NJ Dining: Picklelicious

Picklelicious
763 River Rd, Teaneck, NJ
(201) 836-7800

Pickles are something that I beleive most people take for granted, and have difficulty invoking passionate thoughts or rabid cravings in anyone but the most hardcore woshipper of the briny arts. Sadly they are, for most Americans, a condiment that ends up (many times omitted by request) on fast food burgers or an insipidly sweet or cloyingly vinegarized vegetable mass resembling a cooked to death kirby that is pulled out of a heat pasteurized jar originating from some big food conglomerate. And that’s a damn shame, because a real Kosher-style fresh Pickle is a marvelous, marvelous thing.

Real Kosher pickles are facing extinction, and there are a scant few companies in the New York Metro area still making them. Even rarer than the jarred variety of fresh, refrigerated kosher pickle (like the Ba-Tampte brand made in NY) is the kind you used to be able to get out of a barrel on Delancey Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. But the mythical Lower East Side pickle barrel place doesn’t exist anymore — they’ve either moved out to Lawn Guyland, or in Picklelicious’ case, Jersey. Which is quite fortunate for us! And if you don’t live in Jersey, you can get them shipped to you.

Robyn Brown-Samra, Picklelicious‘ owner, comes from a long line of artisinal pickle makers. She and her brother Jay, and her (late) husband Leo opened a popular pickle store on Amsterdam Avenue in New York City in the 1990’s. But after her husband passed away, she closed the store and moved to River Road in Teaneck, where she has set up shop in a cute little house, filled with pickle barrels containing all sorts of interesting kinds of pickled goods, as well as high quality snack merchandise.

The Pickle House on River Road.

Sour Dills in the barrel.

Hot and Spicy pickles. Robyn also makes a horseradish pickle that will blow your head clean off if you’re not careful.

In addition to pickled cukes, peppers, celery, tomatoes and mushrooms, Picklelicious also carries a very wide variety of olives.

If you’re not sure what kind of pickles you want, the tasting area has them all out for you to sample.

Picklelicious also has all your favorite brands of gourmet snacks and chips.

Need a snack? How about a Pickle On a Stick?

Gifted Gourmet Joins the Off The Broiler Team

I’d like to introduce you to our latest guest contributor, Melissa Goodman. Some of you know her by her nom de plume, “Gifted Gourmet” on eG Forums. Melissa will be keeping you up-to-date with food news items from across the globe with her usual sexy and steamy personality. Her first entry today will be about her passion for Jewish cooking.

Gifted Gourmet says: I was so ecstatic to use the Flickr Motivational Poster tool that I almost forgot that the other items offered on Flickr could be used to enhance and display foods prepared though the year. The Jewish holidays all year round provide the cook and photographer with many visual and culinary treasures … this mosaic is only on Jewish holiday cooking I have done in 2006 … enjoy! and then try your own mosaic!

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