Michael Swayze's Community Resources

Category: Food

Food is my passion and something I like to do. Shop for food and I’m in heaven. Eat food and nothing can be wrong.

  • Emily’s Restaurant – An Eatery in Elizabeth, New Jersey Worth Visiting

    It’s rare that I write about food but if you know me it’s a big part of my weekly budget and something I enjoy a lot. A number of months ago a local restaurant catered a lunch at work. Everyone agreed the food was the best we had in a long, long time. The place that did the catering was Emily’s Restaurant in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

    If you are around Emily’s – located at 14 West Grand Street, Elizabeth – you have to stop by. It’s the type of place that you would not expect to find great food. You know what I mean. Nothing special about the ambiance, maybe even in an area you least expect quality food. (Reminds me of a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown in New York City that I took my kids to years ago that we simply called “hole in the wall”.) Anyway, Emily’s Restaurant is located right across the street from the Elizabeth train station. The place is owned and operated by Chef Roberto Munoz. He is the former owner of Roberto’s Restaurant in Kenilworth, New Jersey.

    Everything I’ve ever tried at Emily’s is very good, with the exception of an overcooked cheeseburger recently. There are so many items worth eating here. I started off with a crispy chicken sandwich which goes for a very reasonable $2.50. I no longer go to Wendy’s because this sandwich is beyond comparison. Another favorite of mine is the fried calamari appetizer. They claim it is an appetizer but it’s more like a main dish. A great lunch choice. I’ll let you consider visiting there for perhaps their salmon burger or a turkey panini (made with fresh turkey). You can sample their menu by visiting their lunch menu.

    Get out of the office. Visit Emily’s Restaurant, located at 14 West Grand Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey. Their phone number is 908-353-6100.

  • Favorite Food Places

    One of my interests is food, next to computers, politics, family, and work. Now that I plan on blogging perhaps I should share some of the links that were on my former webpage. The list includes Russillo Ristorante on Bloomfield Avenue in West Caldwell; Katz’s Delicatessen on the Lower East Side in New York City; Holsten’s, my favorite ice cream parlor in the whole world; and Corrado’s, a supermarket in Clifton with costumers who come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. It looks like the United Nations.

    Living in Essex County, New Jersey is like living in the best area for good food. Do you have a place you always visit because you know the food will be delicious each and every time you go? Well, my place is called Russillo Ristorante, 675 Bloomfield Avenue, West Caldwell. The owner is Enzo. He makes great Italian food, whether it is soup, pasta, pizza, or any of the many appetizers or main courses on his menu. It looks like a typical pizza joint in the front but there is a small, intimate restaurant in the back. Why you don’t see his restaurant listed in New Jersey Monthly or on a best of list is beyond me. Don’t ask me why because in my book it offers the best Italian food in North Jersey.

    Down the street from me, literally, is an ice cream parlor, Holsten’s, made famous in the last episode of Soprano’s. Don’t be a tourist if you go there and ask for onion rings. Their specialty is ice cream and chocolate.  Be prepared to wait in line at Easter time. Their homemade bunnies are amazing. I get my fix about once or twice a month with a hot fudge sundae. 1063 Broad Street, Bloomfield, just minutes off the Garden State Parkway, exit 151.

    Back onto the Parkway to exit 155 and you are a couple blocks from the best multi-ethnic supermarket anywhere. Want cheese you never heard of? Fruits from all over the world? All at bargain prices is the standard for Corrado’s, 1578 Main Avenue, Clifton. Need directions, just check their website. Once you go there you will always go back.

    The other place that makes my mouth water is Katz’s Delicatessen located on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. Remember the movie ‘When Harry Met Sally’ in which Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm in front of Billy Crystal? The scene was shot at Katz’s. I don’t go there hoping to meet Meg Ryan but that would be nice. Instead I take my kids for the best pastrami you can find. My problem is that it is so delicious and so large that all other pastrami sandwiches in the metroplitan area just can’t match the taste. Does anyone know of a better place than Katz’s?

    These are a few of the places in my top ten places to eat. Try them out.