EMcD

This is a mile from my house. I am so excited.

Lovely place, the only problem is you have to buy and drink their sorry excuse for wine. Really, PA wines or for that matter NJ wines? ← "The only problem is you have to buy and drink their sorry excuse for wine." What's so unclear about that?

Have you checked into the Crossing Vineyard in Washington Crossing? They do private events, but not sure about the pricing. An easy shot from Trenton though. EMcD

Not only is is great for pickles and olives, the woman that owns it will even whip up some stuffed grape leaves, too. she does great platters for parties and is supplying a bunch of restaurants. most definitely worth the trip.

Have you been to Pickles & Olives around the corner from Turkish Delights? I'd like to move in.

Hi, delurking: I'm a former NJ gulleteer who just moved to Bucks, but I'm originally from outside Wilkes-Barre. The highlight of my week last week: Spotting a box of "Mama Nardone's" in the deli section of Newtown Acme. It's probably the equivalent of injecting cholesterol straight into your arteries, but my God is it good for a late-night snack. Or when you have a hangover. This ends one portion of our family's rule of not mentioning Nardone's, or Old Forge, or Pizza Perfect, unless you are within 20 minutes of eating it. EMcD

Interesting reporting by David Corcoran. Where exactly are the "factories" in Lyndhurst? LYNDHURST -- IF you are not hungry now, let me suggest a visit to www.fortunatoristorante.com , the Web site of Jeff Fortunato's homey and winning restaurant in this factory town between the Meadowlands and the Passaic River.

Don't know how long it's been there, but I noticed Friday that at the near end of the bar, by the jukebox, the Belmont has a sort of 10 commandments of service. Pretty funny to read, and I should have copied them down--in addition to the promise of serving safe, clean food, etc. there were a bunch of items promising to not be confrontational, listen to customers and to respect people's dietary wishes. And, you know, to be fair, the staff is a lot less surly than they used to be, thinking back say seven or eight years. They're busy and it's crowded, but they're not that unpleasant.

Sure wish we'd get a Wegman's in North Jersey. And maybe a Wawa while they're at it.

Oh but it's so worth finding. I got takeout from them just last night. The Hue-style beef noodle soup is my usual, but the Pho is amazing, as is the salt and pepper squid. There's a whole string on this place alone somewhere around here... Can't really vouch for anything else in that plaza, but the grocery is pretty much the only place in close driving distance where you can find a pint of green tea ice cream.

Binh Duong, for Vietnamese, on Belleville Ave. in Belleville. And Bensi on River Road in North Arlington. Haven't been to Uva, but suspected it was like a Sizzler-type operation.

In terms of bizarro fun, maybe Lee's Hawaiian Islander in Lyndhurst. Food isn't so hot, but the place on Friday and Saturday nights has karaoke that makes it seem like a "Magnum P.I." episode--as directed by David Lynch. At minimum, it's straight out of the Brady family trip to Hawaii. Last time we were there, there was a guy who may have had some Wolfman DNA--a face FULL of fur--signing Johnny Cash with a flaming tropical drink in his paw, er, hand. But the show-stopper was an elderly Chinese staffer's rendition of "What a Feeling" from "Flashdance." At minimum, it will halt any depression about being a year older.

At Franklin Steakhouse, you'd also be able to see every other football game being played on the abundant TV screens.

YES! ← Wasn't the one in Kearny/NA spelled Eagan's? Why the change?

You might want to try Backstreet Bar & Grill on Passaic Ave. in North Arlington. Their Cajun Garlic wings are great.

web site doesn't have the address listed. its still "coming soon." i had no idea that the mignon folks also owned tina louise...

I agree with Phil about the bread. When in Philly, it's Amoroso's or don't even bother. Piccolo's is good, but it's like a Hoboken translation of the real thing. It's like eating sliced london broil on a hard roll--making it a bit too chewing-labor-intensive for what's supposed to be a sloppy, juicy experience. But I'd still prefer one from Piccolo's over Jakes, maybe because Jakes' attempt isn't all that much closer to the real deal.

I had a steak there about two months ago, with high hopes--I spent my college years in Philly and feel compelled to go back every six months or so just to keep my Whiz levels in balance. And I agree--Hoboken seems to have all of the elements necessary to produce a great cheesesteak, considering all of the great cheese and bread shops. Piccolo's makes a pretty good one, but it's not quite there for me. Anyway, Jake's was OK, but not somewhere that I'd be rushing back for. The bread was tough, and yet spongey, too. The meat was nothing special. I still hold out hope for Hoboken, though. Eventually someone will figure it out.