Cosimo's in Middletown, NY

Do you need fancy surprises to keep the spark alive? Something to keep in mind on your next "date night."

Monday night madness in August.  When your birthday falls on a Monday in the Hudson Valley and you want to go out to dinner to celebrate, well, your options fall quickly.  Add in the fact that I really do not want to drive after an almost hour in the car just to get home from my day job and my selections are really quite limited. However, the Mr. suggested Cosimo's in Middletown and I have been there quite a few times and agreed it would be a nice choice.

Who doesn't love a fully loaded bread basket?  Dipping oil is nice, but sometimes, I will admit I simply long for a nice smear or real, creamy butter.  Old fashioned? Perhaps. I'd like to think of it as classic.

Celebratory Spirits

We started with a heaping platter of salad topped with cured and deliciously salted meats. Carcinogen studies be damned. The cheeses were soft and mellow.  Veggies were crisp and the balsamic drizzle balanced all of the flavors and tied everything together.

It's just the Mr. and I.  Yes, the restaurant has plenty of other diners seated all around us.  But, on this particular evening, it is just the two of us, a date night if you will.  All those headlines in print and on-line about "keeping the spark alive" in your marriage always call out the need for date nights.  Truth is, we've been married since 1987, have lived through ups and downs and are well aware of the importance of spending some time together.  In my opinion, "keeping the spark alive" comes from far more than just date night. It comes from a thoughtful place that may sometimes require a bit of thinking, planning and concern for your partner.  Asking how their day was, about something they are interested in or even current events.  A few of my greatest fears include evolving into those sterero-typical people at a table with NOTHING TO SAY. No, thank you.  I'm not saying we don't share comfortable silence at times (I don't want to make his ears bleed), but I enjoy the conversations we share.

Back to the meal...

For the Mr. - chicken - are you surprised?

For me - PASTA - again, no surprise.

Want to know a secret? The spark is always there.  The trick is in determining how much to fan the flame without blowing it out and no fire should ever be left unattended.

As far as the dinner, we enjoyed a nice meal and honored the tradition of celebrating my birthday. I officially feel I have entered the on-ramp for 50 with the two year countdown in place.  Thank you Mr. for a lovely evening as well as every day making the decision to stay together and be Fed Well.

 

The Dutchman's Brauhaus, Manahawkin, NJ

So, if you are a regular reader of Fed Well and read the blog posts in the order they are posted, this one may be considered Part 2 after The Chicken and the Egg as Part 1.  To catch you up, we are on a one day vacation overlap with friends of ours.  We have already shared lunch followed by an easy afternoon just walking on the shore, sitting on benches, and have taken in the gentle breezes on an overcast day.

Next up...dinner.  We noticed The Dutchman's Brauhaus on our way into Long Beach Island as it sits right on the bay.  Thing is, we wondered if the idea of German food while at the beach would work. Unconventional to say the least.  We also knew it wasn't about the food anyway, we just wanted to be together, and found it was a bonus that we enjoyed each phase of the meal.

The view is one of the main features of eating on the bay.

We also enjoyed watching a family approach, then dock their boat, with two beautiful dogs on board. The pups dutifully stayed in the boat while their family ate their meal in view on the pier.  Lucky.

Yes, a cosmopolitan.  It is always my first choice.  It was well prepared and delicious.

Since we were completely mixing things up for my culinary mind, I opted to have one appetizer to share with the Mr. and then two appetizers as my main course.  I jumbled up the German and seafood selections.  

Here's how it turned out:

Cape May Salt Oysters - Medium Tender Texture, Moderate Salinity Clean, Cocktail Sauce, Lemon

Our friends started with the oysters and said they were great.

The appetizer I selected for sharing:

Konigsburger Klopse - German Style Meatballs, Brandy Caper Cream Demi Glaze 

We all tried it and agreed it was a hit.

The atmosphere was relaxing, the conversation consisted of the same kind of stories you may share with your closest friends; children, jobs, vacations, retirement destinations and well, life.  A gentle feeling of relaxation came over me and I could feel myself, body and soul, taking on a more vacation-like posture.  I was with people I enjoyed, at the beach, and coincidentally sharing great food.

Main Courses:

Schnitzel with spatzle and red cabbage smothered in mushrooms and demi-glaze

Our friend's had the same meals! We always plan and orchestrate our choices so that we can try the other person's dish or the Mr. simply orders one of his favorite chicken dishes.

My husband LOVES soft-shell crab and so, when we are at the shore it is a must have when available.

Soft-shell Crab Sandwich

The appetizers I chose for my main course:

Shrimp Martini Colossal (3), Tangy Cilantro Cocktail Sauce

I worried for a second that the massive jumbo shrimp would be tough or dry, but they were delicious.

