Camping, Finger Lakes-style

Cayuga Lake State Park

Watkins Glen State Park

Finger Lakes, NY

For the Fourth of July, UFC went off in search for The Great American Holiday Weekend by taking a two-night camping trip to the Finger Lakes.  We were hoping to stock up on some summer vin by visiting a few wineries along the way and also taking advantage of the miles and miles of lakes in the area. 

A trip like this of course takes a lot of preparation and planning.  We wanted to camp, fish and hike with the furs.  Unfortunately,we did not reserve a campsite until a couple of days before, and most sites were booked.  We ended up reserving one night at Cayuga Lake State Park, and the next night at Watkins Glen State Park.

Furs and The Mighty Mississippi ready for the trip!

Finger Lakes is roughly five hours from us, so we took a couple of rest stops along the way.  We also stopped by Wagner Winery/Brewery and picked up some wine and beer (that's what's great 'bout NY campsites---alcohol is ok!)

We stayed one night in Cayuga Lake State Park.  Cayuga Lake, like the rest of the Finger Lakes, was formed when glaciers moved through shallow river valleys and left deep gouges. When the glaciers receded, water filled these spots and created the lakes.

Camping-wise, Cayuga State Park was a massive letdown for us. The campsites in our loop were practically on top of each other and the entire park was just very crowded (this was the fourth of July weekend, after all). The sites were sparsely wooded, with the campsites clearly visible, and the area brings more to mind camping out in your local park.  Definitely not designed for communing with nature--- we get more privacy in our backyard here in suburban north Jersey.  

It was just our luck that our site (site 78) was situated between the loop's playground and the toilets/bathrooms, and campsite-full of college kids playing beer pong.  Literally packs of kids on foot and on bikes congregated in the playground from morning to night.  To the park's credit, though, quiet hours (10 pm onward) were enforced. 

The campsites were quite a ways from Cayuga Lake, and the water was too rough for launching The Mighty Mississippi. Chibs and Babams were game to try the waters, but there were too many recreational craft.  DJKung and his poppa attempted to fish, but got nary a nibble.

DJKung putting up the hammock.  Note the playground and the access road directly behind him.

Typical fire ring here in Cayuga State Park.  Firewood is available at the Camp Office for $5 a cord. (Remember fellow campers, NY does not allow moving of firewood beyond 50 miles of origin!) This type of fire ring does limit the size of the fire you can create, which is a good idea when you're in a jam-packed campground.  It makes it a bit difficult for cooking because you have to let the fire die down a bit, so that the metal grate can lie flush on top of the fire ring.

 We checked out the following day and made our way to Watkins Glen State Park. We were happy that we did, because this campsite was a complete 180 to Cayuga.


Watkins Glen lies south of Seneca Lake. The main draw here is the spectacular waterfalls and landscapes carved out by running water. 

Camping wise, the sites are situated at the top of the mountain and are quite a ways from the spring-fed swimming pool and day-use areas.  There is more ample space in between sites.  Our site (Mohawk Village loop, site 90) had a lot of tall pine trees and it was very very quiet.  

Our site.

Adobo chicken, white rice and black bean chili yeah!
The gorge here at Watkins Glen was privately owned and operated as a tourist resort until it was bought by New York in 1906.  The Gorge Trail, a 1.5-mile paved trail running along and sometimes across the gorge, gives you the best views.  The sites are evocatively named (e.g., "Lover's Lane") and the scenery is just amazing.  FYI---furs are not allowed on this trail, likely for safety reasons.  There are more than a few wet and slippery staircases, and an inadvertent tumble down the gorge can be pretty scary.

Coming down Couch's Staircase.

Checking out the weathered sandstone cliffs.

In the background is the Cavern Cascade.  The steps go toward and behind this waterfall!

Closeup of Cavern Cascade.

Central Cascade in the background.

The Rainbow Falls.  During sunny afternoons, you can see rainbows here!

We did not expect that there would be so much to see here at the Gorge Trail.  Some parts of the gorge cut so deep into the mountain that some areas are just completely shaded all the time.  There are several microclimates depending on the exposure of the sites--- some are wet and slippery all the time, with a lot of mosses and ferns.  Some parts of the cliff wall are dry and sun-baked all the time.  We were astounded just thinking about how long it took for the surfaces to wear to this state.

We took a turn onto the Mile Long Bridge, which leads to the South Rim Trail.  From there, a trail led back to the campsites.

Empty lean-to on South Rim Trail.

Group photo--- UFC has done it again!

All packed up and ready to head home the next day.  It was too bad we did not get a chance to lauch The Mighty Miss just yet.  Guess we'll have to make another camping trip soon!

Brew your own beer at Brewer's App!

