Muscle Maker Grill Opens Tonight

The Muscle Maker Grill is to be making a soft opening tonight beginning at 5pm. Muscle Maker replaces Camille's Cafe in the northwest corner of Harborside Plaza 4A.

Mystery Lounge Opens Quietly, Weekends Only

This unlabeled bar and lounge opened last weekend on the corner of Newark and 1st Street. According to a little sign on the window, Port-O Lounge is only opened Thursday through Sunday.

Bar Guide Launched for Jersey City

JerseyCityBarGuide.com, a new, locally operated bar guide has been launched online, promising comprehensive reviews and claims to present more information than existing guides. We're not amused. But we have to admit the site looks sharp. Cheers, JerseyCityBarGuide, you win this round.

OX Officially Toast

OX, which had been closed the past week for "vacation" is officially closing. A note left posted outside thanking patrons and staff announced the closing and a for sale sign sums things up. OX was one of Jersey City's finest eateries.

Atomic Wings Taking Baby Steps

The long awaited Atomic Wings on Newark Avenue has removed the paper from the windows, perhaps in anticipation of opening, or maybe just to tease eager residents. Either way there is now furniture-- tables and chairs-- inside, as well as refrigerators for sodas.

Beer Garden Opens to Crowds

Friday night saw the opening of the Zeppelin Beer Hall, a massive German style beer garden in the base of the Zenith, a luxury rental tower in the newly opened neighborhood of Liberty Harbor North on the south side of the downtown. The beer hall has a capacity of 800 and claims more than 144 taps, though the total number of available beers is much lower than that.

The main beer hall features two separate rooms with bars, as well as a food service station. Within the hall are picnic tables that match those outside, and in the secondary room is a small bandstand, though no musicians performed over the weekend.

Friday service opened to a beautiful summer afternoon interrupted only briefly by a sudden downpour. But the beauty of Zeppelin Hall is the large capacity inside as well as out, and until the rain passed, there was plenty of room indoors. After the rain cleared, the outdoor tables quickly filled.

The staff seemed unprepared Friday to deal with the crush of people. The two indoor bars were both overwhelmed and the outdoor bar did not open Friday. The bartenders flipped a stack of credit cards representing open tabs like a pile of playing cards. Customers could choose from a half liter ($5), liter ($10), or pitcher ($15), and the sheer number of orders simply slowed service to a crawl.

The garden abuts against the light rail track, and the train sounds an air horn as it approaches a grade crossing and Jersey Avenue station, also adjacent to the garden. Saturday night patrons began cheering each time a train passed to the chagrin of residents of the Zenith rental building prompting noise complaints.

Sunday afternoon brought out a family crowd, and by late afternoon the garden was again filled with everyone seven to seventy. The installation of umbrellas provided shade Sunday too. By Sunday, the long lines for beer seemed to have abated, and the outdoor taps were turned on.

The beer hall has plenty of room indoors and out. There is plenty of space between tables to walk, and enough open areas where groups of people can gather.

The kitchen serves a variety of burgers and German style sausages. By Sunday, they had sold out of most of the sausage varieties, with only a kielbasa available, served with fries and sauerkraut. The burgers are passable; some interesting combinations are available, including burgers with kielbasa, but the beef isn't terribly high quality. The fries were fresh, crisp and everything you would want.

Parking is available at a lot on Jersey Avenue, about a block away from the beer hall. But with easy access to public transportation, and the quantity of beer flowing from the establishment, its probably better not to drive. The Jersey Avenue light rail station is a block away and trains run every ten minutes. The location is also just 6 blocks from the Grove Street PATH station, making the beer hall about 15 minutes door to door from lower Manhattan, a far easier trip than the hour to Astoria. See the Google Map for how to get there from the PATH and Light Rail.


After an early rain storm, crowds fill up the garden on Friday night



A mock German style building inside the beer hall adds to the whimsy


The floors inside the beer hall add to the German feel


Sunday afternoon was a family friendly crowd


Umbrellas were installed Sunday morning


Yes, that's the window of a luxury rental apartment 10 feet above the beer garden


By Sunday, the outdoor bar was operating too

Beer Garden Finally Opening

Rumor has it that the Zeppelin Hall, a German Style Biergarten is finally expected to open on Friday afternoon, serving up beer and sausages and all sorts of German food.

