Summer 2018 was one filled with good fun and good food. As I head back to school, dining hall dinners and salty midnight snacks are really going to make me miss the 10 best things I ate this summer (in no particular order).
1. Smores Pizza- Catch NYC
This upscale, trendy seafood restaurant and rooftop located in the Meatpacking District is known for their “Hit-Me” ice cream cake, but I ordered the s'mores pizza and it did not disappoint. On the sweeter side of things, this ooey-gooey chocolatey flatbread is the ideal dessert for a night in the city. The marshmallows on top are toasted to perfection and when paired with burnt marshmallow ice cream, this sweet treat really tastes like summer.
2. Lobster Mac n Cheese- Catch NYC
Before enjoying the sweet s'mores dessert, a delicious seafood meal is necessary at Catch NYC. Maine Lobster, macaroni noodles, parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs come together to create the most delicious, yet subtle, fish flavor.
3. Giant Cookies- The Cookie Connect
This tiny little cookie shop in Bloomfield, New Jersey is easily missed by the naked eye. But what they lack in storefront, they make up for in cookie flavor and size. The sweet-filled cookies, ranging from Oreo Stuffed, to Cinnamon Bun, to Peanut Butter Nutella, are huge. With a new flavor introduced each month and their late night/early morning hours, The Cookie Connect is definitely the place to eat.
4. Mini Doughnuts- The Doughnuttery
Chelsea Market, NYC is known for its endless eats, both savory and sweet. One of its most popular dessert stops is a tiny corner stand filled with fried dough and an array of sugary toppings. The bite-sized treats come in classic flavors like vanilla glaze or cinnamon sugar, but the doughnut geniuses also concocted some out-of-the-box flavors including pb&j, matcha green tea, and rosemary fig. Every order is made fresh, right in front of the customer so they’ll always be hot and ready!
5. Buffalo Chicken Mac n Cheese Pizza- Brother Bruno’s
Three fan favorites all baked into one? That’s genius. Brother Bruno’s is a small pizza place and deli in Wayne, NJ, best known for their unique savory and sweet pizzas. Dessert pizza is a hot commodity here, but the spicy cheesy flavors of a buffalo mac slice is like nothing I’ve ever tasted. Each slice is baked perfectly so that every bite has all the ingredients at once. The thick, doughy crust is just an added bonus.
6. Pimento Mac n Cheese Grilled Cheese- The Grilled Cheeserie
Nothing is better than a grilled cheese sandwich that goes where you go. The Grilled Cheeserie food truck travels around Nashville, TN. As seen on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, they make specialty melts or “create your own” melts. The most popular melt is the pimento mac n cheese, which contains house-made pimento cheese, cheddar cheese, macaroni noodles, a tomato slice, and bacon bits grilled to a crisp on country white sourdough. Not only does this sandwich taste delicious, but it looks just as good.
7. Lobster Tacos- Cousins Maine Lobster
Another food truck that made it to television, this Shark Tank investment with over 10 locations is clearly doing something right. Specializing in anything lobster, from tots to tacos to rolls, the founding cousins make Maine quality fish a priority. The freshness of the lobster, mixed with spicy pico de gallo, and drizzled with cilantro lime sauce all wrapped up in a fluffy flour tortilla is enough to convince you that fish from a truck is always a good choice.
8. Lox & Avocado Omelette- Seymour’s
Bagels and lox are delicious, as is avocado toast, but why not skip the carbs! Replace bread with a cheese omelette and it’s just as, if not more, delicious. This omelette, called the Livingston, gets its name from its hometown of Livingston, NJ. The saltiness of the lox pairs so nicely with the fluffy eggs and rich cheese. Add a few fresh avocado slices to top it off and your Sunday morning brunch is complete.
9. Blueberry & Lemon Biscuit French Toast- Biscuit Love
Biscuits are a key element of every meal in the south, and this café in Nashville, TN is no stranger to the biscuit. The waitress recommended the Lily, which is french toast-battered biscuits filled with lemon mascarpone and topped with warm blueberry compote. They’re so good that you might even order a side of biscuits and jam! It’s sweetly southern, both in taste and hospitality.
10. Oreo Pancakes- PJ’s Pancake House
Princeton, NJ’s original pancake house will fill you with buttery, fluffy, goodness. Usually I go for the specialty flavors, but in this case you gotta go classic or go home. The Oreo is mixed into the batter and pressed into the top for double the stuff. Not only are the pancakes delicious, but they’re huge— a half order is 3 pancakes! The best thing about PJ’s is that they have expanded their menu and serve both lunch and dinner as well. But I can tell you for sure, no matter what time of day it is, Oreo pancakes are on my mind.
Summer was full of these amazing eats (and more). Unfortunately, now at school, the most exciting eats I will get are the occasional 2AM slices of pizza.