Jersey City Review - Modcup

Jersey City Review – Modcup

I recently had the pleasure of a freshly brewed cup of coffee from Modcup at the RiverView Fisk Park Farmers Market and let me tell you it was splendid! And I am not just talking about the coffee! Modcup is a coffee roasting company that has set out to change the worlds view on what fresh coffee really means and how knowledgeable they are. My cup of joe was brewed by one of the founders (did I mention his cuteness was only intensified by his accent!) who not only informed me of the different types of coffees that they offered (Columbian, Sumatra, and one other but for the life of me I can’t remember) but also informed me of the different types of brewing methods to get the most out of your coffee.

Aside from my little coffee lesson, I later learned that their introduction to the world was at the Hoboken arts and music festival and that they bring their coffee via cart down to Sinatra between 1st and 2nd. Their coffee is only considered fresh the first 14 days after brewing and they have pledged not to sell a cup on their mobile cart past the 14th day or a bag past the 10th day... all post 14 day bags are donated to a local homeless shelter because not only are they coffee connoisseurs but they give back!

Check them out at www.modcup.com or at one of their mobile carts in Hoboken or Jersey City and support local business

(I am not affiliated with modcup nor am I receiving anything for writing this I just want to spread the word because they are awesome)

Have you had a modcup coffee? Tell me about it

- Miss Lady

New York Review - Tribeca Tavern

New York Review - Tribeca Tavern

The Tribeca Tavern which is located on the corner of west Broadway and Beach Street near the ace canal subway stop is a great local tavern. It is a little gritty and a bit of a dive atmosphere that has a decent menu and well-made drinks. They offer some locally brewed beers as well as your staples. They have happy hour that has a good selection of drinks. Their staff is all sorts of unique.

With an outdoor seating area and a pool table along with precariously placed TVs it is a place to chill with coworkers after work... watch a game, or just ponder life at the bar. I have been in the place a couple of times and the bartenders already recognize me when I come in with a smile and a "how ya been?"

I recommend checking it out if you are in the area. Especially considering that I have yet to be in there without having a good conversation with some of the strangers and everyone has been pleasant.

Have you been to the Tribeca Tavern? Tell me about your experience in the comment section and don’t forget to like or subscribe for more reviews and such

- Miss Lady

New York Review - Tina's Cuban Cuisine

New York Review - Tina's Cuban Cuisine

Located on 56th street between 5th and 6th Ave. Tina's has become one of my lunch staples. It is clean, fast, and tasty deliciousness (in my humble opinion). They offer a wide range of food from cuban sandwiches, yellow and white rice, beans, soups, stews, empanadas, to homemade lemonades, caffe con leche (Spanish coffee), and a fantastic hot sauce. 

The price per portion is amazing. The staff is wonderful. There is seating available. My favorite part, however; is that on Monday Wednesday Friday they serve black beans and Tuesday Thursday they serve pink beans so I can eat lunch here 2 days out of the week and get sides that are completely different from the last time. 

Have you been to Tina's Cuban Cuisine on 56th street? Tell me about your experience in the comments down below. Also dont forget to subscribe for future posts!

- Miss Lady

Hoboken Review - Whiskey Bar to Mills Tavern

Hoboken Review 

Hoboken has become a town of high turnover for retail stores and restaurants. Most recently Whiskey bar to Mills Tavern, Odd Fellows to Cadillac Cantina, and the old Block Buster into Anthropology. 

For the next couple of weeks  I will give my opinions on each location, before and after the change and update far after that to find the trend of why some places stay and some places go. I am going to start with Whiskey Bar which has recently changed to Mills Tavern.

I believe that Management has not changed (still need to confirm that) and I am honestly sad to see Whiskey Bar gone. It was a place with decent music (even though most of the bands were cover bands) and a very specific vibe. Yes the place had become a bit run down and was in need of a make over, it had a certain ambiance. It was a bit gritty and sleazy... a real rock star throw back a shot chase with a Jack and Coke and dance to whatever crowd pleasing band they had on a Thursday through Saturday night. 

Thats just it though, despite the gritty ambiance the place was only really profitable Thursday night through Saturday night and really only from Labor Day through Memorial Day when the younger shore bound patrons were around. Whiskey Bar was also not the only bar in town that had cover bands, and the atmosphere was severely less enjoyable when the place was packed because it just was not large enough for the crowd it could have brought in. Lastly, storm Sandy probably took its toll last October giving the Owner the rare opportunity to revamp and reopen with a new business model, a new name, and a fresh start.

