Eating Out: Comforting birthday meals, and three good to great places for takeout

Last Saturday, I called Mohamed K. Jello, the congenial owner and cook at Aleppo Restaurant in Paterson, and asked him to prepare a Syrian birthday meal for me, including mujadara, a simple dish of rice, lentils and caramelized onions my Sephardic Jewish mother served when I was growing up in Brooklyn.

Earlier in the day, me and my wife had brunch at Patisserie Florentine in Englewood, where I demolished Benedict A La Florentine with poached eggs and mustard Hollandaise, smoked salmon, toasted brioche and a salad.

Aleppo Restaurant, Patisserie Florentine

 and in Closter, fresh fish from Iceland 

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

I kicked off the celebration of my birthday with a brisk, mid-morning walk in the woods with my wife at my side -- up to the Palisades for an expansive view of the Hudson River, and down to a pond that reflected fall colors.

Then, we drove to Englewood for our first big meal of the day -- I had poached eggs and silken smoked salmon on toasted brioche, and she ordered a fresh mozzarella-and-tomato omelet with potatoes and Israeli salad. 

We had my birthday dinner at Aleppo Restaurant, which serves many of the dishes my Sephardic Jewish mother, who was born in the Syrian city in the early 1900s, prepared when I was growing up in Brooklyn.

I called ahead to order mujadara, a simple dish of rice, lentils and caramelized onions eaten with yogurt, cucumber and dried mint; as well as a whole red snapper. 

Mujadara was the focus of the dairy meal my mother served on Saturday nights when I was growing up in a large Sephardic Jewish neighborhood of Syrian immigrants in Brooklyn.

With the mujadara, we ate yogurt, chopped cucumber and mint. The yogurt-cucumber sauce was $5, and a plate of rice, lentils and onions with salad was $10.

This beautifully grilled whole red snapper was juicy inside ($15).

Salad dressed in oil, lemon juice and mint was served with the mujadara.

A plate of muhammara, a spicy red-pepper dip with walnuts, and hummus was $5.

My wife and mother-in-law started with small bowls of addes or pureed lentil soup ($3 each).

To finish, I asked for a cup of Turkish coffee scented with cardamom, prepared medium sweet.

As we ate, we were serenaded by Umm Kulthum (also spelled Om Kalthoum), the legendary Egyptian singer, accompanied by a large string orchestra. My mother played records of Kulthum and other singers to entertain friends invited to our home for coffee and pastries.

Aleppo Restaurant is at 939 Main St. (Thomas Street) in Paterson's Middle Eastern and Turkish shopping district, also called South Paterson; 1-973-977-2244. The restaurant is halal, and customers aren't allowed to bring or consume alcohol there. Aleppo is open 7 days and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. See the restaurant's Facebook page.

At Patisserie Florentine in Englewood, my wife's Omelet Royale Brunch Special with freshly squeezed orange juice and English Breakfast Tea was $16.75. My Benedict A La Florentine Brunch Special with juice and Cafe Latte was $18.95.

Patisserie Florentine, 10 S. Dean St. in Englewood (1-201-408-4890), was packed when we arrived about 10 minutes to noon last Saturday, and we had to wait for a table and wait some more for our food. A better time for brunch would have been 1 p.m. I was able to charge my all-electric Tesla Model S for free in the nearby municipal garage, where I paid $1.50 for 2 hours of parking.

A takeout trio in Closter

Every month or so since I moved to Hackensack, I've driven nearly 10 miles to Closter for a great haircut at Dong Yang Barber Shop at 570 Piermont Road, in the Closter Commons shopping center.

And in the process, I've discovered good and great places for takeout.

(Driving local streets in northern New Jersey is such an ordeal, I sometimes refer to the town as "Farster.")

At the top of my list for takeout is The Fish Dock at 219A Closter Dock Road (1-201-564-7939), where street parking is free.

The fresh fillets and cod cheeks in the refrigerated case are from pristine North Atlantic waters surrounding the owners' native Iceland, supplemented with seafood from the Gulf of Mexico.

On Thursday, I stopped there to pick up a ready to cook Fish & Vegetable Medley of Cod and Salmon with sweet peppers, onion and asparagus in a citrus-lemon marinade ($18.99 a pound).

I asked for 1.5 pounds of the medley, which was placed in an aluminum pan that I popped into a preheated 400-degree oven at home, and the boneless-and-skinless fillets were ready in little over 10 minutes (thicker fillets take about 15 minutes).

Also on Thursday in Closter, I got Vietnamese takeout from Ma Mi Eatery, 543 Durie Ave. (1-201-660-7826), and Korean food from Myung Ga Tofu & BBQ, 570 Piermont Road (1-201-768-7400).

