our stories, our city
Over the weekend, the 2017 NYC Craft Beer Festival rolled into NYC’s Metropolitan Pavilion and smashed the majority of its 2,000+ attendees. If you’re abeer aficionado, a seasoned beer drinker, or someone who is new to the craft-beer scene (but really dig it), you should try to attend as many of these events as you possibly […]
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I reached out to the infamous Lillian Bustle the day after Councilman Chris Gadsden sent me a copy of On The B Side. I was a guest on the show; he sent me a copy of it before it aired. I clicked on the link and after a few moments, I stopped it, poured a […]
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I don’t like being embarrassed – so it follows that I don’t like taking kids anywhere to restaurants. Sometimes, though, after a long day, an easy night out is in order – even with the kids. First things first: Make it easy. If you’re not a wizard or if you have limited experience dining with […]
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Preparing for a storm, for some, involves more than an extended stop at the liquor store. Vegetarian chef Dan Haag makes mushroom stew. “This is a staple in our house when it’s cold and snowy out,” he told me. “Feel free to share.” And full disclosure: I plan on stopping over there tomorrow for some. […]
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Leaving the comfort of my own home isn’t easy in the winter, especially when I’m expected to schlep into New York with my kids. But that doesn’t stop out-of-town guests from wanting to connect (in the city, of course) and since I’m the one who lives locally, I’m supposed to recommend a meeting spot. (As […]
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In 1875, Tom Moloney opened Moloney’s Meat Market in Bayonne. In 1900, John Moloney came to Ireland to work for him. Then John married Lizzy (O’Hare), the cashier, moved to Jersey City, and opened his own Moloney’s Meat Market in the location where it still sits today – 627 Newark Avenue. (In truth, it was […]
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I feel like I’ve been here before. It smells like french toast and coffee mingling with onion rings cooked crispy in new oil. When I walk in there’s a waitress hugging an elderly man and it all seems so familiar. So Jersey. “Table or Booth?” someone in business casual asks me. She’s either the manager […]
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Christmas is pierogi. My mother made hundreds every year. As a child I watched her standing at the counter, flour spilling onto the floor. In my teenage years I helped, mostly milling around, making a fuss, and waiting for the taste-test. We brought dozens of them, wrapped in foil, to Ray & Elaine’s on Christmas […]
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He ordered fried eggs with chorizo and ham. I chose the steak in sauce with yellow rice and black beans. I really wanted the goat stew or the oxtails but those are Saturday and Wednesday specials, respectively.
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“Do you think I can make 10 more minutes?” “Yes,” he said, “absolutely.” One of the secrets of self doubt is that outside encouragement can obliterate it. That’s why I asked. And then I asked someone else. And then again. In total, I probably asked that question a dozen times. In the end, I made […]
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