rozrapp
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Posts posted by rozrapp
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Marlene Posted on Feb 4 2003, 04:44 PM
Yes, I looked for that thread, but perhaps it was gone in when OTC was deleted.Marlene, In case you still would like to look at it, here's the thread on the Perlow kitchen remodel. (It was in General.)
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...chen+renovation
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They are so versatile. Just today I saw recommended in Cook's Illustrated that you can use the lid as an underliner for your peppermill.
This is no longer possible with Stoneyfield since the company has now replaced the plastic lid with a tear-off type. "We've blown our cover!" the explanation on the lid states. "Nothing has changed about what we put into our yogurt. What has changed is what we don't put into our landfills...about 270 tons of plastic annually by switching to these new lids."
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Also, why is it that all other professions are allowed to work in a smoke-free environment, but waiters should just deal? Smoking was first banned in offices to protect workers. Why shouldn't waiters be allowed the same protection?
When Mayor Bloomberg proposed the latest smoking ban in NYC restaurants and bars, he said that he wanted to extend protection from second-hand smoke to all workers, regardless of where they work. And that, indeed, is what the new law does.
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i repeat, i believe la colombe's 19th st. location will lose business, and lose some of the coolness cache they've acquired. maybe i'm wrong, we'll see.
When you say, "we'll see," it might require more than just sticking your head in the door to determine whether or not the move is a success.
Something similar happened a few years back at a coffee shop I am familiar with.
It, too, had the artsy, smokey set. The place was always packed. It almost appeared that one could not even patronize the joint unless one was wearing black and had a cigarette dangling carelessly and cooly from one's tres chic lips.
The shop owners, however, had done a little bit of analyzing. They determined that maintenance costs were much higher (they talked at some length about having to wipe the nicotine from the picture windows and mirrors every other day) than projected to be without smoking. But most of all, they discovered that although the cafe LOOKED full, and indeed WAS full, most of the "artsy trendy smokey" set was lingering for hours, chatting about artsy, trendy, cool stuff, over ONE CUP OF COFFEE. And perhaps a biscotti. And so, although the restaurant was full, their per-customer check total averages were horrible.
So, they banned smoking. Now, the cafe does not look so full and is not so full. People come and order and pay for it and consume and leave. Their per-customer tabs are up, their maintenance costs are down, and their profits are much improved.
Now, I'm not saying that I know this is going to happen at la colombe, because obviously I don't.
What I AM saying is that when you say, "we'll see," it might require a little investigation on your part to reach the correct conclusion as to whether or not the ban has been good or bad for business.
To back up what Jaymes has said, here's some info from the NJ GASP (Group Against Smoking Polution) site. While it refers to dining in restaurants, I think it applies in this case as well.
Smokefree dining is good for business. Thousands of proprietors have discovered the business benefits. And there's proof:
Nonsmokers increased their dining in New York City because of its smokefree law and more than made up for any business lost among smokers - nonsmokers spend 2.5 times more than smokers. (Cornell University study)
A study of every community in the United States with smokefree restaurant ordinances concluded that they "do not adversely affect restaurant sales." (American Journal of Public Health)
Cut costs. No more cigarette burns. Less cleaning and repainting. Cut air cooling, heating, and ventilation costs. Negotiate lower fire and property insurance.
Reduce problems. Eliminate disputes among customers about smoking. Reservations and seating are simpler. Tables turn over faster when there's no lingering to smoke cigarettes.
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Sogno does not do lunch at any time. And, btw, my last dinner there a couple of weeks ago was a big disappointment.
Gaetano's, around the corner from Sogno, on Wallace Street, is a casual and attractive Italian restaurant with very good food at moderate prices. They are open for lunch, including on Saturday. Here's their web site: Gaetano's
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In New York, smoking in all restaurants has been banned for 8 years-- and they just passed an even tougher law banning smoking in all bars as well.
Not exactly correct. The original smoking ban did not cover restaurants with fewer than 35 seats. Plus, there were also rules governing whether smoking was permissible in restaurant bar areas having to do with the percentage of food served there.
As I understand it, the new law that will go into effect at the end of March bans smoking in all restaurants -- no matter the number of seats -- in restaurant bar areas, and in bars unless they are owner-operated; that is to say, the owner himself/herself runs the bar and has no employees.
