phenomprincess

Thanks for the tip! We are anxiously awaiting our dinner this evening. Last night we made it over to Local 188 and started off with cocktails while we waited for seats to open at the bar for dinner. Cocktails enjoyed during the course of the evening included a Myrtle Bank Punch, French 75 and a Rye Flip. Dinner included Mushrooms, Patatas, Carrots, Grilled Chourico and Livers with Shallots from the Tapas menu, and Maine Shrimp Ceviche and Braised Short Ribs from the appetizer section of the dinner menu. Everything was great, but we especially enjoyed the Patatas and the Grilled Chourico. We have already made a trip to Duckfat today, where we shared a bowl of the Rutabega, Apple and Bacon Soup in addition to fries. We intended to let things settle a bit and get lunch at Vignola later in the afternoon, however when I popped my head to find out when lunch was served until, we were informed that they were ending lunch at 1:00 to prepare for an afternoon beer tasting, so we slipped in just in time. Vignola is a great space with an extensive wine and beer list, for anyone that is not familiar. Of course we had lunch there and now we can both barely move and decided an afternoon break back at the hotel was in order. I'll be sure to post after our dinner at Fore Street

Thanks, Johnnyd, for the list! Although I am not a Mainer, it is my fav place to visit and eat. My husband and I are in town for the weekend and have reservations at Fore Street tomorrow night, but it was so hard to choose! (we have previously dined at 555, on fatdeko's rec). We are heading to Local 188 tonight specifically to see John (assuming he is there on Fridays???) and hopefully eat as well if they can squeeze us in, and I plan on hitting up Bar of Chocolate tomorrow while we wander around town. Your advice (as well as everyone else’s on this board) is invaluable. Cheers!

I'll most assuredly second this rec. A truly lovely, if crowded place. You should really go there and they do in fact care about everything that's put in front of you. It's byo and you will need to get a reservation, as I said, small space...you might learn more about the people next to you than you planned on. ← I'll put in a third vote for No. 9...my husband & I are regular customers here and go as often as our wallets will allow....we love, love LOVE this place. Food and service are both excellent.

Yes, reservations are strongly suggested...it is a small room that tends to fill up quickly on the weekends. There is always the possibility that you could luck out and get a table by just showing up, but I wouldn't risk it. In my opinion it is still as wonderful...I have been a semi regular there (once a month or so) for about a year. The braised shortribs are fantastic, and there are always a number of seasonal items to choose from. Sorry for the delayed response....just got back from vaca.

I'll second this...No. 9 is our fav. restaurant in NJ. I've been to 3 of the others listed above, but have not really traveled to NNJ so I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot up there - going to David Drake in Oct and really looking forward to it. Luckily No. 9 is in our neck of the woods.

So.....any other great bar recs? I like the idea of Bar Lola, I just wish they had a website so I could see a menu. Quite frankly, I've never been to a tapas restaurant before, so I just wanted a preview of what is offered.

We actually won't exactly be in Portland for lunch time...our rental is 5+ hours from Portland, so we'll arrive around 3. We are staying over at the Sheraton by the airport on our way in (getting very, very late from NJ), and we intend to stop into Brown Trading Company to get some treats for the car, so maybe we can take a quick tour of the city too.

Duckfat is a very tiny place with limited seating at a counter and some bar tables. There is no waiter service and the menu is limited. It's a great spot for lunch, but not really what I would consider a replacement for the type of meal you would have at Hugo's. We have had dinner there and it was great, but it isn't fine dining. ←

I've been lurking on this board for a few weeks now, but I'd like to join in since Halcyon's topic is very closely related to mine, in fact it is identical. My husband and I are traveling to Maine for a week-long rental above Bar Harbor, however our last night will be spent in Portland. We have a reservation for Hugo's, mostly because my husband spent some time at Daniel a few years ago and Daniel recommended Hugo's. We are considering cancelling and checking out Duckfat and maybe a few other places - we are really into eating at the bar, ordering appetizers and trying lots of different food. Any suggestions? p.s. Thanks for all the great info on this thread - I've really enjoyed it!

No, I'm sorry, we only accept cash or checks. We also do not have highchairs, however we do have a booster seat. Regards, Stacey Glynn-Brady

(609) 466-3777 Soupe du Jour 10. E. Broad Street Hopewell, NJ 08525 Open for dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings, 5:30-9:00, reservations suggested, outdoor seating available - weather permitting. BYOB Regards, Chef James Brady

It is funny that this topic came up b/c I was just talking to my friend the other day about this. He did an internship at Balthazar, and apparently they have a separate phone # for celebs/VIPs. We joked about posting it on egullet for everyone's enjoyment... Is having a separate # commone practice for popular spots?

Underrated - Blue Ribbon, not sushi just the regular restaurant. I love, love, love their fois gras and the atmosphere there. It is my favorite late night spot in NYC, above and beyond Landmark, which many have praised highly. My meal at LM was decent, but of no comparison to BR, IMHO. So I guess I would say that Landmark is my choice for overrated.

My first thought is to add them onto the final bill - that ought to get their attention pretty darn quick! Kind of like if you happen to help yourself to a robe or towel at at a nice hotel... Seriously, although it is a shame that quality mills will need a tracking device, I can see myself as a restaurant owner being militant about this. As if I will have nothing better to do with my time :)

So many interesting points to address... However, I will stick mainly to the presence of pepper in restaurants. I, like others on this thread, am a server at a small byob in central NJ. Offering fresh pepper with every course (except dessert ) is part of our routine. I never considered it as being a grandiose gesture; it is just what we do. More often than not, customers will or won't take pepper without tasting their dish first. An occasional few prefer to taste their dishes first, which I believe is appropriate. I personally love pepper and would probably take it without tasting, although my husband (cook and recently culinary school graduate) has exposed me to the fine art of seasoning and would cringe if he read this! SO...as a diner I appreciate the offer of fresh ground pepper at the table, although the giant pepper mills generally scare me! My husband and I have continued discussions about what we will want at our own establishment, and I agree that pepper and salt mills on the table are in order (Peugeot only!), and we will have to cross our fingers that our clientele is respectful enough not to lift them. In fact, we dined at one of the top NJ restaurants the other night (at least as far as NJ Magazine is concerned) and s&p mills were provided upon first course and removed before dessert. Perhaps this is a method to retaining said mills? Just another nitwit opinion