A tipster sent us the above photo as well as this one from the inside:



Zeppelin Hall is located in the base of the Zenith, shown below, in Liberty Harbor North.

Camille's Cafe to be Replaced by Muscle Maker Grill

A Muscle Maker Grill is set to replace Camille's cafe in the base of Harborside 4A, next to the Fat Burger.

Tasti D-Lite Coming to Grove Pointe

Tasti D-Lite, the faux ice cream chain is coming to Jersey City in the base of the Grove Pointe tower. Grove Pointe is a little outpost of Manhattan with both a Starbucks and Duane Reade.

Via JCList

Legal Beans Gets New Location

Donwtown cafe Legal Beans will soon have a new location just off Newark Avenue on Division Street. The new store is a bit off the beaten path on the far end west side of the downtown, but for many the trek will be well worth the effort.

Atomic Wings

The mythical Atomic Wings on Newark Avenue is slowly becoming a reality.

Bakery Begins Construction, Joins Facebook

Cocoa Bakery has begun construction on the interior of their retail space at Liberty Harbor, and posted photos on their Facebook page.

Philly Pretzel Factory Opening Soon

Add the Philly Pretzel Factory to the list of chain restaurants coming to downtown Jersey City. The pretzel factory is the second chain opening in the base of the Montgomery-Greene tower; Van Houtte Cafe also opened next door.

Sweeter Side of Jersey City

Cocoa Bakery and Cafe is coming to Liberty Harbor North, a few doors down from Edible Arrangements. The bakery and cafe is the product of pastry chef Jessica Isaacs of notable Manhattan eatery, Nobu.

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, the Made with Love Organic Bakery will soon be replacing Sweet Priscilla. The new bakery is just a few doors away from cookie factory Feed Your Soul.



Cocoa Bakery Cafe
Made With Love

Long Rumored Atomic Wings Work Continues

For over a year, the Newark Avenue storefront at Bay Street has been more or less partially renovated, but vacant. In the past few weeks though, signs of life have appeared at the seemingly abandoned project with the old building facade ripped down, and the former "Palace Drugs" half removed. New doors have been installed. There is no indication though if Atomic Wings is still the intended tenant.

Knitting Cafe to Replace Failed Deli on Jersey Avenue

The Stockinette, a knitting cafe, will open in a store front on Jersey Avenue at Third Street. The long vacant storefront had been home to the mythical Gabagoolz Italian Deli, a store that never seemed to be opened, but took years to officially close. The Stockinette also has a website.

Restaurant Week Begins Monday

Monday marks the beginning of Hudson Restaurant Week. Participants offer prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner, starting at $13 and $23, respectively. Unfortunately, unlike New York's restaurant week, some participants charge more, and often the discount on the meal is minimal.

New downtown restaurants The Embankment and John's Pizza have joined the program. Both restaurants opened earlier this year. Also participating are two restaurants off of NJ Monthly Magazine's list of top 25 restaurants: Ox and Edward's Steakhouse.

Diner to be Supersized

The Brownstone Diner, a downtown eatery featured a few months back on the Food Network, is preparing for massive expansion. The two story renovation is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2008, according to their website. The diner only finished its most recent renovation three years ago, though long lines plague the establishment. The rendering shows a double story design with a balcony and turrets.

Retail Happenings

Shoes are out and deli meats are in over on Jersey Avenue where Marow Deli has replaced the former Shoe Fetish. The best news is the deli promises 24-hour a day service, meaning another set of eyes watching the street.



Sawa Steakhouse and Sushi bar is closer to opening in the corner of Gulls Cove having plastered the windows with bright blue signage.



A grocery store is rumored to be coming to the empty retail space in the base of Liberty Towers. The long vacant retail space is too small for a mega grocery like Whole Foods, but Paulus Hook is desperately in need of a local grocery store. Grocery stores often pay lower rates than other retail stores, but they are often seen as an amenity by potential residents, increasing rents and property values.