The Brewer's Apprentice
179 South Street
Freehold, NJ 07728
(732)-863-9411 
(possibly moving to a new address come September)
www.brewapp.com

Was this serendipity or what! We took out "Jersey Brew" from our local library. This covers the history of beermaking here in Jersey and is full of fun facts, such as:


a. Back in the day, our fine state enjoyed the rich variety of brews thanks to the strong beer culture of European immigrants who came over from the old world. Beer was a staple drink in Europe back then because of problems with getting potable water. They brought this tradition over, so beermaking at home was one of the things that everybody did!

b. Jersey led the country in terms of the number of commercial breweries.  The Prohibition devastated this industry. The breweries tried to survive by brewing no-alcohol beer (very unpopular) and on the side made regular beer to be sold illicitly.


c. Jersey voted against the Prohibition. But since it passed, a black market for beer grew. Jersey history is replete with gangstas and mob bosses, and everyone was in cahoots with the local law enforcement! (I guess it's unsurprising that corruption is a local tradition here too?)

d. In the end, everybody did go to jail.  Prohibition was repealed, but by then, the surviving breweries were just too weak. Other commercial breweries took over and now dominate the industry.  Hence the ubiquity of weak-as-water American lager being the popular style today. 


So anyway, back to the serendipity. Soon after we took out Jersey Brew, we got invited to our first-ever brewmakin session! Brewer's Apprentice is in Freehold, NJ and is the largest brew supply shop and has the only in-house brew-your-own facilities open to the public here in Jersey. 

So with a group of seven people, we reserved three kettles to make three different beers on one fine Sunday.

Inside, the brew-your-own section feels like an industrial kitchen, with stainless steel tables, jugs, vats and sacks of raw material, weighing scales, and huge kettles.

Brew App has a nice collection of recipes covering the major brew styles.  DJKung and I were in charge of making Celebrate Ale, which is described as a hoppy thirst-quenching IPA.  The rest of the gang had the Hirschengarten Marzen, an Oktoberfest-type brew, and a Belgian Trippel, a richer brew.  Since most of the group had already been a-brewin' here for several years, we kinda just followed their lead.  You get a printout of the recipes and the steps are easy to follow.

First, you measure and weigh out your grains, which are kept in plastic bins underneath your workstation.  Here, DJKung is measuring out some Crystal Pils grains (a type of whole grain malted barley). 

The grains are then ground (mechanically, in our case).  You do have the option of hand-cranking out your grains in a regular mill. 

Measuring out the extract, which adds loads of sugar and a malty taste.  This one here is pale extract.  There are of course different types of extract, which would add different qualities to the beer.

The grains are added to already pre-measured hot water in the kettles.  (They use municipal tap water.)  The grains are steeped for thirty minutes.

While the malted grains are boiling/seeping, we got the hops ready.  On left: the different hops pellets stored in BrewApp's hops fridge.  The hops pellets are made from the flowers of hop vines, and are used to add that bitter beer taste.  Since Celebrate Ale is an IPA, we measured out quite a bit of these hops pellets.   We used Chinook and Cascade for our bittering hops; Cascade and Irish Moss for our finishing hops; more Cascade as out dry/steeping hops.  On right: other flavoring agents available.

So the three steel bowls correspond to the hops we used at the bittering, finishing and for steeping. 

After steeping for thirty minutes, you strain out the grains from the liquid.  By this point, the "soup" is already smelling heavenly, like Ovaltine and malt.  On right is Jonathan, one of the Brew App staff, explaining that they recyclethe resulting mash as animal feed.

The liquid is then heated up again close to boiling, and you get to add your extracts and bittering hops, if any. Then you have to keep a close eye on your kettle and keep stirring occasionally, so it doesn't boil over.

You let everything boil for the next thirty minutes.  The bits of hops tend to foam and stick to the sides so you have to stir them back in once in a while.

BrewApp customers have a tradition of donating some of their brews to the house, which BrewApp then shares with other customers.  We got to try five different brews from generous BrewApp customers:  Belgian Abbey (sweet and flavorful), Smithywich (meh), Alaskan Amber (hoppy), Barley Wheat (light on the hops with faint fruitiness) and a Hefeweisen-style brew.   

I think we should cut these guys off!

Here's a nice overall picture of the BrewApp operation.  There are five kettles in total.  The storage for all the nascent brews is in a room off to the side (not pictured).

The finishing hops are then added, and the wort (the resulting mixture) is left to cool a bit.   It is then  transferred into these plastic drums, where they settle and do their thing for the next 2-3 weeks.  Any dry hops are then placed in a cheesecloth and suspended in the wort.  I guess the staff add whatever yeast is needed, since we did not add any. 

DJKung with the fruits of our labor. 

Measuring the specific gravity of the wort; basically, this indicates how much extract (sugar) is dissolved;  a higher value means that the final product will have a higher alcohol concentration. At this point, the worts were all very thick and syrupy.  As expected, the Trippel had the heaviest specific gravity.   

What I like about best in this whole experience was that it was very tangible---our sweat and diligence in measuring, pouring, stirring--- all of this went into the product, which we know will be awesome.  It is amazing to see how many variables can be tweaked to yield subtle or dramatic changes.  We get to come back in three weeks, when our beers are ready!!! Can't wait!!! 

Superb steaks at Hamilton & Ward

Hamilton & Ward Steakhouse

101 Ward Street

Paterson, NJ 07505

(973) 345-8444

www.hamilton&ward.com

We've seen ads for this steakhouse for about a couple of months in the local paper and I admit it was an intriguing concept: a high-end steakhouse in one of the more commercially challenging cities here in northern Jersey.  We took the plunge on Father's Day because really, what else would dads love most of all on their special day that a big slab of Meat???

