Friday Night - Date Night at the new Makoto Restaurant in Avenel

 My husband and I like to go out to eat.  And we wanted to go somewhere romantic tonight... so we decided to go to Makoto.

Makoto is the new Asian Cuisine restaurant on St. George Avenue in Avenel.  It's across the street from the Hess gas station, do you know where I mean? There is a tanning salon in the same little mini-mall.  Does it look familiar?

We've been there a few times already, and I knew I had to write about it. 

For one thing, it's such a beautiful atmosphere.  And the owners and chefs are very friendly people.  May and Andy own the restaurant.  They've only been open for about two months now, but I can see that the business is starting to build.  Before this, May told me, they had a small take-out place in New York.  Makoto is the restaurant they were dreaming of and working towards, and they've put a great deal of thought into the details.

Miso Soup, Salad and Tea

But the most thought of all has gone into the food.  I've been impressed every time that we've gone for dinner at Makoto.  It's always fresh and delicious.  Care is taken to make the food as beautiful as it is tasty.  

Gyoza

  

"Angry Dragon" Sushi - beautiful from every angle!

Genera Tso's Chicken

Frank - my husband - loves sushi, and he's gotten it here at Makoto lots of times in the last two months. He says the sushi is excellent, and I take his word for it - he loves it.  A lot of times I'll get Tempura; but I also like chinese food, and Makoto has some of that, too; and some Thai food, and some very artistic dishes!  Tonight, I got General Tso's Chicken, which I love.

And a beautiful dessert!

So Frank and I had a nice romantic dinner, with lots of food... it doesn't get any better than that!



(Hey, if you go to the Makoto, tell May you heard about the place from my blog!)


Makoto Asian Cuisine -
1224 Saint Georges Avenue
Avenel, NJ 07001
(732) 636-3999

You can visit their website
HERE

Iselin is Wild!

 I had to take a walk yesterday after all that rain, and of course I took a few photos.  I walked over to the brook and everything looked so green and lush and spring-y!  I had flip-flops on, but ended up walking barefoot through mud puddles.  I highly recommend it.

I saw a lot of little white flowers and these purple violets, and a scattering of dandelions, which I know most of you think are weeds, but AREN'T!  Dandelions are a beautiful addition to a lawn, bright yellow and cheerful and actually edible - my grandfather always used to pick dandelions this time of year for a salad.  And I'm pretty sure that these Violets are the Jersey state flower.

Well, like I said, I walked over to the brook, and I was really excited to see this bird... the one over to the right, do you see it?  I THINK it's a Great White Egret.  But I'm not that good at bird identification.  Actually, there were two of them -- I wonder if they nest in brooks?  That would be great.  Anyway, I also saw the usual suspects - plenty of Mallards. 
I got some good birding information HERE, on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "All About Birds" website.  There is even bird songs, it's fun to look through. (Well, fun for ME, anyway.  But I like walking barefoot in mud, so what do I know?)

Kenny and Billy's Service Center in Iselin

When I was a little kid, my parents always brought our cars to Joe's Service Center on Route 27 to get repaired. Joe and Bruno always took good care of them. I, of course, never left Iselin, and so I continued to bring my cars to Joe's.  Well, sometime around 1998, Joe passed away... and Billy Cochran and Kenny Wenzel bought the shop.  And yup, I've been going to Billy and Kenny's Service Center ever since.

Bill, Ken and Joe Lee had all worked for Joe and Bruno for years and years before they took over the business. (Although somewhere in the middle there, Kenny took some time out to go into the Marines.)  So they've been a part of Iselin for a really long time.  And this is exactly what's great about Iselin.  We've got deep roots.
"We've got generations of customers coming here," Kenny told me.  "Just like your family.  The older generation came here, and then their kids, and now their kid's kids." 

Joe Lee, Ken Wenzel, Bill Cochran, and Nick Kemper

Kenny and Billy's Service Center is more about service and repairs and less about selling gas.  They do have a gas pump, but it's more for the convenience of their customers, and because Joe and Bruno had it.  Mostly, they love to fix stuff.  If you have a car that needs work, the answer is "Sure."  That's one of the things people love most about them.  The "can-do" attitude -- They say they'll do it, and then they get it done.  Plus, well, for myself, I just know I can trust them.  After all, they've been in Iselin for years.

