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After hearing good things about this place, I took a ride out to the one in West Caldwell a few months ago. The place was packed to the brim. I had a banana crepe with tropical syrup. The food was delicious, and that tropical syrup was outrageous. The place is a bit more expensive than other pancake chains, but the food is great. I will get back there one day. Any chance of the new owners opening a chain in the Paramus area again?

Well, today was the first day the Ridgewood Farmers' Market was open, and it was great. Bascially it's the same vendors as last year, with one terrific addition, the "Jam Man". (More on him in a minute. ) Basically, there are six vendors: two produce stands, a baked goods stand, Picklelicious, which sells a wide variety of pickles and olives, the mozzarella/sausage guys (I'm glad they're back!), and now the Jam Man. Prices seem to be pretty much the same as last year, which means that in most cases, the prices, especially on produce, are good. Picklelicious has added quite a few varieties to their selection of pickles, including horseradish pickles and hot & spicy pickles. They had samples, and both were great, but I liked the hot & spicy a bit more. Now, back to the Jam Man. I am not a jam expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I know what I like, and I have been looking for a good homemade jam vendor for some time. Well, I found him. The Jam Man's jams are outrageously good, probably the best jams I ever had (although again, I'm not a jam expert). He has a wide variety of flavors, and was offering samples of all the jellies. He sells 8 oz. jars for $5 each or 2 for $9. A bit much for a guy used to spending $.99 for a jar of jelly at the supermarket, but so worth it, and comparable in price to other homemade jam vendors, although much better quality than most. I purchased pear raspberry jam and peach blueberry jam. They are so delicious that I've eaten almost half of each jar already, without anything else! Overall, I'm glad the market is back in business and I can't wait to go back next week to get more hot & spicy pickles and jam! See you there!

Thanks, Ghostrider. Looks like Ridgewood opens next week. The anticipation mounts!

I can't wait! Does anyone know if the Ridgewood farmers market has started yet?

I went to this place several months ago for takeout. I got pad thai and the coconut milk soup (thom kha kai?). I thought it was good and reasonably priced. Another good reasonably priced thai restaurant is in Bangkok Grille around the corner from the Stop & Shop in Hackensack. Too bad there aren't more thai restaurants in the area. There are a few, but many are too high fallutin (expensive) for me. These two are good and reasonably priced.

As I've mentioned before, I'm a frugal eGulleter. I like to indulge once in a while, but for the most part, I'm no frills. Bakeries have gotten very expensive lately, and I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of good, cheap bakeries in NJ. Here are my picks: Belmont Bakery, North Haledon: This little bakery seems to be in the middle of nowhere, but it's a great little bakery, worth the 10 mile trip for me from Waldwick. They are on the small side, so they don't have as much variety as larger bakeries, but they have some very good stuff at phenomenal prices. Cookies are about $6.50 a pound, cakes are around $8.00, and cream pies are about $5.50. Unbeatable prices, especially on the cakes. Friendly staff, not usually very busy. Corrados, Clifton: They're cheap. Very cheap. But you may have to deal with large, annoying crowds, inadequate staff, and the quality of the stuff varies greatly. Still, if you get there early and buy the right items, there are some great bargains to be had. Butter cookies are about $5.00 a pound, but are not the world's greatest. Cakes tend to be around $7-$8, and most are decent. Cannolis are also pretty good. ShopRite, Ramsey: This may be the best supermarket bakery in the country. Great cakes, cookies, and pastries. They have raised prices on many things quite a bit in the past year, but the prices are still very good. Cookies are $5.99 a pound and are excellent, especially the chocolate chip cookies. Cakes vary in price, but most seem to hover around the $10 mark, and they're delicious. Definitely good bakery quality. Calandra's, Fairfield: OK, technically I would describe Calandra's as a "moderately-priced" bakery, but they get on the cheap list for two reasons: they run a 50% off item every week, and if you subscribe to their e-mail list, they send you coupons for 50% off your entire order (with a few exclusions) about every 3-4 months. They're quite large, and have a wide variety of cakes, pastries, and breads. Their bread is excellent, and their cakes are very good as well. Their cookie selection is kind of lousy, but their other stuff is very good. Cakes average around the $12-$14 range normally, but with the coupons and or/specials, they come out to about $6-$7. It's a far ride for me, but sometimes it's worth the trip when they're running a special. There's my list for now. What other good, cheap bakeries can be found in NJ?

