Ayyy Ohhhh Pizannooo!!!…read more Italian festival in Jersey City on a beautiful sunny symmer day. Eat, drink, play games, be merry, AND, foghettaboutit!!!

I expected much much more from this Italian "party". I put party in quotes because this is just a…read moresmall, yes, super small street fair, just 2 blocks. The weather wasn't good so that obviously contributed to my "not so happy" day but my 2 stars are strictly about the "party" itself because bad weather is nobody's fault. There is very limited food choices and the food didn't look good. Cheese steak looked very dry and the kebabs look like they had been sitting there for 2 weeks. The only thing I enjoyed was the rice ball but it's small for $7 a piece. Lots of people asking for donation for churches and a few other causes. The band was ok but the sound wasn't very clear. There is a very limited number of small tables near the stage if you want to eat. Since it was raining it wasn't difficult to find street parking 3 blocks away and the line for the food wasn't bad. But if it's a sunny day I can imagine how difficult it would be to find parking and, as other reviewers have mentioned, the long lines to order food.

What a happy feast!…read more I went there on the last day and I loved the vibe. In Summary: I was impressed with the venue and event - also very good to see such a strong parishioner support in times where most Catholic Churches attendance are less than study hall It had lots of food options and non-food options I was surprised it has less shopping for clutter I was happy to see I can get religious items I was pleased to see the church open and pray

Great festival to attend. If you're claustrophobic I would not recommend. The streets are very…read morenarrow and there are lot people. You are should to should the whole time. I would not recommend bringing a dog to this event due to volume of people and no where to walk, they probably will step on your dog. The food is all ways an amazing. Shout out to Tony's sausage, they are the best in the festival. I would not go any where else. Great even for the kids. There a lot to do and best part is that it's free.

Groove on Grove has got it all. Funky live tunes, delish food vendors, shopping and most…read moreimportantly, an authentic local feel and a strong sense of community. This happens every Wednesday night and is right outside of my apartment. If I'm around you can bet that I'll be there. Every week they feature a different local act and from what I've heard so far, talent is always in full force. I like that the bands will take some time to cover old and familiar songs, it's always fun to sing along and rock out. I haven't tried any of the food yet, but the empanadas look killer. The line is always pretty long, but I'm sure it's worth the wait. Sometimes Orale has a taco stand set up as well. Everyone has a smile on their face and the mood is always relaxed and upbeat. What's not to love about a warm summer night filled with food, music and community lovin!

I mean how can you not love Groove on Grove? Great music weekly. Amazing local vendors to choose…read morefrom and a community spirit that makes you love Jersey City even more. Amazing. Once a month or so they have Barcade and Hard Grove out there selling some beers and mixed drinks making the event even more awesome since, c'mon now, who doesn't like an adult beverage outside in the Grove St. area square listening to some home grown Jersey bands or visitors from across the Hudson. The selection of people range from JC hipsters to families with small children to the older community. What a great cross - section of JC life. This weekly community event is a great part of downtown Jersey City and adds a lot of fun and spirit to the area, I highly suggest checking it out (especially on booze days) and just enjoy being outside with some other great locals!

Oh swine, how I love thee…read more What a great event! First of all, so many people came by through out the day starting at noon and ending at 8 PM. This was a ommunity event at its finest. The music was on point and there were a variety of local vendors including MAE, Dinosaur BBQ, Jimmy's BBQ, Hamilton Inn serving up NJ Beer Co, Sophie Sophia, Fizzy Lizzy and a few others. The bbq was amazing. I had lamb ribs from MAE, some pulled pork (I think) from Dinosaur BBQ, and of course an amazing bite of cupcake from SS. Hot damn. Everything was fresh and delicious. The food was great, the proceeds was going to a great cause (Hamilton Park Conservancy), and the weather was perfect albeit a bit windy. There is nothing like eating bbq with the community filled with babies, dogs, hipsters, non hipsters, beer, laughs and live music. Win. I look forward to next year! Oh and for families: petting zoo in the house! Along with vendors selling crafts organized by Not Yo Momma's Craft Fair. Amaze.

