Any Ultima Fans In (or Near) Edison, New Jersey?
Well, once again, work beckons, and I must heed its call. This time, I’m being sent to northern New Jersey for a couple of weeks; I fly into Newark on the 5th of February, and I’m slated to fly out on the 20th. So I will be there for two weeks, and two weekends as well.
I won’t be flying solo on this trip, so my mobility will probably a bit limited (since I’ll be sharing a rental vehicle with my co-worker), but even so: if there are any Ultima fans in the area, drop a comment, drop me a line, or ping me on Twitter…if we can work out a get-together and raise a pint together, that’d be awesome.
Restaurant recommendations will also be welcomed and warmly received.
Negative, but let me know when you’re near Atlanta.
I lived in north/central NJ for nearly all my life and also worked in Piscataway for 10 years, which is about 10 mins west of Edison. That is, until a few months ago when a job change brought me and my family to the Austin area. If you’re looking for any good places to eat, I’d be more than happy to offer my recommendations. 🙂
Oh, that’s…I’d have loved to meet the guy who basically inspired this site and its predecessor. My list of folks to sync up with if ever I’m in Austin just keeps growing, it seems!
But at any rate, yes…restaurant suggestions would be welcome. We’re set up in a hotel just outside Somerset, but we’ll be working all over the area around Edison, and further afield too (Bergen being the furthest point, IIRC).
Okay, so here goes…
If you’re looking for a good NY style / thin crust pizza, the Chimney Rock Inn just north of Bound Brook has some of the best IMO. Also in the Somerset area is the Stage House Tavern on 514. Great pub atmosphere, a fairly large bar, and great food. And Buzzy’s on Stelton Rd in Piscataway is a great local pub.
In Bound Brook is Girasole, a small italian restaurant with great food. My wife and I really liked them.
If you like indian food, I recommend Tawa in Edison, which was also very popular with many of my indian coworkers (typically a good sign). They are buffet style for lunch.
The strip mall next to Tawa has Four Seasons Thai – which has a huge selection and is extremely spicy, but is cash only. If you appreciate good thai food there are three restaurants in and around Somerville that are just awesome: Thai Kitchen 1 by the Bridgewater Mall, Chao Phaya on Davenport St, and Origin Thai on Division St. The latter is a french-thai fusion that usually gets great reviews. (Alot of options I know… I have a weakness for good thai food.)
Two great microbrews nearby – Harvest Moon Cafe in New Brunswick and Triumph Brewery in Princeton, though Princeton might be a bit out of the way. Harvest Moon gets the Rutgers college crowd, so it will be a bit younger atmosphere.
If you do head into New Brunswick, Old Man Rafferty’s on Albany St is also a great pub/restaurant that serves some very large portions. I personally like their reuben. And if you like large portions, Harold’s Deli in Edison has portions that are truly epic in size, and the only restaurant I know with a pickle bar. They have a great italian hot dog, and their desserts are definitely photo-worthy. (Though I wouldn’t dare order any unless I was feeding a large crowd – I can’t eat a 1-foot high cheesecake.)
I unfortunately don’t know the Bergen area too well, so I can’t many recommendations there, but downtown Ridgewood is a really nice area.
Be sure to let me know how it goes!
Wow, thanks Voyager. That’s a good list. I’ll share it with my coworker and we’ll try to hit a few of those.
We checked out Harvest Moon this evening. Wow…that was amazing. And that doesn’t include the IPA, which was certainly one of the better brews I’ve encountered in that category.