hitmanoo

I was only there once for lunch with a colleague, and it was pretty good. Guess I won't get to make a 2nd trip...

If you pay by AMEX, you get a $10 bonus for the $125 pass ($135) and a $25 bonus for the $200 pass ($225)

I find Total Wine in the Essex Green Mall in West Orange to have a quality selection at affordable prices. Total Wine West Orange 973.324.0899 Address 325 Prospect Ave. & I-280 West Orange, NJ 07052 Another possibility is the Bottle King on Bloomfield Ave in Glen Ridge. Glen Ridge 710 Bloomfield Ave. (973) 748-5033 Mon-Sat 9am-10pm Sun 12pm-5pm

if you're considering CB's, you might consider the Grand Saloon in Clifton. it certainly wouldn't be my first choice, but given the constraints it might work. edited to say that the stairs might kill this idea. am i out of my mind to suggest Pal's Cabin? ← I believe that Pal's cabin has a private facility downstairs on the same level as the bathrooms, so stairs shouldn't be a factor.

What's the address?

I thought parking was a nightmare, but then I realized that they plan to have an indoor parking garage. I haven't parked in the garage yet, but I'm sure that will start off as a disorganized nightmare, kind of like the situation over in Montclair.

ah-HA! just as i suspected. i nailed you. dead to rights. ← Let's just say that I hope I'm not forced into a third trip, as I was the second trip.

Actually, the first time I went here was the day we moved into our new place. We had wanted to go to the Ritz Diner, but it was completely mobbed. Tired and exhausted, we just didn't have it in us to do any traveling, and we saw that it was open from the road, so we stumbled in. i have no excuse for the second trip...

I couldn't agree more. On my first visit, soon after it opened, I had the spicy satay peanut sauce, with chicken. It tasted like one of those frozen stir-fry in a bag items that you can purchase from your local supermarket. I wasn't at all impressed. On my second and most recent visit, I went with a chicken caesar wrap. I can't really describe how it tasted other than to say generic... I'd rather get overcharged at Tossed. One thing that bothered me was that they had a variety of Snapple beverages but no options other than diet. I realize we are in the age of calorie cutting, and the Livingston crowd can be a bit...well... let's just say calorie conscious, but couldn't Fresh City have at least one or two regular options, like straight up iced tea? I didn't have any particular problems with the staff, as I don't really have high expectations for kids working for soft money at what is more or less an upscale take on a fast food restaurant.

the only place that comes to mind is Lisboa BBQ on Bloomfield in Verona. but you said 'phenomenal', so... ← I've seen Lisbon BBQ, by Verona Park. I've never heard anything about it, and I've never tried it myself. Are they doing anything special?

Am I alone in being underwhelmed by the offerings of Indigo Smoke? I've eaten there several times, and as much as I want to love it, I just don't. It's such a convenient local place, and it would be great to have a solid BBQ joint nearby, but I find it to be pretty average.

It must have been their desire to please me, their most regular customer. Yeah, right. the only person to even acknowledge you was the guy who *wasn't* serving us. and the only one to have a pulse as far as i could tell. just our luck. i should add that the fries were very good as well. we should hit AAG for them calamari. do you know if Lou serves any sparkling wine by the glass? bubbles and fried: mmmmmm... ← The firecracker calamari is great stuff. I don't get to AAG often due to distance, but it's a pretty regular appetizer.

Entenmanns isn't ths supermarket. They have their own case at the end of the isle!

Well, Blimpie and Subway bake their own bread on premises, and it tastes like a limp dishrag... ← i do believe that they simply finish the bread on premises. not knowing much at all about pastries, i can't imagine that any supermarket is going to come anywhere near balthazar or the michael fellow. however, i can see how there are probably plenty of somewhat reasonable options at some supermarkets if that's your bag. in fact, i picked up a ciabatta from Stop and Shop the other day, and it was quite decent enough for a Sunday sandwich when no bakeries were open for bread. it was part of the best tuna sandwich. ever. ← I'd like to think that high end bakeries can do better than supermarkets, but sometimes you can get a good enough baked good to fit your needs at a reasonable price. Not every baked good has to be "best ever." As for Subway and Blimpie, let's just leave that mass produced/frozen product out of this discussion and treat egullet with a little respect!

For you to recommend a burger is high praise! Morristown is a decent area with several good spots for a beer. I can't recommend any for burgers and wings though. I'll be sure to check out Copeland. Something tells me that getting rid of the hotel guests at a hotel bar might not be too god for business...

That's a pretty broad and general statement to make, considering that there are many supermarkets that do their own baking on premesis. I find that many of the baked goods vary in quality from store to store.

I find Calandra's to be excellent for bread, but just about average on the rest of their baked goods. I find this to be true for both the Fairfield and Newark locations, though the Newark location is average to above average for their baked goods making them a little bit better than the Fairfield location.

Just add water! It's great stuff!

Ahhh the VI. I spent many a drunken night at that establishment back in the day--which wasn't quite so long ago. Would have been nice to have AHD across the street back then. I stopped into AHD on Tuesday. I noticed the new photos, but was happy to see that not too much had changed, and there were some vast improvements. The powered ketchup dispenser is fantastic!

Great news! It's been a long wait, and I'm psyched to go back for another outstanding dog! Congrats!

Primavera moved down the street to the hotel on the other side of Eagle Rock Ave. Wish was always slow and went out of business. I never had a chance to dine at Bella Vita. Not sure if the place has changed hands yet again.

I would consider Bloomfield Ave in that area--or Broadway. Whichever street is right down the road from Hunan Taste. There is ample parking, and there is usually alot of foot traffic, especially in the warmer months. I used to work right down the street from there. There is a Stewart's Root Beer place there, which my provide a bit of competition, but I'm sure there is room for an exceptional hot dog joint such as yours.

Gutted is right. All that's there is framework. I'm surprised that they didn't just try to convert the existing supermarket into their own. I'm excited to see what they come up with. The most recent opening date I heard through the grape vine is October.

I think that Sammy's during the summertime for an early Sunday dinner is perfect if you don't want to wait. Usually at that time, you go in, order, have time for one cocktail--2 tops, and then you are brought upstairs for dinner. If that's the type of time you're looking for, early on sunday is perfect--5-6 PM arrival. To be honest, I don't recall getting there for a later dinner on a Sunday, but I do remember it being a little more crowded when I've left. Of course, I've never gone back down to the bar to evaluate the wait after dinner.

ugh. no thanks. ← It depends on what kind of evening you're looking for. If you want to go around 6-6:30 you can relax downstairs and have a few cocktails before dinner.