Curlz

Thank you VERY much for saying that, Tommy. Seriously. Signed, A semi-broke-ass non-musician

Ahhh...my people. At least I know where I got it from--my dad, who is a product of the Great Depression. He used to tell us that my grandmother would put water in the almost-empty ketchup bottle and make tomato soup for them. (Note: If you think I believe that, I have some lovely land in the Everglades that's for sale...) My brother does the same stuff, btw--and he's younger than me, so it's officially in the DNA. But yes, I get Every. Last. Drop. Out of every jar in the kitchen, and of every container in my bathroom. It's ridiculous how long I can go when something is "just about gone" before I actually crack open a new one--whatever it is! Am I the only one who 'glues' the thin sliver that remains of the bar of soap on to the new one?

Thanks! Great minds--I did mention that in my letter...here's an excerpt: Here’s the pièce de résistance …we were never asked if we wanted another glass of champagne, or if we wanted to order any wine. Please read that again. We were NEVER asked if we wanted to order anything else to drink. Not even a drink after dinner! Nothing. Service aside, isn’t this where a restaurant’s profit margin comes in to play?!? At that point, we were already so miffed by the lack of service that we consciously decided not to request any more champagne or move on to the wine. Why should we spend any more? The champagne glasses remained empty in front of us for most of the meal. I did mention our waiter by name, and the helpful one by description. I also said up front that I since I don't have plans to return to LV any time soon, that I'm not looking for special treatment on my next visit. I'm VERY curious to see what kind of response I receive, if any. Raoul, while I agree with you in theory, it would be very hard for me to leave without tipping something. I would have left a blatantly small amount, though--i.e., $10. If nothing else, our plates were cleared, silverware changed, and we were fed. And fed well--I just keep forgetting that part. SIGH...

Certainly not, my wisecracking friend...my point is/was that the chef was the only person of authority to whom I might have turned--but that seemed pointless when he was busy VIPing others. NOW am I making sense?

Agreed again---but with the chef out there VIPing people, we had nobody to complain to. There was no manager evident, and the hostess was hardly a go-to person. That's why I mentioned the head chef.

I should have clarified that--I have no problem with VIPs getting VIP treatment. Just don't do it at the expense of everyone else in the restaurant! I didn't go in wanting or expecting VIP treatment--I just expected a great meal with service to match.

