Get 'em "All the way!!!" at Hot Grill

The Hot Grill

669 Lexington Avenue

Clifton, NJ 07011

http://www.thehotgrill.com/

New Jersey is super serious about their hot dogs.  The Star Ledger, the Newark, NJ-based paper, has the weinermobile, which goes around and tries different hot dog places in the state (besides other joints).  Here in Awesome Clifton, NJ, we boast not one, but two famous hot dog joints.  We're extremely fortunate to be within barking distance of the famous Hot Grill. 

Hot Grill has been around for quite a few decades, and you can tell by the decor, which looks like it hasn't been changed since they opened.  They're known for its Texas weiners "all the way," with the hot dogs smothered in their special chili, mustard and onions.  It's cheap, tasty, and down-home gooood. 

Two dogs, all the way!

We also got fries with melted cheese.  Yum!

Hot Grill is running a special promo, where you get two dogs FREE with every purchase of two dogs.  The furs, who stayed in the car, got to have one dog each!!  Lucky dawgs!

El Fogon's got it goin' on!

Under food:

El Fogon

1025 Main Avenue

Clifton, NJ 07011

(973) 272-2675

El Fogon is the other down-home Peruvian joint that we've been going to for quite a while. Their menu is slightly different from Jaimito's Restaurant, in that there is less of a Chinese influence in their cooking.

Last Friday, hungry from snow shoveling (DJKung) and sitting in traffic (me), we went to El-F and tucked in some seriously good eats. Since it was only 2pm, we were able to pick from their daily specials ($7), which comes with a hearty bowl of soup, a choice of entree over rice (changes daily), chicha or soda, and dessert.

Chicha morada. The photo does not clearly show its grape juice hue. This is a drink made from purple corn.




Condiments: lime slices and picante. Picante is a chile sauce (jalapeno?) that is not really fiery, but brings like a cool hot pepper flavor. Their picante is evenly balanced, and brightens their dishes. Sometimes they make red picante, which is a smokier version.

Chupe de camarones (shrimp chowder). The chowder is not too thick, but nevertheless is very hearty. It comes with potatoes, carrots, peas and corn. This had a strong Sazon taste, which I adore.

Sopa de pollo. Home style chicken soup. I think they use hens for their sop, because it is quite flavorful. The soup comes with potatoes, peas and corn. You can squeeze some lime in the soup to give it a little zesty taste.

We were starting to get full after the soup! I ordered fried fish with white beans and rice, while DJKung selected the seco de res for his main dish.

Fried fish with white beans and white rice, with a garnish of thinly sliced red onion. I think they alternate between whiting and tilapia. Simply scrumptious.

Seco de res. Beef in cilantro sauce, simmered till it's falling apart. Also served with white beans and rice.

I'm not sure what this dessert is called. It's a rice pudding with a chica-type sauce, with cinnamon and pineapple. We actually took this home because we were so full.

On regular occasions, we gravitate towards two items on their menu: chaufa de mariscos and lomo saltado.

Chaufa de mariscos (seafood fried rice). This is cooked Chinese-style, with that nice wok sear. It is finished off with a dab of sesame oil. This serving is actually enough for two, and the seafood (shrimp, squid, your occasional mussel) is pretty generous.

Lomo saltado. This is a stir-fry of beef strips, tomato, onion and french fries. Delish---I always try to snag some of DJKung's fries. El Fogon also makes a seafood saltado, but the sauce is not the same without that beefy goodness.

Another notable dish that we've gotten for parties is the El Fogon/Seis Sabores tray. This is their grilled assortment of six different cuts of meat (including steak, pork chop, chicken breast, hot dog). I'm not sure what tpe of rub/marinade they use, but it is very savory.

Finally, do not forget to try their homemade alfajores (buttery cookie sandwich with dulche de leche filling), which is in a big glass cookie jar by the counter. Make sure you get the individually-wrapped cookies, because that's the good kind. They are so decadently rich; some find it overly sweet, but the salt in the cookies cuts the caramel pretty well.

Always happenin' at Jaimito's!

Under food:

Jaimito's
389 Lexington Avenue
Clifton, New Jersey 07011
(973) 546-2549

Jaimie's, as we fondly refer to this place, serves awesome homestyle rib-stickin' Chinese-Peruvian food. It has been a mainstay of our rotation for quite a long time.

The Clifton-Passaic area has seen an influx of Peruvian immigrants the last couple of years or so. A lot of Peruvian restuarants have sprouted up in the area to cater to the increased demand. Jaimie's predates most of 'em, and still brings in the crowds. The space is pretty small, but over the years, they have updated their decor. This week, we notice that they have a flat screen tv now!

Apart from the dishes we picked this evening, our top picks also include pollo a la brasa, fried maduros (sweet bananas), lomo soltado (stir-fried steak with tomatoes and potatoes) and papa a la huanica (potatoes and chili-spiced cheese). I swear there are quite a few more on our roster, but I forget them at the moment.

For some reason, we do not seem to order the Chinese entrees as much. Which is really too bad because the kitchen makes those dishes Chinatown-style.

This evening, we got seco de res, tacu-tacu and jalea.
Jalea. It's a healthy-sized mound of fried shrimp, fried white fish (whiting?), fried squid, fried mussels and half of a crab. This comes with a red onion salad and a roasted potato. The mussels and crab are not always fresh, and I think they add it there just for looks. The squid and fish comprise majority of the dish and are deftly fried and crispy.
Seco de res combinado. This is beef stew cooked in a cilantro sauce, I think. Comes with a side of the onion salad, white rice and white beans. Note the house picante (pepper pesto at the upper left of photo), which is a must for this cuisine. Picante brightens the flavors of fish and meats and also adds a nice touch of heat.
Tacu-tacu. Fried rice and white beans with paprika andseasonings. I love how they give the rice a nice smoky char. Likewise excellent with picante.

Jaimie's also carries special drinks and desserts. Do try the chicha morada, a drink made from purple corn. DJKung likes the bubblegum flavor of Inca Cola. Check the counter to see if they have alfajores (dulce de leche sandwich), which they keep in a big glass jar.