hitmanoo

For the record, Fairfield is in ESSEX COUNTY!

I havent been there, but I can tell you that from the menus they post on their website, it looks like very straightforward chinese american and not at all interesting. Is this another place with a "secret menu" like Hunan Cottage? ← I think that with Hunan Taste, their strength is in the house specialties. They do a good job with their straight-up dishes too. This place is definitely not your standard Americanized Chinese garbage. They also have nightly specials. While I wouldn't put Hunan Taste on the same level as China 46 and Hunan Cottage as far as the range of authentic dishes and creativitiy, it is the best Chinese place I have been to in Morris County.

I'd say that in Morris County, you'd have to go to Hunan Taste in Denville. Hunan Cottage is excellent, but that's Essex, and China 46 is outstanding, but that's Bergen. I think that Hunan Taste is underrated simply because it is a bit more "out of the way," and hasn't been reviewed by as many egulleters.

I like Zyliss as well. A great press that's durable and easy to clean. Also good for mincing ginger as well.

Lotus Cafe in Hackensack is pretty good for a local place. I don't think it's worthy of a lengthy trip in from out of town, but if you're nearby, it's a good standby. Sorry, I can't access the menu which may have helped me to make a few recommendations. My memory just isn't in gear right now. 450 Hackensack Avenue Hackensack NJ 07601-6312 Located by the Riverside Square Mall.

Interesting in what we willingly put up with in a Chinatown, -- any Chinatown --we won't tolerate anywhere else! Right now my favorite places are China 46, Hunan Cottage, Joy Luck Pavilion and altho I haven't been there for awhile, I like Noodle Chu. I used to go to China Gourmet in WO on Eagle Rock Ave. (great sizzling oysters in black pepper sauce.) I stopped when China 46 came into my life. Then I heard that China Gourmet had dropped quite a bit. But last week-end someone had gone there and said that the quality was back. I will have to recheck it. ← I stopped going to China Gourmet as well. I felt that they were overpriced and that the quality could not substantiate it. I'd rather go to Hunan Cottage in Fairfield or Hunan Taste in Denville. Maybe I'll give China Gourmet another shot. As for down and dirty, if the food is solid, I'm willing to look the other way, but if the place is foul and so is the food, who wouldn't get bugged out a little bit?

I totally disagree with you- It's amazing I think- comes out all steaming and carmelized. In fact I can not imagine better pulled pork anywhere. Unless you're talking about sauce. Or unless you're kosher. Been enjoying their wings also! ← That's ok. I wasn't overly impressed by the pulled pork, nor was I overly impressed by the individual meats. There used to be a place in NJ called Fink's Funky Chicken and Ribs. He made the best pulled pork I've ever had! I guess that's the standard by which I judge all other pulled pork. Unfortunately, Fink had to close his place due to illness. What I enjoyed best about RUB: 1. Szechuan Smoked Duck 2. Burnt Ends I also enjoyed the BBQ chicken, onion strings, baked beans, and the St. Louis Ribs. Bare in mind that I've only eaten there 2 or 3 times. I'm absolutely down to give them (and the pulled pork) another go-round.

I've become a fan of the home made Caesar salad. I've gotten to the point that I really don't need to order it in a restaurant anymore, with the occasional exception. The last Caesar I had that clearly beat my own was at the Manor in W. Orange, NJ... I digress. I've been tinkering with the recipe, using various types of anchovies, sometimes anchovy paste. I've also tried numerous types of dijon mustard, but I have yet to find a dijon mustard substitute like a powder or a seed. It's a constant work in progress, but I am almost always delighted with the final product. Sometimes with chicken or another meat, sometimes in a wrap, somtimes a handful of sundried tomatoes... Oh, and lest I forget, much of it has to do with using the proper bowl. A good wooden bowl, used strictly for Caesar salad, becomes seasoned with the passing of time, contributing to a better salad with every use!

mmm... burnt ends... those were outstanding as well! Gotta say that I'm not a huge fan of their pulled pork though.

Was reading another post and saw a link back to RUB. We ordered some takeout from RUB about a month ago and once again I was amazed by the BBQ duck. It's just fall off the bone tendere with such a delicious flavor. I could go back to RUB time and time again just for that duck. It really is spectacular!

China 88 is pretty good. Not everything is spectacular, but they make several dishes very well. I also like the fact that they'll deliver to us in West Orange As for their sushi, while it's not "best ever" it is fresh and well prepared. Very often I'll get a random roll to have as an appetizer. I wasn't a huge fan of their Tom Yam soup, but I do like their Wonton soup. The wonton's are very light and not doughy, and the broth has a delicious flavor. I think they do a particularly good job with their lemongrass dishes, and they also make a fairly good version of Salt & Pepper Shrimp. Keep in mind that just about all of their food that I've tried, I've had a better version in another restaurant, but for an eclectic Asian restaurant, they do a good job.

sure, aside from, say, every one of your posts in your sig line. ← I said rarely, not never!

Sorry gal, the place wasn't even opened 9 months ago. INEDIBLE!!! One of the best pork chops I've ever had. ← Best ever?!? I rarely quote myself, but on my experience: The pork chops either needed to be brined or to be cooked for less time. Absolutely terrible, and I really enjoy a good pork chop.