Iselin Firefighters Co. #1 31 Cent Scoop Night

On Wednesday, April 27th, from 5:00 to 10:00 PM, at the Baskin-Robbins which is located in the Dunkin Donuts on Route 1 and Green Street in Iselin, a special event is planned... according to the Baskin-Robbins web site:

Join us for 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins® and help us honor America's firefighters. The Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation is donating $100,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation® (NFFF)...and in honor of the firemen, Baskin-Robbins will reduce prices of ice cream scoops to 31 cents!.

And this was the page on Facebook, promoting the event:

Come join the Iselin Volunteer Fire Co. #1 to help support The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation... and the Firefighters will be scooping your ice cream! Baskin-Robbins will also be introducing a newest creation....Firehouse #31. It's Hot Cinnamon with Red Hot Candy in Vanilla Ice Cream! This will be our 4th year and every year we break our scoop record. Last year we did 1,700 scoops and we want to do better this year. Please stop by to see us and help us set a new record! And, if you can't make it to our event look for the nearest participating Baskin-Robbins near you. It's a nationwide event!

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Get your tickets for the Relay For Life Benefit Hockey Game!

It should be a good game, folks! On May 21, at 6:45 PM, the Woodbridge Police Department and the Woodbridge Fire/EMS are going to challenge each other to see who is toughest... it's a hockey match at the Woodbridge Community Center.

It should be a great match, but you've gotta have a ticket.  All ticket sales will benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. So here's the weird thing.  I'm going to ask you to call the police department, and tell them you want a ticket. LOL...
No, seriously, Lt. Lizzano has the tickets, and if you'd like to buy a few you should call him at 732-602-7385.  The tickets cost $5.00, and all the proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.  There is a limited number available, so if you want one you better get it soon :) we really want it to be a sell out crowd!

I hear that there will even be some kind of "score-o" hockey competition during the game, with a signed stick as a prize for a lucky audience member... more details are coming soon...

Who will be the victor???
I don't know, but I say the Police, since they are on my team for the Relay! :)
So... check 'em, dano!

(Sorry -- is that just tooooo corny?)

JFK GIFT AUCTION TICKETS ON SALE

Is the TRICKY TRAY for Project Graduation on your calendar?

Get your tickets NOW... 

sometimes they sell out before the day of the event!

JFK's Tricky Tray was voted one of the Top 10 Tricky Trays of 2010

according to Tricky Tray.com!

The Tricky Tray - also known as the Gift Auction --

will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2011...

Sponsored By

John F. Kennedy Memorial H.S. Parent Faculty Forum

and will be held at

John F. Kennedy Memorial H.S., 200 Washington Ave., Iselin, NJ 08830

Doors Open: 4:00 pm -- get there early! 

Drawing begins: 6:00 pm

Admission: $10.00

*Adults Only*

...HANDICAPPED_ACCESSIBLE 

(Please let us know in advance, so we can be prepared to seat you appropriately)

for More Info or for tickets:

732-602-8650 during school hours

ALSO... if you are a local business, Alumni, or the parent of a student, and you would like to donate a gift to the auction,

PLEASE call us, or drop it off at the school!

Thank you!

School Board Election and Budget Vote Wednesday, April 27, 2011 2pm to 9 PM

You can read up on all the details on the Woodbridge InJersey Website, HERE.

Woodbridge Township's TOOLING AROUND TOWN

This is Woodbridge Township's answer to Habitat for Humanity. People volunteer to help fix up houses that their neighbors need help with. It's a great place for community service hours for teens who are willing to work and are looking for things to put on their resume... and it's a good experience all around! I got this flyer right off the township web site, which you can see HERE

Happy Easter!

It seems as though there are two very different Easters... same as Christmas.
The religious Easter...

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...with Jesus triumphant over death....

and the secular Easter...

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...with the Easter Bunny hiding baskets of candy and colored eggs.

Either way, Happy Easter!

The Newest Video from Green Street!

Here it is, folks....

(Please note - if you subscribe and receive the Iselin Times on your email, you will need to surf over to the Iselin Times web site to watch the video. I don't think it shows up correctly on the email account. Thanks!)

