Curlz
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Posts posted by Curlz
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Fwiw, Tabla is hosting some pretty amazing-sounding events (including a Diwali celebration) in the next couple of months...you can get on the e-mail list via the website.
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I responded to this on another site, but I think Adega Grill has what you're looking for...and a big parking lot to boot!
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You're right...the Pernil IS excellent!
Thanks for letting the rest of us know about Ada's! Great spot!
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Thanks for that tip, Suzi! I grew up right near there and still have friends in the area; will have to give it a try.
I'll add that I think the pho at Viet Ai is terrific. I also love the food I've had over multiple meals at Huong Viet, which (I'm almost afraid to say it) may have finally dealt with their service issues! If you get there, don't miss the pork in caramel sauce (a casserole dish)!
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Well, then, I stand somewhat corrected--they're open in Seaside, but trust me--they're closed in Lyndhurst. Sign is gone, place is dark, and the sandwich board out front doesn't say anything like "Visit us in Seaside Heights"--just saying. Perhaps they'll head back in this direction at some point, but they're not where they were!
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It appears that Bubba's has closed.
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Picnic, the Restaurant website is up, albeit in the early stages...!
You can read more here.
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Can't help you in Union County, but you're really not far from Edison, where I'm told there IS some authentic Chinese to be had! If that's of interest, do a search and let folks here know--I'm sure someone will chime in.
And if you're willing to go in to Essex or Morris counties, I'd recommend Chengdu 1 (Sichuan in Cedar Grove v. close to Montclair) or Noodle Chu in Parsippany--NC does full-blown dim sum, and does it well.
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Agree with much of what has been said here, but I'll add a few other thoughts:
-A reasonably-priced tasting menu is one of my favorite ways to eat, as I often think "I'd love 3-4 bites of about half a dozen of these menu items!" That's how I get my fix.
-Remind servers to ask if a diner wants to take home what's left on their plate. Some of us are very happy to have round 2 of a great meal (or at least part of it), even if it's just a few bites, and esp if it means we can leave the restaurant without being uncomfortably full. Then use decent takeaway containers (read: no leaks on the ride home)!
-Everyone isn't a chocolate freak. If you want me to order dessert, offer something not crazy sweet--in citrus, something savory, or even a few great (again, not chocolate) cookies to go along with the aforementioned great coffee. And btw, great coffee made in a french press makes me VERY happy at the end of a good meal--and make sure there's a decaf available that's just as good as regular, please!
-A little wine education can go a long way with the staff, and that includes wine service. Rather than have us witness them struggle to open bottles tableside, let them do it at a side station--but only if they can bring it back in a timely fashion! And PS, forget the Rabbit; get some ScrewPulls--anyone can use them with ease.
Can't wait to check out your new digs!
Curlz
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If you head down Columbia Turnpike towards Florham Park, there is a place next to Kings Super Market called Cullin's which serves tasty, healthy, fresh food. Casual spot. Trader Joe's is in the smaller strip behind it, so you can also load up on snacks for later in the day! This is probably 3 miles or less from the Westin.
Viet Ai is all of 1.5 blocks from Cullins...authentic Vietnamese food if you want to grab a bowl of pho!
In Morristown proper, there's Sushi Lounge and Origin Thai, both good, both on the pricier side.
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I'll say up front that I'm not an ice cream expert, but when it comes to food, I generally know good stuff
... Denville Dairy is partially my favorite because I grew up going there (when it was a tiny, free-standing, walk-up only shop) with our (big) dog riding on the boot of the convertible. And partially because I just love their ice cream! It's all handmade on the premises; the same family has owned the place for at least 25-30 years (just saw the website--it's 40) that I've been going, and while they have a ton of flavors, they've stuck to essentially the same ones. You won't find basil/saffron gelato here, but then again, you don't always want that ('tho I actually DO love both)!
