May 10

Capalbo’s Gift Baskets – Clifton New Jersey

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Capalbo’s is mainly an online store that carries 100’s of specialty and Gourmet Food Baskets. Those that live in North Jersey are lucky enough to be able to visit their walk in shop located at 350 Allwood Road in Clifton. It carries their quality gift baskets and will also take orders for their many gift items. Exclusive to the store you can also find one of the largest candy bin and Jelly Belly jellybeans displays. Here you can make your own assorted bags and containers.

The store is attached to a 30,000 square foot factory. They have the ability to make one special basket or fill an order for 100’s of baskets. The baskets are filled with a wide variety of items such as Belgian chocolate, Hershey chocolate, Primo Dolce cookies, Columbia Crest wines, and Dom Perignon champagne. The fruit is only the freshest Grade A Extra Fancy and the baskets can be made for any occasion, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, sympathy, housewarming, corporate events, and kosher baskets, to name a few.

The Capalbo Family has been in business for over 104 years. Rose and Domenick Capalbo started the business in 1906 by hand selecting fresh fruits and vegetables at market and then delivering them to affluent families in Essex County.

The company evolved by adding gourmet food items, buying in bulk, and then opening a store front in Nutley, New Jersey. Today you can still find a Capalbo family members at work in their Clifton location.

It is nice to know that there is a place in North Jersey that has been able to sustain itself through hard work, great quality, and outstanding customer service. The added beauty is walking in and browsing the Clifton store or having the convenience of a speedy van delivery to local areas. Many gourmet gift baskets also qualify for free shipping.

Capalbo Gift Baskets has also expanded to Wine Gift Baskets and Adorable Baby Gift Baskets for Baby Boys and Girls

Capalbo’s Gift Baskets
350 Allwood Rd.
Clifton, New Jersey 07012

Store Hours:
Mon – Fri 9AM – 6PM
Saturday 9AM – 4PM
Phone: (973) 667-6262 or (800) 252-6262
Fax: (973) 450-1199

Apr 19

ABMA’S FARM

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Abma’s Farm is one of the oldest working farms in Bergen County. The old Dutch style barn has been turned into a market place that is a feast for ones eyes. There are lettuces, vegetables, and fruits from their own fields and greenhouses. All of the baked goods are done on premise from scratch. These homemade goods are made with preservative free ingredients and vary depending on the season. There are specialty muffins, breads, cookies, brownies, and pies. The gourmet pies vary by season, spring strawberry rhubarb, summer fruit pies, and fall gourmet apple and pumpkin pies.

There are also home grown turkeys, chickens, and pigs. You can hand select your own brown or white eggs in the market place. The turkeys are hormone and antibiotic free and are a great holiday tradition. The pork produces some of the best smoked bacon, ribs, and loins you will ever taste. You can also find specialty BBQ sauces, salads, and breads to go with a summer party.

Daily you can find fresh from the kitchen homemade lunch specials that include fresh sandwiches and salads, hot soups, and gourmet pot pies.

Everyday there is a petting and feeding area with about 15 animals that include small horses, goats, and pigs. You can even peek in and see a baby chick being born. Through out the year they have special events that include Easter with live chicks and bunnies to pet, Wellness Days, and other workshops. Your little one can go to summer camp at Abma’s to learn about what is becoming a lost art of farming and preserving the land. They also have many themed birthday parties.

As an added bonus for North Jersey Foodies there is a wonderful greenhouse that has the most gorgeous hanging plants, annuals, and perennials.

Abma’s Farm Market and Greenhouse is a place that should not be missed.

ABMA FARMS
700 Lawlins Road
Wycoff, New Jersey 07481
201-891-0278
M-F 8:00 to 6:00
Saturday 8:00 to 5:30
Closed on Sundays

Apr 05

MR. CUPCAKES

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Mr. Cupcakes makes homemade specialty cupcakes. Many may have seen one of New Jersey’s own Johnny Manganiotis on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. He opened his first store in Clifton and has now expanded to three other locations.