Blessed Good Friday

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I found a nice article about Good Friday on Wikipedia, which you can go to by clicking HERE.This is the first part of the article:

Good Friday (from the senses pious, holy of the word "good"), is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, or Easter Friday, though the latter normally refers to the Friday in Easter week.

If you are a Christian, then a Blessed Good Friday to you!

Happy Earth Day!

This isn't related to just Iselin... It's related to the whole EARTH....

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The link below will take you to "a documentary that examines what happens when citizens, musicians, organizations, corporations and governments come together as one to solve environmental problems in their communities." I'm haven't watched it yet myself, but I'm gonna watch it tonight. Let me know your thoughts!
Watch the documentary DIG IT by clicking
HERE.

Directed by Danny Clinch

Executive Producer: Jeff Jenkins
Producer: Danny Clinch
Co-Producer: Tim Donnelly

Editor: Paul Greenhouse
Director of Photography: Dave Homcy

Mustangs at Somerset Patriots Stadium This Saturday!

Those of you with kids in JFK will already know this, because of the Honeywell Alert that went out. That's how I heard of it. (I'm going to miss those alerts when my son graduates!)

But for Iselin People who don't have kids in the school, you should know that the JFK Varsity Baseball team is playing at Somerset Patriots Stadium, on Saturday, April 23 in support of the Greater Middlesex Conference Autism Awareness Day. Tickets are available at the stadium.

If you aren't doing anything, come out and support the team and a great cause!

Tomorrow is Earth Day!

How are you going to celebrate?

You should try to do something that will save the earth, right?
How about giving up so many throw away cups and bottles and things?
Starbucks has this idea... get a free coffee tomorrow, April 22, at participating Starbucks if you bring in your own reusable mug.


If you want to read all about it, you can click HERE. And yes... the Starbucks in Iselin (over on Route 1 North, near Big Shots) IS participating.

JFK's Tricky Tray, April 30th!

Is the TRICKY TRAY for Project Graduation on your calendar?
JFK's Tricky Tray was voted one of the Top 10 Tricky Trays of 2010
according to Tricky Tray.com!

Saturday, April 30, 2011...Tricky Tray Sponsored By
John F. Kennedy Memorial H.S. Parent Faculty Forum
and will be held at
John F. Kennedy Memorial H.S., 200 Washington Ave., Iselin, NJ 08830

Doors Open: 4:00 pm -- get there early! Drawing begins: 6:00 pm
Admission: $10.00
*Adults Only*...HANDICAPPED_ACCESSIBLe

for More Info:
732-602-8650 during school hours (school will open again on Monday.)

BUT WAIT!!! What is a Tricky Tray, you ask?
According to Tricky Tray.com, which you can go to by clicking HERE,

TRICKY TRAY:
Synonyms: penny sale, penny auction,
penny social, gift auction,
chinese auction, silent auction,
brown bag auction, basket social
dark horse, basket games
Alternative Spelling: trickytray, trickytrays
1: a fund raising event for a church, school or other organization where guests buy tickets, then place them in a container next to the item they would like to win. Items can be a single item or a group of items based on a theme. Once everyone has had the opportunity to place his or her tickets in the container, the drawing for the prizes begins. If your number matches the winning number drawn, You win that prize.

Happy Passover!

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I got the following information about Passover from "My Jewish Learning".com, which you can visit HERE.

Passover begins at sunset on Monday, April 18, 2011. Its celebration continues through the evening of Tuesday, April 26, 2011.
What is Passover?

Passover, or Pesach, commemorates the Israelites Exodus from Egypt. Its name refers to the passage in the Book of Exodus (12:11) when God "passed over" the houses of the Israelites during the tenth plague. Passover is one of three pilgrimage festivals, along with Sukkot and Shavuot.

What are some Passover customs and practices?
Passover Seder: It is traditional on Passover to only eat unleavened food. Many rid their entire house of hametz (food that is not kosher for Passover) or sell their leavened food to a non-Jew for the eight days of the holiday. The Passover seder is for the most part held on the first and second night of Passover, though some only participate in a seder on the first night. During the seder participants recount the story of the Exodus while drinking four cups of wine.

This video was from CNN.com:

Spring Weather

Today is gorgeous, isn't it? I don't care how cool or windy it is, I just love to see the sun.