I tend to get hard ice cream (black raspberry is a ripple through vanilla; coffee almond fudge is also a major favorite), but their soft serve is also excellent. Their cakes are great! The crunchies in their cakes are awesome. Their hot fudge is as well. Portions are huge, so you should definitely take note of what people order and then see what they look like. Dogs are welcome (outside) and the place is always packed in the evenings, but I will say that they know how to move it along. Go. Take a number (inside) and stand around while neighbors and kids catch up. Once you get your ice cream, sit on a bench out front, or walk around and look in the windows of the (mostly) mom 'n pop stores in Denville. It's very small-town in a lot of ways. Maybe that's what I like about it, too...but the ice cream is THE reason to go.
34A Broadway
Denville NJ
973-627-4214
Sun-Thurs 11am-9:30pm
Fri-Sat 11am-10pm
Okay, I've officially blown my own mind. Was in Denville tonight with some OLD friends for a Denville Dairy fix. And what did I have? SAFFRON PISTACHIO ice cream. At Denville Dairy. Couldn't have shocked me more when I saw it in the case, and the comment to my friend was "WOW--that's very 'gourmet' for Denville Dairy! But I'm thrilled to see it." A quick taste confirmed my choice for the evening...creamy, almost lemony, refreshing, and not overly sweet. Had to bump up the ice cream thread to mention it and I was really floored to see this old post of mine...so I've been proven wrong! And I'm quite happy about it.
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Terrific. Thanks for the quick reply, Chris!
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My boss and a co-worker will be in Providence next week and need to grab lunch in between meetings at Brown and RI College...there is a slight chance that a client will end up going to lunch with them. They don't want or need anything super-upscaled, but is Brickway too casual? Do you know anything about Z Bar & Grille? Any other suggestions for an easy in/out (is parking a concern in that area?) lunch that could turn in to a working one? Based on the maps, I thought it best to get them off the Brown campus and headed over towards RIC, but tell me if that's a bad idea.
I think we need a fairly straightforward spot; salads, sandwiches, soups, etc.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Curlz
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judsg, it would help to know what kind of a meal you're looking for, what sort of cuisines you do/don't like, how much $ you want to spend, etc., but here are a few thoughts to get you started:
-Sushi Lounge (just off the Green in Morristown proper)
-Copeland at the Westin Hotel (close to the Morris Museum)
-Viet Ai in Florham Park (just a couple of miles down Columbia Tpk) for great pho and other Vietnamese food
-Tim Shafer's Cuisine on Speedwell Ave in Morristown
Give us a few more details and I'm sure you'll get many more ideas!
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It's a little closer for the Bergen and Essex folks, but I was just reading about Uproot in Warren... Worth a try?
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Randi, to the white courtesy phone... Randi, to the white courtesy phone...
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Tutti a Tavola, a delicious little Italian deli and market in Chatham, closed a couple of months ago. It's a shame, too--everything I ever bought there was wonderful, but they were in a very odd location (across from Bottle King on Watchung Ave near River Road) and I suspect that they just didn't have enough business.
Has anyone read/heard if they're setting up shop elsewhere?
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How was your dinner, Kim?
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Finally got to Kefi last night, and I've got to recommend it VERY highly--for both the food and the value! I was truly surprised to see such reasonable prices on the UWS.
We were to be a group of 5, but since two of us arrived early, we forced ourselves to sit at the bar, where I discovered that I like ouzo. Much.
I stuck to the 'shooters' for $3.50 each, figuring this is for sipping anyway, and I wanted to try a couple of different flavors (Lemon/basil, pear/cinnamon, and blood orange/jalapeno). This was an excellent strategy...juices are fresh, and each flavor was good on its own, but the pear/cinn was my favorite. The country bread and olive oil were stellar. For apps, we had 2 octopadi w/white beans and the assorted 'spreads,' which were good but I was far too focused on what was literally the best piece of octopus I've ever had.
For my entree, I had the aforementioned sheep's milk dumplings in tomato, w/pine nuts and fantastic (spicy!) lamb sausage. This was just a wonderful dish--and all of $13.95. Others at the table had the sheep's milk ravioli, the lemon chicken (again--WONDERFUL), branzino, and the shrimp w/orzo. We were all OMGing and "WOWing" as we dug in.
