Late night open thread

Notable quotes night:

"I've got all the money I'll ever need...if I die by four o'clock."
--Henny Youngman

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Happy Veterans Day!

The Jersey City Desk would like to take today and honor our Vets whom without, this place we call America sure would be different and not in a way we'd like to spend much time considering. To the friends and families of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in any war for any reason, you have our heartfelt best wishes and deepest thanks.

Late night open thread

Well hockey fans the Devils lost another close game at the Rock tonight in a shootout, 5-4 to the Buffalo Sabres. Johnny being the puck fiend noticed a lot of upper net goals tonight. A tremendous amount of goals enter the net six inches from the ice and lower but tonight the high shooters were rewarded.

Now, some Jersey City Desk exclusive game video (without the expressed written consent of the National Hockey League) of the end of tonight's game. Buffalo led into the fourth round of the shootout 2-1. The Devils needed $100 million dollar man Ilya Kovalchuk to pot a goal to keep the game alive. Here's the kind of shootout effort $100 million buys. The fans reaction? Priceless! Ilya, you'd better turn this angry mob around or it's gonna be a long 12 years.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Canadian television has gone and done it now; A Canuck version of The Jersey Shore

We try hard here not to give much if any ink to the show The Jersey Shore because, well, they're dumbasses without much to offer as entertainment. However, when we heard that Canadian television was coming out with their own version of the show this January, entitled 'Lake Shore' (Out dere Toronto way eh) we simply had to open it up to you, the Jersey City Desk reader. Now according to The Washington Post, the actors (ie losers) all come from DIFFERENT ethnic backgrounds which means insulting somebody's heritage just got that much easier. The WaPo goes on to list the people appearing on this show as:

Sibel, the Turk

Joey, the Italian

Anni Mei, the Vietnamese

Tommy Hollywood, the Czech

Robyn, the Jew

Salem, the Lebanese

Karolina, the Pole

Downtown D, the Albanian

What? No Snow Snooki?

An interesting question was posed...

Last night an interesting question was posed. If YOU could choose any theme song if you had a show on the teevee, which song would you choose for yourself? It can just be a favorite, it could be topical, it could be show related or just cool theme music. So Jersey City and the surround, what would be YOUR theme music?

Late night open thread

Famous last words night:

"I've had eighteen straight whiskies, I think that's the record..."
-- Dylan Thomas, poet. Nov. 9, 1953

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Jersey City council to discuss permanent benefit guidelines tonight

Since the state of New Jersey changed the law regarding how much time an individual must work for a municipality before collecting the old golden watch, the Jersey City council will address their ideas on the amount of time worked necessary for full permanent benefits at taxpayer cost.

There are a few differing ideas on the time one should put in before collecting such benefits, ranging from 10 years to the maximum of 25 years. Council members Steve Fulop and Viola Richardson want the maximum of 25 years worked while Ward A councilman Michael Sottolano wants 20, at large councilman Ray Velazquez wants 15 and Ward D councilman Bill Gaughan wants just 10.

Ten? Are you kidding Mr. Gaughan? Really, for FULL benefits and health care? Get real.

While we here at the Jersey City Desk think it should be set at 25 years we could see our way clear to compromising on a 20 year plan. Pensions (and that's basically what this amounts to -- only from tax monies) SHOULD be difficult to get. They SHOULD mean a job well done after 20 years. They shouldn't be shortened or trivialized in any way shape or form.

The meeting is at City Hall tonight at 6 pm.

Late night open thread

Notable quotes night:

"When it comes to finances, remember that there are no withholding taxes on the wages of sin."
--Mae West

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Jersey City Desk travel section presents Portland Maine -- Food capital of New England

Does anybody think that when the founding fathers were kicking back over a plate of whatever it is they ate back when they knew that just to the north of them culinary skills would become such a draw in these new United States?

A mere 5 hour drive north up along a winding trail through scenic New England lies Portland Maine on the rocky coast of the Atlantic Ocean. While Mt. Desert Island and Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park may be a more famous region to us Tri-Staters, Portland is a must see and must eat destination. What is it that sets Portland apart? Oh let us count the delicious ways.

First off Portland is a community that really supports it's arts community. A lot of towns and cities pay lip service to this aspect of city life. Portland backs up it's words with deeds. Galleries populate a lot of the town streets. From down by the waterfront to the more travelled Congress St. art is what binds Portland. A magnificent First Friday artwalk each month helps keep these galleries very much in the front of the public conscience. Last Friday Johnny and Mrs. Johnny saw hundreds and hundreds of people out and about enjoying the galleries and supporting local artists. This is all while thousands and the option of attending a local Portland Pirates AHL hockey game at the Civic Arena there. Friday night in Portland is a happening.

If you have a great art scene chances are your food selection will be a good one as art tends to draw good and yes great chefs to your area. Portland is no exception to that rule. Terrific menus abound all across town but don't expect an early bird lobster special to be the big draw. Instead think of ways to work in local produce and ingredients which yes means ocean bounty but it hardly stops there. Wonderful dishes with seafood are there of course, all while opening up the palate to Greek, Japanese and Thai as well as Italian influenced dishes make Portland's food scene international, yet well centered and local too. Johnny could go on and on about the great food he enjoyed but he'd rather give you, dear reader, a list of places to investigate and menus to read over and decide for yourself. Just know this, if they are on this All-Star list the food quality, preparation and taste is tip top.

Street and Co. -- A brilliant mix of traditional New England and Mediterranean food.

The Grill Room -- Harding Lee Smith is doing AMAZING things with all things beef, seafood and yes, woodfire pizzas (The Cheeseburger pizza here is to die for, seriously)

Vignola -- Again, traditional New England basics marvelously infused with Italian flair.

555 -- Chef Steve Corry is at the top of his game with New England fare with his own personal touches and a big helping of locally grown ingredients.

Bintliffs Cafe -- Eclectic and American grub in THE place to eat breakfast in Portland

Two Fat Cats Bakery -- Look, if you're just gonna make cupcakes, there are apps for that in NYC (and everywhere else). Why not stand out and make other tasty brilliant items, like the famed Whoopie pies at the Two Fat Cats Bakery. The reputation of this place precedes itself so Johnny stopped in to see if it indeed lived up to the fine street cred it enjoys. OMG, again, that's OMG. The Whoopie pies are like nothing else made in a bakery in Gotham. These chocolate (and they do have other delightful flavors) cakes with creme filling are out of this world. The chocolate is so perfect it both melts in your mouth and puts a smile on your face and that's even before you get to the unmatched creme filling. Did we mention they ship? If you've not had a Whoopie Pie from Two Fat Cats get out of the shoebox with holes you live in and order or get on the I-95. (Whoops, Jenna from Two Fat Cats tells us they DO NOT SHIP, pardon Johnny for the bad info. Now, go get in the car and we'll see you tomorrow)

After he got back Johnny was talking to a neighbor who said she was in Portland about 10-12 years ago and the food scene and art scene was just starting to take off. Johnny told her to go back and see what those seeds had sown. It's delicious, it's arty, it's laid back and it's happening right now. By all means foodies, put Portland Maine on your list of places to visit.

Oh, and when you're in Portland, call Joe.

Late night open thread

Well Jersey City, Johnny made it back from the wilds of Maine and had a most excellent time. We'll debut our travel section tomorrow with Portland Maine's winners (there weren't any losers really other than the hotel staff screaming at one another which woke Johnny up on the wrong side of the bed one morning) and why this city is a gem. You'd better plan on getting up there before the millions of readers who trust the Jersey City Desk for their travel tips spoil this art loving beacon on the Atlantic Ocean.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark