UYE: Because Central Jersey Gets Cheesy

Such a great idea! Fun way to spend the Sunday afternoon.
Its always great to spend time with amazing people, and learn a thing or two.

the central jersey Unilocalers are AMAZING. if you haven’t come to a UYE with us… you should. for the record, central jersey definitely exists… we’ll prove it to ya!
we made cheese.
the staff at olsson’s fine foods in palmer square were welcoming, helpful, and super nice to our rowdy bunch.
i love playing with food, learning a little something, and eating one of my favorite sammiches in princeton (brie and fig baguette with arugula).
we had beers.
and cocktails and martinis and burgers at triumph.
good times.
and then, ice cream!
the bent spoon offered us endless samples of their fun and creative favors– including ricotta pistachio, sweet basil, and corn-​bacon. YUM.
then more drinks, at winberies, for the troopers that held it out to the end.
i can’t thank this bunch enough for being so open to trying new things, and for being fun, friendly, non-​judgmental, hilarious, and overall phenomenal.
…can’t wait to do it again :)

Now I may not be as prominent on Unilocal as many of the other Unilocalers that attended this amazing event may be. And although, Miss Amalia «it’s pronounced emily» Y who just so happens to be the most beautiful and spectacular person I have the pleasure of knowing. But trust me when I say that this event was GREAT!
It all started on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, with the sun shining on very picturesque Princeton village. Olsson’s fine food in Palmer square did an amazing job, they were very accompanying to all that came. Our group went for a mozzarella cheese making class and came out mozzarella cheese making pros to say the least (well at least some of us, you know who you are). We started off with a 4 cheese tasting introduction. There was a consensus among the group that they were all delicious. Then, we got down to play (or as they would say «work»). The process was much less intensive than I originally believed, the staff was able to assist any way necessary. They were able to salvage any piece that was in need of it. Upon the end of the class we all got our own curds and instructions on how to make our own.
After the class we headed over to Triumph for a what most would call a hang out. Most ended up partaking in the food that they have to offer and some just went for drinks. However that is all for another review.
The party didn’t end there however. Most of us ended up migrating to «The Bent spoon» for some delicious artisan ice cream. Luckily for us the portion of are group that remained all had a chance to sit and enjoy the company and tasteful dessert that and amazing event deserved.
Thank you to all who came out, it would not have worked out if it weren’t for your support!
I am excited to see what Amalia has in store for us next ;)

There’s not much to say that hasn’t been said about yet another incredible event. Yes we played with some cheese and learned quite a bit about it. Yes we all felt like we were little kids again playing with play-​doh except this time you could eat it!
Our class was led by cheese conoscere Brendan who even went as far as giving us the history of how cheese was first made (a rather disgusting story at that!) We were also warmly greeted by the owner and heard the story of how her husband and her decided to nix their corporate America jobs and purchase the original Olsson’s in the Trenton Farmer’s Market, eventually moving it to it’s current home in Princeton. Most definitely an inspirational story for someone such as myself that would love to one day own my business.
I loved the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of Olsson’s Fine Foods and I can say from experience that the food was certainly fine. My baguette sandwich consisting of prosciutto, ricotta, and red onion marmalade truly lived up to it’s name of ‘Delight Me.‘
Our Central Jersey Unilocal group then made its way to Triumph where some of us enjoyed a few pints, other’s margaritas, and even a martini! Although I was stuffed from Olson’s, I could not keep my eyes off of some of the burgers that other’s were so enthusiastically enjoying. Samuel L. Jackson would definitely mark that down as a tasty burger.
What better way to cap off a hot afternoon than to enjoy some ice cream at the Bent Spoon. It was my first time here but it certainly won’t be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed my corn bacon/​chocolate hazelnut ice cream. The ten minute line moved quickly and was a small price to pay (other than the actual price) for some delicious ice cream.
As always my fellow Unilocalers did not steer me wrong with their choice in venues. A million thanks goes to Amalia and Jeff (the original). It ended up being the perfect way to spend the afternoon and I think we can all agree on that. We can also all agree that with each passing event, we are chomping at the bit for the next one. At this point we can take Alan’s song from The Hangover and slightly modify it «We’re the (said # of people) best friends that anyone can have.»

