Oct 17

Oct 17 Vegan Vacation, Part One: New Hope, PA and Lambertville, NJ

Note: I've decided to make this vacation review a series of posts due to the length. So... Part one...

"Mama! Airpaaane! Airpaaane, mama!"

I have to be honest. When my mom informed me she was moving to New Jersey a couple of months ago, my first thought was "on purpose?". Because really, who CHOOSES to live there? I've only ever seen one episode of Jersey Shore, and it definitely didn't add that state to my "must visit" list. So, needless to say, when my little brother and I decided to use our vacation time to visit mom, I wasn't exactly excited. (I'd prefer to use valuable time off for things such as beach romps and relaxing island retreats.). However, my mind was completely changed. I can see now why the northeast is such a desirable destination, especially this time of year.

Let's start at the beginning...

My brother, Matt (isn't he handsome?), my niece, the baby, and myself flew out of Nashville on a Saturday afternoon, and it was a beautiful sunny day, hence the massive wash-out in our picture. I may be partial, but I think Nashville has one of the nicest airports. I never have any problems getting through security, and transportation is always a breeze. The girls did great on the plane, too. This was Aubrianna's first time ever to fly, and she was like a pro. Never once did she seem nervous. Charlotte had flown a few times last year, but this was the first time since she became mobile, and I was worried about having her sit in my lap for two hours. Fortunately, she only became restless in the last thirty minutes, and I was able to distract her with the iPad. What on earth did parents do before modern technology? After a very bumpy landing, we touched down in Newark and began our lovely vacation with Mom and Gary.

Sure, there are dirty parts just like anywhere else, but most of what we saw of New Jersey was gorgeous. I can see now why it's called "the garden state". Everywhere I looked, there was color. The leaves were beginning to change, and the weather was amazing the entire time. It was sunny and warm, but not hot, just cool enough to wear a jacket.

Our first night in South Bound Brook, we had dinner at The South Side Grill, a sort-of Italian restaurant on one side with a sports bar on the other. The menu was pretty meat and cheese heavy, but I was able to get a lovely salad with roasted red peppers, snap peas, and shitake mushrooms with a side of Asian miso dressing. The serving size wasn't disappointing either, definitely dinner sized. Gary gave me his sweet potato fries, too, so Charlotte and I were set. Not a bad way to begin the week.

On Sunday, we all loaded in two cars and ventured to Lambertville, NJ and New Hope, PA for the day. These two towns are absolutely beautiful! They sit on opposite sides of the Delaware River and are home to many local artisan shops and bistros. There wasn't a chain restaurant in sight, and everywhere you looked were historical buildings. Waterways weave through New Hope lending a fairytale feel to picture-perfect locales. The old brick sidewalks still remain, giving these towns amazing character. For a self-proclaimed hippy, it was heaven.

After walking the entire length of New Hope, we stopped for lunch at Zoubi's, a European-style bistro on West Mechanic Street. Kate, our server, was very knowledgable about vegan cuisine, and recommended the day's butternut squash soup and their mushroom farro dish for me. She served us a basket (ok, maybe two) of sourdough fresh from the oven with cold-pressed olive oil and herbs. HOLY GEEZ, was it amazing! I rarely eat bread, especially in all of it's gluten-loaded glory, but I was on vacation! As a side note, sourdough tends to be easier on digestion because of the fermentation process which sours the dough, and I didn't seem to have any ill effects after eating it. Score!

The soup was very simple, just puréed squash with sea salt and scallions, but it really hit the spot on a fall day.

Charlotte couldn't wait to dig in to the farro, so excuse the baby hand in my picture. I promise you, the presentation was beautiful before she mauled it. It was served with grilled baby bok choi, asparagas, and roma tomato. I LOVED this dish. It was so creamy and peppery, not too salty, and the mushroom flavor was the most potent part. It was quite perfect. My family all enjoyed their meals as well. Matt ordered the same dish as me, and he agreed with my review. Just perfect. Also, check out this patio!