adegiulio

We ate there this past Saturday night. First let me tell you that the service was terrific. Our food was also top notch. I had the pate en croute for an appetizer. It was good, but a little on the salty side. Also I would have expected a little more aspic, but I'm not complaining. My wife had the hamachi carpaccio, which of course was top notch. For mains we enjoyed smoked duck breast and stuffed rabbit tenderloin. I preferred my dish, the duck, which was tender, juicy, and just a bit smoky. It was served with some rice and confit stuffed in a brussells sprout leaf, as well as turnips. Very tasty and winter apporpriate. My wife;s rabbit was also nice, served with little rabbit mousse ravioli and brussells sprouts. For dessert we went light and split a cheese plate (we had plans for Payard afterwards). The wine list is very comprehensive, though overpriced. Surprisingly, we found a terrific bargain (in relative terms) in their Marcassin Pinot Noir. A fantastic wine.... You will enjoy yourself. Maybe Yoko Ono will sit in the adjacent table, as she did when we were there. Judging from the waitstaff, I would say she is a regular... A

Guess we know why that feta is in the antipasto...

I just called the Village Green to find the exact date they were planning on re-opening. The recording says they are reopening tomorrow!! That is fantastic news! Congrats to this terrific restaurant... Shall I arrange an egullet dinner??

Please Please Please!!

The easiest herb, without a doubt, is mint. Plant one little mint plant, and next year you will have your own mint jungle. Its worse than a weed...I make my own mint ice cream, mint tea, mint juleps and mojitos, and mint jelly. Other than that, I would have to say thyme. Grows like crazy...

We are big fans of BYOB, and since I am a big steak eater, we decided to finally try this Rutherford restaurant. The place seemed busy and lively, just what one would expect for 8:30 on Saturday. We were seated by a cheerful hostess and then promptly forgotten about. We finally ordered after about 15 or 20 minutes. Our apps arrived another twenty minutes later. We got simple shrimp cocktail and tuna carpaccio. The tuna came served on a WARM plate. It took me 15 MORE minutes to send it back. They offered to replace it with something, but thinking our steaks were coming soon, I decided to pass. That was a bad idea, as our steaks were another 20-25 minute wait. Steaks were slightly overcooked, mine was medium instead of medium rare, and Amy's was medium well, versus the medium she ordered. The meat was tasty and tender, the one saving grace of this lousy evening. Au Gratin potatoes and green beans were fine. I was in the mood for dessert, but sick of waiting, so we left. This place seems like it has some potential, but with such agonizingly slow service, I don't know if we will go back... Anthony

I know it sounds crazy, but I use RU-21, the hangover cure created by the russians. I usually get hangovers very easily, which is a drag. I decided after reading about RU-21 in the NY post to give it a shot at my bachelor party in October. All I can say is that it worked like a charm. I would have been absolutely dead the next day without it, but I felt pretty good. The strange thing is, I felt like I should have a headache, but there was no pain. Also, I was pretty tired, but I attribute that to not sleeping soundly. I have used it since then and swear by it. Of course, you have to drink water along with alcohol to help keep hydrated. Strange, its the first "scam-ish" product I have used that actually does what it says... Anthony edited to change "nest" to "next"

The Daily Grind was on Broadway when I was there...the place next to Breuggers was vacant for the four years I was there, now its a bookstore, and it expanded to occupy that small block of land on the corner of 2nd street and congress street... I dont remember Connie's. What was the name of that hot dog place on Congress street, a few stores down from Manory's? They had those short little hot dogs and a window that hadn't been cleaned since Uncle Sam was a real person. Ah the memories. My 10 year reunion is this year, it will be fun to go back. I used to work at the Italia, which was on 4th st, but is gone now. Other restaurants of note back then were LoPorto's, 95 Ferry street, and that seafood place on Broadway (right near where the Daily Grind is now).. Come to think of it, there used to be another place right next to the seafood place, but they closed my freshman year (90) Anthony

I would never do that, Ilove RPI. I was there from 90-94, and I don't remember an Arthur Treachers in town. We briefly had a mcdonalds, but they closed during my freshman or sophomore year. Is the diner you are talking about Manory's? We used to eat there every Saturday morning, until my Junior year, when I took an apartment above Breuggers Bagels...

Sure, there were plenty of bars in town...I was referring to fast food joints...The main bars in town were Sutters, Rolls, Eldorado, Elda's, and the Puritan....Rolls was terrific for live music, as I am sure you remember...We mostly hung out at Sutter's though, or the Castle...

