Curlz

You beat me to it, Jon...it's true, and I agree, it's VERY sad, but The Jefferson is closed. When I asked earlier this summer if they would be open at least through Labor Day, I was told that they thought so, but couldn't confirm for sure. I went to Hoboken Sunday night and was hoping to have a last glass of wine on the back patio, but alas, I was too late. The good news is that they're planning to open a chophouse on the other end of Hoboken; not sure how quickly, but I think they were shooting to get it up and running this fall.

Just heard about this place from a friend who really enjoyed it...anyone else been recently?

Rich, I'd be curious to know how you cooked them...I grew up (in northern NJ) eating Best's on the grill, and can't think of a better dog! Caveat: I'm not an expert like some on this thread.

If you go to Angelbeck's, do yourself a favor and also grab a bottle of Mulderbosch Cab Sauv Rose from the fridge. $12.99, and it's GREAT summer drinking; I was thrilled to see that they carried it! :-)

Definitely try Total in W. Orange, but if they don't have it, you can also check with The Wine Library in Springfield and/or Amanti Vino on Church Street in Montclair. Or Angelbeck's on Valley Rd near the intersection of Bellevue in Upper Montclair. Angelbeck's has pleasantly surprised me lately!

It had been far too long since my last visit to Blu, and since friends let me choose the restaurant, we were there last night as they reopened after a couple of weeks of vacation. Not that Chef Zod needed a rest...the man can cook! Three of us had a really terrific night, despite a few service bumps, but nothing significant enough to matter when the food and company are so great. Also of note, the recently installed suede-covered panels along the left wall. Blu has addressed the acoustic issues, and it was a noticeable difference, imo; happy to see (and not hear) it. Apps: Crab cake with a fennel salad and grainy mustard Calamari wiht avocado and cucumber salad in a ginger-lime dressing Arugula, watermelon and goat cheese salad Although I shared tastes of my calamari, I didn't want to add any other flavors to my mouth after digging in; it was light, creamy and bursting with bright lime flavor. The other plates were also wiped clean, and I have to say that the watermelon salad, two big slices of melon topped with a very healthy serving of goat cheese, just yelled "Summer!" from the plate. For entrees, one friend had the short ribs special, which I knew he would enjoy since I've had it on other visits, and the other had the monkfish with snow peas, asparagus and the citrus-almond sauce. I vividly remembered this dish when I saw it on the menu, as it was served as an amuse on my last visit there. The sauce was stunning, and she ate every morsel. I went with the mahi, which was served over black beans, sweet Jersey corn, and a tomato-ginger broth. STUNNING. I savored every bite, and if I could, I'd be back there tonight to have it again. It was a perfect balance of flavors, texture and spices in this heat! One of my friends couldn't drink, so the two of us had the difficult task of choosing 2 of the 5 bottles of wine we had brought ( ). We went with my current summer favorite, Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose from South Africa ( under $15/bottle, btw). He decided to open a '99 Avignonesi Desiderio, a stunning, jammy Tuscan merlot that was too heavy for what I ordered, but went well with the crab cakes and short ribs he ate. Of course, I was polite and drank a glass after I was done with the meal...just to be polite. heehee For dessert, we had the basil ricotta almond cake with berries, and the strawberry soup with yogurt sorbet--both VERY refreshing, and a lovely way to end another wonderful dinner at Blu. I wasn't allowed to see the bill, but at $30-40pp for food, I still think that Blu is a phenomenal bargain. Service was very friendly, but I do hate to have to ask for water and wine refills. Still, this is definitely my favorite recommendation to make, and my friends, who live in Hunterdon Cty and will travel for a great meal, said they'll be happy to make the trip to Montclair again.

Thanks for the clarification--that's the place I was thinking of. Good to know!

