Curlz

Story of my life, Lou...story of my life! Okay, we need to make some decisions, folks. The place in Morristown is called Little Tokyo and it's at 5 Pine Street in Morristown, basically on the side of the Morristown Community Theater. I've checked, and they do not do omakase. I'm not sure if the place has changed hands since the last time I was there, or if I just didn't notice the name change (it used to start with a Y) but I have sushi-loving friends who go there and haven't mentioned any change in the quality of what they're serving. Okayama in Upper Montclair comes highly recommended as well, and they do omakase. Nori in Caldwell has been consistently excellent (in my book) for years. SO...please post or PM me with your preference of Morristown, Caldwell or Montclair, and I'll make a reservation for 12:30pm on Thurs. Dec. 2nd at the location that is most convenient. I'm going to ask for responses by this Sunday and will lock it all in on Monday. Looking forward to it! Curlz

I've emailed Kim to ask what kinds of responses she has received (if any) via PMs; based on that one of us will make a reservation at one of these spots! Curlz

If I'm not mistaken, it's on Bloomfield on the end up near Whole Foods--but on the opposite side of the street. I remember noticing a sign that said Coming Soon--Turkish restaurant somewhere in that vicinity.

That's okay, Chef...I only eat about 3 things myself. My friends who love sushi have gotten me to try it all, but I only like what I like--and I still enjoy it! If nothing else, I'm always amazed by the combos they put in rolls!

I tend to think so...nice to know I have company!

Correct re: location...it's just to the left of the fire house. The one with all the cute firemen...'tho I don't expect you to have noticed that, Tommy!

A coban salad? Sounds good, but that's a new one to me. Is this traditional in Turkish cuisine? And thanks for the heads-up...I'm going to be spending a LOT more time in Montclair starting next month, as my bro and family are moving there! Hope to get to Lalezar soon, as it sounds interesting.

Just saw this in Rosie's column, so I thought I'd share the kudos publicly... Congratulations to Chef Ryan DePersio of Fascino, 331 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, and the DePersio family on receiving the American Academy of Hospitality Services 5-Star Diamond Award. Congrats indeed! Another reminder that I need to get there...if anyone is interested in getting a group together, PM me and we'll set something up! Curlz

Is it also possible that they want their bar area to be 'hopping' so that once the tables fill in, the entire place is full? Don't get me wrong--I don't subscribe to the concept, but I just recently had a restaurant up here put a group downstairs (instead of in a small private space upstairs) for this very reason.

Just a reminder that the book fair is this weekend...looks like a great way to find some holiday gifts!

Kim, thanks SO much for taking the initiative on this!! I'm IN for Dec. 2nd...I like Nori in Caldwell or the sushi place around the corner from the Community Theater in Morristown (can get the name if you want). It's nothing outrageous, but it's good. Lunch at AAG is a GREAT idea, 'tho my schedule that week is a tad nutty. Once I see the date, I'll let you know if I can make it. I'd also like to add a dinner at a slightly less expensive location in northern NJ (perhaps even at a BYO?) and will be happy to coordinate arrangements if people want to make suggestions. Ideas that spring to mind: Adega Grill in the Ironbound, Rocca in Glen Ridge or Saffron in E. Hanover, As much as I'd enjoy Rat's, F&tP or Rest Nicholas, but budget-wise, it's tough--and I'm sure I'm not the only one. SO...post responses to Kim but also let me know if you're interested in another dinner! Curlz

Ahh...maybe that explains it---the guy who asked for no salt on anything got the food with all the flavor!! I did seriously consider that maybe in order to satisy Ghost's request, they just didn't salt anything, but I quickly dismissed that idea.

