emilymarie

Perhaps this is obvious to everyone else, but I am wondering--is this whole downfall all a result of Rocco's brief but humiliating stint as a reality television star on the restaurant? It seems that after the show started, any credibility he had disappeared. Did he ever have any credibility? I thought so. Maybe this was also encouraged by the fact that, it appeared he spent very little time at his actual restaurants. I had a memorable meal at Union Pacific about 4 years ago, complete with a delicious skate with brown butter and squab with sweetbreads. Dessert was awful, but I found the whole experience very satisfying. I hadn't been back since then, but some reviews would suggest that it's gone down hill. I find this all very interesting. Why do you toil so hard in a kitchen for all of those years? So you can be a chef, own your own place. But, it seems that all that comes along with running your own place and becoming famous takes you farther out of the kitchen. Or at least it can. I guess how far removed you become depends on how far you take this whole fame thing (read: never sign up to star in your own reality show). Anyway, my two, jumbled, cents.

I would suggest a restaurant called Vatan, an Indian vegetarian place on 3rd Ave. I know, it's not exactly your typical, romantic French bistro, but I think you could have quite an intimate dinner here. First, the place is quiet and very calm. The tables are all little booths, so you have some separation from the rest of the restaurant. You can even sit at tables closer to floor level, so on cushions on the floor. The food is very fairly priced (meaning you can eat well and amply for $30 each) and it's served in 3 courses if I recall, with each course comprised of little tastes of a few different dishes. Very fresh chutneys and bread. A real different, and fun, way to spend a quiet night together.

I dined at La Grenouille almost 2 years ago, so this may not qualify as recent, but I was underwhelmed with my experience. Though the restaurant is lush and beautiful, with fresh flowers everywhere, I found the whole experience not that special. To clarify--the details that I expected to be taken care of and the kind of on-top-of-it service I would have expected at such a restaurant just was not there. For example: There were little lamps on each table and the one on our table kept coming out of its plug and thus the light would go out. It's a tiny thing to care about, but this is exactly the type of thing you'd expect not to happen at such a restaurant. Plus, our waiter didn't seem to know much about the menu (when asked for a recommendation on what to eat) or didn't want to share. He was gruff, to say the least. The food was good, I recall, especially my main course, which was fish, I think bass, atop a butternut squash puree, but seemed static. And the frog's legs tasted as if they'd been deep-fried, and for a bit too long. Dessert was an undercooked grand marnier souffle, which was the straw that broke the camel's back. They made a huge fuss of our ordering the souffle before dinner, and when the thing was served to me it was just a disappointing grand marnier soup. Not even hot. My two cents anyway...

Naughty, tommy!!

I can add to that--why do they also sell arepas and margaritas? Off-topic, I know.

"When given the variety of choices in life, women (who used to be at home cooking, providing the daily meals in general) in todays world will naturally for the most part choose what seems will be most rewarding." (copied quote incorrectly, sorry!) I'd just like to say that many women still do choose to stay at home and raise their children. And while this may have been less an option and more a given back in the days of my mother's youth, this is one of the many choices that women have these days. Having lived in New York City for four years, I noticed a few things: People ate out so much because there were so many restaurants to eat at, from noodle and sushi joints, to French bistros open 24 hours a day, to small Italian places where you can get a plate of pasta and a salad for $25. In addition to that when you work late, the likelihood of cooking becomes less and less attractive as the evening wears on. As for more families eating out together, I think that everyone's hit it on the head--with 2 parents working, the whole dynamic of dad working and mom staying home and cooking dinner is no longer the reality. Dinner won't be on the table when the parents get home and then I think the same principle applies--eating out is just easier, especially with the plethora of family-friendly restaurants popping up everywhere where you know you can order off of a kids menu and not pay too much for it (not that I think the food is better at such establishments, per se). I'd also like to add this: People may be cooking less because there is so much good-quality prepared food available (and I'm not talking Perdue cooked chicken breasts. YUCK). For example, Whole Foods carries a real varied display of prepared foods and baked goods that, while somewhat pricey, can replicate fairly well something you'd make at home, is not unhealthy, and requires minimal cooking/cleanup time. Even if people aren't serving whole prepared meals brought in from a supermarket, they are supplementing home-cooking with these items.

haha, tommy! i wonder how far we could go with this...

Thank you, Lreda. I agree with every word you said!!! A bad meal should not be taken as a personal insult but an unfortunate slip up that can happen when it's late, people are tired or there are too many tables ordering at once. Voice your complaint to the manager, hope it doesn't happen again and move on. The manager/restaurant owner should respond in their own way as well: Understand what went wrong and make sure it does not happen again. A golden rule in the restaurant biz!

You should absolutely not feel guilty for leaving a 10% tip in that situation, PattyO. As a general rule, I tip 15%: for being served my dinner in a timely fashion and getting what I need when I ask for it from a friendly server. The bar, of course, is raised in higher-end establishment, but for your typical Wednesday night dinner this is my rule. If you have a server who sits down at another table and does not get you what you need and ask for, why would you tip them a standard amount set for good service? I guess it all depends on what your minimum is. I have a friend who insists on always tipping 20%, good or bad. She says that she was once a waitress and understands the plight of waitresses around the world. I never realized that it was my responsibility to make up for the fact that some people do not get paid enough, out of pity for them. That sounds harsh, but I'm paying someone to do a job for me. If they don't do it, they don't get paid for it.

You say: "The question is who caused the mishap." Technically, the splinter caused the mishap and unfortunately splinters just happen. It's nature. This situation falls into the category of--shit just happens. Sometimes you spill coffee on your skirt or burn your mouth, sometimes splinters cause pulls in your clothing... I find it hard to believe that it is within the restaurant's domain of responsibility to sand down their tables on a regular basis to prevent splinters. If you get a splinter walking on the boardwalk are you going to sue the people who own and run the boardwalk? If you get a run in your pantyhose on the subway are you going to sue the metro transit authority for having sharp edges--or even ask them to pay for a new pair? It's just one of those things.

Greek Delights on Park Street in Montclair is my good old standby (and personal favorite in the area). I've discussed why I like this place so much on other threads, so in short their gyros are of very high quality--garlicky, tender meet on fluffy pita with large tomato wedges, slivered onions and a cool yogurt sauce. Their portion size is inconsistent at times, so I hope you go on a night when they're feeling generous.

I love Indian food, though I had never tasted it before shipping off to college in NYC. After that, I was hooked. And since I am always craving the stuff, I am always in search of a good restaraurant, which I have yet to find. Thought I would comment on 2 places I've tried. First is Udupi Village: Nothing special but a good enough standby close to my house. I say good enough because of inconsistencies in the food. For instance, the papadam would sometimes come out not crispy enough. Samosas would be good, plump packages of potato, spices, and peas, but slightly greasy, not to mention the fact that the service is sometimes slow and seemingly confused. And I love mango lassis (though they are just delicious sweet, mango shakes, I can't resist them). The lassies I've had at Udupi (both plain and mango) were too sweet. Do restaurants usually use freshly-ground mango in these? Or packaged mango puree? I recently tried Taj Palace and thought the food was passable but also that both chicken dishes I sampled (Chicken Pishawri and Makhani) lacked the depth of flavor and the richness I love. The sauces on both seemed slightly watery. Onion kulcha was nice, though, with slightly charred edges. I'm going to have to try India on the Hudson and Moghul based on everyone's reviews here.

I don't know if Daniel has a tasting menu, but their prix fixe menu is in your price range and offers 3 courses, plus you're likely to get an amuse bouche, etc. not to mention the royal treatment. Le Bernardin has a tasting for $135 according to their website and a 4-course prix fixe (last time I went) for $89. Service at Daniel is very attentive while still giving plenty of space to enjoy the meal. The room is--dare I say--luscious and totally extravagent but such a sight. To me, Daniel is the epitome of a special night restaurant and would be a great intro to fancy French dining. A note: Last time we went, small talk with one of our waiters led to a tour of the kitchen (which is huge) and an introduction to Daniel. Now, if that isn't service, I don't know what is... Le Bernardin is also an excellent choice. Service was friendly and the whole vibe of the place was much less stuffy and formal than at Daniel. Food was fresh, precisely prepared and just such fun. Loved the tasting of fluke. good luck and let us know what you choose!

Yes, good reporting and even better pictures. About the deep-fried oreos, there's a barbecue restaurant over on this side of the Hudson that sells them, and well I must say they induced eye-rolling and happy sighs from all who partook. I loved them--a funnel-cake wrapped oreo. What could be better?! Fresh from the fryer is the only way to have them--but isn't that the case with anything deep-fried. Timing (and the ability to endure extremely hot food) are key! YUM!

Rosie, we did not send it back, though we should have. That, for some reason, is something I've never been comfortable doing, though I realize that telling the truth would be beneficial to me and the restaurant owners. Let's hope I don't run into an occasion where I'd need to send something back anytime soon.