La Rustique Open for Business

La Rustique pizzeria has officially opened for business at its new location at Fifth Street and Jersey Avenue. The former Paulus Hook favorite moves to the Harsimus Cove neighborhood, occupying a retail space that once housed GO, a gourmet cheese shop known for selling goods past their sell by dates.

The pizza's thin crust, fresh mozzarella, and sweet tomato sauce is hard to beat, and a serious loss for Paulus Hook residents. The Paulus Hook location was shuttered a few days ago. Rumor has it, the landlord is looking to open his own eatery.

For now, only pizza is available, either by the slice or as a pie. Customers should for now head straight to the side of the building on Fifth Street, where they will find a friendly pizza maker. The cafe portion of the restaurant on the corner of Jersey Avenue will eventually serve sandwiches and Italian dishes but will not open until after Independence Day.

Cocoa Bakery Cafe Coming to Liberty Harbor

Liberty Harbor North will be home to a new cafe and bakery by Nobu's pastry chef Jessica Isaacs. Cocoa Bakery Cafe will open by the year's end at the latest, though likely sooner. The cafe will feature pastries, cakes and desserts, as well as offering custom made wedding cakes.

Cocoa Bakery Cafe joins Edible Arrangements along the Grand Street retail corridor.

2008 Farmer's Market Roundup

2008 has meant a record number of farmer's markets providing fresh produce, baked goods, and of course, pickles. But none of the markets operate daily, and they all show up at different times.

Grove Street PATH Plaza
Newark Avenue
Mondays
4pm to 8pm

Hamilton Park
Wednesdays
2pm to 8pm

Journal Square
PATH Plaza
Wednesdays
10:30am to 7:30pm

Van Vorst Park
Park entrance at Montgomery Street
Saturday
8am to 2pm

Paulus Hook
Washington Street and Dudley Street
Saturday
11am to 4pm

There is no farmers market in Newport this year; the opening of Morton Williams has lead to a termination of that market.

Japanese Eatery Coming to 50 Columbus

Construction permits on "retail 2" at 50 Columbus -- a retail location on the northeast corner of the tower -- indicate that a Japanese themed restaurant will soon be installed. On one permit, "Tokyo Kitchen" is listed, which also happens to be a restaurant in Montclair, New Jersey. Whether the two are related is undetermined.

Burger Joint Coming to Athena

Cobblestone Cafe and Bar will be opening on Washington Blvd in the base of the Athena tower, joining neighbors Chili's and Uno Chicago Grill.

Internet Fuels Whole Foods Speculation

The original Whole Foods rumor was started shortly after Jersey City's first two yuppies met each other. Years later, there's still no Whole Foods, and the rumors keep swirling.

One such rumors was started here, on April 1, 2006, posting alongside such headlines as "West Side Stadium Heads West: Hoboken Jets to Play 2008 Season" and "Staten Island Concedes, Hudson County Becomes Fifth Borough" a short blurb suggesting Whole Foods was coming to Jersey City. April 1st is also known as April Fool's Day, a holiday celebrating practical jokes.

Six months later, a Jersey Journal article ran suggesting Whole Foods would eventually become an anchor tenant in Liberty Harbor North. Developer Peter Mocco would not then confirm his development was in negotiations with Whole Foods.

Meanwhile, Whole Foods continued to roll out new stores across the river in Manhattan. Early in 2007, Whole Foods was rumored to be coming to Newport's River Market, a retail block referring to the completed Shore Club and under construction Aqua tower. That grocery store turned out to be a Morton Williams, a 30,000 square foot space. That store is set to open in about a month.

Also in 2007, Mocco again confirmed Liberty Harbor was seeking a gourmet grocery store for for a major retail building on the corner of Grand Street and Jersey Avenue. However, Whole Foods was not definite, with Wegmans and Trader Joe's being suggested as alternatives by real estate agents.

The most recent rumor began today when a poster on JCList mentioned contacting a representative from Northwest Atlantic Real Estate Services. Northwest provides real estate services to major retailers, including Whole Foods. The response from the agent was simply "There is something in the works." Several hours later, new blog Grove Street "confirmed" the rumor. Accord to Grove Street blog, the representatives reply was "We are working on some stuff in jc. The exact location is still under wraps. Stay tuned."

