WestOrangeFrank

Hey ghost, can you give us the low down (or do you know where there is a thread) on the Rutherford scene? Have you been back to mignon?

Haven't been to Sweet Basils recently, but last time I stopped in on a Tuesday for a three course prix fix dinner. I remember it being ok, the carrot cake (made in house) was the saving grace. And it's BYO. Hey Rosie (or anyone) what's the deal with Northfield Bar and Grill? Looks like another change Ecko or something? Looking forward to meeting all the other local eG-ers and talking about our favorites.

Hitman, Tommy, totally agree. Espec. Tommy - it's not rocket science to make a kick butt burger. While it's not a bad burger, I've never hyped a burger from Gaffers. I do back their wings, fish & chips, and atmosphere. Keith, if you're reading - what kind of beef do you use @ Gaffers - or do you get the patties pre-made? Speaking of burgers, did anyone see last week's Time Out New York tribute to burgers? umumumumumu

Ha, that's funny. We've resorted too... to buying pizza dough buns from the pizzaria at Essex Green, fresh mozzarella from Shop Rite, defrosting some of Grandma's marinara, and throwing on whatever else we're in the mood for. Please let us know what you think of the ribs at Gaffers. As a UK expat, did you ever give us your review on Gaffers Fish n Chips?

sorry for getting off-post but... IMHO there is a difference in appearance and taste of prime beef - for when you want to spoil yourself. Business has brought me to Wilmington Delaware. There are two "upscale" restaurants on Union Ave which I decided to check out tonight. One steakhouse the other Italian influenced - across the street from each other. Guess what they each charge for a 16 oz. rib eye? $42!! Upon glancing at the menu and asking each host if the beef was choice or prime, I received a blank glaze from both restaurant hosts. They asked the chef on my behalf, and both places answered choice. Can anyone explain if this is justifiable?

-- Big fan of the Dessert Moon Fajita platters. But being close to New Years resolution time, I had a look at some nutritional information thanks to the link Rail Paul provided! No wonder they taste so good. Baja Fresh has some smart choices, will have to check our that Bare Burrito.

welcome hkarkanias. And good luck with your search for meat. With cast iron, salt, and pepper we can all make steakhouse qaulity steaks. Has anyone found a butcher offering or able to order prime/dry aged beef? While Barth's did have some good looking meat, they didn't have prime meats last time I checked in. The Kings in the area recently posted signs saying it's not cost effective for them to offer prime dry-aged anymore.

kimmyb72 or coughy - have you been back lately? Nancy Thorp gave Trattoria Fresco (TF) a good write up on Jan 7th in the Bergen Record. Trattoria Fresco needs some back-up here.... It was my birthday this past weekend, and I must admit I wanted to go to Fascino for dinner, a message on their machine said they were closed for winter holiday. So I figured we go to Basilico, they couldn't get us in until around 9:00, and their tables are sardine-like as it is. So much for making plans in advance!!! This doesn't sound like a nice post but... everything worked out for a reason. I figured I'd call TF and try to get a table for 7:30. I remembered the GM Evan from our e-gullet dinner was good to us, so I was sure to mention that I was part of the e-gullet crew last Friday when I called last minute for a table. He told us to come on down. Upon walking into the busy place, Evan greeted us warmly and offered w/o asking to chill our Conundrum and decant a DOGC Massolino Margheria 1998. We were seated in a tucked away table and were quickly greeted by a young but attentive server Vinny. Lindsay started with the greens and slow roasted duck with sour cherry vinaigrette, YUM. I had to try the special wild mushroom soup topped with crisps and a checkerboard of melted goat cheese. I could've drank that stuff by the quart. Serious mushroom flavor. I wanted a pasta course, but remembered to try something other than the pappardelle (a little gummy last time we had it). We split an order of the lobster and shrimp over spaghetti. Holy garlic and lemon. Bold flavor, not for the faint of heart, bring your mints. For the main course my date had a special from the app menu Crabello, crab cakes made from real crab wrapped in thinly sliced portobello mushroom, served in a dijon sauce, which I thought overpowered the crab and mushroom, but she didn't think so. I had the juicy-perfectly-slightly-pink-inside pan roasted veal chop crisped on the bone with seasoning and herbs. It was served over a white bean ragu, and with crispy asparagus which I swear tasted like asparagus in zeppole dough - but was told it was just a beer batter, vegetables never tasted so good. I was about to ROLL out onto Bloomfield Ave until an unordered dessert of fudge glazed cake, chocolate truffles, and chocolate chocolate chip gelato came out on a chilled marble plate with a candle on it. The pace of the meal was perfect, any faster or slower wouldn't have been. Total for two was around $85. The attention to detail was great - the funky service plates, to the silverware, to the bathrooms. Seeing so many things on the menu I wanted to try, I invited my immediate (very picky and critical Italian family) family of 12 to TF on Sunday (yesterday) to continue my b-day celebration. In my family, they call me the garbage disposal, so I was able to get a little taste of almost everything. The meal was excellent once again especially thanks to chef/owner Paul and server Nicole. From the pizzas to the strawberries, pineapple, bananas and zeppole fundu. If service or food quality ever slips at this place, I'll be the first one to let you all know, but until then, I'm a regular and can safely recommend this place to anyone. You can't go wrong, from imaginative brick oven pizzas, to a $17-feed-you-for-lunch-the-next-day Lasagna bolognese with fresh mutz, to insane specials. Has anyone else recently had a similar experience?

