Update: MIKONOS Restaurant in Ewing, NJ

It seems alot of people are searching the web for MIKONOS Restaurant in Ewing. We know this because most of those Googlers are winding up at our little site here.

     Last week we mentioned in a Side Dish post that we stopped by a new restaurant, Mikonos in Ewing. We mentioned that they were brand spanking new and still working out kinks, but were overwhelmed - in a good way - with new customers who simply saw the Grand Opening sign and ventured into the restaurant.
     The restaurant does not have a website yet, so this blog is where those seachers land. With that in mind, we've added some information for those of you looking for MIKONOS.

     One reason that may be fueling the public attention is that the restaurant had been undergoing renovations for months, and area residents have been teased with the prospect of a new dining spot during that entire time, myself included.

     I stopped in Mikonos again and hopefully we will soon be doing a feature here. In the interim, information is available on the front of the scanned takeout menu above. 

     If you go, or oder takeout, remember they are in the early stages of operation and didn't expect to be so busy. I have to admit, I enjoyed the souvlaki very much. 

Contact information and a note from the back of the menu:

MIKONOS Restaurant  

50 Scotch Road

Ewing, NJ 08618

609-883-9333

fax: 609-883-9332

Side Dish - what we're reading, eating and talking about . . . Gourmet Books, André's Wine & Cheese Shop and Bravo TV's Top Chef.

Andre's Wine & Cheese Shop's Sweet Pita Pie:
 Fig jam, goat cheese, salami, sundried tomatoes

Used book shops are a great place to pick up cookbooks for a fraction of their original cost. We came across a shop in Doylestown, PA, Central Books at 35 West State Street, that had a nice selection of relatively new cook books in excellent condition. I picked up a 1994 edition of Gourmet’s America published by Condé Nast Books. It was a bittersweet pick-up as it reminded me of how much I miss receiving the now deceased monthly edition of Gourmet Magazine. The website version is certainly worthy of its namesake print predecessor for content, but it lacks the tactile pleasure of the published version. I was shocked when I first heard of Gourmet’s demise and couldn’t understand the basis of Condé Nast’s decision to cease publication. At the time, Vikram Doctor wrote an excellent piece in the Economic Times breaking down the breakdown of the Ruth Reichl edited Gourmet. It’s still available online here and is a good read for anyone interested in the state of food journalism . . . While in Doylestown and  upon recommendation from our friends at Central Books, we stopped for a bite to eat at André’s Wine & Cheese Shop (22 South Main) . It was our first time at Andrés and we will definitely be back. The selection of imported cheese was excellent and we found the cozy atmosphere quite charming  . . . Finally, it’s not often that a cooking show makes you cry.  But as we watched the finale of BravoTV’s Top Chef All Stars , it was hard not to tear up at the emotional finale last week while watching Michael Isabella and Richard Blais bare their creative culinary souls and put it all on the line in their head to head battle. That such a long competition could be decided by such a small margin was extraordinary; it was not unlike watching two great marathoners simultaneously lean for the tape.  As devoted followers of the show we have declared this the best season yet. According to the ratings, we were not alone in our opinion.

Side Dish - what we're reading, eating and talking about . . .

If you have even a modest interest in the Garden State’s fresh, organic or local sourcing food scene, you should be reading edible Jersey. I devour every beautifully photographed and well written issue. Both the print and online magazine are filled with resources for farm to table shopping and special events. Even the advertisements are must reads, for an introduction to new places or a reminder to make a return visit to a few old favorites  . . . Kudus to our friends John and Lisa at the wonderful blog Eating in South Jersey, they received a mention in New Jersey Monthly's Best of NJ Issue . . . Yesterday I stopped by a new Greek restaurant, Mikonos in Ewing, NJ, basically on a whim. I found the owner beside himself. He was positioned for a slow, soft opening and he and his team were not ready for the sheer volume of diners that lined up for lunch and  streamed in for dinner. He was shocked at the traffic generated by simply hanging a "Grand Opening" sign out front. Not that he was complaining, he smiled as he admitted it was a nice problem to have. This got me to thinking, we often read about the 60% failure rate of new restaurants, but how many properly planned, financed, managed and marketed restaurants serving great food and offering excellent service succeed? Who keeps that stat?  . . .