Potato Pancakes

Normally, at the end of a Fed Well blog post, I sum up by sharing how nice the restaurant was, that the food was delicious, or other tidy little ending.  In this case, I want to share something a bit deeper. It was to be the last time the 4 of us shared a meal.  My friend's husband, our friend, suddenly and quite unexpectedly passed away about one month after this dinner at the shore.  This is why Fed Well was on-hold for a few weeks.  

I will always cherish the memories associated with this vacation day as well as the feelings.  We miss our friend, very much, and watch as my friend tries to get through her daily life while holding her broken heart together.  Grief may very well be the strongest, most crippling, of feelings and it truly takes an enormous amount of bravery to face.  The process is different for everyone. Grief includes raging anger, sadness, frustration, jealousy, and a wide range of other emotions in a variety of intensities.  You cannot plan your day around it.  You cannot simply schedule your next melt-down.

The Mr. and I have stood by my friend.  We offer whatever comfort we can, and in whatever format it is needed; an ear, a shoulder, time together, and yes, shared meals. My friend, I will stand next to you and do what I can to ensure you are Fed Well.

The Chicken or the Egg - Long Beach Island, NJ

Sometimes it takes awhile from the time I enjoy a meal until I write the post.  In this case, seeing I had left these photos in draft mode, as well as the ones from our dinner on the same day (different restaurant), is really tough emotionally.  But, I am determined to tell you all about it.  This was a special meal shared with friends on vacation in Long Beach Island, New Jersey - we were on our way in and they were on their way home.

Since they knew the "lay of the land" and the restaurants they liked best, we wanted to be led and were quite happy with their choice of, The Chicken or the Egg.  Next, my girlfriend introduced me to the most modern way to reserve a table via the No Wait app.  Modern technology has provided some improvements to our quality of life - admit it.

We take in the scenery while we wait (not very long).

And once we are seated, I really start to take in all the sights...

So, yes, you can get chicken and egg dishes - as many varieties as you can dream up, but they also have tons of items that have nothing to do with poultry in any form. Burgers, sandwiches, platters, and a seemingly endless list of choices.

Chowder

As far as I'm concerned, no trip to any beach is complete without some kind of fish or, if it is available, New England Clam Chowder.  This was a wonderful and delicious example of a great creamy chowder.

The Sloppy Shepherd

our tangy 100% ground chuck sloppy joe, topped with redskin mashed potatoes, cheddar jack cheese, baked till golden and delicious, served with a roll and butter

The Mr. went completely out of his normal routine and ordered a special.  We do agree that this tactic also typically pays off with good food.  He had a filling and non-traditional shore meal in this generous portion of "The Sloppy Shepherd."  

Next up, my girlfriend's... 

Chicken Taco Salad

Sliced charbroiled chicken breast over greens, jack cheese, onions, diced tomato & black olives in a crispy tortilla shell, sides of our salsa, sour cream, & choice of dressing

She said everthing was delicious.

For me, Eggs Benedict.  Not just any version, but over CRABCAKES! What??? Yup. Chesapeake Benedict also includes BACON!

You couldn't ask for a better combination of land and sea as far as I am concerned.  The potatoes were also crispy, golden squares of goodness and I confess, I pushed the english muffins aside.  Too full from all the other fabulous items on my plate.

My girlfriend's Mr. (aka our friend) opted for:

Bagel & Lox

with red onion, capers, cream cheese, oh my

Looking back, we were so happy and relaxed.  Two happy couples spending a day together at the beach.  Our kids are grown and it is our turn.  No wagons full of plastic toys.  No schedule.  No needs to meet but our own.  I will always be thankful for the memory of this day.  Yes, this is just one snapshot of a chapter we shared together, one that seems so simple, but really, is a time I will always cherish and remember with feeling of contentment as well as, of course, being Fed Well.

 

Roxanne's - Mahwah, NJ

The entire department from my day job recently went to Roxanne's in Mahwah, NJ as a farewell lunch for a member of our group.  Some folks are torn on this practice.  If someone is voluntarily leaving, should we celebrate? Why or why not?  

Well, we all went.

I'd been here once before with our entire department about six years ago and hadn't been back so my memory was a bit foggy.  Here's a peek at the interior:

This gentleman caught me snapping photos with my phone so I asked if he would mind posing as well.

With a smile, he obliged and at the end of our meal, he made a point to ask me how everything was.

When you go to lunch with a group any larger than 6 people, it is virtually impossible to maintain one conversation.  Some will not be able to hear from the other end of the table and honestly, some have short attention spans for long stories so they break off and start their own,

Once we placed our drink orders, we were quickly brought bread, rolls, and a dipping oi.

We ordered two salads to share and they were served in large, shallow bowls, family style, which made it easy to share.

I only tried the first salad which I believe was the "Roxanne's" salad.  The second was the "Arugula" and I heard rave reviews at the table for both.