Hey JB, if you ever ended up taking my tip on Gaffers in West Orange for Fish and Chips on Wednesday night, you'll know the place is legit. And yes, they have good ribs very juicy and meaty. We usually sit at the bar, and go about once a week. Chatting on pizza in our area is like beating a dead horse. Let me know what you find. If you go to Gaffers on Wednesday, say hi to Frank, the man who smoothly runs the bar.

Some expectation setting.... It's a casual place and the price is right. The sign outside stating "the best ribs and pizza in town" should be taken down. There's better pizza and ribs in the area. If you get a beer, drink bottled beer, the tap stuff is stale and flat, and use the bathroom before you get there. Enjoy!

Feby's Fishery 3701 Lancaster Pike, Wilmington, DE We’ve been here many times. Not often you can get bluefish, and other delectable fish specials. The fish is always cooked juicy, in a wharf-like setting. The available fish of the day is on the chalk board, as is a daily special. Any of the fish can be cooked any way you like it (grilled, baked, fried). The lunch crunch starts around 12:20, earlier and you will have the dining room to yourself. If you want some good seafood in town, I recommend this well run place, and not some faceless chain. And if you want to bring fresh fish home, there’s a fishmonger attached next door. It's a few steps below deep blue - downtown - but very good.

Has anyone tried Diva Lounge? On the weekends they serve meals until 12:00 and apps until 1:00, weekdays, one hour less. The Martinis – very good; they have a hooka – nice touch; bar – very modish; and the back room could be a playroom from a Turkish Empire palace. The food here doesn’t seem to fit the atmosphere, but that could just be me. While the dining/lounge area is comfortable, it’s awkward to eat in.

Firstly, we went for the company Secondly, we went for the steak I found the steak to be good, really good. The heated plates over cooked the last few bites of my 22 oz porter house, but still very good. Unfortunately the heated plates also heated up everything from salads to deserts. The 22 oz was a special, usually Mignon’s porterhouse comes in 40 oz (for two). I didn't not recognize a good glazed char, I didn't even look under the melted blue cheese goo and onions. The sides fell short. I knew about the Lyonnaise potatoes, see my post on this board from last summer, but let ghost order them anyway, every side deserves a second chance - and we were SIDE CRAZY on Saturday. And the service is something you would expect from a poorly run TGI Fridays, but, it was still a bargain for all we ate. And how many steak houses can you find that welcome BYO? If I returned, I'm all about the steak, and the grilled vegetable side, then the bill - nothing more. Our poor waitress, sweet cheeks, was very confused by our table. Simple menu questions such as “what kind of oysters are served” threw her off (ghost quoted the essence). She may make a very good waitress when she grows up - she’s on her way - collecting a forced 18% from our table - robbery. I'm still waiting for her to get back to me on a few things. And when she broke the cork of the Muscat - Curlz - that was a Chateau de Jau Muscat 2002. We were guinea pigs - first time I tried it (not the last). Thanks for organizing adegiulio, I'll try to get Jen, the birthday girl, recruited to post on her unforgettable 21st and 40th birthdays.

we are down for a mignons get together, it would be great to see everyone again.

