Curlz

Is this a tough cake to make? I'm really not a baker (don't have the patience), but it sounds yummy! If it's not too complicated and you're willing to share the recipe, I'd love to see it. Thanks!

Yeah, THAT. Definitely that! Get on the Tpk SOUTH off of Rt 78E, and then you just have one exit to 13A--then you can follow Bruce's directions that you'll see upthread. VERY easy route if you go that way! Do NOT miss the beef rib. Or the chili. Or the sweet potato fries. Or the...well, you get the idea.

So to recap, the full kitchen hours are... Tues - Thurs 11:30am-9pm Friday 11:30am-10pm Saturday Noon-10pm Sunday Noon-9pm And of course, Phil's there 'til 3am on Fri and Saturday nights! Bruce, have I got that right?

I just read about this place... Moon Doggie Cafe (and Retro Espresso Cafe) 108 W. Pleasant Ave. Maywood, NJ 07607 201-556-0111 Anyone know anything about it? If nothing else, their web site sure does make me smile!

I'm extremely allergic to smoke, and on my first visit to FSS, didn't notice any smoke at all (we sat a tables). My second time, we sat at the bar, and until two people a few seats away started smoking, I didn't have a problem. Of course, once they did, it was all over, and the clothes I was wearing went in a bag of their own when I got home. Even so, it wasn't so bad that I had to move--the ceilings are high, and the smell did dissipate fairly quickly. Your call--but either way, 14 days to go!!!

That's all I need to hear!

Last night I took out the leftover kefta (meatballs) to reheat them, and voila! A new piece of injera had been packed in the container. Makeda scored another point in my book, and I thought I'd share, because it's the little things like this that make me appreciate a restaurant!

I'm wondering if the spring menu is in effect yet...nothing on their web site, nor was there any indication of it on their sign when I drove by last week. HMMM...

And for the record, I won't say that my dining companion agreed with me. Still, GREAT music at FSS.

Anyone eaten here lately? I had a terrific dinner at Makeda last night, and the two of us who are from northern NJ were lamenting the lack of Ethiopian in the area. Having read this thread, I'm certainly going to give Mesob a try, but am curious to hear some more recent reports.

Congratulations, indeed! Guess you managed to find the place, huh, Bruce? Of course, now I need to try the chicken and the flan--two items I haven't had yet...

I knew there had to be a thread on Makeda here! I thought I'd give it a bump, as I had dinner here last night with friends, and it was a really interesting (and good) food experience. I'll say up front that I had never had Ethiopian food before, and that they had all been here at least a few times, although not recently. All of the food is eaten communally, and as mentioned before, is served with injera, which I somehow thought was more bread-like. Instead, it's a really spongy flat bread (think tortilla). Here is what the four of us ate (thank goodness for on line menus!)...I'm including the full descriptions for those who may not be familiar with Ethiopian food: Appetizers D'jaj Bi Zitoune - Marinated chicken tenderloins sauteed with green olives and lightly seasoned, with a selection of traditional spices. Shrimp M'Charmel - Shrimp sauteed in olive oil infused with traditional Moroccan herbs and garnished with slice of carrot and parsley. **My favorite dish of the night...I could definitely eat a plate of this for a meal! For our first entree, we had the Vegetarian Sampler, which was our choice of 5 veggie dishes. We went with Atakilt Wat - Fresh green beans, carrots potatoes, green peppers, cabbage and onions, sauteed with garlic, ginger and tomatoes. Ful - Ethiopian beans cooked and flavored with tomatoes, onion, hot green peppers, and seasoned with special spices, served with a splash of olive oil, and Ethiopian salsa. Kik Alicha - Yellow split peas cooked and flavored with green pepper, onion and Ethiopian herbs. Mesir Wat - Lentils cooked with chopped onions, garlic, ginger, olive oil and mild berbere sauce. Shiro Wat - Pureed split peas cooked with Ethiopian spices. Kefta - Moroccan meatballs made from lean ground beef, a blend of traditional herbs and spices, onions and crushed peppers. This is actually another app, but since I couldn't forget about it, we got an order with our entrees. They were delicious, and I have the leftovers for lunch. Doro Tibs - Boneless pieces of chicken sauteed and seasoned with Ethiopian herb reduction sauce, awaze sauce, hot peppers and onions. Shrimp Alecha - Shrimp cooked in a green pepper and Ethiopian herb reduction sauce seasoned with ginger, rosemary and a touch of jalapeno pepper. The large shrimp in this dish were a little tough, but the sauce over them made me forget that fact--fantastic dish that I would definitely recommend. Since I seriously doubt that the cheesecake and pecan tarts represent authentic Ethiopian food, I drank my dessert , a glass of Nivole Moscato d'Asti, which was a perfect, light end to this very interesting meal and a great way to tone down the spices at the end of the night. Note: the place is noisy, but the four of us didn't have a problem chatting at our square four-top until the band started (10pm). At that point, we were done, as we realized we were shouting at one another. Leaving through the gift shop, we were laughing at the bass reverberating throughout the building. Just not necessary, in my book, unless you're at a club. I wish I could say that I could describe the spices used in this food...occasionally, I was tasting Indian, then a hint of Thai, then I'd realize that it is nothing like any other cuisine. Interesting is just the best word I can come up with. Interesting and TASTY. Well worth a visit if you're in the mood for something completely different, and/or are dining with vegetarians (we had one in our group)! Dinner with a 20+% tip, was $40pp, which included a few glasses of wine (not mine, so I can't comment), and one dessert (mango sorbet). I thought it was very reasonable for all that we ate.

