Welcome to our very first “Dining With…” column!

Every month or so we will complete a short Q & A with a local Hoboken politician, celebrity, personality, etc. about their favorite Hoboken eats and drinks. First up: newly elected Hoboken City Councilman At-Large, David Mello.

Your ideal day in Hoboken looks like:

Spending a day with my wife, Stacy, and my daughter, Sienna.  A recent example would be taking Sienna to a soccer class uptown, moving on to brunch at the Turning Point, and then meeting up with friends at Church Square park with their kids.  Basically, and day out and about in town with family is an ideal day.

Your favorite place to grab a pint with your buddies and watch some ball:

Probably McSwiggins.  I live on First St., so it is easy to get to, has a lot of televisions, and some friends who go out far more than me tend to go there.  Great spot for a game all around.

Favorite Sport, Team:

Baseball is the sport I’m the most devoted follower of, and I’m a Yankee fan since the days of Reggie Jackson (O.K., I just dated myself and lost the political support of every Mets fan in town … nice)

Your favorite place to take your wife on a date:

My wife is newly into taking in brunch at Turning Point, which we both like a lot.  For dinner it would either be Amanda’s or Anthony David’s, both of which were right near my first apartment and have a great date atmosphere.

Best slice of pizza in town (be careful – you could lose votes on this one!):

So many good slices, who can choose one place? 

We lived in the Jefferson Trust building between Willow and Clinton on Newark Street for years, and ever since then I’ve developed a huge addiction to Filippo’s on First.  My wife likes Benny Tudino’s.  As a compromise, we often order in Grimaldi’s, especially for my parents when they babysit.  But, when the choice is all mine, I almost always go with Filippo’s on First.

Where do you take-out from when there’s nothing to eat:

In the winter, I love to order tikka masala from Karma Kafe.  We’ll also order in Chinese from Precious, and sometimes Thai food from Sri Thai.

Best value restaurant in town:

Zafra.  BYOB at a great Cuban restaurant with a cool atmosphere and great food.  Plus, my wife and I are addicted to the brunch, especially their amazing coffee.  Another favorite for value, and dinner, is Margheritas.

Favorite special occasion (celebratory) spot:

Stacy and I have only made it to Augustino’s once, but it was great.  It’s a really quant and romantic small space with great Italian food.

Did you propose to your wife in Hoboken? If so where/how:

We were transitioning from one apartment to another in the Jefferson Trust, and had access to both places for a week.  I put roses, champagne and candles in the new, empty, apartment and painted a big heart on the wall that said “Will you marry me?”  I then tricked Stacy into going into the apartment, got on one knee, and proposed.

We then took a car to dinner, going to (sorry Hoboken) Cafe des Artistes on the West Side.

Favorite Happy Hour:

The Green Rock is a great spot, although, if I’m trying to stay close to home I’ll go to Nags Head or Northern Soul.

Are you a Chinese Food or Sushi fan? Where do you order from:

For Sushi we always go to Sushi House at their First Street location.  Their Lady in Red roll is awesome.  Plus, the owner is the nicest man in the world.

If you were an alcoholic beverage, what would you be:

Maybe a black and tan made with Sagres.  Classic and dependable (Guinness), half Portuguese (hence the Sagres), and creative (who mixes Guinness and Sagres?).

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