In response to some comments/questions... $350 is probably double my monthly grocery bill--which is why this really was a splurge. detlefchef, the comment about doing as well or better at the $100/couple local places that I love definitely rings true--I said as much when we left the restaurant. And likely why it will be a long time before I'm willing to go this route again! Let's talk specific issues: We decided to have the tasting menu, and having asked the waiter if there were recommended wine pairings, we were told "Not specifically, but I can show you the wine list." Great. We looked, and determined that we wanted to stick to the by-the-glass route so we could change wines throughout the meal. I asked him if he had specific recs in that department, and mentioned that I'd like to start with some bubbles. There was only one choice--champagne at $20/glass, and we went for it. He had mentioned a few whites for mid-tasting, and a pinot noir for the later courses. We said that sounded good, but we wanted to start with the champagne and decide where to go as we went through the tasting. (In my mind, I might have had a 2nd glass of champagne and then gone to the pinot noir--but hey--I never got that chance!) We received the first course, and sat and waited for champagne to be poured. Oh, and water, too. Literally sat back and didn't start eating until we finally got his attention and asked again for the champagne and a full description of the course sitting in front of us. (VERY good) Bread showed up after the third course was put down. Courses came ridiculously quickly (note: it was an 8:15 reservation--not a late-night one). I kid you not that we didn't have 3-5 minutes in between each course! At one point, he started to put the next course down, and since I was still eating the previous one (fork in hand--no question there), I told him I wasn't ready for it yet. Back it went, but that's just sloppy. I'm not going to go through every detail of all of the courses, but in the mix were folks around us, some of whom were getting the ROYAL treatment from the head chef, who was continuously in front of them, chatting, bringing different bottles of wines during and after their meal. When a group of five sat down next to us and we overheard one of them say "He's a winemaker," we knew we were officially doomed. After that, whatever meager attention we had been receiving went completely in their direction. Chef was brought over to meet them, as we sat there observing. Another chef was brought out to meet the people next to us (folks who, I might add, didn't know what an amuse bouche was--when the runner put it down, the woman practically bit his head off with a "we didn't order that!" and when he said it was an amuse bouche, she looked at him like he had three heads. I finally leaned over and said "It's just a little something for you to start with, compliments of the kitchen.") So we're surrounded by uneducated diners (there was more from the couple next to us, but not worth sharing) and VIPs, and I guess it never occurred to them that perhaps we fell somewhere in the middle instead of at the bottom. Numerous times, we grabbed another (helpful, at least) waiter to describe a course to us b/c the waiter had dropped it and run off to kiss *ss with the group next to us, or b/c he was just MIA. We also had to ask for water, and gee, we're still waiting to be asked if we want more champagne or if we'd like to order wine. That's right--it NEVER happened. We were never asked if we wanted coffee or tea. Or an after-dinner drink. I mean SERIOUSLY--if you're at a bad chain restaurant, aren't the waiters taught to to try to sell you more to eat and drink? We were just flabbergasted, and by that point, we tried to enjoy the food and do our best not to spend any more by making requests. We left 15%, which is more than I would have done--but my pal Jim waited tables at a well-known NYC restaurant for many years, and he JUST. CAN'T. Leave less than that, knowing that busboys et al will suffer in the end. He did say "Well, if they pegged us for light tippers when we sat down (WHY/HOW, I ask?), we're just going to prove them right. We agreed to disagree on that part. So, yes--service issues galore. And I'm not even mentioning the things we just didn't care for at the restaurant, things that would have gone in to the "It was fantastic, but I hated their silverware" category if the overall tone of the meal hadn't been so rushed and uncaring.

I wondered the same thing, and from what I could see last night, sadly, yes. The one thing that did make me smile was the smiley face and note drawn on the front door that said We'll Be Back. And of course, they will!! Enjoy the R&R and sunshine, guys. It's certainly well-deserved. Curlz

I just returned from a few days in Las Vegas, and had an experience that is still p*ssing me off 48 hours after it happened. Although we were watching our budget, my friend and I decided we would splurge on one show (Cirque du Soleil's O--DON'T MISS IT) and one great meal while we were there (unnamed restaurant). Sadly, although the food was terrific, it was completely overshadowed by poor service and attitude. I don't want (or need) to 'out' the place here, because I am sending a letter to the internationally-known chef who is attached to the restaurant, but trust me that there was nobody we could have complained to on site. The head chef was participating in the same "I'm giving VIP treatment to these folks and could care less who else is in here" that our waiter(s) were involved in, so it seemed pointless. I'm not afraid of speaking up when there is an issue, and thought that our numerous verbal and non-verbal messages would help, but they didn't. The point of this post isn't necessarily to get a solution for what ticked us off about our $350+ meal for two--it's to ask what others have done when a NAME/REPUTATION doesn't live up to its billing. I'd be curious to hear opinions, especially since I normally don't drop that kind of cash. So--for those of you with the bank and/or expense accounts who do, please weigh in!

Is this Daruma the same part of the chain that's in Rutherford and...?? Just curious. Fwiw, I like Nori in Caldwell.

Megan, this is a REALLY fun read...great job! How about BeSo or ABeSo (pronounced ahhbeesew)? That would be Below South or Area Below South... Curlz

what time and where. ← Mindreader.

It's JUST Shola. Or should I say, ALL Shola. Which is part of what makes it all the more special! He does have someone come in to help with cleanup and dishes after the guests leave, though.

