pnapoli

check it

they missed their goal of being open by st. patty's day, but it looks like they are getting pretty close. every time i drive by, they're busy at work. they've done a really nice job with the decor. has anyone heard anything about when they might open?

i'll second that. it's hard not to have fun (not to mention a really great meal) here.

yeah, that's a tough one. i can't think of any place around here that does carolina q. but, to answer your question about pop's in madison: it's pretty good, but not what you're looking for. very nice pulled pork sandwich, tho. jim dandy's in nutley: nothing special. really. there's a hole in the wall on walnut street in montclair called ray's luncheonette that's worth checking out. again, not what i'd call carolina style, but certainly closer to it than indigo smoke. i don't think they're open past 3 pm or so. let us know if you come across anywhere else good.

'mock meat': the latest montclair trend?

i almost always stay at the Charles Street Inn in Beacon Hill. i've also heard good things from trusted friends about Lydia Shire's newest restaurant The Excelsior.

not since the fall, but i was right next door at Ciao for lunch today. how was yours?

i tried Philly Slim's cheesesteak a while ago and thought it was nothing special. but tonight, i had Tony Luke's "roast pork italian" (thin sliced pork, sharp provolone & broccoli rabe) sandwich and thought it was very good. the roll was perfect. can't wait to try a cheesesteak.

yep, they put out a few in warmer weather. their tables kind of bump up against those of their neighbor Mexicali Rose. more in Montclair: Epernay on Park St. Taro & Suzette on Church St. Bonjour Montclair (creperie in Watchung Plaza) Cafe Eclectic on Bloomfield (good luck snagging a table) South Park on Park & Church Marzullo's on Grove Roundtrip Fare at the Upper Montclair train station alan @594 on Valley has tables out back in the courtyard Raymond's used to when they were in the smaller space, wonder if they'll do it now that they've moved.

I have very high hopes.....

haven't heard of this place. is it new? what kinds of pizza do they have? thx.

for more ideas, check out this thread.

although i've been here many times, corso 98 continues to impress with its delicious food, warm, professional service, and pleasant ambiance. our meal began with a duck salad (from the specials menu) and appetizer portion of gnocchi served with smoked mozzarella cheese, arugula, tomatoes, & garlic. this was the first time i'd tried their gnocchi, and i really enjoyed it. very light and pillow-y. for entrees, we had the wild boar stew (a favorite dish) and excellent braised short ribs (another special). we left no room for dessert, but the cappuccino was very good. i think it came to somewhere in the $85 range including tip. i am glad to see that they're maintaining their high standards, and their well-deserved popularity.

their website now says they're opening this month. we'll see....

can't speak to the other meats, but i got some very nice organic chicken sausage and italian hot sausage here yesterday. they were quite busy.

I just checked out the website...looks good! Hopefully the next time I'm in town...they will be open. he opened on friday. hope you can get there next time you're in town. 3382 30th Street SD, CA

try some of these links: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,spin...sserole,FF.html http://www.gumbopages.com/food/dessert/swe...otato-pone.html http://www.chefrick.com/html/sweetpotpone.html http://southernfood.about.com/library/rec97/bl1109a.htm

bump. heading down to the keys and wanted to see if there's anything new and noteworthy. there's plenty of info about key west around here, but how about the some of the others? i haven't been down there in years, so any suggestions are welcome. thx.

hi annsyp: my buddy jay is opening a place in the next month or so. the menu isn't finalized yet, but here's his website--the menu will be up soon. The Linkery please stop by and say hello--he's a really great guy and will make you feel right at home. he's also a native san diegan who absolutely loves the city, and can tell you everywhere that's worth going. AND, his sausages are incredibly good.

that is sad news. fink: hope your recovery is quick and easy. wishing you all the best in your future endeavors.

indigo smoke was doing a gospel brunch for a while--not sure if they still do. in nearby nutley there's the petite cafe; their brunch menu is on their website

i read in last week's Montclair Times that the executive chef, Jamie Knott, has resigned.

we had a very nice meal at dish last night. we showed up around 9 w/o a reservation and the parking lot was almost full. while we were parking, a couple and a party of 6 walked in. the room was packed, with very few 2 tops. the couple ahead of us got the last 2 top, and we were told that the wait would be at most 20 minutes, which turned out to be accurate. the woman who seated us and appeared to be managing the FOH was very warm and welcoming. soon after we were seated, we each received two pieces of bread and soft butter was placed on the table. like rosie, i particularly liked the pistachio, walnut and cranberry bread. for apps, we ordered PEI mussels in spicy lobster broth with tarragon croutons ($8), "Pretzel Crusted Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Baby Greens & Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce" ($12) (I'm copying from their website for accuracy). both were good. i should note that the crab cake was not actually crusted with pretzel, rather there were 3 pretzel sticks drizzled with mustard placed on top. unusual, but i thought the flavors worked together rather well. for entrees, we ordered the short ribs that Rosie mentions above, an ($21), and "Tapenade Crusted Swordfish with Bourbon Sweet Potato Mash, Grilled Asparagus & Pinot Noir Reduction" ($24). we enjoyed both dishes. the short ribs did not have that melt-in-your-mouth texture that you usually encounter, but i don't think they were braised, which may have something to do with it. (we had had beer-braised short ribs at Raymond's in Montclair the previous weekend, and liked those better, but these were still good). the swordfish was perfectly cooked and i really liked the sweet potato mash. we shared a molten chocolate cake for dessert, which was nothing special. cappuccino was pretty good. i was somewhat surprised to see that people were still arriving after 10. toward the end of our meal, the chef came out and visited every table in the room. they're clearly enjoying some good buzz, so if you are planning to go on a weekend, i'd recommend making a reservation.

anyone been here recently? i might try to check it out this weekend.

yeah they do...i had it on a visit last week. it's excellent.