New Jersey is a GREAT state to eat out!

Hi, everyone on the Internet. I've created this blog for a few reasons. Let me explain.

First, I love food. I am a chubby dude, make no mistake. I got that way for a reason - because I love the hell out of some food. There are few things that I'm more passionate about than eating a good meal. Music and fishing are probably the only two, and luckily they can all be combined to make my life awesome pretty regularly. I'm also from central New Jersey, which is the most ethnicly diverse area in the country (according to me). It does have the highest concentration of Indians, as well as an awesome population of people from all over Asia. Just a bit north of me is northern NJ, which is densely populated with all kinds of Europeans spanning that entire continent, with a strong concentration of Polish immigrants and Italians with close ties to the homeland (think Sopranos). We have inner cities with awesome soul food, incredibly strong Mexican neighborhoods (especially from Oaxaca), Southern BBQ masters....we quite honestly are just a super diverse state. We're like the whole country crammed into one small coastal state between New York City and Philadelphia, PA.

Secondly, I love exposing people to types of food they haven't tried, but that I think they would love. When someone tells me they like Mexican food, but have only had it from a chain restaurant, I take them to a tiny place in New Brunswick where I have to order for them in Spanish and you can get a burrito the size of your thigh for 5 bucks. When someone tells me they like spicy food but are intimidated by Indian food, I take them to a place in Edison with friendly waiters who take pleasure in explaining what things are, and where the expensive things on the menu are 9 dollars. My passion for food and willingness to try different things since I was a kid, combined with the diverse area I grew up in, has given me a very intimate relationship with all kinds of "exotic" ethnic foods. I am seriously thrilled to share my experiences and guide people into a culinary world they previously thought out of their reach.

Finally, I'm just a culture junky. I LOVE music and food from all over the world. I think music and food are easily accessable keys to break down cultural barriers and get to know about cultures of the world. When I've shown genuine interest in and appreciation for Jamaican music to people from Jamaica, I've been readily accepted and gladly educated on the entire culture. When I've done the same for Thai food to Thai people, I've gotten the same open-armed welcome. People LOVE to share the cultures they grew up with in their countries of origin with open-minded and appreciative people over here. As a result of my good-natured curiosities, I've gotten some awesome insights into the food and music of many of the cultures that inhabit this great state. I crave authenticity in all aspects of my life, so this is very important to me.

So, here you go. I'm going to try to take people once a week to sample a type of food they've never tried, and let you in on our experiences. I'll try to take pictures and share some stories, as well as fill you in on restaurants that you might want to try, and good ways to get into foods you've never thought you'd even want to try.