Now THAT was a successful month if I’ve ever seen. There was some travel, three stops on the Stadium Food Tour, I finally tried one of the top restaurants in NJ, and when I’ve been home I’ve been diligent about my wedding diet. And on that note, May is gonna be an interesting one. The first half of the month will be a mix of a strict diet and hitting some new spots in an attempt to batch some content. Work is gonna take a bit of a backseat as I marry my beloved. And then a week at home before our honeymoon. But the good eats will always prevail. Trust. Anyway, here’s Wonderwall what I ate and drank in April.

As many of you can relate, I have a running list of restaurants to try where I, too often, cross off one place and add three more. Even though it feels like I never make any progress, it always feels great to cross off a place that’s been there for a while. April was a good month for that, as well as trying new places, new dishes, and new experiences as a whole.

Anjelica’s
Wow. Widely known as a top Italian restaurant in Jersey and the war to snag a reservation supports that claim. BUT I’VE NEVER BEEN. I was grateful to have someone on the inside set up a reservation. And considering I’d never been, my friends and I did some serious damage. Their most popular dish is the off menu Spicy Vodka Orecchiette—it is out of this world. I’ve not had a better version. Other highlights: Chicken Spiedini, Octopus, Eggplant Parm, Pork Chop, Pistachio Cake. Really enjoyed the Pork Meatballs as well. It’s also BYOB and the service is fantastic. It’s not often that I’m impressed with an Italian restaurant in Jersey but the hype is very much real. Anjelica’s is as good as advertised.

The Butcher’s Block
I’ve kept this kinda quiet outside of my circles but we’re getting married at The Butcher’s Block. As a newsletter subscriber, you get a unique peek behind the curtain. How that all came to be is a unique story, but it’s an honor to host the best day of our lives at such an acclaimed restaurant. Lots more to come here, but as you can imagine, the food is going to be better than any wedding you’ve been to. I say that not to brag but to highlight that important component of our celebration. We went in recently for a tasting just to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. The menu will consist of food that we love, food that The Butcher’s Block excels in, and some exciting surprises. One non negotiable for the tables are their signature Brussels Sprouts w/ Capn Crunch. Iconic. Again, more to come here.

Jovo’s Deli
Word on the street is they’ve got one of the best, arguably the best, breakfast sandwiches in Jersey. And considering it’s 20ish minutes from where my parents live, that sounds like important research to conduct. I’ve heard the regular is great but the Fat Jovo is the one to try—count me in. It’s a double sandwich with ten (10!!) piece of pork roll (yes, it’s pork roll in Brick Township), 5 fried eggs, and I couldn’t even tell you how many pieces of cheese. For $15, that’s what I call a bargain. And it was as good as advertised. Pork Roll seared perfectly. If the eggs were a little jammier, it’s quite literally perfect. As it is, I can co sign it as one of the state’s best.

O’Bagel
It’s been a while since O’Bagel put out a new sandwich. The Smash, Egg, & Cheese has been flying out of that kitchen since its launch. For those not in the know, it’s a fresh Pat LaFrieda beef blend with sausage seasoning, smashed like a burger, topped with American cheese, egg, and their signature O’Saucy. It looks and smells like a smash burger but eats like a breakfast sandwich. It’s outstanding. I recommend a sesame bagel as the vessel to imitate a sesame seed bun á la a burger bun.

Green Garden
The Chinese food scene is weak, but Green Garden is one of the few that scratches the itch when the craving hits. It’s not memorable in any way but it’s fine, and sometimes that’s good enough.

Tros
We’re big on Greek and Mediterranean food in this house. Tros has been in the rotation for a while when we don’t wanna cook but don’t wanna feel gross. Chicken Kebab and Gyro platters with the proper accoutrement always hits the mark for us. Good portions, good flavors, fairly clean meal, and no buyer's remorse afterwards. Good for leftovers too.

Bánh Mì Cô Út
I’ve seen a few videos from this place in and have had it bookmarked for a while. I was in the Chinatown/Little Italy area anyway so it was the perfect time to cross it off the list. I’d consider myself a novice when it comes to a banh mi, but it’s probably a top 5 sandwich when done well. Extensive menu but I went for what I believe to be the most classic. This is the best I’ve had. Good baguette, albeit a little messy, awesome fillings, great portion, AND all for $9.25.

