I’m heading home to my parents’ house for the weekend and I’m going to miss Jersey City as I always do. So I’m going to take this moment to reflect on a recent badass Jersey City date night.
I don’t know about you but I like date nights to be in more than one place. Like, drinks here, snack there, dessert there. I mean basically drinks everywhere but you’re going more than one place on this date, is what I’m saying.
Downtown Jersey City is the perfect place for this because everything is within walking distance. Okay maybe not “everything” but there are quite a few things you can walk to.
On our Jersey City date night we went to Franklin Social, dullboy, and Fox and Crow. Franklin Social and dullboy are downtown, and Fox and Crow is in the heights. Franklin Social is the new new so I was excited to try it.
Okay here we go.
franklin social.
First stop, Franklin Social! And it’s Franklin as in Benjamin Franklin. Which I…frankly…find odd because he’s a historical character that Philadelphia usually fawns over, not NJ or NY. I love a Philadelphia jawn but I’m just saying it’s out of place. It’s fine though I’ll take it. He was apparently a cool guy besides all the normal white dudes being shitty in history stuff.
This place was PJ Ryan’s previously, which I was bored by. I’m sorry PJ Ryan’s but you weren’t my fav. I wish you well though.
Now it looks totally diff and also great in there! Warm looking simple wood kinda vibes in front and really fun patterned wallpaper in the back. There’s also a middle courtyard kind of area that has tables for nicer weather times, however far away they may be. <sobs>
We sat in the back wallpapered part. I got a cocktail first. Their cocktail menu has drinks named after different…virtues? “Frugality,” “Chastity,” “Temperance”…ugh I hate and oppose all of these concepts but it’s fun to have cocktails called different types of words so I’ll give them that. I forget which one I got but there was something in it that didn’t speak to me so I ordered a sparkling white next and that made all my dreams come true.
For food, we decided to share some things because we like to eat many different things and you gotta keep the magic alive somehow.
First we had hummus which was pretty good. It didn’t come with enough chip-like items to dip so we asked for more chip-like items and they arrived without delay so that was grand.
My choice for a small plate was the fried delicata rings. I really enjoy delicata squash and I was pumped, but I don’t know why I thought I would like something fried because I usually don’t like stuff that is arbitrarily fried. And I didn’t. But I DID pick the fried part off easily and just ate the squash dipped in the delish accompanying sauce so that was a win.
Our shared entree was scallops, THE GREATEST ENTREE IN THE LAND. I FREAKING LOVE SCALLOPS. They freak me out if I think too hard about what they actually are…like what ARE they? But I try not to think about that and just move forward thx.
The scallops were served in a puddle of what we surmised was some kind of puréed root vegetable and it was REAL GOOD. They also had a bit of sweet stuff on them like a maple or something? And then broccolini. YUM.
Dessert was two chocolate truffles and they were also REAL GOOD YOU GUYS.
dullboy.
Next up was dullboy. I love dullboy! They have great cocktails and wines and fun snacks. I think their burger is also good but I don’t eat burgers, I’ve only HEARD it was good.
I love the atmosphere there, typewriters and a whole library of books hanging on the wall. But not on shelves, like stuck to the wall in a big mass of books and you can see all their covers. Maybe I’m not explaining this well. I guess you just have to go to see.
The theme is from The Shining and the whole “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” thing. But i only know that because people told me that. I’ve never seen The Shining. I’m sorry.
On this particular Jersey City date night they had some special decorations! Because it was Valentine’s Day! The table was covered in rose petals which I thought was really glam. It’s already so dark and cozy in there it is really perfect for a date. Like, a good date with someone you actually like and want to be romantic with, a first date so you can hide in the darkness and weigh the whole thing out and the other person can’t really see you, a date with someone you’re just hooking up with, again because of the darkness, so other people in town that you’re hooking up with can’t really see you together on a “date”…the list goes on! Highly recommend! Mostly for the cozy darkness.
There was a plan in place to get oysters here but I think they only have those on Tuesdays and we blew it. But we DID get some very flavorful Brussels sprouts. I kinda went through a Brussels phase where I was super into them and then I got over them. But when they’re flavored really well I’m back in love with them again and THESE WERE.
I got a cute little bottle of wine, a sparkling rose. They have “cute little bottles” (not an official name unforch) of wine there that are like 2 or 3 glasses I guess. I don’t know I lost count. But it was good.
keyhole.
Oh! Curveball! Did you think I was going to forget Keyhole? BECAUSE I DIDN’T. Keyhole is a dive that has recently un-dived itself slightly but it has retained its charm.
I believe it used to be called “Rolon’s” but people call it Keyhole because it has windows that are shaped like Keyholes. Boom. That’s what it’s called now.
In Jersey City people are always competing to be like “I lived here first” and Keyhole is a cornerstone of this competition. People that remember Keyhole as a “real dive” where “old dudes used to play <some game for old dudes, I forget>” are like the “real true Jersey City residents.” Okay guys. Cool. We get it.
But I will say that I DO remember when it was that version of Keyhole and I also remember storming in there in like 2010 and being like “Haiiii what IPAs do you guys have on tap?” And they were like “WTF bitch we only have Bud heavies move it or lose it.” And all the old guys playing whatever old guy game it is they were playing in there did not know what to make of THAT and I blushed for one of the very few times in my life.
So yes we went to Keyhole on our Jersey City date night! And it was grand. I really do love that place. It’s straightforward and people are friendly there and they have food menus from local restaurants that deliver there since they don’t serve much food and I love that. Omg sometimes they have chili in a crock pot and hot dogs like on a Sunday…okay this is turning into a Keyhole Appreciation Post, sry. PS it’s cash only just so you’re prepared if you ever wanna go. Ur welcome.
fox and crow.
Last stop was Fox and Crow! Fox and Crow is in The Heights and the first time I went there I was like where even IS this?! But now my boyfriend lives around the corner so I’m like oh that’s where it is.
I don’t remember what I drank there but it was probably wolffers rose cider because they have it and I wouldn’t think of drinking anything else when wolffers rose cider is in the cooler, my dudes.
The best thing about Fox and Crow is that they have live music and it’s like, dignified seeming live music. Like some jazzy jazz. And it’s fun and relaxing to go in there and sit down with a drink and get jazzed with the jazz.
Also any time I’m in a room with a standup bass I just want to be its best friend. I love those big ol things. It’s like the whale of the instrument word, all big and beautiful and making haunting sounds.
I guess that was a weird analogy but I’ll leave it.
It was a great Jersey City date night! And I hope to do it again soon. Do you enjoy a Jersey City date night or two? What places do you like to go to? Have you tried anywhere new? Let me know because I want to try new things TOO.
shanimal. 