PARSIPPANY — Many people don’t seem to mind dealing with the traffic, bridges, tunnels, parking, and what I find other inconveniences that one can inevitably expect to encounter when treading over the state line to dine in one of those trendy hot spot eateries in Manhattan. Don’t get me wrong, I also enjoy the City when I get there, but I don’t enjoy the trip.

The Social Hub by Dhaba, a relatively new to the area, Indian-inspired, multi-cuisine, sports-themed, premium restaurant and lounge, has brought the same quality of food, service, and excitement you look for in NYC right here to Parsippany-Troy Hills with their new location on Route 46 East, taking over the area formerly occupied by Houlihan’s. I was fortunate to be at the Social Hubs soft opening in May of 2023, and it was time for a return visit.

It is notably rare to find a sports-themed Indian restaurant, but finding one at this elevated level has to be unique. A definite Indian theme is prominent throughout the venue, yet as I stated, there is a definite NYC vibe and ambiance, particularly in the lounge area. You can’t help but be impressed with the interior décor and design. The softly lit lounge area is elegantly embellished with a warm and comfy cultured stone fireplace, brick veneer and off-white walls, a black ceiling with recessed lighting and ceiling fans, dark chocolate, soft wooden seating, and accents, with attractive upholstery. Romantic alcove seating and individual seating along the wall are available—something for everyone’s preference. The utilization of color, design, Bollywood artwork, and ethnic garnishments certainly adds to the elegance of the upscale yet casual, immaculately clean, and comfortable setting. 

With soft-club/techno music comfortably playing in the background, we chose to sit at their spacious, gorgeous rectangular bar for one of their signature cocktails and to order a few appetizers, or as they listed them, “finger foods,” to later go into their separate dining area for our entrees.  Bartenders Pranay Raj and Teresa Vaca were the best, amiable, helpful, and professional in helping us navigate through Social Hub’s menu options; an extensive menu filled with authentic Indian flavors in traditional and fusion dishes. I should note the menu also offers non-traditional food, veg and non-veg, including onion rings, nachos, fish and chips, burgers, pizza, and pasta for those looking for other options.

While Pranay offered some requested suggestions for our appetizers, I perused the multiple large-screen televisions mounted throughout the restaurant. What a great place to catch your favorite game, be it football, baseball, cricket, or whatever!

I started with a Smokey Negroni (Rozaluna Mezcal, Campari, Sweet Vermouth), while my friend ordered a Spicy Mango Martini (Tito’s Vodka with Siracha, fresh lime, mango puree). Teresa prepared them perfectly.  Delicious Negroni! I was also informed that all the bar ingredients at Social Hub are fresh and made in-house every day. The cocktail menu was just as impressive as everything else at Social Hub. It included many unique and interesting libations, along with mocktails for those who prefer their drinks without alcohol. A large selection of draught beers, including IPAs and craft selections, are also available, and yes, you can even get a Guinness Irish Stout if that’s your preference. I did have to try a TAJ Mahal Premium Lager before I left.

Our appetizers arrived quickly. We started with and shared Veg Momos – Tandoori Flavored (Steamed Dumplings made with paneer, onion, ginger, and veggies in tandoori marination); Social Hub Cauliflower Manchurian (Fried Cauliflower tossed in Manchurian Sauce); Kat-E-Soya (Skewered soya chunks in a pickle marinade); and Methi Murgh Tikka (a delicious, mildly flavored, boneless, white meat chicken curry dish). Every dish was a treat! Packed with flavor! We both enjoyed every bite, and even though we were both quite full, as every dish was plentiful, I insisted on having at least one of their entrees.

As I stated earlier, initially, we planned on moving into the dining room for our entrée, but we had such a good time at the bar that we decided to finish our meal there. For that entrée, we decided on Bhuna (a rich, bold, flavorful, thick curry dish cooked with chicken). You can choose several proteins that you can have your Bhuna cooked with, including lamb, goat, shrimp, or veg. This dish was fantastic and came with sides of Basmati rice and Naan (for dipping into that wonderful sauce)! The taste created by the layers of spices was obvious. The taste was bold, rich, and spicy. It was Spicy yet mild and came covered in a deep, flavorful sauce. I would certainly order this dish again.

Never one to give up, we moved on to desserts. Once again, on Pranay’s suggestion, we went with the Tres Kesar Leches and the Social Falooda. The Milky Tres Kesar Leches was excellent. Spongy, rich, light, soaked with a saffron-infused milk sauce and topped with sweet fresh cream. Thumbs up on that one! Our second dessert, a Social Falooda, is a dessert I’ve never heard of, but it was delicious and a nice change of pace. It had a sweet and rosy floral flavor and was full of different textures. This dessert ice cream provided yet another layer of creaminess, which complemented the vermicelli, basil seeds, and nuts that comprise this dessert.  It was a great meal all around!

It’s no wonder Indian cuisine is snowballing, not only in the U.S. but worldwide, and it is easy to understand why, considering the vibrant, complex flavors, bold spices, exciting textures, and aromatic fresh ingredients that this cuisine is known for. You will undoubtedly experience taste combinations and overlapping flavors unlike those you will find with any other cuisine worldwide.

The Fine Indian Group brings us Social Hub by Dhaba. The group owns 11 New York and New Jersey restaurants, four of which are in Parsippany. Parsippany includes Jashan, Dhaba Express, LaZeez, and Social Hub. Interestingly, all their restaurants are unique and offer diners a different dining experience.

Are you looking for a great venue for date night, a place to catch a game, a place to meet and hang out with friends, have a business meeting, or just a cool place to enjoy a great meal? Social Hub by Dhaba might be just what you’re looking for. Give it a try; I think you’ll enjoy your visit.

