With the sun finally breaking through the clouds for the first heat wave of the season, the Newport community near the Jersey City waterfront eagerly welcomed summer with their 1st Annual Summer Food Fair.
The Restaurants at Newport that lined Washington Blvd. and Pavonia Avenue displayed an array of cuisine and cocktails for the swarms of residents and local workers passing by.
Outdoor setups were arranged with buffet-style samples of favorite appetizers, specialty dishes, and drinks.
“Hopefully this will become a continuous thing,” said Stacy Diver, a Newport resident, as she snacked on samosa, a classic Indian deep-fried, triangular pastry filled with a combination of mildly spiced vegetables and minced meat. She was in front of Café Spice, one of the nine restaurants participating in the fair. “I live and work nearby and have never been to most of these places,” she said. “Friends have suggested that I dine here, and so far I’ve like what I’ve had.”
The local restaurants facing the New York City skyline collectively conceived the idea for the food fair in monthly meetings held with Newport developer Jamie LeFrak, Managing Director of The LeFrak Organization, and the public relations agency, The MWW Group. The developer and restaurant owners were searching for a way to promote the area and their businesses as well.
“With all of the new businesses popping up, the original businesses felt that we needed to stand together and let the community know that we care about them,” said Sean Brennan, assistant general manager of Liberty Grille, an American Bistro. Brennan, standing outside serving the restaurant’s signature California rolls in sweltering heat, did so with a huge smile across his face. “In rebuilding the Newport area, they are doing a great service to promote the area and what we have collectively done.”
As commuters stepped off the train, and as local residents walked past the outdoor setups, they were each greeted by a staff member or manager of the restaurant and handed a Newport Frequent Foodie Card.
“Foodies,” as restaurant visitors were being called, made their way down the string of Newport restaurants, tasting the delectable cuisine and getting a stamp on their “Foodie” cards. After a visitor received five stamps, they submitted the card for the chance to win a weekend get-a-way package at The Courtyard by Marriott in Newport and gift certificates for The Restaurants at Newport.
“I like to think of Newport as a rich man’s Hoboken,” said Alok Kumar, general manager of Café Spice, an Indian Bistro. “We want the area to grow and for people to come and stay here. We want to tell people that they can get everything here that they can get in Manhattan.”
Of the 13 restaurants that are sprinkled around Newport, nine participated in the food fair, including Hudson Café, Dorrian’s Red Hand, Confucius, Cosi, Bertucci’s (which will have its grand opening June 30), Komegashi Too, Olé, Café Spice, and Liberty Grille.