rozrapp

Here's the link. (Scroll down.)

In my dim recall, Rumplemayer's was the place to go for Ice Cream Sundaes. It might have been on Central Park South (perhaps in a hotel?). I don't know when it closed; I left NY when I was a young adult, moving to Chicago for law school, and then west from there, and I didn't really keep up with the New York food scene until my discovery of egullet. Was there also an ice cream place called Serendipity or something similar? Rumplemeyer's was, indeed, on Central Park S., in the St. Moritz Hotel, which is now the Ritz Carlton (where Atelier is located). I, too, don't remember when it closed. Serendipity, however, is alive and well and still very popular.

I am not a fan of Doris & Ed's because each time we went there, we came away disappointed. We finally gave it up as definitely not worth it since the quality of the food is not anywhere good enough to warrant the truly exhorbitant prices. It amazes me that people still flock there and put it on their "best" lists. Ray's Seafood, in Colts Neck, used to be our preferred spot until they closed. We have since tried their original location in Little Silver. The space, while pleasant enough, is not as attractive as the Colts Neck restaurant. However, the food is just as fine, and prices are reasonable. I don't remember what, if anything, would be on the menu for a non-seafood eater. You'd have to call and find out. The food at Rooney's Ocean Crab, in Long Branch, is pretty good. They definitely have things other than fish and seafood on their menu. If you are willing to go to an upscale restaurant that is not strictly a fish place but does both fish and non-fish dishes superbly, Frog and the Peach is definitely that place.

Definitely BYO.

Trish, Thomas Henkelmann is the eponymous restaurant in the Homestead Inn, in Greenwich. The inn became a member of the Relais & Chateaux group in 2002, and the restaurant has been awarded Relais Gourmand status, which means that it is rated a cut above all other restaurants in member inns. We have stayed at many R&C properties and, while we have found that the food usually ranges from very good to outstanding, sometimes it has not lived up to our high expectations. That has even been the case occasionally with Relais Gourmands. We have not yet been to the Homestead, but a stay -- and, of course, dining in the restaurant -- is on our agenda this year, in the spring or summer.

Tony da Caneca actually has one room reserved for non-smokers, which was where we sat. As for the food, it was very good on one visit and mediocre on another.

Old San Juan, on 9th Ave., bet. 51st and 52nd Sts., serves tasty, inexpensive Puertan Rican and Argentinian food. It's been a while since we ate there. The decor didn't leave much of an impression on me, perhaps because there wasn't any. But I do remember that seating was close, which should give der Brucer an opportunity to chat up the neighbors. Hope you enjoy Assassins. We're Roundabout subscribers and will be seeing it at the beginning of April.

Here is the recipe for Magret a la D'Artagnan on their web site. I have used this recipe many times. One change I make: instead of finishing the magret on a grill, I do it in a 350 degree oven, skin side up. It always comes out perfectly -- medium rare, succulent and delicious.

L'Absinthe: Dinner once several years ago. Food was excellent. Very attractive room. Upscale, fashionably dressed clientele. Montparnasse: Dinner once two summers ago. Really liked the food. That was before current chef/part owner, Philippe Roussell, came on board. He cooked for a while at Park Bistro, a place we patronize regularly, so I know his food is very good. I thought the room was pleasant and comfortable. We keep intending to go back.... (Note to Soba: If I lived across the street, I would be there regularly. This means that you live right near Amma as well. Lucky you!!) Les Halles: While I like the food, I’m too old to tolerate the sardine-like seating and the ear-splitting noise level, so we stopped going there. Madison Bistro: One totally disappointing dinner. La Bonne Soupe: I think the last time I ate there was sometime during the late ‘70’s or early ‘80’s. I remember it as a cute place with decent food. Café Un Deux Trois: One lunch last year. Mediocre food. I mentioned Park Bistro above. It should be on the list. Though there have been a number of different chefs (I think the restaurant has been open for 12 years), the food has always remained consistently good. We’re semi-regulars, so we know the owner, the maitre d’ and a lot of the staff. However, I’ve watched and noticed that they treat all customers well. We’ve never had difficulty getting a table, but we rarely go there on a Saturday night. I will also add La Petite Auberge, our favorite old-fashioned bistro. We've been going there every so often since it opened more than 25 years ago. It has remained under the same ownership. We were just there last week and, though the place was busy, we had no trouble getting a table at the last minute. The ambiance is pleasant (the posters on the walls bring back memories of our travels in Brittany); our server was a young man who was very personable, as well as efficient; and, as always, the food was well prepared and delicious. (Grand Marnier soufflé )

Glenn, You've actually made my point. I don't think it's the credit card companies that are holding things back, but rather, the restaurant industry has to be the place where the change is made. If such a policy were instituted across the board, I'm sure the credit card companies wouldn't object. As for the argument that a restaurant a table can be filled if there is a no show -- presumably by a walk-in? -- the same can be said for a hotel or motel. And what about resorts that have a two-weeks in advance cancellation policy in order to get a full refund? While there are some places that will give a refund if the room ends up being rented, most don't. So a resort could, theoretically, be receiving double payment for an accommodation if it were subsequently rented. And even those that give after-deadline refunds will keep, say, $50, as a "processing fee." We all accept these policies because the hotel industry has set them and operators adhere to them. So, in some respects, the restaurant industry has nobody to blame but itself for the problem with no shows. Of course, that doesn't make it right for people to just blow off a reservation. But unless restaurateurs band together to make the change, they will continue to be faced with this problem.

