Hudson Grill, Greene Street, Jersey City: Carry out lunches and other stuff

24th April
Carry out lunch and sandwiches are a ritual in many business areas and what you get reflects the local culture. In America this means almost infinite choice and unfeasible quantities. I had been left with a new colleague to get some lunch, and this was the suggested venue. There are many choices for lunch in Jersey City if you want to carry out and I welcomed a new opportunity. They don't seem to have a web site to look at, but their menu is visible on http://www.allmenus.com/nj/jersey-city/310808-hudsons-grill/menu/ emphasizing the huge choices. I guess it is like any other sandwich shop in any busy city, but the hustle hustle atmosphere is almost scary to an Englishman, as you get the feeling that if you don't keep up with them and speak and pay in the short window of opportunity that is presented, they will just move on: there are plenty of other customers so don't spend too much time thinking.
I had 'PHILLY STYLE SANDWICH $7.50 - $8.50 Grilled roast beef with American cheese, grilled onions, lettuce and tomatoes.' and I think it cost about $8 including tax.
This is what you get

 What is shown is only half of the sandwich, and truth be told, I could probably just done with half, but this is America.I think there was also a slice of gherkin which I had already eaten. You get to choose the bread from about 6 different types, and other minor variants. I suppose that if I went there often enough, I would get the hang. So was it a good sandwich? It was hot enough given the time it took to get back to HQ and there was plenty of filling. The menu as shown above is sufficiently varied that I could do this again, and the breakfast options look very interesting. Is $8 a fair price for a lunch sandwich. The queue of customers seemed to be voting with the feet for the value factor (may be time is also an issue), but even in expensive food London, I would rarely/probably never spend (based on $1.50 to a pound sterling) over £5 for even a big sandwich takeout. Lunch spends here seem to be quite high.

Teak on the Hudson, Hoboken: hospitality as offered, so I should not be rude.

Tuesday, 23rd April.
Scheduled as a meet and greet dinner, my host took us to a recommended restaurant in Hoboken, a short light-rail ride away from Jersey City. Hoboken looks and sounds interesting, so I was sorry that the restaurant was only a stone's throw from the station, and I did not get to see the famous bakery nor Frank Sinatra's birthplace. Check out their web site on http://www.teakonthehudson.com/flash.htm
Also check out the comments on TripAdvisor http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g46515-d666347-Reviews-Teak_on_the_Hudson-Hoboken_New_Jersey.html which show that this is a love it or hate it venue. The interior is impressive and much attention has been paid to the atmosphere, which I would imagine would be a draw for the NYC commuters. The thrust is Sushi and American. As I am not a great sushi fan, it was not a good start.

Note that whilst it is light outside, the interior is not, and the lighting was reduced even further. Atmosphere is clearly very important.

The session started with a dish of edamame beans instead of olives. Interesting. I then had a chocolate martini, which tastes far better than it sounds, and was quite potent.

For starter, I had herb crusted Calamari strips- A huge portion

By this time, the lights had been turned down so low, that the visual side of food judgment was lacking but they were somewhat unsubtle in taste, with accompanying sauces. They scored an 8 on the CHOF scale. There was probably too much for a starter portion compared to European standards, but that was the name of the game in all eateries. For main, I had the pepper rubbed skirt steak served with broccoli, mashed potato and a brandy mushroom.(I understand that skirt steak is from the diaphragm of the steer, is coarser, and can be tougher. This was certainly my experience.) I have to say that as this was a meet and greet, the speed of service did not concern me, but when my meal appeared, it was too cold to even contemplate eating, scoring somewhere between a 4 and 5 on the CHOF scale. Despite being with hosts, I rejected the meal untouched and asked for it to be replace by a fresh version which was done, in time, and appeared to be a new version, with no apparent signs of abuse.

By this time, the lights had been turned down so low, that my camera demanded that the flash operate, so the  somewhat harsh appearance is a literal statement of the plate contents. Whilst still not as hot as I would have wanted, I accepted this. Strangely, the vegetables and potatoes were well up to temperature, and I can only imagine that this is some fluke of the way that steaks are prepared and left standing. It was nothing special, and at the time of eating I did not appreciate the special properties of skirt steak and its fuller flavour, which was lost of me. My colleagues who had had sushi and other seafood fared much better. I cannot speak for the cost of the meal as my hosts took care of that. All I can say is that based on the menu prices, it is not cheap. I understand that locals can get half price nights, so that may be the main source of clientele. The place has many on-line reviews and has clearly attracted the need to give opinions. If I went there again, I would focus on the Sushi and Seafood, which seems to be the thing. Apparently the lobster rolls are very good.

