Fernandes Steakhouse II - Newark, NJ

Kevin came home earlier than usual to take me out for dinner on my birthday. He said that he knew of this really nice Spanish/Portuguese churrascaria cum steakhouse in the Ironbound district and that we should totally go check it out. So, off we went to Ironbound for dinner!

Fernandes Steakhouse is not exactly smacked right in the heart of the Ironbound district. It is actually located in the outskirts, so if you don't have the address or a gps, you might just miss it. As we all know, the Ironbound is famous for it's Portuguese churrascaria and Fernandes is said to be one of the best around. Parking is also a breeze. There is a huge parking lot with valet service beside the restaurant.

From the moment we stepped into Fernandes, it felt like we left Newark for a bit and were transported to a Spanish winery in the countryside. With low lighting, exposed brick walls and really rustic decor, I felt that they did a good job with the decor. A perfect place to celebrate a special occasion. Also, there is a mariachi band that plays there during the weekends (too bad we missed out on that).

They have a pretty extensive ala carte menu but we knew that they were famous for their rodizio. So, we both went for the rodizio ($28.75 per person). For those of you who are not familiar with rodizio service churrascarias, this is how it works. You would pay a fixed price and the passadores (meat waiters) would come to your table with different types meat skewers and knives. It's a eat all you can and they would continue coming until you tell them that you had enough. We started off our dinner with a trip to the salad bar (which is also part of the rodizio). The salad bar wasn't all that big but it really doesn't matter. We were saving our stomachs for all the 'carne' that was coming!!! Oh and as usual, there were some pretty amazing bread served too.

After we were done with our salads, they cleared up our plates and started to set the table for our main course. They also brought out some complimentary sides and again, it is free flow. You can get them to top up the plates if you need more. We had a huge bowl of black beans, fries, rice, fried banana (they were good!), some sort of salsa and tapioca powder.

Ahhh at last. The passodores started bring out the meat on skewers and boy, did they bring out the meats! There were so many different kinds of meat and it was coming out non stop! Filet Mignon and turkey chunks wrapped in bacon, sirloin steak, prime rib, chorizo (some sort of spicy Iberian pork sausage), chicken wings and drumsticks, pork tenderloin, roast beef, short ribs, ham, cheese steak, garlic steak, chicken hearts, flank steak, beef kebabs....there were so many different types of meat, I can't really remember everything that they brought out!

Check out some of the meats that were part of the rodizio. The BBQ chefs were kind enough to allow me to step into their kitchen to take a picture of all the meats. Boy, they smelled so good and were soooo yummmy!

We initially ordered Iced Tea (which is actually Snapple - $3.75 each) to go with our dinner. However, mid way through our dinner, we noticed that almost every table had a pitcher of sangria. We thought that it was a good idea, since it goes really well with all that meat. So, we ordered a small pitcher ($15.50) too. Guess what? The sangria tasted amazing!!! Seriously, I have never tasted sangria that good before. I later found out that Fernandes is really famous for their sangria too! The two things that they are well known for is their rodizio and sangria. Looks like we hit a home run there :D

After we were done all the meats and told the passadores to stop, the captain came over and asked if we would like some dessert. We said no thanks, we were too full to eat anything else. He then said that we HAVE to try their grilled pineapples. It's part of the rodizio and truthfully, he has never eaten pineapples that sweet before. We have to try it. Well, if it's really that good, okay I guess. So, they brought out some pineapples on a skewer and yeah, they were good! I think they must have rubbed on some cinnamon on the outside of the pineapple before grilling. Also, the grilling really brought out the sweetness of the pineapple. It was juicy, super sweet, with a hint of cinnamon. Very good!

Overall, we had a great rodizio experience. The ambiance was really nice, the passadores were friendly and the food as well as the drinks were just awesome! Definitely a perfect place to go to when you are celebrating a special occasion. Judging from the almost empty pitcher of sangria and the goofy big smile plastered across my face, I must say that I did have a very happy birthday indeed! :P

Fernandes Steakhouse II - Newark, NJ
152-170 Fleming Avenue,
Newark, NJ 07105
Tel: (973) 465 4533/589 4066/589 4099 (reservations)
Fax: (973) 589 6312
Web: http://www.fernandessteakhouse.com/

Katz's Deli - Lower East Side, NYC

We were in the city two weeks ago and was looking for a place to have lunch. Since moving to the NYC/NJ region, we have always wanted to go check out Katz's Deli but haven't really gotten around to it. So, we decided that today is the day that we do so! :D

Katz's Deli is located on East Houston St, in the Lower East Side. Founded in 1888, Katz's Deli is one of the oldest and most well known deli's in NYC. It is especially well known for it's pastrami sandwiches. Many people have sworn that it's New York's best! Also, if you are a Meg Ryan and Bill Crystal fan, you would remember the famous deli scene in the movie, 'When Harry Met Sally'. I must admit that 'When Harry Met Sally' is one of my all time favorite movies, so...I was super excited to eat at Katz's Deli, at last.

