RED BANK: CHEESE SHOP OPENS
A new specialty cheese shop has opened in Red Bank, adding momentum to an ongoing transformation of the downtown business district’s southern end. More →
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? A SUPER SUB AT ELSIE’S
The #15 Italian sub from the 58-year-old Elsie’s Sub Shop in Red Bank. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
By SUSAN ERICSON
On a visit to Elsie’s Sub Shop in Red Bank back in September, PieHole met Michael Mullins, a retiree from Middletown now living in Arizona. Whenever he returns to his Monmouth County roots, he told us, he makes a point of stopping at Elsie’s.
“In 1959, I’d take the bus down to the Carlton Theater [now the Count Basie Theatre] from Middletown. Back then the bus was ten cents,” he said. “Before I caught the bus to go home, I’d stop at Elsie’s for a number five,” or a turkey-and-cranberry-sauce sub.
RED BANK: ‘GOURMET’ MAC ‘N CHEESE? YEP.
The mac-and-cheese at Mac Attack. Abe Elkomey at the griddle, below. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
By SUSAN ERICSON
Mac Attack Gourmet Cheesery blew into Red Bank last month, displacing a short-lived burger joint. So are hamburgers out, and macaroni-and-cheese in?
Could be: the new kid in town is loud, sneaky and completely unexpected.
“I want to make simple food great and relatable – mac-and-cheese, grilled cheese –stuff you eat growing up,” says chef Abe Elkomey, who at the age of 23 is already accomplished in the kitchen. At 19, he came in second in a competition among New Jersey country club chefs, and has worked as sous chef at both the Bayonne Country Club and Satis Bistro in Jersey City.
“Even though we’re quick service, we cook to order,” Elkomey said. “Everything is fresh.”
RED BANK: BOUQUETS OF SUDS AND FROMAGE
Red Bank’s Cheese Cave paired up with Canadian-based brewer Unibroue to host a cheese-and-beer tasting event at the Molly Pitcher Inn Sunday. About 50 sudsophiles and cheesionados lent their noses and taste buds for the occasion. PieHole was there to snap a few frames. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
RED BANK: BEER & CHEESE PAIR UP AT MOLLY
A serendipitous sandwich order led to an event that will feature Belgian-style brews and cheeses from the Cheese Cave at Red Bank’s Molly Pitcher Inn this month. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)
By JIM WILLIS
Man’s fortunate discovery of the delicious results of fermentation, e.g. beer, wine and cheese, had a lot to do with luck, good timing and happenstance.
So too, Sunday’s Beer and Cheese tasting event at the Molly Pitcher Inn in Red Bank had everything to do with good timing and a serendipitous sandwich order.
PIEHOLE: CHEESE SCHOOL IS NOW IN SESSION
Ready for cheese school? Read all about it in PieHole. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)
redbankgreen’s PieHole is all about local food and drink. If you haven’t liked us on Facebook yet or followed us on Twitter, you may have missed some of these recent stories…
- Sickle’s Market in Little Silver wants to help its customers become better cheese buyers.
- PieHole stops in for lunch and a chat at A&G Italian Fine Foods in Little Silver.
- Spring plots are now available at the Red Bank Community Garden.
LITTLE SILVER: MIND YOUR RIND AT SICKLES
Cheesemonger Caitlin O’Neill will be leading a series of cheese classes in the Sickles Market greenhouse. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)
By JIM WILLIS
When Caitlin O’Neill, cheesemonger at Sickles Market in Little Silver, tells PieHole that cheese consumption and cheese buying is not as cultivated in our country as it is in European countries, we’re not surprised.
Our national cheese — the rubbery Day-Glo orange square that serves as the perfect creamy foil to the tang of a few slices of pork roll — undeniably lacks the character and terroir of a nice sheep’s milk cheese from Spain.
O’Neill wants to help her customers understand what they might be missing out on.
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? SOPPRESSATA ‘N CHEESE
Soppressata from Citarella’s Market paired with some pickled cherry peppers from the garden and a piece cheddar cheese. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)
By JIM WILLIS
Citarella’s Market in Red Bank carries a few different cured dry sausages that they bring in from Pastosa’s in Brooklyn.