No, YOU AH! One of my favorite quotes, Tommy...thanks for the laugh! I can't believe I didn't mention the music, as I've been including that in my comments about the place when telling friends about FSS! Did so as recently as last night, in fact. Let's face it--some of us are of a certain, um, let's say vintage where a great 'soundtrack' in a restaurant really adds to the experience. When I interrupt conversation to say "Wasn't Asia a great band?!?" and/or "OMG, when's the last time you heard this?!?" then I know it's seeping in. Drumming on the bar is optional.

Definitely don't miss dinner in the front room of Palena (right near a Metro stop) or a meal at Zaytinya!!

Although I believe that I was suffering from a meat hangover this morning, dinner at the bar at FSS was terrific last night! Great way to really feel the vibe of the place, and to get to know (the other partner) Phil and hear more about the history of the partnership, the building, and the area. I'm sorry to say that I didn't get our bartender's name, but she did a great job of keeping us hydrated, anticipating our needs. What more can you ask for?!? Oh, yeah...MEAT. Since I hadn't tried the chili last time and others have raved about it, that was on the 'must-have' list. This stuff is INSANE. It's all meat--we were told that it has a little of everything, thrown together, including what I believe I referred to as some "carmely goodness" every few bites. With onion and cheese on top, this is easily a meal. We shared a small bowl as an app, along with (ahem) a beef rib. I'm with Daniel...hang one around my neck so I can gnaw on it all day long! Tender and beefy and just delicious. Of course, I coulda, woulda, shoulda stopped then, but we just had to have some pulled pork. And ribs. I don't believe I held up my half of the eating, but I did do a good bit of my share. The cornbread muffins (are those pieces of apple in there?!?) are yummy, I love the sauce, and the place just begs for you to come and stay. I did take the route suggested by BruceT (above)...I will refer to it as "the scenic route" from now on, and I do believe that it will prove to be a better way to come in from Exit 13A for most people. It didn't seem longer--just has a few more turns, but they're all very well-marked streets. Next time, I'll try the approach from Exit 13 just so I know them all. Great to see (the other) Bruce again, too...thanks again for another yummy meal! I am SO happy to have good Q and a great bar sorta nearby!

That's the type of scenario I was imagining...think about some serious high-level business being conducted over that amazing food. If that wouldn't impress potential clients/business partners, what would?!? On the other hand, I can't picture him preparing 'family meals' on a daily basis (8 year-old "What is THAT?!? I want Fruit Loops!" comes to mind), so what do I know?!?

Agreed, but let's also remember that there are other ways one can be a private chef (i.e. in private corporate dining rooms, law firms, etc.). I'm just speculating. Join me!

My thoughts exactly, but yours were far more eloquent, Doc. Shola, nothing but wonderful thoughts are coming your way!! I'm more thrilled than ever that I grabbed the opportunity when I had it! And of course, I'm worried about Katie.

Aaaaaaamen. And fwiw, I think that this goes for restaurants with liquor licenses as well as those without. It's a shame, too, because with a minor amount of education, they could be helping their bottom line quite a bit. My $ .02...

I think this is a fantastic solution, particularly for a state like NJ, which is (thankfully) chock full of BYO restaurants!

Absolutely! I'll even join you on that one! My question is if I can order pulled pork, ribs and sausage for my Seder.

What she said. Especially the part about using challah.

Hitmanoo makes a good point that I forgot to mention...Blu only has one table that seats 6, and can't accommodate any parties larger than that. The other thing to know about their 6-top is that there is no wiggle room. There is enough space for each chair, but I doubt there's more than an inch or two between them. Again, that's at the big table. As for service, I don't think that any of the restaurants on this list have exceptional service. Hitmanoo, get thee to Fortunato!!

For me, the only question is if you prefer a BYO or not. Then you can decide between Fortunato and Blu. Seriously, though, I think a lot depends upon who you're going with...TF is a bit noisy, as is Blu, but I think TF is far worse. Then again, I looooove the patio at TF, and can't wait to sit out there again! Chef Zod (Blu) is by far one of the most creative chefs I've encountered in this area, but people who are on the 'conservative' side of food might find his combinations a bit too creative (NOT ME!). And his menu changes quite regularly, so I don't know if you can 'depend' on what you read today for a menu past this week. Then again, you're getting (imo) bargain prices for food at a BYO restaurant. Also, keep in mind that reservations are tough to get unless it's a month out. Especially since there's no answering machine... Chef Anthony LoPinto at Fortunato puts out some of the most consistently delicious (and also creative--just different from Zod) meals I've eaten in NJ, but it's also a different atmosphere. Not bad, just different. I'm also very fond of Fascino, but reservations can be tough there, too. I have heard a number of people who were underwhelmed by Table 8, but I haven't been yet. So as I've said, you do need to factor in the people, cost, location and whether or not you want a BYO. My two cents! And if you've read this and said "Hey! Thanks for nuthin'," well, sorry. And btw, you left out The Jefferson in Hoboken!

Sorry, but I just don't understand why anyone would want to have french toast delivered, as it would be a soggy mess! Plus, it's just so easy to make--even if you don't 'cook' much...