schmooty

I lOVE Wondee's but it is a bit of a drive from Hoboken. If you like spicy Thai food, I highly recommend Brookside Thai. While not quite as good as Wondees, it is an easier drive from Hoboken. (rt 3 to GSP South, to exit 151, left at light to left on Broad street)......If you order ANY dish Thai spicy, I promise you it will be served spicy. From the crispy duck salad to the spicy noodle/curry dishes: everything is well prepared at a reasonable cost. (380 Broad Street Bloomfield, NJ 07003 973-566-0057) I LOVE Chengdu 1 as well, but sometimes you may just be in the mood for Thai. Plus it is 10-15 minutes closer from Hoboken. -Al

I guess the cat is finally out of the bag! This place ROCKS!! I have eaten their food many, many times. I live about2 2 blocks away, but usually do take-out. I have brought many family members and friends here as well. Pretty much EVERYTHING is good. From the Greek salad with grilled octopus to the Greek style meatballs and burgers. I have not eaten anything I haven't enjoyed; Plus, the people that work there are super nice. I can't say enough good things about Stamna. I place a take-out order almost every Friday. The dips are great. The gyro is top notch. The pasta w/ caramelized onions and greek cheese is also great. The stuffed peppers rule!! As you can see, I LOVE this place. You really can't go wrong no matter what you order. I spent 2 months in Greece and this is as close to the real thing as you are going to find! 2 other things: They are closed Mondays and are a BYO with a liqour store about a block away which is open until 9pm Tuesday-Saturday and 5pm on Sunday. If you like Greek food, GO NOW!! You won't be disappointed. -Al

Holly, I don't disagree. BUT, as someone who has been there in double digits and recommended AHD to many people, I do hope that at SOME POINT a response is given. They don't actually OWE ME anything. They provided me with a couple of years of great dogs and fries. I am not asking for a 2 page apology letter, just a brief explanation. Is that too much to ask? -Al

So that's it?!?! NO REPLY on what happened to the Verona location? Here today gone tomorrow?? I think those of us that frequented the Verona location at LEAST deserve an explanation. -Al

SO DEPRESSING! BEST hot dog/french fry combo in NJ!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO RIP AHD, Verona Branch -Al

Hey all, I don't usually post on the New York board as I am more of a Jersey guy, but I figured that some of the best Italian cheesecake has to come from New York. My grandfather is turning 80th at the end of this month and this is his favorite dessert. Does anyone have a GREAT recommendation on a place that ships Italian cheesecakes? He lives in Florida. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks in advance, -Al

I went with a pretty large group a while back and the food was across the board fantastic. I don't remember specific dishes right now, but the variety and balance of flavors and textures was flat out amazing. The price to value ratio is so high. As far as ambiance, I was too busy eating to notice. I think they have tables and chairs, but maybe we ate standing up. Their takeout is great as well. Most of their dishes lend themselves well for take-out. Some dishes like the Ma-Po Tofu are just as good as eating them there. -Al

One of the places listed in the NY Times article is run by Tony, a friend of mine. It's called a Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour http://www.bknypizza.com and is well worth the $65 cost. Besides taking you to 2 great pizza joints (Grimaldi's and L&B Spumoni Gardens), Tony takes you on a bus tour of Brooklyn which includes his hysterical commentary and movie clips of spots you cross along the tour. Tony is born and raised in Brooklyn and knows it like the back of his hand. The tour ends in Coney Island where you can have an original Nathan's hot dog and ride the Cyclone. I HIGHLY recommend this tour to both locals and tourists. If you go, tell him Al says hello. I am looking forward to my 2nd trip of this tour sometime in the near future. If you go, make sure to try some Spumoni at L&B. -Al

It's the Whole Foods in West Orange, NJ. I am already dreaming of my next pint! -Al

It's been a while since someone posted on this thread. Considering how good the food is, it's time for an update. I went with 2 friends a couple of weeks ago, which was my 2nd visit. They have moved next door since I was last there and now have many more tables than before. Let me preface this by saying that I lived in Hackensack for 5+ years and Wondee's became my gold standard for Thai. That being said, Brookside does a good job across the board. Their fried vegetable spring rolls were crispy and tasty and the duck salad was a pretty good rendition. The penang curry with pork was served spicy w/ lots of nice flavor and balance. The pad thai is certainly better than most, and not gloppy at all. We ordered a spicy noodle dish w/ basil and chili that also had really nice flavor. The only average dish was a chicken special that reminded me of a standard chicken with cashews at a chinese restaurant. It was much better with the penang sauce spooned over top. Overall, the quality to value ratio here is very high. The entire meal with 3 sodas, tip, tax, and leftovers was $60 for the 3 of us. I could also see this being a great place for takeout. Thai food has become one of my favorite cuisines and Brookside certainly fits the bill. -Al

