Wild king salmon swims my way at Seafood Gourmet in Maywood

Wild King Salmon with a Strawberry-Lime Salsa and Couscous, above and below, at Seafood Gourmet in Maywood, where dinner reservations are a must.

A fat slab of wild-caught king salmon on ice was displayed in the market's refrigerated case. Each king, the biggest salmon, can weigh 50 pounds or more.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

At Seafood Gourmet in Maywood, a popular fish market-restaurant, you can often find your dinner chilling on plenty of ice in a case you pass on the way to the 38-seat dining room.

And so it was on Thursday night, but I foolishly went there without a reservation to celebrate a special occasion with my son.

We were told the wait was an hour, but luckily, a man was just finishing his meal at a table with two stools in the market, and offered it to us.

I sat with my back to a tank of live lobsters ($14.99 a pound).

I ordered Wild King Salmon with Couscous ($28.99), and my son chose a pan-fried whole Red Snapper with rice and fresh spinach sauteed with garlic ($24.99).

I also asked for a side dish of spinach with garlic, and the generous portion was only $4.95. Seltzer and soda with refills were $1.80 each.

A cup of Manhattan Clam Chowder came with my meal. My son had a bowl of Lobster Bisque.

Salmon and strawberries?

I wasn't sure about the strawberry salsa listed with a special of wild king salmon, and thought it might be too sweet, so the waitress offered to serve it on the side.

Two cups of salsa were on the plate -- one pureed and one roughly chopped with scallions and cucumber -- and they worked beautifully to complement the richness of the fatty salmon.

I'm sorry to say I don't know the name of the chef who is responsible for the imaginatively prepared fish I've enjoyed at Seafood Gourmet in the past few years. 

The fish market opened in 1988, and the restaurant was added about a decade ago.

A large portion of fresh spinach with garlic.

Catches of the Day were listed on a board on the wall above our small, round table.

Seafood Gourmet is a BYO.

Fresh seafood salads for sale in the market.

Details

Seafood Gourmet, 103 W. Pleasant Ave.; 201-843-8558. Open for lunch and dinner. Closed Sundays. Free street parking, BYO. With only 38 seats, reservations are recommended for dinner.

Web site: Your dinner is waiting on ice

Bones in my seafood frittata, fresh spinach and salsa in my omelet

A homemade seafood frittata uses leftover pan-fried red snapper and smoked wild salmon, plus whole eggs and whites, reduced-fat cheese, tomatoes and prepared pesto. The baked sweet potato with it is flavored with Mateo's Gourmet Salsa from Costco Wholesale.

Editor's note: With great ingredients available at Costco Wholesale, H Mart and Whole Foods Market, preparing meals at home is a snap, and a big money saver over takeout or dinner out at a restaurant.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

We had leftovers from three large red snappers my wife seasoned and pan fried, a few slices of smoked wild salmon, egg whites and three whole eggs.

I could make a seafood frittata, I thought, adding plum tomato slices, sun-dried tomatoes, reduced-fat Swiss cheese and prepared pesto.

But I wasn't careful when stripping the red snapper head and part of the body, and ended up with bones in my frittata.

The tail end of a seasoned and pan-fried whole red snapper ($6.99 a pound at H Mart in Englewood), served for dinner with steamed carrots and baby bok choy.

I spooned on Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto from Costco Wholesale after removing the 10-inch seafood frittata from the oven, where it browned under the broiler. The thick egg mixture I started with contained red snapper, grated cheese and a little reduced-fat lactose-free milk, all poured into a hot, oiled non-stick pan on the stove. When the bottom set, I moved the frittata to the oven.

I used two whole organic eggs and a little reduced-fat lactose-free milk, both from Costco Wholesale, for an omelet stuffed with reduced-fat Swiss cheese, fresh spinach and Mateo's mild salsa. I served it with leftover organic quinoa prepared in an electric rice cooker with organic diced tomatoes, organic chicken broth and whole peeled garlic cloves, and a baked sweet potato.

Organic quinoa also was the foundation for a dinner of fresh wild Icelandic Haddock Fillets from Costco Wholesale ($8.99 a pound), poached in thick Roasted Poblano Salsa from Whole Foods Market, diluted with a little red wine and fresh lime juice. 

From Dos Cubanos to no Cubanos in Paramus

Dos Cubanos, a moderately priced Cuban restaurant, opened in May 2012 in the space on Route 4 in Paramus once occupied by Fuddruckers, which served hamburgers, beer and wine.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I fell in love with Cuban food on seven trips to the biggest island in the Caribbean, but never ate at Dos Cubanos in Paramus.

When I want my fix of whole red snapper with white rice and black beans, I drive a short distance to Casual Habana Cafe, a BYO at 125 Main St. in Hackensack.

For a Cuban sandwich made with my own smoked wild salmon instead of ham and roast pork, I go to La Pola at 54th Street and Palisade Avenue in West New York, a cafe also known as "The King of the Cuban Sandwich."

Today, I noticed Dos Cubanos is closed and its name was removed from the sign in front of 282 Route 4 east in Paramus.

The owners called it the biggest Cuban restaurant in Bergen County.

