Curlz

Not surprising--but thanks for letting us know!

Does Picnic make osso buco? I'd call and ask!

Haven't been, but I know it's there and there is a lot of chatter about it on Baristanet, but much of that appears to be from people who know/are/are related to the owners. They also tout the "dessert lounge" aspect, but I'm pretty sure they have a full menu as well. That's a really tough place; from the outside, you can't ever really tell if it's open or not! Maybe they'll cut a window in the front wall...?

There is news about A Mano and its founding pizzaolo here on the Bergen Record blog; the last post (at least, as of right now) is from Roberto.

I finally have some info about the Chinese New Year menu at Chengdu 1...please keep in mind that communication is an issue, so I'm not sure how locked in stone this information is right now, but if nothing else, it's a very good start! Here is the menu so far: Chinese New Year Special Combination Abalone with Corn Bean Curd Roll with Shredded Duck Coral in Sweet and Sour Sauce Steamed Rice Powder Beef Crab Meat & Baked Fish Maw Soup Peking Duck Steamed Scallops with Fermented Black Beans Boneless Whole Fish in House Special Sauce Hot & Spicy Jumbo Prawn Crispy Chicken Roll in Garlic Sauce Sauteed Noodle with Pork and Yellow Chives Sauteed Snow Pea Tips Sweet Sesame Rice Ball Soup For 4 people $138 For 6 people $198 For 8 people $258 For 10 people $318 They are not having lion dancers or drummers-just the special menu. The owner told me that he is still working on it, so that may mean additional special dishes at an a la carte price, or additions to this list--but I don't know. There is a sign that says they are opening at 3pm on Thurs. Feb 7th, which is the first night of the celebration, and the special menu will be up through the weekend of Feb 9-10. For those who actually speak Chinese, my apologies for the following...Gong hey fat choy!

Took a look in the window of the (eventual) wine and liquor store today; it's a lot bigger than I suspected, as it basically mirrors the main side of the RF Market! There is plenty of work left, though-the sheetrock isn't even up yet. And to the right of it is...drumroll, please...a nail salon. Fixtures (including the pedicure chairs) are already in, so it's just a matter of time until that opens.

This was in my Inbox--from a VERY reliable source. "The game dinner was held at Perona Farms every second tuesday of the new year. Chefs from all over the country would fish/hunt year round, pack it in ice and ship it to Perona Farms. Then all of us would prep the food for three days... and we would eat for 5 hours. We had over 30 courses ranging from Turtle Soup with Morels to Beaver Pot Pies. It was so much fun and we raised a ton of money for charity. Also a lot of big name chefs would come and cook. Jean-Louis, Ming Tsai..." Is THAT what you were asking about?

Shwew! I was going to suggest a trip to the eye doc, Jim!

Is this a dinner with an all-game menu with proceeds benefiting charity? In NJ? Any sense of northern/central/southern part of the state? Just looking for some clarification... What did you hear or where did you hear about it?

I ended up at the bar at Martini Bistro to watch the game yesterday with a few friends; although we were initially disappointed that there was NO crowd (as in, there were 2 couples at that big bar when we arrived), we had some great drinks, were really pleased with the food, and the Giants fans were quite happy at the end of the night. We had: 1/2 doz oysters (Wellfleet-I'm told they were wonderful) Calamari 'fries'--these were very good; lightly battered strips of calamari (not rings) with some good aioli/remoulade choices PEI Mussels (also told they were very good) Trio of Kobe Sliders with 3 sauces (an overpowering mustard, a BBQ, and...probably the same chipotle ? remoulade as the calamari) A Mixed Green Salad that was HUGE A side order of fries (requested well done) that were good I had the sirloin burger with Gruyere, and it was terrific; good bun that held up for the duration of the burger even after I scooped out the lid, cooked exactly as ordered (M-R), and served w/a decent side salad (or fries) Various martinis Molten choc cake with gelato The bartenders were great, making sure we had what we needed without being on top of us, and the prices were reasonable; I think most of the martinis were $10-12, and with the exception of the oysters, the dishes were $8-10. My burger was $10, but I decided to forego the Kobe burger, which was $19. The last time I was at MB was early fall, and I recall the bar area being packed--with a fairly young (20s) but not rowdy crowd. Last night it definitely skewed older (mid 30s+), but we thought it was a good spot to eat at the bar, have a few drinks, and actually be able to talk to your companion(s). We're not maniacal football fans, so we didn't care that we were watching the game with the restaurant's music for audio, but there's a heads-up for those who are going out primarily to watch the game.

