janbee

I thought I'd revive this topic by adding that I have visited Canton Gourmet on Chestnut Ridge Rd. in Woodcliff Lake twice this month and was very satisfied. The large dining room and it's lazy susan-ed tables caters to numerous Chinese family gatherings -- this is a good sign in my opinion! The first time out my companion and I ordered hot & sour soup. It was prepared in a heavy beef-tasting stock and was full of goodies -- mushrooms, tofu, veggies, meat etc. Our first entrees was filet mignon with asparagus and mushrooms prepared in a delicious brown sauce. The meat was so tender you didn't need a knife. We also ordered shrimp chow mein which was prepared "Hong Kong" style, stir fried in a light sauce with crunchy veggies and served on crispy vermicelli-like pan fried egg noodles. It was so good I couldn't wait to eat the leftovers the next day! We returned this Sunday to order scallion pancakes. The pancakes were too floury for me. (My vote for the best crisp and flavorful scallion pancakes still goes to Veggie Heaven in Teaneck.) We had the shrimp with walnuts in special sauce. The shrimp was plentiful and fresh, but the creamy white sauce was a tad too rich for my taste. We also had tofu with mushrooms and shredded pork that was a real winner! I like the fact that this restaurant scatters the delivery of your entrees, giving you a chance to try the first one before the second one sits on the table and grows cold. I am always on the lookout for good Chinese. We frequently travel to Lotus Cafe in Hackensack, but I am glad to find another option. Canton Gourmet has many new menu options that I haven't seen before, so I look forward to returning and trying new dishes. I have seen that many of you have been to Kuma. I used to go to Kuma out of convenience since it is very close to my home. The last time the I ordered takeout from them, however, the Kuma delivery man rear-ended my car (it was parked in my driveway) and Kuma refused to pay for the damage, forcing me to communicate with the delivery man directly. I had to report the incident to the Paramus Police to get this guy to finally settle up with me on repairs. As a result, I will never give Kuma another penny of my business. I also like Baumgarts and agree that it is not "traditional" Chinese, but it sure is good! It's fun pairing pineapple fried rice with chocolate cake ala mode!!! If anyone has any additional Chinese recommendations I would love to hear from you. Janbee

I've been to the Thai Chef in Montclair and it was DEE-licious. I've been promising myself another trip back, but Englewood is much closer for me. A Riverside Square location would mean that lunch excursions would be possible!!!! I hope the restaurant doesn't suffer by adding locations. My dining experience in Montclair was a treat... Janbee

We made it to Amanda's last night! Hooray! Amanda's is charming. Very friendly staff and not cramped like so many storefront restaurants tend to be. I expected to be handed a prixe fix menu (as advertised on the website) in addition to the regular menu. Alas, none was given???? It was a Thursday night, wonder why... Since I am usually satisfied by only one glass of wine with dinner, I am never interested in ordering a bottle. I was disappointed that Amanda's offered only three white wines by the glass. I chose the white burgandy and although it was as explained to me by the waiter, it was way too sweet for my tastes. We shared an appetizer -- the filo wrapped shrimp with thai slaw. It was very good. For $11 I would have appreciated one more shrimp (there were three) and a bit more slaw, since there was barely enough to make a bed for the shrimp. Honestly, I thought the entree menu was rather skimpy. One lamb. One steak. A salmon. Grouper, cod -- not particularly appealing to me. Chicken breast is not dinner "out" in my opinion. My companion and I both chose the Shredded Thai Pork. It was very, very good. Tender pork, magically sweet, spicy and very aromatic. I enjoyed it very much. Every bite was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed poking around with my fork to discover the different tastes, textures and ingredients. For dessert, we shared the Chef's Cheesecake. Again, it was very good. Delicious, homemade graham crust and smooth cheesecake that wasn't overpowered by the creamcheese. Unfortunately, the coffee was lukewarm and tasted like the bottom of the pot. I considered asking the waiter to make a new pot, but it was getting late and I needed to get home. All in all I think the quality of the food was very good. I expected more even service. We waited an awfully long time for our appetizer, then the entrees came skampering out quickly thereafter. I like my coffee fresh and hot and at $2.50/cup, I expect that I won't have to police the staff to make sure it's served that way. I was also disappointed that the prixe fix menu was not offered. I would go back to Amanda's and give it another try. I'd especially like to try the $25/for two early dinner special or go in search of the missing prixe fix menu.... And that's my story..... Janbee

Rosie, I am being true to my promise from a couple Saturdays back when I cancelled my Amanda's experience at the last minute. We are going there Thursday night for a pre-Valentine dinner. I'll let you know what I think! Janbee

I went to Corrados for my first time this year and also didn't find much quality. I especially hated playing bumper carts with the many rude customers. Janbee

Rosie -- I promise that you'll get that Amanda's report! I feel so cheated by not getting there on Saturday... Janbee

