Curlz

Nori in Caldwell (on Bloomfield Ave) is WONDERFUL!!!

Are they moving to Englewood, or opening a second location? Their web site isn't working, which made me wonder if they're still open!

And PS, although it's off the topic, Livingston Bagel has TERRIFIC ruggelach (sp?)!!!

I used to work up the street from Livingston Bagel (Northfield Ave in Livingston, near the intersection of S. Livingston Ave); huge Jewish deli with everything from chicken soup and knishes to GREAT sloppy joes and breakfast, and enough tables that you don't have to wait too long. The bagels are good there, but I preferred the bagels about 2 blocks away at SuperDuper Bagels. It's in a small strip of stores (ON S. Liv Ave across from SRite--where Tabatchnick's used to be), but it's a grab and go only, and I'm not sure if the ownership is the same as it was. They were SO soft on the inside, but there was enough 'crust' on the outside. The BEST bagels. EVER. And now I'm wishing I had one...

Back from my trip, and as promised, I'm reporting in...thank you, thank you THANK YOU for all of your suggestions! Armed with info from you, I did further research, and ended up having two different but great meals...and actually, the second one was SUPERB. The first night, I went with one of my colleagues to South City Kitchen...great atmosphere, 'tho I will say it was a tad noisy, and a little too warm (they were actually having a warm spell for a few days--it was 68 degrees when I got in at 6pm, so I did run in to this issue elsewhere). BUT...we had a terrific waitress, and the food was simply delicious. I had a tasty but unremarkable arugula/goat cheese salad, followed by a slow-cooked pork shank over mustard greens and butternut squash. Didn't realize how rich it was until I realized how FULL I was! We shared a key lime tart that was okay, but nothing to flip over--and I was too full for it anyway! Last night was one of those great meals where I walked out of the restaurant having thanked the chefs, and telling them that we wanted to move in (which they encouraged us to do, btw!). We went to The Food Studio. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough for people who truly appreciate good food and wine! I went with 3 colleagues, one of whom is a certifiable oenephile, and another who's in the making. And of course, we all appreciate great food and try to have one good meal together whenever we attend this conference. The Food Studio did not dissapoint! A quick synopsis...2 bottles of Steele Zinfandel and a 1/2 bottle of Gewurtz for the woman who can't drink red wines later, we had also feasted on an app special of whole crispy black bass, and shared another app of grilled mushrooms over a potato-leek tartlette. I then had what may be the best-named entree I've ever seen: Duck, Duck, Goose! For real...that's the name! I love duck, so it wasn't a tough decision for me: 3 items on the plate...1) a crepe filled with duck (my fave of the 3 items) 2) sliced duck over (drumroll, please....) "port-plumped prunes." YUM and 3) a goose sausage over a potato (?) sauerkraut. In all honesty, it was a great piece of sausage, but I can't tell you if it was goose or not. I also don't care! My friends had porcini-dusted scallops, Maine salmon, and the veal cheeks, and were equally happy with their entrees. We then shared a 1/2 bottle of a fabulous dessert wine (I'll get the name--Quady, I think) that just tasted to me like liquid sunshine; it was citrusy, and a perfect way to end the meal. THEN we decided we needed to share two desserts, but the table (easily) split; one side had the cheese sampler, which looked wonderful, and my side had the Lemon Basil Bombe. Heaven on a plate for me, as I'm not a woman who requires chocolate (GASP!), but anything tart and/or berry makes me happy. This had both!! Not too sweet, and I think I could eat a pile of the candied lemon peel that accompanied it. To top off the fantastic food, wine and company, we had one of the best waiters I've encountered in a long time; he was more than great...he may actually have been perfect. How often can you say that?!? His service, which was warm, friendly, and extraordinarily knowledgeable across the board just sealed the deal for us, and I plan to send the restaurant a note to thank them again and sing his praises. I will certainly recommend The Food Studio to anyone I know who is travelling to Atlanta, and for those of you who live there and haven't yet been, I just have three words: MAKE A RESERVATION!!! Wonderful ambiance, and a great place for a special occasion dinner or to go with your fellow foodies. Do let me know if you try it, and thanks again for your help!

First of all, many thanks to all of you for the great info--I really do appreciate it! Secondly, yes, we're really smart here in NJ, but I was way too tired to be on line last night; I thought I had posted in this forum! The powers that be have obviously moved me in to the correct one. I promise to let you know where I ate upon my return. Thanks again!

I'm heading to Atlanta for two days to attend a conference, and I know that a few of us will want to get out of the hotel for a decent meal...anyone have any suggestions? I'll be staying at the Hilton downtown, if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance for the help; I'm leaving this Sunday, so I'd appreciate quick responses!