I'm starting to think that the Lyndhurst eG folks all follow one another around! I was up on Ridge Rd today and slowed down long enough to read the sign out front, which said Coming Soon Japanese Asian restaurant/bar. In all the years I've lived here, nothing seems to stick in that spot. Why is that? They have a parking lot in the back, so people can't say it's that parking is tough...it's been an Italian place, a steakhouse, Uva, and probably 3 others that I'm not remembering in less than a decade!

Just got the following email from the West Orange WF, so I thought I'd share: Shop with us on Wednesday, January 16th, as 5% of our net sales will go to support Action Against Hunger. Action Against Hunger has helped feed the hungry in Northern New Jersey since 1991. Over the years the initiative has grown, and the food drive now encompasses four counties in Northern New Jersey. Action Against Hunger is now the largest food drive in the metropolitan area, serving 65 pantries, which assist more than 40,000 clients. Edited to fix spacing issue.

YES! We've asked the chef/owner about this and he said they are definitely having a Chinese New Year celebration. As soon as I get details I'll post them.

Think s/he meant Silver Oak?

Unfortunately, you'd have to rent out Blu in its entirety for a party that size; the place is small--but SO worth a trip with a smaller group another time! Fascino is a good suggestion, but I'm not sure if they have a private room or not. I haven't been (with the latest new chef--they've had a revolving door over the last 18 months), but Church Street Cafe has a private room upstairs and I've been hearing more better (yes, you read that right) reports about the food. Service still seems to be an issue, though. What about going to the Ironbound? I can recommend at least one great spot there (with a parking lot) that has private room-Adega Grill. Full bar, terrific food (and sangria), and if you're really in a partying mood, they have a 'club' attached to the restaurant for dancing/more drinking after dinner. I agree that parking is going to be a challenge in both Hoboken and Montclair, but it's not totally impossible...just encourage some carpooling! Montclair will have a higher number of BYOs, too, if that makes a difference to you.

Couldn't agree more! And yes, MJP, I bet it's going to be small.

Definitely looks small. Don't get me wrong; I was thrilled when Wine Country came in last year, but this is within walking distance for me, and this end of town has had nothing until now, hence my excitement. I still tend to go to Total Wine or Bottle King when I'm looking for wine...prices and selection are just much better than at the Lyndhurst WC, imo.

I haven't been to Giambotta, but I'm guessing that Martini Bistro in Millburn would fit the bill...

OMG, we're getting a wine/liquor store! Could it be that Lyndhurst is getting civilized?!? The sign definitely wasn't there last night; it's on the other end of the building from the Farmer's Market. Riverside Wines and Liquors.

Thanks for the heads-up, Batard! So far I've only purchased produce, dry goods, and a made-by-request panini (vs. the pre-made ones you get all over NYC). The people who work there are very nice, and it just seems to be busier each time I go in. Fwiw, the whole fish that were in there last night had beautiful, clear eyes and looked very fresh, but it's worth checking.

Funny, I just came back from there and was going to post the same thing! I did take a good look in the seafood section...lots of fresh looking whole fish and the shrimp were beautiful. XLs were 12.99/lb, Large ones 8.99/lb. The frozen pre-cooked bags of shrimp were from Thailand. There wasn't anyone behind the counter (they have a bell to ring) but I thought everything looked (and smelled) fresh...check it out!

I've never had parking issues in Ridgewood or Montclair. We do tend to dine late though. Plenty of parking for A Mano in Ridgewood up at the train station, it's just a short walk down from there. Very good pizza; just don't expect onions or garlic. I don't know of any pizza in Montclair that's comparable to A Mano. Would be glad to hear of some. ← Have to agree with ghostrider...unless you're arriving in prime time (6-7ish), I rarely have problems finding spots in either of those towns. Unless you insist on parking right in front of a restaurant, there are plenty of places to park on the street within a couple of blocks. I was at A Mano last night, in fact--and parked right around the corner! And ghost is also right about their pizza...SO worth the ride to Ridgewood.

I've been going to this market almost weekly for vegetables, and I have to say I'm thrilled to have this new option in the area; the produce has been consistenly fresh (from greens to potatoes to garlic), and the bargain prices just blow me away! Last week I needed fresh rosemary; they had a plastic wrapped styrofoam tray of it--about 8 long stalks--and it was 99 cents. On New Year's Eve, I called my friend who was hosting a party to ask if she needed anything, and she mentioned she was going to Whole Foods for fresh basil. I went to the RFM and got an enormous bunch--again for 99 cents--and she was flabbergasted by the huge leaves, the freshness, and the amount I brought. My Shop-Rite bill continues to go down...

I suspect that this has a lot to do with all of the excitement over this place. New Brunswick has certainly changed for the MUCH MUCH better since I was at RU (I won't even tell you how long ago), but I think the city is still hurting for exciting new restaurants.

Seymour's has been around for decades at the least! Hopefully a few folks who grew up in the Livingston area can tell us exactly how long...