hitmanoo

I think that the challenge in this is that you get free refills on your drink. If they offered a child size as a standard, more than a few people would take advantage of this lesser price, only to take even more advantage of the refill policy. With this in mind, you probably could have just ordered an extra drink but asked for a smaller cup.

From my experience in the area, I'd have to agree wih this. I like the Franklin Steakhouse Angus burger, and Pal's is solid (not to mention right around the corner). I've never even heard of Michael's--I'll be sure to give that a try! I found the Egan and Son's burger to be fairly good, so long as they don't overcook it. I find that they overcook their food their in general, so you're best to order at least one grade below. If you like rare to medium-rare, you may be out of luck. Medium-rare to rmedium is as low as it gets here. A special mention to their honey wings. Very tasty with a nice spicy sweetness. I wasn't so impressed with Gaffer's. I gave it a try on a couple of occasions but just didn't feel it was anything special.

I went for the first time today. I introduced myself to Eric, and he was friendly and courteous. I told him I'd wanted to check it out earlier in the week, but he said I should be glad I didn't. He said things started off crazy, but today things were more calm. I had an amazing with mustard and a small fries. The hotdog was plump and delicious, and the fries were crisp and delicious. I love fresh french fries, and these did not disappoint. I couldn't believe that the small order was as big as it was. A small order would be perfect for 2 people. I imagine the large to be for a family or the VERY hungry. My only regret is that I didn't try the special lemon/lime drink. I wasn't as careful as I thought I was with the menu, and I didn't even realize it was an option. I see myself eating more hotdogs in the future!

I was there on Sunday night. I thought the food was very good, but the service left much to be desired. At a table for 4 we ordered the veal rib chop, tuna and 2 orders of tilapia. Both the veal and the tuna were excellent. The tilapia was a little bit too dry, but was ok with a touch of lemon. I had the chicken/corn soup, and it was very good. The Caesar salad was well done. I did not get to try the Julio salad, but it was completely eaten, and I was told it was delicious. My only problem was with the service. They were very slow to take our order. When I payed my check, I had to wait 10-15 minutes to get back some change. There was a party of 4 seated about 10 minutes after us, and they were served and out of the restaurant at least 20 minutes before us. In all, a quality meal. A little bit pricy--dinner for 4 was about $145 before tip. That price includes no alcoholic beverages.

This entire argument over the harm done by cigarettes is irrelevent, so long as our government continues to keep cigarettes legal. It is the government's responsibility to protect people from toxins it knows to be harmful. It is not the responsibility of restaurants or businesses at large. Our government continues to peck away at the problem rather than focus on or solve the true problem. If you want to take down a tree, you have to take out the roots. Sheering a few brances doesn't cut it.

While I don't have the energy to get involved in this debate again, I am amazed by how much money swings the vote instead of public interest. The crazy thing about it is that gambling in itself is addictive like cigarettes. Will a smoking ban really ruin casino business? I guess the state in its fragile economic state cannot afford to find out...

I've enjoyed the Porterhouse for 2. I've been there several times, and ordered a variety of cuts, and this one has been my favorite. It's a large cut and even 2 big eaters sharing this dish shouldn't be left hungry. The cake serving is definitely enormous. My wife and I shared a piece once and it was laughable. At the end it looked like we'd barely even tried it. It reminded me of the serving sizes of dessert at Harold's Deli.

Is the W. Orange Whole Foods still planned to be in space formerly occupied by Pathmark in the mall with KMart, Wendy's and Staples? If so, what kind of renovations? It doesn't look like anything has been done to that space besides a total clearout.

Even though it's been mentioned several times, Sammy's in Mendham is exceptional. Not only do they have fantastic food, but it is an interesting experience. Basically, you order your food on arrival and then you are sent down to the basement/barroom to wait for your table. There you can have a few cocktails, there are arcade games for the kids, bumper pool, shuffle board bowling, etc. When your food and table are ready, you are called upstairs, and the meal is served immediately. This system has been in place for decades. In fact, the restaurant has changed hands at least once in my lifetime, and the new owners have been smart enough not to change things. If it ain't broke don't fix it. The only real changes that have been made over the years are a few additions to the menu. Just about everything is the same. Aside from the entrees, much of the food is served family style, depending on what you order to accompany the meal, including french fries, pasta, salad, etc. While it is a bit pricy, you get a fantastic meal, and an experience that differs from most other restaurants.

What a great thread idea! Unfortunately, I don't have much to add, as I live in West Orange, and I usually find myself traveling to surrounding towns for takeout, namely Montclair and Livingston. I am excited to try Marc & Eric's. Thanks Rosie.

I'm fairly certain that Egan & Sons is NOT open for lunch. Neither is Table 8. ← As far as Egan's goes, it's just as well, really. Nice room and a good bar, but the food is pretty horrible. ← Horrible???? 3 1/2 star for food (Star-Ledger). Local and not so local chef hang-out (yes, for food). Really hard to get a table on week-ends. ← I'm not sure what the critics at the Star Ledger ordered. I find that they tend to overcook their food. Though the last time I was there, I ordered the hanger steak and it was very good, not to mention cooked to order.

Little Saigon is open for lunch, and they have quite a number of very reasonably priced lunch specials in addition to their regular menu. The do a nice job, and it is usually quiet there during lunch.

I'll second Cafe Arugula. The food is always good, and the prices are reasonable. Factor in that it's on the same main road as Seton Hall, and that it's BYO with several nearby liquor stores, and it's a quality convenient place to dine near Seton Hall.

