Due Mari (New Brunswick, NJ)

I'll just put it right out there and say that Due Mari probably has the most consistently fantastic food I have ever eaten. 

And paired with the comfortable ambience and extremely knowledgeable and always-accommodating staff, I will be so bold as to say it is hands down my favorite dining experience.

There are comfortable leather chairs. Clean but unfussy tables. A huge circular bar in the center of the restaurant that simply makes you want to sit down and order a drink. And stay there a very long while. 

I'm particularly enamored with Due Mari because that's where I held my October 2010 wedding reception. And it was perfect.

No catered dry salmon for this bride. Hells no. I do not exaggerate when I say the only thing I really cared about out of that whole wedding mumbo jumbo was THE FOOD. 

I picked the recently-opened Due Mari because it was a large open space that could accomodate 100 people and a dance floor (a challenge in the New Brunswick restaurant scene) and the food is just incredible.

As the name suggests, the specialty here is seafood. However, I dare you to find something on the menu that isn't excellent. The pastas are all homemade in-house and GOOD GOSH they are so good it will drive you crazy for days thinking back on the orgasmic meal you just consumed.

I've eaten there quite a number of times, including the wedding, and have never been disappointed.*

Last Sunday for dinner with my in-laws I enjoyed the following:

Fried calamari. Oh. Yes. Comes with marinara and a lemon cremai and it's perfectly crisped and not at all chewy and I promise you will reallllllllllly like it.

Even this very basic mixed greens salad tasted so light and fresh...perfect way to pretend you are being healthy (post fried calamari).

The brilliant goddess of a waitress actually encouraged us to split entrees... they could split anything, and serve it on these adorable little duo plates. So those of us who can NEVER make up their minds when it comes to menu selections had the glorious opportunity to actually have 2 things.

The shrimp and lobster ravioli with artichokes, leeks and herb butter was very good.

But the sea scallops with wild mushroom risotto, fava beans, and baby greens was out of this WORLD.

These two choices were the perfect balance of seafood and pasta.

(AND - they can also do a FOUR-WAY pasta split. So, if you and your three dining parters are game, the kitchen will happily give you each a plate with 4 little bowls of pasta so you can taste everything. Perfection.)

This is the Torta de Limone, with lemon curd and whipped cream and raspberry sauce. Oh yes. It is perfect.

Other things that are AMAZING:

- The branzino. The accompanying veggies change, but it's light and delicate and you will actually have room for dessert after.

- The organic roast chicken. It was on the fall menu. I don't even LIKE chicken much, but this birdie was mighty good. Perfectly tender and falls off your fork and into your mouth and sends you right into ecstasy.

- The garganelli pasta. If ever there was a perfect pasta dish, this is it. Served with parma prosciutto, mushrooms, peas, and white truffle butter... holy mother. This stuff is incredible. Always a favorite. (Let's just say I ordered the Branzino at my own wedding, and then spent half the night eating the garganelli off my mother's plate)

- The chocolate fondue (pictured at the very top). A pot of perfectly rich chocolate to dip, with homemade (incredible) graham crackers, homemade marshmallows, strawberries and bananas. Perfect for sharing.

- The Budino di Cioccolato. Not your mama's lava cake, that's for sure. Warm chocolate cake, toasted marshmallow, with caramel and vanilla gelato. Yes. That's right. And the cake is only mildly sweet, making room for the sweetness of all those heavenly accoutrements.

Mr. Pi's Sushi (Metuchen, NJ)

For me, finding a good sushi place is a little bit intimidating. Because there's always a chance that you'll happen upon a BAD sushi place. And then you're kind of screwed. 

I don't like to take my chances on raw fish. 

But I'd heard some positive things about Mr. Pi's right on Central Ave in Metuchen.

They have an extensive menu, with a ton of rolls - including a huge section of more complex chef's special rolls.

To be honest, I have a relatively simple sushi palette, and also have a hard time rationalizing $14 on a single special roll (mainly because I'm usually hungry ten minutes after eating a meal).

That said, my favorites are the standard California roll and the Boston roll (I had them add avocado.... because I can never get enough avocado). I also have a bit of a fetish for the Bahamas roll - the combo of salmon and sweet, refreshing mango is fantastic.

