3 Forty Grill and Rita's Ice in Hoboken

When I was thinking of what to write for this entry, I wondered if I should label all my entries with a location in the title for easy search in the future. Maybe I will one of these days.

3 Forty Grill
340 Sinatra Drive
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201-217-3406
Website
Genre: Seafood, Raw Bar, Martini Lounge
Location: Waterfront, north of PATH/NJTransit Station, close to Quay and Trinity.

Besides the obviously superb atmosphere (lounge, chill) and view (NY skyline and water) of the place, the food is amazing, too. I'll copy from the website menu what "Bob" and I had ordered.

Appetizer
Fritto Misto: crispy calamari, black cod and clam strips. house made tomato sauce $10
I liked the black cod pieces the best, although since the pieces are big, beware of burning your tongue. The calamari was ok. I wasn't actually too thrilled with the clam strips. Both sauces they provided were delicious. One was spicy and the other was more tomatoey. I recommend both!

Entree
Cilantro Pesto Center Cut Swordfish Steakblack: with quinoa, margarita shrimp tempura, champagne butter sauce $24
I couldn't for the longest time identy the black seeds. I wikied quinoa but it doesn't look like what I had in my plate. Bob and I suspect they are poppy seeds. The swordfish arrived in a round plate, with a shrimp tempura on a stick standing upright in the middle of the fish steak. The butter sauce and cilantro pesto were on and around the fish, creating a visually appealing effect. The black seeds were mixed with carrots, onions, peppers, among other things. The fish was light which was complemented by the seeds (grain?) which had a stronger flavor and texture.

Espresso Pork Chop (Chef Night Special): not on website. $24
I didn't taste the espresso but the pork was definitely soaked in some kind of wine since it smelled and tasted like it. Accompanied by carrots, green beans, and (gasp) mixture of mashed potatoes and mashed yams! I liked both the pork and the yams.

Dessert
Molten Lava Chocolate Cake: imported belgian chocolate,warm liquid center,tahitian vanilla gelato $10
Amazing, can't possibly describe it in words. Also came with strawberry slices and raspberry sauce. Beautiful and fantastic composition and taste. I will probably order this again next time.

Rita's Ice
Ok, since this is a chain, there's no need to record location and info.

I can't believe I have not visited one of these until today. Pretty sure there's one close to where my parents are, too. The woman who worked behind the counter was very helpful. She explained to me what Rita's had to offer. The various flavors of Italian Ice, Custard, and combinations that mixed Custard and Ice. I would have gone for a Gelati (mix custard and ice) if I hadn't had dessert at 3 Forty already. The custard sample she provided me was yummy, simple vanilla and chocolate twist.

I asked for a sampled of cherry Italian ice and then decided to go for a small of the same thing.
Besides dying my tongue red, the Cherry ice was a very refreshing snack. I imagine it's probably more popular in the summer. My hands started to freeze when I started to eat it. I even found some cherry bits inside. Apparently Rita's ices sometimes have fruit pieces mixed in.