Picked up these sweet little brussel 

sprouts Wednesday 

they made a lovely companion to an Angus T-bone. Onion, olive oil, butter, salt & pepper were the only other ingredients needed to create this . . .

It’s April 1st, which means goodbye to: snow (we hope), green beer and too-short days and hello to: daffadils and asparagus- evidence that the growing season has begun, the opening of seasonal Community Farmer’s Markets and the swapping of treadmills and stationary bikes for outdoor tracks and pavement.

Italian with a Hint of Spain: Villaggio Restaurant & Brick Oven Pizza- Manahawkin, NJ

The owner's Spanish roots explain 

this popular menu item:Spanish Paella

It's a well known fact that the best way to ensure eating well while on vacation is to learn where the locals dine. If you were to poll the residents in and around the coastal town of Manahawkin for excellent Italian-American restaurants, chances are Villaggio will be at the top of many lists.

     Since opening in May 2008, this BYOB restaurant located "off-island" just a short hop from Route 72 has become a popular destination for both year-round and summer residents. In fact, while many are fighting traffic driving over the bridge to dine on the island, our friends are traveling west from Harvey Cedars and Barnegat Light to dig into Chicken Valdestona (stuffed with bufala mozzarella, proscuitto and fresh basil, $14.95) and Spanish Paella (half lobster, shrimp, scallops mussels, clams, saffron rice and sweet peas, $20.95).
     Chef Carlos and his staff, working in full view of diners from an open kitchen, serve up traditional and contemporary Italian dishes as well as bubbling hot, crispy-crusted pizzas and nightly specials. 
     A few Spanish selections, including Spanish Paella from a personal recipe courtesy of owner Maria Devalorous, add to the menu's diversity.   
     In addition to bringing her Spanish touch to the menu, Maria maintains a dynamic presence in the dining room, working non-stop greeting visitors and ensuring that the front of house guest experience matches the quality food produced in the kitchen.   
   

Tables with a clear view of the kitchen are popular
with families - lots of action to keep the kids entertained.

     
     Villaggio, which means "little village" in Italian, lives up to its name. The dark interior decor with walls of countryside murals, Juliet balconies and tiny lights twinkling from the high ceiling is meant to convey the sense of dining under the stars in a classic Italian village. According to the restaurant's manager, Wes, it is not unusual for the 134 seat restaurant to serve well over 500 diners on a weekend night in season. A sixty-seat private dining room is available for private parties and they have also branched out into off-premise catering.

The Pergala table is often requested 

     So if you are one of the 100,000 or so visitors who will be heading toward Long Beach Island this summer, you'll want to add Villaggio Restaurant & Brick Oven Pizza to your list of family dining options. If you go, stop back in here and let us know your thoughts.


Villaggio Restaurant & Brick Oven Pizza
100 McKinley Avenue
Manahawkin, NJ 
609-978-9899
www.villaggiomanahawkin.com
Open Tuesday - Sunday for lunch and dinner, but please check with restaurant for seasonal hours.
Closed Mondays - (except available for private parties of 80 or more).

Second Annual New Hope & Lambertville Restaurant Week

Rick's Italian Restaurant in Lambertiville is offering a $19.95, three course menu.

For those of us fortunate enough to live in or near the popular dining destinations that straddle the Delaware River : New Hope, PA and Lambertville, NJ, every week could be considered "restaurant week." 


     But the New Hope Chamber of Commerce and the restaurant community have given all of us added incentive to visit old (and discover new) favorite dining spots by offering $29.95 (fine) or $19.95 (casual) prix fixe menus. Marsha Brown, Hamilton Grill, Anton's at the Swan and The Inn at Phillip's Mill are among the list of fine dining establishments participating. For more information click here to go to the New Hope Chamber of Commerce website.