pnapoli

this that Hot Rod's place others have mentioned?

it's been a while, but i recall this place being rather good

today i said to my buddy (who hails from clifton): "hey i gotta ask you about this place in clifton called sharky's" and he said: "wings!!!!"

location?? i been jonesin' for quality wings. sharky's dive bar. in clifton. yeah. i like the sounda that.

yeah. SEEMED being the operative word. dude, c'mon...

just one example of why i love this thread.

smart. it's gnarly.

The Petite Cafe has been discussed here before, a few times. Here's one thread; here's another. I've been here 3 times in the past 3 months or so for dinner. Also got lunch once. It's always been quite good. As others observe, the dinner menu is more inventive than what you generally see around these parts. It's a breath of fresh air, it's super convenient (for me), and I like the owners (well, I have not met Keith Jarett yet but his wife Marueen is very sweet). And, I should add, it's never really crowded. Perfect for a Friday night! Last time we went, my husband ordered an entree from the specials that was a selection of grilled game meats--I wish I could remember the specifics but I have a lousy memory . I do remember buffalo short ribs, because you just don't see that every day. But even as someone who's not crazy about meat in general, I tasted, and actually really liked, everything on his plate. On a previous visit, I ordered snook, a Floridian game fish that, if I recall correctly, was prepared with a coconut curry glaze and black rice. Again, not a fish that you see on most menus. I've had a few conversations with MJ about the restaurant and how they are faring in Nutley. She has mentioned that the dinner menu has met with some resistance from some local diners, who either see the name "Petite Cafe" and think it's going to be a french bistro (despite the fact that the menu is posted at the door), or they are simply disappointed when they don't see an entree that includes tomato sauce. Personally I don't have a problem with the "ambience" or lack thereof, because I generally favor laid back, casual places, but I guess it has been something of an issue with some diners as well. One thing I will say is that the menu could be perceived by some to be unfocused, but someone else might appreciate the diversity. It just depends on what you like, I guess. They post their dinner specials each week on their website www.thepetitecafe.com. I hope they stick around. I'd be sorry to see them go.

Samoa. every country has a unique country code. they also own the right to that qualifier, unless they sell it, which is what i imagine Samoa did. Tuvalu did the same, and gave the world the ".tv" qualifier. wasn't that fun? but, thanks for responding.....

thanks for the feedback foodie. and rockADS21, pls. report back if you go.

well, i haven't had dinner there, but i had a very good brunch there once. my expectations weren't that high so i was very pleasantly surprised. i second varmint's praise of blue point, too.

haven't seen this place mentioned before and was wondering if anyone has been...i've passed by a few times; looks cute. RockADS21, you familiar with this one? A google search turned up this website PS: wazzup with the .ws extension on the URL? is this new? does it stand for....website?

went recently and liked it. instead of the bread basket, we were presented with a plate of black and green olives marinated with garlic in olive oil. from the ceviche menu, we chose the rainbow ceviche (salmon, mackerel and scallops); from the tapas menu: oysters rodriguez, squid stuffed with braised short ribs, fried octopus, and a special composed of three different arepas (short ribs, chicken, and hudson valley foie gras). good mojitos and caipirinhas. a nice oloroso sherry. for dessert: cafe tres leches, which was quite delicious. in short, i thought it compared favorably to chicama, 'cept there's no "mango foam"at ola....

finally got to visit this place. had the pulled pork sandwich, cole slaw, cajun steak fries, and apple smoked brisket w/ pecan-corn relish. the sandwich was large, and quite good, except that i wasn't nuts about the sub-style bread. the brisket was interesting--very flavorful, served on a bed of potatoes, pecans, corn, scallions. the sandwich made me too full to eat many fries, but they were pretty good, not greasy. the slaw was just OK. the menu is pretty small here, and includes a few catfish dishes, a shrimp po-boy, and of course, chicken and ribs. didn't have dessert but saw a very tempting carrot cake at the next table. dbrociner is spot-on about the ambience--there is NONE--it felt slightly weird having a server in this place.

menton1: for a great slice, try Giuliano Bros. on washington st in newark (corner of central ave and washington st, near the Rutgers campus). I have been many many times and am never disappointed. Only problem with this place is that they close really early, so you gotta go for lunch. tommy: star is such a cool place. the pie is soooooo thin, so order accordingly. usually very crowded on weekend nights.

there's a place called mike's on paterson plank rd. in secaucus that has really good ice cream. applegate is overrated imo. people i work with rave about denville dairy. other than that, there's this place called springer's in stone harbor...good ice cream if you are willing to brave the crowds. tommy -- the pipeline in newark (from the link in 201's post)?! you are my hero. poots -- i remember grunning's--very sad when it closed and became--what?--a condo development? am i imagining things or was there also a grunning's in the building where the claridge theater in montclair is? this is going back *many* years (before they remodeled the lobby), so i could be totally wrong about that.

hey fink! where were ya friday night? sorry we missed you, but we had very tasty cheesesteak, pulled chicken, greens, cole slaw, fries...yeah we "pigged" out (pun intended) . also took home some of the spicy bbq sauce (heard your mgr calling you on the phone for the price). that's a great sauce, and we can't wait to use it. anyway, i'm sure we will see you soon...

i heartily second 410 bank street. byo.

yes, in Cape May. but, they also ship everywhere: fudge kitchens

ya gotta love the decor at scuttlebutt's. the red vinyl booths: classic. and yeah, it's hella smokey. interesting place.

this the place in Watchung Plaza? if so, I heard some good things but haven't tried it yet. To answer my own question: no. The new place in Watchung Plaza is called Yoshi, also reviewed in today's NYT (Quick Bites, next to the Jerry's review). Anyone been?

this the place in Watchung Plaza? if so, I heard some good things but haven't tried it yet.

Went tonight and enjoyed it. A very welcome addition to the area, which had nothing much before. Rosie, you're right--it's beautiful--we loved the fireplaces. Surprisingly crowded for a Monday night. From the specials menu, 3 of us ordered the baby spinach salad with grapes, belgium postel cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette ($8.95). One had the red pepper soup ($5.95). For entrees, 3 chose a salmon dish ($18.95), I had the mahi-mahi special over asparagus and wild rice with truffle oil ($23.95). Menu didn't knock me out in terms of creativity, although there were some interesting apps, but the food was good, service was pretty good, and atmosphere was really good. One of our offices is across the street so I am sure I will be back again.