The Garden State
Did you know that 180 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period, New Jersey bordered North Africa? It is also the 3rd state to have been admitted to the United States. For us, New Jersey is where Béla grew up, and where his parents Emese and László still reside. A few days after my arrival to Chicago, we drove the 12+ hours over to Garfield, NJ. To amuse myself while Béla was driving, I kept track of all the different license plates. By the time the trip was done, I had seen 41 different States and 4 provinces. Beats singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall, or the never ending Hungarian scout song 120 cserkész (120 scouts).
During these short visits back to the parental home, we also try and see friends. This time we were lucky enough to meet up with a handful of Béla’s childhood and college friends. Our friends Andrea and Tony own a Portuguese restaurant called 28 BBQ in Bound Brook, NJ. It was my first experience eating Portuguese food, and it was fantastic! It is a family owned and run business, the decor is a clever blend of Tony’s Portuguese heritage along with Andrea’s Hungarian roots. The authentic Portuguese fare is cooked using real wood charcoal, the smell alone will have you drooling. When it is soccer season, tv monitors project the game, if not catch up on some telenovelas. They have a seasonal outdoor patio as well, offer a selection of soft drinks, juice, water, if you want anything stronger, its BYOB.
First some very tasty shrimp in garlic sauce magically appeared as an appetizer. Next came the main course. Word to the wise; the portions are generous. Choose your meat, then choose your side, either rice, fries of beans. They serve the meat on a platter, and you can transfer some onto your plate separately. Us newbies, we all ordered individually, and dug right into ourplatters. There was plenty leftover to take home, and have containers available. To put it into perspective, Béla and I ordered two different main courses, and ate at least two more times with the help of his parents. Take-out is an option if you would rather eat at home. Just watching rotisseries and grilling of the meats with make you salivate while you wait. The desserts are homemade, and just as tantalizing, with choices such as flan, tres letche, tiramisu just to name a few. Too full to eat it there ? No problem, take it to go. This is the ideal place to go as a group, or take the family, have a party, or just have a really great meal. It is kid friendly, and very affordable. We will definitely be back to send ourselves into another food coma oblivion.
When I’m down here, I try and find short, but fun outings, preferably outdoors, weather permitting. New Jersey is called the Garden State for a reason. The numerous parks, forest preserves, hiking trails, and climate allows for the foliage and produce to grow easily and abundantly. We lucked out with weather, and after some research I stumbled across the Van Vleck House and Gardens, in Montclair. Entry to the gardens is free of charge, they are open 365 days a year, from dawn to dusk. The beautiful gardens, benches and little nooks take you back to a time where life ran at a slower pace. You can spend an hour, a day, it’s all up to you. We casually strolled, sat, chatted, and took many, many pictures. In the spring, the wisterias are in bloom at the main building, and I can only imagine the beauty and the scent gently tickling your senses as they host concerts on the weekends. It’s a great location for family portraits, weddings, graduations, however, groups must have a permit and there is a fee. There is more information on the website linked above.
Our last stop before heading back was in Montclair for a bite to eat. I picked out a place called Le Petit Parisien thinking the european fare and feel would appeal to all, and the reviews had been promising. The staff is bilingual, and so are the menus. While I had the right idea, the service however was lacking. We were there on what I would call grocery day. Most of what we wanted on the menu was unavailable and we were informed that the owners were out purchasing the supplies. The service was so slow that our waitress came to apologize and brought us some freshly baked butter croissants, free of charge, for us to nibble on while we waited. The food itself is tasty, and the portions are good. They have a very large and eclectic flavoured variety or macarons, and we bought some to go. They also have some tables outside, that make it ideal to people watch, and sit and have coffee.
The drive back to Montreal was uneventful, the border crossing however had its moment. As we were pulling up, Béla starts reciting his license plate number to me. I look at him, thinking, have we really run out of things to discuss? Or is this some sort of new game? Wouldn’t you know it, the border guard asked him for it. Better him then me, because I don’t know mine by heart, as I bet neither does the majority of the population. After answering a ridiculous amount of questions about our relationship and what we are bringing back, we were allowed entry. I wanted to say that I went a little nuts on the shopping, (I was still within my limit) but he wasn’t that kind of border guard. I find it disappointing, we portray ourselves as open and welcoming, I totally understand they have a job to do, and they take it seriously. I’m not asking them to be my friends. But not even a welcome back? Or have a safe journey? It’s just unCanadian. Eh?