For dessert, I went with the two sorbets: sesame and lemon/mint. Both were incredibly flavorful, but the sesame really blew me away. Think of a piece of halvah turned into sorbet--it's really the only way to describe it. Others had the walnut cake w/walnut ice cream; I tried the cake, which was densely packed with walnuts.
Really--a terrific dinner and a great value. This is definitely going to become a go-to spot for us!
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Iirc, Piscataway is a wasteland of chain restaurants...do you have time to go across the river to New Brunswick? Far better choices there, and with RU out on break, it shouldn't be as nutty as it usually is...
And/or what's in Highland Park?
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Consider yourself backed up, Mrs. Fink!
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Soda, I'm curious to know what you had and enjoyed. I went about 6 weeks ago and tried a more-than-decent sampling of apps and was a bit disappointed. The rice balls were STELLAR, but my friend wasn't knocked out by the lobster mac 'n cheese (I can't eat it but I trust his taste buds) and we had to send one of the (three) shrimp back because it was still raw. Other items (now I'm remembering a salad w/hazelnuts, figs, and SPECKS of bleu cheese) were fine, but a bit overpriced for the serving size. Even the Tuscan fries, which we loved at T Fresco were meh. There were a couple of others + a fruit cobbler-like dessert (fine) but I can't remember what they were.
I'll also add that the service didn't help; young and inexperienced would be my description. The gal we had was trying reaaaally hard, but more than that, she wasn't reading us or our body language at all; there were numerous (really--too many) times when she interrupted us unnecessarily when we were having an involved conversation, and even after telling her we weren't in a rush, she didn't seem to get the message.
Btw, the space itself, while a little too over-decorated for my taste, is lovely. And the roof deck will be terrific in nice weather! Which reminds me--the night we went was a particularly warm early Oct day and when we saw the patio, we asked to sit outside--but were told that it was closed already for the day (this was just before 6pm) because it might rain (which of course, it didn't). What a shame, as there were tables and chairs out there and we certainly would have lingered over more wine/drinks.
I loved the chef's cooking at Trattoria Fresco so I was really excited to try Above but overall, we weren't knocked out. I don't even know if he was in the kitchen--not that that should matter. The menu reads deliciously, but the 5-6 items we had just didn't WOW us the way we had hoped. I'll definitely give it another try but feel like they need some time to settle in.
And I agree about Eden Gourmet--it's a lovely store! As someone else said, "It's what Whole Foods used to be when it first started..."
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My co-worker is Swedish, so I threw this question her way; she's not aware of any restaurants and said she buys a few things at Ikea but orders most of her products on line from a place in CT or her folks send things from home.
She did say there's a Scandinavian Festival coming up in New Providence NJ next Saturday, though (11/21). A quick Google turned up the 31st Annual Scandinavian Import and Gift Sale...maybe you can find some items there?
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Wow, this is a big bump from the archives...
An NYC food pal asked me about The Pluckemin Inn and I gave her my personal reaction (haven't been, the location isn't all that convenient to me, and it seems like it might attract an older crowd), but I promised I'd find out what other folks' thoughts/experiences have been recently. I understand that they have a new(ish) chef and that's he's got some impressive credentials--enough so that some of his staff is commuting from NYC and Brooklyn to work with him.
Has anyone been in the last 6 months or so? Impressions? Thanks in advance!
Curlz
Steven Shaw
in Announcements
Posted · Edited by Curlz (log)
It's been a long time since I've posted on eGullet, but with this news, I felt compelled to do so. Imagine that the first page of names are mostly of people I recognize from years ago (I found eG in 2003, and one of my dearest friends is a result of this board)--that right there is a testament to what Steven and Jason built. My heart breaks for Steven's family and those who knew him best; having lost a close friend in his 40s a similar way, I know what a shock it is, but what a wonderful legacy Fat Guy has left behind!
It was far too short a run, but he certainly gave it his all. Eat/drink well wherever you are, Steven.