Hamilton & Ward is one of the main tenants of the brand spanking new Center CIty Mall here in downtown Paterson. It's right across from the Passaic County Courthouse. Parking was a breeze, thanks to the mall's underground partking lot (you get validated if you go to the restaurant).

Initially, we were thinking of having their $20 Sunday buffet, which was not available that day.  Missing the Sunday buffet was actually serendipitous, because we had a chance to sample a few things from their a la carte menu.


And the space was really quite nice, very expansive, with handsome details and discreet lighting.  The downstairs dining area had the tables and banquettes near enough so you can see what everyone else is getting, but far enough that you can't eavesdrop on conversations too well.  (So this is what a fancypants steakhouse is like!)  

The wine list was pretty exhaustive and price-wise, there's something for everyone.  DJKung and his pops got some Blue Moon and I went for a glass of red vin.

Bread basket with a very chewy sourdough baguette, nutbread and sliced peasant bread. 

The menu we got was the dinner menu (the lunch menu perhaps only applies on weekdays?) and it was a bit of a sticker shock to see the prices.  But overall, it was worth it. 

Oysters on the half shell.  The oysters were not too impressive to look at (the one on the foreground was the biggest and plumpest from the twelve oysters we ordered), but was superfresh and a delight to gulp down.

Clams oreganata.  The garlic-lemon topping went perfectly with the clams.

I got the Caesar salad with these large homemade croutons.  Yum.  Not pictured was their Maryland crab cakes app that I got for my main entree.  The crab cakes were tiny, two-bite affairs and were pretty good.  They came with a creamy lobster bisque-style sauce. 

So of course the highlight of Hamilton & Ward is the steak.  The draw here is their USDA prime beef that they dry-age in their premises.  DJKung decided on the 48-ounce porterhouse for two.  Honestly, it was a massively massive slab o' meat (maybe four to five inches thick!!!) and enough to feed four hungry diners.

So what is the deal with dry-aging?  This allows the meat's flavors to concentrate and results in tastier, more tender steak.  DJKung ordered their steak medium and he remarked at how perfectly it was prepared --- still pink on the inside and nicely browned on the outside.  One end of the serving plate was angled a bit on an overturned saucer, which allowed the sauce to collect on the other end of the plate. 

DJKung reports that this was the best steak he's ever had. Period.

Sides are extra.  We ordered garlic mashers and sauteed onions. 

Afterwards, we also got a tour of their banquet area and wine cellar.  The wine cellar is behind glass and wraps around a private dining room.  We were told that with reserving this room, you get two butlers too! Definitely for those occasions calling for a lot of swank and glamour.  We're saving the cigar room tour for next time. 

We even got complimentary Father's Day cheesecakes in our doggie bags!  The leftover steak lasted a good couple of meals, and Chibby and Babams enjoyed it too!  We cannot wait to go back, to perhaps try their happy hour specials and the Sunday brunch. 

Tasty Portugese at Tero's

Tero's Restaurant
222-224 Ridge Road
Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
(201) 935-8818

Brother D gave us a heads up about this place.  I was not too keen to try it at first because of the dearth of relatively good Portugese/Spanish food in these parts... I dunno, their seafood tends to taste really bland most of the time.  And Brother D is just irrationally particular about his food (e.g., hates vinegar, or anything containing vinegar, likes his steak tough and well-done, etc).  So Tero's was a very nice surprise.

Location-wise, it sits on I guess what is downtown Lyndhurst, across from a big cemetery.  It was not exactly a happenin' spot for a Saturday night dinner with him and the new sister-in-law.  Inside, the furnishings look rather dated and bring to mind a sleepy restarurant within a small-town hotel.

But the food was a delight!  The seafood was fresh and expertly prepared, prices were very fair and the portions were huge!!!

Soup of the day.  I did not catch the name, but it looked like pasta e fagioli to me.

Clams in garlic and olive oil.  Bracingly briny and it was a delight sopping up all the tasty juices with pieces of bread.  I was quite full by this point already.

This was a bisque-type soup that Brother D got.  Maybe crab?  He really liked it. 

Brother D's steak (well-done, of course).  With chips and garden veggies.

DJKung and his poppa shared the rack of lamb entree.  Also with chips and veggies.  DJKung found it tender, juicy and tasty. Cooked just right, too.   The thin-cut potato chips were freshly made and was just awesome. 

 I wish more places had 'em.

The sis-in-law and I (the whole table, really) shared this humongous platter of seafood.  Very nice assortment of jumbo shrimp, mussels, squid, scallops, clams and lobster.  What a treat!  Was not bland at all. . . it tasted like something you'd get in a restaurant closer to the ocean and everything was grilled just right.

Accompaniments: chips, veggies  and yellow rice.

Postprandial drinks.  It was funny seeing DJKung's pop's face when he took his first sip of the Mexican coffee. "Whew!  That's strong!" said he. FIne end to a meal.