richl2214
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Posts posted by richl2214
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You can get up to a 30lb suckling pig at D'artagnan.
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I don't know what to make of it but when I drove by last night there was a red flashing sign that said "Open"
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I'll be driving past there in about 10 minutes. I will take a peek and report back later or tomorrow.
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Excellent!!!!!!
The hot pepper appetizer was HOT! Yum! We had the special risotto with sweet sausage and porcinis! The cinnamon essence of the porcinis came blasting through and the risotto was perfectly cooked. I finished with the osso bucco which was falling off the bone and had a nice portion of marrow to spead on my bread. WOOHOO! Finished with the hazelnut semifreddo which was out of this world! We brought a couple bottles of fine sassicaia to complement the meal.
They really know how to prepare a meal here. Sevice was great and friendly! Definitely a return visit is warranted, sooner than later.
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So they have a liquor license?
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Dipping a fine cigar in brandy is akin to shooting it in the heart. The flavors will condense at the tip and not flow through wet tobacco like it should. The tar will build up and make the cigar sour. Wine is not a drink I quaff with my Havanas but I do enjoy a nice aged vintage port which goes superb. Coats the mouth and allows the different tobacco flavors to really open up on your palate.
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Have you ruled out a couple of Rancillo Rockys, Nathan? They would fit under a standard counter.
I haven't ruled them out at all... certainly they are in the running. I'd like to understand what the tradeoff is between them, the Macap and Mazzer grinders...and if there is anything else I should consider.
The Macap M4 is amazing!
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It's not a rumor Rosie, unfortunately. I was at the wake last night at Biondi's in Nutley.
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The murder is very, very suspicious. No robbery. Talk amongst investigators say it looks like a "hit."
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Great time Saturday. Walked in at 11pm and sat right down at a window table for two right across from the bar. All the drinks were impeccable but the Apple Cranberry special was my favorite. Truthfully I had to gag down the Earl Grey MarTeaNi because the finish was so dry. The cocktail itself was excellent but just not agreable with my taste buds.
Great place, unpretentious, cool atmosphere, friendly staff and killer drinks! Still I don't think they can hold a candle to the drinks and atmosphere of Milk and Honey but that place is a totally different animal.
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You need to call about a week in advance even for a weeknight. I imagine Mondays are more in demand, as so few restaurants are open.
I love this restaurant. Their ingredients are great. Even the olive oil that they put out on the table is this year's olio nuovo straight from Umbria. As for desserts ---- I think their semifreddo may be one of the best desserts ever.
Going tomorrow for my birthday dinner. Anyone been recently? I hear good things abut the hot pepper appetizer.
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I also had the veal chop at Babbo with white truffles. The dish itself was amazing; double cut chop, mushrooms, fontina cheese... my only issue was with the truffle! A small, small dried up end piece of the truffle was brought to our table- I was actually worried that the server was going to cut his finger on the slicer! The flavor was mediocre at best. Too bad. The rest of the meal was fantastic- love the food at Babbo. I had amazing white truffles at Per Se last week, by the way.
Unfortunate. The truffle I had shaved was sized like a walnut and very aromatic. The whole truffle was used, not just a piece of one. It literally covered the whole veal chop and then some.
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It's beginning to seem like a trend: self-styled "ultimate" home espresso machines custom designed for leading coffee equipment retailers. For example, Chris' Coffee Service's Andreja Premium and Whole Latte Love's Brewtus. The latest entry appears to be 1st Line's Project E1, with a pretty impressive list of specs once you get past the hype. Any word/thoughts on this machine? (I like the built-in PID and have often wondered why Rancilio doesn't offer a Silvia with one.)
If they added a built in PID to the Silvia the price would rise comparable tothe cost of an HX machine!
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I had the veal chop stuffed with oyster mushrooms at Babbo. It was smothered in a shaved whole white truffle the size of a large walnut. The shavings covered the whole veal chop and then some. Cost of the dish was $120. Without the white truffle: $45. The truffle was excellent quality and the flavor it added to the veal chop was phenomenal.
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Any grinder under $250 will be marginal at best. The minimum "excellent," "do it all" grinder is the Rancilio Rocky. If you are serious about coffee then that is the minimum you should buy, period. If it isn't that important or you're on a budget stick with the solis maestro. If I were to buy my mom a grinder I would buy her the Solis Maestro or the new Baratza. Something good but not great.
Know that 99% of grinders under the level of a Rocky will produce a good amount of "dust" and give you a layer of sediment in a french press. I personally don't like press coffee pots but thats me.
I make all kinds of coffee so I bought a Macap M4 grinder which is a hefty tag at $370 but it gives me the best grind for espresso I think I could ever want or get from anything else. I paired that with a Nuova Simonelli Oscar and am making espressos, cappuccinos, Americanos, ristrettos, etc that make Starbucks taste like dirt water(if it doesn't already.)
Trust me, you WILL hem and haw about any grinder lesser than a Rocky. Below the Rancilio Rocky level there is really not much of a difference between a cheap burr grinders' output. To me they all stink.
This is so pompous. I can't put 370 into a grinder for breakfast coffee, American-style.
In fact I do just fine with the Cuisinart blade grind and brew, which grinds coarsely, and produces no dust or burnt grounds because the coffee is forced through a wind tunnel as soon as it is ground. This works well for me in the morning, when I'm generally inept.
But I am looking for a cheap burr grinder for the occaisional French Press, later in the day. It won't be for Expresso, and I can tolerate a little cloudiness at the bottom.
