Rachel Perlow

Actually, I think you are thinking of the fish I usually get at Wondee's in Hackensack (consistantly good). The night we ate at Siam I had the Duck Salad, which was excellent. Jon (jhlurie) tasted it and thought it was good too. Even though I ordered it mild, as compared to your usual incendiary, it still had a little heat to it, which was nice. I would say the salads are fine as either the only appetizer or if shared, but not as an entree unless you aren't very hungry, as was the case for me that night.

Please, he doesn't need any more hair on his chest! ;)

re: Chocolate in ice cream Having made homemade ice cream, here's a possible reason why most of the chocolate in ice cream is crappy chocolate. When you use decent chocolate in ice cream it gets really really hard when frozen and also feels a little gritty. B&J (and others) use "chocolate flavored" chips or chunks that have a high percentage of oil in them because they are softer at frozen temperatures. Any ice cream using decent chocolate tends to use the shaven form rather than chips or larger chunks. Here, I am thinking of Haagen Dazs - bought at a Haagen Dazs store, not from the supermarket. Specifically their double chocolate mint. The chocolate shavings are really small and taste much more chocolatey than other brands.

However it's spelled, I was referring to the one in Hackensack, as I've never been inside the one in Jersey City - although I have driven by there.... From the outside, it looks a little bigger and not as run down as the Hackensack joint, which makes me a little suspicious... ;)

I was thinking maybe they didn't want the phone to be ringing in the restaurant so had the machine set to answer very quickly. I just called there and it rang six times before the voice mail answered, so out goes that theory. It is a true voice mail system though, not just an answering machine (press 1 for reservation, 2 for directions, etc.). I suppose they do it just so they can deal with reservations when they have time to sit with the book, not when they are in the middle of the lunch rush or something.

Jason and I brought my parents there just last week. We were patrons of the previous restaurant at this location (Cafe Z) and were disappointed when it closed. My mom told me a new restaurant opened a few months ago, so we just had to try it. We all enjoyed the food and service very much. Jason and my dad each had soup. Jason had his benchmark test - pasta fagiole, which was very good and not too thick. My dad had one of the specials, portobello mushroom with gorgonzola. He said it didn't taste like he expected it to. I don't know what that means because I tasted it and it tasted of both mushrooms and blue cheese. I even liked it although I don't like blue cheese and he ate every drop, Jason tasted it too and thought it was really good, but he couldn't eat a whole bowl because really creamy things disagree with his tummy. My mom and I had the Bella Rosa salad, an excellent version of mesclun greens with goat cheese and vinaigrette. Entrees had were a nicely browned and vinegary Chicken Savoy (on the bone), Trio Pizzaola (veal, chicken and shrimp in a red sauce with pieces of red and green bell peppers), Chicken Marsala (boneless breast), and Linguini Primavera (red sauce with lots of slivered veggies). The meat entrees were accompanied by a swirl of mashed potatoes and some sauteed veggies. All the dishes were delicious, we all cleaned our plates (except my mom, whose serving of pasta was a little too large for her). Although full, we just had to try the desserts when we heard they were made in house. (It seems like every mid-range restaurant uses Bindi for desserts these days.) The warm chocolate cake with liquid center was a good representative of that dessert. It was accompanied by three small scoops of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and apple pie) made by a local family business. That chocolate was really good - I want to buy it by the pint. My dad had the tiramisu (which I don't like so I didn't taste). The other three all did and said it lacked the boozey taste most tiramisus have from dipping in coffee or espresso laced with brandy, rum or orange or coffee liqueur. That didn't stop them from finishing it though. All in all, this was a very pleasant evening. The new owners have redecorated the space with beautiful murals on the walls. And, more important, they have hired or trained a more than competant staff, which is very much appreciated by me. Oh, I almost forgot the bread dipping sauce. This was an herb, garlic and olive oil mixture, similar to, but not as overpowering as what is served at Garlic Rose Cafe in Madison - addictive. (Edited by RPerlow at 9:26 am on Dec. 5, 2001)

Steven,I think that the person originating this thread said, in the subject line, "authentic Chinatown food." I haven't seen the restaurant itself billing itself that way. That being said, we've eaten there at least four times in the past six months, are usually impressed by the food, and this inspires us to try dishes we haven't had before (such as the sauteed snails). Rachel

I think they are both still available nationally. Captain Crunch is definitely still on my local shelves and Apple Jacks is still on the product listings at the Kellogg's website.

because you added sugar to them? they're not too high in sugar content on their own...i hope!! I think you forgot about Frosted Rice Krispies. Something similar is now Rice Krispies Treats cereal. Checking Kellogg's websitehttp://www.kelloggs.com/products/cereals.html they now also have a product called Kellogg's® Crunchin' Krispies®, has anyone ever tried this?

