A Taste Of Hoboken

This was my first time attending the annual Taste of Hoboken event, and it was such a great experience! Despite all the time I spend in the ‘Boken, I rarely have a chance to try out all the restaurants in the area. I was lucky enough to snag a pair of tickets from our dear NJCM Steph, and I asked Lauren K. to come with me as my +1 to try all the food Hoboken has to offer — and for a good cause!
We started at the champagne table (of course), and sampled glasses of regular & rose champagne. I am partial to the rose, so I was happy. Then we stopped to play a little Unilocal trivia to win some swag (hey, pint glass!). And so, after we were all bubbly & Unilocal-​tastic, we started to make our way around the room. Here’s what we tried:
Biggie’s Clam Bar: 1) Pulled Pork Wonton Chip, 2) Fresh Seafood Salad.
Honestly, if I was any hungrier, I could have eaten that pulled pork wonton all night long. The pork was perfect, the wonton was so crispy and big!, and the crispy onions on top made for a sweet, crunchy ending. The seafood salad was made of calamari, clams, shrimp, & scallops tossed in a light dressing with red onions & celery. Honestly, it’s something I would have never ordered on my own, but it was so good that I would definitely consider having it in the future. The seafood was so fresh, big, meaty, and flavorful. The clams were a little bit sandy, but what can you do?
The Madison Bar & Grill: 1) Butternut Squash Risotto, 2) Osso Bucco, & 3) Sausage Slider.
My risotto was a little disappointing. The flavor was there, but the consistency was just too thick. It was so heavy & dense! We could only eat a bite or two. The osso bucco was really good. The meat was tender & fell off the bone with just a little prodding from my plastic fork lol. The sausage slider had a lot going on. Broccoli rabe, mozzarella, a sweet sausage patty, & a spicy sausage patty. I couldn’t handle the spice or the size. I ended up taking out the rabe & the spicy sausage, and the rest made a pretty good sandwich!
Cadillac Cantina: Chicken empanada.
In general, I do not like anything even close to Mexican food. But I can say that I was completely surprised by this chicken empanada. It was really, really good! The shell was light & crispy without being greasy, and the filling was generous — with just a little kick of spice. Just enough to make me feel fancy lol. I could’ve eaten another one. Okay, I regret not eating another one.
Sushi Lounge: Spicy tuna roll.
I was unimpressed by the selection rolled out by Sushi Lounge. They offered a salmon tartare, a Totowa roll (spicy tuna, shrimp, avocado, & tempura flakes w/​salmon & spicy mayo), and a Spicy tuna roll. Now, if you wanted to try anything other than a spicy tuna roll, they didn’t have it. I didn’t care for all the ingredients in the Totowa roll, so I went for the «plain» spicy tuna — it was somewhat fishy, and too spicy, and not that appealing. I wish they had other rolls to try, or maybe a non-​spicy sushi option.
Batello: Ricotta gnocci.
We agreed that the best part of the ricotta gnocchi was the sauce. It was light, fresh, and perfectly seasoned. The gnocchi had a nice texture, and it was amazing to try a gnocchi that wasn’t heavy or dense. It was somehow prepared very lightly, and it tasted fresh & soft. Perfectly done! But it just felt like it was missing something. Seasoning, perhaps? I would go back to Batello to have some more of that sauce though. Amazing!
Court Street: chorizo & shrimp.
This was … a miss for me. I didn’t care for either the chorizo or the shrimp. The flavors were off, and the sauce was too watery, and it was just too much for me to handle. Pass.
Carlo’s Bakery: white cake with chocolate frosting.
Now, I have never tried anything from Carlo’s bakery before. So of their three options (red velvet, brownie, & white cake), I obviously went for the most boring, basic choice. But the cake was spongy, light, and tasty, with a little sprinkling of sugar on the bottom for an added crunch. The chocolate frosting — which I don’t usually care for! — was sweet & fluffy as well. I really enjoyed it, and I can see why people keep coming back to Carlo’s for their cakes!
Kobrick’s Coffee: latte.
UNEXPECTED WINNER OF THE NIGHT. I had the most amazing, delicious, PERFECT latte from Kobrick’s at the end of our evening. Lauren K had a coffee too, and she agreed that this was the best table at the whole event. My latte was creamy, foamy, but still with a strong taste of coffee that somehow managed to not be bitter. The barista even drew a little heart in my foam, which is impressive considering the dim lighting and small work area! Oh, it was just so good. I would go out of my way in Hoboken to have another latte from Kobrick’s.
All in all, I had a great time — and I think Lauren K did too. Special shoutout to Swingadelic, because I really enjoyed their live music! Thanks for the opportunity to attend, Unilocal!And good job, Hoboken!