Border Crossings

By Pat Tanner

Goodness knows I relentlessly extol the virtues of New Jersey restaurants and chefs to anyone who will listen - in print, in person, over the airways. But I also dine regularly in the megalopolises to our east and west, and the two outstanding and especially well priced meals described below give me a reason to tout our state for something often used to disparage it: being a mere “crossroads.” To me, we get the glories of New York and Philadelphia without the hassles of living in a big city.

Anthos, NYC. The handsome contemporary surroundings and accomplished modern Greek cooking of chef/co-owner Michael Psilakis are enough to make this midtown spot a draw. Add in a three-course pre-theater dinner at only $35 and it’s a no-brainer. Choices are limited but appealing across the board, and they include such high-end proteins as roast saddle of lamb (flavored, btw, with cinnamon and accompanied by cauliflower and stuffed grape leaves). Chicken poached in olive oil is to die for, and the olive oil ice cream that accompanies chocolate pudding cake will have you wishing for more. Add in a platter of complimentary mezes, a fabulous breadbasket, and utterly accommodating service and it’s hard to find a better bargain the Big Apple. anthosnyc.com

Bibou, Philadelphia. When my favorite finicky Frenchman recommends a French bistro, I know I’m in for a good meal. Even going in with high expectations, this tiny b.y.o.b. on South Eighth was able to wow me. Owners Pierre and Charlotte Calmels are, between them, alums of Le Bec-Fin, Daniel, and Brasserie Perrier. Between his cooking and her spot-on dining room management, the place practically levitates. Imagine impeccable consommé with sweetbreads for $8, foie gras over pain d’epices and with caramelized quince for $15, and pig feet stuffed with foie gras for $25. Nightly specials round out the short menu, and on my visit included a soulful pheasant stew over pillowy spaetzle. Fresh plum tart, “Mimi’s” chocolate cake with crème anglaise, and excellent French press coffee made me feel like I was in Paris. biboubyob.com. Note: cash only.

Sports Story

By Judith Garfield

“Root root root for the home team”….. That’s how the old song goes. But living in New Jersey makes it difficult. We have no baseball team. We have no football team. What’s a sports fan to do?

Here’s what happens in New Jersey. If you reside in the South, you think you live in a suburb of Philly and root accordingly. From the North, you consider yourself a New York suburbanite and become devoted to the New York teams. If, however, you are a resident of Central Jersey you are apt to be confused. A--dare I say?--fair weather fan. A two-teamer.

The supermarket in my neighborhood deals with the problem by carrying balloons for both the Eagles and the Giants. Could you imagine this scenario anywhere else? You would never ever see a balloon for the Eagles or the Phillies in, let’s say, Hackensack. Or Hoboken. Tantamount to treason. I was raised in Philadelphia, so I know where my loyalties lie. But I think for many in Central Jersey it is a source of angst.

Perhaps that is why S. is not a big sports fan. A Central Jersey boy. A man without a team. At my house S. makes the chili while I watch the game. He rambles in and feigns interest, but really he’s more concerned with what’s on the stove.

I don’t understand people who don’t like watching sports. It’s reality television at its most exciting. It provides an escape from the mundane and the frightening. When CNN tries to scare me about the deficit, or Fox scares me about everything, I can always get the remote and turn to the game of the week.

And even when major drama occurs in the sports world, I know it is only superficial. So if the Phillies don’t make into the World Series this year, I will be disappointed, but it’s not going to cause me a life of misery.

September is my favorite month. Baseball leading up to the play offs, football just starting, and the weather is awesome. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Okay, gotta go. Game’s on in five.

