JeffWilson

Yes, and that balsamic was just amazing. A perfect complement to the pork chop. Jeff

Well, we went to Babbo Saturday night and as much as I had high expectations, they were exceeded. We got there a bit early and were able to squeeze our way to the bar and grab 1 stool. I was immediately impressed by the bartender's knowledge of the wines that were available by the quarter-liter. My wife had a Barolo that she loved and I can't remember the name of the wine that I had, but it was blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Frnac, and Nebbiolo. It was a touch lighter than I expected, but nice. When our daughter and her boyfriend arrived, we were seated at a table only about 30 feet from the bar. I had expected that this would mean a noisy night, especially given the NYT review regarding the blaring rock and roll. We did not find that to be the case at all, and had very little problem with the noise leve in the restaurant all night...even though we were there until 11:30. (I was afraid that when Michael Stipe came in and was seated nearby, we would suddenly hear REM blasting over the speakers..but, no). Another surprise, only because I do not remember hearing about the service, was how outstanding the service was. Our waiter wsa able to strongly suggest certain dishes and had a very detailed knowledge of every dish (I wish that some of his detailed descriptions were on the menu!). We started out with the prosciutto, beef cheeks, and "autumn vegetables" appetizers. Although my wife loved her vegetables and the kids loved the prsciutto, the beek cheeks were clearly the standout. What everyone here have already said does not need repeating. An amazing depth of flavor, and yet I didn't find it too filling (maybe because I hadn't eaten since breakfast?). For the main course we had the Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati, beef cheek ravilioli, goat cheese tortelloni, and the pork chop. The garganelli was very well done, but the goat cheese tortelloni was a huge hit (thanks to eGullet for this strong recommendation). And, while I am not really a pork guy, this wsa by far the best pork chop that I ever had. In fact, it was so good that I can barely remember ever EATING another pork chop! It was amazing that it could be cooked so perfectly throughout the entire piece of meat. Although it was very large, I savored every bite and finished it all. Desserts were also great although, thankfully, not nearly as filling as previous courses. The saffron panna cotta was fantastic, and the apple walnut (I think, I was delirious by now) was also delicious. I had the 3 cheese course parmiagiano reggiano, taleggio, and gorgonzola. All superb. And I was finally able to try a 1977 Smith-Woodhouse port, which is one of the few 1977 ports that I have not tried. Just like all the others, it was outstanding, as was the 40 yr old tawny that was also ordered. All in all, an amazing evening. And I cannot say enough about the waiter. He seemed to know about everything on the menu, from wines, to pasta, to mains, to cheeses. I have always know how hard it is to get reservations (it took me 40 minutes of non-stop dialing! A total of 400 phone calls!), but I never knew what a truly special experience it is. Thanks Mario!! Jeff Wilson

Thanks very much...my wife will love it. I am wondering what the "fennel pollen" adds to the dish. Does it add the normal fennel flavor? Or something different? Thanks again for all the suggestions...I can't wait for tomorrow night. Jeff

My wife and I are taking my daughter and her boyfriend to Babbo on Saturday night. We are very excited, as I have tried many times to get in but could never get a reservation except for "either 6 PM or 11PM". Although I have heard a million great things about the restuarant, I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for "can't miss" dishes. My daughter's boyfriend and I are adventurous in our dining, while my daughter and (especially) my wife play it a lot safer. My wife is also a fish-eating vegetarian. Any guidance would be truly appreciated. Thanks! Jeff

Just to add another opinion to the Relish thread... We went on Friday night and it was very good, but certainly not "NYT excellent". I started with shrimp tempura, which was nore like small pieces of shrimp fried in tempura batter. It was nice, but very light. Although it came with 2 dipping sauces, I felt that the dish lacked some flavor. My wife started with a mesculun salad that was good but very plain. Just greens, lot of them, and nothing else. While the dressing was good, the salad needed something else to it. One of our guests had the lamb ribs. These were the clear standout and were fantastic. I would go back just to try them, as one bite wasnt nearly enough for me. Entrees were very good. The corn-encrusted salmon was delicious, but the asparagus tempura that came with it was bland and almost tasteless. The red snapper special was very good, but I was unable to get a good description of what was in it (did I mention that it was very noisy?). The chocolate bread pussing dessert was outstanding. I am a chocolate nut, and it was a wonderfully intense chocolate experiene without being so rich that it was difficult to eat. The wine list had a very large number of wines under $50 and there was something for everyone (except higher end items). Overall, it is worth trying again, but my expectations will be a bit lower than after I read the NYT review of it.