I had the opportunity to go to the Morris Plains Minado a few weeks ago for the first time, after being to the Little Ferry location a few times. The Morris Plains location blew me away. It is much nicer than the Little Ferry location, with a much larger variety of foods and much nicer decor. I plan to make the Morris Plains location my official Minado location, even though it's quite a ride for me. The Little Ferry location is very good, but Morris Plains blows it away.

Hi everyone. Being a very frugal eGulleter, I'm always on the lookout for cheap eats, including scouring bars and restaurants for cheap happy hours. I just discovered that McCormick & Schmicks, which is a seafood restaurant in Riverside Square in Hackensack, does a $1.95 happy hour, and there are apparently several appetizers to choose from, as well as a 1/2 pound hamburger. I would have never thought a place like this would do a happy hour like this, but I called up today and apparently it's for real. However, the guy I spoke to said that there is a 2 drink minimum. I don't have a problem with that, as long as a pint of beer doesn't cost $18. Has anyone been to this happy hour? Is the food good? How are drink prices? I tend to prefer more casual places, but I'm dying to go here just to check this deal out. Any information is appreciated!

No way is Kosher Nosh a kosher restaurant. It is also "kosher-style"! It is open Saturdays, so that immediately kills any thought of it being kosher. There is a pure "Kosher" place 5 minutes away in Fair Lawn, Petak's, but it's takeout only, and pretty ordinary. (How about a bi-weekly bus excursion to Katz's?) ← The Kosher Nosh is indeed a kosher restaurant. However, it is not "glatt" like Petak's meaning that they do not follow all of the rules and traditions of Judaism. For example, since Petak's is glatt kosher, they are not open on Saturdays, but the Kosher Nosh is. Petak's is a very good deli, but it is not in the same league as the Kosher Nosh. Just because a place isn't glatt doesn't necessarily mean the food isn't kosher.

Here's another vote for the Kosher Nosh. Definitely the best deli in Bergen County and perhaps the state. Petak's in Fair Lawn is also very good, but I think they're closed on Saturdays. The sandwich form the deli in Edison looks good too, but it's too far for me to go on a regular basis.

Still another Italian suggestion: Allendale Bar & Grill/Mahwah Bar and Grill do "pasta nites" on Tuesdays for $12.95. You pick from a whole bunch of ingredients and the chef cooks it for you right there and brings it to your table. I go to the one in Allendale every few weeks. The chef is a real nice guy, and the portions they give you are huge. I usally eat one plate and take a few bites of a second plate and take it home for a meal the next day. The Spruce Street Grille used to do a phenomenal pasta nite, but sadly they're no longer around.

I love Majestic Buffet. It's my new favorite, even though it's a bit more expensive than the others. Others that I know of: Bon Buffet in Maywood - The original "all inclusive" buffet in the area. They used to be great, but they've gone dowhill in recent years. Still one of the better places. (Edit: Just saw Fink's post on Bon Buffet. I agree they've gone way downhill but I still thin they're OK. ) Pu Pu Inn in Elmwood Park - The original Chinese buffet, they've been around forever. Very limited selection, no desserts or anything like that, but very cheap $4.95 for lunch, $6.50 for dinner. The prices haven't changed since I was a kid (going back to the early 80s, when my mother discovered the place. ) Grand Buffet in Ramsey - Very good buffet, but I like Majestic better. Dynasty Buffet in Saddle Brook - Been here a few times. Decent food, but the place always seems to be insanely busy. Green's Court in Little Falls: So-so. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. There's a huge buffet in West Orange in the Essex Green shopping center which is very popular also, but the name escapes me. They're very good too.

