I am in the midst of reading Erika Jayne’s memoir “Pretty Mess” and I came upon a phrase I hear time and time again; “Nervous Nellie”. Erika was using it to express her feelings as a mom of an adult son and it made me wonder if Nellie’s parents were as worried as she was, why? The expression Nervous Nellie describes someone who is hopelessly nervous without just cause, no matter the subject, be that a person or place.  The earliest reference to this phrase appears in 1926 as a means to describe a worrisome person. But the term is derived from is much older.  Older, worn out horses were called “Old Neil”. A horse that became high strung was dubbed a “Nervous Nellie”. The first public use of that phrase to describe a person was in 1926 when Senator Frank Kellog was described as such for being the sole Republican Senator to be in favor of the U.S. signing the Treaty of Versailles, which ultimately ended World War I.  Following suit, President Johnson enjo...

Creativity always inspires me, no matter where I find it. But when that creativity turns up in something I can eat, that is takes my interest to a whole other level. When it comes to donuts, I am a loyal fan of Doughnut Plant ( https://bit.ly/2rMsL7f ) in Brooklyn and New York City. They are the only brand I continue to visit when I need the taste of a very delicious donut with a bit of creative flare. But as with most aspects of life nowadays, social media, specifically Instagram is broadening my horizons. That is where I found Glaze Artisan Donuts and proceeded to track them down.  They have two locations in New Jersey, the original is in New Milford, while the secondary location I happen to visit was in West Caldwell. I was going to be nearby at a family function so I was happy to get to taste some new treats beforehand.  Glaze Artisan Donut is home of the original Italian rainbow donut, or so they tell me, and I am taking their word for it. Needl...

While I LOVE pizza on a Friday and pretty much every other day of the week, lately I have been aching for a pita filled with Greek salad and falafel. At this moment I would kill anyone I know for just a bite and I am only semi-kidding.  Falafel is a good food I lived without for most of my life, which now seems unfathomable to me. Those little balls with a crunchy outside and flavors of the  Mediterranean on the inside, makes for such a filling and satisfying meal! Combined with salad, cheese, and a pita, and I can hardly think of anything that goes so well together.  But alas I am forgetting the best part: the tahini sauce on top. Or is it tzatziki that I love? I am always getting them confused.  I know I love them both, but really what the hell is the difference? Tzatziki sauce is what I will begin with because I know off hand that it is a yogurt based dip that has a hearty helping of dill and cucumber. I also know that I spent two days looking ...

It sits in a clear box upon the river marked by the Brooklyn Bridge behind it. On a clear day when the sun is shining just right it looks like a jewelry box the heavens laid down and forgot about. Such was the case when I visited.  I have always heard about the historic Jane’s Carousel and see countless pictures on Instagram of many folks having fun there. In it located in the heart of DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan / Brooklyn Overpass - for you non-Brooklynites) in what is now a completely rebuilt and booming area.  I haven’t been down there in some time except for a quick bite or two. The last time being over a year ago when I visited Patsy Grimaldi and his newest addition Julianna’s ( https://bit.ly/2FN3Vck ).   Prior to that it had been years. I had spent one insanely hot day eating at the original Grimaldi’s, Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, and nearby master chocolatier Jaques Torres ( https://bit.ly/2HR6LTE ), but that was ages ago. ...