Have you been to West Five Supper Club in Hoboken?

A few weeks ago on a nice mid-week evening we decided to venture over to the other side of town to check out the West Five Supper Club (505 Madison St.), since the introduction of their new chef last month.

As we heard it usually is on a Wednesday night, the atmosphere was casual and comfortable. Because we’re not too keen on bright loud dinner experiences, it was especially inviting to walk into a back-lit, metropolitan setting and have a large booth to ourselves. Along with our glasses of wine to start off, we were surprised to get a short martini glass of a delicious mushroom soup, which we learned was “on the house” for all dinner customers.

Tapas style menu at West Five meant for sharing

The menu is organized similar to tapas, with a unique lengthy section entitled “shares” that would be great for a couple or group wanting to order several selections to sample. Because of my low carb choices, though, we ordered separately but each had an excellent meal. The braised short rib sliders (with roquefort cheese and caramelized onions) and basket of fries (with parmesan cheese, garlic, and truffle mayo) were excellent paired together and given a great review.

As for me, the grilled chorizo skewers and mini bison burgers (sans bun) more than satisfied my love of flavorful food and my desire to go low carb. The Thai wings were tangy, seasoned with sweet chili, lemongrass, ginger and Indonesian soy; and the grilled steak skewers were spicy and made with bull horn peppers and Bermuda onions.

Overall we had a great time and agreed that the West Five Supper Club was a welcome change from our usual dinner routine. For us, the 20 minute walk was worth it on a nice evening. For those that live closer, it’s well worth the even shorter trip to check them out for dinner sometime soon! Due to the size of the booths and the way the menu is organized, it seems like a great location for a few friends, a double date, or just a nice place away from crowds for anyone wanting a different atmosphere.

Technorati Tags: 505 Madison Street, 60 second review, Hoboken, New Jersey, NJ, Restaurant Review, Tapas, West 5, West Five Supper Club

Lisa’s Deli in Hoboken is one of the best

Hoboken411 lives a very “cyclical” lifestyle. My routines and destinations vary widely over the course of time. But happily, they tend to gravitate towards the positive – and that’s a good thing.

Lisa’s Deli (9th & Park) has always been a favorite of mine since I’ve lived in Hoboken. But for some odd reason, it was “off the radar” for quite an extensive period of time. Why? I cannot say, and sadly I feel it should have never left it!

Lisa’s is a true Hoboken gem everyone should patronize

I guess I can hone in on why this happened. I stopped going to traditional “delis” because I no longer eat sandwiches. The low-carb lifestyle pretty much eradicates that option. And when you think of most deli’s, typically sandwiches are the top reason.

However, after learning they make the absolutely best ricotta cheese on planet earth – they were swept back into my vision, and gladly so!

I visit Lisa’s a couple times a week now for some of my favorite fresh Mozzarella cheese in Hoboken – and they also make great salads and omelets as well.

To boot, it’s a friendly place to connect with good people and positive vibes. Although, I’m only speaking about the people that work there, not necessarily all of the customers – as I had a little run-in with a doped up, social networking addict the other day who had the patience of a squirrel on a quadruple espresso. This impatient tool was swiping his cell phone and giving attitude that would have him in the gutter minus some teeth “back in the day.” Seriously, people! When you walk into an established “old school” place like Lisa’s – leave your phone in your pocket, and enjoy the beauty of one of the few places everyone is REAL. Capeesh?

Anyway – Hoboken411 Mascot offers his full seal of approval. Enjoy the weekend!

Technorati Tags: Gem, Genuine, Hoboken, Lisa's Deli, Low Carb, Mozzarella Cheese, New Jersey, NJ, Old School, Ricotta Cheese, Salads, sandwiches

Taubes: HBO Documentary missing key points

I feel this is important to share.

HBO Documentary Films has a new production out entitled “The Weight of the Nation,” and our insane obesity epidemic. Sounds like it’d be a powerful, insightful film coming from the slick crew at HBO, right?

Well – not so fast. Highly respected low-carb author Gary Taubes pokes more holes in this movie than swiss cheese over at The Daily Beast.

It’s a must-read article that will set the record straight. He sheds light on the blaring omissions of scientific facts – and how it just continues the same, tired myths about why America is so damn sick & fat.

“The authority figures in obesity and nutrition are so fixed on the simplistic calorie-balance idea that they’re willing to ignore virtually any science to hold on to it.”

Taubes, being fair, does actually point out one “positive” aspect of this documentary: “If The Weight of the Nation accomplishes anything, it’s communicating the desperation of obese Americans trying to understand their condition and, even more, of lean (or relatively lean) parents trying to cope with the obesity of their offspring. Lack of will isn’t their problem. It’s the absence of advice that might actually work. If our authorities on this subject could accept that maybe their fundamental understanding of the problem needs to be rethought, we and they might begin to make progress. Clearly the conventional wisdom has failed so far. We can hold onto it only so long.”

Technorati Tags: Documentary, Gary Taubes, HBO, Hoboken, insulin, Low Carb, New Jersey, NJ, Science, The Weight of the Nation

Perfect dessert for low carb lifestyle in Hoboken, NJ

Almost every single day of the week – acquaintances in Hoboken who haven’t seen me in a while are astounded at my profound and rapid improvement in my weight and appearance (thanks for the compliments, everyone!)

The evidence, along with the periodic updates to the low carb life section here on Hoboken411 naturally results in frequent conversations about “how did you do it?” Of course I try to sum up the secrets to my success in the most digestible and easy to understand formats.