Now this is interesting news. The North Country has arrived. Next thing you know, we'll get a restaurant by Jean-george or mario they only put it there because all the kids at siena have nothing better - like us u of a had the white castle downtown Us RPI students would have killed for a white castle! All we had was a lousy KFC. We used to have a Sutters of our own, but they changed it to something else, still a bar, but not nearly as cool... Oh, I miss the old days..

I can't decide if this or the "Tuna Colada" referenced above is the worst thing I've ever heard of. You put that in your MOUTH? K Mmmm...Its good!! Go here to make your own, or here to order one off the menu... For the record, I have never, nor will I ever, drink a Tuna Colada....Just think it sounds funny..

Gus, Yogi Berra invented YooHoo... For the world worst drink, there are two words you need to know...Tuna Colada In college, the bartender at the restaurant I worked at told me of his favorite drink for late night barflies. It was called a Gray Snail and basically consisted of everything that had accumulated in the speed mat, that little rubber thing the bartender puts the glasses on while he pours liquor into them. Just fold it in half and coax the contents into a glass...Darn Tasty!! When my wife and I started dating, she and her girlfriends used to (and some still do) enjoy Amaretto and Diet Coke. It doesn't sound as bad as a Gray Snail or Cement Mixer, but it sounds horrible to me...

Thanks for the plug Rosie. I'm amazed you remembered! Now, if I can only get some ad revenue...

That's my shotgun approach to geography. At least we'll always have Turkmenistan...

I'm a bad, bad person...

Tommy, I didn't see your post until after my post was up, so here is the list... 1) 2001 Turley Zin, Pesenti Vineyard 2) 1997 Chimney Rock Cab-------->CORKED 3) 1997 Cooper-Garrod Cabernet, a fantastic wine...I love it 4) RL Buller Muscat Happy Drinking!

Well, Amy and I had a wonderful time meeting everyone. It would have been better if Tommy hadn't made me feel inadequate for having never been to China 46 . We look forward to the next get together. Rosie, keep me posted on the stuff you asked me not to mention until you had more info... Hopefully by the next time, we will have that tasty Turley White Coat... To the Depersio's, once again you guys prove why you are the best new restaurant in NJ. Keep up the good work! Oh, that shortcake was fantastic... Anthony

OK, March 7th is now off....

I hear that, we have a March 7th reservation. But, they were so pleasant and friendly the first time, I wouldnt mind if we had to change it...

Amy and I are in...

By the way, just in case you are offering Opus for 250, I wasn't directing my comments to you Lou, but to the restaurant owning public... Ok, just checked the website. Opus is there, but at a not unreasonable markup of 45 dollars. That Heitz looks like a nice bottle..Where's the Turley?!?

For us, Wednesday has always been "Date Night", so that is usually the night during the week that we go out to eat. We also usually eat out on Saturday, though we are not opposed to going out any other night, if there is something interesting going on, like a tasting dinner at Fascino. For most things, we would drive 1/2 an hour, but on the weekend we stretch that a bit. Two weeks ago we drove an hour and a half, last night it was about an hour. Randolph is about 40 minutes from us, so you will probably see us on a weekend... I much prefer to bring my own wine, so I go out of my way to go to BYO restaurants. If a restaurant would waive their corkage, I would be very happy to go there...With 400 bottles in our "cellar", my wine list is usually more interesting than most restaurants. I wouldn't even have a problem with paying corkage, but most restaurants frown on diners who bring their own wine. The argument that restauranteurs use, asking "You wouldn't bring your own steak to a restaurant, why would you bring your own wine?" just doesnt hold water with me. If restaurant owners put more imagination and effort into their wine lists, I wouldn't feel compelled to bring my own. But, when they think they are doing the right thing by following their distributors advice and putting forth boring lists of wines that "move", I have no patience for that. Putting Opus One on the list for $250 as a token "quality wine" doesnt cut it. There are tons of wine choices out there other than Jordan and Kendall Jackson. So, charge me corkage, just don't look down your nose at me...Not that you would do that, right Lou?

Well, we might need some help carrying it all. I will bring a few bottles, including the White Coat, which is a fantastic viognier based white. Will bring a cab or two also...And some dessert wine...and a cab..

If we are finding ourselves light on Turley, I'd be happy to bring some along. What sort of wines is everyone thinking of? Being young, we have our share of Cal. Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Merlot. Any preferences?? Ant