Strategically cropped photo of Coug himself. (Photo Credit: Not A Foodie Show)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know it’s been awhile. I’m of the mindset that writing as a hobby should never feel like a chore and I simply haven’t been as motivated to compose long form content for all you loyal readers as of late. Maybe it’s post-20s despondence setting in, maybe I’ve just been busy with my business, or maybe I simply haven’t been going out to eat as much. I’m not made of money! Plus, when I do feel some food blog motivation, I’ve been focusing more on short form Instagram content than here on WordPress. I’m gonna let you in on an industry secret. Most of the Instagram and Facebook content you see from dear old Coug was probably taken during a meal I ate weeks, months, or sometimes even years prior. It’s simply too time consuming to do it on the fly most of the time, especially while I’m at dinner. You have your filters and your editing and your watermarks so jerks don’t jack my shit and then you have to invent some clever copy and do your account tagging and your hashtagging and frankly I’m out of breath just typing all that.

That being said, I have an extra special post for you all. We have a couple quick hits: a Central Jersey recommendation, a write-up about my very first podcast guest spot, and my first Michelin star experience. I was going to also tie-in my recent visits to two iconic pizzerias, but this post ended up getting away from me. So there’s a teaser for next time!

Salted Lime, Somerville, NJ

Salted Lime in Somerville, NJ (Photo Credit: Salted Lime Bar & Kitchen)

By golly, the folks at Mark Daniel Hospitality have done it again. You may know them from their widely acclaimed Central Jersey restaurants Uproot in Warren, NJ and INC Restaurant in New Brunswick, NJ. Despite INC being a New Brunswick favorite, a frequent recommendation to area newcomers, and one of my preferred watering holes to the frequency that I actually had a cocktail named for me once upon a time (El Coug: El Dorado 8 year, Demerera sugar, coffee pecan bitters, orange peel), I’ve never written about them. Why, you ask? They don’t need the press. Everyone loves them. Oh, and I somehow still don’t have a plaque above the bar stool to the left of the pillar.

Houston We Have A Poblano

Yuca Fries

Elote Corn Dog

Carne Asada Tacos

Pan con Tomate

Sobrassada & Toast

Crispy Dogfish Tacos & House Pomegranate Margarita

They’ve now hit back to back to back home runs with Salted Lime Bar & Kitchen, a feat typically reserved for your Mike Trouts or your Christian Yelichs or your Bartolo Colons. Located in the heart of downtown Somerville, NJ, Salted Lime is a modern twist on Latin American staples with a menu of delightful small plates and some of the best damn house margaritas you’ll ever drink. I talk a lot about New Brunswick, as it not only has been my home for the past eight years, but because I believe it still has one of the most underrated dining scenes in the state. It’s time to start taking a look at its little sibling to the west. With staples like Tapastre and Verve, Somerville has always been a low-key sneaky dining destination, but with recent additions like Salted Lime and Project P.U.B., a revitalized Main Street buzzing with activity, a bevy of new housing options, and rumors of the return of one-seat rides to Penn Station on the Raritan Valley Line, it gets a look from me almost as often as New Brunswick.

Salted Lime finally opened in late 2018 after a few delays, but it was worth the wait. Helmed by Executive Chef Renner Burgos, a native of El Salvador, and Director of Operations & Hospitality Daniel McGill, a varied and creative seasonal menu paired with some boozy, inspired cocktail creations and an earthy, cantina-inspired interior packs the dining room and bar most nights of the week and the outdoor patio, now open for the season, as soon as it opens its umbrellas. Their tacos, arepas, and mezcal cocktails got me in the door, but their happy hour, daily specials, and elote-inspired corn dogs(!) have me coming back again and again.

Salted Lime Bar & Kitchen

$$

46 E Main St, Somerville, NJ

(908) 864-4403

Website: http://saltedlimerestaurant.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salted_lime_restaurant/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/saltedlimerestaurant

Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/v/salted-lime-bar–kitchen/5be77db0a2a6ce002cca8ab6

Not A Foodie Show & A Michelin Star

For someone with such a perfect face for radio coupled with the ability to drone endlessly about restaurants you’ll probably never go to, I’m surprised it took me this long to stumble my way onto a podcast. A big thanks to Sam Doyle, Wine Consultant at Wine Library, who you may know as The Bearded Wine Guy on Facebook or @Sammoman on Twitter & Instagram, for making the introduction. Sam and podcast co-creator Michael Miranti both worked at the Corkbuzz wine bar back in the day, where Sam no doubt regaled him with tales of Gewürztraminers and Barolos whilst stroking his beard.

Last week I met up with Tom Miale & Michael Miranti, co-creators of Not A Foodie Show, at BK Media Studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn to talk about a range of Central Jersey gems worth braving NJ Transit for, pork roll vs. Taylor Ham, and a few of my favorite cocktails. You can listen to my episode in full above or on their website. My segment, which also aired on Radio Rampa 620AM NYC this past Saturday, begins around the 20 minute mark.

After a brief intro into my motivation behind CougEats, I did my very best to mention as many of my favorite deserving locations as I could squeeze into a 20 minute segment, but I still managed to leave a few out (my apologies to Destination Dogs, Clydz, Luca’s Ristorante, and Salt Seafood & Oyster Bar specifically). I also referred to the dish at Heirloom Kitchen as a “peanut, potato & leek soup” when I believe it was actually a cold corn chowder with crème fraîche. (Sorry, Dave! Though, I’m pretty sure that dish hasn’t been on the menu since last fall.)

Below, I’ve included a list of all the restaurants mentioned during my show segment:

After recording, Tom & Mike brought me to Oxomoco for lunch. Located almost directly across the street from the studio, this modern, relaxed, one Michelin star Mexican cantina from Justin Bazdarich was bright and airy, with stark white walls, lush greenery, and sunlight spilling in from all directions. A cozy patio out front invites you in to sample an adventurous menu and a generous selection of mezcal and tequila inside.

We shared a few plates between the three of us, but my attention was drawn to the “Beef Tartare Tostada” with grasshopper mayo, avocado, arbol peanut, watercress, and yes…grasshoppers. I hate to admit this was my first time trying grasshopper, which I’ve been meaning to try and was delighted to find offered a delicious, salty crunch and a taste sensation similar to anchovy paste. I followed that up with a succulent “Carnitas Cemita” with black bean, quesillo, chipotle, and papalo, which I quickly demolished along with a “Toronjada” (grapefruit, pet-nat rosé) and at least one “El Chihuahua” (tequila, grapefruit, tajin-salt rim). My experience was nothing short of espectacular. Bravo, Chef.

Oxomoco

$$$

128 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY

(646) 688-4180

Website: https://www.oxomoconyc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_oxomoco_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oxomoco/

Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/v/oxomoco/5ae8ed8eb3c961002b3360da

I had a blast recording Not A Foodie Show with Tom & Mike, and look forward to coming back on to talk more Jersey gems, greasy diners, and to discuss my Central Jersey thesis at length. Cheers and a huge thanks to everyone who tuned in last Saturday to listen live to the show’s simulcast on a Polish AM radio station. These guys are passionate, knowledgeable, and just a little too similar to myself. Don’t hold that against them, though. Give em a follow why don’t ya?

Not A Foodie Show

Website: http://www.notafoodie.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notafoodieshow/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/notafoodieshow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notafoodiecom/

Tom Miale

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmiale/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tmiale

Michael Miranti

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikemiranti/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeMiranti