WestOrangeFrank

adegiulio - aren't you a wine buff? - what do you recommend I bring along to match the menu at Epernay?

The online eG talk of this place is mind-blowing. Finally going to check it out next next week. Anyone know how the Bouillabaisse is made? Anyone have any wine pairing tips for Epernay?

Holy listing of al-fresco restaurants!! all we need now is Spring!!

Nothing goes better than any combination of eggs, jalapeno and beer in the morning. I reserve this for weekends, usually after a morning workout. Anyone know if Americans drink more beer per capita than any European contries?

Work has brought me to Milwaukee for a few weeks. What a great city!! From what you all are saying, I need to get to Sanfords and Coquettes Cafe. But what about steak? Staying at the downtown Hilton is nice, but I'm disappointed with the on-site Chophouse Restaurant. I'm tempted to walk over to Mo's: A Place for Steaks tonight. Is this place worth the hype, or will my wallet be upset? Does anyone know of a discussion thread on this place?

Getting back to the Sushi Lounge topic: The star of the show there was a sushi chef by the name of Hendra. About a year ago he left, and we haven't been back. BUT Hendra opened his own restaurant named the Sushi House, on 155 First St (near Bloomfield I think) - and we couldn't be happier for him. I can't believe he remembered us, by name, after a year. Lots of Asian People eating there - still a good indication in my book. I haven't seen white tuna or fatty yellowtail on many sushi menus in the area (that won't require a second mortgage). Is it possible for a mouth to have an orgasm? Two more great things about the place, aside from Hendra, they validate parking, and it's BYO!! The site has some more details. www.sushihouseofhoboken.com

YES. Who can arrange this for us? Potted Meat Food, Beggin' Strips, Breast Milk, Natto, so much funnier when someone else does it, and can write well.

Old Homestead, @ the Borgata. You should be ok getting a reservation now, given you're travelling on a Wed/Thurs (the best way to do AC!). The price tag is similar to the one in NYC, the food is just as good, and the service is better. To get a room with a view and upgrade, .... convice someone, or let someone know, that you gamble like a whale, and/or, pay for the upgrade. Happy Birthday!

That sounds incredible. Think you can duplicate that? Think you can tell us what the "and other stuff" was? PB & Co needs to expand outside the village, I could eat Elvis' every day of the week.

Just out of curiousity, how much is dinner at La Cabana? ← Hmm, minus the wine, it wasn't too far north of $100 US for two, which is considered very pricey for the region.

finally found the place, I recommend going off 78/24 your first time - I found the back roads home to be a-ok, thanks Curlz. The online sale was great, and it wasn't just on stuff that nobody buys. the in-store pickup was a disaster.... To pjm9277's point, I challenge anyone to walk into that place for a pickup and not splurge on any more. The staff made some recommendations. As for price matching, at Essex Green they wouldn't give me the lower price for something I saw at WL (which was heavily discounted). I can't be 100% sure, but I challenge the staff's knowledge at Total Wine is anymore then speculation.

Jose's is nothing special - an unauthentic meal smothered in cheese served on a heated plate. Never been to this West Orange place, Will check it out for sure. Have you been to Don Jose in the Penang/Home Depot shopping center on Rt. 10? Ate there once about a year ago, thought it was good - and it's BYO. Don Jose Mexican Restaurant 200 State Route 10 East Hanover, NJ Phone: (973) 781-0155 http://www.donjosemexican.com/ If you're not afraid of venturing into Hudson County I'm a big fan of Baja (not Baja Fresh). The spicy shrimp soup is good - and they have this incredible marinaded steak Fajita Fundida. They hand make their tortillas, and I'm sure they use lard or something really tasty. The bar has more tequila than you can shake a stick at - offering a tasting flight. There's a busy Baja in Hoboken, and another was opened in Jersey City. Last I was at the Hoboken place, it was WAY crowded, but had free parking. http://www.bajahoboken.com/

Luckily my significant other would be happy with a bowl of Chef Boy-ar-dee SpaghettiOs - so no going out on VD for us. Have you been to Wish yet? The online menu looks good. I think there are about five of us within a couple miles of that place. scarlet knight's/Rosie's Wish recommendations will get me there soon.