Such rumors immediately lead to speculation across the internet as where a new Whole Foods would be located. Whole Foods requires fifty to sixty thousand square feet, and prefers on site, dedicated parking, according to an old Whole Foods website. Obviously, Whole Food's Manhattan outlets have forgone with dedicated parking. Whether or not the store would be willing to do the same in Jersey City is uncertain.

Given the size requirements, few planned retail spaces would provide large enough square footage for Whole Foods. Presently, no vacant, existing retail space downtown would accommodate the store. Newport, having just leased retail space to a competing store, won't be inviting Whole Foods to any of their retail space anytime soon. The under construction 77 Hudson Street has only 20,000 feet of retail planned, according to the JC Reporter, and that space is divided.

One suggestion on JCList was that Whole Foods was partnering with the recently approved Toll Brothers Powerhouse development; such a deal would probably bolster sales for Toll. Toll's outer borough properties have been rumored to be selling slowly, and the added amenity of a Whole Foods might be seen as a key component to the massive project. Another possibility would be that Liberty Harbor North finally closed a deal with Whole Foods for their planned retail structure. Other downtown projects currently under construction are not large enough for Whole Foods.

Regardless of its accuracy, the rumors once again are spreading across the internet. In all likelihood, today's rumor is simply the usual hype of enthusiasts hoping for a Whole Foods.

Gourmet Chinese Restaurant Set to Open This Week

Grand Sichuan bought Grove Street noodle shop DJ Garden (pictured below) a few months back and now are in the process of renovating the restaurant. Grand Sichuan promises genuine Sichuan cuisine, and should be open March 13th.




Grand Sichuan via JC List

Retail Happenings

Duane Reade Now Hiring
The long awaited Duane Reade planned for retail space in the Grove Pointe apartment tower may soon be opening its doors. The retail space along Newark Avenue, just west of the condominium entrance, is now donning the tell tale "Duane Reade Red" trim on interior walls and columns. And of course, there is this posted sign declaring the new location is seeking new hires.



Vintage Store Replaces Tea House
Local vintage store Another Man's Treasure is set to move in April from its current Brunswick Street location to 353 Grove Street. Janam Tea House, the former tenant of the Grove Street location, packed up and moved to the Pacific Northwest in February.



The Embankment Opens In Schroeder Lofts
A new restaurant and bar opened over the weekend in the corner retail space of the Schroeder Lofts. The Embankment is from the same folks who run The Merchant, a Grove Street establishment. Menus are online; the restaurant is located at Erie and 10th.

Coffee Chain Coming to Dixon Mills

Port City Java, a smaller national coffee retailer is set to open a downtown Jersey City location as noted by QSR Magazine. The new location is set to open a franchise at 158 Wayne Street near the Dixon Mills complex.

Ox Impresses NY Times, Us

The New York times ran a review of the Newark Avenue eatery that was nothing less than stellar. Ox opened last year on what is still a rather derelict section of Newark Avenue. The only thing we think the Times got wrong is the desserts. Ox's savory food can't be beat downtown, but for dessert, we recommend sticking to the liquid variety of sweet cocktails.

Bits & Briefs

New Bar On Newark Avenue
A post on JCList points to construction permits issued for 284 First Street. The retail space, which essentially faces Newark Avenue, "has a permit in it's retail window for construction of a new bar/restaurant." Good news for local foodies, alcoholics.

Fiber Optics Creeping South
Verizon crews have been scurrying around the Hamilton Park neighborhood recently. Rumor has it they are laying fiber optic cables for FiOS service. Today crews on Jersey Avenue were as far south as 4th Street. Don't cancel your Comcast service just yet, it could be several more months before anyone is even offered a hookup.

Local Sports Teams Seek Registrants
ZogSports NJ, an adult recreation sports league, has opened up registration for spring sports.

Restaurant Week Arrives

Actually, restaurant TWO weeks. But who's counting. Check it out: Hudson Restaurant

2008 To Be "Year of the Coffee House"

For some, the arrival of a Starbucks on Grove Street means Jersey City has finally arrived. Or, Jersey City is officially over. Either way, another Starbucks is also set to open near exchange place. So is Cosi. And Van Houtte Cafe.

