Perhaps it’s a full moon, or maybe hell has indeed frozen over, because I am going to review a chain restaurant today. Brick House Tavern and Tap in Neptune, NJ is remarkable and worth a mention.
Beerologists and connoisseurs were in hops heaven at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ this Sunday. There were more food trucks, and the make your own Bloody Mary bar was well stocked and attended too, but there was a pub-like under current running through the venue as well.
The Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ had a three evening, two day, foodie packed schedule this weekend, with the logistics of this event being nothing short of mesmerizing. A three ring circus has less going on at any given moment than the Basie did on Saturday and Sunday. Andrew Zimmern was on the stage Friday night, while Giada de Laurentiis took her turn on Saturday night. Both familiar food network names, filled the theatre seats.
The vegetable gardens this season have become a mixed bag of problems and prodigious produce. Colorado potato beetles have turned up and devoured one of our tomato plants. The words ewww and ick came out of me several times. However, other plants are a goldmine of green for the kitchen.
Condiments, relishes and sauces can make or break a well prepared dish. A tasty addition to anything from simple scrambled eggs to a perfectly broiled steak can take a meal from ho-hum to sublime.
