Northvale, NJ: Northvale Diner

Northvale Diner
247 Livingston Street

Northvale, NJ

Northvale Diner

Tips: The Northvale Diner holds a special place in my Jersey heart.  Like the "Peach Pit" to 90210 and "The Max" to Saved By The Bell, the Northvale Diner was the place for the Northern Valley Regional High School (Old Tappan and Demarest) students.

This is the place we went to late at night, after church, to hang out (because we essentially had no where else to go) and eat French Onion Soup, Disco Fries, and endless amounts of Burgers, Steak Fries, and Breakfast food. 

Since, the Diner (as locals fondly refer to it as if there is no other) received a major exterior and interior facelift, changed management, added more healthier and organic options, and a full bar.  They pride themselves in "offering a vast variety of comforting and sophisticated dishes" which they "make in house" while buying "only the highest quality natural and organic ingredients."  A far different cry than when it was my local hangout. 

What is a continued cry is its popularity.  They now offer booths, small and large, and well as tables.  Sunday brunch is obviously a consistent popular time, but if you're only with a party of two, don't hesitate to by pass the wait and head straight to the high chairs by the bar in the center console.  A first come first serve area that is also filled with action and drama.  It's a spot where servers will often recenter their serving trays and joke around with the cashier/bakery lady. 

Grilled Salmon Wrap

Food: I had a hankering for seafood, and was excited to see that they had a grilled fish option: Grilled Salmon Wrap.  Grilled Salmon on spring mix with tomato relish and wasabi sauce wrapped in an oregano/basil flavored wrap, served with mixed greens in a balsamic viniagrette.  I asked for the tomato relish on the side to lessen the potential of a soggy wrap, and also to avoid losing the flavor of the salmon.  They however forgot to give it to me.  The wasabi sauce ended up being more of a wasabi mayo that made the wrap so soggy and difficult to eat.  The salmon was good quality, but a tiny portion, as well as a small portion of the spring mix inside the wrap and the sad looking side of mixed greens, which I got with a side of honey mustard sauce. 

Eggs Burrito

We also ordered the Eggs Burrito described as stuffed with scrambled eggs, tomatoes, peppers, ham, onions, cheddar-jack, guacomole, and salsa.  Similar to the Salmon Wrap and opposite of how they described it on their menu, there was hardly any eggs, barely any ham onions or peppers.  The scoop of guacomole was around turning brown. 

Extremely disappointed by the fresh quality they pride themselves on

Final Thoughts: Unfortunately since its change in management, the Northvale Diner has also changed in terms of quality and freshness.  Perhaps it was never fresh to begin with, and I just never realized from a 16 year old perspective, but the bottomline is if they are advertising themselves as using fresh and organic products, they have failed tremendously.  They also state that they are "famous for their generous portions which are ideal for sharing," but with the skimpy portions offered today, I barely had enough to feed myself, let alone share with someone else. 

New Jersey is a state known for diners.  There are plenty of them in my radius.  Sadly, I think it's time for me to let go of my memories and build some new ones. 

Happy Eating Bergen County!

Elizabeth, NJ: Algarve Restaurant

Algarve Restaurant
656 Van Buren Avenue
Elizabeth, NJ

A self-described healthy barbeque and Portuguese cuisine, Algarve Restaurant offers a range of food, from Frog Legs, to Filet Mignon, to pasta and seafood options.  And with a full bar, they offer drinks to compliment your meal, including half and whole pitchers of Sangria using at least four types of alcohol.

Tips: The streets of Elizabeth can be a bit complicated with its one-way streets.  The restaurant has a parking lot to the right of the restaurant on a one way street on Louisa, so be prepared to spin around to go down the one way to hit the parking lot on the right. 

A hot spot for the locals, you'll no doubt find the usuals sitting around the circular bar.  The juke box is always playing random tunes, so don't hesitate to fill up the playlist with your favorites.   

