rozrapp

Let me start by saying that Fleur de Sel is one of our favorite restaurants. We have dined there many times (lunch and dinner) and have always had a first rate experience. I've seen tables of women dining there, and they are not, as you phrased it, "typically" seated in what might be considered the less desirable tables. If you were not happy with your table and the restaurant was not fully occupied, why did you not request a change? I love the new decor. While the old decor was charming, an accurate description now, I think, would be stylishly contemporary, rather than avant garde. The seating is much more comfortable, and the lighting is perfect. The unusual chandelier of shells in the little alcove is a lovely touch. And some of chef/owner Cyril Renaud's artwork still adorns the walls. As for your feeling that the serving staff lacked warmth and graciousness, I have not found that to be the case. While they tend to be reserved -- some might call it professional -- they are quite friendly and gracious (as is Chef Renaud, btw) when diners relate to them. When it comes to the food, I've had that lobster dish as part of the tasting menu, and the portion was small. However, I've seen it brought to another table as part of the 3-course menu, and the portion size looked quite substantial. So, I'm not sure why you described your portion as "petite." In any event, it's a wonderful dish with a mix of unusual and delicious flavors. I haven't had the current veal preparation, but a previous veal dish I had at lunch was sensational. My husband has had the poussin, and he thought it was terrific. You only mention one dessert, the gaufrette. I can't deny it's on the sweet side and is not my favorite. However, there are a number of truly excellent desserts, like the signature Breton crepes. It really surprised me that you said you left feeling a little hungy. I've never heard that complaint before from anyone. It certainly has never been a problem for either my husband or me, and he is not a small eater. A note about the lack of an amuse. We have asked Chef Renaud about this. He told us that he has made a great effort to keep his prices down, and one way he decided to economize was to eliminate the amuse, which is very labor intensive and can be quite costly. He has not heard any complaints from his clientele. I think his prices are rather a bargain, considering the high quality of the cuisine as we have experienced it.

About 3 years. I'm bummed about Eric Hambrecht's departure because The Lincroft Inn is about 10 minutes from our house, and we had several excellent meals while he was there. The Lincroft Inn is family-owned, so his position was just Executive Chef. Obviously, becoming a partner at The Stagehouse made that situation much more attractive for him. We've never been to The Stagehouse, so this will definitely be an incentive for us to go there.

In Montclair, Epernay serves their excellent French bistro cuisine until 10 p.m.

Toni Froio has been the executive chef at I Cavallini Ristorante, 29 Rt 34, Colts Neck (732-431-2934) since December 2004. ← I Cavallini is located directly across the road from Delicious Orchards in the free-standing house that used to be Ray's Seafood. Although it was open a year and a half before they brought Toni Froio in to head the kitchen, we had not tried it. We've had dinner there twice since she arrived. The first time, in December, the meal was excellent in every respect. Unfortunately, the second meal in January was disappointing. Though we haven't rushed back, we'll probably give it another try one of these days because it's only about 15 minutes from our house. ← You may want to try Christophers Cafe in Colts neck, which is located in the small shopping area just south of I Cavallini and also across from Delicious Orchards. They are open Wednesdays thru Sundays for lunch and dinner and offer contemporary new American cuisine (their duck is excellent!). The place has been there for like 5 years and for some reason seems to be a local secret (lots of folks in horse riding gear show up for lunch). ← I am very familiar with Christopher's Cafe. He's catered two events for an organization I belong to, and my husband and I have had dinner there quite a few times since they opened. We were always pleased with the food until the last dinner we had there. It was after the expansion and, sadly, the meal was truly sub-par. Whether the expansion had something to do with it, or it was an aberration, nevertheless, it was a huge disappointment. Btw, the duck you mentioned has always been my favorite dish, but it had been removed from the menu.

Toni Froio has been the executive chef at I Cavallini Ristorante, 29 Rt 34, Colts Neck (732-431-2934) since December 2004. ← I Cavallini is located directly across the road from Delicious Orchards in the free-standing house that used to be Ray's Seafood. Although it was open a year and a half before they brought Toni Froio in to head the kitchen, we had not tried it. We've had dinner there twice since she arrived. The first time, in December, the meal was excellent in every respect. Unfortunately, the second meal in January was disappointing. Though we haven't rushed back, we'll probably give it another try one of these days because it's only about 15 minutes from our house.

I have to say that this news about Jocelyne's is a shock since it's one of our favorites. Ironic, too, since they received a 4-star review in the Star-Ledger in May. In fact, when I tried to reserve a table there on Wed., June 15th, Jocelyne answered the phone and informed me that they were fully booked. We had never before had a problem getting a table mid-week, so I chalked it up to the "fallout" from that excellent review. Or, maybe people had already heard that the restaurant was being sold and were getting in their last licks (pun intended). In any event.... Bearstew, I recommend that you try Verjus, in Maplewood. That's where we ended up, and our dinner was excellent.

Rene Pujol has been in its 51st St. location (yes, it's betw. 8th & 9th Aves.) for about 50 years, and the second generation of Pujols is now in charge. You are correct about the quality of the food. We have dined there off and on over the years, and the food has always been excellent. The menu, which has been updated, now includes both classics and modern/creative dishes. The prix-fixe lunch is $24 and, as you said, the dinner prix-fixe is $44. However, unlike at lunch, the dinner price is definitely not inclusive of every menu item. In fact, when we had dinner there a few months ago, I remarked to my husband that there were many appetizers and main course dishes that carried a substantial supplement. You can see the menus on Rene Pujol's new website. Note that they list a rack of lamb for two @$105.