These gourmet cupcakes are unique in that they bake them with the specialty ingredients mixed into the batter. This is very different than stuffed or filled specialty cupcakes. You taste and see the ingredient in every bite. Most have their own unique frosting that compliments the cupcake.

I visited the Clifton Mr. Cupcakes location. There were over 30 varieties of cupcakes in the store when I arrived, including minis. Out front one of the bakers was putting frosting and sprinkles on Johnny’s famous coffee donuts. You could also see into the kitchen where the gourmet magic was happening with all fresh ingredients.

The cupcakes are listed in two categories. The Executives that Mr. Cupcakes always carries and The Intern which changes regularly. I choose to bring home the Red Velvet, Triple Chocolate, Cookie Jar, and Oreo Cheesecake. It was a difficult decision deciding which one to try first. The Triple Chocolate was just that. This cupcake is a paradise for chocolate lovers with chocolate chips still visible through out the cupcake. The Red Velvet was not the deep red you think of but the cream cheese icing was one of the best I have ever tasted. It was very light and tangy. The Oreo Cheesecake was delicious with almost a mousse like frosting. My ultimate favorite (and my family’s) was the Cookie Jar. I could not tell if I was eating a cupcake or a chocolate chip cookie. It was moist and had the perfect icing.

These homemade cupcakes are reasonably priced at the Clifton location at $1.50 a piece. Mr. Cupcakes also does special logos, holiday, and birthday cupcakes.

Their current locations are:

1216 Van Houten Ave
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-859-0180

385 Kinderkamack Road
Oradell, NJ 07649
201-483-8897

The Shops at Riverside
Hackensack, NJ 07601
201-342-2293

86 Broad Street
Red Bank, NJ 07701
732-219-8856

www.mrcupcakes.com

Mar 15

Celtic Themes – A Great Place for St. Patrick’s Day Food and Gifts

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Celtic Themes in the heart of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey has everything a North Jersey Foodie needs to celebrate St. Patrick’s day. It is actually three stores in one that carries items from Ireland, Scotland, and Nova Scotia. The owner is Gerry Rooney, who was born and raised in Scotland. He has successfully run Celtic Themes for 15 years with 6 of those years being in his current location. He imports all of his Irish specialty food from Dublin weekly. In the large refrigerator next to the front door you will find Irish sausage, sausage rolls, Irish bacon, meat pies, black and white pudding, and bridies. There is also a large selection of Barry’s Tea, scones, marmalade, HP sauces, drinks, and snacks.

The second specialty store is filled with gifts, jewelry, and apparel from Ireland and Scotland. There is a huge selection packed into this store. They carry a wide variety of women’s, men’s, and children’s jewelry that includes brooches, engagement rings, claddagh rings, and celtic for children. There are hand knit scarves, hats, and even hand made wedding gowns. There are nameless crystal, lenox, and pewter wares.

The third section of this store are kilts, bag pipes and other musical needs. They both sell and rent worldwide. If you do not find what you are looking for in the store Gerry will surely search it out for you.

This store is amazing! There are literally thousands of treasures tucked away in this store for every occasion. It is definitely worth the trip.

Celtic Themes
128 Wanaque Ave
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
973-839-4761
www.celticthemesusa.com

Feb 29

Sugar and Plumm, Purveyors of Yumm!!

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Sugar and Plumm, Purveyors of Yumm is a lovely retail shop, bakery and eatery that recently opened in The Bergen Town Center in Paramus. When you approach Sugar and Plumm you are mesmerized by the whimsical window displays. They are eye catching and beautiful with candy delights and the memory of childhood whimsy.

The store is modern and inviting. When you enter through the retail portion there is a huge candy bar where you can mix and match your favorites, a large M&M dispensary on one wall, a great selection on nostalgic candy. There are also plush animals, stationary, games, books, and mugs to name a few of the many items.

