dodge621

[Hey!, didn't *you* like this place in a prior sushi thread?] nope have not been there [but the fact that I don't like the food came before the conditionals. ] so if you liked the food at Maharani Express and if you knew the owners would you not have started this post?

[Five in row, regardless of which specific violation...welll... ] what is the big deal. You did not seem alarmed that Wild Ginger or Baumgart's had many past conditionals so why should this restaurant be any different.

Enjoyed the Chilean Sea Bass dish. Very nice place.

simply a question of economics a price of $10 for a steak may yield a demand of 75 customers a price of $35 for a steak may yield a demand of 40 customers [Tommy, if a restaurant sells a $8 bottle of wine for $35, that is a disgrace. ] we all make decisions as consumers of whether to buy or not and where to dine or shop. Unless we all have the same demand for all the same items, there is no fair price.

[Never order fish on Monday. ] Rosie, I thought I read somewhere that you also said never order fish on Sunday. Is this correct?

the selection and freshness of the fish at Market Basket is excellent

I have found Market Basket to be worth the ride (15-25 minutes) and the best place to shop for fresh fish and meat in Bergen County. http://www.marketbasket.com Are there any other top stores comparable to Market Basket anywhere in North Jersey. I have enjoyed Whole Foods but I find Market Basket superior. Also, what are the top specialty food stores in the North Jersey area?

axer - another link to the Record.

[Here is the link folks. I've not yet read them deeply. ] so what is your criticism this week or have you given up on the Record's widely respected reviewers who can be put up against anyone.

[i would like to remind everyone that private e-mails and/or quotes should not be posted without permission from the writer. ] point taken. yet Ms. Mack sends these comments is also in bad taste as well. If she does not want to be quoted perhaps she should not write such things via email. [My intention was criticsm of the writing, *not* mockery of any individual (I don't know them).] but you had mentioned previously you were unhappy with their review of your restaurant

- their entrees were good but i never had the dessert there - i think it is only a take out place Marva's Southern Cuisine (201) 837-9080 1287 Teaneck Rd Teaneck, NJ

[you've missed my point.] your point was figured out many months ago. we have gone through this already many times

try Marva's Teaneck, NJ Teaneck, NJ they have authentic soul food

every week there is a critique of the Record reviews. What is the purpose at this point? is it just to ultimately try to hope the paper can be improve more likely there are other motives at play?

here was the 1st email sent by me to Ms Mack (i only edited out curse words) Subj: REVIEWS HERE IS THE CRITIQUE - Date: 10/12/02 6:41:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time To: mack@northjersey.com The Maine crab cake appetizer ($12) was *probably* the best dish sampled at our weekday dinner A special lamb starter ($12) consisted of a whole loin, cooked *slightly* beyond the rare requested Service seemed a *little* lackadaisical. In a special snapper entrée ($28), the fish was *slightly* overcooked. Pecan-crusted chicken breast, a signature dish created by chef-owner Lee Ganbarg ...., was also *slightly* overcooked. The dining experience - service and food preparation issues aside - is quite pleasant. The shrimp, which *were* slightly chewy... apparently she had bad service, mediorce food and a hefty bill at mom's house quite often.

[but what else did you add?] you are right - the 1st email I sent Ms. Mack was an exact copy of last weeks critiques on egullet. the 2nd email I sent Ms. Mack said this 10/14/02 1:09:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time To: Mack@northjersey.com your Paper's coverage of dining is widely being ridiculed in egullet.com I hope you will make improvements as the public atleast egullet.com is really mocking your paper's reviews.

[Okay dodge, what did you say??? ] by quoting what has been said about the last review (AND adding absoulutely nothing else), which was largely your critique. According to the record it states if one has a comment or question on the dining reviews email mack@northjersey.com. My rationale for doing this is to hope the Record area finds a way to improve its dining coverage. To merely critique the Record here and not potentially have the Record know about the complaints is a lost cause. I had hoped the Record might take some steps to rectify the problems that exist in its coverage but apparently Ms. Mack feels the coverage is superb.

Nick, I sent her an email which quoted what was said on last weeks reviews but I did remove all expletives. The response she sent me was not an excerpt. it was her fill response. I will be happy to forward the email to you in private message [Okay dodge, what did you say??? How did you provoke this response?? I've met Pat Mack and this seems out of charactor. I question the ethics of posting excerpts from personal corespondence without the writers permission. I'm sure Pat Mack was replying to you alone and had no idea that her remarks were going to embazoned across a public forum. As you say it is an excerpt. I'd like to see the context. Including whatever initilialy prompted the response. But ask her first, before you post. Nick ]

above was the response I got from Ms. Mack

I am aware of what goes on at egullet...like most on line chat it is very testy, nasty, and vitriolic for its own sake. They write to please each other, which is non stop put down a la television sit-com. Do u think most people really pay attention to these folks. Thoughtfulness --in the sense of well-reasoned argument --is not their long suit. They have their facts wrong almost all the time, and do not use their names. So my worst enemy could be writing the critiques...how would i know, and why bother to respond. The truth is we are widely respected, and should be. We have one of the best policies on restaurant reviewing in the nation. Is their, and your quibble with the editing or the knowledge...because i will put our reviewers up against anyone...

not to far from Ramsey in Piermont, NY is Xaviers and Freelance Cafe also Saddle River Inn in Saddle River The Chef's Table, Franklin Lakes Morton's and Schmick and McCormick, Hackensack (Riverside Sqare Mall)

[(me, I hadn't even been aware that there WAS a NYC location, so don't ask me--heck,] you were never asked

thanks. My wife and I had loved it several years ago in Hawaii. We had been to the one in NYC several times after it opened but have not been in 3 years.

is it still good?

[ have to say that I disagree with Dodge's principle that you can tip low if you're not planning to go back, but high if you do intend to go back. Now that is taking unfair advantage of a server. If a server gives good service, you should give a good tip, and vice versa. It has nothing to do with whether you ever intend to go there again. ] so you disagree if I had many good experiences at a place and then one night they are extremely slow, I find it to my own disadvantage to tip low. why because I know the people. IT has EVERYTHING to do with whether I intend to go back there again.