Yeah, my dad is from Brooklyn and he pronounces pizza "peetz-er". Cracks me up. I can't get over calling mozzarella 'MOOT zurel' How do you feel about calling capicola "gabagool"? When I first met my husband's Italian family for dinner at their house in Queens, I realized that I would need an interpreter to help me out. Step in my now sister-in-law who translated much for me. My m-i-l calls olive oil "olive earl" and toilet is "terlet". All spoken in the kitchen in her basement. Gone from NY for 20 years, but husbands still calls soda "so-der" and our daughter Amanda is "Aman-der". It cracks my kids up to hear him talk sometimes. He gets pissed because he really doesn't think he has an accent. My friend's mom is Italian, and she grew up in Brooklyn...he absolutely killed me when he told me about the day that he realized that the word spatula didn't actually rhyme with the word bachelor!!! Spatuler. Think about it.

This line killed me...a former boss of mine used to say breffass and lie-berry, and it used to put me into a combination of hysterics and disgust. For the mispronunciation-impaired, that first word is breakfast. Sorry I've come to this thread so late in the game, but I'm just thrilled to have discovered it!!

Just heard an interesting piece of Willy Wonka & TCF trivia this week...the reason that the movie was named WW&TCF instead of Charlie and TCF is because of the (then) association with Charlie dropping bombs! They thought people wouldn't see the (ahem) DOCUMENTARY if the name Charlie was in the title. Pretty wild, huh? And I must say that I just love the 'documentary' goof!!! Wish I had some English friends to try it on...

First and foremost, would someone clue me in about Shakers in Rutherford?!? New to me, and it's in my area. Thanks! My 3 NJ favorites are oldies, but since they're consistent... Nori -- Caldwell GREAT sushi. I only eat a few things, but have many friends who are far more adventurous, and they agree. India on the Hudson -- Hoboken My ex-bf is Indian, and it's the only restaurant that he ever gave a full 4 stars to; consistently delish, and I often find myself craving it--must be those wonderful spices! Tim Schafer's Cuisine -- Morristown I've had only great dinners (food and fun) at this terrific BYO; great place to celebrate a special occasion, too.

Sadly, my work isn't tied to anything culinary, Rosie! Maybe someday...

First of all, there's definitely a lot more to food in NJ than Italian! For starters, read the boards (when you're up in the middle of the night with babies!) and you'll see what we mean. Secondly, if there's a way to reach out to chefs/owners to get them on the boards, I think it would be awesome for egullet. One of my favorite things about Tom Sietsema's weekly chat on the Washington Post is that chefs/owners/wait staff are regular participants and lurkers...he often will respond to a question and then say "XXX, would you care to comment if you're out there?" He often posts responses and comments at the start of the threads, and I think the readers really appreciate the "in-house" perspective, particularly when there's a question about a specific restaurant menu/issue. If there is a way that we could reach out to NJ chef/owners, I'm all for it!

Sorry to mess with you all...the Madison Fish Market was there when I lived in Madison (5+ years ago); they've obviously gone out of business!

So Johnny, did you get to Denville Seafood? I was out in Mo Co yesterday, and as I drove from Rt. 53 towards Morristown, thought of you! And ditto on theArthur's recommendation...great steaks and burgers, and the Guinness really does flow there. It's on the corner of Speedwell Ave and Rt. 202, right across from the Morris Plains train station. Oh, and the other poster was right--cash only. And since we've got you heading in that direction, when you're on Speedwell, just before you cross over Hanover Ave, there are two places on your right worth checking out--Tiffany's has great ribs, and Hunan, right after it, has great food if you're in the mood for Chinese in a nice atmosphere. We'll get you set yet...

Sorry, Rosie...no clue about Casa Di Amici. I'm sure someone will have some info for you, though!

Oh, so you were spoiled by NYC, huh? I guess those of us out in the 'burbs feel like it's no big deal to drive to get the good stuff!

Sure! As I said earlier, I grew up out there and still spend lots of time hanging out in Mo Co. Once you get settled in/around Morristown, I'm sure you'll get tons of suggestions for other places within a 1/2 hour drive.

Johnny, I'm certain that others will come up with places that are closer (i.e. Madison Fish Market), but the Denville one (Denville Seafood is the official name, I think) is GREAT! It's on Main Street in Denville...take Speedwell Ave to Morris Plains, follow to Rt. 53 for about 5 miles; it ends in "downtown" Denville. Not exactly around the corner for you, but also not that far away! Plus, you can go, have lunch there, take stuff home to cook, and stop by Denville Dairy (diagonally across the street) for fabulous homemade ice cream! Just my $.02.