Food: I had to no doubt first order a pitcher of Sangria.  It had a great kick to it with the various liquors used, and definitely a drink I would recommend ordering.  The glasses are small, which can be frustrating, especially when it was also full with ice, but the pitcher is large so there is plenty of Sangria to go around.

Every meal comes with a warm crusty Portuguese roll.  I simply can't get enough of that bread!  To continue with the comfort food journey, I ordered the Shrimp & Rice Spanish Style for one.  It was a very healthy (in true American style) portion and great proportion of rice to shrimp. Similar to paella, it came out in a sizzling hot cast iron leaving those delicious burnt and crunchy rice pieces at the end.  The shrimp was surprisingly fresh - I think I even chewed a tiny part of the shell which makes me think that it started with fresh shrimp that was deshelled in the kitchen.  The yellow rice tasted really similar to "Goya - Rice Amarillo" but regardless it was cooked perfectly al dente.  It could have use a little less oil and butter, but overall comfort food I could eat every day!

Final Thoughts: I can see why this is a local hot spot.  If I lived closer to Elizabeth, I'd certainly be a frequent visitor.  The prices are just right (less than $20 for grilled Chilean Sea Bass!) and the seafood seemed surprisingly fresh; I no doubt underestimated the freshness from this unassuming restaurant in the middle of Elizabeth.  I also sneaked in a few french fries from my friend's plate, and while they were nothing spectacular, the honey mustard was one of the best I've enjoyed! 

Happy Eating Bergen County!

Englewood, NJ: Hummus Elite

Hummus Elite
39 East Palisade Avenue
Englewood, NJ
Bergen County

Hummus Elite is one of a handful of kosher restaurants in Englewood, but what sets them apart from the others is their commitment to using organic eggs and produce.  Their menu is limited, but that allows them to stick with what they're great at making, hummus and falafels.

Tips: It's probably a better idea to sit and eat a sandwich from here, then to eat and walk your dog in the park at the same time like I did.  If you choose to sit and eat, Hummus Elite is small and cozy, with an updated and clean bathroom, something that doesn't slip by this foodie.  The folks there are eager to describe the food to you.

Food: We ordered the Falafel Sandwich and Sabbich Sandwich to go.  They did a great job bagging it with plenty of napkins, dipping sauces, and wrapped in both tin foil and wax paper which really appreciated when trying to juggle my dog leash and the sandwich. 

The sandwiches I normally have come in a thicker pita that is rolled up so it's more of a long shape.  Here, they use more of the traditional pita, which works fine, though it is thinner in comparison.  A pro for this is that the flavor of the falafel is not over powered by a thicker bread, while a con is that the sauce and items in the sandwich can quickly make the pita soggy.  I do have to say though that here the pita stayed relatively okay. 

The Falafel in my sandwich was delicious.  Perfectly seasoned and fried.  There was cabbage and hummus, but the one item that I was seriously caught off guard by was the 4 or 5 random french fries.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE french fries, particularly in sandwiches (ie. Rutgers College - Grease Trucks), but I wasn't sure if french fries were intentionally put in there or accidentally.  If they were intentionally put in there, then I was disappointed to see that they were mainly on the bottom of my sandwich which leads me to believe that they were used as fillers.  While the potato flavor of course was delicious, I would have appreciated one more tasty falafel or more hummus, which there was a serious lack of, but had a thick fresh consistency.

The Sabbich Sandwich was our first.  Described on their menu to have "hummus, boiled egg, tahini, & roasted eggplant" it had much of all of that.  The roasted eggplant in particular was seasoned beautifully, and the random mix of items worked really well together.  My partner however did feel like it was too much of the same mushy consistency, but I loved the flavors.  I did however feel like there was too much egg yolk and not enough egg white. 

Final Thoughts: Hummus Elite knows how to flavor their items.  I appreciate a place like this where it's small, intimate, and clearly family run.  I'm eager to try their array of hummus varieties, particularly the one drizzled with truffle oil, and will definitely plan to stop in again to fulfill my falafel craving, but will ask them to hold the french fries, whether intentional or not. 

Happy Eating Bergen County, NJ!