Sugarfish
First timer! Very impressed. We needed a quick, late-night dinner in midtown and walked in at 945pm on a Tuesday. In and out in 45 minutes, sensational quality, great service, fairly priced, AND they factor gratuity into the bill. We opted for the Trust Me set. Highlights: Tuna+Chutoro Sashimi (!!), Albacore, Toro Hand Roll. Consider me very much in on Sugarfish.

Stingray Lounge
I’ve been sitting on a Stingray Lounge gift card since last summer that I won in an auction at the Taste of Hoboken charity event. M’lady was out of town a few weeks ago, it was 75 degrees and sunny, so I took myself on a solo happy hour dinner date. ½ priced oysters! Count me in. Also enjoyed a burger and a perfectly executed amaretto sour. Best believe I will be taking advantage of that oyster deal this summer.

Sparks Steak House
Other than the lore and the mob ties, Sparks doesn’t have much going for them. Immediately finds the bottom of my NYC steakhouse rankings. It’s not your typical steakhouse—they don’t offer porterhouses or the typical suite of cuts, and their most famous dish is the Sirloin, which you don’t often see on any steak menu. The Caesar is fine, the Baked Clams are decent, the famous Sirloin needed salt, and the Lamb Chops were nothing special.

Trailer Park Lounge
LOVE this bar. I could sit here and drink cheap domestics for hours. And any place that serves tater tots is okay in my book.

April was a hectic month for so many reasons. I count 11 nights spent away from home, maybe 1 or 2 more. No complaints here as they all opened the door to explore new areas and try new restaurants, coffee shops, etc. …

Indianapolis
The first few days of the month were spent in Indy for Final Four weekend. Cool city, phenomenal host city. Basketball was the top priority, but best believe I made every effort I could to fill my days and my belly with some of the best eats that Indy has to offer. My brothers and I did a mini Tour de Indy Taste Test—shout out to Homefield for setting it up, and a special praise for the glazed donuts at Long’s Bakery and the Hermanki wings at Ale Emporium.

My first St. Elmo dinner was everything I hoped it’d be—that Shrimp Cocktail is a special experience. The tacos at Julieta Taco Shop are the real deal. Tinker Street Restaurant was terrific and a nice, upscale-ish change from the run-of-the-mill downtown options. Sam’s Silver Circle is a bar I’d be happy to spend hours at on every and any occasion. Dugout Bar is a super cool spot as well.

Two coffee shops I absolutely loved: Amberson Coffee & Grocer and Commissary Barber & Barista. Not everything was super memorable however. Cafe Patachou was as whatever as whatever gets for breakfast. And O’Reilly’s committed a cardinal sin for an Irish bar in serving Guinness in a crappy plastic cup. And the reason why I, personally, was even in town in the first place… for a Lucas Oil Stadium x Final Four food tour!

Chicago
I embarked on a 36-hour solo mission in Chi Town for a highly-anticipated stop at Rate Field for the Stadium Food Tour. I had a night to myself and hit Gus’ Sip & Dip for dinner—loved the French Dip. The stadium food dominated the only full day I had. Rate Field has been on my radar since I began this journey last year, and it lived up to the expectation in a big way. For example, the famous Campfire Milkshake 2.0… I love sharing those stadium recap videos where I can tell the full story, but I’m gonna keep experimenting with content formats like Day in the Life vlogs and raw audio to enjoy the sounds of the ballpark. Big love to Chicago, man. I love it there.

Poconos
I chose the Poconos for my bachelor party destination because the best part of a bachelor party is doing nothing. My best friends and I did exactly that, in a big house with cold drinks galore, big TVs, a basketball court, a game room, and more. We grilled up burgers and hot dogs, we ordered breakfast sandwiches (solid job from the team at Country Cafe), we brought in a private chef (much love to my guy Jamie Knott), we took over a brewery, and we inflicted serious damage on a hall of fame lineup of snacks at the Airbnb. Perfectly executed weekend.