The only restaurant called The Farmingdale House that I know of was located in Farmingdale (near Adelphia and Freehold), and it closed quite some time ago. Has it re-opened? Or is there now another restaurant with that name in or near Spring Lake?

The upscale Nicholas, in Middletown, is offering a "Dinner & Fireworks Spectacular."

If anything, Amex GCE might have sold the Bubba Passes before they were made available to the general public, par for the course when it comes to Gold Card Events. (Can anyone confirm?) They might even be able to procure one for you (post-sellout) if you are a very high value customer, but you didn't hear that from me. ← Jammin, You are correct about the Bubba Pass being available to Gold Card holders prior to the event. Gold Card holders were advised by e-mail in May, and it was on the events list on the AmEx website, but has now been removed.

That really is a shame! Something similar happened to my husband and me last year. We had tickets for a Broadway show one Sunday during the summer and decided to have lunch at the Shake Shack before heading uptown. We arrived at the Shack only to discover it shut. Since it wasn't a holiday, just an ordinary Sunday, we couldn't figure out why they were closed. There happened to be some personnel cleaning up outside who told us the reason: one of those ubiquitous street fairs was going on right up the block on Madison, so the Shack was closed until 6 p.m. I guess it would have been too much competition for the sorry-excuse-for-food that one finds at those fairs. Anyway, bergerka, you should have headed over to Molly's, on 3rd Ave., btw 22nd & 23rd Sts., where the burgers are huge and delicious.

We've had dinner at 22 West. While I thought the food was quite good, it is not anywhere in the same league as Nicholas or other restaurants with much superior cuisine. When it comes to ambiance, it is a huge space -- a bar area and two dining rooms -- with pleasant decor. We were there on a Monday when not many tables were occupied, so it was quiet; however, considering the airplane-hangar-size of the place, it didn't surprise me to learn that when it's full, the noise level is very high. Overall, I wouldn't recommend 22 West for a special anniversary celebration. I would throw into the mix Chez Catherine, in Westfield. We had two absolutely stellar meals there within the past couple of months. The French cuisine served there is fabulous. Service is perfection personified because owner Didier Jouvenal oversees the dining room, making certain that diners are comfortable and completely satisfied. The small main dining room (about 30 seats) has lovely decor and romantic ambiance. One can either dress casually or dress up a bit. In every way, I think it's the perfect place to celebrate an anniversary.

Every meal we've had at Jocelyne's has been 4-star! Here's the link to the review.

Rosie, Are you going to Tabla or to the Bread Bar?

My experience with Claude Troisgros' CT (in the space that became Union Pacific) was so disappointing that my desire to try BC&B is zero.

Epernay never disappoints us. Very generous portions of delicious French brasserie/bistro dishes. Excellent service. Casual, comfortable, attractive surroundings. BYO.

Well, I can tell you where not to look: Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop. I had one of the worst BLT's ever there. And the egg cream was a total disappointment as well.

That should be La Petite France. Seven Hills of Istanbul, Highland Park Toscana Trattoria, Chester

Andrea Strong gives Melt the top spot in her Buzz column this week: http://www.andreastrong.com/brain/brain_vi...79d31fd6505ea51

Randi, I think you are referring to Famous Dave's. Although it's a chain, I agree that the ribs are very good. We've had dinner at Dan's on Main a couple of times though not recently. The food was well-prepared and tasty. When you go, be sure to order some perogi, the chef's specialty. We had lunch a few months ago at a Thai restaurant in Metuchen, on Main St., whose name escapes me. Very good food and attractive atmospherics.

A few weeks ago, we had an exquisite dinner at Chez Catherine, in Westfield. Le Rendez-vous, in Kenilworth, which changed ownership within the last year, was re-reviewed recently by Cody Kendall, in the Star-Ledger, and received 3-1/2 stars.

22 West has a website. The lunch and dinner menus do not list prices. They have a beer list (no prices), but when it comes to wine, the list is not up (can't click on it).

I don't think this is accurate information-- I referred to the "Freehold" store, but I guess it is actually in Manalapan... and they had ZERO Pierre Hermé product. ← I shop at Wegmans in Manalapan regularly. The other day, I spoke to someone in the Patisserie Dept. about the disappearance of the Pierre Herme chocolates. She told me that the Manalapan store still carries them. However, they are now pre-boxed in 3 different sizes and, since they are not on display, you have to ask for them. Furthermore, they are only being sold during holiday periods. Valentine's Day is one such time. I asked if that meant the next time would be Easter, and she said, "Probably."

After not having dined at Fromagerie for many years, we decided to give it a try last year. The meal was so disappointing that I cannot recommend it. I disagree with Menton 1 about Spago's. We've had dinner there a number of times over the period of several years and have yet to have a truly excellent meal. Not bad, really, but certainly not anything close to what you would experience at Nicholas. While I agree with Rosie about Frog and the Peach, it is at least an hour away from the Middletown/Red Bank/Rumson area, which is where you indicate you wish to dine. My suggestion would be the Lincroft Inn, located in Lincroft/Middletown. I reported here about two dinners we had there in 2003. We also had an excellent dinner there in 2004.

Veritas: Dalia Jugensen, pastry chef Pierre Au Tunnel: Owned by Jacqueline Lincy, daughter of the original owners, and her husband, Jean-Claude