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The absolutely best Jewish deli in my immediate area is Jesse & David's, in Manalapan. Outstanding chicken noodle soup with matzo balls; succulent pastrami, nice and fatty (my favorite); excellent, crispy crinkle cut French fries; tasty homemade potato knishes; terrific cole slaw; crunchy pickles.... Oy! This post is my mouth water!
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Re: our experiences with Chinese restaurants in our area of NJ
We never hear, “Hi, my name is ____________, and I’ll be your waiter for this evening.”
When we request water, we are never asked, “Bottled or tap?” It’s tap all the way.
We never have to put up with a waiter standing tableside and reeling off an encyclopedia of specials without prices. Any specials are listed on a blackboard and/or on a sheet inserted into the menu and always includes prices.
Once our food has been served, the waiter does not come by the table and, when our mouths are full of food, ask, “So, how is everything?”
In our favorite Chinese restaurant, the person “guarding” the register is a young woman who is very pretty and sweet.
And, while some American restaurants may do take-out, every Chinese restaurant around here does.
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Back to Pooket last evening for the third time. The thermometer in our car read 18 degrees F, so we once again tucked into some steaming Thai Wonton Soup. Still a winner! We tried a different appetizer this time: Kanam Jeeb, steamed dumplings stuffed with shrimp and crabmeat ($5.90). The four dumplings, served with a dipping sauce, were fabulous! The skins were soft and the filling was full of flavor without being very fishy. We had two other dishes for the first time. We have never before eaten Pad Thai, which I gather is a classic Thai dish. I don’t know what it’s supposed to taste like, but what I do know is that we thought this version was terrific ($8.90). We also liked our order of Roasted Duck in Red Wine Sauce ($15.90) – slices of crispy duck breast with mushroom in the aforementioned sauce. It came with steamed Jasmine rice. We were full, so no dessert this time. Lots of other good stuff in store; we’re working our way through the menu.
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The Fromagerie, in Rumson, one of the area's premier French restaurants -- been around for about 30 years -- has private facilities that can handle your crowd. Definitely has a liquor license. All the info is on their web site: http://www.fromagerierestaurant.com.
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wow, I heaven't heard about this place in a while. Roz, have you been lately? Have they updated their menu? I recall that they were very dated and a bit behind the times from a culinary perspective.. the last time I went, maybe 5-6 years ago? I'd love an update, its a very pretty restaurant. Do the Peters brothers still own it?
Kim, I can't recall exactly how long ago it was that I ate there, but it has been many years -- probably further back than your 5 or 6. As far as I know, the brothers still own it. It is one of the relatively few restaurants that still require men to wear a jacket (dinner only). As for the food, if you look at the menu posted on their site, while they may not be a Nicholas, it would appear from the descriptions that they have "modernized" many of their offerings and preparations. I remember my dentist, who is a "foodie," telling me not long ago that he had been there, and he thought it was excellent. It certainly continues to be very popular.
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Rosie,
The Fromagerie, in Rumson, one of the area's premier French restaurants -- been around for about 30 years -- has private facilities that can handle your crowd. Definitely has a liquor license. All the info is on their web site: http://www.fromagerierestaurant.com.
Another possibility is Two If By Sea, in Red Bank. I don't know what their capacity is. Food's good and they have a liquor license. Here's their web site: http://www.twoifbysea.com.
Also with private rooms and good food, but you'd have to check about the liquor license 'cause I don't remember: The Bistro at Red Bank, on Broad St. (732-530-5553), and Raven & Peach, a most attractive restaurant in Fair Haven (732-747-4666).
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We tried Saigon II last evening. I went because =Mark, who, obviously, is familiar with this type of cuisine, gave it a thumbs up, and Helena Sarin, who, like me, does not have much experience with Vietnamese food, said she liked it. Unfortunately, I was disappointed, and my husband, who likes Asian cuisine, was not enthusiastic either.
We started out with a bit of miscommunication. Actually, it was more a question of something that we never thought to ask about. (Our server was a young man who spoke perfect English. I think he may have been the owners’ son.) When we ordered, we assumed that, like in Chinese restaurants, items would be served “family style.” So, we ordered cha gio spring rolls, spicy soup with shrimps and vegetables, and a sliced duck with vegetables dish.
The spring rolls arrived promptly, along with large leaves of lettuce and two little bowls of dipping sauce. Our server asked if we knew how to proceed. We had these years ago when we last tried some Vietnamese food, but I would not have remembered what to do; however, I had read Tommy’s reply to Helena as to how one goes about eating them. So I told the server that I did know. There were six thin little rolls, expertly deep-fried. We loved the contrast between the hot, crunchy roll and the cold crunchy lettuce leaf with the added taste of the sauce. Delicious! (Note to Tommy: No sriracha hot sauce. I guess one has to ask for it?)