Hamilton Park BBQ Festival was a wonderful community event which was a fund raiser for The Hamilton…read morePark Conservancy. The conservancy is dedicated to assisting the city in the maintenance and improvement of the park. What a great way to enjoy a beautiful sunny afternoon and raise some money for a good cause. Outstanding. The event featured: BBQ at Legal Beans, Dinosaur Bar-b-que, Jimmy's BBQ and Modern American Eatery. Beverages by New Jersey Beer Company, Lizzmonade and Fizzy Lizzy. They also had a petting zoo for the kids and assorted tables selling bake goods, treats and goodies. Yelp had a table and was represented by Stephanie Y who was full of enthusiasm. It was my first time meeting her and was wow by her energy and friendliness. Yay! I only had the opportunity to taste Dinosaur Bar-b-que and the ribs were delicious. The half rack I ordered was very good. It had all the characteristics of excellent barbecue ribs: ring around the rib, moist, tender, great flavor and meaty. The 2 pieces of 3 ribs each had good texture and just fell off the bone. It just had the right amount of pull and awesome flavor. The ribs had a good rub with a balance of traditional spices. Overall high B+, very high. The pull pork sandwich just did not cut it. It was a beautiful cut of pork shoulder with all the good characteristics of good tasting pull pork BBQ, but It failed. It was just cold and the flavors did not come out. While I did received a good amount of pull pork it was just not steaming with flavor. Overall, this was a wonderful event with lots of food and drink. To bad I had to leave after an hour. I was on a journey to visit my in-laws with Wifey. This was certainly a local event and supported by the local community. There was good food and drink. There was fun. There was community spirit. I can't wait to come back to this part of New Jersey and experience some great hospitality.

Grassroots is a staple in the downtown scene for offering a variety of classes, from belly dancing…read moreto Capoeira. They also open their doors for the popular JC Slam series. I participated in a handmade selling event with some of my fellow Jersey City Craft Mafia members for a JC Fridays event that featured female artists. The space was beautifully decorated, and wine and light food was on hand in their kitchen area for guests and vendors to enjoy. It was a lovely event, with live music, a belly dancing demonstration, and lots of happy people snapping up local wares. The organizers, Chelo and Sirena Mercado, are two of the most warm, caring people you'd ever want to meet. Jersey City is lucky to have them and involved in a collaborative community space that enables people to learn, grow, and create.

People looking for rental space take note of Grassroots! 1200 square feet at $25-$30/hour, this one…read morewon't break the bank. Book a full event starting around $300, which includes a little bit of assistance getting the word out if you so choose! For local folks, they offer cool classes like African drumming and dance, local yoga, chess (really!), art classes and space for local movers and shakers to get their Create on. Often see these guys out and about at festivals and other places, and watching Capoeira is cool because I can't do it. The space has a full wall mirror for those of you with dance aspirations. Location is convenient to anywhere downtown.