My fourth stop was at Whole Foods Market in the Closter Plaza shopping center for organic Opal and Golden Delicious Apples and Bosc Pears ($1.69 to $1.99 a pound).

At home, I paired cod, salmon and vegetables from The Fish Dock with Rice Noodles and Grilled Tofu from Ma Mi Eatery ($9.95).

The Fish Dock also prepares fully cooked lunches and dinners to go. On Friday, the market offered two lunch specials, Seafood Bisque and Red Fish Tacos with Icelandic Shrimp Salsa, Chipotle Mayo and Saffron Rice.

On Thursday, the fresh fish from Iceland included Lemon Sole, European Plaice and Wolffish.

The 1.5 pounds of Fish & Vegetable Medley I took home from The Fish Dock was enough for three meals supplemented with a side dish and salad.

At Ma Mi Eatery, the De-Constructed Banh Mi Salad ($7.50) with a topping of Grilled Vegetables ($3) included kale, sprouts, pickled vegetables, radish, jalapeno, cucumber, cilantro, crispy onions and a light sesame vinaigrette. Next time, I'd ask them to hold the tongue-searing sliced jalapeno with seeds.

At the fast-casual Ma Mi Eatery, you order at the counter and your food is delivered to your table.

My wife liked her takeout Tofu Soup with Pork ($9.99 at lunch) from Myung Ga Tofu & BBQ. You can choose the degree of heat, from "plain" to "danger." She chose "hot." The four free side dishes that came with the soup were just average in quality and quantity.

Myung Ga Tofu & BBQ is a small, full service restaurant in the Closter Commons shopping center, a few doors away from the Dong Yang Barber Shop.

I had a second meal of the Fish & Vegetable Medley from The Fish Dock along with greaseless pieces of a seafood-and-vegetable pancake or Haemul Pajeon from Myung Ga Tofu & BBQ ($8.99).

We love the pond at the Greenbrook Sanctuary, a 165-acre woodland preserve in Tenafly that is open to members only. Last Saturday, we enjoyed the fall colors. Anyone can join Greenbrook. Find membership information here.

At Greenbrook, we got to the top of the Palisades around 10:30 in the morning for this overcast view of the Hudson River north of the George Washington Bridge.

Eating Out + Eating In: Ma Mi Eatery, Lotus Cafe, Korean-style quinoa and more

Rice Noodles topped with creamy Grilled Tofu and splashed with fish sauce ($9.95) at Ma Mi Eatery, a fast-casual Vietnamese restaurant in Closter from the same family that gave us Simply Vietnamese in Tenafly and its predecessor, Saigon R in Englewood.

Owners Joseph Diovisalvo, a third-generation Vietnamese chef; and wife Amy Nguyen, in kitchen door at right. His grandmother, Marie Tran, opened her first Vietnamese restaurant in Queens in 1974. His mother is K.T. Tran Diovisalvo, chef-owner of Simply Vietnamese.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

Ma Mi Eatery in Closter is another reason we favor Asian food when we eat out or order food to go.

I stopped at the fast-casual Vietnamese restaurant for a quick lunch and takeout on Thursday after having my hair cut at Dong Yang, a Korean barbershop in Closter Commons, a nearby shopping center.

Another great reason to visit Closter is The Fish Dock, where the fresh fillets in the case were caught in Iceland just a day or two ago.

At Ma Mi Eatery, I couldn't finish my delicious Rice Noodles with Grilled Tofu, so added the container to the shopping bag with takeout for my wife, son and mother-in-law:

Beef Combo Pho, an anise-flavored soup, with sprouts, cilantro, jalapeno and lime ($11); Spicy Ma Mi, a Vietnamese-style banh mi sandwich with buttermilk fried chicken, spicy Asian slaw and jalapeno ($8.95); and Grilled Basa Fillet over Rice ($12.95).

Ma Mi Eatery seats up to 20. 

The restaurant's name is a play on "mom" and "mi," Vietnamese for noodles or sandwich (banh mi), both menu staples.

DETAILS: Ma Mi Eatery, 546 Durie Ave., Closter; 1-201-660-7826. Closed Mondays. Website: I Want My Ma Mi

MORE TAKEOUT: From Lotus Cafe, 450 Hackensack Ave., in Hackensack's Home Depot Shopping Center, clockwise from top left: X.O. Seafood E-Mein, braised noodles with seafood in a sauce of anchovy, shrimp roe, dried scallops and herbs ($15.95); Chinese Broccoli stir-fried with fresh garlic ($10.95) and Filet of Sole with Scallion & Ginger ($17.95).

EATING IN: After preparing 2 cups of Organic Quinoa in 4 cups of Organic Chicken Broth in an electric cooker, I put the quinoa in a large bowl and combined it with Bibimbap Vegetables from H Mart. Here, I enjoyed the versatile whole-grain, low-carb side dish with an egg-white omelet stuffed with reduce-fat Swiss cheese and leftover marinara sauce.