Although we are going to Blue Sky with Rosie, I was at Cinque Figlie in Whippany this past weekend and noticed a flyer advertising that they are participating in Windows of Hope too. So if you're in the area, that would be a great choice.

I agree with most of what Jason said, just want to add a few points. First, the soup did not need to be heavily salted, but it did need a little salt. When I added it I definitely noted a perked up pumpkin flavor. Second, the farfalle wasn't equally half black & white; even more interestingly it was striped black & white. Really cool looking and we had a conversation about how it could have been made. The only waiter to move from the Morristown location, Joe, said it is made offsite, but specifically for Chef Joe. Third, my steak was wonderful and cooked exactly to order medium-rare. Comment on Rosie's post: Jason and I had been to that location in its previous incarnation as Alfredo's. The decor is exactly the same, maybe they changed some pictures on the wall. I'm curious as to why Alfredo's closed. Since it never seemed too busy, I'll assume that is the reason and hope that Chef Joe will have the following to fill his new, larger space. Waiter Joe promised that they will keep Chef Joe in the kitchen (one of our favorite restaurants was ruined when they moved to a larger and fancier location and the Chef/owner decided to run the front of the house and stopped cooking). Also, there is a large backyard area, I hope they make use of it either as a vegetable garden or as an outdoor eating area during the spring and summer.

Jason, JHLurie and I had dinner at Rebecca’s Restaurant on Thursday night. The food was delicious; the atmosphere was more conducive to couples rather than groups, I thought it was a rather romantic place. We shared appetizers of croquettes with horseradish sauce (choice of pork, beef, chicken or salmon (special of the day)), we had pork, they were excellent, jerk chicken skewers which were very good, but only a little spicy (jerk chicken is also available as an entrée), and a green salad topped with warm chorizo sausage and chickpeas, very memorable. The only bad note of the entire evening was the mealy tomatoes in the salad; they are in season right now and should have been better than pink supermarket tomatoes. For main courses, Jason and Jon both had the lechon, which I believe they enjoyed, but I didn’t care for the pork, it was rather plain. In contrast I had the grilled salmon topped with a mango-mustard sauce. The salmon was cooked _perfectly_, with just a touch of pink rareness in the middle. The side dishes were also excellent. Jason and Jon both had the dirty rice and one had maduros while the other had tostonos. Frankly, these were the best tostonos I had ever had – even after eating them all over Puerto Rico and Miami. My fish came with a zesty fruit salsa (someone on eGullet recently described something they ate as tasting like sunshine, I now know what they mean) and mashed sweet potatoes with coconut, which was deliciously different. I heartily recommend Rebecca’s, especially if you are looking for a nice romantic spot for couples (in fact it was one of the places we recommended to NYC refugees and eGulleteers Liza and Davy today, they are celebrating their 1st anniversary – Congratulations!). Try to go soon, before it is too late in the season (read cold) to sit outside on the back courtyard with fountain. Rebecca's 236 Old River Rd Edgewater, NJ 07020 (201) 943-8808 Directions: just down from the River Gorge Cafe, which is the only reason to mention that place on this website, as it is much more visible than Rebecca's. Turn at the point of River Road where it is opposite the Target shopping center, then turn left onto Old River Road.

Actually, the restaurant was Brandy Ho's Hunan Food. Jason and I are in San Francisco right now and we returned to Brandy Ho's last night. First off, it is now in a different location at 217 Columbus Avenue, SF; 415-788-7527. So, the red, black & steel bathroom is no longer (fire at old location a while back). However, the food is still excellent and a welcome respite in a sea of contonese cuisine.