Upon arriving home this evening, I came to the realization that I had basically run out of food. After putting up some pasta water, I decided I just wasn't feeling boxed pasta and jarred sauce. I am glad I came upon this thread. I placed my first Chengdu 1 take-out order, but certainly not my last. I ordered the dan dan noodles and sichuan wontons. Both were excellent, but the sauce the wontons came in was just incredible. The noodles tasted like a great combination of Sichuan and Italian and were a great substitute for the never-made pasta. For mains, I ordered the spicy lamb dish and Ma Po Tofu with pork. Both dishes were bursting with flavor and complimented each other nicely. My mouth is still tingling a bit, but round 2 is not far away. It's tough when 1 person orders 4 spicy dishes! I probably ordered enough for 2, but I can already tell the tofu dish is going to make a killer leftover lunch with some rice. It's nice to have a genuine Sichuan restaurant in the area. I look forward to going back with a larger party and being able to sample more of the menu. -Al

I was at my local Whole Foods buying stuff for a BBQ and noticed about 7 different Capogiro flavors all priced at $10 per pint. I bought a pint of burnt sugar and consumed the entire pint over the course of the evening. This is some fine gelato! I look forward to trying more flavors. The blood orange and grapefruit are right up my alley on a hot summer day.

I had a GREAT lunch at AHD yesterday. Considering I now live in Bloomfield, I am ashamed to say it's only my 2nd trip. I had decided last time that when I went back for lunch, I was having the jersey breakfast. All I can say is WOW! This might have been the single best hot dog I have ever eaten which is saying a lot considering the amount of hot dogs I consumed. The fries were even crispier and better than last time, so any changes to the oil due to the trans fat thing have done nothing to alter their quality. My buddy ordered a side of cheese and I ordered a side of chili. I love the texture and flavor of their chili. (I think I taste a hint of cinnamon) I ate about half the fries plain and the other half with a layer of cheese, chili, and ketchup. If someone knows of better fries in the area, please let me know. They truly remind me of the fries I ate while in Belgium. The fact that they also have birch beer on tap confirms my belief that this might be the best place for a reasonably priced meal in NJ. (Sorry White Manna, your fries can't earn you the top spot) Keep on doing what you are doing. I think the Reuben wrapped in bacon is next up on my list. It's either that or the cream cheese scallion dog. -Al

I went to Sammy's a couple years back for a buddy's bachelor party and while the place is lots of fun and they keep the vodka in ice blocks flowing, the food can only be described as mediocre. It's not all bad, it's just amazing how bad some of it is. Things like stuffed cabbage and meatballs were virtually inedible. However, if you order right, and go in with the attitude of fun first and food quality second, a very enjoyable time can be had by all. Their chopped liver is incredible by any standards and the lamb chops, rib steaks, and romanian tenderloin are all good entrees as long as they aren't way overcooked. That being said, all the entrees are way overpriced. Order a round of egg creams for dessert. Just don't spray the rest of your table with the seltzer bottles, or you might yet yelled at. If you are looking for a place with lots of history, nostalgia, and fun, and don't mind paying a few extra bucks, head to Sammy's. if you are looking for the best meal of your life, look elsewhere. -Al