You know, I usually don’t like to mix anything educational with my partying. I mean, if I’m going to spend a few hours eating great food and killing brain cells with margaritas, do I need to «learn» something too?
Apparently, yes.
For our latest CNJ UYE we learned to make mozzarella cheese, courtesy of the fine staff at Olsson’s Fine Foods. It was fun and informative. I now know that my fellow Unilocalers enjoy playing with their food as much as I do! I can’t wait to enjoy my homemade mozzarella with my home grown tomatoes & basil. Brandon and the rest of the staff at Olsson’s were so friendly, and really made our class fun.
Kudos (again) to Amalia Y for leading us into temptation once again and coordinating the event!
We moved onto Triumph where I put to rest (in my mind anyway) any doubt that Triumph makes a fantastic burger! Adding pepperjack cheese and bacon didn’t hurt. Really this was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had.
How else could we follow lunch @ Triumph, besides ice cream at The Bent Spoon?
Corn bacon ice cream? Check. Dark Chocolate ice cream? Check. Decadence thy name is Bent Spoon. It’s an entire party in two small scoops.
Of course, the highlight of the event, as in the past, was getting to know my fellow CNJ Unilocalers a bit better, incl a few newbies. As one of the more «senior» members of the group, I can’t help but think back to the mid-90’s when there was endless speculation about the Internet, and what it would become. One of my favorite quotes from that era (which I admit I didn’t fully understand at the time) came from a writer in WIRED, who said the Internet would become the «campfire around which we tell our stories». With all the emphasis today on social media, we can see this prophecy coming true. For my part, there isn’t another group of people I’d rather sit around the campfire with than my CNJ Unilocal buds.

Another great UYE put together by the infamous Miss Amalia Y. It was great seeing everybody. Even though I did not take the cheese class (vegan in training), I had a lot of fun bar hopping and roaming through Princeton.
Good people and good vibes. I am excited for UYE: Asbury Park! ;)

Few things quite as good as learning how to do something that is both fun and results in a taste good moment.
Olsson’s on Palmer Square was the (narrow) site for our Mozzarella Cheese making class. Brandon, our instructor was patient as he repeatedly explained how much salt water needed to be put into the tray with the crumbled virgin curds, and demonstrated how to squeeze the now conglomerated soft ball through our touching index finger and thumb. Sound appealing? Maybe not, but everything I was able to taste was very good. Tomorrow we can do it again at home.
The folks were so accommodating that some of us wanted to make a lunch of their Grilled Cheese and/​or Baguette Sandwiches. My Swiss, Dark Mustard, and Romaine on French Loaf arrived crunchy, hot and melty. It was excellent. The store was full of small jars of earthly delights in unusual combinations to set my salivaries a twitter.
We moseyed over to Triumph Brewery on Nassau Street for a hour of so of crafted beer, and more of us ate what were reported to be high end burgers and gazpacho soup with yellow tomatoes.
I took off at that point and headed for the Bent Spoon for a sweet creamy dessert. The line was out the door and a bit crazy, so I had a change of heart, and drove down to Lawrenceville to The Purple Cow. What a difference. Quiet buzz of customers with a cozy salon inside and a porch outside for licking as I watched the world go by.
It is fair to say that this Central Jersey group is getting to know each other, and more importantly, like each other. After three events, all we could talk about were the next venues to be considered for our staging. Asbury Park, New Brunswick, and even a few bike trails along the Delaware Canals, all came up as cool ideas.
The old saying that there are two kinds of families — the one we’re born with, and the one we create of our free will — is being borne out. If we keep this up, our relationship will definitely evolve into a warm and engaging group of siblings of all ages and persuasions, looking forward to the next time we can see each other.
As always, thanks to Amalia, Jeff and the rest who planned this gig, and showed up to make it a great day.

So I dropped the ball on Em… I thought this was at 3 and not 1. I. AM. THE. WORST. missed the cheese class. Hence, 4 stars. I can’t drop 5 because I missed the primary showing.
Unilocal needs to let me access my events through the mobile app. please work on that HQ!
I had fun meeting everyone and wandering around Princeton. I can confirm Princeton is real. But that is south jersey.
See, central NJ is not real!