jsfein

I happened by SH for the first time recently for a quick lunch. I was by myself and ordered off the lunch menu. They modified shredded beef with hot pepper to shredded pork with hot pepper for me. The dish was really good, but could have used some more heat even with the hot peppers. Not too many interesting choices on the lunch menu ... mostly standard take-out stuff. Next time I plan on returning with a group so that I can sample some of the regular menu.

Boy, was I pleased to see a Novi thread. I will be in the area Labor Day weekend for a wedding (staying at the Crowne Plaza). I will have a car. Arriving Saturday at 5 pm at Detroit airport and off to Novi. Looking for something nice for Saturday night dinner for me and the wife either in Novi or en route from the airport, but nothing that will require a jacket/tie. Also need recs for Sunday breakfast, brunch and/or lunch in Novi area. Any cuisine will do. TIA.

In no way am I looking to bash Nicholas (I think its an exceptional restaurant), but I agree that not every course (at any restaurant) hits the mark. The sirloin of veal I had a few months back was bland and tough. It was, however, the only clunker I've had to date and in no way will it keep me from returning.

A relatively new place called TRY J's Chicken and Waffles has opened on South Warren in downtown Trenton. I passed by the other day and it looks like the restaurant is open for lunch only and, for the area, its a bit pricey -- around $13-$20 for lunch. Its not clear whether its a franchise or not. A quick Google search suggested that it may be a CA based chain, but I couldn't find much information. The same Google search suggested that Jayson Williams, the former NBA player being retried for manslaughter, and his wife may have an ownership interest. Anyone tried it yet or have any more info?

Had lunch here today. A very nice find. Fighting a horrific cold, I planned on the chicken soup and arepas Rich spoke of so highly. Perhaps the menu has changed, but there were no food photos on the menu I was given. Most dishes, however, had some English translation provided. A definite language barrier with the waitress existed. The chicken soup was described as "hen" soup, but I presumed it was the one Rich mentioned. However, the $12 price tag for soup didn't seem "stoopidly" cheap. All the soups ranged in price from $9 - $12. Between my slight delirium from my cold and my inability to communicate with the waitress, I never did find out if there was a cup or bowl of soup option, so I skipped the soup. I also couldn't find arepas anywhere on the menu. I ended up ordering the carne asada which is probably the marinated skirt steak mentioned by Rich. Very good and a huge portion for $12. The accompaniments were all excellent ... black beans, rice, and something that tasted like but didn't look anything like potato salad that was my favorite. The tortillas were also excellent, but were more like mini pitas than tortillas. I could have eaten a half-dozen of these instead of the two provided. I will definitely return. I've also never been to Porfirio's mentioned by Jeff. What's good?

I work in the area, but have never heard of this place. Where is it?

Mastori's and Chickie's & Pete's.

Brickwall Tavern is a nice space, but standard pub grub. I really enjoy Bobo's 33 and, no, you don't necessarily need to enjoy Meditarranean food (saw your post on Chowhound). There are Meditarranean apps and entrees, but other more "American" choices as well. Highly recommend. Market in the Middle and Drew's are on my "to go" list. Never heard of Bella's. Is it new?

Really?? I passed by Far East Taste today and it looked a little dingy - I guess you can't judge a restaurant by its strip mall surroundings. I will suck it up and give it a try next week. Also, I had lunch at El Meson today and although it wasn't perfect (the beef in the enchiladas was tough and had a funny aftertaste), we totally loved the place. I will post a full review on www.mcfoodie.com tomorrow. Thanks for the tip, Jsfein. ← Hey McFoodie. I also ate at El Meson today, but for dinner. Sorry to hear that your enchiladas weren't up to snuff ... hopefully just an aberration. My dinner tonight was really good. I had some type of chicken special with sweet potato and cactus ... yummy. Definitely worth a stop when visiting Freehold Raceway Mall.

Looking over your list a bit more closely, you should add to your "gotta try" list: Inlet Cafe Drews Bayshore Bistro Far East Taste Crown Palace for Dim Sum only If you're going to come out to Freehold for Mexican, you'll be sorely disappointed with Escondidos -- its horrible. El Meson in downtown Freehold Borough is definitely the place to go, but note that it is BYO.

I enjoyed perusing your site as I also live in Monmouth and frequent many of the restaurants mentioned. There is an eGulleter who has also put together a web page which links to the home pages of an extensive list of Monmouth county restaurants. I don't recall the website name, but if you search the Jersey board you'll come across the post which is also a very useful resource.

The pickle stand at Collingswood is awesome. The pickles and everything else they sell are all very good. Don't know about the owner being a "guy," as every time I've gone its a mother/daughter team. Very close to Freehold. Definitely direct your friend there.

You will probably receive overwhelmingly favorable opinions of I Cavallini. My one experience there several months ago may make my opinion the lone dissenting voice. That a reservation may be tough to get on a weekend is not surprising since the restaurant is quite small (maybe 15-20 tables). I was in a party of 4. I started with the beet salad and the others I think had mixed salads. The salads were fine, nothing exceptional. For dinner I had the crispy branzino. This was disappointing. The serving size was small compared to the other entrees. The preparation was way too salty for my liking and I'm not usually sensitive to oversalted food. My wife was similarly disappointed with her filet mignon. The meat itself was fork tender, but the saucing wasn't to her liking. Our dining companions seemed to fare better with their veal chop and salmon. The veal chop looked really good. I know that each couple shared a dessert, but nothing that I remember now. Service was not particularly polished ... perhaps a reflection of the rather young age of the servers, but I'm not sure. We were also a bit disappointed when Chef Toni emerged from the kitchen and made rounds around the restaurant. She literally stopped to chat, at some tables briefly and others much longer, but not ours. I certainly had no expectation going to dinner that I would meet the chef, but when she visited every table but ours we felt a bit snubbed. I don't know for sure, but I can't imagine that every other table was occupied by regulars. A nice touch was added when a couple of guys with guitars (employees?) serenaded the diners with a ballad or two in Italian. For me, it was a disappointing dinner. The reviews, however, from others whose opinions I respect have been uniformly positive. I'll probably give I Cavallini another try and get the veal chop.

Dennis Foy's steakhouse is Bay Point Prime. Not sure whether its year round or seasonal (but regardless should be open by this weekend). I know its located on Ocean Ave, but not quite sure where.

If you're looking for some cheap eats, check out Surf Taco. I was driving through Point Pleasant this past weekend and stopped in. Sampled the fish tacos, garlic shrimp tacos and grilled steak tacos -- all very fresh and good. The place seems to serve lots of cheese quesadillas to the 21 and under crowd, but the aforementioned tacos were solid. Also, a nice selection of salsas and good smoothies. Unfortunately, the rice and beans were very disappointing. The place is tiny, but has a fun vibe. I haven't checked, but I believe there's a website if you want to check out the menu.