Curlz

An American Grill is in Randolph on Rt 10 W, and the owner is eG member Lou (LReda); click here for the thread on AAG! He's really got a great spot there--only wish I lived closer! As for Zagat's, my impression is that when a restaurant gets a certain # of 'write-in' votes, it doesn't get any ratings the first time it's listed. Maybe someone else can explain further, but what I've learned is that while it used to be a legit source of info/ratings/reviews, it's now a full-blown popularity contest without any meat behind the comments. And sadly, the general public seems to use it as THE source of information about a restaurant, which is a shame for many of the places that are omitted!

Yeah, and An American Grill gets NO ratings b/c it was a write-in entry. I only use Zagat's for addresses and phone number for this very reason!! Yeesh.

Alison-- Chicken Nest was in the mall that's almost to the corner of S. Livingston Ave and Mt Pleasant (Rt 10)--with a big Bottle King on the end. I'm guessing that if you call them (the # I found is 973-992-3222), you can find out where they're operating from at the moment. Hobby's is terrific food; didn't realize the owners lived in Livingston, but I agree that they would likely make a delivery on the way home. The only thing is, this is the same kind of food that Liv Bagel makes, so it's not like it's a different option. The good thing about LB is that you can get everything from salads (chopped or not) to hot dogs to soup, bagels and lox, etc. Seems like that would give you lots of options for you and the kids. I agree that by being honest/vocal with your friends, they'll end up helping more than adding to your stress. The other idea is to get some stuff to put in your freezer (i.e. soups, already cooked chicken breasts, etc) so you don't have to order every time you decide you want something. Curlz

First of all, Alison, my sympathies about your husband's illness--that's tough stuff. Hopefully you have a great network of friends and family to support the family as you battle this. Has the Chicken Nest reopened since the fire in that strip mall? Their food used to be good. Kings also has deli and prepared foods, as does Livingston Bagel and Deli--and the selection there ranges from chicken soup to the heavy stuff like brisket. And of course, there's Bill and Harry's on S. Livingston Avenue--plenty of veggies there! Is there any chance you can get people to pay these places but let YOU order? I'm sure that's tough to present as an idea, but it would save you from wasting food...

You're living in/with it, so you don't need my kudos, but I've been a lurker on this thread for the last few months, Dean. What you have done is ASTONISHING!! Here's to many years of great breakfasts, brunches, lunches, snacks (esp those late-night ones), dinner parties and good times with friends and family!! Curlz

I was there on Saturday night--went with a girlfriend b/c we were just in the mood for a burger and a beer and a chance to hang and talk. It was a ZOO, but I didn't realize that they had only been open for 9 days! The place is beautiful; you can tell that a lot of work and heart went in to getting it ready. There's a 'cafe' area up at the front where they have tables and serve a limited menu (apps, mini-burgers, etc) and a short stretch of bar (4-6 stools). Then you go up a few steps to the main bar, which is where the hostess was (odd location, imo) and the dining room is in the back. It's a nice-sized space overall, but it's not huge--I bet there are only about 20 tables, and only a few large rounds for bigger parties. The guys at the bar were handling things very well, and even though we were told it would be a 60-90 min wait for a table in the dining room, it was just over an hour. The bartenders, servers, hostess and patrons were all in great moods, and it really seems like it will be a great neighborhood and/or destination spot to really hang out at. We got seats at the bar fairly quickly, which was an unexpected surprise, but trust me--we weren't complaining! Sadly, they were out of all of the house-made brew except for their wheat beer, but they were more than happy to let me taste it, and I liked it enough that I drank it! My biggest complaint was that I had to YELL the entire night, whether we were sitting at the bar or at the table in the dining room, the noise level was ridiculous. It was a long wait for food, but luckily, they brought us some terrific soda bread, so we survived. My friend said her burger was great, but my fries were close to cold on arrival, and I forgot that fish and chips have no flavor. The pieces were huge, batter generous, and the fish cooked perfectly, but they had no flavor! That's my bad--I really don't eat much fried food, so fish & chips in a place like that often seems like a good idea, and I'm usually disappointed. I'm sure someone who loves f&c can evaluate whether or not they're a good rendition. They were served with a ramekin on s/mashed peas that were surprisingly minty. I also ordered a side of onion confit that was yummy, but $4 for a small side plate seemed a bit pricy. Other dishes being served at the tables around us looked good, and the prices were reasonable (i.e. lamb shank for 16.95, iirc). We had coffee, but no dessert. I'm definitely looking forward to another trip there, as I liked the vibe of the place a lot, but I'll try it on a weeknight to see if it's a little less chaotic, and of course, give them a chance to iron out their opening kinks.

So, Lou, what's the deal? You're in Zagat's but with no rating! (I got my free copy for entering reviews) Is there anyone who understands the method to their madness??

And/or Baristanet.com!

One of my friends just asked me for some grill advice this weekend...she's in a condo with a very small (i.e. 6' x 8') patio, but was complaining that all of the grills she has seen at Home Depot, Target, Sears, etc. have huge shelves on the side(s) and/or burners. I see that the Weber Genesis has the same; are any of you aware of a gas grill (has to be for her condo to ok it) that isn't enormous and/or that doesn't have shelves on both sides? Any/all ideas are greatly appreciated...

Ghost, there's a great shop on Church Street that you need to check out...it's called Beans, but they also have a lot of tea and tea items!!