Social Hub by Dhaba, 1735 Route 46 East, Parsippany-Troy Hills. (862) 401-2800. 

Social Hours Special Menu Available at Bar Every Weekday From 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Available for Events & Catering – Birthdays – Wedding Receptions – Corporate Events.

Celebrates all Traditional Indian Holidays (follow on social media for details)

Valet parking on Weekends: Large private parking lot: Outdoor dining (weather permitting). Take Out

Sunday to Thursday: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 Midnight and Friday and Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Reprinted from Parsippany Focus Magazine, February 2024. Click here to read.

MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy (D-NJ) and New Jersey state legislators celebrated the enactment of a new law banning plastic and paper shopping bags in 2020. However, a recent study reveals that this move has unintentionally led to a nearly threefold increase in plastic consumption at Garden State checkout counters.

“Plastic bags are one of the most problematic forms of waste, contributing to millions of discarded bags that find their way into our landfills, rivers, and oceans annually,” emphasized Governor Phil Murphy during the signing ceremony of the bag ban bill in November 2020. “With the historic signing of this bill today, we are directly addressing the issue of plastic pollution, offering solutions that will combat climate change and protect our environment for generations to come.”

In addition to bags, it banned polystyrene cups, plates, takeout cartons, and other food containers made of the material often called Styrofoam. Paper bags were also banned at large supermarkets and big box stores. The council estimates that 164 million paper bags have been eliminated per year.

It’s fascinating to observe the contrasting approaches to packaging and bagging in different establishments. At Wendy’s, you can enjoy a Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe for less than $2.00, and it comes wrapped in paper and served in a paper bag. On the other hand, when you visit the supermarket’s produce counter, you can use plastic bags to package your fruits. However, the situation takes a turn when you proceed to check out with your other groceries, as you are required to purchase a bag, highlighting the inconsistency in the approach to packaging and bagging across different businesses.

Fast forward four years, and the evidence suggests that New Jersey’s ban on bags failed to reduce plastic usage and has had the opposite effect. According to a new study released on January 9 by the Freedonia Group, the usage of plastic shopping bags in New Jersey has surged from 53 million pounds before the state’s bag ban to a staggering 151 million pounds since the prohibition was implemented.

Freedonia Custom Research (FCR), a division of Marketresearch.com, released a report detailing the impact of New Jersey’s single-use bag ban on consumer behavior, retail practices in the state, and the environment. The outcome of the ban, revealed by market research, interviews, and comprehensive studies, unveils a complicated landscape as bag purchasing behavior continues to evolve.

In 2022, following the implementation of the New Jersey bag ban, total bag volumes declined by more than 60% to 894 million bags. However, the study also shows, that following New Jersey’s ban on single-use bags, the shift from plastic film to alternative bags resulted in a nearly 3x increase in plastic consumption for bags. At the same time, 6x more woven and non-woven polypropylene plastic was consumed to produce the reusable bags sold to consumers as an alternative. Most of these alternative bags are made with non-woven polypropylene, which is not widely recycled in the United States and does not typically contain any post-consumer recycled materials. This shift in material also resulted in a notable environmental impact, with the increased consumption of polypropylene bags contributing to a 500% increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to non-woven polypropylene bag production in 2015. Notably, non-woven polypropylene, NWPP, the dominant alternative bag material, consumes over 15 times more plastic and generates more than five times the amount of GHG emissions during production per bag than polyethylene plastic bags.

The study also found that New Jersey retailers faced significant changes in their front-end business operations due to the bag ban. No longer permitted to provide complimentary single-use plastic or paper bags, retailers are offering alternative bags for sale to fill the void. Simultaneously, consumers are rapidly transitioning to grocery pickup and delivery services, which typically require the use of new alternative bags for every transaction. As a result, alternative bag sales grew exponentially, and the shift in bag materials has proven profitable for retailers. An in-depth cost analysis evaluating New Jersey grocery retailers reveals a typical store can profit $200,000 per store location from alternative bag sales – for one major retailer this amounts to an estimated $42 million in profit across all its bag sales in NJ.

Despite retailers finding a compelling business case for selling alternative bags at a profit, the increased plastic consumption and GHG emissions generated during alternative bag production hamper retailers’ ability to promote alternative polypropylene bags. FCR’s analysis of New Jersey bag demand and trade data for alternative bags finds that, on average, an alternative bag is reused only two to three times before being discarded, falling short of the recommended reuse rates necessary to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions generated during production and address climate change.

PARSIPPANY — Unity Bank recently demonstrated its commitment to the local community by making a generous donation to the Parsippany Food Pantry. In a heartwarming moment captured in a photo, Dhaval (DJ) Bhatt, Area Manager of Unity Bank, and Carolina Alvarez, Operations Manager, were joined by Mayor James Barberio as they contributed to this important cause.

The Parsippany Emergency Food Pantry, a lifeline for residents facing food insecurity, is conveniently located at 1130 Knoll Road, Lake Hiawatha.

This vital resource, known as the Parsippany Food Pantry, welcomes Parsippany residents in need and operates from the Parsippany Community Center. The Food Pantry extends a helping hand to those in the community every week, providing them with essential groceries. To qualify for assistance, residents can simply complete a brief application at the Health Department and present proof of residency. For any inquiries or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact them at (973) 263-7160.

Unity Bank, located at 66 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha, stands as a community-oriented commercial bank, offering a wide range of account options along with a comprehensive suite of business products and online services. Their commitment to local causes, as evidenced by their recent donation to the Parsippany Food Pantry, reflects their dedication to making a positive impact within the communities they serve.

Reprinted from Parsippany Focus Magazine, February 2024. Click here to read.