All the rain last night caused the brook to flood. In the middle of the night I took a look outside and saw the flashing lights of a police car, blocking Chain o Hills Road so no one would drive into it. It was flooded all the way to the street and up into the lawn at the school. Of course we had to take a walk over... It was surreal, with the lights flashing.

And this morning? It was all back to normal! This is about the same spot, not even 12 hours later...

Happy Spring!

Murphy's Corner Store in Iselin -- You're gonna LOVE IT!

So over the last week or so, I've heard from three separate people about Murphy's Corner Store - (the corners being Correja Avenue and Trento.) It's an OLD TIME Iselin deli that time forgot... which, of course, in this case is actually a VERY GOOD thing! Well, Murphy's has new owners, and they seem to want to do everything just right, and believe me -- you are going to be SO HAPPY!!!

The new owners are Andrea Ayers and Ken Baraniak. Before Murphy's, they owned "Dorians on the Beach" in Ocean Grove, and got some great reviews. After eating here I could definitely see why.  For one thing, they were so friendly.  When we walked in and sat down, Ken offered us a sample right off the bat -- he had some really delicious old fashioned deli pickles, made in the old way, and he wanted us to try them.  (And yes, they were great!)

They are both very excited about their food, and they only want top quality ingredients, and it really makes a huge difference.  They are so serious about getting only the best, that they have bread and pastries brought in from a Brooklyn bakery, fresh every morning, at 3 AM!  (This is a round-the-clock job for the owners!)  So when you see the crumb cake and muffins on the counter... yup!  It's real old fashioned bakery foods, not something from some Warehouse Depot days ago!

We had subs, and they were really good.  As we ate, Andrea was telling us about some of the other dishes Ken prepares.  Yesterday, she said, he had some really great Mussels Fra Diavolo and Broccoli and Cavatelli, but I'm really looking forward to the trying his manicotti. Depending on the day, he might have shrimp salad,lump crab cakes, or potato pancakes, or any number of other things. They suggested that I just call up and see what's on the menu for the day, and then I can pick it up all ready for dinner. Sounds like my new Friday Night dinner plan!  Andrea also mentioned that Ken first learned to cook as a kid in his grandmother's pizzeria in Port Reading - it was a place called Bunzy's, maybe you've heard of it? 

Anyway, I can tell you I'm definitely going to make a point of becoming a customer at Murphy's.  For two reasons.  Reason one:  The food was great.  Reason two:  I miss my old-fashioned corner deli.  The only way these kinds of places can stay in business is if people shop at them... so, c'mon, people, try them!

Murphy's Deli - on the corner of Correja and Trento in Iselin - is open Monday through Friday from 5:30 AM to 7:00 PM, and Saturday 6:30 AM to 4:00 PM, and Sunday 6:30 AM to 3:00 PM.
You can call ahead at 732-283-3370.

St. Cecelia's Mass Schedule Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter 2011

Palm Sunday Mass schedule is:
Saturday, April 16th, 2011 - 4:30 PM
Sunday, April 17th, 2011 - 7:00 AM, 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM and 5:00 PM

Holy Thursday, April 21, 2011
9:15 AM - Morning Prayer
7:00 PM - Solemn Mass of the Lord's Supper. Procession to Altar of Reposition immediately after Mass until 11:30 PM

Good Friday, April 22, 2011
9:15 AM Morning Prayer
12:00 Noon - Children's Stations of the Cross
3:00 PM - Solemn Liturgy of the Passion and Death of the Lord
7:00 PM - Living Stations of the Cross

Holy Saturday, April 23, 2011
8:00 AM - Morning Prayer
11:00 AM - Blessing of Food (Lourdes Hall)
1:00 PM - Blessing of Food (Lourdes Hall)
8:00 PM - Great Vigil of Easter



Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011
7:00 AM, 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:30 am
NO EVENING MASS ON EASTER SUNDAY

Don't forget about JFK's Easter Egg Hunt!

John F. Kennedy Memorial High School will host its 10th Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 16, 11am-4pm at JFK HS. $5.00 admission per child. Admission includes 5 activities and one trip through the egg hunt. Additional activity tickets are available for $.50 each or 3/$1.00. Rain or Shine. Prizes. Games. Crafts. Food Available for purchase. Sponsored by the concert, chamber and show choirs.

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