This was my first time attending the annual Taste of Hoboken event, and it was such a great…read moreexperience! Despite all the time I spend in the 'Boken, I rarely have a chance to try out all the restaurants in the area. I was lucky enough to snag a pair of tickets from our dear NJCM Steph, and I asked Lauren K. to come with me as my +1 to try all the food Hoboken has to offer -- and for a good cause! We started at the champagne table (of course), and sampled glasses of regular & rose champagne. I am partial to the rose, so I was happy. Then we stopped to play a little Yelp trivia to win some swag (hey, pint glass!). And so, after we were all bubbly & Yelp-tastic, we started to make our way around the room. Here's what we tried: Biggie's Clam Bar: 1) Pulled Pork Wonton Chip, 2) Fresh Seafood Salad. Honestly, if I was any hungrier, I could have eaten that pulled pork wonton all night long. The pork was perfect, the wonton was so crispy and big!, and the crispy onions on top made for a sweet, crunchy ending. The seafood salad was made of calamari, clams, shrimp, & scallops tossed in a light dressing with red onions & celery. Honestly, it's something I would have never ordered on my own, but it was so good that I would definitely consider having it in the future. The seafood was so fresh, big, meaty, and flavorful. The clams were a little bit sandy, but what can you do? The Madison Bar & Grill: 1) Butternut Squash Risotto, 2) Osso Bucco, & 3) Sausage Slider. My risotto was a little disappointing. The flavor was there, but the consistency was just too thick. It was so heavy & dense! We could only eat a bite or two. The osso bucco was really good. The meat was tender & fell off the bone with just a little prodding from my plastic fork lol. The sausage slider had a lot going on. Broccoli rabe, mozzarella, a sweet sausage patty, & a spicy sausage patty. I couldn't handle the spice or the size. I ended up taking out the rabe & the spicy sausage, and the rest made a pretty good sandwich! Cadillac Cantina: Chicken empanada. In general, I do not like anything even close to Mexican food. But I can say that I was completely surprised by this chicken empanada. It was really, really good! The shell was light & crispy without being greasy, and the filling was generous -- with just a little kick of spice. Just enough to make me feel fancy lol. I could've eaten another one. Okay, I regret not eating another one. Sushi Lounge: Spicy tuna roll. I was unimpressed by the selection rolled out by Sushi Lounge. They offered a salmon tartare, a Totowa roll (spicy tuna, shrimp, avocado, & tempura flakes w/ salmon & spicy mayo), and a Spicy tuna roll. Now, if you wanted to try anything other than a spicy tuna roll, they didn't have it. I didn't care for all the ingredients in the Totowa roll, so I went for the "plain" spicy tuna -- it was somewhat fishy, and too spicy, and not that appealing. I wish they had other rolls to try, or maybe a non-spicy sushi option. Batello: Ricotta gnocci. We agreed that the best part of the ricotta gnocchi was the sauce. It was light, fresh, and perfectly seasoned. The gnocchi had a nice texture, and it was amazing to try a gnocchi that wasn't heavy or dense. It was somehow prepared very lightly, and it tasted fresh & soft. Perfectly done! But it just felt like it was missing something. Seasoning, perhaps? I would go back to Batello to have some more of that sauce though. Amazing! Court Street: chorizo & shrimp. This was ... a miss for me. I didn't care for either the chorizo or the shrimp. The flavors were off, and the sauce was too watery, and it was just too much for me to handle. Pass. Carlo's Bakery: white cake with chocolate frosting. Now, I have never tried anything from Carlo's bakery before. So of their three options (red velvet, brownie, & white cake), I obviously went for the most boring, basic choice. But the cake was spongy, light, and tasty, with a little sprinkling of sugar on the bottom for an added crunch. The chocolate frosting - which I don't usually care for! - was sweet & fluffy as well. I really enjoyed it, and I can see why people keep coming back to Carlo's for their cakes! Kobrick's Coffee: latte. UNEXPECTED WINNER OF THE NIGHT. I had the most amazing, delicious, PERFECT latte from Kobrick's at the end of our evening. Lauren K had a coffee too, and she agreed that this was the best table at the whole event. My latte was creamy, foamy, but still with a strong taste of coffee that somehow managed to not be bitter. The barista even drew a little heart in my foam, which is impressive considering the dim lighting and small work area! Oh, it was just so good. I would go out of my way in Hoboken to have another latte from Kobrick's. All in all, I had a great time -- and I think Lauren K did too. Special shoutout to Swingadelic, because I really enjoyed their live music! Thanks for the opportunity to attend, Yelp! And good job, Hoboken!

Hester Nights is a super chill place to go for dinner on a Thursday night, especially when the…read moreweather is warm out. The overall feel of the place is like a giant happy hour venue, mostly due to the fact that there's a brick-and-mortar joint (whose name I can't remember right now) serving drinks. There's music playing and lights hanging in the trees. Eventi Plaza also has tons of seats and ledges to sit on, so no need to worry about finding somewhere to sit. The vendors change every week, so it's hard to say what'll be good. When I was there, I tried: 1) Khao Man Gai - If you've ever had Hainanese chicken rice, this is bascially what they serve ($8 for a platter). The guy gave us free samples as we stopped to see what it was, and after tasting it we were like, "OMG let's get this." The chicken was served on a bed of rice with some cucumber slices, and a side of some very salty soup (for sipping between bites) and a container of what tasted like semi-spicy fish sauce. It was good - probably my favorite of the night. They were also selling different types of Thai teas for $3 each. 2) Randalls BBQ - Got a pulled pork sandwich from here ($10). It was all right. 3) The Deviant Chef - Out of all the vendors that night, I thought they had the most intriguing menu - interesting sandwiches like kalbi, curry chicken, etc, served on your choice of bread/bun and sauces ($8 per sammie). We got a kalbi with Asian slaw sammie on brioche, which was pretty good, though it took a while to make. 4) Minnie's Bake Shop - Their cakes caught my eye - tiny double-layer cakes in 5 or 6 different flavors. For bite-size cakes, they were very expensive ($3 each!) but the red velvet one I got was so delicious. Totally recommended as a small dessert to finish off dinner. As with a lot of other street fairs of this kind, the food can get pretty expensive, but it's fun to go with a friend or two to try some of the different vendors!

