Hidden Treasures
Behind the Scenes
Mangia Hoboken! tour serves up the town’s established eateries
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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!
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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.
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FALL 2015 (201) GOLD COAST
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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.