Just signed onto eGullet to talk about this exact subject...... By far, Buffalo Bill's is THE MOST flavorful, Pumpkin Pie in a bottle This is based on my limited tasting of Smuttynose, Post Road, and Buffalo Bills. Looking forward to trying the Dogfish. Being in Wilmington for work, I'm bound to find it. The Smuttynose had the most spiced taste, while the Post Road had a characteristic Brooklyn taste to it, with a nice balance of pumpkin and spice. (If anyone is in the Brooklyn area, and you enjoy the Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest and Post Road, you should check out the brewery for their Oktoberfest this Saturday (Oktober 9) http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/events.asp) I was fortunate to pick up a case of both the Buffalo Bill's and Post Road at Montvale Wine and Spirits in NJ today. Thinking about brewing a batch for the upcoming harvest season, does anyone have any suggestions? Some recipes for a five gallon batch call for 8 lbs (?!?!) of canned pumpkin? Can that be right?

I can second that. How dare the Landmark hang a giant sign outside with superalatives stating "The Best Pizza and Ribs in Town"! Since I'm a sucker for superlatives, we tried the place once and don't ever plan to return based on stale tap beer, nasty bathrooms, crowdedness, and less than decent food.

Comments like this one earn you the position of "next eGullet get together organizer person" Passing on the tourch to the newbie, ok. More to come in the not too distant future...

Hey all, Some more photos... Including a few rare shots of what must be the most magnificent display of post-dinner contortionism ever seen at a table. http://www.frankandlindsay.com/photos/egullet1/thumbnail.htm

The eG get together at Trattoria Fresco in Caldwell was a big hit. We had about 17 people. Lindsay and I arrived to a table today in the outside courtyard at Trattoria Fresco in Caldwell at 8:05 PM tonight. We were glazy eyed novices compared to the eGullet regulars that were already seated and chatting. Our glazed eyes were quickly welcomed into the regular group. The laughter and bottles of wine invited us to sit down and meet the crew who we’ve been reading posts from for the last few weeks. Everyone was great, for those of you who aren’t regulars; you can easily assimilate into this crew. Soon our gracious, gracious host Evan put a platter of heirloom tomatoes on our table. The green, yellow, and red tomatoes were drizzled with a garlic, olive oil, and light vinegar. Soon a few platters of seafood fritto misto were brought to our tables. The mildly tangy creamy tomato sauce was delicious over the nicely crisp, juicy calamari and shrimp (in the 35-40 count range). The garlic breadsticks and imported Newark bread on the table tasted delicious with the garlic roasted skewer cloves that spread nicely over the crusty loaf. After a few more glasses of tasty Turley, the pizza course came out to our table. The brick oven pizza came in at least four versions. All of which had a nice appetizer cut sized slice and crust. The pizzas below were devoured in the following order: - Mushroom truffle rectangle shaped pie - Margarita pizza with fresh mutz , plum tomatoes, and basil - Bruschetta and arugula salad-type pizza - Roasted red peppers and fried eggplant I found this odd because the roasted red pepper and eggplant pie was the best IMHO, maybe it was in front of my face so no one asked for it? The next course was a few tremendous platters of fresco ensalada. The Trattoria Fresco family style salad had plenty of mixed greens, celery root, chopped walnuts, and strawberries. The light vinaigrette dressing had a pleasant salty blue cheese taste to it. It was around this time that I truly realized the eGullet crew was a fun bunch. A gathering of people that appreciated food as much, or much more so, than we did…. or maybe it was the 17 bottles of wine kicking in (Curlz will have a report on the wine). The famed pasta dish was pappardelle with truffle. The brown mushroom sauce was likely the creamy porcini advertised. Some noted the starchy noodles could have used a few more minutes in the boil. Now for the ‘Tuscan Skirt Steak’. Skirt is a favorite of mine, and I’m quite particular to a well prepared/marinated cut of beef diaphragm. The rain drops were too much for us to stay seated outside in the courtyard. Magically, a table matching our utensil/glass and plate needs was already prepared in the main inside dining room. A few minutes after our seamless transition from outside to in, a crew of servers bombed our table with the skirt steak exactly as ordered. The marinade was not overpowering. A nice combination of red wine, balsamic, basil/thyme, and a touch of honey brought out all the flavors of the skirt, without the marinade hijacking the beef taste. Our gracious host Evan claimed the skirt takes a two day marinade bath, but if he said it was only 45 minutes I would have believed him. The skirt was wonderful, not too salty, not too sweet, as one might expect from this usually marinaded cut. Smack on top of the beef, a crisp potato manicotti was placed. A plantain slice impaled the crispy manicotti at a 45 degree angle. A nice garnish, as was the juicy spinach under the beef. Most of the eG crew was slowing down; except for a few egging on one of our dining mates to put their feet behind their head (a picture speaks a thousand words). As the dining room turned around to marvel in the wonder of our flexible friend, deserts were served. We are waiting for Rosie to show us her perfected ‘crow’ yoga position next time. We were ready to roll out of the place, but before then, the servers carried out a couple trays each of fondue and zeppoles. The zeppoles were sprinkled in confectionary sugar and served with an accompaniment of caramel sauce. The Costanza ‘double-dipping-allowed-rule’ was enforced at first byte. The fondue was great. The above-par milk chocolate dip quality was mentioned by a few. I enjoyed the peel on the banana as a nice touch, but some couldn’t understand why the peel was served on the banana. From what I remember in this wine induced state, the fondue had pineapple, strawberries, and banana. My arm was twisted into trying the vanilla cappuccino, holy sit, it was rich and good. And the MALK was top notch. All in all, a great night. If anyone remembers more about our evening, please feel free to elaborate. Someone named ‘Tommy?’ was mentioned many times, nothing that can be repeated on these boards.

