(201) Gold Coast Fall 2015 | Page 40

Hidden Treasures Behind the Scenes Mangia Hoboken! tour serves up the town’s established eateries F WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY AIMEE LA FOUNTAIN rom the first ice cream to the invention of the Tootsie Roll, Hoboken has been the birthplace of various treats through the years. Today, Hoboken’s known for its eateries, thanks to such shows as Cake Boss and The Real Housewives of New Jersey. On the Mangia Hoboken! food and culture tour, which runs all year round, guide Avi Ohring walks you through a sampling of some of Hoboken’s famous fare. “I had the idea for a number of years before I started,” Ohring says. “After going on a few food tours in New York City, I felt that Hoboken’s rich cultural history had just as much to offer.” Let’s take the tour! x CARLO’S BAKE SHOP, SHOP owned by Buddy Valastro Jr., of TLC’s Cake Boss, had a presence in Hoboken for more than 100 years. The shop sold German baked goods until Valastro’s father bought the facility in the 1980s. The tour gives a taste of Carlo’s cannolis, which are made in the traditional Italian way with lard. Specialty items are baked in the space above the shop. Guests are led behind the bakery to the original cobblestone-filled Court Street, the same spot where staffers dumped flour on unsuspecting visitors in one episode. 95 Washington St. Thin-crust pizza at GRIMALDI’S COAL BRICK-OVEN PIZZERIA is made fresh in their brick oven, which measures 8 feet by 10 feet and cooks about 15 pies at a time. The oven takes an hour to heat up. “It’s like a room on fire,” says one staffer. Chefs go through a daily process of shoveling coals under the oven and stoking it to get rid of ashes. Guests are seated at tables with white checkered tablecloths and wicker-twisted chairs and can watch the pies being prepared while waiting for a slice of Grimaldi’s margherita pizza. 133 Clinton St. ANTIQUE BAKERY BAKERY, a local spot since the 1930s, is one of Hoboken’s last remaining wholesale bakeries. The bread is made in a coal brick oven in the same fashion that earned Hoboken a reputation for traditional Italian bread-baking. Tour-goers are granted entry to the back room, where they can view the ovens and partake in breaking bread to dip in olive oil. The oven heats up to 900 degrees, a temperature about twice as hot as standard household ovens. The bread is a work of art as no two loaves come out exactly alike. 122 Willow Ave., Suite A EMPIRE COFFEE AND TEA COMPANY COMPANY, which also has a New York location, has been a family business in Hoboken for more than 100 years. They roast all their own coffee on their New York property. Customers can peruse the selection of loose, exotic tea on display in Empire’s tea room. Gift baskets and gourmet food items are also available. The baristas greet customers like friends and serve up samples of Mexican spice coffee with a smile. 338 Bloomfield St. Other stops on the tour included LEPORE’S HOME MADE CHOCOLATES (105 4th St.), where guests can try chocolate-covered strawberries, and SWEET (343 Garden St.), a bake shop that serves red velvet mini cupcakes. For more information and to sign up for an upcoming tour, visit hobokenfoodtour.com. 38 FALL 2015 (201) GOLD COAST x The family-owned and operated LISA’S DELI was established in Hoboken in 1971. Current owner Anthony Lisa’s mother opened the place after coming to America from Naples in 1966. Lisa says his mother once told him, “Just like my marriage, we’ll stay forever.” Tour-goers are offered sandwiches and wraps made with turkey, roast beef or salami and include their famous mozzarella. “It’s the best mozzarella in town,” says a passing customer, echoing the results of Hoboken mozzarella contests which have also recognized Lisa’s Deli. “Hoboken is a great little town,” Lisa says while demonstrating how to prepare twisted mozzarella. 901 Park Ave. FIORE’S HOUSE OF QUALITY, an old-school Italian deli, has been in Hoboken since 1913. The facility is known for their mozzarella. They also have a following for their roast beef sandwiches, featuring mozzarella and gravy, which are only available on Thursdays and Saturdays. Carlo’s Bake Shop was originally located next door to Fiore’s, which Buddy has referred to as “the old neighborhood.” Fiore’s was featured on an episode of Cake Boss when their sub was used as a model for a cake. 414 Adams St.