Either have store bought or cans of beans which I can throw in the food processor. And you? ← I love hummus but never tried to make it - and unless you know what you like, the store bought are hit or miss.

made it to Kings with the rest of West Caldwell this AM, was able to pick up a little skirt steak, shrimp, chipotle peppers, and other stuff for fajitas tonight. Do you always have hummus on hand Rosie?

You may have tasted Malbec grapes in a Bordeaux, or other red varietals (often mixed w/ Cab and Merlot). French wines made the vine famous (known as Cot), but the temps and altitude in the Mendoza region of Argentina are optimal for growing. Some of the good (findable) ones are Norton, Altos (great buy), and Trapiche. Generally I find the Malbecs to be smoother than a cab, but with more structure than / not as lightweight as a merlot. It's no wonder that Argentine wines aren't very popular, Argies drink their wine! See eG Malbec thread here. Behind Italy, they are the largest consumers of their own grown wine. I spent some time in Buenos Aires, but am still a wine newbie, so maybe someone else can help us out with a better description. This link has some good info on the bottle you enjoyed: http://www.bullz-eye.com/wine_reviews/2004...bec_reserva.htm

In your travels - if you find us a name and number of someone who speaks decent english at a store selling the middle of the road Rutini Malbec (~$17), and/or the Estiba Reservada Catena Zapata 2000 or 1999 (~$100) and/or Luigi Bosca (~$6) - please post or PM! In the meantime, I'll check out the Felipe Rutini. It's amazing how many Malbecs/Mendoza region wines score in the wine spectator 87-92 range for really good prices (10-25). I'll also check the recommended links, but my Castellano is terrible. I've heard the non-exported Rutini is a good price because it doesn't go through the export, tax, and middleman charges. And the fact that so many portenos drink it, they don't need to export it. Thanks so much for the wine info and enjoy your travels! Please post on any restaurants you enjoy.

Was at the Short Hills Mall today, and on the way home we decided to check out the Wine Library. As with most New Jersey places, I got lost on my first shot. It wasn't a total loss, on my way to 124 West which turned into Main Street, I passed Scalini Fedeli, a place I've heard so much about. So two questions: 1) How the &*$@ does one get to the Wine Library from the Short Hills Mall? Was I close? 2) Is Scalini Fedeli worth the hype? thanks!

From who I know and what I've learned, this is a great local charity. WestOrangeLindsay was born and raised in the village and this place has been around since 1901. My stomach is the most upset that we can't make it. The lineup looks great :-(. We will make a donation instead. The Greenwich House nourishes cultural expression and maintains critical human services at seven sites in and around Greenwich Village. The arts programs include a Music School, a Pottery School, and an arts-in-education program in local public elementary schools. The settlement provides four substance abuse treatment centers, two alcoholism recovery programs, two AIDS programs, two senior services, a preschool, and a treatment and prevention center for abused children. Source United Neighborhood Houses For those of you with the affordability card: Think taxes in a couple months, this organization is tax-exempt under section 501©(3) of the IRS Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes. I'd prefer to give my dough to a worthy local charity than Uncle Sam. If you can't make the event, I'm sure they would be grateful for any tax deducatbale amount you could spare. Thanks amyd and AMDegiulio for helping to organize this event.

winesearcher finds the Felipe Rutini, I can't figure out if it's the same as the Rutini I've grown to love. A picture of the Felipe Rutini and Rutini bottles can be found here: http://www.bodegalarural.com.ar/familiarutini.htm Contacting the BA wine stores seems to be the best bet, thanks for the tip. Do you have a recommendation Silly?

It's about a year since I was last in BA/Argentina. We took back as many bottles of non-exported wine that the government allowed. Unfortunately, our supply is dwindling. We like the Malbecs and Mendoza region wines available to us in the USA, but maybe it's because we can't have them that we want the others more. Does anyone know how a New Yorker can get his hands on a few cases of Rutini or even Estiba Reserve Catena Zapata? The Rutini Malbec ranked on Wine Enthusiasts' 100 best wines of 2000. I have no luck from my end finding these smooth rounded Malbecs. I've tried all the eG recommended sources on the USA side, but have been striking out. What are some of your favorite Argentine/Chilean wines? Do you know if they are exported to the states? The trip was so good I'm contemplating another culinary exploration of BA and her wines. We have direct flights available from NYC to EZE. edited to add more detail.