A permit for a temporary sign offering restaurant space is taped to the glass next to the front door.

Before Fuddruckers, the hamburger restaurant, Le Peep, which served breakfast and lunch, occupied the half of the building that housed Dos Cubanos, which opened in 2012 after extensive renovations.

Popeyes continues to operate next to the shuttered Cuban restaurant.

A tasty Cuban dinner for 4 in Hackensack

Fried Whole Red Snapper ($17), front, and Caribbean Paella ($19) at Casual Habana Cafe in Hackensack. Entrees come with two side dishes, such as black beans and white rice.

Tostones ($5), twice-mashed-and-fried green plantains.

House or Casera Salad ($6), with goat cheese and dried papaya.

Spinach Salad ($6), with blue cheese and beets.

Chicharron de Pollo ($5) or fried chicken.

Side dishes of vegetables and dirty rice or congris.

The beautifully renovated interior.

Ropa vieja and pernil are among traditional dishes. Our meal for 4 on Saturday night included Cuban Chicken Soup ($5), and cost $22 a person, including tip and tax.

Casual Habana Cafe, 123 Main St., Hackensack; 201-880-9844. BYO, small parking lot in rear, metered street parking.

Other Hackensack posts

• Exploring Wondee's vegetarian menu
• Costco employee says, Don't bother me

A quiet success on Main Street

The whole red snapper at Casual Habana Cafe is a bargain at $17.

Casual Habana Cafe is a bright spot on one of those blocks in downtown Hackensack that have seen better days.

The Cuban restaurant is flanked by Limon, a large market that closed more than 2 years ago, and a fenced-off building that is being repaired after losing part of its facade last September.

The BYO Casual Habana seems to be having better luck -- its new interior filled with large family groups sharing bottles of wine and beer along with such Cuban classics as whole red snapper and ropa vieja (braised and shredded flank steak).

Avocado Salad includes dry mango and a passion-fruit vinaigrette.

Chicharrones are deep-fried pork rinds.

Twice-fried green plantains are called Tostones.

Three of us shared two salads, three side dishes and an entree -- a whole red snapper that was deep-fried to a crisp, but which remained moist inside ($17).

The fish appeared to be a 2-pounder. It came with two sides, so we asked for a small bowl of soupy black beans and white rice, a combination Cubans call Moors and Christians.

I loved the fried fish, and really enjoyed eating the juicy flesh and crunchy tail.

My wife said a man at the next table was enjoying a seafood dish with shrimp and shellfish, possibly the Caribbean Paella ($15). 

Boiled yuca.

Our side dishes included Boiled Yuca in Garlic ($4), the one item we thought could have been improved.

Our House Salad, with dry papaya and goat cheese, was $5; an Avocado Salad was $6, and Tostones were only $3.

I left the fried pork rinds to the two meat eaters with me ($5), and they enjoyed them. I drank Limonada de Albahaca -- Basil Lemonade ($2.50). Delicious.

The reasonable prices meant three of us ate dinner for about $18 each, including tip and tax. 

However, service is weak. We can understand why the kitchen couldn't keep up with all of the orders from large groups, but we had to ask twice for extra plates and when we added another side dish to our order.

I wanted to take home leftover rice and black beans, as well as two or three pork rinds, but a waiter took the chicharrones into the kitchen and never gave them to us. The rice and beans stayed on the table.

We just wanted to get the check, pay and leave.

I loved the basil-infused lemonade.

I haven't been to Casual Habana for many years, but noticed when it was being renovated. Only the bare brick walls in the dining room were retained.

Since I stopped eating meat, bread and pizza to lose weight, I've stayed away from Cuban food, especially the wonderful Cuban sandwich and white rice.

But our visit to Casual Habana Cafe showed me there are plenty of salad and seafood dishes I can enjoy, and still eat a little of the classic rice-and-beans combination.

The building is the former site of DiSalvo's, a popular fish market and restaurant.

You can find authentic Cuban food behind the modest exterior.

On weekends, reservations are suggested.

Casual Habana Cafe, 125 Main St., Hackensack; 201-880-9844. BYO. $9.50 weekday lunch buffet. Metered street parking.


Web site: Delicious Cuban Food

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Trying to share the wealth in Newark's Ironbound

Image via Wikipedia
Cherry blossoms in Branch Brook Park.

If there is any place where sharing food makes perfect sense, it's Newark's Ironbound, a neighborhood of Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian restaurants that serve large portions at reasonable prices.

But without the cooperation of family members or friends, any plan to eat well without spending a lot of money can quickly fall apart, as it did on Saturday during our first visit to Casa Nova Grill, a Brazilian restaurant on Ferry Street.

We left in mid-afternoon to view the cherry blossom trees in Branch Brook Park, but could find only a half-dozen or so that were showing petals. We didn't even get out of the car.

The plan was to eat an early dinner at one of the places offering a "Go Newark" Restaurant Week discount. From the park, I called a Spanish restaurant on Market Street, Catas, that had a three-course, $30 dinner, but no one answered the phone and there was no recorded message.

At Adega Grill, a Portuguese restaurant we like, the fixed-price dinner menu is $40 for only two courses, according to its Web site. That's no bargain.