Another suggestion for cheap eats: There's a great Italian restaurant in Fair Lawn on River Road called Piccola Italia. (They used to be in Radburn until the restaurant burned down when the clock tower caught on fire a few years ago. )They do an "early bird" special from aroun 4 pm-6pm in which they give you a full meal for $11.95. They include soup, salad, bread, entree, dessert, and coffee or tea. You can pick from around 20 different things, including seafood, chicken, and veal entrees. The food is delicious, and the portions are large. I haven't been there in a while, but typing this post has me thinking about going soon! There seem to be a few other restaurants in the Fair Lawn/Elmwood Park area that conduct these "early bird" specials, but I don't recall the names of any others off hand.

Another frugal Egulleter! Here's a chance for me to give props to the best bargain in Bergen County, hands down. If you like Mexican food, there is a restaurant in Lodi on Route 46 called Que Pasa (they used to be called El Norte until a few years ago). On Monday nights, they do an "all you can eat" special for $8.95. The food is brought to your table, it's not a buffet. You get to choose from about 20 different things, including enchiladas, tacos, and burritos with beef, chicken or cheese and they give you soup, chips and salsa as well included. The entrees and soups are very good and the chips and salsa may be the best in the county. I usually go every other week. The typical crowd there seems to be mostly working class people, so it's very casual. They're usually not very busy and the staff is decent. Check it out!

This Mr. Sushi place sounds interesting. Do they serve only sushi or do they have other foods too? How does it compare to Minado's? Thanks for any information!

The Office in Ridgewood does a great Sunday brunch for $12.95, and I believe the Montclair location has a nearly identical brunch. They have omlettes, waffles, bagels, fruit, small pasta and carving stations, a few rotating hot dishes, and usually carrot cake, chocolate mousse, and cookies for dessert. The value can't be beat.

When I went the other day Anne gave me a sample of the bacon quiche. It was excellent, very creamy with a great crust. Although I like quiche, I wouldn't say it's one of my favorite foods, but the quiche here was probably the best I've had (although I'm no expert on quiche).

It was a MAN from Waldwick; me. (It may be time for a haircut ) After seeing the new posts, I decided to take another trip and I bought the chocolate tart which is sinfully rich and delicious. I also got some chocolate covered hazelnut cookies (outrageously delicious!) and a chocolate croissant (yummy, but not a huge leap over good supermarket ones. ) This was the first time I have ever spent $25 for a cake, but it is phenomenal. Anne is a great attendant and her service alone makes the trip well worth it. The last time I was there I got the apple coffee cake, which was probably the best coffee cake I ever had. They are expensive, but the quality of their cakes is probably the best in the area. Check them out!

Thanks for the suggestions, but I should have been more specific. I'm looking for a place in North Jersey, specifically Bergen/Passaic or possibly Essex area. As far as I know Chicken Holiday is virtually the same as Chicken Delight, which I love, but they don't "customize" the wings as much as I'm looking for. The Chicken or the Egg looks very cool and is close to what I'm looking for, but it's too far to travel for me, plus they seem to be a bit on the expensive side. Thanks again for the suggestions. Maybe we can help some South Jerseyans out!

Down in FL where my brother lives, they have a lot of cool wing places which let you "customize" your wings by choosing breading (or lack of it), flavorings, sauces, etc. I have yet to find a decent place like this in NJ. Does anybody know of any places specializing in wings that allow this "customization"? Thanks for any information.

I think A & P runs Saturday-Friday, along with King's. Stop & Shop runs Sunday-Saturday still.

I'm devastated, but here's to wishing you a quick and full recovery, Fink. The food was great, I only wish I found out about our restaurant sooner. Get well soon, and hopefully you'll be cooking again soon!

So we're generally on the same page. I grew up in Fair Lawn, which has a large Jewish population. I only knew of the kosher "sloppy joes" which are generally what you describe, but with mustard instead of Russian dressing and of course, no cheese. They are delicious.