The soup we ordered was definitely something we had had before. At that time, it was served “family style,” in a very large bowl with a ladle, and we were each given individual bowls. I distinctly remember re-filling our little bowls several times. So, we were totally surprised when the waiter came to our table with a tray that held a bowl of soup, as well as the duck dish and two bowls of rice. When we told him that we had planned on sharing the soup, with the duck dish to follow, he said something to the effect that all portions were individual. The bowl of soup, while not huge, was certainly large enough for two people to share as a soup course. But I’m guessing it was actually meant to be a main course for one person. Our server agreed to take the duck dish back to the kitchen to keep it warm while we ate the soup. We both found the broth to have a very nice, spicy flavor. But that’s the only favorable thing I can say about it. There were two hunks of tomato, a couple of pineapple chunks, and lots of some green vegetable which I can’t identify. All o.k., I guess. But what really sucked was that, for a soup billed as a “shrimp” soup, there was a grand total of three shrimpy shrimp!! No, we were not expecting any oxymoronic jumbo shrimp. But when we had this soup before, the bowl was choc-a-bloc with little shrimp, too many to count. Here, at about $6 for the bowl, we certainly expected more than three!
The duck dish was a disaster. First of all, there was hardly any duck to speak of – mainly vegetables – and the brown sauce covering everything had, for me, a very disagreeable taste. Even my husband didn’t eat much of it. His comment was, “It’s o.k.” But that’s like someone else saying, “It’s awful,” because, as I said, he really likes Asian food. They are charging $12.95 for this dish, which I think is quite outrageous – not because I didn’t like it. That’s a matter of taste preference. But it’s way too high for a relatively small plate of what is essentially vegetables with a couple of pieces of duck mixed in.
Our bill, with tax and tip, came to about $30. In my opinion, this is too expensive for the ambiance – more accurately, the lack thereof since there’s no décor to speak of – and for what’s in the bowl and on the plate.
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I am adding I Trulli, having been reminded that I like the Enoteca next door. I
Since it appears that this is a year-long project, you might want to consider waiting on I Trulli until the warm weather months so that you can dine in their very attractive back garden. I Trulli is one of our favorites. All the meals we have had there -- lunch and dinner -- have been delicious. And we have found that sitting in the garden really adds to the experience.
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Wow, Helena! First Thai food in Old Bridge and now Vietnamese in Lincroft. It's nice to see that our area is starting to have Asian cuisines other than the ubiquitous Chinese, although should I be including Indian in the Asian category? We do have one really good one, Aangan, in Freehold. Anyway, we shall have to try Saigon II. Actually, there was a Chinese restaurant on Route 9 in Howell which also had a small menu of Vietnamese dishes. I think they felt that they wouldn't last if they just stuck to Vietnamese. We ate there several times and always had only the Vietnamese dishes which I thought were quite good (not that I know any more about Vietnamese food than I do about Thai). Unfortunately, for whatever reason, they still closed.
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A new year and a new Thai restaurant. Well, actually, it’s been open about a month and we discovered its existence just before Christmas. I must admit at the outset that I am in no way an expert on Thai food. I don’t really know what constitutes an “authentic” preparation of a particular dish, I have only eaten a couple of times in Thai restaurants, and I never really took to it – that is, until my husband and I ate at Pooket II.
Pooket II is located in Old Bridge, on Route 516, just off Route 9, in The Village at Town Center strip mall, directly across from the Old Bridge Municipal Center. The restaurant is in a large, very beautifully decorated space. Tables are attractively set with dark brown rattan place mats and green plates with a pretty lotus-designed shape. All the serving plates are the same color and have interesting shapes. This is definitely not some divey, hole-in-the-wall set-up, though dress is entirely casual.
Our first visit was on December 26th for lunch. We shared the following: Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce ($5.90); Paw Pia Pak – Fried Vegetarian Spring Roll with dipping sauce ($4.90); Sauteed Roasted Duck with Pepper and Onion ($13.90), which came with steamed Jasmine rice; and for dessert, Fried Banana ($5.90). The satay’s chicken strips were perfectly grilled and moist. The little spring rolls were wonderfully crisp with not a hint of oiliness. Peanut and dipping sauces were lip-smackin’ good. The duck dish was composed of thinly sliced, succulent pieces of breast meat – very much like the French magret – and lots of vegetables in a tasty brown sauce. The small, crunchy banana-filled pastries, which came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, again showed off the chef’s skill with the deep fryer.