Funny, the (few--stolen from reset tables) 'fresh' glasses I got were too hot for MY wine too... I think Anthony hit most of the points, but here are a few others: -I'm still laughing when I think of Amy asking our waitress about the oysters...here's how THAT exchange went: "What kind of oysters are they?" "I'm not sure...they're served in the shell, like this (cups hand)..." "Yes, but do you know where they're from? What KIND of oysters they are?" "No, but I could ask." We decided they must be either Passaic or Hackensack River oysters, but we're still waiting for her to get back to us on that. -Then there was the fact that Anthony opened most of the wine for us. Except for the bottle where she broke the cork... While I thought the meats themselves were very tasty (I had the double-cut lamb chop for my app and the filet mignon for dinner), nothing had any flavor!!! The lamb chops were mustard/pecan crusted. And they were. But the crust and mustard had NO TASTE!! My filet was cooked perfectly (medium/rare), and the frizzled onions were darn tasty and crispy. But every side I tried (and we ordered a lot of them) was flavorless save for one thing--bacon. The horseradish mashed potatoes were weak, the others (we thought they were garlic) couldn't have been more plain, the creamed spinach was discussed already, the string beans were at least al dente, the 'roasted sweet potatoes with molasses, carmelized onion and BACON' were ok, but guess what? They were MASHED!! That was certainly unexpected. I chose to drink my dessert and in the end, was glad I made that decision, as the folks who had the (ENORMOUS) warm choc cake said it was stale/hard (perhaps microwaved to make warm? that's my guess). Ghost's apple thingy did look good, though, and he said it was tasty. I guess I think if I'm going to spend $50+pp on a meal, I expect it to be more than just okay.

Yes, let me echo the HAPPY BIRTHDAY sentiments. Anthony, thanks for coordinating the effort! As usual, it's fun to meet eG folks and to see 'old' friends. Too bad we never have enough wine... I have to say that I was underwhelmed by Mignon, but I don't want to taint the reviews too much from the outset. My quick impression: Meat GOOOOOD, Service BAAAAAAD.

Agreed...great pumpkin flavor! Why do you think I was headed to AF in the first place? Now I have to either choose between pumpkin and Graham Central Station, or eat one and take the other home...

THANK YOU!!

Rosie, you're slacking on us...! LOCATION, please?

You're right, Glenn--that IS ridiculous. You don't want to know about 'cooking alcohol'--you want to know about cooking WITH alcohol. Our tax dollars at work... Oh, and fwiw, I'd only charge you $250/hour to make that call. Tommy might be cheaper...

Is Desert Moon a chain?

And/or let TOMMY make the call for you...!

JB, I don't think you're crazy--if I hadn't read about Saffron here on eG, I would have driven past it too. Imo, a Saturday lunch is a GREAT way to try a lot of their food in one shot, as that's when they offer their buffet! Lots of details about Saffron are right here! Tommy, yes it's 'fresh Mex'--their marketing is all about the fact that they don't have any microwaves or can openers in the place, and they don't use lard or MSG. Personally, I think the food is better and a lot less salty and greasy than what you'll get at a Chili's, Chevy's or On the Border--but the atmosphere is more like a fast food spot. Just know that you will wait for them to prepare whatever you order (which is fine with me). Fwiw, I also like another small chain called Qdoba, although I'm only aware of two of those (Short Hills Mall and up on Rt 10 in Denville--but if you're up that way and need lunch, you really just need to go see Lou at An American Grill!) in the area. In short, if you're out running errands and need a quick bite, these are decent alternatives. I have friends who love Panera, but I find their food VERY salty and a bit expensive for what it is. I think the burritos at Baja are about $6, and the aforementioned fajita platter was $7-8. And I agree with JB--I've yet to order anything made with chicken, b/c the steak is so tasty!

I've been meaning to start a post on Baja Fresh for a while now...they seem to be springing up all around northern NJ all of a sudden! There's one not far from me, and I've now stopped in a few times. The food's not bad, folks. It's not fancy, but it is fresh--something that other chains can't seem to do too well. Their guacamole is decent (although it needs a little kick, which is easily done by adding a touch of one of their salsas), the fajita platter is more than enough food, and if you call ahead, you avoid the wait. My only consistent complaint is that their chips are a tad flat in flavor. Not sure why, but they always are! The locations I'm aware of: E. Rutherford on Rt. 17, Wayne, and E. Hanover ('tho if you're over there and don't go to Saffron, you're nuts) Anyone else been? Thoughts?

Wow, not the last time I was there! Unless someone can report something has changed, it was average at best. JB, have you been to Montclair?!? Pretty much what you described about your hopes for West Orange--except it actually exists there!

Ahem...I've not been to even ONE bachelor party. But I have a dirty mind, so I just figured I'd comment!

I feel like my universe just opened up a tad wider after reading this. And I'm also feeling pretty stupid for never having thought of it. BUT THANK YOU! Just another reason I love eGullet!!