Is this place new, or did it replace another custard and ice cream place? An ex-bf lived in Bergenfield, and we went to a custard place on Wash Ave that had a similar 'drill press' machine...can't remember the name of it, but that exterior shot sure looks like the same spot. You drive in one way on the right side of the bldg, park in the back or on the side, and exit out the other side, no? I just remember that it was on the northwest side of Washington, pretty far north up the street... Edit: I think the Daily Scoop in Montclair (near Watchung Plaza) has one of those machines too...they definitely do the mix-ins the same way.

I can't tell you how happy I am to see that I'm not the only one who spent big bucks at L'Atelier and found it disappointing. The posts on this thread will fill you in on my experience... And to this day, I never heard a word from them.

Had a terrific dinner on the UWS tonight...the place is called Bello Sguardo, and it's on 80th and Amsterdam. I was surprised that there isn't a thread on it, as we had a very good meal with decent service and reasonable prices. The place is billed as Mediterranean cuisine, and there is a good mix of tapas/meze along with a few more American dishes for the non-adventurous, which is the reason we chose it. Three apps ordered; a $4.95 special of "carmelized zucchini with Kalamata olives, tarragon and lemon was fantastic. #2 was a corn meal-crusted calamari, and #3 was described as a roasted eggplant salad, which turned out to be a spread (just shy of hummus consistency)--it was interesting, but I probably wouldn't order it again. Entrees were the lamb shank w/Israeli couscous, which was terrific, albeit a tad heavy in this weather, imo; I had the beet risotto w/walnuts and Montrachet goat cheese (and a glass of Brancott Sauvignon Blanc); one friend had a special of scallops with papardelle that she loved, and her husband (a true non-eater) had the steak frites and was content (not that there's anything wrong with steak frites). We skipped dessert and coffee b/c they were headed to the theater. Prices were very reasonable ($3.95-$9 for apps, $14-$24 for entrees) but I didn't see the final bill b/c our friends treated us. I'll definitely go back, esp b/c I never know where to go in that neighborhood, which is why I wanted to add it to this thread. Bello Sguardo 410 Amsterdam Avenue at 80th St Phone: (212) 873-6252 They don't appear to have a web site.

Go a little further--to Hoboken. To The Jefferson. All will be well!

I think that's a tad conservative, but even so, most of it won't be a lot more than that. And of course, don't forget the sangria!

I believe you are now required to post a photo, Mike!

Spain and Don Pepe's are both still around, although I can't comment on how good they are these days. There's something a little cheesy about DP's in particular, imo. Can't put my finger on what it is, but it is. I second the rec on Casa Vasca, but keep in mind that it's not 'fancy,' if that's what you're looking for; more local/homey vibe, but the food is great, and the service won't disappoint either. Bonus: they have their own parking lot.

Having been on the receiving end of a LARGE g.c. to Blu in Montclair, I can tell you I was thrilled, so that was my first thought. And of course, they're in the BYO category, which is always great in terms of gift certificates, so you can use the $ for FOOD! Other BYO recommendations: Fascino (Montclair--Essex Co.) Trattoria Fresco (Caldwell--Essex Co.) Lots of folks love Osteria Giotto (also in Montclair), although my first experience there didn't wow me like I had hoped. Non-BYOs: Fortunato (Lyndhurst-border of Essex and Bergen, technically southern Bergen) And finally, Scalini Fedeli in Chatham (Morris Co. on the Essex border) Those should get you started and inspire some other folks to chime in...

Now that I'm working in the city, I've discovered what I call the 'reverse' salad bar...they seem to be everywhere! The salad bar is behind the counter, and you tell the guy which size you want, then choose mixed greens or spinach, and tell him what to add. All of it goes in to a large stainless steel bowl, along with your dressing of choice, where it gets tossed with tongs, put in the 'go' bowl, and you're off. Most places seem to offer 4 items at the base price of $6-$7, then it goes up to 6 or 8, in increments of about $1.50. Odd, but it's what I seem to go for almost every day, so I guess the concept works. A roll is usually included.

