Cook456

Rosie, Cook123 had the info on the Sweet Sisters. You really should contact them. You'll be impressed with their work. SWEET SISTERS 344 Union Blvd. Totowa, NJ 07512 Call: 973-389-0808

I really don't understand the appeal of places like Mazur's and Calandras

Rosie, Cook123 and I have used Sweet Sisters many times. They are two sisters, and one hails from Johnson & Wales...She does fantastic work. She does stuff with fresh flowers on the cake..At one time they owned a store on Valley Rd in Montclair and eventually relocated to Totowa. I'm sure they can accomodate your needs.

Not likely. Liquor licenses in NJ are issued for a particular municpality. You can't move a license from town to town. And I suspect a liquor license in Paramus (they'd have to find an available retail license for sale) is pretty pricey. I would be surprised if the Paramus store had a liquor dept. ← That's what I thought, but was told that by a WF employee when I inquired why the Dept was no longer there. Was told they are only allowed 6 in the state and so they used that one for the RB Store.

I hope the one in Paramus has a liquor license. The Montclair store had a nice selection of everyday wines. They took that license to use it for the store in Red Bank.

Which location?

Sorrento's in Lodi uses fillers in their cannolis...YUK

I'm drooling just reading about these threads. And I'm going to Bonefish Grill tonight.. ;-(

Check out the thread on farmers markets. I visited the one in Montclair, today. Lots of wonderful Jersey Peaches, just ripe for eating. Make sure you have a napkin in hand, for the juice that will drizzle down your chin.

Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck makes a great apple pie. Another thought...bake a Mrs Smith's Apple Pie. It's better than most store bought pies.

I also loved Assaggia. It's now a restaurant called Martini Grill, and I've heard it received favorable reviews.

La Scalinata...Pizza joint in Hoboken, in the day...

The Clairmont Diner

I still haven't gotten to the new location, as yet. The old site in Nutley was much closer and I could do take out.

How does this shop compare to La Petite Patisserie in Dumont ? Their pastry and cakes are amazing.

Ghostrider.. I was part of that meager crowd. Where were you sitting? We were the two women sitting in the back. It was the first time for me and we loved it! It was hard to pick from the menu; there was so many items that I wanted to try. We decided to go with the suggestions from this thread.. My friend and I shared the Moo Ping, Bean Thread Pad Thai, Green Curry with Chicken, and the Crispy Duck with Tamarind Sauce. Needless to say, I took home the leftovers. Lucky me! Will definitely be back to try some of the other items on the menu.

"as well as what I can only describe as a Chinese focaccia with scallions" They are Scallion Pancakes, and they are addictive..

I believe there is a place by the farmer's Market in paterson that sells loose beans and spices in barrels.

Is this any relation to Daruma in Rutherford?

Also using ingredients that I have in my cubboard. Made Spaghetti with oil, garlic, anchovies and frizzled capers and finished off a bottle of 2000 Villa Puccini Oak Aged Tuscan Red.

Since the movie theatre was directly across the street, I decided to stay with dining at Taro. I was extremely impressed with the decor. It's striking; very NYC ish. I was NOT, however, impressed by the food. The an appetizer we ordered Mussels. It consisted of about 10 New Zealand Mussels in a nice Black Bean Sauce. Next up was a Pear and Goat Cheese Salad. It was comprised of Mesclun Salad topped with Asian Pears and shavings of Goat Cheese. I've never had a goat cheese that could be shaved, but it was a nice tart complement to the salad. The citrus dressing, however, lacked flavor. It was as very thin, and it almost crossed my mind that they forgot to add the oil.. For entrees we shared Peking Duck and Pecan Crusted Shrimp over jasmine rice. Both the duck and the shrimp were overcooked and dry. We were pressed for time, so we did not stay for dessert. Service was attentive, and not hovering. A lot of money went into the design of this restaurant. They now need to focus more on the food.

I'm going to catch dinner and a movie. Thought about trying Taro. Anyone been lately?

What is mapo doufu? ← It is a very famous Sichuanese dish of tofu (bean curd) and pork, and goes back to the 1860s. It is ground pork sauteed with scallions, ginger, hot bean paste, wine, sesame oil and ben curd cubes are added to it. Sometimes crushed red pepper is also added. The Ma Po is translated literally as 'pockmarked old woman' and the original founder of the dish, a restaurant owner named Ma (or Chen), is supposed to have a mother or MIL who had a pock marked face. The bean curd is suposed to represent skin, and the pork bits -- the pock marks. ← Thanks. It sounds like something I would enjoy.

We began our meal with Pork Dumplings in Spicy Sauce, and the Cold Pickled Cabbage. While both were totally different in taste and texture, each was quite good, a bit spicy and a bit sweet . For entrees we chose the Crispy Whole Fish , which was, in this case, Sea Bass, and the Heavenly Chicken, which was chicken in a light ginger sauce with dried peppers. Ended the meal with Honey fried bananas, which I haven't had since I dined at my old favorite Bamboo Garden in Eatontown, many years ago. I wouldn't say this place is over the hill; the food and the service were excellent for what they serve.

What is mapo doufu?