I second the votes for Maywood Marketplace and DiPiero's! Maywood is a local find, good produce, great prices and convenient! DiPiero's is where I go to do my serious produce shopping. They have lots of local, farm fresh fruits and veggies in season when Jersey peaches and tomatoes abound! Yum! I've been to the California Farms in Emerson and it's not bad, albeit a tiny store. They also have a sushi bar and a salad bar with some interesting asian selections. Janbee

Alas, there is no report on Amanda's. Our Weehawkin connection dissolved at the last minute, there was traffic on route 4 and we decided to wimp out and eat closer to home... Life around here is unpredictable! Based on friends' recommendations, we chose Solais in Englewood. In my opinion, Solais was so-so. My artichoke salad tasted like wood chips dressed in lemon juice and olive oil. My Chilean Sea Bass was good, but the broccoli rabe beneath it was too bitter and not a hint of garlic anywhere! My companion had grilled rock shrimp. Very good, but not plentiful and $36 to boot! We share a wonderful opera cake for dessert -- layered with almond cake and cherry creme and topped with milk chocolate. This was the most tasty part of the meal. Another disappointment -- although it boasts two rather noisy bars on either side of the restaurant, Solais only offers one brand of Chardonney and one brand of Pinot Grigio by the glass and neither was very good. Oh well. I'm very sorry that I didn't get to Amanda's. I hope to rectify this mistake very soon! Janbee

No dinner at Rebecca's. Could only get a 5:30 p.m. reservation. This is what happens when you are last minute like me!!! But we did manage to swing a 7 p.m. reservation at Amanda's in Hoboken. So I'm going to venture out and PARK in Hoboken on a Saturday night thanks to your good advice, Rosie! Will return with a full report, Janbee

Thank you all for your suggestions! Rosie, thanks for the Hoboken parking info. I am definitely going to check out one of those Hoboken Italian places soon! Tonight, we are going to try to get a reservation at Rebecca's. This will most likely be difficult! I've been there once and really liked it, but previously had a very difficult time getting a Saturday reservation. I love La Vecchia Napoli too, Rachel! It's charming...I had the very best sauteed soft shell crab there! I have never tried Joe and Tess so if we get shut out of Rebecca's, we might head in that direction. I'll let you all know how it goes...Thanks! Have a good Saturday. Janbee

Thanks for your suggestions, Rosie. I've been to Arthur's Landing and remember it as the home of one of the best desserts I've ever had -- a mango cheesecake. Yum. Although I love Hoboken, parking on Saturday night is a major pain. But I will be sure to try your Hoboken suggestions very soon! Rachel, in answer to your questions...We like many types of food. A good Italian or something exotic would be fun. I really don't want to break the bank this time. Something moderately priced ($25 or less per entree) would suit me fine. Thanks for your help...I know I am going to enjoy being part of this forum! Janbee

I'll be in the Weehawken vicinity this Saturday and would appreciate suggestions for an enjoyable dinner out. Any suggestions? Thanks. Janbee

I'm happy to add some of my favorites to your list. These are my "regular" places. I'm never disappointed when I eat at them. Most are moderatedly priced and not at all pretentious. If you're ever in Bergen County, give them a try. Andrea's, Waldwick -- great shrimp parmigiana. full of regulars. way too crowded on the weekend. they may take your reservation, but don't expect to be seated on time. Bangkok Garden, Hackensack -- hands down the best Pad Thai in Bergen County Lotus Cafe, Hackensack -- good chinese. cheap, informal and always packed with hungry patrons Babylon, River Edge -- our latest find for delicious Turkish food. reasonable prices and friendly service provided by the family-ownership. Minato, Hillsdale -- a small, friendly habachi restaurant that attracts lots of locals. food is fresh and light on the butter-oil quotient. they happen to have good sushi, too. Kinara, Edgewater -- great food, great service. they never overcook the shrimp like so many Indian restaurants are prone to do. Baumgart's, Englewood and Ridgewood -- what can I say, but I love their pineapple fried rice, not to mention their yummy desserts! Enjoy! Janbee

Hi, I'm new to eGullet and look forward to contributing to this forum as well as hearing about all of your culinary adventures! I recall that the owner of Monster Shushi asked for our feedback some many posts ago. Well, I had dinner there with my partner in December. The sushi was fresh, imaginative and well-prepared. The green tea was hot (have you ever noticed how some Japanese restaurants can't seem to serve theirs anything but luke warm?) and the "monster" sushi dishes were so much fun to eat from! Our only complaint: The negima rolls were "Monster" rolls in every way. In fact, I challenge anyone to get their mouth around these negima and eat them in one bite. These negima were so wide and so stuffed with scallions that they required a fork and a knife. That ruined the experience for me. I like the M&M type of negima that are soft, juicy and small enough to pop into your mouth. I will definitely return to Monster sushi, but I will not be ordering the negima. Hope you all have fun when you meet at Monster Sushi. Janbee