These last few days have been a terrific reminder of just how crucial a well-stocked freezer and pantry can be! I've been home with an awful cold since the middle of the week, and can honestly say that the only thing I actually needed to get was Afrin! I've discovered all sorts of goodies in my freezer, including homemade minestrone and chicken soup, a meat sauce w/zuchini and portobellos in it, and a small carmelized onion focaccia from Wegman's. Those last two items made for a good dinner tonight, and I was actually able to taste them both--what a concept! My non-foodie (and healthy) friends are all quite jealous; they're stuck home eating canned soup and pb & j! Rosie, what do you have against Oatmeal? Once a YEAR? I make it on Sunday nights and take it with me to work all week! Try adding some interesting stuff, i.e. walnuts, maple syrup, C/raisins or other dried fruits. You might be pleasantly surprised! As for snow totals, we've easily surpassed 12" here in southern Bergen County...

Steve, would you please settle something once and for all? What is the correct way to pronounce Zaytinya? Is it zay-tin-ya, zah-teen-ya, or something else? Thanks mucho!

I just received the Jan issue of Bon Appetit; there's an article about Jose Andres, the exec chef at Cafe Atlantico. Haven't read it yet, but I certainly look forward to doing so! I live in Northern NJ and am always amazed by how often I see the restaurant mentioned in national publications (including, in recent memory, the NY Times magazine)! Great food, great atmosphere, and well worth the cost. The last time I was in D.C. on business, I convinced a small group to go, we had the tasting menu, and a fabulous night. If you have the opportunity to eat there, don't miss it!

Welcome to Morris County! I actually grew up there and although I've moved about 1/2 hour away, still long for my days in Madison/Morristown. A few suggestions/comments: Calaloo Cafe is about as cheesy as it gets; don't waste your time unless you want to live in the Miami Vice era, complete with bad food and a constant supply of flies in the restaurant (UGH). Joe's (I think that's what it's still called) up on South Street near Kings used to get a pretty full 20 to early 30s crowd and you used to be able to get a decent burger there. Famished Frog (on Wash St, right off the Green) is pretty hopping (no pun intended), 'tho the food is nothing too special. On Speedwell Ave, across from HQ Plaza, you'll find one of my favorite restaurants in NJ...Tim Shafer's Cuisine. $$$, but it's BYO, and the man puts out some GREAT food. Go with foodies and/or with at least a small group, as it's great for a festive occasion. Pazo Pazo is a few doors down and although I think it's expensive for what it is, packs them in to the bar and restaurant. There are tons of great restaurants within reach of Morristown, including in Madison (Shanghai Jazz for upscale Chinese food, Firehouse for great pizza), but I don't want to overwhelm you. Hope those ideas help get you started! Curlz

My dad is down there, so between visits to him and a few trips a year for work, I manage to get my fix! I actually learned about egullet by reading Tom Sietsema's food chats on the Wash Post site! I suppose I should thank him for the tip... And btw, David Greggory, a new restaurant in DC, is also worth a visit on your next trip!

Made the trip to Woodbridge today...VERY easy to get to off of the NJ Tpk, and with the winds blowing the way they are, I got there even faster! I must say that I timed my arrival perfectly, though it's not that easy to get out of the office the way I did today; arrived at 1;30, at the tail end of the lunch frenzy in the prepared food section, so I started in produce, then moved on to cheese, and just wandered up and down the aisles for 1 1/2 hours! By the time I got over to the prepared foods section, the crowds were only 1-deep, so I really got to check things out. Seafood, meats, bakery, cheese, produce are all first-rate. It really is a beautiful store, and without exception, I could have bought something in every department. The cheese guys are particularly cute , and very helpful, which I appreciated. Bought a little bit of everything (a Wegman's tasting menu!)...some gorgonzola, some drunken goat cheese (YUM), the apple cider golden raisin bread, and more stuff that I had no business buying! I also sampled and purchased some pumpkin creme fraiche, a small treat that I'll take to my Cooking Light group for this weekend's gathering. Across the store, employees and managers were visible, accessible, and very friendly---a rarity, as many of us know. I don't believe that anyone has mentioned it in this thread, but the timing of this opening was interesting to me, as I had just read an article about how Marks & Spencer has taken Kings off the market. The M&S rep acknowledged that their customer service + selection has waned a bit in recent years; maybe a little healthy competition will get them back to their basics. I'd still love to see a Wegman's in my area, but if one comes to Wayne, that's closer to Bergen Cty than Woodbridge! Definitely worth a trip, but I'd certainly recommend doing it on a weekday for a while if you really want to take it in properly and not deal with the HUGE crowds!