I went for the hangar steak entree. A very good size couple of hunks of meat, prepped as requested to perfect medium-rare status. Marinade tasted a bit like a teriyaki, which may have been influenced by (or did influence) the choice of sides -- a simple, but elegant, basmati rice, done with garlic-infused olive oil and tossed with chopped scallions and lots and lots of black pepper, ground fine enough that it generated a slow-building heat without being too aggressive; and pan-roasted (and perhaps parcooked first) cauliflower, again with the same generous coating of black pepper.

Other meals we've tried have included the superb meatloaf, gnocchi, and a few of the sandwiches (a very creditable Cuban sandwich among them). The signature salad (mentioned and pictured in one of Markk's posts above) is elegantly sublime, the mac 'n' cheese appropriately decadent. We've yet to get there for breakfast, but the cinnamon-rum french toast sounds like a winner. And the hangar steak makes an appearance at breakfast in the steak and eggs.

There was mention tonight in passing of finding a bigger space; maybe said in jest, but if it comes to pass, we're in for a real treat, I tell you!

Christopher

P. S. Extra special bonus of tonight's dinner -- we caught Rosie on her way out as we were getting settled with our little one, and when Jeff mentioned her name, my wife called out, "Are you Rosie from eGullet Rosie?" Which prompted a nice little exchange to kick off our meal. Very nice to meet you, Rosie!

[Rosie]

Plattetude--Great to meet you, your wife and beautiful son also.

The Cup Joint, 732 Jefferson Street Hoboken is BYO and does not serve liquor but the owners named the restaurant after the moniker used during prohibition for restaurants that served alcohol. The Cup Joint is not a coffee house, although the coffee is very good, but a casual, solid neighborhood restaurant serving extremely good food at very reasonable prices. Portions are more than ample. I couldn’t finish my salad and we were unable to finish the delicious serving of carrot cake that we ordered for dessert.

We started with a Caesar salad that I loved as there was just a hint of anchovies, crisp cold lettuce and a creamy dressing. The Cup’s green salad with arugula, watercress, frisee, parmesan, and lemon herb vinaigrette was light and refreshing. There are many sandwiches and four entrees along with daily specials to choose from. New items will be tested and put on the menu as the owners get a feel for what the customers are seeking.

We had a grilled salmon and a wonderful beef/turkey meat loaf topped with BBQ sauce. There is also a sandwich called The Diner made with meatloaf, mashed potatoes and fried onions which sounded very enticing. Both entrees were accompanied by broiled cauliflower and rice enhanced with red peppers and scallions. The kitchen sent out a rich parmesan gnocchi with basil cream sauce which we inhaled and would make a great app to share. They also sent out a thirst quenching strawberry lemonade for us to taste. Bring a flask of vodka with you to spike up this delicious drink.

Dessert was a humongous slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting which was worth every calorie. Lowell reported that the coffee was good. With tax and tip the dinner was $62.

[Taboni]

Sounds great! 2 questions though...

1. Is this in the space of the old Truck Stop Diner which used to serve the most heavenly buckwheat pancakes (even though they were $8!)??

and 2.

Bring a flask of vodka with you to spike up this delicious drink.

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are you legally allowed to do this in a BYO? I thought it you were only allowed to bring in wine or beer. Not that I'm going to only stick to the rules, but as a point of order.

[Rosie]

No you are not legally allowed to bring in hard liquor to a BYO restaurant. Forget that I told you to do so!!

[tommy]

are you legally allowed to do this in a BYO?

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no. that's why you bring it in a flask.

edit: cross-posted with rosie, lest anyone think i stole her idea of using the winky thing.

Edited August 27, 2005 by tommy (log)

[markk]

Wow, I'm glad that everybody has liked this place.

But what was I thinking?

Now I'll never be able to get a table when I waltz in !

[thereuare]

1. Is this in the space of the old Truck Stop Diner....

No it was previously Deno's.

[Hank]

Have gone twice now, each time a 40 minute drive for us. The first time we had the specials they had listed on their blackboard and we had a very good meal. Last night they had no specials. Since the only fish they had on their regular menu was the salmon (neither my wife nor I eat any kind of meat) which we had the first time we went we had to opt for the crab cakes which nornally come as a sandwich but our waiter Jeff (a heck of a nice guy) suggested we have two of them served on a plate with a salad. They happen to have been good but not worth 40 minutes to get there. We were told to call in advance next time to find out what, if any specials they had for that evening. A bit of a pain.

Next time we decide to go to Hoboken it will be back to The Jefferson where we have been 5 times now since we first read about them on this site. A very diversified menu and our food has always been cooked and served to perfection. They also have some real winners on their wine list for not too much money.