#18 through #21........ Erika's Graduation!

I was so excited and elated to be able to go back east for Erika's (oops, I mean Dr. Waters') graduation from Rutgers! Not only was it an absolute joy to see the venerable Dr. Waters get hooded, but it was also a great opportunity to try a ton of new food! I asked Erika to take me to some of her favorite places, since she would be leaving New Jersey shortly after graduation. Luckily, the food scene is the ONLY thing that Erika said that she would miss, so she had some great suggestions......

18. Stuff yer face - New Brunswick, NJ

Ok - strombolis have to be one of the best inventions EVER. Yummy pizza crust dough, filled with tons of meaty and cheesy and tomatoey goodness..... This place is a small joint in New Brunswick, near the University, and it's definitely got that college-town feel - meaning specifically that they have one of the coolest beer lists I've ever seen.

19. Jim's Steaks - Philadelphia, PA

Not specifically in New Jersey, true, but I couldn't let our little day trip to Philadelphia go without getting a genuine philly cheese steak - with whiz, of course. This place is one of the originals, with period art deco stuff everywhere, refelcting the joint's 1939 inception. I never thought I could love Cheese Whiz this much....



20. Hoysala - Somerset, NJ

I asked Erika specifically to take me out for a few types of food that were brand new to me. Our first stop was at Hoysala, an Indian Buffet that's been one of Erika's favorites in the area. The buffet was a great way to sample a lot of the different flavors that Indian cuisine offers, and, just like the first two places that Chica took me to, I stuffed myself to a pain point I have never known. Seriously - I think I must have gained about 10 lbs on this little three day trip.....



21. Makeda - New Brunswick, NJ

Stop number two on the freak-out-Sarah's-palette tour of culinary wonder was Makeda, an Ethopian restaurant. Luckily, this was as non-freaky as I could have imagined. The food was phenomenal (and YES, there was food.... insert tasteless Ether-nopian joke here...), even if the funky bubbly-bread-African tortilla thing was oddly spongy. The Tibs Wat was like a very strangely spiced sloppy joe mix, and just remarkably good. Paired with some honey wine, the flavors of the meal were incredibly unique and tasty. Besides - who doesn't love eating with their hands??