Next, we shared two platters of the "Roxanne's Chips."  Thin slices of  golden, lightly battered, eggplant and zucchini were accompanied by a cucumber yogurt dip.  I couldn't stop and would return just for this appetizer.

Roxanne's Chips

And then, like magic, pizza time!  Personally, I tend to turn into an elementary school child when exposed to pizza.  My internal dialogue goes crazy, "Save some for me. Oh the cheesy goodness.  I hope they pass me a slice soon. I can't stand it. I hope I don't burn the roof of my mouth, but I also know I won't wait."  AGH!

Mushroom

Olive

We also had a plain pie.  I had a slice of mushroom and 2 plain.  Yes, 3 slices. I love pizza.

Random peek at the ceiling

We asked our "guest of honor" about the big life changes coming, including moving back to a state that begins with the letter M and closer to family.  He seemed happy and I was delirious from being Fed Well by the fine folks at Roxanne's.  

I dream of those chips. Really.

 

The Palate Cafe in Pine Bush, NY

Yes, supporting locally owned businesses and restaurants is important to me.  Spending down times with friends over a meal and just catching up or talking over life is also pretty high on my list of priorities.  Love it when the world's collide and we can meet up at a local place for lunch.

Here's the catch, I just found out today that The Palate Cafe in Pine Bush will soon be closing its doors.  I've never written a farewell piece before, but I truly want to wish the owner, Geri, well in whatever her next venture is and hope that someone will come along and turn this space into another local gem.

You still have a little bit of time to try it or go in and wish everyone well.  So, I will simply tell you a little bit about the lunch my friend and I experienced.

For my friend:

A beautiful fresh green salad topped with apples, sliced chicken and bleu cheese.  She enjoyed the flavors and textures of these classic ingredients.

For me:

A take on a turkey club on ciabatta served with both a side salad and a fresh pea salad.  

We had arrived in-between breakfast and lunch so the soup was not quite ready before our sandwiches.  I had asked if we could still have it once it was finished, even if that meant having it after our main course.  I love being accommodated when possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed mu cup of butternut squash soup served with croutons on the side so they are not all soggy before you have your last spoonful.

Yes, we activated our dessert stomachs and found a bit of space to have a few bites (ok, I ate all of mine, don't judge) of something sweet before we left.

For me:

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

For my friend:

Pecan Pie

We chatted, admired the art on the wall by local artist, Roberta Rosenthal and were Fed Well. Farewell to The Palate Cafe.  We will celebrate our paths crossing and sometimes, I will think of you and your passion for combining food with art.

 

Tony Boffa's in Middletown

Classic. Timeless.  While I may not remember the exact meals I've had at Tony Boffa's over the years, I know what it felt like, how I was treated, the atmosphere and simply put, that the generous portions of food were delicious.  The family feel is exactly what the Mr. likes about this local legendary favorite though he claims it is the red sauce.

It is the weekend, the dining room is full and we are pleased by the live musical entertainment. I'm sorry I never learned his name, but I was the one who tried to be sure to applaud after every song and was unashamed to join in from my table when we were all invited to sing along to "That's Amore." Who could resist?

Yes, I am completely aware that a Cosmopolitan is not a traditional cocktail for an Italian restaurant, but I like what I like and was completely happy with the Tony Boffa version.  And, I did enjoy my beverage with a more appropriate order of pasta fagioli soup.

Tender beans and al dente pasta in a rich broth were exactly what I wanted and this version could be used as the benchmark to judge all other versions.

Next up:

Clams to share

The Mr. often lets me select an appetizer for the two of us to share.  Honestly, I take his tastes into consideration because what would be the sense of ordering something he would not enjoy.  These clams were sweet and delicious, but it is always the juices we look forward to most and sopping up some of it with a slice of hearty bread.  We were not disappointed.

Look at those scallops! No, look again! They are beautifully seared and seasoned and though you can't see the pool of delicately flavored broth under the pasta, this is simply an amazing dish.  Exactly everything I hoped it would be.  I twirled and twirled pasta using both my fork and spoon while swaying in my seat.  My whole body was doing a happy dance.

Yes, the Mr. ordered his favorite with a side of pasta:

Chicken Marsala

He enthusiastically ate a huge portion and still had some to take home.  Sign of a good meal for the Mr.

Among the diners, Mr. Tony Boffa checked in on his guests and took a few minutes to chat. 

Old School Charm.  These are the words I would definitely use to describe the dining experience at Tony Boffa's.  The tables are numbered and correspond to a board on the wall that lights up when the food is ready.  Charming.

We had a lovely meal and could truly consider our night out as a date.  It was a wonderful experience and of course, we were Fed Well.  Always set aside a night for each other and once in a while, if you can, try to go to a locally owned establishment that will treat you like a guest in their home.