Grilled Provolone: http://www.dvo.com/recipe_pages/grilln/Gri...lone_Asado.html Unique to the area, amazing.

I agree that Puerto Madera is good, and safe - but you might as well just go to anytown USA. The Hilton is so overpriced and Americanized, and you can even find a TGI Fridays on the strip of restaurants. Recoleta's Alvear Palace is the place to be, if you could swing it - otherwise, to alejita's point the short term rentals are a steal. You can find a rental practically in any area of BA thanks to the internet.

It's about a year since I was last in BA/Argentina. We took back as many bottles of non-exported wine that our government would allow for personal use. Unfortunately, our supply is dwindling. Does anyone know how a New Yorker can get his hands on some Rutini or Estiba Reserve Catena Zapata? I have no luck from my end finding these smooth, rounded Malbecs. What are some of your favorite Argentine/Chilean wines? Do you know if they are exported?

Sorry I missed this request for recommendations, if it's too late for you, maybe it can help someone else. This is a North American’s take on the city…. There are a few definites: La Boca has the best Italian food and pizza - Il Matterello - very good, Martin Rodriguez 517 and Villafane - never had better gnocchi For traditional Argentine, I need to second eatingwitheddie's recommendation to hit up El Obrero - not as expensive, but traditional, and good. you can get steak and home made pasta here, a great mix of both worlds! Be sure your language skills can get you by. Augustin Caffarena 64 and Pedro de Mendoza. La Boca is charming, but is not for River Plate fans, and I’d be sure transportation is arranged if you’re dining later. As eatingwitheddie siad, La Boca is the so-so area of BA. The good parrillas have something I've never seen, but have since made alot at home - GRILLED PROVOLONE. La Recoleta - posh area, but good, has THE BEST steak I've had (and I've seen my fair share of New York City steakhouses. The place was an Orient Express restaurant called La Cabana (not related to La Cabana Las Litas in Puerta Modero - which is very good). Insane – I recommend the porterhouse. They have a website: http://www.lacabanabuenosaires.com.ar/web/...ab_a2a_home.jsp. The waitstaff was on the young side, but the sommelier and manager were very professional and seasoned. Been to some others in Recoleta, but nothing to write home about (or to eG for that matter). If you're into French cuisine, check out the restaurant at the Alvear Palace Hotel. We stayed at the hotel, but didn't make the restaurant there. The hotel is truly amazing (and we stayed at a few while we were down there). It's hands down the most luxurious hotel in the city. Louis XVI decor, not too over the top, very serious in service, and the rooms are magnificent. The hotel includes a breakfast buffet, which can be al fresco on the patio, which is of utmost class. No Castellano, no problem here. As for deserts, get some Iced Cream, they don’t mess around in BA w/ their iced cream. There are many good local chains, we loved El Lido Heladeria in Recoleta, but like I said, they were all good. We had really good iced cream at the beaches of Mar del Plata - which is a whole other topic of food and things to do. If you’re shopping, and into food, which I assume you are: Check out El Gato Negro – quality herbs, spices, and blends with a local flavor. Avenida Corrientes 1669, entre Rodriguez Pena y Montevido. Not too far is the House of Cheese (Casa Del Queso) – looking very similar to an Italian deli. You can get fine cheeses here or Argentine microbrews. I recommend the honey ales. Don’t waste your time in the Patio Bullrich retail mall. Instead hit up the Buenos Aires design (Pueyrredon 2501 y Azcuenaga). It's a home shopping area made up of lots of stores. There’s a culinary store in there that makes William Sonoma look like an easy bake oven store. Another place in the home store mall we liked was La Partida – very outback Argentine style. The local Malbec favorites are Luigi Bosco (good, and cheap ~US$7) and Rutini (good and cheap, yet a little more ~US$17). For really really good wine, see if you can your hands on a bottle of Estiba Reservada Catena Zapata 1999. Unlike the USA, the prices of wines at restaurants and wine stores are closer than in the USA. If anyone is able to send me up some of this non-exported wine, please send me a PM, we can work something out! (maybe a David Letterman t-shirt? – j.k. I’m flexible). If anyone from eG is interested in more details, please let me know.