chefdavidrusso

I take it he has a shop someplace?

Thanks...we'll check it out. That's what I love about this area. Everything is 15 minutes from everything else. We'll hit that one too Thanks for the info.

Ridgewood was very small last week....only about 7-10 vendors. I'm not exactly sure where Hasbrooke Heights is, but I will certainly check it out. And I agree with you...the produce itself isn't always the best part of the market. At Ridgewood last week there was an outfit that was making fresh mozzarella right there at the market. I got some, and it was fantastic.

I'm not really hoping for (or expecting) Babbo or Felidia...if I wanted that I'd just go into the city. I'm not looking for transcendant....I'm looking for decent "neighborhood" Italian food that's close to home. If any of you have ever by chance ventured to Evanston IL, I'm looking for this area's answer to Dave's Italian Kitchen. Of course, it doesn't have to be in Ridgewood. I just noticed that there are alot of Italian restaurants in town and was wondering about them.

5 years ago when I lived in Manhattan, my wfie and I used to get Pickle-licious at "the street fair"....the one that would magically pop up at a different location each saturday and sunday. It became a little game we had....scour the city for the fair, and reward ourselves with pickles. The things you'll do for fun when you're young and broke in the city....

Thanks Rachel....my wife and I popped in on the Ridgewood market when we got off the train from the city. Unfortunately it was the end of the day, so not much was left. But everything that was still there looked great. Any idea how big it gets? What would you recommend as a particularly good one, both in terms of quality as well as variety?

Hey Fink - One of the things that I was really excited about moving to North Jersey was because I had been reading about your place here on eGullet....And now that I finally get her you're leaving me I did get in last Saturday and got an assortment of take-out....I thought your brisket was fantastic. And your BBQ sauce....amazing. Any chance you might sell some of it retail if we came out to the store? Good luck....

Are any of the myriad Italian restaurants in Ridgewood any good? My wife and I are interested in trying them but really don't want to waste our time on bad food.

So by my calculations, that means there are 19 times that I can eat at Fink's between now and closing. Better roll up my sleeves.....

Wings he could definitely do...thanks for the suggestion. Your lovely daughter with 2 small children and the fine sense of vocabulary ( ) doesn't happen to know the name of the place, does she?

When you make risotto in a professional setting, it is not uncommon to cook the rice about 3/4 of the way done and then cool it. Then at service, you cook the "additions", finish cooking the rice, and then combine them. That way it only takes about 10-15 minutes to put together the final dish. And having been he executive chef of a restaurant that was open for all 3 meal periods, plus had a robust catering business, I have to give them kudos for being able to pull it off. Three meal periods is a very hard thing to do, especially if you are trying to be a different restaurant at dinner than you are at breakfast. That's what we tried to do, and you'll notice that I'm using the past tense to describe it Unfortunately, it sounds like from the reviews that the breakfast service suffers a little bit.

My youngest brother is going to be a freshman at Boston College in the fall and I want to make sure he has his supply of good pizza all lined up (being the food obsessed older brother that I am). I don't know anything about the area, so if anyone has any sugegstions I would greatly appreciate them. (And I'm sure he would too)

It takes longer for me to start my car in the morning than it does to drive across the county line into Bergen from our apartment, so I'm sure I'll be getting to all the places you mentioned, regardless of the county. And like I said, I'll have some free time on my hands this summer. But I will certainly post what I find.

I'm going to be in Hawthorne, at the Wycoff end of town. The nice thing that I've found while driving around the area is that it seems like you can be anywhere in 20 minutes.

I'm playing Mr. Mom this summer, so I'm sure I'll have some time to sit with a map and figure out my way. And what better way to learn the area than by going on food-hunt adventures with my son. Granted, he's only 7 months old so the fine nuance of the Torta de Barbacoa might be lost on him.... Besides, I'm not sure I want to wait until September to find the good stuff. Thanks!

Thanks everybody!! Sounds like I've got some great options. It's so nice to be moving back to a part of the country that has such a plethora of food options. Now I just have to figure out where the hell all those towns are

....wool knit sweaters with pictures of little kittens on the front

Oddly enough, it took moving to South Bend Indiana to get me hooked on taquerias. Yes, believe it or not there is a large Hispanic population there that supports quite a few taquerias and carnecerias. And they're all pretty good. So I'm really hoping to find a good one or two when I arrive in NJ. Any suggestions.....? -David

Was in Memphis this weekend.....didn't see a Waffle House anywher, but DAMN did I have some good BBQ!!

Pretty sure that's Niles...a loong way from Evanston. =R= You may very well be right, but "Niles" doesn't really ring a bell. Either way, it was WAY the hell out there...took us about 1/2 hour by car.

Yes...as Miss Maggie so eloquently points out...I am serious as a heart-attack (which it sounds like repeated trips to the Waffle House will supply to me) In NJ we've got Greek and Jewish diners...maybe not quite the same thing, but it's as close as we get. Oddly, one of my favorite late night greek diner experiences came when I was living in Chicago....welll, at that point I was still in college in Evanston....we used to go out to the Omega on Gulf Road in whatever town it was that far out (they all ran together for meat that point). Maggiethecat...do you know it? -David

I have a brother-in-law who lives in Nasville and is forever talking about a place called "Waffle House". I don't know anything about it personally....anybody have any comment? (now there's a stupid question )

Those are the largest metro areas in the United States. AAHHH...I never would have guessed that. Thank you. Is the list that starts the thread updated with the suggestions of others? I would be curious to see what you all have come up with. And I'll see if I can't make some suggestions as well

I don't know if anybody's asked this yet...but why those particular cities? Seems like kind of an eclectic assortment...some big, some not so big. I mean really...does Oklahoma City have a signature food? (just and example. folks...not trying to stir it up ) A guy that I used to work with...he and I planned a mythical trip across the county where we would go to every state and eat what that state is known for.

Personally, I think Nob Hill in the MGM Grand is the better restaurant. But to be fair, it's been a couple of years since I've been there, and things can change.