Rachel Perlow

Someone else says it is "too expensive"?!?! OK, granted, we paid $45 pp, inclusive of tax & (generous) tip, but that included some of the more expensive and adventurous things to order, and many courses. However, when we go with a group of people (say, 8 or less) and order off the menu, I don't think we've ever spent more than $30 pp. If you compare it to say, a medium-average Italian restaurant (not a pizzeria, but not the best either), it is cheap and way way better. People are just prejudiced against Chinese food being anything but cheap eats.

The sturgen was excellent. A firm white fish loin wrapped in prociutto. Simple and delicious. I think the shrimp were Red Rock Shrimp. They were described as deep ocean shrimp fished near Maine. They came to the table so perfectly cooked. I had one more towards the end of the appetizers and you could detect that it was a little more cooked at that point, but still excellent. The beet salad is an assortment (golden, red, striped, all small beets) of quartered cooked beets and sliced raw beets with a light vinaigrette. Oh, and it was Spring Peas with shoots, not sugar snap peas that were brought to the table. You forgot about the skate, which was served with a lemon beurre blanc rather than brown butter. I agree about the strawberry-lime sorbet, it tasted more of lime than strawberry. But disagree about the mint, it was delicious, not overwhelming. I didn't love the grapefruit-prosecco, but it tasted very true to both flavors. The souffle was excellent as well, but the best bit was the ice cream sandwich petit four. We'd been to Craft once before, almost exactly a year ago. I remember that everything seemed over-salted then, they seem to have corrected that problem. edit: The chef also sent out a lovely strawberry rhubarb tart or cobbler wtih freshly whipped cream, very very good.

There's a Thai Chef under construction in Englewood. With the dessert you described, at least I now have a reason to check it out.

byarvin, where is the FMI in relation to HAR? If we are traveling down 1/9 so that when we get to HAR it is on our right, is the FMI before or after the HAR? How much before or after? Thanks.

STOP IT, I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! GET A MAP OR A GPS

Just soak it in water, the sugar should dissolve and then clean as normal.

This place sounds good, we'll have to check it out on our next trip to DC. Well, not much of a web site yet, but it's under construction at http://www.matchboxdc.com/. From said website: "Open Monday through Saturday at 11:30 AM - Closed Sunday" Also, their address: 713 H St Nw, Washington, D.C. 20001-3733, 202.289.4441

Hank, stop shouting. Glad to see their Sat night business was good. I like that simple shrimp dish too. Was the S&P Crab similar to the S&P shrimp?

Pathetic. The above is very specific directions. JIC - cell phone is PMed.

Kim - Bond Girl told me she isn't coming. Slight modification to tommy's directions to be even more explicit: Do whatever you do from Princeton to get to the Turnpike North (probably Rt 1 or Rt 18 or the Parkway) Take NJ Turnpike North to Exit 18W Stay to the right for the US-46 EAST-WEST exit toward FORT LEE/ HACKENSACK, then Merge onto US-46 E toward RIDGEFIELD The Grand Avenue exit will come up very shortly, Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto ramp Turn LEFT onto GRAND AVE, go under underpass and make a quick left to get back on 46 heading west China 46 is directly on the right (stay the right as you come up to the highway, it is the second driveway and it comes up very quickly) "big yeller sign. looks like a diner" in front of a semi-scary motel. If you mess this up, turn around and go home.

I did? Edit: Yes, I did. But I thought of that thread more of a discussion about the politics of getting into the Zagat guide, be it NJ or any edition. I thought people around the country/globe would want to chime in on that. This is a more NJ-centric discussion.

Fink is fond of Rosemary. Ever had the cottage fries?

I will, you know I like swill. I will confess, I offered my soup dumpling to tommy. If I hadn't we'd be getting like a whole order of them per person and all be too full for our Ruby Pork and Sea Cucumber. Jason's actually worried that I didn't order enough food. Hah! Anyone who was there last year know's that's not possible. It may be one dumpling per person, but by the time we're on our fifth course, you'll all be saying, "how much more to go?!" Think of it like a tasting menu.