Newark has a long way to go on making its Restaurant Week appealing, with varying 10% and 15% discounts or fixed-price meals, compared to uniform prices for three-course lunches and dinners during New York City's Restaurant Weeks.

So we headed over to Casa Nova (New House) to try our luck with the a la carte menu of the Brazilian restaurant, which has a brick-and-wood interior and all-you-can-eat barbecue. 

I am not eating meat or poultry and my wife is eating  them only once a week or so, but our 13-year-old son is a dedicated carnivore. I had hoped to order an appetizer and two entrees to share.

But my son would not be dissuaded from ordering penne with small shrimp in vodka sauce -- a dish I wouldn't try in a Brazilian place -- and he wanted an appetizer of clams with white wine and garlic. My wife wasn't sure what she wanted.

So I ordered the clams ($11.95), a grilled whole red snapper ($17.95), enormous Tiger Shrimp ($20.95) and the penne ($15.95). I was in trouble already on assembling a meal that wouldn't bust the bank.

This was way too much, even before the waiter told us the food is made to order and asked us to serve ourselves from the salad bar, which is free with an entree.

There were more than a dozen cooked or raw vegetables, plus cheese and an odd cabbage salad with raw octopus. We went back two or three times for crunchy string beans, beets, shredded collard greens, raw broccoli and cauliflower, and other items.

The dozen briny clams were plump and the salty broth was so good, I scooped it up with one of the shells.

The Tiger Shrimp are from Mozambique, a onetime Portuguese colony, and you get only two to an order. They are grilled and served in the shell, with the head on, and uncurled, they are about 10 inches long. Extraordinary.

We eat a lot of whole fish, but the red snapper was unusually good. It came with sides of rice and black beans, plus vegetables and potatoes on the plate. The shrimp came on a large metal platter accompanied by addictive, freshly made potato chips.

We couldn't finish our food and took home leftovers.

Image by carlaarena via Flickr

With three glasses of juice or lemonade ($4 each), a big glass of Portuguese red wine ($5), a bottle of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., water ($6) and an espresso ($1.50), the bill came to $91.30. A 15% tip of $13.69 and tax were added, sending the total soaring to $111.

We liked Casa Nova, but next time, I'll cut that by at least $30 to $40.

My son wants to return for the all-you-can-eat barbecue. He counted more than 20 skewered items in the open kitchen.

Casa Nova Grill, 262 Ferry St., Newark, 1-973-817-7272. 

Web site: Casa Nova Grill

Whole sea bass in Mexican salsa verde

Image by lorises via Flickr

Two ingredients in Mexican green salsa are tomatillos, bottom, and cilantro.

This wonderful main dish couldn't be simpler. All you need is:

1. Fresh fish.

2. A bottle of green salsa.

3. A  lemon. 

Preparation is minimal, two whole fish will cook in under 30 minutes and if you have leftover pasta or rice, all you need to do is make a salad to complete this nutritious meal.


I found fresh, wild-caught sea bass at H Mart, the Korean supermarket in Little Ferry (with branches in Englewood, Fort Lee and Ridgefield). I bought two fish -- to feed three -- that weighed about 2.5 pounds before cleaning at $5.99 a pound. 

Red snapper or other wild-caught whole fish is great, too, and of course, you could use fillets of wild-caught cod, flounder or other fresh or frozen fish.

All I did with the fish is sprinkle it with a little salt inside and out, stuff it with fresh parsley from garden (you can skip this step) and slit the body in three places. 

I used a 16.7-ounce bottle of La Costena Green Mexican Salsa, marked "Medium" spicy, available for $2.99 at Hackensack Market on Passaic Street and many ShopRites. Goya and other companies make a similar product. La Costena's red salsa is good, too.


I poured some of the salsa -- made from tomatillos and jalapeno peppers -- into the bottom of the pan, placed the fish on top and poured the remaining sauce in, plus the juice of one lemon, and covered it with the clear-glass top.

I cooked it over medium heat for about 20 minutes (in boiling salsa), but 30 minutes will ensure that it is cooked thoroughly. No need to turn over the fish. You'll have plenty of sauce for that leftover rice; we had organic brown rice left over.


I ate my meal in courses, as they do in Italy: leftover bow-tie pasta in tomato sauce, the meaty middle section of one of the sea bass and then a big salad with cucumber, tomato and organic spring mix. Easy, filling and delicious.

Quail eggs

Quail eggs showed up in the produce section recently at H Mart in Little Ferry -- 18 for $2.99. I fry four or five of the small eggs at a time, and their taste is similar to other eggs. I used a sharp knife to crack the black-spotted shells near the ends to avoid breaking the yolks and poured the contents into hot olive oil.

I also found Clifford-brand Fusion tomatoes from Canada that are grown without chemical fertilizers. A one-pound package of small tomatoes --red, green, purple and yellow -- was $1.99, and they have been great in my salads.

Fresh wild salmon run ends

I believe I've seen the last of the fresh wild salmon fillets in the fish case at Costco in Hackensack -- they were available for about four months. This week, I bought Kirkland-brand frozen sockeye salmon and mahi-mahi fillets, both wild caught.