So we ended up going here on Friday night and we were pretty impressed. Very French, so not too imaginative or creative, but that's fine. I don't always need to be out there. My wife started with a simple green salad with a nice dressing (that I can't recall). I had the porcini ravioli. They were cooked just right and had a wonderful earthy flavor. There was some cream in the sauce, but not too much, so it was not at all overwhelmed. We both had the "Friday" special od Bouillibase. It was the best either of us have ever had. Red Snapper, halibut, monkfish, shrimp, scallops, and baby clams in a saffron broth. Outstanding. Great bread on the table to soak up that delicious broth. Our guests ordered a special salad of blueberries, goat cheese, dried cranberries over mesculun greens and loved it. The other had the traditional escargot, which was also very good. His entree was seared scallops in a veal stock over rice. I don't think I have ever had scallops in a meat stock and found it unsual. He said that it was outstanding and said the scallops were very fresh. His wife ordered a chicked dish that I can't recall and I don't think that she was wild about it. Desserts were solid, if unexceptional. A special peach tart was good, not great. And the chocolate mousse was good enough, but I am a true chocoholic and prefer a bit more dense and rich version. Service was very good, although I prefer a better answer to the question "What is your specialty?" than "It's all wonderful". The chef came out and shared a glass of ice wine with us later in the evening and he was charming and nice to talk to. He used to be chef of Claude's Ho-Ho-Kus Inn and was the personal chef to President Nixon when he lived in the area. A few MINOR points that I wasn't crazy about: - COLD butter on the table for bread (a pet peeve of mine) - Bussing took too long. We sat with empty plates for 10 minutes before they were removed (another pet peeve) - No prices on the specials when they were read (did I mention that I have a lot of pet peeves?) - Yes Tommy, although the average age was not 80, 60 is a good bet. Although many seemed to be regulars, which is a good sign. But those are pretty minor. I would recommend this place. Dinner for four was $190 before tip (remember, it's BYOB). A very fair price for fine classic French cooking and good service.

Thanks very much....my wife will be thrilled to be the youngest person there!

Tommy or Rosie, Any memory of how noisy it is? We are going with some people that we really want to be able to have a long conversation with and the last time out with them ended up in a very noisy place (i.e. just about everyplace in Ridgewood). Thanks! Jeff

We are going to Chef's Table in Franklin Lakes on Friday night and I have never been there and don't know wanyone that has even heard of it! Can anyone tell me about it and make any suggestions for dinner? Thanks very much! Jeff

I am stunned to find people that like this place. We stay at Chestnut Hill, a B&B about 100 yards away from The Ship Inn. We have been there twice and both times the food was terrible. (No complaints on the beer!). Also, both times it was empty. I don't think they do a great business. Just down the street is the Oyster House. A fantastic (mostly) seafood place. They have a dish called Crab Norfolk, basically a 1/2 lb. of crab sauteed in butter and cracked pepper and served on toast, that is one of our favorite dishes anywhere. They are moving around the corner soon and getting a liquor license. I highly suggest going there instead. Jeff

I have always found Le Bernardin to be very romantic...very French, lots of flowers, great service. Also, Cafe Des Artistes was always great, but I havent been in years. Depending on where you sit there, tables can be a bit close together. As for an earlier suggestion, I went to March once on Valentine's Day and was VERY disappointed. Everything was good, but just good. And for $300/couple I expect something more than good. I chalked it up to V-Day, but I honestly never went back. There are too many other great places for me to take 2 shots at a medium level place. Jeff

We just came back from a 3 night stay in Montreal at the Hotel Place D'Armes (which I will write about separately, but was fantastic). We had 3 wonderful dinners at "S" Restaurant (in the Hotel St. Sulpice), Nuances (in the Casino), and Les Halles. Although the other 2 were very good, Les Halles stood out. Unfortunately, I do not have time to give a full review now, but I will get back here later in the week to write one. I am curious as to why I have never seen Les Halles on this board as we always have eaten wonderfully there. Is it because it is not a "hot" restaurant, like Toque? Until I can get the full review out, I will merely highly recommend the restaurant to anyone looking for superb food and a great wine list. Jeff Wilson

Saigon is great, but TINY. It probably seats about 20 and is about 12' by 12'. Moon Street is about 1/4 mile walk from there and has some great mixed drinks, but only a so-so wine selection. Very good prices, too. America is a 5 minute drive and, although I haven't been yet, from what I hear I would go. I know dinner can get very expensive, but don't know if they gouge on drink prices, or if you care. I echo Rosie's Riesling suggestion. A nice crisp Riesling pairs nicely with the somewhat spicy dishes. For one more Enlewood alternative for drinks, has anyone been to 90 Grand? It's up the street and around the corner, maybe 1/3 mile from Saigon. Kinda pricey restaurant, but I think they have a nice bar. Jeff

Steven Thanks for the excellent reply. I appreciate your knowledge and helpfulness. Jeff

Actually, in general. But I didn't know which forum to put it in so I referenced BS.