Philadelphia
I'd hardly call this travel but I did make the drive down to Philly for another visit to Citizens Bank Park, one of my favorite stops on the Stadium Food Tour. It’s also a beautiful ballpark. Unlike most stadiums, they didn’t go crazy with a massive new menu this season, but they’re rolling with quality over quantity. I respect that, and I’m moving them up in my rankings. Stay tuned. But I will tell you that the Schwarbomb Sundae is insane and I really enjoyed the Sanchez Sliders.

I’m always pumped to try out a new coffee shop…

Haraz Coffee
Downtown Hoboken, always popping, and open until 10pm. Loved my cortado. Next time I’m jonesing for a coffee in that area, that’s my stop.

Olive & Oak Coffee
My brother introduced me to a new “coffee concept,” as I believe they call it, called Olive & Oak in Oceanport, NJ. They’ve got a really fun cereal-inspired menu as well as the classics. Pretty sure they also do charcuteries and other catering. So I guess it’s more of an all-encompassing cafe than a coffee shop. That area is a burgeoning epicenter, so I suspect Olive & Oak will be a staple of that town in no time.

I cook meals at home far more often than most people assume. And we eat fairly cleanly especially as wedding day rapidly approaches, with some exceptions of course.

Crawford Dog
For a brand deal (for which I’d be massively grateful if you showed it some love), I attempted to recreate one of the best stadium bites I’ve come across—the simple yet sophisticated Crawford Dog from Daikin Park in Houston. Two split and griddles hot dogs on a potato bun, topped with mustard and bacon jam. Never made bacon jam before but I think this might be firmly in the rotation for summers—cannot wait to load this up on my burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, etc. Final result? I did the damn thing.

Whole lotta ground beef
The ground beef wave has insane momentum. And I am riding the wave. I’ve always been pro ground beef AND I’m on a wedding diet. So I’m locking in at a deeper level now. Lots of ground beef and rice, taco bowls, and I’m sure you’ve seen the viral sweet potato which I’ve also been stoked about. It’s a great way to eat sweet potatoes. The edges get caramelized and sweet and a little chewy—it feels indulgent but it’s not. That’s a W.

If you’re too good for a chain restaurant or the occasional fast food indulgence, respectfully hop off of your high horse. There’s a time and place for everything.

PF Changs
Sometimes you just gotta hit PF Changs with the homies. I don’t remember them having such an extensive menu, but they sent me a hefty gift card so I was able to go hard. The Chicken Lettuce Wraps are iconic, their Mongolian Beef is quite good, really enjoyed the Pork Dumplings and Black Pepper Chicken as well.

Wendy’s
That fiery red head with whom I have a longstanding devoted relationship with hit me up to try their new Spicy Chicken Sandwich and share my experience with the people. The #6 has been my most frequent fast food order since I started driving. As much as I don’t like messing with the classics, I trust Wendy with my life, and if she’s saying it’s better than ever, then I believe her. She told no lies. I highly recommend you try it out. And if you click this link to make the order, that’ll look great for me when I go back to the negotiating table in the future.

Burger King
I was invited to an event to get a sneak peek of The Mandalorian menu dropping soon. Not sure what I’m allowed to say before the drop, but I liked what I tried more than I thought I would. And to make my stance on BK known, they’re not worthy of the bad rap they get.

I’d imagine you’re already tapped into my IG, but if not you should be. I’m making more of an effort to share day-to-day updates and thoughts there. TikTok is my hub for video content, and I’m dedicated to reaching new audiences there. I recently hit 20K subscribers on YouTube—join me there as well as I’m still trying to solve that puzzle. I just met with someone who works at Twitter, and I’m excited to start my growth journey on the first platform I fell in love with. And over the last month, I’ve been posting some of my greatest hits on Facebook. I cannot adequately express how jacked up I am about Facebook right now, something I never thought I’d ever say again. Ready to tap into a new audience there aka your parents—let them know I’m taking over their feed starting now.

Lastly, if you’re as passionate about food as I am, I’m ranking everywhere I eat on Beli. If you’re not on Beli, you’re missing out on the biggest foodie community app in the game.

Thanks for being here. Thanks for reading.