Epicure

OCNJ Date Nite

The date itself did not occur in OCNJ; the vacation prompted us to alight for Atlantic City, which is a town with a vibrant dining scene. (I’ve never been one for casinos.) We did our own surf n’ turf at the Knife and Fork, ordering a ribeye and the lobster thermidor, and split them. The waitress caught onto our design and the kitchen helpfully divided the steak into two serving dishes. It’s a small thing, but not to have to ask for it was classy.

OCNJ Knife and Fork1 2025 08 14.

OCNJ Knife and Fork2 2025 08 14.

We skipped dessert but ended up at a local brewery for a quick pint. Great night.

OCNJ Somers Point Brewing 2025 08 14.

Freshman Orientation is for Parents, Too

Aaron had an overnight orientation last night; retrieved him and a friend this afternoon from Rutgers. He had a nice time it seems! I think these toe dips are helpful to anxious parents too. It’s really dawning on both of us that he’ll be away so very soon.

I did a little research and found John and Molly’s as a possible stop on the way home. It was a good mid-journey break. They have really good mussels.

On Shaken, not Stirred

Richard Goodwin:

Only shake cocktails with fruit juice in them. It’s a simple but more or less binding rule. Certain international super spies occasionally break it cough James Bond with his ‘special Martini’ cough tosser. However, it will serve the rest of us well. When you break them down, there are essentially two kinds of cocktail. Aromatic cocktails contain only alcoholic ingredients. Sour cocktails that contain citrus fruit (or occasionally other fruits, cream, egg, coffee, etc).

The former kind (which are often dry, aromatic and occasionally bitter) should be stirred with ice, which results in even dilution and a smoother texture. The latter kind (which are often tangy, fruity and occasionally creamy) require shaking, which results in more amalgamation, more dilution and a slightly altered texture.

I am increasingly likely to ask for my cocktail made in a specific way because, despite the parsimony of the fundamentals, many bartenders don’t know them.

Manhattan at Home
Manhattan at Home

The Spirits