I've added the Pig Pickin and the hotel deadline & info to the calendar. Great job Jaymes, we may stay in the hotel even if we rent an RV, it's so cheap!

Were you involved with the selection of voice talent for the dubbing of Iron Chef into English? If so, is there a reason why the younger female is always so giggly? Do the Japanese ingénues actually come off that way in Japanese, or is it a characteristic of the person doing the dubbing? It is an interesting comparison between that voice and the more mature actresses, who sound much wiser. Is there anything else you'd like to share about the voice over sessions?

How long does it take you to get home in the city? Subtract 10-15 minutes (unless you take the tunnel and not the GWB). According to Mapquest, Princeton to Ridgefield is 1 hour 6 minutes. Give yourself another 15 at least. Better to be early than miss the Soup Dumplings!

To each their own.

OK, now I'm hungry. Ooh, pan-fried chicken.

Here's the menu folks, worked out by myself, tommy & jhlurie, price will be $45 inclusive: Appetizers Pork Soup Dumplings Pan Fried Shanghai Buns Spicy Capsicum Cellophane Noodles (cold dish) Scallion Pancake Deluxe OX Tongue & Tripe in Hot Sauce (cold dish) Soup Fresh Fish Head Casserole* * You may order an individual soup if you don't want this, but there's going to be a lot of food, so if you don't want to even try it then I'd just skip the course. Mains Ruby Pork with Sesame Buns Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab Shanghai Jumbo Shrimp (shell on) Stir Fried Greens with Garlic Sea Cucumber & Pork Tendon in Shrimp Roe Sauce Aromatic Chicken stuffed with Sweet Sticky Rice Beef with Vegetable in Roast Pepper Sauce Fresh Bacon Sautéed in Spicy Sauce Stir Fried Rice Cake w. Pork Dessert Pancake Stuffed with Sweet Bean Paste Wine Flavored Sweet Rice Ball in Soup Oranges

Yes boss.

I merged "The Rock" thread in at this point.

I was going to mention that dish where we first experienced the sechuan peppercorns. It came in a clay pot rather than a platter, with beef or pork. Maybe it's the one with ginger you're mentioning. The noodle you are thinking of is rice cake.

No matter how extravagently we order (with the exception of Shark Fin soup or something), I can't imagine it going over $40 - 45 per person. It would be helpful if people could bring at least a five & five singles (in addition to their twenties) so we can more easily make exact change.

Just so there's no confusion on the day, would people prefer that the menu be preordered, or should we just have every couple or so pick a dish? If there's two tables, it would probably be better to at least preorder a couple things so we all get the same stuff and the appetizers going. My suggestions: For apps: pork soup dumplings, Pan Fried Shanghai Buns, Spicy Capsicum Cellophane Noodles (cold), and we could let Cecil surprise us with some other cold apps (the smoked chicken is good), hmm also Scallion Pancake Deluxe (as I don't think we've ever had that at China 46 yet) Soup: Shanghai or Fish Head Casserole (soupy stew, I've never had the Fish Head casserole, could we order it, please? Those who don't want Fish Head (Jason) could order an individual soup, or we could order the casserole and another soup, like Pork w. Szechuan Pickle, yum) Mains: Ruby Pork is a given (but maybe a half order per table, so it doesn't dominate the meal?) with Sesame buns to stuff it in, Soft Shell Crabs if they're in, a Sauteed Dungeness crab dish if they're not, or Famous Shanghai Style Crab (blue crab), Shrimp of some kind (salt & pepper or seaweed powder fried). They do a good Peking Duck, but do we want to bother with that or get some of the more unusual dishes? Like Eel w. Fresh Garlic In Brown Sauce or Sea Cucumber & Pork Tendon in Shrimp Roe Sauce. And, of course, we could always do a whole fish and some greens are mandatory. I'm getting hungry.

They had soft shells last time we were there (~2 weeks ago I think). Hmm, they had a garlic sauce on them maybe? tommy, you remember? I think we had a few options as to the sauce. The salt & pepper shrimp are pretty good there.