Jump to now, Mills Tavern, a much nicer cleaner ambiance, They purchased/ added the apartments on the second floor to create a much larger space with a back loft.  It is very 'Black Bear' in appearance, and they have added a food menu. I went in during the soft opening and it was apparent that a soft opening was necessary as they had several issues with the food served around me. I was only there for a drink and the bar-tending staff was very pleasant, and the drinks were well made. I also went after their grand opening with Mr. Man, we had the potato chips, Inside out burger, a side of fries and the grilled cheese. The potato chips were bland and a very small portion size; the burger was tasty, a beef patty stuffed with blue cheese and topped with lettuce and tomato, but only slightly larger then a white castle's burger, the fries were decent slightly seasoned but small , and grilled cheese was tasty with 2 kinds of cheese, onion marmalade, on Texas toast and was probably the best portion sized item. Aside from the food being subpar, the only other complaint I could have is the bathroom while clean was  super cold.

All in all I think it was a good business decision  to change the whiskey bar to mills tavern as it allows for them to be 7 days a week, adds a more family friendly day time atmosphere and generates more revenue by adding a food menu. It also has extra space and with the cleaner look it justifies higher prices, however the gritty vibe of whiskey bar will be missed. 

We will see how what time will do for this place. Will it have continued success? Will patrons go else wear because of the food portions? Is it something that Hoboken needed?

Let me know what you think in the comment section and please subscribe for more posts!

- Miss Lady 

Hoboken Review - Block Buster location to Anthropologie

Next up... Blockbuster to Anthropologie

Well Blockbuster has been gone for some time now, and with good reason. There is just not a demand for movie rentals any more what with Netflix, Hulu, and the loads of other online media streaming subscriptions, and while they also offered some game rentals we all know that gamers go to gamestop or just flat out buy the games that they want. That being said, the building has been a pop up for halloween shops and other various things but remained vacant for some time. 

Jump to now, Anthropologie has taken over the spot and the size couldn't be better for a retail store such as Anthropologie as it hosts home goods, nicknacks, clothing and other random unnecessary items. The big question is does hoboken need another high priced store of cute useless items? I am by no means knocking what Anthropologie is, or the items that they offer but I am concerned of its effects being a larger corporation on the little guys in hoboken. For instance, if you want cute unique dishes, you could always shop at Urban Nesters which hosts locally handcrafted dishes. If you are looking for cute candles and soaps there are a ton of locally made soaps and candles available at the farmers markets. Lastly if you want clothing, there are a number of women's clothing stores up and down  Washington street that offer similar product at competitive prices. Again I am not saying Anthropologie is the enemy but I can see how the local and already existing shops may feel threatened by its arrival, and many may wonder (especially with the introduction of a 'Baby Gap') if Hoboken is trending towards a more corporate shopping environment. 

Beyond the concern and back to the review, the location features a large main floor open layout with women's clothing, home goods, and trinkets and a downstairs for some sale items and fitting rooms. It is your standard Anthropologie lay out (as they have become a bit cookie cutter) and the staff is very nice and helpful. 

Do you feel that Hoboken needed an Anthropologie? Do you think it will have a negative impact on the already existing locations in Hoboken? Do you think it will last past their first lease agreement?

Let me know your comments and please subscribe to the blog for more posts

- Miss Lady

Hoboken Review - Odd Fellows to Cadillac Cantina

Next up ... Odd Fellows to Cadillac Cantina. 

Odd Fellows was a New Orleans themed bar/restaurant. It offered Poboys, Jazzy Fries, Mac and Cheese, and a lot more down home New Orleans style comfort food. They started every meal with corn bread and offered an outdoor seating area in the front and the back of house. Late night they offered a Karaoke night, a trivia night, Dj's, 2 precariously placed pool tables and dart boards. A typical Hoboken bar feel. Over time the place had its normal wear and tear and like most places it lost popularity and with the exception of the 'regulars'  (which every bar has) it became a place for all of the overflow of other bars, as in "hey we cant get into this place the line is like 100 people deep... wanna just go to Odd Fellows?". 

With the storm Sandy, just like Whiskey bar, Odd Fellows owner was faced with having to rebuild what so much water damage destroyed and that is when the Cadillac Cantina was born. After months of construction and a soft opening that was 'Friends and Family' only, the Cadillac Cantina was open to the public. Having a  very interesting Mexican Restaurant /  Bar ambiance with a couple separate bars it is a nice upscale place. The renovation of the building created a more open layout with doors opening the indoor dining area to the outdoor front area. I have yet to eat anything in the restaurant, and being a Vegetarian, the menu was not very kind to my eating habits, so there is a good chance I will not go there for food any time soon. The drinks, however; werent bad and are priced the same as Texas Arizona which is next door and owned by the same person. 

There is definitely a greater attention to detail with this location oppose to Odd Fellows. The larger more open front area will hopefully keep the place smelling less like a bar and allow for the aroma of the food to bring a more inviting ambiance to the place. I will miss the Jazzy fries and the Mac and Cheese but I think this change could work, it has more competition as a mexican restaurant what with Charrito's and Baja in town with a larger selection of food but we will see what time has to tell. 

Do you think Hoboken needed another Mexican Restaurant? Will the location save the place? Was it a good move by the owner? Does it really matter because of its location?

Let me know your thoughts in the comment section and subscribe for more posts!

- Miss Lady