jim07044

I would have asked the waitress "I'm sorry, but this just doesn't taste very good to me. Can I order something else instead?" I think it's reasonable to expect a replacement drink — and you made a good call to order a familiar drink the second time around — but a restaurant might refuse a third request due to the economics of waste. I would have asked the waitress to remove the charge for the first drink before providing payment. Mistakes can happen, but it is the diner's responsibility to check the bill and point out incorrect charges when they occur. To be fair, you should give the restaurant another try in a few months when the staff is more experienced.

I pass through this intersection everyday as part of my commute, and have always tried to think of a perfect business to occupy that "prime" space ... whatever it is, it has to draw walk-ins because of the lack of parking ... there seem to be plenty of high school students walking to and from W.O. High, so there is an opportunity with that demographic ... soda shop? arcade? a nice, safe teen-friendly hangout spot with a business plan to pay the bills ... good luck to "Nemo's Seafood" when we have Whole Food's spacious parking lot less than a mile away ...

There are so many brands of wines at stores today ... overwhelming for even experienced wine drinkers ... and especially at the $5-to-$15 range (I know a lot of people who buy wine by how "nice" the label looks) ... yes, we live in a heavily-advertising-and-marketing-influenced culture that constantly bombards our decision-making process, but with limited time and finances I'd like to think I've wisely used Wine Spectator's ratings as a general guide to discovering what I like to drink ... and, with the exception of their champagne ratings, I've found their recommendations to be very agreeable with my tastes ... but I'll also add that WS could be even a better resource if it hired a few people to taste and recommend nothing but $5-to-$15 wines (a decision that could invite a whole new demographic of readers, raising the magazine's profits and debunking the notion that enjoying WS recommendations is only for the rich and elite). Re: restaurant markup Whenever I fill-out one of those Zagat surveys, I make sure to always indicate my worst complaint about eating out is the markup of wine at restaurants. I'd be willing to pay a premium for convenience ... say 10-20% markup ... but how 100-200% (and even more sometimes!) became an industry standard is beyond me. Thank goodness I live in an area with plenty of BYOs.

Jacob's Creek Shiraz Reserve $10.99 to $14 (they make a non-reserve Shiraz for around $8 but its not as tasty; the reserve is smoother and fuller in body) Peter: I believe wine tastes grow as you add experiences and knowledge. When I began drinking wine years ago, I started with $8-14 wines, but after time and a few experiences with some more expensive bottles, I started to gravitate upwards a little. Most of what I drink now is in the $15-$30 range, with the Jacob's Creek Shiraz Reserve as an everyday bottle. I find anything less than $15 usually tastes like grape juice to me now. Maybe a guiding philosophy came from my father: "Life is too short to drink cheap wine."

I seem to be going back mostly for the Cantina's made-to-order soft tacos (3 for $6.99), and the soup/salad/entree bar. The fresh pizzas look good, though haven't tasted any yet.

Every time I'm thinking of food on Church Street, I think about the CS Cafe, look at the menu posted on the window, look inside, and ultimately decide to eat at Raymond's. I have fond memories of CS Cafe's chop chop salad when I sampled it at their opening. The interior design lacks any appeal to me, maybe that's why I haven't been back since. It has a sad and lonely vibe inside.

King's is advertising Waygu-Kobe filet mignon, rib eye or shell steaks for $34.99/pound. And Wagyu-Kobe ground beef or beef burgers for $5.99/pound.

I recently read an article about American Wagyu beef (steaks and hamburgers) and the author described the taste as "buttery" and "melt-in-your-mouth." Where can I get these steaks in NJ? I live in the Montclair area, so closer is better.

Maybe they are using the "big" Kings in Verona and the "little" Kings in Upper Montclair as a model ...

Just got back from my Grand Opening day visit. At 7:00 pm, the store was bubbling with customers but not crowded at all. Ditto the parking lot, refreshingly spacious compared to the woefully accident-prone Montclair location. West Orange Police officers were posted at the entrance and at the checkout exits (a holdover from the Pathmark days?!) and I must say the customer demographics are more diverse than the Montclair location. The store's presentation is similar to Wegman's (in Bridgewater, at least) but Wegman's-Bridgewater is still larger in size. Still, the West Orange WF is plenty spacious with wide aisles and walkarounds. Impressive selections of ... everything! From produce to fish to meats to cheeses, you name it they probably have it. In the seafood area, I noticed a Chilean Sea Bass from a "sustainable fishery." I asked the fish salesperson if this was wild or farm-raised, and he said wild. I wanted to ask more about what "sustainable fishery" meant, in light of WF's no-kill lobster policy and eco-friendly marketing, but I could sense this person didn't want really want to get into it with me. Meat selection includes dry aged steaks, which I picked up a New York Strip and plan to grill tomorrow night. At $21.99 per pound, it better be good! Cheese selection is similar to Montclair location selections. I can't seem to find easy labeling of aged cheddar at WF, whereas at Wegmans-Bridgewater I can find blocks of cheddar in 3-4 levels of aging. Chocolate selections include a WF-exclusive line from Payard, as well as other gourmet chocolatiers. They sell Vosge chocolates and hot chocolate mixes, too. The in-store patisserie is similar to Wegmans-Bridgewater. The Cantina offers made-to-order tacos and burritos. They sell 3 soft tacos for $6.99, and you can mix-and-match. I took home a Baja fish taco, a Spicy Shredded Beef taco, and a Chipolte Chicken taco. All were very tasty. Other bases included Pork Carnitas and Grilled Vegetable & Tofu. There is a wood-burning pizza stove and deli/sandwich area (the pretzel bread sandwich looked really interesting). The Seafood Shack was the crowded hot spot, with all the stools taken. I can't remember any of the selections (I circled back at the end of my walk-through, so my mind was thoroughly overwhelmed with food items!) but it all looked good! As I surveyed the store while checking out, I was wonderfully amazed how the store has transformed itself from the plebian Pathmark to this mecca of fine foods. It was well worth the wait. The only question that remains is: who will want to go the Montclair location any longer?!

