ngatti

In no particular order: Wondee's, Hackensack (thank you, Tommy, Rachel and eGullet) Freelance Cafe Piermont, NY (only a mile or so over the Rockleigh line) 28 Oak Midaglia(sp) Cuban shop in Bergenfield Namaskaar RiverEdge (?)(I like it) Napa Valley Grille, Paramus Fink's, River Edge Hiro, Teaneck American Grill, Randolph (nice steak sandwich) America, Tenafly River Palm Steakhouse, Edgewater As with Finker99, I don't get out much. These are places that I either have or would return too. Nick

Oh shit! 2001! No wonder I'm all screwed up. I feel better now. Nick

Heard that one also. Nick

If this was answered, sorry I didn't see it. Any comments? I just didn't want to publically admit that I didn't know. Nick

Hey Nickn, Skatewing Scallops are for tourists! Nick

Well...yeah!?! They just seem so obviously...well...different. edit: the scallop grain is so much finer and denser. To say nothing about the flavor. Nick

Indeed they do. After getting out of the Navy, I spent a late summer and early fall cranking them out by the thousands with a 2" arch punch. Mario, a nice guy from the North End, set me up. Low cost operation. Punch, hammer, board, fish trays. Who would buy such things? I've cooked plenty of scallops and plenty of skate wings. They are so completely unrelated. I think this practice disappeared before I got involved in the industry. Like I said. I've never seen it. McClane references the practice in the Encyclopedia of Fish Cookery. Nick

Chef, As a chef with such close ties to and interests in the bounty of our oceans, lakes and rivers, I wonder if you might expound on the role that chefs should (if at all) take on sustainable fisheries. I would appreciate your views about chefs as environmental activists. Can we (or should we) be proactive about sustainable fisheries and species viability? Both in what appears on the plates we serve and the clout we may wield in the marketplace of ideas. Is it also our role to help educate our dining audience? If so, what can we, or should we as chef's and consumers do to help. Thank you very much for taking the time. Nick

Oh not that old biscuit again. BD, do me a favor. Never disuade a yank from that opinion. It means more great scallops for the rest of us. In 25 years, I have never EVER seen this happen. One of those urban legends. Nick

Nick, ever been to Cubby's in Hackensack? (I'm sorry, Fink!!) They've got baby backs too.(I'm so, so sorry, Fink!!) They're boiled and grilled, I think, so the meat is the "fall off the bone" variety. The sauce is too sweet for many people, but I think it's good if you're in the mood for that. (I'm really sorry, Fink!!) Pretty good steaks and burgers too... (Did I mention that I'm sorry, Fink?) Of course, Fink's does BBQ correctly and it's obviously one of my favorite places, but I can understand that sometimes you just get in the mood for baby backs. (I'm only human, Fink!!) You know, I keep meaning to. I pass it often enough. I always end up in Wondee's when i get into that neck of the woods. I've got to be less catholic when looking for a place in that neighborhood. Thanks Nick

West of Rt 17 doesn't count. Damned provincials. Nick

The Baby Backs at Houston's are IMO, one of a very few reasons to go. It is comfortable to sit in (it beats Fink's in that department). For a chain it's better than many. Arguably a dubious distinction. Nick

Ever tried 'em rachel. Theyr'e baby backs. I've had Fink's spare ribs, also good. Nick

Well 201, I hope we come up with one. I'm ready to try Caruso's based on Jason and Tommy (the first nice things I've ever heard about the place). I know there used to be a place in hasbrouck heights that was pretty good. Ownwer came from Le Cirque. But that's gone. I like Jerry's in Rutherford, and Andiamo is convenient, but I'm looking for a Italian culinary epiphany . Sometimes I need a break from Thai food or Houston's ribs (good ribs but a bit pricey). Nick

Bushey, Fresh untreated Bay Scallops are sweet, as if sprinkled with sugar. No mettallic taste at all. I find the large Diver's to be rich and fatty tasting (subjective). It's kind of strange, but I find that they pair up with Foie Gras pretty well. Nick

Tri-Poly Phosphate (as I understand it) is a chemical used at sea to help the shellfish retain water. It keeps them moist and more important causes them to increase weight ( = increased dollars at landing). I believe it is used on commercial scallops and block frozen shrimp. It has a mettallic iodiney taste. Sometimes too much is used. When one attempts to broil scallops that have been overly treated, they leach water preventing the scallops from cooking properly. Any knowledgeable fishmonger knows what this is and what it's used for. A reputable one should explain it to you without a problem. You can usually tell by oder and the amount of water surrounding the scallops in the containers. Dry scallops are just that (dry). Treated scallops look like they are swimming in liquid. Hope this helps. I'm sure there are others here that have closer, deeper an more accurate knowledge about this edit: sorry dave. I see you posted a pretty comprehensive link as I was writing this. Nick

