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Ahh Venice. Italy's very own "Disney World" Nick

John Whiting, Thanks for posting that most informative piece. I got much out of it. An example of the quality that can attache itself to these sometimes contentious discussions Nick

Well Steve, things can get pretty Byzantine around here, and not due to layers of bureaucracy. In Bergen County there are something like 70+ individual munincipalities. Although there may be a few regional consortiums (some high schools and shared equipment leasing, for example), the vast vast majority of these towns are fully independent autonomous fiefdoms...errr...districts . This means: 70+ Police departments, school districts, volunteer (and some paid) fire departments and school districts. Seventy locales where the health codes are administered. Coordinating these inspections can be a nightmare. I believe the codes are mandates from the state and county, although there may be some locality specific ones thrown into the mix. Some towns administer sanitation classes for several of the surrounding munincipalities. The Health officer that I usually see, works for several towns on a contract basis (I think). He also inspects our swimming pool to make sure that it too is in compliance. Much disease can be spead this way. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by baseline standard. Certainly there is the Code (state, county and municipal). But as stated in a previous post there can be much latitude given by an individual officer. I think the corruption you speak of is much more particular to NYC than NJ. At least it has been based on my limited experience in NY ( yes I've seen some strange interaction between inspectors and owners in NYC) and my much greater experience in NJ, where I've never witnessed even the semblance of impropriety (which doesn't mean that it doesn't happen on this side of the river). In terms of individual violations (as opposed to failed inspections), I see on my latest report that I have four minor violations. They include some thermometers missing from some of my reach-in refrigeration as well some of the silverware being stored eating end up (a no no). I had a light bulb out over one of the cooking areas ( this falls under the "I had to write something" category) and some dust was found on the floor in *one* of my 10 reach in refrigerators. Having said that I admit that the inspection could have been more rigorous. Several of us weren't wearing hats or hairnets. My garbage cans were also uncovered. Both of these are violations but were not written up. Sometimes you get a guy who (rightfully so IMO) just wants to make sure that you have all of the serious bases covered, and is willing to cut you a little slack re: the Mickey Mouse shit. But...sometimes not.. Hope this helps a little. I could go on, but even i realize that this can be a pretty boring subject. Nick

Marge Perry's Review of Baumgart's Cafe Trying to stay on topic...Here is the link to the review as originally posted by dodge. Nick

I'm glad *you* don't care Tommy. Many here may also not give it a second thought. But many do My bitch is that the CBS site posts an agreed sensational news piece about a food borne outbreak. They follow it up by listing several restaurants that have *recently* failed (some repeatedly) health inspections. So far so good. In the end they post a list of restaurants from the Zagat guide; listing their violations, in some cases going back 16 months to find the last conditional. That associates the restaurants almost year and a half old failed inspection (one that was reinspected as a satisfactory) with this sensational news piece. I find it irresponsible and incompetent at *BEST* and callously shameful and gratuitous at worst. There were some listed that deserved to be (Fulton Crab House), and many had clean "Satisfactory" records, but I state again that including "Conditional" ratings that have since been cleared. Ratings that have since been cleaned up. Restaurants that have, for over a year, had good sanitation records, does needless negative publicity to hard working owners who seem to be doing the right thing with their restaurants. And for What?? Ratings on the fuckin' idiot box. Stupid network ratings at that. Sheesh! Nick

if, then, else Nick

1:The potato was served. 2:Waiter approaches table with a spoon and a large bowl of sour cream on a tray. 3: He asks the diners if they would like sour cream 4: If affirmative he spoons it on the potato 5: if negative he leaves the table. 'effin' programmers. Evrythings an 'effin' algorithm with you guys. Can't just say it, gotta be pseudocode. Nick

Sorry folks, I was using the term "frenched" as chefspeak slang for the waiter actually serving the sour cream tableside. It's a common term, probably not used much outside a catering environment. Nick

Sorry Suvir, Didn't quite read the last line of your original post. Now serving dried morels and calling them fresh on your menu?!?! Some people Nick

The post is complete with both restaurant descriptions having been posted Thanks Nick

