Fans of the Red Mango Yogurt & Smoothies chain now have their own spot to get their fix in the Somerset Hills and Warren area, with the opening of a new shop at Riverwalk Center off Martinsville Road in Basking Ridge. The shop, located next door to the Riverwalk satellite of the Somerset Hills YMCA, has been open since last Saturday, and had a slow but steady stream of customers early on Friday afternoon. The shop at 665 Martinsville Road in Riverwalk has the same owners as Red Mango shops in Summit, Millburn and Long Branch. David Rothberg, co-owner with his wife, Jen, said that Basking …

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown on Sunday, Sept. 16 and goes until sundown on Tuesday, Sept. 18.Every year, Jewish families gather together to celebrate the occasion with traditional foods.Here are a few recipes for a great side dish and dessert. Mama Betty’s Noodle Kugel (serves 8 as a side dish)This recipe is from Mama Betty, another Patch editor's grandmother and was the very personification of the notion that food equals love, in spite of not being a sweet kugel.Ingredients:12 oz. package of wide egg noodles, cooked al dente¼ lb. (one stick) butter, cut up into …

It seems like there is a special day for just about everything these days and the donut is no exception. National Donut Day is Friday and in honor of their big day, donut shops across the nation — including the Dunkin' Donuts in Bernards Township — have specials on donuts. For a free Dunkin' Donuts donut, you'll need to purchase a beverage (hot or cold), according to their "Behind the Beans" blog. The chain officially says that they'll hand out one free donut of your choice "while supplies last." (Could Dunkin' Donuts ever really run out of donuts?) As of late morning, Trupti Dave at the …

Not only is the Red Mango frozen yogurt shop in the Bridgewater Commons Mall brand new, but it offers something that no other location in the mall can claim: all-natural, fat free, probiotic-infused self-serve frozen yogurt with a wide variety of toppings. So far, the reviews have been glowing. “People are so happy that we’re here,” said Red Mango owner Karen Chmelar. “I hear people say over and over, ‘We’re so happy to have a healthy option in the mall.’” Providing a healthy product is important to Chmelar, which is why she chose to open a Red Mango over any other frozen yogurt franchise. I …

Eating what's good for you can taste good, too. As part of an overall approach to optimizing good health, Riverwalk Chiropractic & Physical Therapy Center will present "A Healthy Eating Event" on Thursday evening, featuring health chef Sue Stimpson, owner and executive chef for "From The Heart," based in Mendham. Stimson will be offering education on the preparation and benefits of foods that are both healthy and nourishing. The evening will include information on how to improve your health through diet; recipes that are easy and fast; and choosing foods to target the fight against diabetes, …

I've been to a number of Passover Seders over the years, many in New York state, some in New Jersey, and one in California. As part of the ceremony at each, I've sipped wine that either was kosher, or fine wine. But not both. The Chabad Jewish Center in Basking Ridge, which will hold its own Community Seder on the second night of Passover on Saturday, April 7, has been trying to change all that for local Jews who are preparing their own Seder tables. Last Thursday night, for the fourth year, Chabad hosted another kosher Passover wine tasting in its bright atrium at the Jewish Center off …

There are chili recipes with beans, and without. Some have all meat, some have none. There are variations that are mild, and others that will start a fire on your tongue. Then there are chilis made with wild boar, venison or with an Asian-Indian twist. Those are some of the chilis that have been served at the annual SHEF Chili Cook-Off, a fundraiser for the Somerset Hills Education Foundation, which is back on for this Saturday night, from 6 to 10 p.m. This year's social event, again at Upton Pine Estate on the mountain in Bernardsville, is the ninth year the down-home (Somerset Hills-style) …

The following information is provided Mindy Rodden, Director of Outreach for Zimmer Preschool and Olam Academy, which are at the Chabad Jewish Center in Basking Ridge, off Valley Road. The preschool and early elementary academy students grow vegetables and, more recently, have begun partnering with an organic farm from Pennington. The Basking Ridge Patch welcomes submissions to our new weekly "Tastings" column, with information about restaurants, food and drink at in the township and the Somerset Hills Community. The Zimmer Preschool and Olam Academy have recently partnered with Honey Brook …

The Copper Kettle Deli has been in downtown Basking Ridge for about ten years now, and during that time established itself as a popular spot to head for breakfast, lunch or a bite during the day with friends. In fact, the Copper Kettle was selected last week as our Readers Choice of favorite deli in town. But that same week — just by chance — the Copper Kettle Deli also began serving dinner on a full-time basis. As one of our readers mentioned, the Copper Kettle already been serving dinner on a sometimes basis in the recent past. But now the deli's expansion into dinner service has been …

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:Grain House Restaurant225 Route 202 NorthBasking Ridge908-221-1150www.oldemillinn.com/dining.php Long before I moved to Basking Ridge, Sunday brunch at the Olde Mill Inn, with the historic Grain House Restaurant on the same property, was a treat I looked forward to, whether living in nearby Morris County or further away. It certainly was worth a trip on special occasions, or just as a chance to get together with a special group of family and friends. Now that I live in …