It being a Saturday afternoon, we expected it to be packed. Well, it was packed but not as bad as I expected it to be. There wasn't a line when we ordered our food and we could find a table right away. How it works is, you pick up a ticket at the entrance and just head to the counter to order and collect your food. Then, you can just find a table and eat. If you do not want to go up to the counter to order, you can sit down at the tables along the sides of the dining room, then a waiter will come up and take your order.

We just picked up our ticket and headed to the counter to order. It's faster this way and also, you get to try out some meat samples first before deciding on your order. There were at least 10 guys making those sandwiches, so things move pretty fast. After ordering your food, you can move down the line to order your drinks.

After getting our food, we didn't have any problems finding a table at all. In fact, we managed to get a table next to the most 'famous' table in the house. Can you see what that sign says?

Here is a close up. Yup! That's the famous table where they shot the 'When Harry Met Sally' deli scene. Since this is a family blog, I will not put up the clip from the scene here. However, if you have not seen that movie before, just click on this link and it will lead you to the clip from that famous deli scene. That's right, I'll have what she's having! ;P

So, what did we eat? Of course we had to try the Pastrami on Rye Sandwich ($14.95). Let me tell you this. In all my 30 years, I have never tasted such good pastrami before. It is so so so good! No wonder they say that Katz's has the best pastrami sandwich in NYC! Just the right amount of lean and fat meat, with some charred bits. Perfect!

We also tried the Corned Beef on Rye Sandwich ($14.45). That's really good too. Of course if I ate that before trying the pastrami, I would say that's its superb and totally awesome. However, if we compare it to the pastrami, it somewhat pales in comparison. However, I must say that it's still very very good. Look at the amount of meat in each sandwich. I read somewhere that they slap on at least 1 lbs of meat in every sandwich!

We also had a complimentary serving of pickled cucumbers and tomatoes. Now, I am not really a big fan of pickled stuff but the cucumbers were awesome! Really tasty and crunchy. I didn't try the tomatoes though, so I don't know about that.

We both had an icy can each of Dr. Brown's Draft Style Root Beer ($2.50) to wash all that meat down. Mmm mmm mmmm, nothing like some full bodied root beer after a big meal.

The sandwiches were so big, we couldn't even finish them. We had to doggy bag half of each sandwich home. We must remember to just share one the next time we are at Katz's. So, was the sandwiches at Katz's as good as we expect it to be? Helll yeah! I would definitely return in the very near future. Two thumbs up!

Katz's Delicatessen - NYC
205 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002
Tel: (212) 254-2246
Fax: (212) 674-3270
Web: http://www.katzdeli.com/

Kevin's Easy Meatloaf Recipe

It's the weekend again and it's time for another one of Kevin's recipes. This week, he will be sharing with all our readers an easy to make meatloaf recipe. It's really easy and fun (cos you get to get your hands all icky and messy :P) recipe to make. Enjoy!

To start off, place about 2 lbs of lean ground beef into a large mixing bowl. You can use ground turkey too if you like. Remember, the leaner the meat, the better it is for this recipe.

Add in one large onion that has been finely diced.

Then, pour in 2 lightly beaten eggs.

Next, add in one small can of tomato paste.

Now it's time to get your hands dirty. Mix all the ingredients together.

Once it's all mixed up, add in one packet of McCormick's Meatloaf Seasoning Mix.

Mix that into the meatloaf. Then, add in about 1/2 cup of milk.

This next part can be a little bit tricky. Add in some breadcrumbs. I cannot tell you how much to add in, you will have to eyeball it. Add in just enough so that it's not too watery but not too dry either. Start with a little and slowly add in more and more. It should be just enough for the meat to form a ball.

Mix everything up one last time and form the meat mixture into a oval shaped ball (about the size and shape of a small football).

Place the meatloaf into a meatloaf pan.

Then, spread some tomato ketchup on top of the meatloaf.

Pop it into a 375F oven for about 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, take the meatloaf out and spread some more tomato ketchup on top of it.

Pop the meatloaf back into the oven for another 20 minutes or so. After that, allow the meatloaf to cool for about 5 minutes before taking it out from the pan. It should be nicely charred on the outside (that's the best part!).

Slice the meatloaf into thick slices and it's ready to be served! Kevin served it up with some herb mashed potatoes and corn on cob. The meat was juicy in the inside and nicely charred on the outside. Mmmm mmm mmmm....what a nice weekend dinner :D