My uncle was in town from (of all places) Louisville KY, and said he would love to have some "real Jersey Italian food," so we ended up at Nauna's Bella Casa on Valley Road in Montclair. I have to say that if you're in the mood for 'red sauce' Italian, they really do know what they're doing! We shared a string bean/mozz/olives/red onion/tomato salad with a delicious balsamic vinaigrette and a plate of zucchini sticks (fake fries). Entrees were Chicken and Sausage Murphy (EXCELLENT), Chicken Nauna (leftovers currently warming), which has spinach, mozz, red peppers and sausage in a brown sauce (VERY GOOD), the chicken escarole soup, an eggplant dish without the meat for mom, and a whole wheat pasta dish for my uncle, who also did a good job of sampling everything else. Needless to say, we left full, and the craving was hit! Their pizza's pretty good too...

I finally made it to OG for the first time, and I have to say that the poor service we had fully overshadowed a decent lunch. The place had only a few tables full when we arrived, and yet there was a solid 8-10 min wait (yes, I looked at my watch at the 8 min mark) before anyone came over to ask if we wanted water. Bread arrived with water, and there two (good) rolls in the basket for the two of us. Didn't think much of it until a couple sat down next to us and got an overflowing basket that also included breadsticks. We did request some, and received those along with some truly mediocre white "Italian" bread. We found that part rather odd. We started by splitting a salad special (actually, they split it in the kitchen--something I appreciate) that was wonderful; it had apples, walnuts and a stunning lemon vinaigrette. My friend had the spinach and ricotta ravioli in butter and sage. They were beautiful on the plate, huge triangles of homemade pasta, but they just didn't have a whole lot of flavor to them. My orecchiete with sausage and broccoli rabe was very tasty, and the portion huge. Prices are very reasonable. We waited far too long for everything, including the bill, so we decided to pass on coffee and dessert. About half an hour after we arrived, so did a large party, and that's where we lost what little attention we had from our waiter. It's a shame, because I know so many people love this place, but I can't say that my first impression was a great one, and now I'm reminded that many others have reported on service issues. I'd like to go back for dinner with a decent-sized group so I can try a number of dishes, as there is a lot on the menu that sounds terrific, but I'm just not in a rush.

CITY? You think Verona is a CITY, Suzi? All that fresh air and sunshine out west really has produced a country gal, huh?

I promise you that your local supermarket has it, Zoe--but look UP on the shelves! As pnapoli said, it's in a box that's the size of a box of pancake mix (not that anyone on eG would know what those look like...) In my local Shop Rite, t's usually on the shelves above the boxed cake mixes, and the brand is Swan, iirc.

I'm a big fan of Saffron as well, as you'll see when you click here for the link to that thread! Not far away from the Montclair area, I also like Jyoti, which is mentioned in this thread... For a completely casual experience (as in, I'm running errands and want to grab lunch), try Indian Chef on Route 17. And finally, India on the Hudson on Washington Street in Hoboken is another favorite of mine. If you do a search for Indian in the NJ forum (bottom left of the main page), you'll find a LOT of discussions!

WOW. That is QUITE a statement, coming from you, Tommy!! I knew you liked it, but one of the best you've EVER had? That's impressive!

Haven't been to that location, but I was at the VH in Parsippany years ago. All of the protein was in quotation marks on the menu, i.e. General Tso's "Chicken," and "Pork" dumplings. Not for me, but the vegetarians seem to like it.

Yup. But when I asked outright if The Jeff would be open through the summer, I was told that's the plan. They are also opening at least one other restaurant in Hoboken. Looking forward to those 'official' announcements, but it's still a bummer, imo.

Just thought I'd mention that the MOJITO sorbet I had at The Jefferson less a couple of weeks ago was from Capogiro. I'm still swooning over it, in case you can't tell... But Rita's it ain't. Fwiw, Rita's, for me, is all about the Mango (or Lemon) Misto.