It took 5 years, but they finally got everything right. Splitting up the NYC and non NYC BBQ joints on different streets was great. The punch card system was the perfect way to go. The longest line we waited in was no more than 15 minutes tops. We started with Bob Gibson's topped with championship red. Watching Chris Lilly chop away is always great fun and his team produces a great product. I also enjoyed their slaw. For our 2nd round, we hit up Southside. Their sausage was cooked to perfection and had a nice, but not overpowering flavor. I wanted my brisket from the deckle and they were happy to oblige. It was smoky, juicy, and tender. After a short breather and a drink, we headed to Mitchell's. There was no fast pass line here and I even got a few minutes to talk with Ed. He was all smiles and more than willing to discuss his whole hog preparation. His BBQ is probably the most unique thing being served at the fest. I hit his stand up almost every year and am never disappointed. I didn't find his coleslaw to be anything too exciting. My threesome decided to take a break so we headed to the merchandise tent to purchases some rubs and sauces. I grabbed Ubons, Gibsons, 17th street and Bakers along with an Elgin dry rub. It was then back to business. We wanted some ribs and probably should have waited on the 17th street line. Instead, we opted for Jake's. The ribs were pretty good, but certainly not outstanding. I vow to hit 17th street next time. I wanted to try a fried pie, so I headed to the NYC side to check it out. The fried pie was a small deep fried apple pastry. I ate one right out of the fryer and it was very tasty. There were virtually no lines at any of the NYC vendors. I am excited for the opening of Hill Country, so I spoke to their pitmasters for a while. Big Lou was kind enough to give me a beef rib while we chatted. It was very good and he packed me up a couple of big bones to take home. I meant to ask for a side of black eyed peas, but I forgot. I am really hoping this place becomes a great NYC BBQ joint. They sounded very passionate about what they were doing. If the beef rib is any indication, they are off to a good start. At this point I was stuffed, so we wandered the festival to walk some of it off. Upon inspection of our fast pass card, we had $16 left. We decided to grab some Salt Lick for the road. When I asked for deckle, I was told to go directly to the man cutting the brisket. He cut me a HUGE portion along w/ a full link of sausage. I drizzled on some BBQ sauce which I think compliments their meats perfectly. I am very excited to eat this later. All in all, a GREAT day. After years of doing some things right and some things not so right, the organizers finally got EVERYTHING right!! This was far and away the best organized block party yet. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make today such a success. I look forward to many more Big Apple BBQ Block Parties! -Al

I absolutely love this place! Their cheese selection alone is reason enough to go. Plus, they put out TONS of samples to try. Their marinated veggies and cooked food are also great and reasonably priced. I went last week and bought their homemade rusks, a couple of different cheeses, roasted peppers, rare roast beef, grape leaves, and a wonderful chicken salad. everything was great and at such great prices. If you live anywhere in the area, go and check this place out. You won't be disappointed. -Al

I finally made it to AHD a couple of weeks back and fully enjoyed it. Being a first timer, I ordered my staple: an amazing w/ spicy mustard and sauerkraut which was excellent. I also ordered a side of fries, beans, slaw, and eggroll dogs. The fries were good, but slightly soggy and undercooked. The chili was excellent with nice hints of cinnamon and cumin. The beans and slaw were nicely prepared as well. While the eggroll dogs are an interesting concept, they didn't quite wow me. I think next time I will order a 2nd dog instead. The jersey breakfast and reuben looked right up my alley. To top it off, they have birch beer which is my favorite soda. I look forward to a return trip in the near future. I will order the french fries well done next time! Oh yeah, they also had some killer Grateful Dead DVD playing. -Al

I finally made it to Bailey's for some BBQ tonight, and it did not disappoint. I took my little brother to the Palisades Center to see Borat (hysterical!) and we headed to Bailey's after. We ordered the sampler for 4, knowing there would be leftovers. Instead of 3 large sides, Fink sent out 6 small ones: beans, carrots, slaw, collards, shells w/ cheese, and the corn souffle. All were excellent, but the corn souffle was out of this world. As far as the meats, the brisket was insanely good and the pulled pork and pulled chicken were superb. Our platter came with a half a rack of baby backs and St. Louis. I preferred the St Louis. The sausage was good and spicy, but slightly overcooked in my opinion. I can't comment on the chicken, because we were both too full to even try it. I mixed the leftover pulled pork and beans to eat along with the chicken for lunch tomorrow. Fink was gracious enough to come out of the kitchen to say hello to us. He told me that they are using a new kind of brisket and it's spectacular. Fink, it's GREAT to be eating your food again. I now have more incentive than ever to hit up Palisades for a movie and Bailey's for dinner! To top it all off, with 2 sodas, tip and tax, the meal came to $62. It is quite a bargain for the amount of food served. It could have easily served 3 big eaters or 4 normal eaters. -Al

I am still kicking myself for not buying a Bubba Fast Pass. The regular lines were a joke. I pretty much refuse to wait an hour and a half for anything. On Saturday I ate from Bob Gibsons's and 17th Street. Gibsons pork was my favorite thing I ate all weekend. Sunday I had brisket and sausage from Salt Lick and both were excellent. I ordered from the deckle, and they were happy to accommodate me. Does anyone know if Salt Lick was using the sauce from the bottles or did they make a batch specifically for the BBQ block party? I find their bottled sauce to taste pretty bad and chemically. The sauce yesteday tasted much better to me. I will 100% be buying a fast pass the day they go on sale next year. I also got to say hi to Steingarten which was cool. I told him "you the man" and he said to me no, "you the man." It was pretty funny.