But one question that comes up often is “sweets.” It’s apparent that a large number of residents have a penchant for sweet things, especially desserts.

My usual response is that once you go low-carb, “snacking” and “cravings” are almost eliminated from your life (eating becomes more of an after-thought, a primal instinct).

However, with the help of my friends Mike & Kristie from The Body Transformation Experiment – I discovered a way not only to pretty much eat a meal – but also cover your desire for a dessert-like dish if needed!

Let me introduce you to my friends Ricotta Cheese and Berries.

Ricotta Cheese & Berries are perfect low-carb treats!

Ricotta Cheese is a wonderful byproduct of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese.

A lovely texture, rich taste, and a low-carb essential. Yes – it’s moderate in fat & protein, but low in carbohydrates.

Want your dessert? Simply take a handful of low-carb berries (blackberries, blueberries or raspberries) and mix them with a good Ricotta Cheese (Lisa’s Deli on 9th St. has some of the best!) But even Polly-O or Biazzo work too. Just be sure to get the full-fat ones.

I want to remind anyone considering starting a low-carb life, that amazing changes will happen to your dietary needs.

If you make it past the “light-headed” stage of the transformation (this is where many people “fail” in their attempts to go low carb), your old desires to snack on anything (especially sweet items) will almost disappear. I seriously have a massive wall of “snacks” I bought to prepare myself to this new life, and I realize now that snacking is a thing of the past.

But it happens – and what you learn is that a late night snack in the low carb world MUST be high in fat, and low in protein and carbs. Besides the wonderful Macadamia Nut, Ricotta Cheese & Berries also does a great job of satiating you without spiking your blood sugar into a disastrous negative health spiral.

411 tip: Just be careful about how much you use. This is naturally filling, and should be used sparingly. It will fill you up fast as hell. Eat it slowly and savor it. Some friends have suggested using Stevia or Xylitol to add so-called “natural” sweetness you used to crave to it, but I recommend against it. I had a bowl last night – and I was amazed that I considered that a “sweet,” because if I ate the identical dish a year ago, I’d spit it out saying it was bland and boring. But today it’s totally different. Best bet is to get “un-used-to” anything sweet. In the long run, it’s just not good for you!

Are you ready to go low-carb yet?

Technorati Tags: Berries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cravings, dessert, Hoboken, Hoboken411, Light Headed, Lisa's Deli, Low Carb, Low Carb Dessert, Low Sugar, New Jersey, NJ, Raspberries, Recommendation, Ricotta Cheese, Sugar

Trash reveals who is low carb and who isn’t in Hoboken

Seeing trash piles like this on the streets of Hoboken summon flashbacks of a previous life, a time when I felt older, sicker, slower, and fatter. Those were tasty times indeed, but in retrospect, the short-term pleasures were worth profoundly less than the multitude of positive gains myself and a growing number of people have achieved living the low-carb life.

While your precious little taste buds may have mouth-watering memories of the sandwiches, pizzas, pastas and sweets – you cannot blame them alone for steering you wrong. They were coaxed into the endless and self-perpetuating cycle of hunger by fluctuating blood sugar levels and excess carbs.

Here’s a great quote from author William Banting, who published what is considered to be the first low-carb book ever back in 1864 (“Letter on Corpulence“), when he eliminated most sugars and starches and lost 100lbs in about a year, and regained his vitality: “I can now confidently say that quantity of diet may be safely left to the natural appetite; and that it is the quality only which is essential to abate and cure corpulence.”

Better translation? When you keep the carbs low, you’re rarely hungry in-between meals and almost never over-eat or “feel bloated.”

You can also read a really great history of how the low-carb science and debates have evolved in the book by Jonny Bowden we reviewed last week. A tremendous resource to have on your shelf.

Technorati Tags: Diabetes, Diabetics, Garbage, Hoboken, Hunger, Low Carb, New Jersey, PHOTO OF THE DAY, photography, pizza, Pizza Boxes

Sugar & Artificial sweeteners should be avoided at all costs!

As people living the low carb life mature with their new way of living, much of the data that gets absorbed week after week just adds up so logically that it strengthens your beliefs, and invigorates your desire to share with the world and help others.

Below is a video a Hoboken411 reader sent me from Dr. James Granger. It’s a no-nonsense, straight-forward look at sweeteners in general – both natural sugar, as well as the artificial sweeteners that are available everywhere.

“Diabetes cases have quadrupled between 1986 and 2000…”

Dr. Granger clearly shows the historical correlation between the introduction of all these toxic sweeteners – and the unhealthy epidemics more and more people all over the world are suffering from.

Obesity, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and much more. What really gets my goat, is that a truly beneficial and educational piece like this has less than 3,000 views on YouTube, but idiotic, nonsensical, mindless entertainment from the likes of Justin Beiber – can get over 725 million views! For every person that watched this video – over 240,000 people watched a music video they’ll forget about 5 minutes later!!

Now you wonder why half the world is sick, blubbery and dumbfounded?

Anyway, this is certainly not seven minutes wasted, but rather a bold wake-up call for those that are still grasping onto their indoctrination traditional beliefs.

(Note: the video content starts at around 50 seconds.)

Technorati Tags: altergyn, Artifical Sweeteners, Dr. James Granger, fitness, health, Hoboken, longevity, losing weight, Low Carb, Low Carb Living, New Jersey, NJ, obesity, Sugar