I clicked this thread because I needed Wondee's phone number and realized Jason never posted the address for Wondee's. Here it is:<p>Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles 296 Main St Hackensack, NJ (201) 883-1700

I can attest that Holly's photos are accurate, although the top bun isn't usually that smooshed. My personal order at White Mana? Two double cheeseburgers (but don't double the cheese part), fries and a chocolate shake. This has to be told to two different people. The grill guy/gal only takes the burger orders, someone else does the fries & drinks. Sometimes I'll order another double if I'm really hungry. I don't like getting the singles because of the high bread to burger ratio.

This thread has me missing the late Short Hills Deli. My brothers preferred the Millburn Deli for sloppy joes, but I think that one's gone too. Tabatchnick's in Millburn has great food, although the dining area is depressing - get take out. It is not kosher, they have herring in cream sauce as well as deli meats. My mom tends to cater our holiday meals from there or Zayda's (which is kosher). For Harold's (in Parsippany at least), stick to sharing the mountainous sandwiches and the cheesecake. I agree with the previous poster that their other desserts are either bad or just so-so (too much ersatz whipped cream). The knish tastes good, but its just too big. Oh - and get the matzo ball soup (not the chicken soup with kreplach, just the matzo ball). We like to get it for take out. You get a quart of chicken vegetable soup, and a separate quart (2 quarts?) of broth with the two baseball sized matzo balls. This is definitely enough soup for four people; half a ball each - believe me half a ball is enough! Tabatchnick's Deli Vauxhall Rd, Vauxhall, NJ (908) 686-7077 (in the same shopping plaza with Syd's which is famous for its hot dogs). Zayda's Kosher Meats Deli 309 Irvington Ave South Orange, NJ (973) 762-1812 Harold's New York Deli 707 US Highway 46 East Parsippany, NJ (973) 335-3339

OK, sorry to get defensive.

What I mean by "past it's prime" is that it was better 15 years ago than it is today. If you like it, and you're right, its probably better than a lot of what's out there, then fine, go there. "Nearby" is a personal thing. It may be nearby to you, but I won't be going out of my way to get there. I never said the restaurants I recommended were the only ones that were good in NJ. How could I personally possibly have eaten at more than a fraction of the chinese restaurants in NJ? And just because the ones I recommend are near me doesn't mean that you can't feel free to post about the ones near you. Also, keep in mind that there is a huge asian population in Bergen county. Especially where we live(d), in Tenafly and formerly Fort Lee. Because of this there are lots of Korean, Chinese and Japanese places to choose from near us. In a town with maybe one or two regular or take-out chinese restaurant, the "best" places are fewer and farther between. Hence the willingness to travel a little further for them. I just want to know why we get "yelled at" for suggesting places that are near us? I don't know any places in the Scotch Plains area so how can I suggest them to you? Once again... feel free to post about the places near you (or far away from you) that you like. Actually is Millburn near you? I've heard that JJ's on Millburn Avenue is good (from my brother), but I haven't been there. I also have fond memories of both Hunan Spring and Hillary's on Morris Avenue in Springfield from when I lived in Short Hills.

I never liked KFC, but I miss Roy Rogers - they really had the best fried chicken. The breasts were whole breasts too, not like KFC where they cut the breast into 2 or 3 pieces and still charge you extra for white meat. Sadly, they were bought by Wendy's a few years ago. There are still some RRs around, but the chicken doesn't seem the same as it used to be. Also, the "fresh mex" place is called Chevy's. Every single time I've been to one there's been service problems. Makes you wonder why I'd go back, but it was in a very convenient location to meet people, work lunches, etc, with not much else nearby. Each time I'm there I vow not to go back, but sometimes you just can't help it when it's that or a Pizza/Chinese combo with no good choices. :(

FYI - We only go to Silver Pond for dim sum. We went a few times for dinner and were not impressed for the price. Also, for your edification, we brought Fat-Guy to both Ping's and Silver Pond. We brought our very good Chinese (from China) friend to Silver Pond and she thought it was better than any place she had been to in Chinatown. She has since brought us to Ping's (we brought F.G. on our second visit), which we all agree is equally as good, but not as convenient to get to (for us). As for Noodle Chu, once again, it is primarily for dim sum unless you are really interested in true Cantonese cuisine. For dinner, I'd highly recommend Hunan Cottage on Rt. 46. The Chinese menu is available in English and there are many, many interesting selections. As for Cathay 22 and Chengdu 46, IMHO they are both way past their prime. Cathay 22 was at the height of its popularity nearly twenty years ago, I don't think its been able to maintain its quality.

