Curlz

I knew I couldn't have been the ONLY eG member there on Monday!

I had an acceptable meal the other night at Cara Mia on 9th Ave between 45th and 46th. Your basic Italian place with a range of dishes. We split an arugula/gorgonzola/pear salad, and then ordered two pastas, one bolognese, and one rigatoni (which it wasn't) in vodka sauce with chicken. Huge portions, reasonably priced. With one glass of chianti, the bill came to $54 including tip. The sign says they offer a 3-course prix fixe Sun-Thurs for (iirc) $20.95pp. Our only real complaint about the place is that it's really tight! Tons of small tables on top of one another. But for a quick and okay bite pre-theater, it'll do! Service was efficient, entree portions large.

OMG, that's HYSTERICAL!!! Even if the guy wasn't worth keeping, that story sure is!! And thanks MUCHO for sharing the acorn squash recipe! I have one sitting in the house now, and may have to make a 'test' batch just for moi. Will let you know when I do! Curlz

Personally, I like wild rice in mine!

TEA?

Judith-- Care to share that stuffed acorn squash recipe? Sounds DELISH!! Curlz And I'll add that my T-Day tradition has become less than traditional...growing up, our extended family got together on the Sat after T-Day, so the day of has always been a 'do what you feel like' day--that can mean going to friends' for the whole meal or just for dessert. On a few years, I hosted T-Day for groups of 8-10--something that I actually think is fun to do. Now that the family has stopped the annual gathering (thanks to distance, stress of the married folks having to see in-laws, etc., and loss of the family matriarch), I lean towards going to friends on Thursday (and cooking something impressive--to them, that is) and then cooking my own turkey and accompaniments on Friday. 'cause after all, you've GOT to have leftovers from T-day! I always make turkey soup in addition to many of the other dishes already mentioned. And I love having friends over on Fri or Sat as it's a great get-away-from-the-relatives excuse for all involved.

That's it!

What they all said. Seriously, I think one of the most common threads holding this quilt together is the fact that there are so many of us all over the world! For me, eG really does resonate as a community, and while I've met a small handful of folks in NJ/NY and even in CA as a result of the site, I feel like we all have an instant connection--even to the newest members. We 'get' one another! Even when we don't. (No, I'm not naming names. ) I have learned by reading, I have learned by editing for the eGCI, and mostly, I have learned by watching topics develop with the contributions of our members' knowledge and insight. And the HUMOR factor, of course, is quite high. For me, it's as important in life as eating well! There have been far too many times that I have burst out laughing (esp at work--OOPS) to count. Overall, eG has become an invaluable resource for me, and I take great pride in turning others on to the site. One of my favorite things is when my dad says "I saw on the Gullet that..." or "Did you see that post on the Gullet about..." No matter how many times I tell him it's not THE Gullet, he doesn't change his tune. Then again, it really is the (only) Gullet that matters on the Internet, so I guess he's not too far off.

Another great piece, Jason--congrats!! Are the folks at Mo' Pho ready for the crowds?!?

Since I didn't realize that the product had to actually come from MA, how about you just break out the Sam Adams?!?

Went back to Saffron earlier this week, and had a terrific dinner. The fact that I'm wondering when I can get out to E. Hanover again tells me that India on the Hudson now has competition for my Indian food cravings! We shared (veg) samosas that were not only tasty, but presented nicely with a garnish of greens and julienned carrots. $4 for the pair is a bit steep considering that the samosas are smaller than most, but I'm not complaining. We also had an order of naan with our entrees. My friend had the yellow dal, which I had the last time I was there b/c it was on the buffet. Delicious! We shared a dish that was new to me...lemon rice; full of mustard seeds, lemon juice and curry leaves and at least one chile--which gave it just the right degree of kick. Bright and beautiful. And who knew that it would pair SO perfectly with my entree?!? Oh, my entree. Let me preface this by saying that although I always enjoy it, I tend not to order the tandoor items when I eat Indian food because they seem too 'plain' when so many amazing sauces are available (hey--I tend to cook and eat fairly healthy--Indian food is a treat!). It took me forever to decide what to order (no Thali available, so I couldn't get my numerous tastes on one plate ), but once I tasted it, I knew I had made the right choice. I believe the official name was Saffroni Tikka, but the extra i at the end could have been a typo (they also order Sherbat on the dessert menu...made with real bats! ). But I digress. This may have been the best boneless chicken breast meat I have ever eaten. EVER. Anywhere. Seriously, this chicken was moist, flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth yummy. It came with a TON of onions and I ate half and brought the other pieces home and enjoyed them again for dinner the next night. Service was again terrific, although at some point they were almost TOO attentive, as we realized we often felt the need to interrupt our conversation to acknowledge whomever was checking on us. But I'd rather have that problem than the opposite! I'm really anxious to hear other eGulleteers' take on this place, and am both surprised and saddened to see that more of us (YOU!) haven't tried Saffron yet. If you have, please do report...I think the best way to try it out is to hit that amazing buffet, but I'll certainly get back there for dinner again soon. Curlz

How about a dessert made with CRANBERRIES?!? They're certainly a Massachusetts food! And of course, there's Boston Cream Pie...