Hitmanoo and his lovely wife joined me for a Wondees run a few nights ago and I wanted to reiterate how much I love this place. This is hands down the best Thai restaurant I have ever been. I was a bit under the weather, so I started with the Thome Yum Koon which really hit the spot. We split the crispy duck salad as an appetizer and it was wonderful. We decided to try some new dishes this time around. They have soft shell crabs served with three different sauces and we opted for the Penang sauce. It was a perfect accompaniment to the crabs themselves. We also ordered the bean thread pad thai and I must say this might have been my favorite dish of the night. I have never quite had pad thai like this before. I find that pad thai can often have muddled flavors. This is not the case at Wondees. The balance of flavors was perfect. Our other dish was a chicken Pad Khing which is ginger, onion, and mushrooms in a spicy black bean sauce. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the spiciness was right on the money. If like me, you don't always feel like grilling in 90 degree weather, head over to Wondees. I promise you will not be disappointed. Oh yeah, and the total bill with tip and tax for the 3 of us was $63.

I had a blast on Saturday. The weather and the music were great. Sonny Landreth really impressed me and the Meters are straight up awesome. They rocked the stage for about an hour and a half. The food was good, but not great. My favorite thing I ate all day was the pecan pie. It was amazing. The alligator sausage was good as was the crawfish bisque. The jambalaya and crawfish bread left a lot to be desired. All in all a great day of sunshine, music, food, and friends. I will try and make it again next year.

I will be going to this tomorrow. I am really excited to see the Rebirth Brass Band and the Funky Meters. Both New Orleans funk at it's finest. I hope the food is as good as the music. Look for a big guy in a Big Dog t-shirt and that will probably be me. -Al

I went back to Stickey's last week for a buddy's birthday and the food was very inconsistent. We started with 10 wings which were okay, but nothing special. For $8, we would have been better off with a 1/2 BBQ chicken instead. We ordered the ultimate combo to share between the 4 of us. The sides were solid, but the problem arose with the meat. I tried their pulled pork for the first time, and was not impressed. If anyone from Stickey's is reading, PLEASE let Fink show you how to make awesome pulled pork. His was far superior to Stickey's. Fink's brisket was also head and shoulder's above Stickey's. We also ordered pork and beef ribs. One of the beef ribs was big and meaty, but the other one looked like it had already been eaten. There was virtually no meat on it. The same inconsistency could be found in the pork ribs. 1/2 rack was meaty, tender, and delicious. The other half of rack was barely edible. The ribs were tiny and hard as a rock. I am not sure what can account for this. I hope this was a fluke because I really want to continue eating here. I also hope they utilize Fink to the fullest. The combination of Stickey's and Fink could turn this place into the best BBQ joint around.

My favorite pizza of all-time is Martios in Nanuet, NY. They serve both wood burning and regular pizza. They are both amazing, but I prefer their regular pizza. The crust is absolute perfection. I have eaten at many of the best NYC spots, and only DiFaria's can compete with Martios in my opinion. The address is 171 Main St, Nanuet and the phone number is (845) 623-8109. It is off Middletown rd, just before the Nanuet mall. In fact I am going to see Sin City at the Palisades Center on Monday at 4:45pm followed by a Martio's run. If anyone wants to join, post here. I promise you will not be disappointed with the pizza. Only 1 person is allowed to make the pies and if he is sick, the restaurant will not open. I have eaten over 50 pies here and EVERYONE is made exactly the same. Their pasta fagioule is also incredible. -Al

Hey Lou, how's the healing process coming along? When will you be back at the restaurant? I have chosen An American Grill for my b-day dinner, and I want to wait until you will be there. I can't tell you how excited I am to try your restaurant!