rozrapp

bp1123 is planning this party for a Sunday. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Fascino is closed on Sundays?

Marielle's, a restaurant in the Freehold Gardens Hotel, in Freehold, has live jazz on Friday nights. In case you're wondering how good the food could be at a restaurant located in a hotel in Freehold, I should explain that Marielle's was in two previous locations in Freehold -- in a strip mall after they first opened, which lasted for several years, and then for a much shorter time on Main St. When they were on Main St., they offered music -- mostly jazz, I think -- on a regular basis. I ate several times at those two locations, and the eclectic New American cuisine was always quite good. Acc. to ads they've run in the local paper, it would appear that the food continues in that vein. However, I have not eaten there since this new move a few months ago, so I can't vouch for the food's continued quality. If you want to find out about their jazz line-ups, give them a call at 732-308-9808.

I agree with Casey about Dan's on Main. We have had a couple of very good meals there, though not recently.

An internet site called French Feast has all kinds of French products. They list Sabarot Le Puy Lentils @$5.25/500g.

Aleo is in the location where Bondi used to be. I had several good meals at Bondi and was sad to see it close. I have not yet had a chance to get to Aleo, but hope the food will be just as good. Looking forward to reading mazman's review.

Burros lost any credibility she might have had for me as a restaurant critic during a temporary stint several years ago when she reviewed the newly-opened Beppo. She found little about the food that was worthy of praise and commented that the chef/owner, instead of spending all his time in the front of the house, should get back in the kitchen where he belonged. She then proceeded to award Beppo 2 stars!

We ate at Anton's many years ago, not long after it first opened. Nice place, but the food was very disappointing. I'll be interested to hear what Rosie has to say when she goes there. As I mentioned in the SamVera thread, we stopped into Trabelli's a few weeks ago to try it for the first time. But, since there were several tables of extremely loud holiday partiers, we decided to leave and try it another time. First time in '04 restaurants: Fascino Le Fandy, Fair Haven Navesink Fishery, Middletown Ristorante Mediterraneo, Marlboro Stage House Inn Zoe's by the Lake Whispers, Spring Lake A restaurant we've been to before but has a new chef: Two if by Sea Restaurants that we haven't been to in such a long time that they’d be almost like new: Frog & the Peach -- Though we did lunch several times in ‘03, we haven't had dinner there in at least 15 years. Joe & Maggie's Bistro, W. Long Branch -- Went once after they first opened. Found the food unimpressive. I keep hearing how great it is. Need to see if I was wrong. Posillipo's, Asbury Park -- Last there 25 years ago. Ryland Inn -- Can't remember how long ago. I never loved the food. Need to go back to see if that's still the case. (Is it still up for sale?)

Eric Schlosser of Fast Food Nation fame gives his view of the situation on the op-ed page of today's NY Times. The Cow Jumped Over the U.S.D.A.

It should definitely not taste sour. About Farmer Cheese

Speaking of It's a Wonderful Life overkill, a cable station on Long Island showed it continuously for 24-hours beginning on Christmas Eve.

Elyse, I apologize if I inferred this incorrectly. Was that someone else's observation? Though I've been following the thread, I guess I might have missed it. In any event, my comment stands.

Elyse, I have never had a kosher burger in a restaurant so, presuming your observation is correct, this could be because of the type of meat they are using. There are different kosher cuts that can be used. At home, the only chopped meat I use for burgers is a kosher mix that my butcher sells in packages -- neck and tenderloin -- and which I then form into thick burgers. I grill them medium rare, and they turn out juicy and flavorful.

Albie, Since it was your comment that finally got me to try SamVera, I owe you a great big "Thank you!" While you are probably correct that prices are "New York-y-ish," it has never bothered us because we eat in NYC a lot and are used to those kinds of prices; we have tended to share apps and desserts, so the bills have not been outrageous; and, most important, the food is so delicious that we are willing to pay the freight. Ristorante Mediterraneo is located in the Acme Supermarket strip, at the intersection of Route 79 and Ryan Road. Some poeple I know have had dinner there and said it was good. But, frankly, I generally tend to take what they say with a grain of salt because I have found that my idea of what "good" means doesn't always agree with theirs, i.e., many restaurants that they like, I don't. However, it is on my "go to" list. I have also heard good things about Trabelli's (yes, another Italian ) on Route 9, in Old Bridge. My husband and I attempted to try it last week. However, it being the holiday season, they had a couple of large tables of extremely noisy celebrants, so we decided to leave and try it at a quieter time.

Check with Cooktique, in Tenafly, and Classic Thyme, in Westfield. Since they offer knife skills classes and sell knives, they might have a sharpening service.

Since I don't drink wine, I can't tell you much about the list. My husband has always ordered by the glass there, usually a chianti.

