The Brick Oven

It's Spring Break, eating pizza two times a week is allowed! This time however, I ventured away from ordering a slice at the counter, to ordering a personal pie from a nice restaurant. This restaurant was The Brick Oven in Westfield, NJ. The Brick Oven has been around for as long as I can remember, but this was actually my first time ever going there.
Originally I planned on ordering a pizza along with a nice Italian meat or pasta dish. However, that was right before my friend pointed out where the menu said, "We only honor American Express" since neither of us had American Express cards or a lot of cash, ordering one of the fancy entrees was out of the question. Instead, we opted for two different personal pies that we would share. We went for the White Pie and the Margarita Pie.
The pizza was out of this world good! Like the name of the restaurant implies, the pizza was hand made and cooked in a brick oven.The crust was super thin and crunchy and the cheese was cooked to perfection. One of the greatest aspects of this pizza was the lack of oil. Not once did I feel the need to dab my slice with a napkin, or let the the oil trip off the tip. We scarfed down both pies easily and didn't feel gross afterward.
Another great aspect of this establishment was the atmosphere. They have the brick oven in open site so you can watch your pie being tossed in the air and pulled fresh out of the oven. Seeing the freshly made pie made you feel that much better about what you were eating. The service at The Brick Oven was also fantastic, everyone was extremely polite and friendly, it really made me feel like I was eating somewhere special rather then a generic restaurant.

Wild Greens

Westfield NJ, my hometown, is known for its downtown area full of shops and restaurants. Since I have lived in Westfield for most of my life I usually know exactly where to eat. Over break I drove through town and saw that a new restaurant named Wild Greens had been put in. I love to eat healthy so a fresh healthy salad sounded like the perfect dinner. I called one of my friends and we went to try it out. 
Unfortunately, it was not the new hot spot I thought it would be. The restaurant from first glance did have a lot of really great aspects. The salad bar was big and looked decently fresh, the menu was full of choices including a "create your own" option, and they tossed together your salad in a big bowl evenly distributing all the toppings and dressing before packing it up. So far it sounds like the perfect salad establishment right?
The real disappointment came when I took my first couple of bites. I was expecting it to be rich in flavor and every bite to be full of toppings and dressing. Instead all I could taste was bland. My salad consisted of apple slices, pecans, raisins, and crumbled blue cheese. However, I tasted none of that. The slices of apple and pecans were sooo small, I missed the taste and texture of them both. In the end I didn't even feel compelled to finish my meal. Instead I went home and ate cold leftovers.

Rays Pizza

Okay, okay, so Rays Pizza is not actually in NJ, but it is located right outside in NYC. I had been craving pizza for almost a month before I finally decided to splurge on the great Rays Pizza in NYC. WELL worth the wait! Rays Pizza is famous for have a great pie, but still, every time you eat one of their mouth watering slices for yourself you can't help but be surprised with just how delicious it really is. As I sat there stuffing a margarita slice down my throat I couldn't control myself from telling my friend every other bite, how awesome this slice was. Likewise, they did the same! The slices were extremely big, which is always pleasing to a hungry stomach. The crust was crunchy at the top and soft and chewy where the sauce and cheese lay over it. Great for folding over and stuffing into your mouth!
The downside to Rays Pizza is the price. After ordering three slices of pizza and two waters between two people the total price came out to over $18! Normally you can order a whole pie and a liter of soda for about the same price. However, for those of us who don't live in NYC, and a trip to Rays is usually associated with a special occasion or a once in a while visit to the city, the price is well worth it. The slices are huge, so you one should easily be satisfied on one to two slices.

Sushi Cruise

If you are looking for great sushi and an unmatchable atmosphere all at a decent price, look no farther. Sushi Cruise in Edgewater, NJ has it all! This restaurant is located off River Road in Edgewater, NJ, and only about five minutes from NYC. The best part about Sushi Cruise is the jaw dropping view you get as soon as you walk through the doors. The restaurant is small and rectangular, one of the longer walls make up the actual sushi bar and the OTHER is all windows giving an open and amazing view of NYC. The greatest part is you don't have to be rich or a "baller" to get these views, since the restaurant space is so open, everyone receives a million dollar view.
Before I even opened the menu, I was already in awe of this restaurant, the atmosphere set the mood, which was a wonderful one. However, after I opened the menu, I only became more and more pleased. As someone who loves sushi, and likes to stick the the restaurants I already know won't disappoint me, I am always cautious when trying out a new place. Yet, this place had it all and more. Not only was everything I was craving in the menu, but their specialty rolls were truly original and delicious sounding. I felt impelled to venture outside my usual and try something new.
When the food arrived, my love for this new found restaurant grew even more! The food was mouth watering! It was some of the best sushi I have ever had (and I have had A LOT of sushi). Everything was incredible fresh and the rolls were big and plump. Unlike some restaurants that really skimp out on the quality of the rolls. By the end of the meal I was full and more then satisfied. When I received the bill, which I had been dreading all night, I was only more satisfied. I couldn't image a place like this coming out to the same price as the hole in the wall sushi establishment I go to in my hometown of Westfield, NJ, but it was. The specialty rolls all equaled out to about $10 each, which is extremely fair comparable to most other sushi restaurants.
Overall, my experience in Edgewater was a great one. I look forward to the next opportunity I have to go back to Sushi Cruise. I'm getting hungry just writing about it! :-)

For more information visit the Sushi Cruise website at http://www.sushi-cruise.com/info.html