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Curlz

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Everything posted by Curlz

  1. There's a short thread on Raymond's here but it was created before they started serving dinner. I'm betting that there is more about the place on one of the Montclair threads if you do a search for Raymond's in the NJ forum. Fwiw, we tried to have lunch there this past Monday, and at 1:45 the place was a ZOO. I suspect that will be the case tonight as well, esp since Montclair is having a First Night event. I haven't eaten there since they moved to the new space, but am curious to know how dinner is too.
  2. Whoo hoo! Been hearing about LS since I joined eG, but sadly never got to their previous location--can't wait to try it. I wasn't sure where Elm Street was, so I just looked on Mapquest--it's slightly off of Montclair's beaten path, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Grove Street ends at Bloomfield Avenue; when you cross BA, Elm is the other side of the street--east of Church Street and closer to Glen Ridge and the GSP end of Bloomfield Ave. There aren't nearly as many restaurants on that end of Montclair, so maybe they'll continue to pull their fans from the Nutley area as well. I wish them luck as well!
  3. WF's store brand salsa (medium) is my 'house' salsa. And every time I serve it, someone comments that it's great! LOVE their (fresh) black bean dip too, 'tho it seems to be a seasonal item.
  4. Happy to help. Let us know where you end up and how it went!
  5. Michelle, here's the link with all the details!
  6. If I had to pick just ONE dish, it would probably be the white bean puree that is served with well-toasted country bread at The Jefferson in Hoboken.
  7. Matt- Montclair is chock full of good restaurants...not sure about what's open on NYD, or what kind of food or atmosphere you're looking for. You could call any of the following (and find threads about them on eG if you do a search), depending on your taste/wallet and see if they're open: Sesame (Chinese) Indigo Smoke (BBQ-great food, BYO, nice atmosphere, mediocre service) Epernay (French/$$$) Aozora (Sushi) Dmetris or Greek Delights for the obvious Holsten's is an old-fashioned ice cream parlor that also serves food...that might be a fun, quirky date spot! It's technically in Bloomfield--at the intersection of Watchung Ave and Broad Street, not far from Brookdale Park or the GSP. In Rutherford, I think your options are FAR more limited: Village Gourmet, which has a great atmosphere, is BYO, and the food is decent Cafe Matisse ($$$) Park & Orchard, which has a great wine list, huge bar, and can get rather noisy Hope some of these help!
  8. Really? I'm an east coast gal and knew what he was talking about right away...I suspect we had it at one time--just not sure if we still do!
  9. TNH was a favorite of an ex-bf of mine; there were times we were in there 3x a week, as it was near his folks' house. We would drop in for a visit with them regularly b/c it gave us an excuse to go to TNH! The great thing about the place is that they have both Japanese and Chinese food as well as terrific sushi available, and it's BYO. Many a bottle of sake was consumed at their sushi bar, and it's where I learned a little about sushi and sushi chefs; the guy who was there was a DOLL, and was always happy to answer our questions and explain what he was doing. It was like watching an artist in his studio! He was also very generous with tastes of things that we hadn't tried or weren't sure we would like. We dropped lots of $ there (it's not an expensive place), and appreciated the special treatment--that's for sure. We also had numerous dinners there with friends who didn't eat sushi, and their Chinese food was EXCELLENT. Oh, how I with I lived closer...!!!
  10. Don't know about Everclear specifically, but I'd trust Lowell on that info! Fwiw, I'm becoming a big fan of the Total Wine & Liquor stores--GREAT prices and GREAT selection. I know there is one in West Orange on the back end of Essex Green shopping center (in the strip opposite the Shop Rite), but they have other locations...somewhere.
  11. GO ANYWAY!!
  12. Malawry, could those be salt dishes? I have a set of four crystal bowls that belonged to my maternal grandmother; each is about as big as half a sake cup, and they each have a tiiiiiny spoon with slightly long handle. My mom tells me they were salt dishes to be placed along the dinner table, as a salt shaker would have been way too tacky for fine dining...don't know if that's the case or not, but it sounds like a legit explanation! I can't think of another thing you'd need so little of. I've gotten to the point with friends that we don't exchange gifts, so luckily I'm not too overwhelmed with stuff I don't want or need this time of year. Food-wise, gifts from me to me were a coffee grinder, an immersion blender (a cheap one, but I love it so far!), and a few books...Eating My Words (Mimi Sheraton) and Slow Cooker Cooking (Lora Brody) b/c I had seen it recommended by lots of folks. Mom gave me a novel called The Epicure's Lament (Kate Christensen). The caterer that I use a lot for work sent a nice pkg from the Dancing Deer Baking Co. with a small cake and some cookies in it (GREAT packaging from them, btw). And last night, my best friend's mom sent me home with some of her lasagna and sausage bread! I was the one giving food and related gifts to cooking challenged friends and family (cookies, cutting boards, wine, etc.). Oh, and did I mention that my folks sent my sis-in-law (who can a) afford it and b) isn't a great cook) a Le Creuset pot? Grrrrr
  13. Now that makes just ZERO sense to me from a business standpoint. You've got someone in your store/restaurant--why would a new owner turn away the opportunity to show a customer what they're all about?!? I don't care how they got the gift certificate--they've got it, and you now own the business. When you've got a captive audience... Yeesh.
  14. Clap, clap (for Tom) And with SERIOUS apologies to Lou , I've realized that my first trip to An American Grill was indeed in '04, so I must add it to my list! China 46 too, 'tho my exposure to their dishes isn't nearly as extensive as some of yours has been! Hope to correct that in '05 as well.
  15. Curlz

