Jersey peeps, get yer dukes up…
I’ve known Carl for 10+ years. His abilities as a chef stem from a phenomenal knowledge about food, a ton of travel, a ton of cooking experience, and most importantly, an incredible palate. I trust him over anyone basing their info on “it’s not where it’s supposed to be from.”
Have any of you HOs been to La Pola? I’m looking at all of you, but @goodparmesan ? @gcaggiano ?
I love Carl. He’s hilarious on social media, and is always quick to point out phoniness in high-end restaurants. I agree with him that mustard on a Cubano is blasphemous and that its presence has only picked up in popularity over the years, as a sandwich for tourists.
There’s a great chowhound debate over ingredients and “authenticity” of Cubanos in the archives about that very subject between Jonathan Gold, Jim Leff, and others from 1997:
La Pola and many other spots in Union City are institutions for Cuban food. I don’t always agree on Carl’s “favorites” but I respect his palette, though he does tend to see some places with overly rose-tinted glasses.
La Pola makes a great Cubano. I, too, love Union City, but don’t think it’s what it once was as a food destination. Is the cuban sandwich here the best? It’s darn good, and far better than most restaurants in the country that serve it, I’m sure. Fresh bread is of course essential, as he also says.
Carl has eaten all over Hialeah and Miami much more than I have. But there’s plenty of Cuban bakeries selling hundreds to thousands of Cubanos a day throughout Florida, and that’s hard to argue with. Plus, I’m a medianoche guy anyway.
It’s pretty clear Carl’s statement was more of a jest and for controversy, even if he does really believe it. I doubt he thought it would’ve gotten the attention it did.
Not me. Not yet, anyway.
I’m generally not a donut eater (give me COOKIES), but damn…
I’m really bummed out that Curiosity Doughnuts is no longer at the Stockton Market. First, the barbecue guys left, now the doughnut guys. 
But they’re in WF on Sundays…
Most of the time they’re in Spring House, PA. (?)
The bagel place, you have written about in the same mini mall, was their undoing. Their bagels outlived DnD, TH was unaware just how popular the shop is and the loyalists are.
Egg bagel with lox and cc was my jam, TH doesnt offer anything like that.
This requires a ride up to NNJ!!
Old Time Bagels is amazing. Haven’t been there since I moved and switched to Holmdel Bagels, but the owners are so friendly!
Honestly of all things “Canadian” they are going to send us a Tim Horton’s? In a land with a DD/Starbucks every square mile of our landscape how did the Canucks think they could enter that market. If you are going to enter the US Obesity market you have to hit us with something better than we currently have, Tim Horton’s was not that.
“Poutine on the Ritz” {{obviously pronounced puttin’}}
“Poutine Your Mouth”
“Poutine -n- Mutton” (personally I think there is a huge gap in the mutton fast food)
" Poutine -n- Putin" (what else can melt the tensions of the new cold war then some Russian disco fries)
See these are the things we want from our northerly brothers, not Tim Hortons!!!
© this is Notjr personal copyright on the above names and concepts)
Someone opened a poutine place in Philly. It didn’t last a year. But it didn’t have any of your fancy copyrighted names. It was called Shoo Fry which I thought was a horrible name.
BTW, I love poutine when it’s done right.
I agree. Their donuts were on the smaller side too. Can’t hack it with that when the United States of Obesity has Dunkin’ giving out not one but TWO egg, meat, and cheese sandwiches for $3.
I have MR. @MsBean to thank for getting me to try their vodka first, but I’m also a fan of their bourbon. Happy to see these (VERY NICE) people getting national recognition!
Interesting. How long do they age their bourbon and is it on site?
I can’t believe the bourbon is done on-site, as I think you still have to make it in KY for it to be called bourbon!
You are very welcome. We’ve only had the vodka but I may be free for a cocktail later this evening…
Ah, but there are ways around that.
Rightly or wrongly, if you purchase your source alcohol from Kentucky, you can finish the aging in any state and it can still be called bourbon. That’s a loophole discovered in the last ten years when the “Craft Bourbon” movement exploded. Regrettably, it has resulted in a market booming with horrid whiskeys.
Greg are you sure about that? I’ve always heard you can make bourbon in any state as long as it meets the few criteria (mainly the corn majority and aging on oak)
Intresting article…