I used to live on Grove St, and I tried Golden China Gourmet once. I wasn't a fan at all, and never returned. Perhaps I ordered wrong. It would have been nice if they were decent, as the were witin walking distance. Instead, I chose to make the drive over to Wah Chung, because I felt they were far superior. To put things in perspective, neither of these places is in the same league as Hunan Cottage or Chna 46.

Sesame in Montclair on Bloomfield Ave Shiki Wok right in Bloomfield. They have internet ordering too ← Sesame isn't bad. They have an affordable Peking Duck dinner, and the food in general is decent. I had a poached duck with 5 spices that was exceptional! Rich, is Shiki Wok better than the place right across the street? For takeout, I think that Wah Chung is probably the best in the area. If you have an interest in other Asian cuisines, Montclair has plenty. Thai Chef and Little Saigon are both excellent.

I went last night for the first time myself, with my wife. There was quite a crowd, and we wound up at the Sushi bar next to a very "interesting" family. I have to concur with Rich. The yellowtail was fantastic. Flavorful, fresh and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The same applied to the Toro and the brook trout. We had each of these as sashimi, and were blown away by the freshness of the fish. We had a few of their special rolls a caterpillar, crazy tuna, and sweet and dragon.. All of the rolls were creative and delicious. I was espcecially impressed by the artistry and presentation. The sushi chef was there all by himself, as the two chefs who were supposed to be assisting him last night did not show up. Talk about a man working his fingers to the bone with flat out hustle. Despite how busy he was, he did make an effort to chat with us a bit. I'm not sure if he really wanted to, but the gentleman next to me was so rambunctious that he gave the chef little choice. It was pretty funny. When East Tokyo in East Hanover closed, I was very upset, and needed to find a new regular place for sushi. I was so impressed by Okayama, that this could turn into that place. This place was packed for a Friday night, so if you're planning on going on the weekend, either make a reservation, or call ahead to have your name put on the wait list. Half of the restaurant is Hibachi/Japanese steakhouse, half is regular tables, and there is a 5-6 seat sushi bar. In all, the restaurant isn't very large, and it's already becoming "discovered" by the Montclair crowd.

Closed for good? I know that they'd been struggling. I went on a Monday recently and saw that they were closed. I thought perhaps they'd chosen to close on Mondays due to a lack of business, but I didn't realize they'd closed all together.

I'm very late on this, but congratulations! Can't wait to stop by for a hotdog!

I went for lunch on Friday--solo style, and was pleasantly surprised. I went to the 48th St. b/w 5th and 6th location. I got to the restaurant at about 12:45, and it was packed. I waited about 5-10 minutes for a table which wasn't too bad at all. I guess the only problem is that they didn't have much space for waiting inside--this has to be a bit of a problem in the winter. I digress... I went with a hot and sour soup as an Ap, and I'd have to say that it was as good a version as any I've ever had, with the only exception being the rendition served by the R&G lounge in San Francisco which was next level. For the main, I had Stir Fried Prawns with a Yibin Spiced Chili and Asparagus. Just the pefect amount of spiciness, and both the prawns and asaragus were cooked perfectly. I guess the only disappointing aspect of the lunch was that I didn't get to try a variety of dishes. I'll be sure to return with a group and give more of the menu a try. Hopefully, I'll go with some adventurous eaters, as the menu had several interesting choices I'd love the opportunity to sample.

I've been to Penang in East Hanover a couple of times, and I've enjoyed it each time. They do a good job with the dishes, and the prices are so cheap. So cheap in fact that I can't understand how they are able to do the job they do at such low prices. In fact, I feel that the cost is unreasonably low. You can have dinner for two for less than $40, and you'll not only stuff yourself, but have ample food to take home with you.

Well, there you have it!

OK, we went to Ariyoshi last night for dinner. First of all, we were greeted by a hostess that we remembered from the many times we dined at Dai Kichi in Montclair. Secondly, upon observing the menu, we noted striking similarities between Ariyoshi and Dai Kichi. When we asked the hostess if the two restaurants were owned by the same owners, she told us that the were not--however, the former manager of Dai Kichi went into business for herself and opened Ariyoshi. Mystery solved. As for the meal, it was quite good. Not my best ever sushi experience, but a solid meal, and definitely a good local place we can return to when the sushi crave returns. Thanks for the recommendation!

I never got around to posting my review from my anniversary dinner about a month ago: Appetizers I had the braised short rib ravioli which is just outstanding. I really love that dish. The rib meat is so tender and flavorful, it's really about the best ravioli dish I've ever tasted. My wife had the Firecracker Calamari. The blend of spicy and sweet makes this dish very tasty. I'm not a huge fan of olives, but I can't hold my own food preferences against the dish. Entrees I had the Oven Roasted Pork. I was very happy that the pork was not overcooked. Recently I had a pork chop at Egan and Sons, and it was so overcooked that I had trouble cutting through it with a steak knife. It may have been the only time in my life that I returned a dish to the kitchen--but I digress... This pork was cooked perfectly, and the poached pears were a delicious, sweet complement. I really enjoyed it. My wife had a pan seared Tuna. She asked for it very rare, and she got it very rare. I remember it being melt in your mouth delicous. A very high quality tuna--I was pleased. As for drinks, I had a standard jack and coke. My wife had an apple martini that she claimed was one of the better apple martinis she'd ever had. In fact, she ordered a 2nd. I know there was no short pour, as she was a little toasted from her 2 cocktails.

Any idea what the hours are? I just walked by about an hour ago, and the place looked empty and closed. I work about 2 blocks away and I'd love to add a new lunch place to the rotation.

Rosie, you have to take Fink's off the list as his restaurant exists.