Anybody else going to see Hesser on Monday night?

Is that at Stretch's or at the Belmont Tavern?

That's the ONLY thing I ever hear about in relation to the Belmont Tavern, so my guess would be yes!!

Mojave Grill is a great choice! Get the shredded pork entree if it's on the menu!!

A few Morristown BYO suggestions... Origin French Thai on South Street (almost to The Green) is supposed to be terrific; haven't been yet. Can't find a web site either, which is odd... Tim Schafer's Cuisine on Speedwell Ave (across from HQ Plaza) has always been a favorite of mine, 'tho it's been almost a year since I was last there. In particular, I enjoy going there in the fall/winter!

I am REALLY enjoying this discussion, but might I offer a synopsis on the 'homework' issue? Knowledge is power. I really do think it's that simple. And you can apply it to anything...food, wine, medical conditions, elections, house hunting, car buying, etc., etc., etc.

WAIT...you mean the wine comes from GRAPES? That grew on a VINE? I certainly hope there was no DIRT involved. YEESH! I thought Sietsema's chat today was one of the best I've read in a long time, and I read it every week. Amen to calming the f**k down.

Thanks for bringing this up, Menton! It was the first thought I had as well; unless your wallet permits, it's far easier to choose a great restaurant that's BYO rather than to worry about how much you're going to spend on wine and whether or not you'll like what you choose (or what is recommended). David, one 'twist' to this or a future article might be to ask the question of how you decide what wine to take to a BYO restaurant when you don't (always) know ahead of time what you'll be eating!

No problem, Larry--I had just finished my post about C46, so I had to ask! Hopefully someone can offer insight re: the Verona spot.

Have you been to China 46 yet, Larry? I just posted about their brunch...check it out!

Finally got to C46 for 'brunch,' as they call it there. As has been reported elsewhere in this thread and others, this may well be the best Sunday brunch deal in the state! Even my non-foodie friends enjoyed it and said we need to come back with a bigger group so we can 'justify' ordering a few additional items. For $11.95pp, I think they may have lost money on my friend Adam this morning--that boy sure did his share! This is buffet brunch--not carts coming around while you spend $ by the plate. We started with (room temp) pickled items, a tofu dish, and sliced beef...there were only a few hot items at the beginning, but wow, did they keep coming out once they got started! In the end, we probably had 5 or 6 different kinds of dumplings and buns (including the plate of sticky rice shumai that they dropped off at the table), great scallion pancakes, spicy beef (probably our favorite), spicy chicken, salt and pepper shrimp, fried fish, baby bok choy with shitakes, chicken, ribs (Jason--can you i.d. the caraway flavor in those?), crabs, veg lo mein and both chicken w/vegs and tofu w/vegs for those less adventurous. There were also two soups--a beef curry that I never got to taste, and what looked like rice and beans--very sweet. I'm sure I'm forgetting other dishes. Suffice it to say, I'm STILL full! The service is attentive, with water and tea replenished frequently, and Cecil was friendly, as usual. The only disappointment was that when we arrived at Noon, there were only two other tables occupied. By the time we left (1:30ish), there were three more in our section, plus a big group of 10-12 who were in the other dining room. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it--you don't have to get dressed up, they're kid-friendly (if you have 'em) and it's REALLY easy to get to off of 80, the Turnpike or off of the GWB. Edit: Forgot to mention the 'dessert' item that my friend the picky eater (as in, "I can't eat those shrimp now that I've seen the 'legs' on them) LOVED--small fried balls rolled in sugar and coconut. Heretofore known as sweetballs.

Went to the CraftMarket last night, as I found myself out in Morris County. In general, I was underwhelmed--by both the crafts and the 'food fest'. The FF is a smaller separate area where they have about a dozen vendors---the only vendor I had seen before was the one with sparkling cider; these folks were at the Montclair craft show last weekend. Others included one with sauces and herb mixes for dips, hot chocolate, a pretzel guy with some decent combos (including pb-stuffed 'zels covered in dark chocolate--yum), a group selling cakes and other baked goods to benefit a women's abuse organization, someone selling numerous flavors of shortbread (just ok, imo), salsas, Amish breads (that looked gorgeous), and the ever-present spiced/flavored almonds in a cone. We didn't taste much, but it's a small sampling. There is food offered upstairs at the armory as well as at a cafe-type stand in the back of the main room. There is also a vendor just outside the FF area who is selling beautiful handmade wood spoons, 'schmear' knives, chopsticks and the like. I was really surprised by the crafts--I suspect that some of those vendors have been showing there since the 80s! Lots of jewelry, glass sculptures, tons of chenille scarves/sweaters/jackets, some woodwork, pottery and baskets. If you go, at least print off the coupon from the web site I linked to upthread and save a dollar! Most of what's for sale is expensive.

I LOVE IT!!