Marker's Restaurant, Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City: unbelievably popular at lunchtime

Tuesday 23rd April
We were hosted for a meet and greet lunch by a colleague. I had bought breakfast from Marker's express on several occasions, but had never tried the Restaurant. I am told that after 9/11, many of the financial institution moved people over to Jersey City to get them out of Manhattan, and this is where the suits on higher salaries might eat lunch in this restaurant-come-sports-bar which the web site assures me is a classic all-American Grill, and they deem the location to be 'Wall Street West'. It is difficult to tell, as the clientele were generally young and in business shirt sleeves. It's very American and fulfills every cliche in the book.
It would be possible go crazy at lunchtime with the huge menu which you can check out at http://www.markersrestaurant.com/restaurant-menu-lunch-dinner-specials.php?s=1
Not wanting to overdo it with yet another burger, I chose the Coconut Crusted Tilapia Tacos: Grilled Flour Tortillas, Mango Salsa, Fresh Cilantro, Spiced Mangos, Lime Juice, Served with Spanish Rice and Stewed Black Beans for $14 + 18% service

This could have been a bit hotter, scoring about 7.5 on the CHOF scale. The fruity embellishments drowned out the flavour of the fish, and there was probably a bit to much tortilla as the portions, like all in the US were huge. The bean and rice were actually much better than you think and made a good accompaniment.

For lunch this could be big hit if you did it regularly. The Express was serving take out lunch fodder to a huge queue, and there are many other eating opportunities in the Financial Plaza. I have a work colleague who says he never eats at home. I can well believe it.

If I needed to go somewhere convenient and slightly better than the food court, I might go back there again, but the atmosphere was far too noisy and frenetic for anything other than a functional lunch.

5 Guys again - still probably one of the best burgers I have eaten

22nd April, Jersey city.
I wrote about five guys previously http://worldofeating.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/american-fast-food.html and regretted the lack of pictures but liked the burgers. I thought they were going to open up in London, but it has not happened to date.
I went back there for a late night snack after arriving in New Jersey, but this time remembered to take my camera. Five guys is a franchise that sells what is ostensibly a very high quality burger to an undiscerning clientele.The pictures say it all on this occasion.

A somewhat utilitarian exterior

Simple red and white interior (I had remembered last time as black and white) with stacks of locally sourced potatoes for the chips. The menu board tells you the choice of burgers, and then lists what can be added as garnish at no extra cost, so you can make your own bespoke burger. At the end is a box of fresh peanuts that you can help yourself to whilst you wait (not that you would want to hang around long of an evening)

 To be honest, once the final product is wrapped, carried out and then unwrapped, it is not that attractive

However, I can assure that with a CHOF of 8, this was one of the best burgers I have eaten. I suppose I should have shown the meat, which unlike the somewhat smooth texture patties that are served in Europe, this was a firm granular beef with plenty of taste. A small fries was more than an average person could handle, and this came to about $7.50.  So tried and retested and not found wanting.

Virgin Atlantic business class

22nd March
Airline food is a hit and miss affair with mostly misses. I am of the opinion that airlines would be better off simply saying that there is no catering provided, and you should make your own arrangements. That would certainly be better than the misrepresentations that go on in the economy sections of most European short haul fights. On the other hand, some airlines actually advertise their business class on the back of the food.
I had a lucky flight out of the UK with a meal served which could have been lunch and could have been dinner. I say lucky as the dinner that was offered on the return flight was very poor quality, and I am pleased that I ate before I flew.
So for starters I had a smoked poached salmon or it might have been poached smoked salmon

This was an attractive and delicate offering which was highly acceptable.

For main course I had lamb with barley

Again, attractively presented, disguising the fact that the lamb was only a 7.5 on the CHOF scale and was somewhat tough, but was in a very tasty gravy which went well with the pearl barley - an unusual combination. Baby carrots were cooked well and had not suffered in the pack and fly system that the airline used.

The mousse offered for desert was a little on the synthetic side, compensated by a tasty fruit compote. For an airline meal this was highly satisfying and very attractive. The service in upper class is excellent, and it got to the point where I thought they might even cut the food up for me and feed me so that I did not have to take my eyes off the in-flight entertainment.