    Sesame

    I was a bit surprised to find the thread on Sesame so far down the list when I searched, and even more surprised that nobody has posted about it in a year! Is it just that there are more spectacular places to eat in Montclair? I went to Sesame last night and would definitely go back...the food was very tasty, although the service was a bit spotty. Four of us (one a vegetarian, fwiw) and a toddler walked in to a completely empty restaurant around 6pm and were promptly seated upstairs at the table furthest from the door. The parents commented that they're used to be seated "in the back" regardless of the type/level of restaurant, but I thought that was a bit ridiculous. We ordered a wonton soup for the little one, and the chicken and corn soup for two ('tho it easily fed 3). Both were flavorful and a good start on a cold night. The small order of spareribs contained 5 meaty ribs in an decent sauce, but I found it a bit too sweet for my taste. For entrees, we shared eggplant in garlic sauce, shrimp in salt and chili pepper, chicken chow fun (again, for the kid), and an order of tofu with vegetables. Their eggplant and garlic may be the best I've ever had. Ever. Anywhere. I can't even tell you why exactly, but we all agreed that it was superb. The shrimp were also terrific, but there were only 7 in the order, which seemed a little skimpy--but 3 of us did share them, so maybe that didn't help the cause. They were lightly fried with just enough salt and pepper, although I could have handled a little more pepper. The tofu dish had a ton of tofu--actually too much--and could have used more vegetables, but those that were on the plate were perfectly cooked. As I said, the service was eh, but I'll certainly go back and try some of the other (more creative) dishes. Some of them were a tad expensive for a Chinese place (i.e. $28 for a few of the special entrees), but someone in the kitchen is doing something right!
  16. Precisely why I refer to the company as Ticketbastard.
  17. Exactly my thoughts!! My recollection is that there was just no polite (or neat) way to eat it!!
  18. I'd have to say that my best meal of the year was still one of the earliest of '04, and it wasn't in NJ...it was at The Food Studio in Atlanta in late January. In NJ, I'd have to say that Village Green was one of my other top meals this year. My new favorite "I could spend far too much time here" restaurant is definitely The Jefferson in Hoboken. In '05, I pledge to make my first trip to Fascino!
  19. Yes, you will!! Adega is a really nice spot...my new favorite in the Ironbound. Glad I could help!
  20. With my co-worker sitting here, here's the name of the fish market on Ferry Street: Popular Fish Market. He says they have just about everything...you may want to call to be sure. "Freshest fish around and the best prices..." Popular Fish Market (973) 344-7939 Address: 129 Ferry St Newark, NJ 07105 Cross Street: Between Monroe St and Madison St
  21. It's been quite some time since I had one from Piccolo's, but iirc, they use a full (albeit thin) steak on their sandwiches, not the thin slices. It was tasty, but certainly different!
  22. And PS to Rosie...who says Maplewood isn't north Jersey???
  23. Rich, I'm betting that you can find it in the Ironbound...I have a few friends who always go there for seafood, esp around the holidays. I know for certain that one of the fish markets they frequent is across the street from Adega Grill, right on Ferry Street, about 4-5 blocks behind Penn Station. It will be on your right-hand side (AG is on the left); if I can get the name of it for you tomorrow, I'll post it. You could also call the main Seabra's market to ask if they carry it. Curlz
  24. Thanks to a link from pnapoli about another topic, I discovered the hobokeni.com web site, which includes a section on dining in the Mile Square. And I just finished reading all about a new place called Jake's Cheesesteaks. The true surprise to me was the fact that they're not a late-night spot...seems like they'd be ideal for Hoboken's drunken hoardes, esp on that end of town. And fwiw, when I first read it, I thought it said Jake's Cheesecakes and wondered if a cheesecake store would survive in Hoboken. Jake's Cheesesteaks 528 Washington Street 201-610-9001 Sun-Thur: 11:00am - 10:00pm Fri-Sat: 6:00pm - 11:00pm www.jakescheesesteaks.com Anyone been? Any good?
  25. Haven't opened it yet, but I just got a copy of Slow Cooker Cooking by Lora Brody, as I saw it recommended in a few places. One suggestion: do a search in this forum for Crock Pot ® or slow cooker and you'll find a TON of discussions and ideas! And of course, let us know if you make something wonderful... Nullo, thanks for sharing your recipes...I'm going to save those for future use! Curlz
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