On January 2nd, we were back for dinner. This time we each began with a bowl of Keow Nam – Thai wonton soup ($4.90), then shared Pad Siew – Stir Fried Rice Noodles With Beef ($8.90) and Sauteed Chicken With Cashew Nuts ($11.90) with the Jasmine rice accompaniment. Two desserts this time: Fried Bananas again and Fried Ice Cream ($5.50). The soups came out piping hot – as they should – a richly flavored broth with lots of small wontons, sliced vegetable and ultra-thin, glassy-looking noodles. (Do they have a name?) The Pad Siew’s wide noodles were combined with tender pieces of beef and broccoli flowerets, then covered with a rather mellow, but flavor-filled, brown sauce. On the other hand, the sauce for the boneless chicken pieces, vegetables and cashews had a nice, though not overpowering, spicy bite to it. The Fried Ice Cream was certainly unusual, at least to us. However the chef manages to keep the ice cream from melting inside that crispy crust, it was delicious.
Before the main courses came out of the kitchen, our server brought a tray to our table which held four little covered pots with midget serving spoons. One contained ground peanuts, while the others contained spices: red pepper flakes, slices of tiny green peppers and a dark sauce of some kind. My husband, who likes things spicy, partook generously of those items. I stuck with the peanuts.
Portions are not large, and each dish that comes out of the kitchen is beautifully plated and garnished. Service is very pleasant. The restaurant is a BYO.
I asked the owner’s son why the “II” after the restaurant’s name, and he said that their original restaurant is in NYC, on 2nd Avenue, between 50th & 51st Sts. When I then asked why his father decided to open a sibling in, of all place, Old Bridge, he explained that the family lives in neighboring Morganville (Marlboro). Strip malls in the surrounding area abound with Chinese restaurants, but definitely no Thai. I surmise that the owner saw a need for this cuisine and aims to fill it. Sort of an “if I open it, they will come” type of attitude. They are just beginning to advertising, so we will see. Although I may not be an expert on Thai food, I do know what tastes good to me. Both my husband and I are hooked on Pooket II and plan to have lots of meals there.
Pooket II
The Village at Town Center
3843 State Hwy. 516
Old Bridge
Tel. 732-679-5033/732-679-4455
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During this past winter, on a Saturday afternoon, I was perusing a NJ food-related web site and came across a glowing review of a fairly new Italian restaurant in the general vicinity of our house. When I showed it to my husband, he suggested that we try it that evening. I called and had no trouble securing a 5:30 p.m. reservation. (We had eaten a late brunch and were happy to eat dinner early.) The restaurant was located in a big strip mall, as are many NJ restaurants. The room was quite large and pleasant, but I don’t remember much about the décor. When we arrived, there were diners at two or three tables. We were seated immediately by a pleasant, though somewhat nervous, young man, whom I judged to be a college student working part-time.
We looked over the menu and, immediately, my husband was totally disappointed that the lasagna that had been raved about in the review, and that he was looking forward to having, was not listed. Turned out it was not a regular item on the menu, but rather, a “special,” offered only irregularly. Strike One! On to selecting the appetizer.
Another item the reviewer raved about was the antipasti platter for two, described by him as being composed of expertly grilled vegetables, succulent slices of various meats, delicious cheese, and fine-quality olives. We ordered it. For the main course, we both chose a veal dish. Not the ubiquitous veal parmigian or picatta, this had some unusual and tasty-sounding ingredients. (It’s too long ago for me to remember the particulars.) My husband ordered a glass of wine. Bread that was neither great nor horrible was brought to the table. We munched away while waiting with great anticipation for the antipasti. What arrived was the proverbial far cry from the reviewer’s description. There were a few scraggly pieces of eggplant and zucchini, which had been grilled to utter dryness; a few very dry-tasting slices of prociutto; several gigantic hunks of awful-tasting cheese (I don’t remember what kind); and a boatload of olives, both green and black, that had surely come out of a jar or can. I asked for some oil and vinegar, which I thought might help, but they did little to improve things. We picked around at the stuff, but didn’t eat much. The young server came by to ask how things were. Not too good, we told him, indicating the mostly uneaten items and explaining how bad they were. He apologized profusely and took the offending plate away. Strike Two!