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Lounge Heathrow T3

22nd April - En Route to New Jersey
So, I have a business ticket on Virgin and part of the deal is that you can get into the lounge. Airlines like loyalty and offer a variety of incentives, and this  from Virgin is a good one. If one can justify buying a business class ticket, or if you have enough money or if you have enough points from previous flights, you are in. I have only used a few lounges at Heathrow, and I think this one is the best for many reasons. I don't know why they call it a clubhouse, as you don't have to be a member, just have the money. The reasons it appear in this blog, is that they feed you hot food if you want it.There are several types of travelers using the lounge: the true business user who needs somewhere to continue their work as long as possible and who buy their ticket off a business, the rich who don't need to mix with the great unwashed on the concourse of terminal three, and the lucky who manage to collect enough air travel points for an upgrade. I have been two of these, and you can figure out the other. Some are clearly going to treat the food from this lounge as their main repast, and will be the ones who sleep all the way through a flight. Have a look at http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/travel-information/airport-guides/london-heathrow/clubhouse.html
Inside the lounge there is a bar type area serving (free at the point of consumption) drink and food, a deli where you can get salad and sandwich stuff, and a sit down area like a smart urban restaurant, which is the one I chose

The bar area

Depending on the time of day and the season there is a short Table de Hote three course menu. Not unexpectedly, the food is stylish and served in modest quantities, but as everyone knows there will be a next meal, that is ok.

For starter I chose a ham and pea terrine

Obviously not hot, and a little overgarnished with pickles for my taste, but very pretty. Under the terrine is a crispbread which does not like to be cut and crumbles under the knife. However this appetiser is tasty attractive and leaves enough room for the next course.

I chose what appeared to be the most popular dish - a mini burger.

The service (given that no one is actually paying for the meals again) is very polite but highly dependent on the numbers sat down at any time. The burger was somewhat lackluster and scored a 7.8 on the CHOF scale, but the chips were excellent. I can only hope they were not precooked as they were hot, just crisp enough and very hot (9). 

The quality of the food is good and for a lunchtime this was an excellent offering. I have tried the Virgin Lounges at Gatwick, JFK and EWR, and this is by far the best of those 4. I cannot speak for other airports, and the food is leagues above the scrawny offerings in the Star Alliance lounge.

At the end of the day, someone is paying for this, and the huge differential between economy and business flights is barely compensated by this totally hedonistic lounge. On the other hand, it is good to not have to press up close with the transit passengers after security in T3.

Brick Lane Curries: time to move on to something better i.e. probably don't bother

Having had a previous good and not so good experience, I said to the wife, let's go for a Sunday Buffet in Brick Lane, before we went to the Pompei Exhibition at the British Museum. We had once had a good experience at Cafe Naz in Brick Lane, and having checked other reviews (mainly on TripAdvisor) it seemed like a reasonable idea.
So, I booked on the telephone, specified that I wanted the Sunday buffet (Yes Sir), and left the requisite name and telephone number. When we got there, it was largely under reconstruction, although the upstairs was working. However, not only was our booking denied, but the buffet had been cancelled at the last moment 'due to the London Marathon'. I have still not worked out why the marathon, which was run somewhere else in the morning should have affected the decision to run a buffet. I asked why they had not called the number I had left, but was treated with complete indifference. Despite there being only one other diner in the restaurant, they clearly did not want my custom, and did not care that Northlondoner would clearly relate this tale. If you look at the reviews on TripAdvisor, they are a mixed bunch, and I can only guess that those that give good ratings either have no benchmark to compare (customers on Brick Lane tend to be mainly tourists) or planted by those with reasons to benefit, and those that are negative had similar experience to me.
So we moved on to Cinnamon at 134 Brick Lane. The choice was made because they were not advertising cheap meals outside, and a quick check on Tripadvisor gave consistently positive reviews(despite what I said above). Choosing a restaurant on Brick Lane seems to be a bit of a fools' errand, as they all claim to have won awards, they all have guys outside trying to drag you in with special offers and it becomes quickly clear that for those that do have customers, they are mainly tourists and never ethnics. Have a look at their web site at http://www.cinnamonbricklane.co.uk/
Yes, there was a guy outside, who I told to leave me alone, yes he did give me a discount card, but the menu looked ok, and there were people inside, more than could be said for some of the others. Actually most of the eating appeared to be young people (ie. no one over 25) sat on the pavement with boxes of mainly vege stuff bought from an indoor market opposite. Hundreds of them.
So, I ordered the Kebab Cocktail

This is a piece of Sheek Kebab, some lamb and some chicken tikka for £3.95. It came with some interesting sauces, one of which looked like cranberry sauce, but was a fairly spicy sweet chutney.

I then went on to have One of the Cinnamons's special Murgh Masals which is "whole pieces of breast chicken or leg barbecued in a clay oven then cooked with mince lamb and whole egg with chef's special recipe and herbs very popular in south india" pulau rice and a keema nan

This was the most expensive dish on the Menu at £12.95, but was actually the better side of average. it was sufficienctly hot, scoring about a 7.8 on the CHOF scale. It was exactly as described with pieces of whole tandoori chicken in a thick sauce. I probably did a bit better than my wife who had a chicken dish described as medium but which was a little bland. Overall the better side of average, but not good enough to get me to go back there.

