Category Archives: Marc P.

Azúcar: Great Cuban Cuisine in Jersey City

by Marc Prablek, Princeton University

Princeton classes may have started, but my first article of the year comes to you from Jersey City, on the less popular end of the Holland Tunnel. Usually I limit my articles to the Princeton area, as they seem more pertinent to the student body, but besides the new Qdoba, there’s not much in the way of Latin cuisine near campus, and Jersey City is still within a reasonable driving distance of the campus. But most importantly, my family and I are on a neverending quest to find the best Cuban food in the country (outside of my mother’s), so when we heard about Azúcar, there was really no question about our dinner destination. Continue reading

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Excellence at El Trébol

Marc Prablek, Princeton University

It almost goes without saying that no journey through Spain, at least from a culinary point of view, is complete without eating jamón ibérico. As such, eating the famous Spanish dish was near the top of my to-do list during my time in Toledo. Luckily for me, there is no shortage of jamón ibérico vendors in the city, and just west of the arch of the Plaza de Zocodover lies El Trébol, a bar that a classmate recommended.

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Dar Al-Chai: Milkshakes and Crepes in Toledo

by Marc Prablek, Princeton University

For those of you who don’t know, which is probably most of you, I’ve been spending the last few weeks in Toledo, Spain, taking an art history class with Princeton. I’ve been living in a dorm, but I definitely have been getting out and eating other food here. Yesterday I went to the “Jewish” neighborhood, that is, the neighborhood near the old synagogue, to visit a tetería (tea shop) that had been recommended to me by friends who had done the program in the past.

The tetería is called Dar Al-Chai, and, to be precise, is located in the corner of the Plaza Barrio Nuevo on the west side of the old city of Toledo. Walking in, diners are immediately surprised (or at least I was) by the lavish Middle East-inspired décor and the variety of pleasant smells coming from the bar. The menu is expansive, and with such a vast variety of teas, coffees, and crepes, it’s hard to imagine there isn’t something for everyone. Continue reading

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Kalluri ‘Corners’ the Princeton Indian Food Market

Marc P., Princeton University

For two years running, my friends and I have gotten together on or around my birthday to eat ourselves silly at Kalluri Corner’s lunch buffet. Located at the intersection of Nassau Street and Olden Street, due north of Cloister and the E-Quad, the restaurant offers a wide variety of Indian foods and drinks at an all-you-can-eat rate for just eleven dollars per person. Continue reading

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Quick and Cheap Food: It Takes a Thai Village

Marc P., Princeton University

On Nassau Street, east of the Garden Theater and due north from Cloister lies a cluster of three restaurants, one of which is named Thai Village. The restaurant itself is  unassuming, and the décor is  what we’ve come to expect from Asian restaurants on this side of the Pacific. In any case, I was impressed by the wide variety of dishes available on the menu, from curries to noodles to rice dishes all combined with assorted meats. Continue reading

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Slow Service Detracts from ‘Elements’ of Greatness

Marc P., Princeton University

Although it is located a short drive (or a very long walk) from Princeton’s campus, Elements is well worth the mini trek down Bayard Lane, also known as County Road 533 on Google Maps. With a self-described “focus on locally-grown, sustainable products” and a comfortable yet fairly formal dining room, the restaurant seems intent on breaking down the notion that New Jersey is the state of Snooki and ethylene plants. Continue reading

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The “Zenith” of Modern Asian Cuisine in Princeton

Marc P., Princeton University

Located on Witherspoon Street, just across from the Princeton Public Library, Zen Modern Asian (http://www.zenmodernasian.com/) offers a wide variety of Asian dishes (think curry to katsu) at fairly reasonable prices. Though the restaurant has only been in business a few  months, the atmosphere is  comfortable and the restaurant well-run. To be fair, I did have the luxury of being the only occupied table in the restaurant due to the odd hour of my lunch, but service seemed solid. Continue reading

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