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Riverside Grill 256 Route 206 SouthHillsborough908-281-0360www.hungry4burgers.com Overview: Somewhere in the mists of time, the typical burger joint gave way to fast-food, processed, mystery meat patties and a vision of sameness. Riverside Grill owners John and Alyse Prudente are here to remedy that. Their Hillsborough restaurant, which began three years ago in Manville but moved to Hillsborough in November, specializes in fast service without the fast-food burger taste…

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Country Squire Restaurant 62a Mountain Blvd, Warren 908-561-6764 Overview: Diner-style restaurants are ubiquitous in New Jersey—we're actually kind of famous for them—and it's no secret why. In our diverse neck of the woods, only a diner offers the kind of menu diversity a group is likely to want—there's something there for every palate and craving. Unfortunately, you might not want to take mom to some. Even if the food is acceptable, the cleanliness may not be—and the …

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Maria's PizzaAddress: 531 Route 202 North, RaritanPhone: 908-864-4343Cost: $ Overview: Maria's Pizza is very new, having only been opened a few months ago by Raritan resident Sam Abozid, who in his 32 years in the restaurant business has previously had several other branches of the restaurant in Middlesex, New Brunswick and another area of Raritan. Named after Abozid's wife, the restaurant is small, with only a few tables, but a very large selection of pizzas, pastas and …

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. This week, we look at the Narenj Persian Grill in the mall off Mountain View Boulevard in Basking Ridge. Narenj Persian Grill25 Mountain View Blvd.Basking RidgePhone: 908-580-0600Website: www.narenjpersiangrill.com Heading out to Narenj Persian Grill for dinner on a Friday night, as I have often done, always feels like a bit of an escape from the everyday. It isn't only that there is a break from the workweek, but also that the menu and atmosphere are different from any other restaurant I know of in…

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Pheasants Landing RestaurantAddress: 311 Amwell Road, HillsboroughCost: $$$Phone: 908-281-1288 Overview: Pheasants Landing specializes in American and Continental fare, with a focus on German and German-inspired food. With both a sit-down restaurant and an underground pub—the pub features live music on weekends—the restaurant allows for both sit-down meals and casual drinks. It also has an outdoor beer garden during warmer months and a room to reserve for weddings and …

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Aikou Asian Cuisine 9 Mt. Bethel Road, Warren  908-834-8278 www.aikouasiancuisine.com Price: $$ Overview: Thanks to an early introduction to Chinese cuisine, I've long had a fondness for Asian restaurants. Now that Chinese restuarants are nearly ubiquitous, I'm thankful to see a growing trend of restuarants making the experience a bit more...upscale. Montgomery's Ya-Ya Noodles may have been a Somerset County innovator in this regard, but Aikou's first Somerset County …

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:  Yutaka Hibachi Steakhouse  Address: 90 West Main Street, SomervillePhone: 908-218-5523Cost: $$ Overview: Yutaka is one of the bigger sushi restaurants on Main Street in Somerville, and one of the only ones on that stretch that offers hibachi as well. It's a big restaurant, with the hibachi toward the back, and the sushi tables in the front—comfortable place, good food, nice options. Décor: The restaurant has dark lighting, and is very beautifully decked out in cultural …

Each week, Patch picks out a great restaurant in town or nearby that's worth checking out. Here is this week's choice: Petrock’s Bar and GrilleAddress: 413 Amwell Road, HillsboroughCost: $$Phone: 908-359-2344 Overview: Opening in 1961, Petrock’s Bar and Grille is among Hillsborough’s oldest restaurants—if it’s not the oldest restaurant in town, period. Located on Amwell Road, it combines tasty food with variety and value, in an atmosphere reminsicent of the neighborhood pub. Décor: Petrock’s definitely concentrates on the “bar” part of its moniker—in a town with few sports bars, it’s a place …

  Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. This week, we look at the Yummy Grill-Mexican Grill in the Lyons Mall in Basking Ridge. Yummy Grill-Mexican Grill445 S. Finley Ave., (Lyons Mall)Basking RidgeTelephone: 908-204-0800Website: www.yummygrillhibachi.com Yes, Virginia, it is possible to get a Mexican meal in Basking Ridge for under $10. It just comes with a little bit of a cultural twist, perhaps appropriate for the area. The restaurant, while separate from the Yummy Grill next door, is connected to the Asian eatery, and the jointly …

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Uproot Restaurant 9 Mt. Bethel Road, Warren 908-834-8194 Price: $$$ Overview: When the occasion calls for a special meal—perhaps an important business client is in town, or you're ready to "pop" the question—it's not the time to skimp. You'll want a place that is tastefully decorated, serving food that's a step above other restuarants. In this area, that's a pretty high bar: we're close enough to Manhattan that it's hard to find original cooking or design, but Uproot meets…