PieHole recently picked up a sweet soppressata (approx $15 per pound) from the Prospect Avenue shop. At home, we put together a quick lunch with some pickled hot cherry peppers from this summer’s garden and a piece of cheddar leftover from a recent party.
RED BANK: A ZESTY NEW NEIGHBOR
PieHole happened to be on the scene when Red Bank’s new sugar and spice purveyor came looking to give away some lemons leftover from a morning of zesting. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)
By JIM WILLIS
While out foraging in downtown Red Bank earlier this week, PieHole happened upon a curious giveaway.
“We were dehydrating lemons this morning to make lemon zest,” says Howard Bernstein, carrying a hefty bag of skinned lemons, “and we have no use for the rest of the lemons.”
Bernstein tells PieHole he’s “just waiting on permits” to open his new shop, the Spice & Tea Exchange, on Monmouth Street. He hopes to be opened by Thursday of next week, and is prepping ingredients for the spice blends he’ll be selling.
RED BANK: PRE-BIRD APPETIZERS, CHEESEWISE
Mike Vaccaro and Stephen Catania of The Cheese Cave prepare a customer’s platter. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)
By JIM WILLIS
For the Thanksgiving host, there’s always the question of what snacks to put out for guests while they wait for the big meal – something that won’t spoil their appetites but will keep them conscious enough to feign interest in a Lions or Cowboys game.
PieHole checked in with some cheesemongers from the Green to see if perhaps they could come up with an alternative to the ubiquitous Chex Mix or chips and veggies with sour cream and onion dip combo.
Read their recommendations here at PieHole, redbankgreen‘s food page.
RED BANK: CHEESE, THAT’S A GREAT IDEA…
Caitlin O’Neill of Sickles Market suggests some alternatives to the usual Thanksgiving Day pre-eats. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)
By JIM WILLIS
For the Thanksgiving host, there’s always the question of what snacks to put out for the guests while they wait to sit down to the big meal – something that won’t spoil the appetite but will keep the crowd conscious enough to feign interest in a Lions or Cowboys game.
PieHole checked in with some Red Bank-area cheesemongers to see if they could come up with an alternative to the ubiquitous Chex Mix or chips and veggies with sour cream and onion dip. And cheese, they sure did.
“There are a range of cheeses that would allow you to offset the richness of the Thanksgiving dinner plate,” says Caitlin O’Neill, cheesemonger at Sickles Market, in Little Silver.
RED BANK: SOME TRENTON ON THAT BURGER?
Stew Goldstein at Monmouth Meats gets ready to slice the “Trenton” for the Trenton Burger. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)
By JIM WILLIS
Where salty meats are concerned, years – and pounds – of experience have raised your PieHole correspondent’s powers of deduction a few standard deviations above the norm. Still, when Red Bank’s Monmouth Meats ran a lunch special called the “Trenton burger” last month, a visit was in order to verify that it called for the trifecta of beef, pork roll and cheese on a roll.
“Yep, you’re right,” said butcher Stew Goldstein, when asked if the “Trenton” in the Trenton Burger was pork roll. “The Trenton burger is a nine-ounce burger, with two slices of thick American cheese and two slices of thick pork roll, with lettuce, tomato and mayo.”
RED BANK: SPREADING “WORD OF CURD”
Cheese Cave customer John Lewer, right, picks up his eponymous sandwich for lunch. Below, owner Stephen Catania. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)
By JIM WILLIS
October is American Cheese Month. And no: despite the name, it’s not a time to celebrate the dayglow orange plastic-wrapped square that we center onto a buttered Wonder Bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches.
Rather, it’s intended to promote artisan cheeses that are made here in America, Stephen Catania of Red Bank’s Cheese Cave tells redbankgreen‘s PieHole.
With specialty cheese shops promoting a different cheese every day of the month at a discount, “it’s a way for local merchants to spread the word of curd,” Catania said.
CHEESE: IT’S WHAT’S FOR… SUPPER?
In conversation on a sweltering day a few weeks back, Steve Catania, owner of The Cheese Cave on Monmouth Street in Red Bank, casually mentioned what a nice, light, summer dinner cheese makes.
Really? Cheese for dinner, redbankgreen asked?