So when it came to paying the bill, I flashed my discount card expecting to be told that it was not valid that day. However the bill came with one free beer (which tasted a bit weak, so it was probably not so free and others have made the same comment) and 25% off. However the bill was constructed in such a way and laid out so that it was not possible to realistically work out if it was right unless you went through every item with the waiter. However, it looked about right, and a good sized two course lunch for two with 2 added vegetable dishes, a naan and 3 beers came to just over £44, which sounded about right.

Our overall experience was 'the better side of average'. For Brick Lane this was sort of ok, but the key message is that I think I have no reason to go back there again and Brick Lane is a spent force for me: an anachronism from when curry was a bit more of a growing novelty. Given that there are places just as good or better locally in North London, and that there are superlative cutting edge Indian/Bangla cuisine establishments in London, Brick Lane no longer has any culinary relevance. For Tourists only. If you want something more realistic go to Tooting where are loads to choose from that are ridiculously cheap. I will not be eating in Brick Lane again, and particularly I suggest you avoid Cafe Naz.

Tea at Reads: a Madeiran institution

Madeira 29th March
If you go to Madeira, one of the iconic activities is Tea at Reid's Hotel. This is not something that you would do normally in everyday life, and whilst not in the Claridge's league, is still worth a visit.
If you are on an organised tour, then you may be kept away from the proper guests. I was warned not to wear my walking shoes, but in the event, standards of dress have probably slipped.

This is tea in the traditional style and includes finger sandwiches, cakes, scones with cream and jam and tea. One of the boasts that the main menu suggests is that there is a great choice of different kinds of tea, but the one served to organised tours on the day we went was the internal brand, and quite frankly this was not strong enough for British tastes.

Proper guests will sit in very elegant surroundings.

At some point in proceedings the host approached each table asking if there was anything else required. I am sure (even if English was not his first language) that he expected the answer to be that nothing else was required. I decided to put him to the test and requested more lobster sandwiches, which are truly the highlight of tea, in my opinion. These were brought with exceeding good grace and were enjoyed.

If you get the chance, a definite iconic visit and event.

Fred Olsen Cruise on M S Braemar: Tagamet nights

25th March to 8th April
Just imagine being sent somewhere where you given access to food five times a day without limit. Good attractively presented food, significant quantities, but not always as hot as it could be. That is cruising British style, a contemporary industry that has taken over from holiday camps. Fred is one of a number of mainline cruise lines that service the British traveler. Most of the passengers are British, the currency is pounds, drinks in the bars are at pub prices, and the only thing that tells you, you are not in Britain is the service. The service is excellent, largely fronted by Phillipino and  other Asian staff who are well trained and seem to take everything in their stride. Mostly food is geared up to British tastes, and apart from a couple of designated opportunities, the fare is familiar: in fact on each dinner there is a nominated British dish.
In the served restaurants, the temperature of food is largely acceptable usually between a 7.5 and 8 on the scale. Freshly cooked fish and chips actually rate a 10. There was only one occasion when a so called freshly-prepared omelette was rejected for being too cold to eat: it had presumably lost its turn in the waitering cycle.
The buffet restaurant serving less formal meals is a different matter. Despite steam rising from the baigne maries, buffet food was disappointingly not hot. The only solution was to wait until a change of tray and get in there quick, which was usually difficult. By the end of two weeks, I had become tolerant of the temperatures as there was nothing that could be done about it except eating freshly served when possible. Here are a few examples:

Lobster Thermidore: possibly one of the highlights

Liver and Onions: a designated British Dish of the day

Beef Wellington: a definite success

Typical Buffet selection, but can't remember what

One of the conventions of cruising is the Chef's gala buffet. This is food for looking at rather than eating. It typically comes late at night, towards the end of the cruise, and most people are two stuffed to do it justice. Given that the return trip crossed the Bay of Biscay, there was also a fair chance that passengers might have been out of action. After half an hour of viewing and foodstagramming, the gannets are let loose.

You get the idea.

Temperature aside, I am pretty easy to please when it comes to choosing food, and will always find something. One thing that I think, but could not prove is that they appeared to carry all their food with them. I did not see re-provisioning at any of the ports. All the milk is UHT, and I can only guess they have methods of keeping fruit and vegetables sufficiently fresh. They have a baker and pastry cook on board so that side of things is well taken care of. I would have a minor grip that apart from one designated Spanish Tapas night, there were only four kinds of cheese ever seen and these came out at each meal. There is lack of variety of staples and I am guessing that local produce from ports is never seen. This may be a good thing as there are paranoid efforts to minimize the risk of Norovirus (which this trip seemed to be free of). Fred makes claims to be the best for food, but whilst I have no complaints about quality and quantity, I have to say that Saga probably has the edge - I'm going on one of theirs next month so will report back. Value for money, Fred falls into the excellent category. I would definitely go with them again and have no hesitation in recommending them