Cosi's arrival was announced last March, but only recently have signs gone up in the windows of the space it will occupy adjacent to the light rail station. The new Cosi location is directly across the street from an existing Au Bon Pain, which is only a block from the rumored location of Van Houtte Cafe.

Hudson Street is about to become saturated with coffee shops. In addition to the three that are about to open, Amazon Cafe opened late last year in the base of 3 Second Street, and City Beans and Cafe Ritazza are still serving up coffee too.

Of course, if the Starbucks mantra is to be believed, you can always sell more coffee.

Hibachi Confirmed for Gulls Cove

Globest.com reports that Sawa Hibachi has signed a lease for Gulls Cove, a Metrohomes tower under construction in the Liberty Harbor North redevelopment area of Jersey City. The building sits across the street from the Marin Blvd. Light Rail Station and is five blocks from the Grove Street PATH station.

Via JCList.

The Embankment Comes to Schroeder Lofts

Tenth Street condominium building Schroeder Lofts is pretty much completed except for a small retail space on the corner of Erie. It seems this space will soon be The Embankment bar, lounge and restaurant. The Embankment will likely be similar to The Merchant, a Grove Street bar and restaurant by the same folks. The Embankment is one block east of neighborhood bar Hamilton Park Ale House.

Bits & Briefs

You live where?
The Financial Times of London jumps on the Jersey City bandwagon; Staten Island Jealous, Wonders Where London Is.

Credit crash creates a boon
"We have 3,000 units in the pipeline in Jersey City, spread out among five projects, and they are all rental."

Skinner's Loft to Open Wednesday!?
Or Not. We'll see.

Restaurant Week Starts Monday

For all the foodies, Monday marks the beginning of Hudson County's Restaurant Week. Similar to New York's version, restaurant week features prix-fixe meals for various eateries in Jersey City, Hoboken, and elsewhere along the Gold Coast. For a full list of participating restaurants, prix-fixe pricing, and available days, visit Hudson Restaurant Week. Be warned, not every prix-fixe menu is a deal. Check out many of the restaurants' regular menus at Hudson Menus before making your reservations.

Bits & Briefs

PGA Tournament With a View of the New York City Skyline
The New York Times reports that The Barclays golf tournament is coming to Liberty National in 2009

Publishing photos of poop perpetrators
The Hudson Reporter notes that Hoboken wants to print the pictures of dog owners convicted of leaving dog shit on the ground.

Jersey City Celiac Disease Meetup Group
Someone dropped us a line about a gluten free group in the area, and since we love fan mail, we're given the group a shout out. So if you live a gluten free lifestyle by choice or necessity, you have some friends downtown.

BIts & Briefs

OKs shorter abatement
Grove Pointe's abbreviated abatement on the rental portion of the tower was approved.

Cinco Tacos, Hold de Mayo
Downtown Taqueria gets some love from the Hudson Current

Toll Brother's City Living
Hoiboken411 reports on Toll Brother's ratings of housing markets. The Jersey City / Hoboken Market gets high marks.

Bits & Briefs

Ibby's Returns
Ibby's Falafel, the much beloved Grove Street fixture closed for months of renovations has finally reopened. Go, eat falafel.

Developer scales back abatement
Grove Pointe is backing out of its 20 year tax abatement in favor of phasing in regular taxes over the next five years citing a savings for the developer.

This Way Up
New Jersey Monthly gives some love to Jersey City, months after New York Magazine, totally justifying our name once again.

Demolition Begins
Hoboken Hero has some great demolition porn from the west side of Hoboken.

Bits & Briefs

Comfort food, Middle Eastern style
The Journal reviews Paulus Hook eatery 2 Aprons.

Light Rail Work Set
Service interruptions on the Light Rail this weekend.

Retaurant Row Finally Getting Restaurants

Newark Avenue's restaurant row has long been missing a critical component: the restaurants. Almost two years ago, ordinances were changed to allow restaurants operating on Newark Avenue to serve alcohol much later in the evening with the hope that the change would spur new restaurants to arrive.