I recently had lunches at two of Bergen County’s newest restaurants: “Morton’s” and “McCormick & Schmick’s”. Both are located at the route 4 end of the ‘Riverside Square Mall’: the mall where the business model (arguably) seems to be one, where restaurants bring the traffic to the stores rather than the other way around. More and more of the so-called, *upscale* dinner house chains are staking out territory in North Jersey. These two restaurants add their marques to a mall where “The Cheesecake Factory” and “Houston’s” already crowd the parking lots with diners willing to wait over an hour for a taste of the restaurant equivalent of ‘format radio’. With empty store space still available in the ‘food-court’ end of ‘Riverside Square’, we surely have not seen the last of the ‘chain invasion’. I don't think it's very fair to offer a full-fledged review of a restaurant based upon one visit. Especially when the reason for said visit is for the sole purpose of giving the wait staff and kitchen a 'practice run'. However, much insight can be gleaned about the general expectations, the philosophy and the goals of a given restaurant. Both of these restaurants break with the annoying habit of not taking dinner reservations practiced by many of the chains. This refreshing policy scores points right off the bat and is sure to bite into the customer base of “Houston’s” and “The Cheesecake Factory”. Forcing, one hopes, a reexamination of the continued use this selfishly rude policy. The dining rooms of both “Morton’s” and “McCormick & Schmick’s” reflect the major Ducats that were spent. Both exude a warm comfortable clubby feel. “Morton’s” use of dark woods and beige muted tones that spell *Steakhouse* and “McCormick & Schmick’s” use of green and lighter woods with a Mission style motif. Perhaps, reflecting the chains west coast origins. Lunch at “Morton’s”: This was a very well organized affair. We called the reservation number as instructed and made a reservation for four. It was good that we showed up as a two as that was the number that they had us for when we arrived for lunch. We were promptly shown to our table and offered menus. The format was that lunch was pre-selected for us: two Caesar Salads, Crab Cakes, Warm Steak Salad, and Raspberries Sabayon. The bar was open (within limits), single malts were not available. My wife and I both had Berringer Chards (three for each of us). The signature bread was placed on the table (a large round onion challah), very messy to eat. The Caesers were very good. Nice pile of fresh romaine stalks in a dressing flavored quite distinctly with garlic and anchovy. We overlooked the pedestrian croutons and continued to express surprise at the refreshing decision to keep the anchovy flavor in the dressing. The crab cakes that followed were the best that I’ve ever eaten. The restaurant made a decision to go with the more expensive ‘colossal lump crab meat’ rather than the jumbo lump. Very little bread and no *egg* or *mayonnaise*, this being a style that I prefer. It’s more difficult to cook because of the lack of a binder. But if handled carefully, the results can be spectacular, as these were. The unmemorable mustard sauce and silly hothouse tomatoes couldn’t ruin this dish (although not for lack of trying). My wife’s ‘Warm Steak Salad’ with the archaic sounding ‘Oriental’ dressing was every bit the menu afterthought that it sounds. Edible but skippable. Sides of baked potato had us in awe. These must have been Idaho 40s. They were so huge that we thought we were the recipients of some ones 4H project. Sour cream was frenched by a waiter and wasn’t nearly enough given the size of the potato. Desert was a handful of raspberries all arranged standing up in a small oval dish with a cold piped flower of something sweetish with the color of butter and the consistency of Cool Whip. I would have preferred the Cool Whip. Service was excellent, but as it’s a dry run, the place was overstaffed and everyone was trying very hard. We did not get to try any of the big steak dishes for which this restaurant is known. The place is PRICEY!! Bring Money. Value? I don’t know. I’m curious as to how other people feel after “Morton’s” completes its shakedown. Lunch at “McCormick & Schmicks” The dining experience at McCormick & Schmicks was very pleasant. The wood floors and open kitchen and shellfish display offer an inviting visual overture before the meal. The format was different for this meal. Here we were offered practically the run of the menu. We had to pay for drinks and as at “Morton’s” were expected to tip the waiter based on the price of the meal. We were seated in a crowded dining room and our drink orders were taken. Bass Ale for me, and Kendall Jackson Chard for my wife. I started with Conch Fritters with Key Lime Dijon Sauce. My wife had the Coconut Shrimp with an orange Horseradish marmalade. I was expecting pieces of conch battered and fried. What I got was an enormous portion of bread balls with some spice and pimento. The Key lime mustard mayo, served on the side was quite good. My wife’s large portion of shrimp was about U21-25 in size and were battered and fried. Not much coconut flavor and the sweet marmalade didn’t do much to lift this dish. In fact the Key Lime Mustard Mayo that accompanied the Conch worked pretty well with the shrimp. I note here no appetizer on the large menu costs more than $10.00. Terrific value, IMO. For main courses: my wife had the Cashew Crusted Black grouper with Jamaican Rum Butter. Overcooked with a sweet beurre blanc and accompanied by desultory but tasty mashed potatoes and noticeably well-cooked and flavorful asparagus. My Lobster Roll with French Fries and Cole Slaw was marred by a poor ‘roll to lobster’ ratio, and although the waitress waxed rhapsodic over the lobster salad; I found the lobster to be stringy and overly shredded, having a canned lobster meat taste and feel to it. The French Fries, although fresh cut, were extremely limp and soggy, suffering from not being blanched Desserts were quite good and were ample, in keeping with the large portion philosophy. Crème Brulee was classic, and serviceable. My Upside Down Apple Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream was homey and tasty. The menu lists seven varieties of oysters and says that their menus are printed twice daily. Along the top of the menu is a listing of the day’s market fresh fish. The menu is large and reasonably priced. This restaurant is obviously looking to eat some of “Legal Sea Foods” lunch. They may succeed. Thanks for listening Nick