Feel free to post all the recommendations you'd like for other areas you'd like, I don't know anything about the Scotch Plains area. As to jhlurie's suggestion we post about Morristown and vicinity, here's a guide: Italian: Cinque Figlie was our very favorite, but we heard recently that it closed :( Opening in a new location, Rosie? Pazzo Pazzo: decent Italian right across from HQ Plaza movie theaters. Jason loved the marinated olives they put on the table to nibble on.74 Speedwell Ave Morristown, NJ (973) 898-6606 Il Mondo Vecchio - really good, fresh homemade northern Italian. Make a reservation for this smallish restaurant. 72 Main St Madison, NJ (973) 301-0024 Trattoria Toscana - Tiny place, great food, make a reservation, BYOB. Luscious osso bouco. 554 State Route 10 Whippany, NJ (973) 386-0303 Eccola - Excellent pasta, mussels marinara, semi-open kitchen. Gourmet shop next door. 1082 US Highway 46 Parsippany, NJ (973) 334-8211 French: Pierre's - Bistro cuisine in a renovated mansion. Fabulous buffet at lunchtime. 995 Mount Kemble Ave Morristown, NJ (973) 425-1212 CIA aka New American Cuisine: Tim Schafer's Cuisine - Formerly of Creations in Madison, the CIA trained chef creates dishes that feature various beers, but the restaurant is BYOB. 82 Speedwell Ave Morristown, NJ (973) 538-3330 Garlic Rose - gimicky restaurant that works. All dishes feature garlic and a whole head of roasted garlic is usually the garnish. Make a meal out of the french onion and garlic soup. I think we've loved every dish there. Fabulous roast chicken. Take home some of the garlic/herb oil placed on the table as a bread dip. Skip the garlic ice cream (I thought it would be sweet with roasted garlic. It wasn't.) 41 Main St Madison, NJ (973) 822-1178 Spanish: Galicia - More South American than spanish, but great garlic chicken. Good choice if you don't want to travel to Newark. 141 Speedwell Ave Morristown, NJ (973) 682-8828 Steakhouses: Sebastian's - Premium steakhouse by Morristown train station. Great chef, terrific sides, excellent service, etc. 80 Elm St Morristown, NJ (973) 539-8545 Sagebrush Steak Cantina - Fun and casual with Tex-Mex leanings. Great margaritas, order steak by the ounce, extensive salad bar. 38 Horsehill Rd Cedar Knolls, NJ (973) 539-3324 Hamburgers/Bar & Grill: Bogey's - Great burgers. Small standard menu, but the specials are always good, especially the eggplant rollatini. 960 State Route 10 Whippany, NJ (973) 887-7324 Charley's Aunt - Big burgers in a bar. 8-10 S Passiaic Ave Chatham, NJ (973) 635-6772 Durkins Irish Steak Ale House - true bar with food, good burgers, great steakfries. 235 Ridgedale Ave Cedar Knolls, NJ (973) 540-0264 Chinese: Noodle Chu - great dim sum, extensive cantonese menu, including lots of roast meats. 770 US Highway 46 Parsippany, NJ (973) 299-6518 Hunan Cottage - Ask for the Chinese menu, the regular one looks like your typical chow mein place; fabulous soup dumplings. 14 Route 46 E Fairfield, NJ (973) 808-8328 Mr. Chu - American Gourmet Chinese, owned by the same guy who runs Noodle Chu. Trivia: Mr. Chu has Mandarin staff vs. Cantonese staff at Noodle Chu, so they don't trade staff because they can't speak to each other! More white people at Mr. Chu, but food and service is excellent. 44 State Route 10 East Hanover, NJ (973) 887-7555 Japanese: Nagano - most authentic, best sushi. 23 Washington St Morristown, NJ (973) 540-9120 Nikko - most popular, better sushi and all the standard hot Japanese food. 881 State Route 10 Whippany, NJ (973) 428-0787 East Tokyo - Bowling Alley adjacent (not audibly thankfully), good sushi, kitchen prepared hibachi available. 119 State Route 10 East Hanover, NJ (973) 515-8080 Mikado Japanese Steak House - Hibachi, better than Benihana's, inside a Marriott. 1401 State Route 10 Whippany, NJ (973) 538-8811 Thai: New Main Taste - Elegant and relatively expensive thai. Only one curry of the day, but otherwise extensive menu. 225 Main St Chatham, NJ (973) 635-7333 Morris Thai Cuisine - More casual, less expensive, mix & match curry selection. 1975 Morris Ave Union, NJ (908) 688-5678 Malasian: Penang - We keep finding new things to order on their extensive menu. Fried Pearl Noodles and Tofu Nyonya were two favs, also the Pineapple or Mango Chicken. 200 Route 10 W East Hanover, NJ (973) 887-6989 Mongolian BBQ: J P Lee's - this is where there is a kind of salad bar with all the fixins, you put it into a bowl with your choice of sauces and the chef cooks it on a big round flat grill. They usually have a chinese buffet and simple sushi at dinner time. Skip it and stick with the BBQ. 318 Millburn Ave Millburn, NJ (973) 912-9899 Indian: Moghul - Modern menu, great buffet. Known for its catering on and off premises. 35 Morris St, Morristown, NJ (973) 631-1100 Best Diner: Whippany Diner - the Best hands down. Burgers, daily specials, some greek, Moussaka on Friday nights. Cheesecake. 417 State Route 10 Whippany, NJ (973) 428-5054 Deli: Harold's - Mammoth portions, plan to share, go with a group. 707 US Highway 46 Parsippany, NJ (973) 335-3339 Eppes Essen - kosher style. 105 E Mount Pleasant Ave Livingston, NJ (973) 994-1120 Kosher/Vegetarian: Jerusalem West - formerly Jerusalem Pizza. They still have pizza, but now in a bigger location and not next to the "Pork Store". Great felafel and turkish coffee. 99-101 Mount Pleasant Ave Livingston, NJ (973) 533-1424