Corso 98 report: My family and I dined at Corso 98 last Friday evening. I was quite excited, as my own relatives who live in town have told me that this is one of the better restaurants in the area, and the restaurant has made it on a few egulleters' lists of places to eat in Montclair. The restaurant space itself is pleasant enough. I expected the menu to be more Italian in character. There was pasta and risotto and the roasted pig with agro dolce sauce, but some of the entrees seemed more "Continental" in character. I started out with the rock shrimp risotto cakes, which were quite tasty--toothsome risotto and plump bites of shrimp with a creamy tomato-based sauce. Licked the plate clean. A special roasted fig salad was good, but definitely wanting for more figs and less mesculin mix. The warm goat cheese and roasted tomatoes pleased--the goat cheese was warm and melted served with grilled bread and sweet, plump roasted tomatoes. I hate to say this, but the dinner disappointed. It was not bad, but two of the dishes were rather bland and a steak ordered was way too tough. I ordered the roasted pig, and that was delicious, if not a big too fatty for my personal taste. Still, the meat was just melting off of the pig, tender, and sweet. The portion was huge, though the agro dolce sauce reminded me of something that should have gone on top of an order or Chinese take-out orange beef. The pig sat atop steamed (and unseasoned) broccoli rabe and surrounded by rosemary roasted potatoes (which also garnished the steak). I hate to see ingredients repeated. The shrimp saltimbocca was underseasoned, though the shrimp themselves were large, plump, and tasty. The polenta and accompanying vegetables needed a serious dose of salt. The Angus steak tasted as if it had been cooked in bacon fat, and old bacon fat at that. It was tough and cooked beyond the ordered medium. The risotto was grainy. We did not go for dessert b/c it was my sister's birthday and we had a cake waiting at home. Again, I don't mean to be so critical of the place, but I found the food to be very so-so. Perhaps I need to go back to sample the pasta dishes, which sounded good. Any other recent experiences to report? Did I just go on a bad night?

Well, while we're talking about silly restaurant names, may I remind you of Cafe Eclectic? To me, that takes the cake.

Rosie, The explanations at the end of each health check say that a conditional rating is a "first violation of the state Sanitary Code." This doesn't mean much to me. Do you, or anyone else, know what constitutes a first violation of the state Sanitary Code? I mean, is it just mayo left out a bit too long, or is it a rat infestation (gulp...)? Can these "first violations" range from one extreme to another? thanks.

When you go to Greek Delights make sure to work their pita bread as much as possible into your meal. It's just some of the most delicious pita bread I've ever tasted--a far cry from the usual dry, paper-thin stuff in the plastic bag. This is just heavenly, in my opinion, doughy but not heavy. And they heat it up on the griddle before serving. I have found all of the food here impeccably fresh. Their hummus is usually quite good, sometimes smoother than others, but with a nice tahini flavor. Yum! Have fun.

Am interested to know if anyone has gone back in the past month?

My favorites are McVite's (sp?). I get them in the "International" section at Stop and Shop. Love them! And they also come chocolate dipped on one side in milk chocolate, if you're feeling saucy. YUM!

You make an interesting point, cpalms, that in order to have a good meal at Esca you need to order only the whole cooked fish (or get the chef to make you a custom-tailored meal). We actually asked our waiter what entrees he recommended and he told us to steer clear of one of the whole fish(es?), a branzino I believe, though he did recommend both of the whole fish that were available for 2 people only. We just did not want to go that route, though for no particular reason. If the 4 or 5 whole fish options are the only way to go and doing anything else could even be considered "ordering poorly" then, well, they've got to start tweaking their "regular" fish entrees (i.e. the non-whole fish options), or giving diners more whole fish options. I mean, there are about 10 of these "regular" fish entrees to choose from versus about 4 or 5 whole fish. I totally respect your opinions of the place and your advice, but think that if I'm not in the mood for a whole fish that I should still expect a quality entree. Really, my biggest complaint was not the quality of the fish itself--which was really fresh--it was just that I didn't feel that the preparation merited (sp?) the hefty price tag. Like I said, I think I could recreate that exact dish in my kitchen. And I don't mind at all spending money on a good meal; it's spending that kind of money on a just-OK meal that makes the complainer in me come out. I may try esca again, but would concentrate next time on digging into their crudo menu and finishing up with some pasta.

Thanks, Curlz. Fiesta Hut is goin' on my must-dine-there list. Every time I read everyone's posts in the morning at work, I get hungry--and it's only 10:45am??!

Well, Curlz, I absolutely agree that Mexicali Rose would be a fun place to go with a large group for drinks, especially since you can basically mix your own drinks. It's just that last time I ate there, I had a chimichanga that was as hard as a brick, and the tortilla tasted kind of stale and the whole thing over-fried. The food also looked and felt sloppily thrown together. Even more than that, I've had some really good Mexican food, and to me, Mexicali Rose just can't satisfy my cravings. Does anyone remember Tijuana Willies on Main Street in Boonton? I remember the chicken chimichangas there were just heavenly. One of my favorite places for Mexican food out of town is called El Maguey (And when I say out of town, I really mean out of state, and in St. Louis where I lived for 3 years). I still dream about a dish they had there called chile colorado--chewy, flavorful chunks of beef stewed in a kind of sweet and sour tomato sauce. I'm looking to find that kind of food in this area, some place that will satisfy my craving for meat, rice, beans, tortillas, chips, and salsa all at once. Any ideas, maybe a new thread?

Greek Delights, 14 Park St, Montclair (973-783-9100) Just north of Mexicali Rose on Park. It looks like an old-fashioned diner.