Jersey City Business: The Cliff

The Cliff in Jersey City Heights, is my favorite neighborhood restaurant. Not only is it everything I want from a restaurant aesthetically (I think the youths call it "Instagramable"), but the food is fresh, flavorful and healthy. You won't find any meat on the restaurants menu, and you can taste the clean simplicity in every bite. The shelves inside are stocked with perfectly curated local products, like Parabotanica skincare products, Oh Honey honey, and Silly Chilly Hot Sauce. The Cliff overall is exactly the kind of business that inspired me to start HudsonCounty60, so needless to say it was one of the very first businesses I reached out to.

Eva and her husband Gary, own the restaurant which they opened a little over a year ago. It's a beautiful, small space that is full almost every time I'm there. It's no wonder why it's a neighborhood staple either-- talk to anyone in Jersey City/Hoboken and they all say, "Oh! I LOVE The Cliff". In our first episode, Eva taught me how to make the best biscuits I've ever had (no joke). The biscuits are offered on their Grab and Go breakfast menu-- a small selection of items for commuters catching the bus a half block away on Palisades Avenue, or the Light Rail a block away. The flaky crust sandwiches fluffy eggs and mozzarella cheese, and is perfection in every bite. Pair it with their locally roasted, house blend coffee, and it's the breakfast of champions.

New to the restaurant is their Dinner and a Movie night every Thursday in July, and select nights in August. The menu features a lobster roll, a selection of perfectly made seasonal vegetables and their Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad. In our second video, Eva teaches me how to make the salad that is so clean but doesn't lack an ounce of flavor. It's the kind of dish that you eat and wonder why you can't make it every day, but when you try it's just not the same. 

Everything about The Cliff, the menu and Eva seems like that perfectly curated Instagram page that you follow and think to yourself, "how do I make my life so perfectly beautiful like that?". And if you're wondering, yes, they make Avocado Toast and IT. IS. AMAZING. Plus, did I mention the restaurant is B.Y.O.B.? For a limited time, HudCo60 followers can stop into The Cliff for the Grab and Go breakfast and get a free cup of coffee!

Don't forget to follow The Cliff here, and make sure to keep following HudsonCounty60 for more post throughout the week!

Kearny Business: Elements Truffles

When I started thinking about what businesses to reach out to for HudsonCounty60, I immediately thought of Elements Truffles, a business I had been following on Instagram for some time. They're a micro-batch, Ayurvedic chocolate company, that operates out of Kearny Point in Kearny, NJ.

Walking into Kearny Point is like walking into what I imagine Google HQ Lite would be like.  It's a beautiful, modern building with coworking spaces, designated ride share parking spots, cafes, etc. Walking the halls of the techy building, it's hardly a place I'd imagine you could make 800 chocolate bars a day in, but Alak Vasa and her small team make it work, and they make it work WELL.

 A former Wall Street trader, Alak found comfort in her daily chocolate. Naturally, when she decided to leave her career she decided to pursue the art of chocolate making. Drawing on Ayurvedic principles, she decided to make chocolates that not only tasted delicious and decadent, but are good for you as well. She's infused multiple flavors with Turmeric, a spice known for its anti-inflimation properties, as well as local NJ honey and raw organic chocolate, making it dairy, soy, preservatives, GMO, chemicals, sugar and gluten FREE. 

Alak agreed to teach me what goes into make each bar of her chocolates and I was blown away by the amount of love and care that goes into them. The process begins with a meditation, to ensure that the chocolates are filled with love and intention. She mixes local NJ honey, organic raw cacao butter, organic raw cacao powder, edible grade essential oils and Himalayan sea salt. Everything is mixed by hand and then put into a machine to temper the chocolate and bring it to the proper temperature. The chocolate is then hand poured into molds, cooled and hand wrapped. Can you believe that this process allows for them to make 800 bars in a day? Not to mention their beautiful packaging is HAND STITCHED by women in India. And if that STILL doesn't sell you on them, 25% of profits goes towards the education of under-privileged children in India. 

Flavors include Raspberry with Beet Root Infusion, Rose with Cardamon Infusion, Peppermint with Lavender Infusion, Sea Salt with Turmeric Infusion, Orange Quinoa with Turmeric Infusion, and Ginger with Black Pepper Infusion. And each is equally delicious. They can be purchased here, at select Whole Foods Markets, and at stores closer to home that can be located here.

Keep checking our Instagram this week for your chance to win a collection of ALL flavors! In the meantime, follow along with Elements Truffles on their Instagram or their website!

Casey2Cook Mind Blowing Cereal Pancakes

Normally we only shoot two episodes per featured business here at HudsonCounty60, but with Casey Repetti, Personal Chef and Hoboken Mom, we needed more. Mostly I wanted to eat more, but that's neither here, nor there. So in honor of Father's Day, Casey taught me how to make the most perfectly airy, fluffy pancakes, that you can add any cereal to. 

If you're anything like my family, you always have some sugary cereal stocked in your pantry, but from what I hear, most households have granolas and fiber rich cereals at the ready. That's cool too, I guess. I'm sure you could use those in place of Froot Loops, but I doubt it'll be as fun, TBH. 

As soon as we cut on filming this episode, my cameraman/director, SanMartin, along with my husband, Matt, both jumped out, forks in hand to absolutely destroy these pancakes. I should also add that although I don't actually love pancakes in general, these were so amazing, I definitely ate my fair share. 

Casey’s Froot Loop Pancakes

1 cup of all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 egg

1 cup of milk

1/2  teaspoon of vanilla extract

4 tablespoons of melted butter

1 cup of ground Froot Loops, plus a little more for garnish

Powdered sugar, syrup, fruit, chocolate chips, jelly.. whatever toppings you desire!

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients, making sure there are no lumps.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and vanilla until combined and smooth. Pour in the melted butter and stir.

3. Carefully pour the milk mixture into the flour bowl and stir to combine. Do not over stir, some lumps are ok

4. Spray your griddle or frying pan with nonstick spray and turn up to medium high. Spoon about 1/4 cup of mix into the pan. When you see tiny bubbles form around the outside of your pancake and some in the middle, its time to flip. It will only need about 40 seconds on the other side. Continue this with all of your mix, you can make them larger or smaller.. Adjust your flame as you see fit, everyones stoves are different!

For Casey's Simple From Scratch Flap Jacks recipe, or her post on her Reese's Puffs Pancakes (where this recipe came from) click the links or visit her blog. Don't forget to follow Casey on Instagram and Facebook! 

Happy Father's Day!