According to the NY Times article: Again, from the article:

Like all of you, I found the behavior of these no-shows thoroughly reprehensible. Their total lack of conscience and disregard for the effects of their actions on Lou, his staff and the would-be diners who were turned away is disgraceful. I have never understood why restaurant reservations don't work the same way as hotel reservations. That is, the first night's stay is charged to your card. If you don't cancel by 6 p.m., the charge remains even if you don't show up. I think restaurateurs should not just take credit card numbers but assign a dollar figure based on the menu prices, and diners should be informed that if they don't cancel by a certain time, they will be charged that amount. A hit in the pocketbook would definitely change the behavior of thoughtless diners, particularly those who make multiple reservations, then don't bother to cancel the ones they don't use. Why do restaurateurs think that this type of procedure would turn off diners? If it became an industry-wide practice, diners would accept it as the natural way that restaurants do business.

This article in Saturday's NY Times discusses the reasons Gage & Tollner (and Lutece) closed.

When we were last in France in June 1999, we had a wonderful stay at Moulin de L'Abbaye, a Relais & Chateaux property in Brantome. Our accommodations were lovely, and the food was superb. Dinner was served on the outdoor terrace alongside the Dronne. We dressed casually.

No web site, but MenuPages has the menu here.

I Trulli Via Emilia

This is confusing. Is the $65 prix-fixe 3 courses or 2?

I have not been to Craft, so I'm a little confused. If, as you say, Craft has a certain "concept," doesn't it extend to everything on its menu? If so, why would there be right things and wrong things to order?

As I said, I did figure out what you meant. I agree that when a restaurant moves from a smaller space into a bigger one, it can sometimes spell disaster. And even if it remains successful, something usually becomes lost in the translation. I can't speak about Cinque Figli because I never got the chance to eat there when it was in Morristown. We tried getting a reservation there once, but they were booked. Not long after that, they moved to Whippany, and we've never been there. However, I can make a comparison of Pierre's at its two locations. I loved the smaller space. It was charmingly decorated, very cozy, and the food was terrific. All in all, a small jewel of a place. We had dinner at the current location only once quite a while ago, and it had an entirely different feel. Despite the fact that the dining rooms are pleasant and not very large, I thought the restaurant had lost much of the charm and intimacy of the old space. As for the food, while it was still quite good, I felt it was missing the truly superior quality that we had previously experienced when the kitchen was turning out meals for a much smaller number of people each evening. It’s probably why we haven’t been in a rush to go back, particularly since it's about an hour’s ride from our house. Discussing this has made me think of Jocelyne’s. It’s the same kind of place that Pierre’s was before the move. I hope that Jocelyne and Mitchell never decide to expand because I think it would lose exactly what makes it the wonderful restaurant it is.

Rachel, when I first read that sentence, I thought, "Huh?" If read quickly, it sounds as though you are saying that one should stay away from Morris County. But, of course, that's not at all what you meant. It's ironic that the two suggestions so far are Pierre's and Cinque Figlia because they are "related" in an interesting way. For those who may not know, they each started out occupying the same small corner space in Morristown. Pierre's was there first. When they vacated for their current, much larger premises, CF took the spot for a while before moving to the Whippany location.

Whisper's is a BYO.

Pierre's, in Morristown, would be a good choice. A look at the menu will show that the French bistro cuisine there is far from dull, but not over-the-top creative so that your best bud's folks should be able to find dishes that will please them.

If you're staying near Times Square, there's an internet cafe on 42nd St., bet. 7th & 8th Aves., on the south side of the street. Also, I think at least one of the McDonald's in that area has internet service, and it may be available at other McD's as well.

Whispers, in Spring Lake. I have not been there, but I've heard that the food is excellent, and the atmospherics are elegant, intimate, and romantic. There's a fireplace pictured on the web site, but I'm not sure it's in the diningroom. Edited to add The Grand Cafe, in Morristown. It's been many years since we had dinner there. I'm pretty sure we were celebrating some occasion, i.e., birthday, anniversary. I remember the food being very good, and that the diningroom was quite lush and romantic. I don't remember a fireplace, but they show one on the web site.

Fromagerie, in Rumson, is in a converted house and has fireplaces in a couple of its dining spaces. You can see pictures on their web site.