Ahh. There ya go Rosie. From NE Bergen County, it's far easier to hop over the bridge than to drive to any of those places. Much easier drive for us (even Montclair isn't an easy drive). Depending on the neighborhood, on-street parking isn't a problem after 7:00PM. Not continuing an argument. It's just a something others and myself think about when we consider restaurants up in this NE corner of our woods. But I understand about restaurants being loathe to take culinary risks. Nick

That mettalic taste is the Tri-Poly. It gives an iodine flavor if overused. Nick

I ate in Rose Pistola about 3-4 years ago. Yeah, It was hip and happening and there was a very studied cool factor going on, but the food was...Bitchin!! Nick

I don't even like the flesh portion of fish to sit in ice. My delivery instructions for all my fish, whole and fileted, and printed on the invoices are "Do not directly ice fish." I've never noticed the slime build up you describe. Certainly in the day or two that I keep them about. Stuff treated with tri-poly is another matter. That stuff will cause the critters to leach liquid. Maybe giving a slimey appearence, and then sure, go ahead and rinse it. I guess if there was much blood on the gills and I transferred it to the flesh, I might give it a rinse for appearences sake. In fact now that this stream of conciousness is taking place, Jaybee; I'm scrupulous about rinsing the fish bones of blood (cutting out the gills and any extraneous pieces of gut) before making stock from fish bones. Come to think of it I *did* rinse some filets of dayboat fluke on saturday. The fish fileted out with a bunch of very small scales. So I briefly dipped each filet in a tub of cold water. But I only do thid to remove sand or foreign matter on an as needed basis. Not as a matter of course. I don't rinse fresh chickens either. I dry them out, uncovered on racks for two or three days. Season in and out and cook in the rotiserie. Nick

Awbrig, when I worked at the Four Seasons we had an old man (Mr. Miller) whose job it was to handle all of the shellfish. First the ice was laid in shallow drain pans and then the oysters were opened just before service and gently nestled in that chipped ice. I say gently because Mr. Miller (a Gnarly 70 year old) would bite your head off if you so much as spilled a drop of the oyster or clam liquor while opening or placing the wee beasts onto the ice. Nick

Last I knew, there's no way to tell the difference between them. They're all sea scallops. Some are dived and most are dragged. In the drag scallops you get into the difference between big boat and small (day) boat. Big boat is out for 10-14 days with all that that means. As far as the difference between dive scallops and day boat scallops, there's no difference in the scallops as far as quality so long as whoever is doing it cares about what they're doing. Some people get into the environmental considerations of dragging vs. diving. I've got to get to bed, so I'll leave that alone. What Nickn said, but my experience is that the scuba dived scallops are in a little better physical shape (tearing of meat and such). I have only washed (the quickest of rinses) a bay scallop when they come in sandy. I've never had the problem with a sea scallop. Jaybee- just pull off the side muscle. Don't wash unless really gritty. Peel off what you can of that mucous membrane by hand. Awbrig-Must have a couple or three high end retail fishmongers in Chitown, no? I don't know about pricing but the price you got from Nickn's buddy is a pretty low one. Possibly a dockside wholesale price. Tho' what you'll do with 8 pounds of divers...well.. you could throw an eGullet Chitown party! Don't buy and freeze. defeats the purpose, IMO> Cheers Nick

I forgot about the no cash thing. However they have accepted my personal check at Xavier's. The '76 house? You may be able to get a good meal again. I was only there once (but once was enough). Attention needs to be paid to little things on the service side and some larger ones on the culinary side. They do a brisk catering business. Sometimes that easier money gets in the way of things. The Record critics? There used to be a lot of them. I see 4 or 5 regulars now. Jeff Schwartz looks like a comer. He also just had a piece in Cook's Illustrated. David Bonom also writes for Cooking Light (huge circulation food mag). Cookbook author and food writer Marge Perry will also occasionally post here on eGullet. I've been cooking here in Bergen County for about twenty years now. If there were rumors about "hanky panky" I would have heard 'em, and I haven't. Say what you will about the writing; the reviewers as a lot are a pretty ethical bunch. cheers Nick

The husband of the baker at Balthazar. I believe he is a she, she is a he...Oh hell... The head baker at Balthazar is a woman and her husband runs The Baker's Wife.

I don't know every detail, but i think a 45 minute wait for a confirmed res is pretty bush. C'mon folks, 10:15 for a *confirmed* 9:30!?! Much may have happened, but some compensation should be expected. Vote with yer feet *and* wallets. Paul: No better than Allegriglia?? Double bush. Nick