I'm certainly not an authority, but isn't this once 'only wild' mushroom now cultivatible (is that a word?)? There were some experiments trying to do this in the Pacific Northwest back in the early eighties. May be this is why you can find fresh ones so out of season. Someone here must know more. Nick

Foie Gras. eff it!! More for me. Nick

And yet we get offended when television comedians make fun of us and the rest of the country laughs. Classic Jerseyana. Nick

Thank you all for the input. I sent the bottle out this evening. Apology was accepted in spades and I feel better. This doesn't mean that I have to reply in kind to everyone on eGullet that I may have offended, does it? Thanks Nick PS: SP, some suggestions on what I should buy for myself...please?

Thanks all. I appreciate all the input. I'm sending the bottle to the table this evening. Thanks Nick

Thank you liz. Trying to figure out where Steve Santoro landed. This seems to be the place. Steve Santoro: IMO, the most talented, well palated chef never to become well known. I've worked with many people. He is among the best. Nick

Would someone translate this chefspeak for those of us who don't speak it? Thanks. I believe the reference is to keeping a par-stock of items (butter) outside of the refrigerator and then requisitioning items from the refrigerator to keep the par stocks filled. Nick

Why post "CONDITIONAL" ratings that over 1 year old. Especially those that have been reinspected successfully and are now walking the straight and narrow. GRATUITOUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM edit:(directed towards that CBS site) Nick

I see Mahrahni Express is going for the: "most conditional health write ups within a single calander year." Trying to catch up with Bamboo Grill, no doubt. Nick

Unfortunately I was cooking for the golf outing, not playing in it. 280ppl, double shotgun plus tennis. First groups at 7:30, second groups at 1:00. Breakfast, lunch, cocktail reception, and dinner. Ironically the outing was for Englewood Hospital. Go figure Nick

Thanks Jon. Much appreciated. An old friend is rumored to be the chef. The only info I was given was "Stanley Tucci's new restaurant in Katonah". Thanks again Nick

edit

Anybody heard of this. I'm trying to track someone down Thanks Nick

Now you're gonna make me dig out the article It's either Cook's or Fine Cooking. I always wondered why my 50# sacks of Spanish will store on the shelf unrefrigerated. Yet my 40# box of Vidalias would turn to absolute rotten slime before I could use them up. I read this article and sure enough the 'Sweets' are a 'fresh onion' kinda like a scallion I guess. No shelf life. Once i started keeping them in th fridge, the problems ceased. They don't rot overnight. Just much faster than a storage onion. Nick