How's that brickoven place Santino's on Livingston Ave/Rt. 10 (if you've tried)?

Just got to say hello to Keith, owner of Gaffers (used to run Due Amici next door?). He confirmed the fish and chips are legit, and made fresh on premises. I like them, although I'm not a Brit. Did you miss your Wednesday window this week Jason?

La Isla rocks, and they make a mean Cuban sandwich, but have you had the Thursday special fresh roast beef from Fiores? If I were in Hoboken right now, my ass would be on that line for a sandwich.

La Isla rocks, and they make a mean Cuban sandwich, but have you had the Thursday special fresh roast beef from Fiores? If I were in Hoboken right now, my ass would be on that line for a sandwich.

I'd like to re-open this thread for Fiore's alone!!! Fiore's on 4th and Adams is a great Italian deli most days of the week, but on Thursdays and Saturdays there is a lunch line out the door to the sidewalk. People wait for up to half an hour for their homemade Italian roast beef and fresh mozzarella sandwich, drenched in the roast beef gravy. Their mutz is up there, I'm on the fence for whose I like most between Vito's and Biaggios. ps - and I agree that Amanda's is a wonderful dining experience, great place for a special occassion

On a friend's tip, I went over to Forte Pizzeria the other night.http://www.fortepizzeria.com/, 182 Bloomfield Ave, Caldwell 973-403-9411. This place has TOPPINGS (the lunch menu link shows the pies). We had the fried calamari pizza, which was a first for me. Some of there other specialty pies include broccoli rabe & sausage, potatoe & egg, and chicken savoy. Prices are a bit steep for a 16" pie, especially compared to better Bronx pizza. And the pizza itself wasn't bad. When I'm in New Providence, I usually always go to Coppola's for lunch in the A&P shopping center (590 Central Ave, New Providence (908) 665-0266). Their slices are plentiful, some thick crust with capers, olives, peppers, some with fresh mozzarella and a drizzle of their sweet red sauce. They also make a helluva eggplant parm enough to split for $5.50. Anyone been to one of these pizzerias?