H Marts in Little Ferry, Englewood, Fort Lee and Ridgefield sell the Korean-style seasoned vegetables for $7.99. This version is from Jinga, an H Mart supplier in Queens, N.Y. 

EATING OUT: At Seafood Gourmet, the fish market-restaurant in Maywood, I enjoyed a beautifully balanced lunch of pan-seared Soft Shell Crabs with potato and steamed vegetables ($18).

A friend started with Seafood Gourmet's wild-caught Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail ($13).

EATING IN: My wife brought home Icelandic Haddock Fillets from Costco Wholesale in Teterboro ($8.99 a pound), and I put a delicious fish-and-vegetable medley on the table in less than 30 minutes. The Fish Dock in Closter sells a ready to cook version.

My fish-and-vegetable medley was ready in under 15 minutes in a preheated 400-degree oven: Organic spinach drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, skinless-and-boneless haddock cut into serving pieces, chopped pitted olives, capers and fresh lemon juice. Once the pan was out of the oven, I added pesto; a reduction of organic diced tomatoes, shallots and red wine I cooked separately; and shredded fresh basil.

EATING IN: Fresh wild-caught whole Porgies were only $2.99 a pound at the H Mart, 260 Bergen Turnpike, Little Ferry.

We also had a Broccoli Salad with Garlic and Sesame from a recipe in The New York Times.

EATING IN: Organic Whole Wheat Linguine with marinara, diced tomatoes, sardines and anchovies, above, and Organic Whole Wheat Shells, below, have fewer carbs then conventional pasta. The linguine is from ShopRite. Only Whole Foods Market carries whole wheat shells. Both are about $1.50 a pound.

Organic Whole Wheat Shells from Whole Foods Market are wonderful for breakfast topped with two Organic Eggs from Costco Wholesale with Aleppo red pepper, grated cheese and fresh herbs.

TAKEOUT: I don't eat meat, but other family members do, so we got a half sausage, half vegetable pizza from the Food Court at the Costco Wholesale Business Center in Hackensack (an 18-inch pizza is $9.95).

BREAD RUN: On Friday, I stopped at the retail store of Balthazar Bakery on South Dean Street in Englewood for two signature Baguettes, still $2 each, and hamburger buns, below.

Six Balthazar Bakery Whole Grain Burger Buns, left, were $4.50. Six Plain Burger Buns were $3.

Balthazar's tarts and pastries are to die for or die from.

SHIT SHOW: On Thursday, I stopped at the ShopRite on Forest Avenue and Route 4 east in Paramus to take advantage of a sale on Northwest Bing Cherries ($1.88 a pound), and was confronted by this mess.

Also at the Paramus ShopRite, I could find only four New Jersey peaches that weren't cut, heavily blemished or soft. And the price per pound went up to $1.99 from $1.69 last week.

The Paramus ShopRite was offering 3 1-pound packages of Farm Promise Grass-Fed Ground Beef for $14.97, but the store was out of stock on Thursday. The ground beef is locally raised on family farms without harmful human antibiotics or hormones, ShopRite says.

At the Paramus ShopRite last month, I bought grass-fed Nature's Reserve Whole Beef Tenderloin from Australia on sale for $6.99 a pound, compared to $8.99 a pound and $12.99 a pound for the same cuts of domestic beef.

On the road

EATING OUT: On July 5, we stopped in Queensbury, N.Y., to charge my all-electric Tesla Model S. At Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub, above, I had a surprisingly good lunch of Simply Seasoned Fresh Haddock, pan roasted and served on a bed of steamed fresh spinach with a side of Cajun Rice ($15.49). The Summer Seasonal Menu also offered lobster rolls.

NORTH OF THE BORDER: At Marius, 50 St. Catherine St. West in Montreal, me and my wife split Le Pagnol, a tasty warm sandwich of marinated salmon with lemon confit, grilled pepper and aioli ($9.25 Canadian), below.

REGENCY CLUB: At the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Montreal, me and my wife paid a total of $50 Canadian a day extra for a large buffet breakfast, including granola, plain yogurt and honey, above (normally $24.50 Canadian per person); a light dinner of soup, salad, cheese and desserts, below; and unlimited coffee, tea and cookies during the day.

MONTREAL COSTCO: Three-liter jugs of Elara-brand Extra-Virgin Olive Oil from the Greek island of Crete were $18.99 Canadian or about $15.15 each at the Costco Wholesale on Bridge Street in Montreal. At the IGA Supermarket in the Complexe Desjardins, I picked up a 2.2-pound bag of Cubita Coffee Beans from Cuba for $15.99 Canadian or about $12.75.