They also make great veggie gyoza. These pan fried dumplings are delicious, don't fall apart, and the sauce is addictive. I actually prefer to dip my rolls in the gyoza sauce rather than straight soy sauce. (I've also asked Mr. Pi's to do steamed veggie gyoza and they happily acquiesced). 

I've only done take out here, and the service is always incredibly speedy and accommodating. The restaurant is small, but always crowded, regardless of the day of the week, and there are a few cool booth-like tables with a communal feel that you actually have to climb into. 

(I have a feeling I am totally not conveying what these tables actually look like so you'll have to check it out for yourself).

Love it here. Go.

{Photo:  Bahamas roll on top, Boston roll + avocado on bottom}

George Street Alehouse (New Brunswick, NJ)

Man, the photos just keep getting ghettoer, don't they?

The ghostly glow of that sandwich looks rather unappealing...but believe me! It was good!

Need to work on that. In the meantime, use your imagination!

The husband and I went to George Street Alehouse for one reason, and one reason only:  

Pulled. Pork

 I don't quite know why pulled pork is such an evasive and completely unavailable option in NJ, but that seems to be the case. There's a dearth of good BBQ. And sometimes a girl just needs some freaking pulled pork.

When George St. Alehouse opened and I perused the menu online I zeroed right in on that pulled pork. We tried going on Memorial Day to satisfy the mounting craving but, wouldn't you know, it was closed. I had made a point to check online and - yep, Monday, May 31 - open mic night, this, that. Open!

But no. A computer printout taped to the door that said closed.

We were QUITE displeased.

We tried again the following week and weren't disappointed.

The place itself is cute. Definitely more bar than restaurant, but with plenty of two-top tables around the perimeter and high cocktail-esque tables near the bar. Plenty of flatscreen TVs to satisfy the sports nuts. And clean. So clean!

And the menu? Freaking awesome.

Bar food with a twist.

The owner was previously the sous chef at Stage Left, so clearly the classier cuisine is still having an influence.

The pulled pork was good. Not South Carolina-good. But NJ-good.

Served with cheddar cheese and apple fennel slaw, it captured GS Alehouse's fancy pub vibe.

The one downfall was the brioche bun. Good in and of itself, but in my opinion much too sweet, and overpowered the savory BBQ flavors.

Would definitely go back.

Cafe Paris (Metuchen, NJ)

Yes, that is one big-ass crepe.

Cafe Paris, right on Main Street in bitty little downtown Metuchen is beyond charming.  

Cozy twinkle-lit decor, friendly service, and a rather extensive menu.

We always stop in for cappuccinos, but had yet to actually stay to eat.

Finally went for brunch and ended up with the waitress' recommendation - the Crepe Royale, with fresh bananas and strawberries, nutella, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.  Really tasty, but so intensely sweet that it was a bit overpowering for breakfast.  Plus, HUGE!  Would have been the perfect thing to order on a Friday night after a long week of work, sharing bites with a friend or date.  Next time, omelette it is!

Pithari Taverna (Highland Park, NJ)

I have a deep, on-the-verge-of-unsettling addiction to Greek food.

If I had to pick one thing I ate over and over again for eternity, first I'd throw a temper tantrum, and then I'd pick Greek.

It's invariably cool, refreshing, and filling without stuffing you to the point of unbuttoning your pants.

Pithari in Highland Park is evilly good.

What you should get:

- A greek salad (the small is still big enough to split with a friend)

- PIkilia Cold Spreads appetizer sampler, which includes: hummus, tzatziki, melitzanosalata (aka roasted eggplant dip), tyrokafteri (aka spicy feta), olive spread, and taramosalata (aka caviar dip, which I usually request be replaced with extra tzatziki). Plan to go straight home so you can deliver all of your leftover dips right to the fridge and enjoy for days to come. 

- A cup of avyolemeno (aka glorious egg-lemon-chicken soup) - with very tender pulled chicken that doesn't overpower the smooth, tangy broth

- Lots and lots o' pita

For me, that's all I need. 

However, if you're in the mood for a heartier, more carnivorous meal there is a ton to choose from.  The portions are literally huge.  If you get one of the entree sampler platters prepare to bring home enough for many many a future meal.  

{Photo:  PIkilia Cold Spreads, about to be devoured, then bemoaned because my friend and I had no means of preserving the leftovers through 2+ hours of the ballet we were scheduled to see after dinner...)