I'll really miss their potato salad ... it had a really good flavor to it ... but I guess you can't pay the bills on potato salad sales alone ... honestly, Costco (Wayne) makes a really good roasted chicken for $4.99 ...

To paraphrase Danny Meyer, a restaurant can only be as good as its staff and service. One bad experience, such as the one above, can translate into a word-of-mouth disaster (especially when those experiences are posted on internet sites). And I don't chalk it up to a bad night ... that's just an excuse for poor management. Its human nature to make amateur/occassional mistakes, but a senior manager should always be accountable before a customer leaves the premises and offer both apology and some sort of compensation to encourage a return visit. Anything less is an indicator of poor management.

Rosie: try this place again. I read a recent review (Star-Ledger, perhaps?) which inspired me to go this past Saturday night. The place was packed, service was a little slow at first, but the food was excellent. This coming from my Lebanese-American wife. Belly dancer and dance music on the outdoor patio seating area was great entertainment. Spotted local real estate developer Dick Grabowski at a power table, too.

I agree with the "success" of Charlie Browns ... they have a good salad bar and burger, but thats about it ... forget about the "steaks" there ... even more puzzling, how in the heck does that Sizzler stay in operation on Eagle Rock Ave across from the Whole Foods site?! ... didn't that chain/brand die with the 1970s and Arthur Treachers? As for chain food, I like Palm Steakhouses and Capital Grille for instance. Fridays, Houlihans, and Chili's serve decent fare for quick bite and good meeting spots for happy hours and drinks. You can do much worse, of course, but I wouldn't apply a broad stereotype to all chain restaurants, thats for sure.

Big 60 deserves a night in NYC. There's not much selection in NJ for MNO restaurants, especially in the two towns you cited. Fascino would be okay. Aozora, for a sushi dinner. Richie Cecere's, but its not BYO. Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange. Huntley Tavern, Roots in Summit. Morton's in Hackensack. Fleming's in Edgewater. Further inland, I'd recommend 3 West (Basking Ridge), Pluckemin Inn (Bedminster), Bernardsville Inn (Bernardsville), Ryland Inn (Whitehouse), Fromagerie (Rumson), Raven & The Peach (Fair Haven).

Those are the saddest looking fries! java script:add_smilie(%22:sad:%22)

That may be the technical analysis, but some might say that Whole Foods and other food distributors can set trends in motion that cause ripple effects throughout our culture. Personally, I often equate Whole Foods with establishing the organic food craze we see everywhere today (even at Walmart). So its not out of the realm to say if Whole Foods decides as policy to not sell live lobsters that that decision may be considered by other watchful competitors and food resalers.

I just read two different news articles about this (Whole Foods ban on live lobsters). Is there a discussion thread on eG about this yet? Rachel? Jason? I'm ready to sound off about this ... I can only imagine what Tony Bourdain would have to say about this subject, knowing his opinion about the foie gras ban in Chicago ...

Actually, it has: Opah Grille And I've been there for lunch on several occassions and had fantastic experiences, most recently in March 2006.

Culinary delights near the Hills include: Pluckemin Inn 3 West Opah Grille Le Petite Chateau Bernards Inn

They have Yuengling, and that's all I need.

Like Eric said, Pal's is a good standby. It has particular meaning to me in the dead of winter, the wind whipping around the top of the hill fiercly, the darkness of early evening, maybe some snowflakes swirling around. Pal's offered warmth and good food for my wife and I on those kinds of evenings. As for good burgers, I admit to rating the burgers at TGI Fridays as the best for my tastes. Just not the sad West Orange location (why is this place still in business?!). Also good burgers at Houston's (Hackensack and NYC locations). And in the Verona Inn vs. Tierney's burger war, I side with VI. The burger bun at Tierney's is sad.

My wife and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary at Fascino tonight. Dinner was nice, service was very good. I had a crab-stuffed zucchini flower appettizer, with a veal-based raviloli entree. All very good, but no "wow" factor as I had expected for the rave reviews. Also a let-down: neither chef Ryan nor his mother Cynthia visited our table before we left; the reason from our waiter (even after we asked for his appearance) was that it was a very busy Saturday night. We had a 7:00 pm dinner and left by 9:00. Many reviews had noted the family's table-side presence, and I had wished this to be part of the experience, especially considering our special occassion. I should mention that my wife's dessert plate rim was decorated with "Happy 12th Anniversary" and a candle. But I really missed the personal attention from such a small family-run operation (this is Montclair, after all, and not NYC).

Congrats, Eric! What's next: Letterman? Conan? Oprah?!

Here is their website: http://www.gardenplate.com/