We were still hoping for a decent main course. However, when the veal was set before us, it was a totally unappetizing mishmash. We each cut a small piece of veal and tasted it. Flavorless and cold! Strike Three!
We called the young server over, told him that this food was also inedible, and that we were leaving. Rather befuddled, he asked whether we would like to order something else instead of the veal. No, we said, just bring us the check. The next thing we knew, the chef was at our table, wanting to know what the problem was. We essentially told him that the food we had been served sucked – though we put it in a more genteel manner. My husband then told him that we had asked the server to bring us our check, at which point the chef said that there would be no charge. We left some cash on the table as a tip for the server and scurried out of there. We didn’t feel much like going to another restaurant at that point, so we went home, where I hastily threw together – continuing the evening’s Italian theme -- a tasty pasta and eggplant main course.
Several weeks later, I read that the chef had left that restaurant and, shortly thereafter, the restaurant closed!
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Just a couple of days ago, I again made Mario Batali's Lasagna Bolognese. It consists of layers of pasta, a ragu of ground meats, a bechamel sauce, and freshly grated parmesan. It's the easiest thing to put together -- I have another of his lasagna recipes which, though excellent, is way more complicated -- and it is totally delicious. The recipe is on the New York Magazine site. Here it is:
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I found that Verbena has really dropped off post the Forley/Otsuka wedding. Also friends who dined there at least monthly have stopped going altogether. Too many cooks . . . .
I head that the couple recently had a baby, so Forley has not been in the kitchen for some time. Perhaps it's not a question of "too many cooks," but rather the better cook -- or, at least, the cook whose food is more appealing -- is missing in action.
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House Baked Scones
A. Appetizers
Duck and Shiitake Mushroom Country Pate, with thai basil, marinated carrots and parker house toast (this appears interesting)
B. Entrées
Crispy Duck Confit with brunch potatoes, bitter greens and roasted onion jus (this might be good as well)
Roasted Turkey Steak with spinach, mushrooms, lemon and sage
Verbena has always been one of our favorite Sunday brunch places. However, the last time we had brunch there during the summer, our meal was less than satisfactory. The menu then was exactly the same as what Cabrales has listed.
House baked scones were a little on the dry side. The pate was tasty and was the best thing we had. My husband said his turkey steak lacked flavor. My duck confit was quite dried out, the potatoes were boring, and the bitter greens did not have a lick of dressing. Since I prefer my salad greens with dressing, I asked the server if the kitchen could provide some vinaigrette. What she brought me was not a well-made version. We did not order dessert which is available for an extra charge. A very disappointing experience.
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This sounds as if there was a major problem in the kitchen. Obviously, you were not being singled out here since you say that you noticed other diners were asking their servers what was going on. However, your server was totally remiss in not coming to your table while you were waiting and apologizing to you for the delay. While she had no control over what was going on in the kitchen, letting you know that she was aware of the fact that the wait was way too long was the least she could have done. And the owner or manager should certainly have come over to apologize as well.
I think at this point you were between the proverbial rock and a hard place -- annoyed at how long it was taking to get the main course, but too far into the meal to leave and go to another restaurant. Even if you did leave, you could not be assured of getting a table someplace else. And the fact that you were celebrating a special occasion must have added to the annoyance.
A few months ago, when we had dinner at Stage Left in New Brunswick, we ran into a delay problem with our first course -- though one not nearly as long as yours. Our server apologized to us several times before the food finally arrived. And when we received our bill, without ever saying a word to us, they comped our desserts. That's the kind of classy "apology" you definitely deserved.
Since the personnel in this restaurant seems to have exhibited little concern for their customers' feelings, I agree with the others that you should have complained to the manager and made it clear that they ruined your celebration.
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I have a little yellow tupperware egg separator in the junk drawer somewhere, but usually I just use the shells, the way my mother taught me to.
I'm glad to see I'm not the only person who has one of these little suckers. But mine's white, it's in my utensil drawer, and I always use it when separating eggs. Works great!
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What is the name of your immediate vicinity Indian restaurant? Maybe you ought to share more about than on another thread. It seems like you enjoy it consistently and often and that means a lot. I would love to know more about it and make a trip to it.