Went up Rt. 17 today, and was surprised to see a few new additions on both sides of the road...for starters, they're putting up a Lowes across the street from the new(ish) strip mall that houses Baja Fresh in Rutherford (not food-related, but still a pleasant surprise). Then on the return trip, I saw that another Baja Fresh has opened on the front end of the parking lot of the Pathmark in Hackensack. AND, in the space that was once a Ground Round (iirc), a combo Qdoba/Maggie Moos! I have to admit that I'm definitely a fan of Qdoba's naked steak burrito. Basically the contents of a burrito, but it's all in a bowl, and you can get the tortilla on the side if you want it. I don't know what they marinate the steak in, but between that and their lime/cilantro rice, I love it! Any time I've gone to Qdoba, I've wanted to try to order something else, but always end up with the same thing. I only know of two other Qdobas--one at the Short Hills Mall, the other on Rt. 10 in Denville. Are these places popping up all over NJ now? Baja Fresh certainly seems to be...

On my trip up Rt 17 today, I stopped in to Chef Central, ostensibly to look for a wedding gift for friends. Ahem. I did manage to get myself a bargain, though...a Circulon 5qt dutch oven. For 19.99. Needless to say, there are more than a few bargains to be had around the store right now! And they're having a big sale on All-Clad as well. Two reminders if you decide to go there...1) stop in to Indian Chef inside the Intl Food Warehouse in Hackensack and remember that Chef Central accepts coupons from Linens 'n Things and Bed, Bath & Beyond! A beautiful thing, esp when you consider how often L&T and B3 mail out 20%-off coupons...

I work pretty close to the Daily Soup in Newark, but I actually forget that it's there most of the time, b/c as much as I love soup, it's ridiculously expensive. You can easily spend $7 for a large container of soup with a piece of bread, and the container really isn't that large. Is this the case at the Montclair location as well?

Ditto. What she/they said. After seeing those pictures, I just had to try this place sooner rather than later. Since I had a list of errands to run today, I decided to head up Rt. 17 to do them so I could try Indian Chef (note: I usually stay away from 17 on Saturdays). So somewhere around 12:30 today, I had lunch--a dosa with Chicken Keema for the filling. The chicken keema is ground chicken with peas, freshly cut onions and cilantro. It was deeeeeeeeeeeelish. Very fresh, and I loved the sauces/chutney that accompanied the dosa. For those of you who haven't had them, dosas are basically GIANT crepes. When I say giant, I don't think I'm exaggerating (Jason, Rachel, et al, please chime in). Picture a crepe the size of a pizza that gets rolled in to a tube shape--over a foot long, hanging over the plate AND the tray. I remember the first time an ex-b.f. took me to Oak Tree Rd and ordered these for us--I was flabbergasted! But of course, it's just a thin crepe, so even though it's huge, it's not at all tough to finish. The menu says that dosas are served with coconut chutney and sambar. It was also served with a small container of what I think was soup (it did have lg pieces of potato and tomato in it) + the two 'dips'. One dip is dark and thick and had just enough kick to keep me happy without numbing my taste buds, while the chutney was a mint green color and cooler in flavor. Both were yummy, and I managed to polish off the dosa, the filling, and about half of each of the sauces. A few spoonfuls of the soup and I was full. Oh, and I got a chicken seekh kabab and a naan to go, because hey--it could be another 24 hours before I get back there...heehee! After I paid for my food, I commented to the man at the register that I had seen Jason's photos on line, and that they're stunning. He said that he hadn't seen them yet but would definitely look after hearing that. I think we all owe Chef David a sincere thank you for bringing this place to our attention! Great find. Edit: Thanks to reading tomorrow's NYT NJ section today (with me?), I see that the 'soup' was sambaR, so I thought I'd correct it. I was going from memory, and these days, that counts for very little! The NYT has an article about a place in N. Brunswick called Dosa Grill, btw.

Um, WOW.

I don't know if Scott knows this to be fact, or if he's speculating, but I'd agree! Think about it...if all of the W.O. folks who come to the Montclair store had one closer, they'd free up at least a little bit of the congestion in the Montclair store! The Pathmark location is just over 2 miles from the current store--which isn't all THAT close in traffic terms! And sorry--but Millburn is too far out of the loop to consider it close to these other two locations. I won't be surprised if they keep Montclair open. It can be their 'boutique' location!

Ghost, I thought of you tonight as I ate about 10 stalks from a 3lb. bunch that I picked up for $3.99 from Costco on my way home! Not local (CA), but GORGEOUS, and very very sweet.

I do believe you've just made a lot of people very, very happy, Fink! CONGRATS, and KUDOS to both of you! Curlz

Very interesting--thanks for sharing!

The Jeff has a liquor license. A full bar, and extensive wine list. Not that I'd ever...

Does anyone know when the Montclair Farmer's Mkt opens? I bet they'd have local asparagus...

Yup, that's the one! Honestly not sure if it's Jersey asparagus or not, but it has been great. Went through 3 huge bundles of it last weekend at my Psuedo Pseder!

Hey! It must have worked! ← Er...congrats? If nothing else, we all know this will bring at least a few additional customers through your door, Lou!

Totally different is an understatement! But as you say, it is HER graduation... I still think you should consider The Jefferson, if only to get out of that immediate area when thousands of others are looking to have a similar experience. HP might be a little bit in 'factory' mode that afternoon, no?

As crazy as this sounds (esp b/c of the terrible quality of most of their produce), I've bought at least 5 GORGEOUS bunches at my local Shop Rite in the last two weeks! At 1.99/lb, to boot. Roasted 'em. YUM.