Imho, both Fascino and Blu qualify as deserving--not so much of hype, but of praise. The food is excellent at both! And of course, the benefit of Montclair restaurants in general is that they are BYO! Still haven't been to Table 8, but folks I trust were underwhelmed when they went. That said, I do hear and read great things about it, so it's on the list. Others who I trust love Osteria Giotto, but I haven't been there yet either--I just know that whenever I've tried, the reservations weren't available. May have to go for lunch as the solution! And of course, although it's not fine dining, tempt your cholesterol with a visit to Amazing Hot Dog! Edit: I meant to mention Raymond's...I happen to love the place for a casual meal, but I don't think of it for fine dining. Great homey spot, though!

: A bar thats accommodates diners as well as drinkers... Hooks underneath the bar so I don't have to put my purse down in who knows what... Comfortable stools that make me want to stay... Bartenders who know how to be friendly and make just the right amount of conversation without monopolizing me/us... Enough space for elbow room... Bartenders who can make good recommendations when I don't know what I'm in the mood for... : Bartenders who ignore patrons who don't flirt with them (this goes for both sexes) Smoke. Sorry, but I'm really allergic! Bartenders who are too busy 'posing' to pour drinks Bars without good wines by the glass Guess I can think of a lot more things that I like, huh? You know I'll come up with more...!

I've been working in the area around NJPAC and "University Heights" for 7 years. You have no reason to be more worried about crime there than you would in midtown Manhattan at lunch time. Maybe if we get someone else to be mayor in Newark, that message will get out...but I digress. 27Mix is definitely a good option, as is Theater Square Grill. Just note that at 27Mix, you'll either need to park on the street (again, no less safe than in NYC, imo) or you have to pay to park in one of the nearby lots. At TSG, you'll also pay, but likely more $. Seriously! It's one of my biggest peeves about NJPAC--they don't care why you're there--for dinner, drinks, lunch or a show--you're going to pay through the nose to park (i.e. $15). No validating by the restaurant. Feel free to PM me if you want some safe street parking suggestions near 27Mix. But know that this is a non-existent option at TSG.

I have it from an excellent source that "If you don't go to Lotus of Siam you're missing something special." And from reports I've seen elsewhere, this is correct! Just booked a trip to LV for this weekend, and I already have Bouchon on the list for breakfast, as well as Lotus of Siam. We are on a bit of a budget, but will likely splurge for one great meal. I'm going through the threads on this forum, but any/all other suggestions welcome!

