PEC Challenge: Summit Diner

Last Sunday, as I was driving my girlfriend to the airport at 8am following our third straight week of surprise 30th birthday parties (shout out, Willy, HBD), I realized I might have needed something a little stronger than your average pork roll, egg, and cheese.  Yes, I needed the top of the line, something to power me through the rest of the day (that included watching football and drinking a million bud light pitchers at Dylan Murphy's in the city, thank you Tom for the hospitality). And would you look at that? A longtime favorite and the top of many a pork roll list, Summit Diner is just a short 15-minute drive from Newark Airport.  After a couple of weeks on the road, I can finally continue my "Top Pork Rolls of NJ" list validation tour.  The Summit Diner is right on the main drag of a cute downtown area you'd find in dozens of suburban Jersey towns.  Opened in 1929, this diner is one of the oldest in New Jersey, a prototypical rail car-style diner you remember your grandparents taking you when you were a kid, and I was delighted to find an open seat on the old countertop when I walked in.  I think the counter is one of the best things about a diner, you can enjoy a meal completely alone and it wouldn't be weird, in fact, I find it rather peaceful among the hustle and bustle of a diner.  After a brief misunderstanding of calling it pork roll (they call it Taylor Ham in Union County, whoops!), I was on my way to one of the more uniquely NJ experiences you can find.  Just a guy in a diner, eating a pork roll, egg, and cheese.  It almost brings a tear to my eye. 

I mean this might be one of the most beautiful pictures I've ever taken.

Bread Rating: 9.6/10 (A perfectly toasted hard roll.  I honestly don't think I'll find a better-toasted roll.  The griddle at Summit Diner is second to none, you can close your eyes and picture the generations of people enjoying a breakfast made on it.  Oh, they toast the bread on that griddle FYI.)

Pork Roll Rating: 9.4/10 (Two thick slices of what they called Taylor Ham.  We're in North Jersey now.  A ton of flavor and heartwarming grease.  Oh, and did I mention its griddled right in front of you.  I love these old diners so much.)

Egg: 9.3/10 (Fried egg like you dream about.)

Cheese: 8.2/10 (There's a block of American yellow next to the griddle straight from the deli.  They slice it from the block and melt it right into the toasted roll and pork roll.)

Sandwich Composition: 9.2/10 (A masterpiece of composition.  No ketchup but truth be told, I didn't miss it.  This sandwich was put together with years of experience behind it and you can't put a price on experience.) 

Overall: 9.1/10 (Well, Mr. Genovese got this one right, this is perhaps the best pork roll, egg, and cheese in the state if not the best NJ PEC experience.  From the old school railcar set up, to your sandwich being prepared right in front of you.  I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic NJ PEC experience.)

Price: $4.50, cash.


Summit Diner is located at 1 Union Pl, Summit, NJ 07901

Taliercio's Challenge: Big Mike

Editor's Note: I originally wrote this blog last week to be released today but due to yesterday's horrific events in Jersey City I have to start today's blog with a request.  Before you read on about today's sandwich, I ask that you donate to the memorial fund for Detective Joseph Seals, who gave his life protecting Jersey City yesterday.  My uncle recently retired from Jersey City PD so it would mean a lot if you'd join me in helping Detective Seals' family with any amount you could give.  You can donate here. 




Today we have a very special request from my good friend Mike who is celebrating his 30th birthday.  His direct quote from last week: 

Well, Mike, there's only one sandwich left on the menu with the name Mike in it and it's Big Mike.  Anyone who knew Mike back in the day knows this is a hilarious choice of sandwich coming from someone who was nicknamed Fetus (I know, disgusting) in Middle School.  (The same nickname could have easily been applied to me but since I was a grade older than him, he got stuck with it, sorry I don't make the nickname rules.)  I don't care how much weight you put up in the Barn (his homemade gym) today because until you have a kid and name him Mike, I will never refer to you as Big Mike.  And that's a promise.  There's a lot more I can say about Mike but I have to save some material for the wedding.  So Happy Birthday, here's your sandwich. 

Big Mike: Capicola, Sopressata, Provolone, Mozzarella, Balsamic Vinegar

I mean, we aren't only rocking with one cheese on the Big Mike, we are rocking with two! The provolone and mozzarella are perfect with the meats here. Love meat? There's plenty to go around.  This is a true NJ Italian classic.  I mean, it's got gabagool! Did you just spend Thanksgiving binging The Sopranos and wondered what gabagool was and why everyone loved it? You've come to the right place.  They're actually talking about capicola, which is a type of salami,  a cross between prosciutto and sausage, and it is as good as Tony Soprano says it is.  But that's not all on this sandwich.  We also have a generous helping of soppressata, which is an Italian dry salami.  Basically, this sandwich is about half an antipasto on bread. If you aren't familiar with antipasto, please make your family aware of it before your Christmas dinner.  

Overall: 7.8/10 

PEC Challenge: Town Bagel & Grill

What a 24 hours it has been to be a New York Mets fan.   After losing a homegrown 29-year-old stud starting pitcher to hated rivals the Phillies (to a 5 year $118M deal that the Mets didn't even attempt to match), it appeared hope was lost.  The stingy Wilpons have struck again.  While all the teams around us improved, the Mets only move this off-season have been hiring a new manager.  For those unfamiliar with the Mets ownership situation let me briefly fill you in.   The Mets play in New York, which is the largest market in the country, and have been forced to endure small market team moves due to the Wilpons involvement in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme.  In addition to that, these assholes have done things like ruined careers by forcing players to play through an injury, calling their managers in the dugout to make pitching changes even though they don't know shit about baseball (also known as micromanaging hell), and collecting insurance money on injured players (they've allowed being injured) and not reinvesting that money back into the team.  They created a joke of a franchise culture despite having one of the most passionate fanbases in the MLB.  But now we have been saved.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure new owner Steve Cohen is a total scumbag as well, but this scumbag has $13 BILLION and has a win at all cost mentality so as long as he turns this ship around I'm happy.  Is it sad that getting a new owner and not actually acquiring any new talent on the team is making me optimistic about the Mets in 2020? Absolutely.  Am I about to bet on them to win the World Series again? You bet. OK enough about the Mets you don't care, I just had to get that off my chest before eating a celebration pork roll.  

