There are plenty of occasions where I am out to eat and don’t want to capture content for a full video. I’ll probably still grab some photos or quick videos, but the intent is not to convert it to a video. But in an attempt to still keep my people (you beautiful, ambitious, intelligent humans/subscribers) in the loop on everything I’m tasting, I’m trying this on for size—a written breakdown of the previous month’s food. Not gonna go through every meal from every day, but I’ll highlight the good, make mention of any of the bad, let you know what you can skip, etc. I rarely share on social what I don’t like, so this’ll be the forum for that. Let’s talk January:

I’ll start at the very beginning—New Years Day—because we polished off our Kaluga caviar from the night prior, paired with an Apollo bagel, lox, and cream cheese. Strong start to 2026.

Low Fidelity
Cool bar in the Jersey City Heights with a funky menu to match, led by their Detroit-style pizzas. I’ve had LoFi a few times but it was my first time trying their Camp Northstar pie: sweet sausage, meatballs, ricotta, roasted red peppers. It might be my favorite pie of theirs. The Caesar Shishito Peppers are delicious, and I love that they’re the only place doing something like this, but man they are spicy. Beware of that togarashi butter, my god. Nonetheless, it’s an awesome spot and always does the job.

G’s Cheesesteaks
This place has been on my radar for a while. They’ve got locations in the city as well as in Jersey, very close to where my parents live. They’re also rapidly expanding I believe, and now I get why. The Cooper Sharp Cheesesteak with fried onions was phenomenal. And the Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak was even better. I think I preferred the latter because you don’t often come across a top tier chicken cheesesteak. G’s has achieved that. And they should be mentioned more when talking about the best cheesesteaks in Jersey and NYC. Outstanding.

Shake Shack
I was kindly invited back to the Shake Shack Innovation Kitchen to get a sneak peek of their new Korean-inspired menu. It’s not lost on me how cool that is by the way. I loved the K-Shack Fried Chicken Sandwich and Spicy Caramel Shake. Big fan of the Spicy BBQ Fries as well. The BBQ Burger and Fried Chicken Bites were solid but not something I’d order. But overall I’m a big fan of this rollout—they rarely miss with these limited edition menus.

Fluffies
There are a lot of hot chicken spots in Jersey and NYC, most of which are virtually the same. Fluffies is one that stands out. For starters, their menu has huge range and a bit of an Indian flare. But they’ve also cracked the code on the chicken. They’ve somehow perfected getting a perfect fry and crisp on massive pieces of tender, juicy, and wildly flavorful chicken. Not to mention, their Fluffies sauce is out of control—I want that on everything.

They make a Chicken Caesar Wrap on made-to-order naan which I really like but admit it’s tough to eat. The Chili Honey Chicken Sandwich is also a beast that if you can tame, you’re in for a treat. But there’s nothing better than their Fluffies Filled Half Mac Half Fries. It’s like $14 and you get 2-3 meals’ worth of food easily—it’s 3 tenders chopped up on top of mac & cheese and fries, with Fluffies sauce touching every bite. Spectacular.

Shaka Kitchen
I’ve been on record that Shaka Kitchen is one of the more slept on eateries in Hoboken. It’s firmly in my takeout/delivery rotation and largely in part because I actually feel good after it. They’re sourcing good ingredients, their menu is different, and it always does the job, plain and simple. The Kilauea Tuna Bowl is fine—honestly I don’t love their bowls. But the Buffalo Cauliflower is insane and their Lava Rock Shrimp are also outstanding. If they have their Cinnamon Toast Crunch Smoothie on the menu, do not skip that.

Nashville, Tennessee
First trip of the year, first stop on the Stadium Food Tour of the year. Bridgestone Arena was the main event, but I carved out some time to experience Nashville to the fullest as well aka I enjoyed plenty of libations on Broadway. And I’d be lying if I said they didn’t impact the meals for the better.

San Patricios
Irish pub meets Mexican classics. Helluva combo, and it just kind of works despite my reservations. I want to go back and try more of the menu, but here are my high level takeaways. El Spice Bag, Birria Tacos, Shepherd’s Pie, and the Fish & Chips were my favorite bites. The Corned Beef Tacos were fun, the Ceviche was solid, the Guac was fine. And, of course, the pour a great pint of Guinness. Pretty sure if you split the G, your drink is free. Very cool new addition to Jersey City.

Cubita Cafe
The owner/chef has been tagging me in their content for years. I finally made the trip to Nutley for some awesome Cuban food. I can’t think of a better Cuban Sandwich in the area, the Pan con Bistec was tasty, I liked the Chorizo Egg & Cheese Empanada, I LOVED the Coconut Rice & Shrimp Empanada, the Chicharron is ridiculous, their black rice (I believe it’s called Arroz Moro) is unbelievable, and they make a delicious dairy-free flan. Great spot. My video review is up if you’re interested.

Venti
Elite. Nobody makes a better Chicken Caesar Sandwich. Their Hellraiser sandwich is crazy—roast beef, swiss, arugula, pickled onions, and a jalapeño mayo that I want by the gallon. Their Vodka Chicken Parm can go toe to toe with anyone’s. I finally tried their Top Dog sandwich which I loved as well—chicken cutlet, prosciutto, bruschetta, and pesto. And they do a potato salad with huge chunks of cheddar and bacon. That’s what I’m talking about. As if the meal couldn’t get better, I had the honor of putting my boy Ian (@imma_eat_this) onto Venti’s greatness. He put out an awesome video recapping his first experience. Might even be better than my video.

Austin, Texas
I escaped the snowstorm in Jersey for 4+ days in Austin. The only problem with that trade was the ½ inch of snow/ice in Texas which may as well have been 5 feet. They’re so ill-equipped to handle anything like that, so the entire city was virtually shut down for 36 hours. But against all odds, some great eats were had.

Mile Square Cafe
They’re always cooking up new ideas at MSC, and usually with great success. If one of my go-to spots puts a new Chicken Caesar Something on the menu, it’s kind of my duty to try it? More than that, I want to try it. I tried, and I loved it. Their focaccia is awesome. Their cutlets are hot, crispy, well seasoned, and delicious. That’s a great base right there. I think it ran me almost $17 which is tough to stomach, but it’s a damn good sandwich.

Sushi by Sea
Widely known as one of Jersey’s top omakase experiences. Full video review coming soon, but I’ll give you a teaser. $200/pp and well worth it. The quality of the fish they’re getting is evident. The chefs are personable which I really appreciated because it’s sometimes a little awkward sitting at an omakase counter with little to no interaction with the chefs. Chutoro, otoro, Hokkaido scallops, dry-aged hamachi were the standouts. Stay tuned.

Hot Grill
Big ups to the guy who has commented on seemingly every TikTok video of mine of the years begging me to come here. Sorry for the wait, brother. Video review coming soon but the onion rings are terrific and the Hot Dog “all the way” is the move. Mustard, chopped onions, and chili sauce. You can’t talk about Jersey hot dog lore without talking about Hot Grill.

Home cookin
I’ve stepped up my game in the kitchen too. With our wedding ~100 days out, we’re cracking down on our meals at home. Shrimp Scampi has made its way into the rotation, for example. And I made a bangin Greek Lemon Chicken soup which is especially perfect considering the temperatures are in single digits every day.

If you’re not following me on Beli, I am ranking every restaurant, bar, coffee shop, bakery, etc. Join in on the fun there.