The specialty bakery is filled with home made confections, cakes, and candy from their own kitchen in Moonachie. Some of the gourmet delights include fudge, bite size carrot cakes, tarts, cake pops, and chocolate bark. There is a lot of detail put into the artisan goods. They will also make custom cakes for all occasions.

The restaurant portion of the store serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are chefs making homemade crepes before your eyes. The smell and ingredients makes it hard to order anything else. The menu has a variety of smoothies, crepes, waffles, soups, salads, sandwiches, and dinner entrees. The menu is just the right size.

On our visit we ordered the banana chocolate crepe with fresh strawberries. The presentation was good, the homemade crepe was flavorful and the melted chocolate was perfect. We also had the 7-grain chicken sandwich, which had avocado, tomato, pea shoots, and boursin spread. The ingredients were fresh and homemade bread was good with a hard crust, if you like that. We also ordered a mango smoothie, which had good mango flavor. It was very thick and came with a nostalgic paper straw that got soft within ten minutes and made it difficult to drink. (Ask for a plastic one!)

It was difficult to choose which gourmet dessert to try so we split the chocolate caramel tart. It had a wonderful mousse texture and chocolate flavor. However, I did not taste any caramel.

Overall it was a good experience with some fine specialty foods. The service was attentive and accommodating. This is a treat for North Jersey Foodies to visit with or without children. Please note though the only allergy warning on their website states, “Our products are packed and made in a kitchen where dairy, soy, peanuts, and other nut products are used.” In reality I was told by the manager all of their gourmet-baked goods are made with almond flour.

www.sugarandplumm.com
Sugar and Plumm
620 Bergen Town Center
Paramus, New Jersey
201-880-8156

Feb 01

NAGEL’S CANDY BARN

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When you walk into Nagel’s Candy Barn in Wayne, New Jersey the overwhelming aroma makes you feel as if you have died and gone to chocolate heaven. Then you walk through the second set of doors and know you have.

This is one of the largest home made chocolate shops in New Jersey, both by volume of specialty chocolate and square footage. There is not one inch of the store that has wasted space with the 1,000’s of assorted chocolates. At any time you can find a huge selection of truffles, peanut butter bark, caramel stick covered chocolate, and chocolate covered pretzels and all home made in the back kitchen. I highly recommend the chocolate covered peanut butter cups. They are worth every penny with the smoothest chocolate you can find covering an even smoother creamy peanut butter. You want to eat it as slowly as you can to savor the taste.

Holidays are a special place at Nagel’s whether it is Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, or Christmas. You can see all of the work that goes into lovingly making these specialty chocolates and their displays.

My most recent visit was for Valentine’s Day. There is a range of enormous to small heart containers that you can fill yourself. The seasonal chocolates include solid hearts, flowers, love notes, and chocolate covered strawberries. The store is decorated with such care with ribbons, hearts, and bows for Valentine’s Day. One can see all the hours of labor and love put into Nagel’s.

Nagel’s is truly a landmark of North Jersey. They have been doing business for over 40 decades. Those that have moved out of state and come back often make a special trip to Nagel’s. In their 70’s, Mrs. Nagel runs the Wayne location and Mr. Nagel runs the Randolph location. They have no website, take cash only, and are closed July and most of August. If you love chocolate and home made foods this is a place to visit.

Locations: 1512 Rt 23, Wayne NJ 07470, 973-694-4657
358 Rt 10, Randolph, NJ 07869, 973-361-1688

Jan 27

Top 5 Chocolate Trends of 2012

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Top Five Trends in Chocolate for 2012

There really is no bad or out of season chocolates. We all love those little bite size morsels wrapped in foil. However, chocolatiers are now catering to adult palates. They are true artisans of gourmet chocolate that are developing visual and sensual delights.

