Hot From The Kettle ®
Baristanet is reporting tweets that Elevation Burger in Montclair has closed it doors.
Although I was never a fan of the burger or fries, many others were, including my son and daughter.
In memorium, let's look back at one of John Lee's Elevation Burger Flickr show:
Nowadays, when you pull into 163 Baynard Lane you hand your keys to a valet, not a mechanic. Surprisingly, Elements, the acclaimed Princeton restaurant headed up by Chef Scott Anderson, is located in what was formerly an automobile service station. Re-envisioned and repurposed, the exterior of Elements - muted stone and shiny metal - hums with a sleek, steely coolness and refined, modern confidence.
Scott AndersonMr. Hot and I journeyed down Route 1 to meet Pat Tanner, the well-respected, NJ food writer and restaurant critic, and her husband, Bill, for dinner at Elements.
I have nibbled and sipped my way through many tasting events, but the chefs at this year’s Tasteful Experience, the signature event benefiting Clara Maass Medical Center, provided a cornucopia of cuisine sure to impress the most seasoned food enthusiasts. Inside the exclusive Pleasantdale Chateau, chefs, restaurateurs, mixologists, wine distributors, and very happy attendees mingled, while noshing the evening away for a good cause.
There were many outstanding tasting portions handed out over the course of the evening. In my food-bloggerly opinion, top honors for culinary creations must go to Francesco Palmieri of The Orange Squirrel for his decadent lobster roll. Francesco generously spooned swoon-inducing butter poached lobster, subtly infused with saffron and lauro (fresh bay leaves), atop toasted mini buns.
The lobby bar of the Patria Palace Hotel in Lecce stands like an altar for cocktails and all those exotic Italian Aperitifs. In a land where there may be more altars per capita than any where else we were happy to worship at this one, enjoyed on our recent trip to Italy.
You probably already know an Apéritif or Aperitivo is an herbal alcoholic beverage usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. The word comes from the Latin verb aperire, which means “to open.” Worthy of that root, they are colorful and lusciously stimulating and so much to enjoy.
It was still early in the day so we refrained and just sipped some delicious prosecco which is the base of perhaps the most famous Italian cocktail/aperitivo, the Bellini.
Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy created the Bellini in the early part of the last century sometime in the late 30's it is believed.
Read more on Mano A Vino.
Food trucks are all the rage these days and New Jersey’s Cinnamon Snail seems to be leading the leading the pack with countless awards and accolades. The Snail was voted best food truck in the country by readers of VegNews Magazine, it was awarded the people’s choice award in this year’s Vendy Awards and Gothamist recently named it NYC’s best food truck.