When it first opened more than 2 years ago, SamVera was what we and our friends called “that mystery place.” We thought it was probably a new restaurant, but we weren’t quite certain. The freestanding building it’s in had previously housed a restaurant called Nardino, which we tried twice, then gave up on because the food was less than mediocre. It didn’t last long – no surprise there – and the building stood idle for a very long time. One day, a construction crew showed up, and work went on for many months. Then, a sign went up: “SamVera.” That’s all it said. And that was all the information we had. As I said, we all figured it was a new restaurant, but nobody had a clue what kind it was. And there was not, nor has there ever been, any advertising in the local rag, aka The News Transcript, which is where all new restaurants announce their arrival. Also, nothing in the various “shoppers” that clutter our mailboxes or in the envelopes stuffed with coupons that also arrive regularly. When I eventually learned that it was an Italian restaurant, my reaction was, “Just what we need -- another Italian!” They are ubiquitous in our area, but, as far as I'm concerned, there isn’t a truly decent one in the bunch. (Note to Menton1: A glut of mediocre Italian restaurants is not limited to northern NJ.) So, since we didn’t know anyone who had been to SamVera, we put off trying it, not wanting to face another disappointing Italian meal. Then, I came across this post here on eGullet: albie Posted: Jun 13 2003, 02:31 PM I was intrigued. Time to give it a try. We have now been there a number of times for dinner during the week, always at an early hour when reservations have not been necessary. SamVera is on Route 520, less than a quarter mile off Route 79, which, at first blush, would seem to be quite a good location in terms of traffic. But it’s actually off the proverbial beaten track, making it a place one needs to know is there. While there is a front entrance, there’s also an entrance from the large parking lot in the rear. (One reaches either entrance up a long flight of stairs.) Entering from the back, one makes one’s way around some passageways, past the kitchen, and, finally, into the formal entry area. There’s a separate bar on one side, and the dining room on the other. A flight of stairs leads up to what are probably other dining spaces – at least that was the situation when the place was Nardino. The dining room is of medium size, and the new owners kept Nardino’s furnishings. The walls are a soft pastel yellow, decorated with paintings of Italian scenes. The lighting is fine: high enough to read the menus, but low enough for ambiance. Tables are capacious, draped with white linen, and well spaced. Floral-covered chairs add a big splash of pizazz to the room. Overall, an attractive and comfortable space. The breadbasket, which arrives immediately after diners are seated, holds very good crusty Italian bread and some fabulous rectangular flatbread. There is also lots of ultra-tasty bread sticks. Sometimes they are tall and come in a glass; other times, shorter and placed in the basket. Regardless, they are totally addictive! All these items are made in-house. Butter is provided, and there’s olive oil in attractive cruets on the table. The menu contains many of the usual suspects. There are daily specials; however, they are recited at the table without prices! We are not shy about asking for prices, and here’s an example of why one should do so when they are not stated. At our first dinner, my husband and I decided that we would share an appetizer and were considering one of the specials: imported buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes. It turned out to be $12.50. The mozzarella with roasted peppers on the regular menu was $6.95. We didn’t feel like spending almost double just to get the imported cheese. So we went with the dish on the regular menu. The large platter that arrived held very generous portions of tasty cheese, excellent ripe tomato slices, and glistening roasted peppers, with pieces of fresh basil strewn around, and a good balsamic vinaigrette. An attractively presented and delicious first course. And we saved ourselves $5+. When I go to an Italian restaurant for the first time and Veal Piccata is on the menu, I usually choose it because I find it a good indication of the kitchen’s skill. I am pleased to report that SamVera’s version ($16.95) is one of the best I’ve ever had. The veal was very tender and perfectly sautéed. The picatta sauce was an excellent blending of lemon and wine: neither overpowered the other and, as Goldilocks might say, not too thick, not too watery, but just right. I’ve had it again on a subsequent visit, and it was as good as the first time. Consistency… I love consistency! My husband ordered the Pappardelle Bolognese ($12.95). I tasted it and agreed with him that it was delicious. I believe the pappardelle are made in house. They were cooked just to the right point, and the sauce was rich and meaty. We started another meal by sharing the Cold Antipasto ($9.95). The platter held a variety of cold cuts and cheeses, as well as roasted peppers, black and green olive, and some mixed greens. The plate was perfectly dressed -- just enough oil and vinegar without being overpowering. Each and every item was delicious, and the portion size was generous. This is one of the best antipasto platters we have ever had. When the weather got colder, we ordered the Pasta e Fagioles soup that had been added to the menu. Delectible! At one meal, we both chose the Veal Milanese Capriciosa ($24.95), a veal chop, pounded thin and topped with a salad of arugula and tomatoes. It’s not a dish that is easy to get right, but SamVera’s kitchen did an admirable job. The chop was pounded to extreme thinness, coated with the breading, then perfectly deep-fried – golden brown and crispy. It arrived piping hot and covered the entire plate. Most of the salad toppings I have encountered have been composed of leaves torn into fairly large pieces and the tomatoes cut into small chunks. However, in SamVera’s version, all the greens were chopped very small and the tomatoes were finely minced. A balsamic dressing gave the mix good flavor. A well-excecuted, tasty classic. At another meal, we ordered whole branzino, roasted and de-boned tableside. A very light lemon sauce added just the right type of additional flavor to the mild filets. Another time, I asked if the kitchen would prepare something that is not on the menu – shrimp francese. (For some reason, sole or flounder is listed prepared that way, but not shrimp.) No problem! The kitchen is happy to prepare dishes that are not on the menu. The chef turned out very succulent shrimp, with a lovely egg-y “crust” in a light wine sauce. One of the things I detest about most of our local Italian restaurants is that all main courses are accompanied by pasta covered with awful red sauce. Thankfully, this is not done at SamVera. Instead, accompaniments are terrific roasted potatoes and perfectly cooked vegetables. We’ve shared only a couple of the desserts, all of which are homemade. The tiramisu is exemplary; there’s a wonderful tortoni (something we hadn’t had in I don’t know how long); and, while, the ricotta cheesecake has good flavor, I thought it just a shade too dry. Service has always been excellent. But I don’t have any idea how it is on a busy Saturday night. Also, I can’t tell you about the noise level when the room is full. But each time we’ve been there, they were playing recorded music: opera, Sinatra – anything Italian. As we were leaving at the end of our first dinner, one of the owners thanked us for our patronage. I took the opportunity to ask him why there had been absolutely no advertising. He said that when they first opened, they felt that if they advertised, they would be inundated with customers, and they had preferred to build up their clientele more slowly. It would appear that things have gone well for them because, as I mentioned earlier, there still hasn’t been any advertising. I also asked him about the name. It’s a combination of the names of two of the owners’ children. Despite a few negatives -- the butter comes in foil wrappers; I’m not crazy about music when I dine out; and the aforementioned recitation of specials sans prices, one of my major restaurant pet peeves -- we will continue to patronize SamVera regularly because there is seriously delicious food coming out of its kitchen. SamVera 476 Route 520 Marlboro 732-834-9667 Dress Code: Casual Smoking: Only in the bar Closed Monday