OK - Jason and Rosie both want me to post about Casa Vasca (Rosie, Lowell, Jason and I ate there last night, Jay and I have been there many, many times over the past three years). What can I say? It is the best Spanish restaurant ever. Now that that's been said: Sshh! It's a secret. Don't tell anyone. Don't go there. It's busy enough. People were waiting for a table at 8:30 PM on a Tuesday night. When we go on a Friday or Saturday, we have to wait for an hour. Stay away, pretty please?! If you can't do as I request and must go there then it is a garlic lovers paradise. Garlic Shrimp, Mushrooms, Chicken and Pork are all prepared differently and are all wonderful. The shrimp is cooked just exactly the right amount, cooked through and almost crisp, but tender and sweet. Jason loves the Chorizo. It is a little salty for me so I can only eat a few pieces, nevertheless we always order it and just take home the leftovers, which we manage to use up in an omelette, add to mussels, quesedillas, or by itself. The fish & seafood is always good there. We've been pleased with their many meat dishes. The scallops in the paella and mariscada were huge and perfectly cooked. I can't rave anymore. OK, you have my permission to go. Just go on a weeknight or get there early. If you do have to wait, there's a nice bar (you can eat in the bar area too, but it's a little smoky for me), or if that's too crowded it is a pleasant street corner on a nice night. Casa Vasca 141 Elm Street Newark, NJ 07105 973/465-1350 They have a small parking lot around the corner on Prospect Street. PS - another reason to get there early is the soup. Last night it was a delicious Galician soup of greens, potato and meat (diced chorizo?). If you get there after they run out of soup you are stuck with a good but simple salad. PPS - the service if excellent and friendly, they'll happily bring you all the papas fritas you can eat. ;)

Technically isn't gribinis what remains after you render chicken fat? It's all the pieces of skin and onions nearly burnt and almost crispy. My brothers used to stand by the stove waiting for it! It's also an excellent topping or addition to chopped liver or egg salad. Gribinis = Jewish Pork Rinds

Oh THAT'S what it's for! I actually used it in a mixed drink once, and ruined the drink. I'll have to get some cheapie ceramic glasses for our next flaming punch.

OK, I'm outing you. Jason, you know "Kelly"! She's the co-coordinator of our group. Duh. Rachel :>