pnapoli

finally got around to trying sandy's today. simply put, this is just damn good fried chicken. NOT greasy. can't say too much else, since they were out of everything else but chicken when we were there. no matter--i'll be back soon.

ah...finally! thanks for the report. do you know if they are going to do a weekend brunch?

do you mean cafe tartufo? i haven't been to that one, but there's also one on bloomfield ave in montclair across from the clairidge. i'm not sure if they're related. it's OK, not great. also in montclair: marzullo's on grove st. (near the corner of walnut), and the coffee and tea cafe on valley rd. across from tierney's. this place is very popular, but it's big so there's usually always a place to sit. good desserts, espresso can be good but it really depends on who makes it.

has the menu changed much? and, is the decor change an improvement? it was pretty terrible before--when i was there several months ago, i think there were still remnants of the decor that had been in place about 10 years ago, when it was a deli...

here ya go

i got cripsy eel with sweet sauce, pork shoulder with vegetables, and steamed buns with meatballs at hunan cottage last night. i thought the eel was just OK, the steamed buns were very good, and the pork was excellent. given its location, i probably never would have discovered this place on my own, so thanks to everyone who wrote in about it!

we used to pick movies solely on basis of whether or not they were good 'drinking movies.' and needless to say, there were many. i had a coat that could accommodate a 12-pack, believe it or not.

this sounds like fun! definitely count me in.

dbrociner: thanks! but i have to say: no comparison. theirs is much better. (PS: you know the pixies are touring this summer, right? yay.) i should have mentioned the generous portions. we took home some of both the pork and the chicken. something else i should have mentioned. but i was surprised at how much this didn't bother me there, since it's usually something i can't stand. i think only one person in the dining area was smoking when i was there, and i wasn't aware of smoke wafting over from the bar. but i guess it depends on what's happening when you're there. ghostrider: this probably isn't much help, but, fwiw, i don't recall the food being particularly salty, and that is probably something that i would have noticed.

i've been having a real craving for q, lately, maybe because of this miserable weather. anyway, i finally got out to Hot Rods in Mine Hill, NJ, which i'd been meaning to do for some time, and it was well worth the trip! hot rod's is housed in a bar (Joann's) in a residential neighborhood, but from what i understand, they are 2 separate businesses. walking in, we were immediately greeted by a very friendly young woman and shown to a booth (there are about 7, i'd say, and some tables). as we perused the menu, our server brought out some of the best cornbread i've ever had, which was served nice and warm with maple butter. for an app, we ordered 'sweet and spicy smoked BBQ wings' (you can order them 'hot' or 'mild', we of course chose 'hot'). boy, were they good. i would say that their own description--'sweet and spicy'--is accurate. the seasoning was similar to jerk seasoning, but not quite as pungent as jerk. they were very moist, not breaded, and quickly disappeared. i think hot rods' is best known for their dry rubbed ribs, but that night we were craving pulled pork and pulled chicken. you can order platters or sandwiches. sides are an additional $1.80 or so, and we chose hush puppies, cole slaw, and french fries (the menu notes that the fries are fried in 100% peanut oil, which is my favorite). everything was completely delicious. toward the end of our meal, the owner, Anthony, came over and introduced himself. he asked if it was our first visit, and wanted to know how we'd heard about it and how far we'd come. he was excited when we said 'about 25 miles' and told us that the week before, he'd had customer from as far as hoboken, which really seemed to delight him. he said that he is looking to open in another location and to watch their website for details. hot rods is open tues - sunday, hours vary by day so check the website. MC and visa accepted. check it out!

zeman, where in garfield is it located? thanks.

i can only vouch for their mojitos, which were excellent.

this place caught my eye on the way to china 46 last night. i'm going to check it out soon. has anyone been recently? jhlurie, did you ever return and try other menu items? the wings, for example?

definitely. it was so much fun, and the food (quantity and quality) was incredible. thank you!

HKDave: that was awesome. thanks for your great report.

in an effort to catch up on the BC outings that i missed during the holiday season, i went to the PM burger joint yesterday. i thought it was quite good: cooked to order (medium), very nice char, good bun-to-burger ratio, and the burger itself was a nice, manageable size. i really liked the place, too. and elyse, i thought you'd like to know that you're up on the wall there. OK, let's try imagegullet:

went here this weekend after shopping at Jerry's. much to my distress, they weren't really serving much food--just soup and one type of torta---goat meat--which i did get and which was really fine. i'll try again next time i go to Jerry's...

I finally got to Jerry's this weekend. the cheese section alone was worth the [admittedly short] trip...but there were so many other great finds too, such as the amazing hoummus (not something i was expecting to find there, but great nonetheless)...thanks for the tip.

actually, it was colin quinn who praised the burger.

elyse, congrats on all of this!! i will be listening tomorrow AM! btw, i just read (in this week's TONY) some high praise for the burger at a place called 'olive tree' located at 117 mcdougal between bleeker and west 3rd. you been? anyone been?

i received jay mcinerney's 'bacchus and me' as a christmas gift and am really looking forward to reading it (once i finish donna tartt's 'the little friend').

Very comprehensive and informative report!! so glad you enjoyed it. but seriously, it's been over a year since i went, so unfortunately the details of the meal are gone from my memory.

i drove by a little while ago. it looks very nice inside. funny, i'm in the area all the time but rarely drive down midland, so i had no idea this was coming. thanks for the report rosie.

liar. d'oh! fwiw, i recall that i liked it a lot...

my place likes to party. too bad we do it so poorly. to wit: we had our annual holiday 'pot luck' with another department last week. members of my department brought in lots of nice homemade dishes. the other department chipped in for a cold cut platter from the local shop rite. again. another party is tomorrow. at an o'connor's beef 'n ale somewhere in central jersey. including karaoke. again. then a sub-department lunch on friday at 3 west (OK, OK, that'll be nice). i know i'm forgetting one...