So, Kim, I guess, when it comes to Nicholas, for you, it's three strikes and they're out? I'm really sorry that you've had such below par experiences. As I mentioned in my listing of favorite restaurants of 2003, we did not manage to get to Nicholas this past year. However, we have been there several times. Nicholas was always in the dining room, handling the wine service personally, and the food was never less than exceptional. Interestingly, the food at the Ryland Inn has never appealed to me very much. So, perhaps, then, it all falls under the age-old category of "Chacun a son gout."

Since the Do Not Call list went into effect, it is absolutely amazing that the number of those intensely annoying, privacy invading, dinner interrupting telemarketing calls has dropped to absolutely zero. We do answer the phone during dinner. However, unless it's an emergency -- which, thankfully, rarely happens -- we only stay on long enough to say that we will call the person back.

Anna, What a coincidence! An organization I belong to runs an annual used book sale. (It's our major fund raiser.) During the year, we members sort the books and have first dibs on what comes in. Two weeks ago, I took home the very same Dinners for Two. That is an amazing coincidence. It's a bit dated but some of the dishes still look interesting. One of the reasons it interested me was that, out of the 20 inns, we have been to 8.

Are you referring to Two if by Sea or Piancone?

Anna, What a coincidence! An organization I belong to runs an annual used book sale. (It's our major fund raiser.) During the year, we members sort the books and have first dibs on what comes in. Two weeks ago, I took home the very same Dinners for Two.

Definitely the right place. Last week, I spotted their truck parked around the corner from the shop, on 29th St., in front of Biricchino, the restaurant they own. I've never been to either one.

Animal Husbandry, by Laura Zigman. The title sounds as though it should be food-related, but it definitely is not!

John, A distinction has to be made between a kosher deli that has been certified as being "strictly kosher," and a deli that serves kosher products but has not been so certified. The former would never serve any dairy products, while the latter can, if they so choose. Therefore, your Deli King appears to fall into the latter category. As for the Saturday issue, there is a category of kosher delis called glatt kosher. They are usually owned by very observant Jews and are not open on Saturday. In the case of "regular" (non-glatt) kosher delis, if the owners are not particularly observant, they tend to be open. However, all kosher delis close during the entire 8 days of Passover, since many deli products -- and bread, of course -- are verboten during Passover. So, have I now thorougly confused you?

Felonius, There is nothing inherently non-kosher about the individual items in a Reuben. However, kosher rules dictate that dairy and meat not be mixed. Therefore, a Reuben, which includes corned beef and cheese, cannot be served in a kosher deli. In fact, there are no dairy products of any kind in a kosher deli. Unlike the 2nd Ave. Deli, Carnegie and Katz's are not kosher. So, they can offer a Reuben. Whether or not they do is another question.