A food festival plopped right in the middle of the city. For those of you who have been, like a…read moresmaller version of Madison Square Eats. Behind on the hotel in an open seated area, every Thursday this summer from 5-10PM. The crowd is mostly people trickling in after a long day of work. They have a great beer selection inside and even serve some really tasty sounding cocktails. As for the bites, Little Muenster's three crostinis for $9 was a bit too pricey for me to order again, but you get a variety of three (recipes I will be stealing, like combining cheese with grapes) and the ingredients are top notch. The empanada spot had small refried empanadas that weren't bad, but not really exciting either. My favorite was inside where they have a kitchen and grill. They had a variety of burgers and dogs, but I went for the seafood station. I ordered an Oyster Po'boy for $9 and they gave me a beeper to alert me when my order was ready. It was packed with at least 5-6 large fried oysters and topped with mayonnaise. I also saw people walking around with platters of fish and chips. With the better equipment inside, this was churning out better food than what I saw from the stands.

Since Covid all the Expos we went to in recent years have been one disappointment after another. We…read moreloved going to the Gluten Free Expo. It was always packed, endless samples, etc. And if you didn't get there early, the parking garage was completely full. Not this time. We got there around 11am on Sunday and I thought we'd be waiting to get a parking spot, but as we pulled up I literally thought the Expo was cancelled cuz no one around and when we pulled into the parking garage, we literally saw empty spots everywhere. As we walked inside, my jaw dropped. The Expo was so small, barely any vendors, and hardly anyone there. We literally finished walking thru the entire place in less than 30 minutes. None of our favorite vendors were there from the last few times either. And many vendors only offer their products online, can't buy it in the stores. I'm giving it a 2 stars because we did get some goodies which were actually very tasty. But wow, this Expo is not the same anymore. Not worth the 45 minute drive there. Sadly, we won't be returning again. What a shame!

This expo was held on September 6 & 7, 2014 in Secaucus, NJ. This event has been held in several…read morecities in the U.S. ( Coming dates are October 25 - 26 in Springfield, MA and November 15 - 16 in Dallas, TX) Entrance Fee was $15 for advance ticket and $20 at door. I bought Living Social coupon, so I paid only $8. You will get a reusable bag, gluten free food samples, and coupons as you enter the expo. Although I don't have Celiac Disease, I sometimes feel not so good after I eat wheat. So I am trying to avoid eating wheat as much as possible. However, cookies and breads taste so good. As a Japanese, ramen and udon noodles are inevitable for me. So it is hard to cut off whaet completely. At least, I try to eat less. I tried some gluten free breads, but most of them taste awful. I know a gluten free brand which tastes good, but their products are expensive. I was wondering how I can eat healthy and delicious on the same time. This event was made by booths of gluten & allergen free food company, cosmetic company and etc. I don't know exactly how many booths were there, but I think there were more than 60 companies including hospital and pillow company. Every booths indicates which allergen is used and which is not used as a ingredients of their products. So it was good for me and my friend. Most of companies were giving out samples and many companies were giving out coupons. I liked that some companies were giving out gluten free recipes. I found very unique food like quinoa drink, black bean pasta, tiger nut flour and etc. My friend has Celiac Disease and some allergies. She was very happy to be able to eat most of food there and she said she became full. We asked where and how we can buy these products. I found some products which I like and I will look for them in supermarket.It was great opportunity to learn about gluten & allergen free food. If there is one in New York or New Jersey, I want to go again.