It’s been far too long since my last visit to The Jefferson, but friends who I trust have told me that the quality has remained since Chef Mike left. They're right--dinner last night was a great reminder of what a terrific place it is, and I think Mike has to share in those kudos, b/c he left a great menu and (obviously) well-trained staff when he left. Four of us met at the bar, where I started with a pomegranate Bellini, which they make with prosecco—a favorite of mine. We sat down and almost immediately, our waiter brought out two small plates of Burrata mozzarella with grilled zucchini, basil, purple onion and olive oil. I had never heard of Burrata, but can tell you that it is creamy and gorgeous as compared to mozzarella we’re used to! A great way to start the meal, too. More details about burrata here. Then a couple of small salads of onion, roasted pepper and greens with asparagus pieces and triangles of fried Tallegio arrived. Another example of the interesting menu here. We started to look at the menu, when one of our friends said “Should we just ask the chef to keep sending stuff out? This is fun!” So we asked the waiter to check with the kitchen—with the caveat that we understood that it was Saturday night and if it couldn’t be done, we were just fine ordering off of the menu. The response was that they’d love to continue to surprise us. What followed were more-than-reasonable portions of a terrific tasting menu: Tortellini soup—this had pancetta, green onions and tiny meatballs similar to what you would find in Italian Wedding Soup. The cheese-filled tortellini were light and delicious as well. Red snapper over orzo came with a lovely, light fennel and tomato sauce, and the fish was very fresh. Then came the pasta course--fettucine w/rock shrimp, clams and mussels, again in a light tomato sauce. I don’t eat a lot of pasta, but when I do, this is how I like it—fresh and not so heavy that I’m wishing I hadn’t eaten it! One friend had said she was not eating pasta, so she received a farro cake with a pile of sauteed ___ on top. I can’t remember what it was called, but it was described as being similar to a black kale, and that’s exactly what it looked like. Suffice it to say, it was quickly gone, and I’m told it was good. We did get to taste the farro cake, which was delicious. Next up were huge plates perfectly med-rare NY Strip (one of the evening’s specials) slices, surrounding beet-infused mashed potatoes. Delicious. Just as we were expecting (sugary) dessert, they put down a cheese plate with 8-10 small pieces of cheese, sliced granny smith apple, orange segments, and grapes. Wonderful, but the one complaint we had was that nobody ever told us what the cheeses were, nor were they labeled in any way. Someone commented that each one should have had a little toothpick with a flag on it. With the exception of one of them, we loved everything we tasted, but my favorites were definitely the blue and a very hard, nutty-flavored one, which was similar to a manchego. Our final course was a long boat-like plate with four huge scoops of gelato—pear, chocolate, vanilla and cranberry, each with a quarter of a pizelle sticking out of it. The pear was exquisite, but even this non-chocolate freak has to admit that the chocolate was incredible. Fudge as gelato—that’s my best description. Coffee was good and strong. We passed on after-dinner drinks, as we had driving ahead of us, and had already finished two bottles of a 2004 Poggiotondo "The Blend" Toscany, which worked fairly well with most of the courses (best with the pasta and steak). I must comment on the service. It was a sheer pleasure to see wait staff working together, and we were never, and I mean never, in need of anything throughout the evening. At various times, our waiter was busy elsewhere, and runners or another waiter would bring and pour water, clear glassware, or replace silverware (done with every course). Courses were delivered by two people at a time, in some combo of our waiter, runners and/or another waiter, so we were never waiting for everyone to get their food. I wish other restaurants would take a cue (or some training) from The Jefferson in this department! The only flaw was in wine pouring, which was done consistently, but with a drip on the table almost every time, and/or a wipe of the lip of the bottle. The ‘wrist twist’ is something that can easily be taught, and should be, because the rest of the service was impeccable! If The Jefferson was closer to where I live, I’d be there way too often--of this, I'm sure. The prices are reasonable, I love the bar (where you can eat very comfortably), the vibe and décor are appealing, and the place was still hopping--both in the dining room, where we were, and at the bar, at 11:15pm. That's one of my biggest complaints about other northern NJ restaurants (i.e. those in Montclair)--if you have a 7:30-8pm reservation, you often feel (know) that they are waiting for you to leave so they can close by 10:30 or 11pm. The trade-off of Hoboken and the issues they have, I suppose! Regardless, our friends, who had come down from Rockland County, can't wait to come back. Cost for wine and food: $85pp before tip. View of the patio and the reminder that al fresco dining weather IS coming...priceless.

Although I can hardly rival some of the posters here, I now know why I came home on Friday night and cooked a few slices of bacon, then carmelized some onion in some (really, very little) of the bacon grease, and sauteed mushrooms in some butter in the same pan. Then I made an absolutely FABULOUS burger, put it on a fresh portuguese roll that I had partially gutted, topped it with some cheddar, the onions, shrooms and bacon, and sat my butt on the couch. Had the last of a bottle of one of my favorite inexpensive SuperTuscans, and was quite pleased with myself. Ah, meat. And bacon. And onions, and mushrooms, and bread, and red wine! Then I defrosted a piece of my birthday cake, which I froze b/c it was delicious but so rich that it would have gone bad if I hadn't done so, since I could only eat small pieces at a time. Of course, that was a couple of weeks ago...

They certainly do! www.fortunatoristorante.com

Not an original idea, no. But I would have enjoyed writing it just the same and I'm sure I could have figured out a unique take on it. ← My point was that with the White Castle p.r. machine, I read two articles in two different papers that serve communities within a 35-mile radius of one another and they were practically identical. I don't know about anyone else, but I could care less if I saw ANOTHER one. Oh, never mind.

Hit all three! Sounds like you deserve it, Rebecca.

Well, it was hardly an original idea...the Home News Tribune ran an almost-identical article, just interviewing different people.

There's an article in today's Star Ledger about the White Castle promo...

Where is JoJo's, Cook?