This morning I went to a spot that always appears on my Seamless and DoorDash apps when I get food delivered, Town Bagel & Grill in Eatontown.  I should have probably gotten this delivered this morning because when I got back into my car to drive home I found my battery dead.  This couldn't be possible since I replaced the battery just 11 months ago.  While waiting for AAA to give me a jump a man walked into the store asking if anyone had a (piece of absolute shit) Black Volkswagen Jetta.  "Great, this guy is going to give me a jump."  Nope, he wasn't AAA.  He was just telling me I was getting a flat tire.  Is this what I deserve for dancing on the graves of baseball's most hated family? Probably, but it turns out the battery wasn't dead after all, the cord connecting the battery was just loose so now I have to track down the last person who worked on my car and write them a strongly worded email directing them to this blog.  The good news is after 2 weeks on the road with less than stellar PEC attempts in VA and MA, I'm back in NJ for the real deal.   

Bread Rating: 6.7/10 (Kind of a bagel/roll hybrid.  The top looked like a bagel but the bottom was more like a roll.  Weird.  I'm not convinced this place is an actual bagel shop but rather a deli, which is fine except it literally says bagel in the name of their store.  Confusing.)

Pork Roll Rating: 7.7/10 (Three pretty thick pork roll slices that were excellent.  Out of staters please take notes.)

Egg Rating: 7.4/10 (Egg was seasoned and fried well and didn't overpower the pork roll which you love to see.  The egg is supposed to complement not make the entire sandwich.)

Cheese Rating: 6.4/10 (Average imitation cheese product.)

Sandwich Composition: 7.5/10 (I liked the look and taste of this sandwich.  The SPK was spot on and it didn't leave me overly full so it was a good size for someone who was waiting 45 minutes for AAA to arrive to fix my car.)

Overall: 7.1/10 (This is what a PEC is supposed to look like as a baseline.  Would I go out of my way to go to this place? No.  But if you're heading northbound on 35 from last-minute Xmas shopping at the Monmouth Mall maybe give it a shot.)

Price: $4, credit accepted. 

Town Bagel & Grill is located at 37 NJ-35, Eatontown, NJ 07724.   

Taliercio's Challenge: The Jersey Shore

 Ten years ago a show debuted that (predictably) took the world by storm.  We're talking about Jersey Shore.  Before Jerzday's became a weekly holiday, I (along with most of the people I knew growing up), was pretty annoyed by this new MTV concept. 

OK, maybe it was just me.   I was in college in DC when the show was released and while I had, of course, encountered plenty of people (many who were related to me) who dressed and looked like the cast of Jersey Shore, a ton of my friends at school had no idea people like this existed.   Likely because I have 0 hair product in my hair, don't look orange, and don't wear gold chains and Gucci shoes (maybe I should start to?).  As I began describing my summers at home, I realized, "Fuck, maybe it actually is like the show."  My daily routine during my summers in NJ always consisted of three things: Gym (shoutout Retro Fitness), tan (beach every morning none of that tanning booth shit), laundry. But the clip that really turned me from "This show is an abomination" to "This might be the funniest and most relatable show of all time" came during the season one episode where "The Situation" excluded "Sammi Sweetheart" from surf and turf night, ravioli night, and chicken cutlet night.

Iconic.  

I think I must have said that to about a dozen people who tried to weasel their way into dinner at my house (RIP to my crack den of a house in NE DC, The Dougie) when they found out my mom sent me food from home.  And from there, I truly embraced it.  From every "T-shirt Time" and every smush room.  Every meatball day followed by a chicken cutlet night.  A ridiculous show with ridiculous people making us laugh.  And sure they might give us a "bad reputation" but fuck it, it was bad already, and we really don't give a shit.  Now that my ode to the show is complete, let's take a look at Taliercio's "Jersey Shore" panini. 

Jersey Shore: Chicken Cutlet, Cheddar, Hot Peppers, Tomato, Ranch Dressing

Just like the show Jersey Shore, my initial reaction when seeing this panini was met with disappointment.  I could smell the ranch dressing when I unwrapped the panini and was horrified by the thought of cheddar cheese on a chicken cutlet.  Almost exactly how I was horrified that a cast of Bennys from Staten Island/Upstate NY/Rhode Island was about to star in a show portraying my home.   But I was surprised to find myself actually enjoying the show and this sandwich for reasons still unknown to me.  It's entertaining.  It has flair.  It has almost the exact attitude I grew up with.  Sure the ranch dressing and cheddar cheese are a weird addition,  but the meat of the sandwich, the chicken cutlets, as well as the hot peppers (the hot peppers give it the perfect zing to balance out the ranch), are the real star here.  And no show has popularized chicken cutlets as much as this one.  I suppose the lesson we can take from this is "Never judge a book by its cover," but the real ones know the actual lesson here is: 

"Never fall in love at the Jersey Shore." 

Overall: 7.2/10