I went today, and it was an absolute madhouse. I took my wife for her first visit. We got there around 2:30 and waited on line for about 10 minutes. I know it was crowded, but we didn't receive our food until just past 3:20. They obviously weren't prepared for such a large crowd. They seemed overwhelmed. The food was still very good, but I think they needed to do a bit of a better job of speeding things along. We were order #150. We ordered our food, then took our ticket to pay the cashier. For the most part, the finaces are taken care of ahead of time and separately from the food preparation. As we waited, there was about a minute or two between each order called off. For the most part, each order was delivered in order. I was a small bit perturbed to see my order placed into a bag, only to watch the lady behind the counter place it down and allow it to sit there. She then went on to place other orders in bags only to call out, "order #152!" Then another couple of minutes, all the while me watching my food just sit there in the bag until Matt told her, "you know that's order 150 waiting to go out." "Ok." More loading of orders into bags. "#150!" The anticipation! I was a little upset watch my order just sit there cooling off, but I mean they've only been open for 2 weeks... I guess the bottom line is that if you get there and there's a crowd out the door, just be prepared to have some patience at this point. I'm sure with a little time and a little practice it'll be smooth sailing ahead! BTW, I changed things up today and went with a Smokey Joe. A sensational hotdog! Best of luck moving forward guys! That ABC piece really boosted business today!

Along with this thought another one to muse upon is The Red Lobster when it is in the state of Maine. ← Ha! I was thinking of the Red Lobster in NYC too. That place gets packed all the time as well. I've never been inside, but there's always a line out the door!

Can I get an AMEN?!? (Event though I am violently opposed to the O.G.?) Seriously. I couldn't agree more. ← hmmm... I'm opposed to going to the OG under most circumstances. I went to NYC with a group from school several years ago, and to my disgust they opted for lunch at the OG rather than try a local place. The OG in NYC??? So many things shock me about this. 1. how can this place make it in a city with so many restaurants? 2. how can this place possibly be packed? One of the great mysteries of American culture.

After several days of looking in vain, I can come up with no recipe for paella on egullet or recipe gullet. Seems bizarre... If someone has a tried and true one, please post it here for posterity. I am forced to switch gears to Louisiana for my dinner guests tomorrow. I would hate to trust my paella to a blind google search. ← I'd love a paella recipe or two myself. My friend lent me his paella pan rather than put it in storage, and thus far it has gone unused...

Isn't it amazing that the same friends that are criticizing your obsession with food are the same friends that are bugging you for a restaurant recommendation or are lining up at your door when you decide to host a dinner party or BBQ, etc? I'm lucky that I have a friend that takes being a foodie to a level beyond me. I'm a good cook, he's a gifted cook. Takes so much of the pressure off! As for me, I took a trip to San Francisco and the Pacific coast highway last summer. I spent many an hour before the trip researching restaurants and various food spots along the way. People thought I was crazy spending so much time planning where we'd eat along the way. I thought they were crazy whenevery they planned a trip without giving any consideration to food. I don't know about y'all, but I've grown accustomed to eating every day! My research brouth me to the R&G lounge in Chinatown where I had the best hot and sour soup of my life. It brought me to Passionfish where I had not only a fantastic meal, but was blown away by the cheap prices! I had delicious sushi and chowder in bread bowls, and...well, I could go on and on. I think the highlight of a trip can be a meal. Sure there is so much to do while traveling, but those other parts can be less memorable when you're grumbling about the terrible food and service you had the night before. We all enjoy good food. It's just that some of us are willing to put more of an effort towards it.

Perhaps they encountered this in their research? edit: Forget it, it's a banana not a hotdog... my bad.

I completely disagree. It may not be best ever, but a few of them I really enjoyed.

According to the website, they do NOT serve ALL of Essex County.. maybe half of it... but they do not serve WO, MW, SO, Livingston, Millburn, etc. Too bad, because I was hoping to order from them. ← I was wondering about this. They are located in Bloomfield on Broad St. They will deliver to Caldwell, but not West Orange? Heck, they'll deliver to Kearny and Moonachie, but not Livingston? I have to think that the website is in error. This just doesn't make any sense. If you really wanted to order from them, I'd call and ask.

To not let you sample some of the beer on tap is just bad business. What could that set them back--5 cents? I can see why you wouldn't be too anxious to return. My last trip to Egan and Sons: Me: "That guy looks just like Yogi Berra" My Dad: "That's because that is Yogi Berra." Me: "Well... that explains it."

I've never gone to the bar area at E&S. All of my experiences have been in the back dining room, as I've always gone with my dad and my wife. I haven't had any problems with the service. I think my dad is more of a handful than anything the serving staff can throw at us. I think the brew a decent beer. As for the burgers, they are so-so, and that's only when they're not way overcooked which in my experience has been more often than not. As a side note, Tommy I saw your post on a burger, beer, martini, etc, but I'm not a Bergen county expert. I'm mainly around Essex county, so I couldn't offer you much help.

Did you just give up and leave, or did you eventually have anything to eat/drink? If so, what did you think of the food?

I did ask to order another drink, but in a smaller size and was told that the children's size was only sold *with* a meal. IOW, I could only buy a large drink, there was no small or large available. And my order was take-out, so I wasn't trying to take advantage of free refills. FWIW, I wasn't trying to get a free drink or anything, I just wanted to buy an additional child sized drink. ← My response wasn't directed as a specific challenge towards you, but rather an observation as to why the specific restaurant policy may have been put in place.