While Grove Street at the eastern end of Newark Avenue has a number of restaurants, dinning along Newark Avenue was mostly confined to take-away establishments. Things began changing when last year, local casual dinning chain Its Greek to Me opened a lcation on the corner of Newark and Jersey Avenues. And last summer brought a proliferation of outdoor seating along Grove Street; now every restaurant between the Hard Grove at Columbus Drive heading south to the Majestic lounge at Montgomery Street has sidewalk tables.

Newark Avenue might finally be hitting a turning point though as this spring will bring at least two new restaurant openings. Skinner's Loft, a bar and restaurant is opening a few doors down from the LITM lounge. Skinner's is rumored to be from the former owner of neighborhood bar Hamilton Park Ale House. Meanwhile, Newark Avenue will also have Thai cuisine from a new restaurant, Sawadee. With Newark Avenue finally growing into its designation as a restaurant row, its also facing a critical juncture: world class dinning competitive with Manhattan, or a new fraternity row competitive only with Hoboken. Only time will tell.

BELOW: Skinners Loft is a new restaurant and bar coming to Newark Avenue



BELOW: Sawadee Thai Cuisine will soon be coming to Newark Avenue

Bits & Briefs

La Rustique Bakeria
Slice.com gives La Rustique in Jersey City a glowing review.

PATH Train derails in New Jersey
Twice in one week? Sounds like the Port Authority has a track problem.

Phony bloggers who do not excite.
Tris McCall calls out shitty marketing website destinationjerseycity.com for being a shitty marketing website.

Second Cosi Location Coming to Exchange Place

One Exchange Place will soon be home to Jersey City's second Cosi, reports GlobeSt.com. The Cosi location will be essentially across the street from competitor Au Bon Pain. Both chains feature deli-style dining with a selection of gourmet panini sandwiches, salads, and pastries. Cosi is prolific throughout Manhattan though rare in New Jersey.

Bits & Briefs

Jersey Pearl
The New York Post discovers Jersey City. Most interesting tidbit-- only 8 units remain in the North Tower of the Shore Club.

Tea for Two
Jersey Journal shows Janam Indian Tea Shop the love.

NJ Transit study to determine light rail's impact
Next week officials ask whether people prefer jet packs or flying cars.

Hoboken Southwest Development
Hoboken411 has a bit about redeveloping the southwest corner of Hoboken with 8 story buildings.

Hudson Restaurant Week Begins

Today marks the start of Hudson Restaurant Week, the two week long event where restaurants throughout Jersey City and Hoboken offer prix fixe menus.

Eat Me

Hudson Restaurant Week is coming at the end of January, which means (relatively) cheap eats at a number of spots from Paulus Hook to Hoboken. Meanwhile, it seems Hoboken will be getting a fondue chain restaurant We're unsure as to whether we should be thrilled or appalled.

Restaurant Week Begins On Monday

The Hudson Resturant Week begins on Monday, January 23 and will continue weekdays until February 3rd. The special includes prix-fixe meals starting at $15 for lunch and $30 for dinners.

Melted

Melt, a Jersey City restaurant rumored to have excellent food, apparently is closing down, at least for now.

Retaurant Row Approved

The council voted to extend drinking hours of bars along Newark Avenue creating a restaurant row. Essentially the ordiance allows restaurants to serve alcohol beyond the 11pm curfew previously enforced, to 2 a.m. on weeknights and 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The intent is that new restaurants will open along Newark Avenue, further revitalizing the area. Alcohol after all, is critical in a restaurant's profitability. Meanwhile, some local residents were against the move, fearing noise and traffic, insisting that Dollar Stores and homeless people were critical to preserving the neighborhood's character.

"Restaurant Row" Could Be Coming

For a while now, there has been talk of creating a restaurant row in Jersey City, including late night dinning. Jersey City Vibe discusses the current issues facing the city council.

Eat Me: Retaurant Week Comes To Hudson County

So yeah, we're posting this about month early since restaurant week doesn't start until July 25. But we think you should probably clear your schedule now, start dieting, and get ready to eat out.

Lunches: $15
Dinner: $30

Visit the list of restaurants and enter it into your palm pilot now.