The top trends of 2012 are:

1. Dark chocolate combined with super fruits: Dark chocolate in itself has been proven to be “healthy”. With its antioxidants it is said to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and help keep the cardiovascular system running properly. To make it even more desirable to health conscious consumers it is being combined with super fruits that also contain these antioxidants.

2. Artisan Chocolates: These chocolates are true works of art. Homemade treasures. They are not the chocolate that is poured into a heart mold and popped out. The cocoa is selected for aroma and texture. It is quality versus quantity. The chocolates are hand decorated or filled with high quality ingredients.

3. Chocolate covered tropical fruit: Strawberries are not the only fruit for dipping anymore. These gourmet chocolates bring you to the islands. They are sweet and tangy. Varieties include coconut, orange, passion fruit, and guava. You can hear the ocean when you bite into them.

4. Salt in Chocolate: Sea Salt from around the world has become a specialty food. Gourmet chocolate bars, truffles, wafers are all being sprinkled with finishing salts. The flavor is unique that satisfies both the sweet and salty craving.

5. Spicy: Hot! Hot! Hot! Chocolates are combing spicy jalapenos, chili powder, and smoky chipotles to name a few. As you smell the aroma and chew into the creamy chocolate the spice is the last to come. It is an eye opening surprise.

In today’s recession more and more people are buying quality chocolates. It is a bite size treat that makes them feel good when they eat it. Plus, it’s good for you!

Jan 25

Jersey Devil Chocolates

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The Jersey Devil Chocolate is a dark chocolate bar with chipotle spice and cranberries.  It was named after the Jersey Devil who has been part of New Jersey folklore for over 250 years and some say still lurks in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

When coming up with the idea of Jersey Devil Chocolates the Waksman Family could not have done a better job, dark chocolates, super fruits, and spice. This specialty chocolate bar combines them all nicely.  New Jersey is the third largest producer of cranberries and combing that with the spicy devil is a great tribute to the state.

When you open the wrapper you see a beautiful dark chocolate bar.  When you break off a piece you can see pink and red cranberries popping out at you. Don’t let the devil and flames on the packaging fool you.  The spice is not overpowering or burning.  When you first taste the chocolate it is the sweetness of the cranberries that sits on your tongue.  A moment later you say “OH!  There’s the devil spice!”  The combination with the smooth dark chocolate is very unique.

This specialty chocolate bar is a find for North Jersey Foodies.  Another thing we love is that it is a truly a North Jersey family business.  The Waksman family came up with the idea together over dinner, blended and sampled together, and their fourteen year old son drew the picture of the devil for the packaging.

 

You can check out more on their website www.JerseyDevilChocolates.com, Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/JerseyDevilChocolates, Amazon Jersey Devil Chocolates – Dark Chocolate, Chili and Cranberries – Chocolate Bar Chocolate.com, Find the Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift at Chocolate.com

If you have any other great North Jersey Foodie finds please post a reply for all of us to discover!

Visit Jersey Devil Website

Jan 09

Chocolate Etc. Wycoff NJ

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Chocolate Etc is a just what you would think by its name. A Chocolate shop in the heart of Wycoff. They specialize in gift baskets for all occasions. When I visited the store in early January they were transitioning from Christmas and Hanukah to Valentines Day. The store did have a full display case of chocolate candies. Most of these bite size chocolate morsels were home made. However, they do not make any of the truffles or the sugar free candies. The chocolate candy I purchased was fresh. I tested the white chocolate coconut, my favorite, which was very moist and had great coconut flavor. The chocolate chunks were topped with M&Ms and very thick bite of chocolate. The caramel covered chocolate was average. I personally like a more chewy gooey caramel. The store does have a great selection of molds, decorations, and an M&M bar. You can order candy bars with wrappers for any occasion along with any gift basket you can imagine. They also offer birthday parties in their kitchen with several different themes for your tiny chocolatier.  If you are in the area or need a chocolate basket they are worth a stop. www.chocolateetc.com