Chic Crowds, Stiletto Blisters, and Anna Wintour at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

Photo by Peter Stigter and

Jonas Gustavsson for The Times

By Liz Donovan

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, in all its glory, is admittedly a little intimidating. The crowd at Bryant Park is tough to please, which I learned the hard way during my first venture into the tents last fall. (One comment from a fellow attendee I tried to introduce myself to: “I didn’t know there was a life in New Jersey.”) But for the Spring/Summer presentations, September 10 to 17, I arrived in Manhattan confidently prepared to shine — and snub, if necessary. I managed to pull together a chic outfit, which required me to ditch my glasses so to not compete with my hair accessories. Vision-impairment aside, I fell into the herd, strutting from Promenade to Salon to the main Tent, taking in the newest and hottest designs set to hit stores and fashion rags over the next season. Here are some highlights from the week:

• On Thursday, September 10, Tory Burch made her debut in the tents. Burch opted for a presentation instead of a runway show — a packed house of attendees circled around the runway, where models posed clad in the designer’s newest looks.
• Shopaholics and fashionistas alike hit the streets on Thursday, September 10, for Fashion’s Night Out, sponsored by Vogue. Shops across the city offered cocktails and entertainment, among other perks, to encourage shopping and boost the city’s economy.
• NJL spotted a fierce-looking Anna Wintour leaving the Michael Kors presentation on Wednesday, September 16.
• Steven Cox and Daniel Silver, co-designers of menswear line Duckie Brown, teamed with event sponsor McCafe to launch a limited-edition glove line that will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Actress and philanthropist Holly Robinson Peete was a guest speaker at the unveiling on September 10 in the Bryant Park McCafe booth. To purchase the gloves for a suggested donation of $50, send a Twitter message at twitter.com/
  mccafeyourday.
• Funktastic designer Betsey Johnson made an appearance at the Sharpie booth Monday, September 14 to design a one-of-a-kind tee-shirt that will be auctioned off to benefit cancer research center City of Hope. Fashion week attendees were given exclusive Sharpie tee-shirts, also designed by Betsey, and were invited to create their own designs by stenciling and doodling on bracelets, headbands, ties, and clutches.

By the end of the week, I had gained one traffic ticket, countless stiletto-induced blisters, and tons of material for New Jersey Life’s fashion pages. Stay tuned for the latest trends and looks you’ll love.

Fancy Food Show 2009

By Pat Tanner

You might think that in this struggling economy the Fancy Food Show would be not as well attended as in years past. Yet the 25,000 food professionals who showed up at the Javits Center at the end of June represented an increase. The reason? Treats like cheeses, chocolates, confections, and savory snacks are small indulgences that help us get through tough times. In that light, I pass along a few of my favorite finds.

Edward’s Surryano Ham. You’ve read about it in the New York Times, and if you’re a customer of Heritage Foods USA you’ve been tempted to buy it. Sure, it has all the sustainable bona fides, but the number one reason to buy it is the sumptuous, not-too-salty taste and silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Effie’s Homemade Oatcakes. The company pushes these crackers/biscuits/cookies as ideal accompaniments to farmstead cheeses, but I can’t stop eating them unadorned. Available at Whole Foods.

Tastybaby Frozen Organic Baby Food. I wish I still had little mouths to feed because if the banana-and-mango is any indication, I’d load up on these portable, re-sealable, single serving goodies. Available at Whole Foods.
LeGrand Pestos and Tapenades. Maison LeGrand’s cold-processed sauces are delicious and fresh tasting, but beyond that they come conveniently packaged in stand-up plastic (but recyclable) pouches that sport re-sealable caps. They’re available at Whole Foods, Zabar’s, and online.

Savannah Bee Honey Grilling Sauce. Honeys – single-flower, infused with other flavors, or still in the comb – continue to grow in popularity, but I noticed a new twist: honey grilling sauces, such as this one by my favorite honey source.

Muirhead of Ringoes. This NJ producer of fruit butters, chutneys, mustards, and salad dressings grew out of the erstwhile restaurant of that name that was opened by Doris and Ed Simpson in 1974. This year the company introduced Roasted Rhubarb Compote, which is good enough to convert even the rhubarb reticent. There was a unique and touching feature at the Muirhead booth: Ed Simpson passed away last summer and, as a tribute, Doris and daughter Barbara exhibited the cherry-condition 1930 Chevy Sedan that Ed had worked on restoring.