The restaurant is Aangan. It opened a number of years ago in a small space in a small strip mall on Route 9 South in Manalapan, a location only 5 minutes from our house. Before that, we had gone a few times to an Indian restaurant located in Howell which is about 20 minutes away. So, it made sense for us to go to the closer one. And we actually liked the food at Aangan much better. On Thursdays, they served a dinner buffet at a set price (I think it was $15), which gave us the opportunity to sample lots of different dishes. But we went other nights as well. They were never particularly busy, and I often wondered how they managed to stay in business.
Well, sometime in 2001, they moved to more spacious and more handsomely decorated quarters in another strip mall on Route 9 North in Freehold. However, we haven't gotten around to eating at the new location. (We have been to an Italian restaurant right next door to these new digs, and that's why I know what they look like.)
Because it has been such a long time since we have eaten Aangan's food, and sometimes when a restaurant makes a move, things change, not always for the better -- though I sincerely hope this will not be the case -- I cannot post a thoughtful description right now. But this discussion is making me want to go there soon, and when we do, I will post about it.
Btw, another Indian restaurant called Apana has taken over the old location. We have not tried it and have not heard anything either good or bad about it.
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Would you mind explaining what you did not like about the Nan at Mughal?
Suvir,
I am flattered that someone as knowledgeable as you are about Indian cuisine took the time to comment on my report about Moghul.
Let me be honest and say that my experience with Indian cuisine is very limited. We have been to one or two Indian restaurants in NYC. But the bulk of our experience has been with only one Indian restaurant in our immediate vicinity of NJ, and I have always been happy with the food there. So, since I am obviously not in any way an expert on what actually makes an Indian dish good or bad, I can only go by how something tastes to me.
Re: the onion-stuffed Nan at Moghul. There was something about the flavor of the onions that did not appeal to me, though what exactly it was that put me off I couldn't say. The only other Onion Kulcha I could compare it to is the one we have had when we have gone to our local Indian restaurant, and that one I like very much. And the funny thing is that my husband, who isn't anywhere near as picky about food as I am, also had the same reaction.
Soups are generally not the winning item on Indian menus in the west.Chefs and owners have not planned for the necessary mis en place and requirements for soup service.
Most often you get soups that have been made using whatever is in the refrigerator and would give as close to authentic flavoring as is required to render a soup.
It is shame but after speaking with many chefs, I have realized it is pretty much the norm.
I have found that the Mulligatawny soup served in our local Indian restaurant has always been excellent. Whether its flavor is "authentic" I couldn't say since it's the only place I have ever had it.
I was there a while back. The food was not very good. And it came out cold for the most part.I'm sure you noticed that I addressed the issue of some dishes not being hot and gave our thoughts on why it happened. Do you think our theory is correct? Was your food actually cold, or more like tepid as ours was? Did you consider sending it back?
Again, thanks for your interest.
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Haven't been to the new Moonstruck - I won't wait on line. The only time we ate at the OG location was New Year's, when they took reservations, and on another December weeknight when we didn't have to wait.
I thought the food and service were both very good each time we went in OG, but not the totally celestial experience reviews and some of the OG locals led me to expect.
Oceangroveguy, I'm with you on all counts. My one experience with Moonstruck at the OG location was a disappointment. Not that the food was bad -- but after all the hype, I expected much, much better. Our server, however, was fabulous. She handled our table of 8 women with cheerful aplomb and even volunteered to give us each separate checks!! We were there on a midweek evening in the spring and were seated immediately. I have heard that the waits at the AP location on a Saturday night have been as long as 2+ hours.
Menu Pricing and description
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
I agree with you, Brian, that using the "+ $1.25 a la mode" technique is a chintzy way to approach this. It's the kind of notice you find on a diner menu. And I certainly don't blame you for being miffed. However, since it's apparent that the chef/owner is looking for ways to up the ante, I think the better way to go about this would be to increase the price of all the desserts to say $6.50 (or $7, if he thinks he can get away with it) and then serve all of them with their appropriate accompaniments. As a regular diner, I would have less of a problem with that than if I saw that I had to pay an extra $1.25 to get some ice cream with my molten chocolate cake.
As for the $5 plate sharing charge, should I presume that it applies only to main courses? Frankly, although my husband and I rarely share a main, we sometimes do share first courses and desserts (unless the menu is a 3-course prix-fixe). I can understand the idea of a plate charge for sharing a main -- I have seen it before. However, I would not be happy if I was charged for sharing a first or dessert course because my husband and I can easily work off the same plate. We have even been known to pass soup back and forth.