For these moderate needs, what differences in burr and motor construction could make a difference?
It's really not pompous, it's fact. You do say you can tolerate sediment so a cheap conical burr grinder is fine. Since I use mine for espresso more than once a day I need a capable grinder that gives me the best results. Do a search on coffeegeek.com and find out the importance of a grinder even more so than the coffee machine itself. It is well known in the coffee fanatic realm that you buy the grinder first, and then you buy the coffee machine. You will get inferior coffee out of a cheap grinder, especially a blade. However, if it tastes great to you then you are all set.
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Addendum to my above post. I now have the Macap M4 grinder and a Nuova Simonelli Oscar espresso machine replacing the above equipment. If anyone wants to come byt for some coffee LMK.
Where were you when I was living in Rutherford with no fellow coffeegeek's nearby to share a shot with?!
How are you liking the Macap? It's an interesting looking grinder and seems to get good reviews.
I've been lusting after one of these
Macap M7 with built-in dynamometric tamper
Yeah.... next time I have $1,000 just burning a hole in my pocket!
The Macap M4 is great. The only difference vs the Mazzer is the stepped grinder settings. The doser is much cleaner than the Mazzer Mini too! This tank will last forever. I wish never(dare I say) need an upgrade in the grinder department!
If you ever travel back throguh just LMK and I will be sure to set you up with some awesome shots!
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Addendum to my above post. I now have the Macap M4 grinder and a Nuova Simonelli Oscar espresso machine replacing the above equipment. If anyone wants to come byt for some coffee LMK.
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Any grinder under $250 will be marginal at best. The minimum "excellent," "do it all" grinder is the Rancilio Rocky. If you are serious about coffee then that is the minimum you should buy, period. If it isn't that important or you're on a budget stick with the solis maestro. If I were to buy my mom a grinder I would buy her the Solis Maestro or the new Baratza. Something good but not great.
Know that 99% of grinders under the level of a Rocky will produce a good amount of "dust" and give you a layer of sediment in a french press. I personally don't like press coffee pots but thats me.
I make all kinds of coffee so I bought a Macap M4 grinder which is a hefty tag at $370 but it gives me the best grind for espresso I think I could ever want or get from anything else. I paired that with a Nuova Simonelli Oscar and am making espressos, cappuccinos, Americanos, ristrettos, etc that make Starbucks taste like dirt water(if it doesn't already.)
Trust me, you WILL hem and haw about any grinder lesser than a Rocky. Below the Rancilio Rocky level there is really not much of a difference between a cheap burr grinders' output. To me they all stink.
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The menu says 1130am to 830pm Tuesday to Thursday.
Friday 1130am to 1100pm.
Saturday 8am to 11pm.
Sunday 9am to 730pm
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Solis Maestro will be fine for french press.
I just got a Macap M4 and I think it is just as good as a Mazzer for a bit less $. Looks better, has a much better doser, is quieter, and is stepped perfectly(much easier to grind fine and course for different applications and getting back a consitant grind without staring over.)
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Right across for Mamma Mia's pizza in Bloomfield on Broad Street. We went in unplanned as we went to a near-by place and were turned off by dry pizza and flies.
Regardless, the place is great for soul food. Fried chicken was the best I have had around here. She had the BBQued chicken which was perfectly covered in sauce and not drowned. I knew the food would be good because EVERYTHING is cooked to order and we waited about 20 minutes for our dinners and we were the only ones in there at the time. The place is BYO too and has a bar(no liquor) to eat at and tables. Looks great inside and the owners were more than nice to us.
Not a big menu but good stuff. Prices for lunch are 10.95 to 13.95 for entrees and that comes with two sides: mac/cheese(not as good as Indigo Smoke), collards(awesome), Yams, Beans, corn, string beans, okra, baked beans, plantains.
They also had fried catfish, fried whiting and salmon(not sure if this is fried too) and a Caribbean Chicken dish
Lunches are priced at $3 less.
Sweet potato pie was good for dessert. Seems they do takeout too and breakfast. Off the top of my head I think they had waffles, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, pancakes, grits, eggs , home fires, etc.
Definitely a repeat place.
1040 Broad Street
Bloomfield, NJ
973-893-1131
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I'd have to also give my vote for the pappadelle at Babbo. The best I have ever had in a restaurant
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Thanks for the feedback.
I should clarify:
The coffee beverages I'm concerned with specifically are:
Caffe Latte, and Espresso.
The white/refined sugar thing was told to me when I worked in Italy. One never sees brown/raw sugar on the bar when one orders coffee in Italy.
For instant coffee at home, or brewed, or percolated etc etc, I always stick with white sugar. Evaporated milk is like, good for me, but my wife isn't a big fan, so we stay clear. In Malaysia, all coffee and tea, if requested with milk, is usually made with evaporated milk, and also, sweetened condensed milk.
I don't know how long ago you worked in Italy but I was just for three weeks in July. I was in Rome, Florence, Positano, Capri, Naples, Todi, Padua, Milan, etc. and almost EVERY cafe and espresso bar in Italy had brown/raw sugar on the counter. Most Italians seemed to be using brown/raw instead of the refined white. I prefer the raw sugar too.
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The new chef changed a lot of the menu around. Orbis has been given a breath of fresh air. Apparently he was hired from Hoboken and has many years of experience.
Blu
in New Jersey: Dining
Posted
Going tonight and bringing two bottles of "Italian alcoholic grape juice" for levity. I'll report back.