jtphjl
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Posts posted by jtphjl
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afterthought!
Rocco's Market caters - out of Glen Rock!
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I have used Best of Everything (Ridgewood) My parents used Clemente's (S. Hackensack) and most recently I hve used Tony @ Fat Kat (Little Ferry) -- I have used Fat Kat for both office and home catering and I have never had a complaint!
I can't say the same about Best of Everything.
Jan
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Has anyone been to their new place at the Garden State Plaza (Paramus) or have they not open yet?
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In Grafton County --- if that helps..........North of Kensington and West of Hampton...
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Sorrento's (Main Street) Lodi -- not on the sme line as say B&B but fair prices, a decent cannoli for a dollar or just over, and a healthy russian coffee cake. .. this time of year they may have homemade icecream --
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I will be in Easton, New Hampshire towards the end of July - looking for some dinner & lunch recommendations in the area -- I will have my car, so 20 - 30 minute drive won't be a problem.
Thanks, Jan
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We have had some wonderful meals at - Whispers (Hewitt Wellington Hotel) although it has been more then a year since I have been to South Jersey --perhaps someone has more recent info...
jan
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Tuesday : June 21, 2005 dinner 6:00 PM
Last night (Tuesday) I joined three co workers for dinner at Migdalia's -- arriving just before 6:00 pm we were either too early, too late, or dinner is just not there thing!
We were greated promptly and warmly -- ushered to a table in full view of the television which was airing the news in Spanish. We were offered soda and told our option was coke and diet coke. The sodas arrived quickly, the cans were ice cold and served with a small bowl of lime!
THe menu, limited, was attractive, HOWEVER, our waiter explained, "We only have today, beef cubes and chickenn" he added we would have our choice of red / black beans, and a choice of white / yellow rice -- we ordered 2 chicken and one beef and varried the options of rice and beans.
The meal arrived almost instantly, the chicken, clearly not wanting to liberate itself from the bone was smotehred in an orange shade greece like substance, my yellow rice, tasty and clumpy was saddled next to a small cup of black beans, just under a count of ten ... a chicken dish with red beans and white rice had 8 beans (we counted) and the beef dish, cubes of iron came with white rice and red beans and the bean count was nine, like mine!
The dishes were less then luke warm, the slice of cucmber and transparent tomato were perfectly chilled.
Our waiter, preoccupied with the news (there were no other patrons during our nine minute meal) appeared to be earnest when he did return asking, "you did not like?" we showed him the tough animal products left on the plate (we all devoured our rice and beans) and kindly asked for the check. He offered, " I am sorry you did not like, you come back again and try"
I don't think we will be returning, dinner, soda and 20 % tip was $15.00
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The Hillsdale Store was sold several years ago to a fine (Italian) Butcher - several of the staff stayed on but the recipes have changed. They still offer a large selections of German Sausages and have added Italian sausages. However, where once you could find both northern and german sausages, several types of Bratwrust, well the options are limied and mostly southern (Still quite good and most are made within the store) During the summer they have a great wrust for grilling, pre cooked. The selection of german specialties like Quark, jams, breads, chocolates and cookies have been cut back, the owner said the customers have changed during the years (moved) I know that was the case with my in-laws. Late summer early fall, they use to have homemade pretzles -- and they really were the best around.
-- The Swiss Pork Store has one maybe even two former employees from Hillsdale, and the quality and choices in Fair Lawn are still superb. They do not offer the precooked wrust, however, for grilling, offer an amazing cut for Kassler . The cold cuts are also superb. I have special ordered from both stores and find Fair Lawn's store to be closer to my husband's northern german roots where as Hillsdale as I mentioned, offers more southern varities of spices in their meats.
that's my humble input... and now I am hungry!!!!!
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Lou, I book on open table and rarely have a problem.
Jan
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I Love Fat Kat - somewhere on this forum I wrote after my first visit -- and then again when I had them cater part of my Christmas Eve.
Chef/ owner Tony Goodman is from Cafe Panache (Ramsey) --
Dinner will begin with fresh baked bread, An amuse can be anything from Foie Gras, to grilled prawns --
Recently I had a seafood bisque that was outstanding --
I almost always order seafood -- very rarely have room for dessert that always include a homemade icecream of the day
it is a bring your own -- entrees run between $13 -22
My office is in Hackensack, so lunch is ideal -- they make a three baccon wrap that is to die for -- their homemade potato chips are memory making --reservations for dinner seem essential, especially on weekends, but lunch
this is the best kept secret in the area!
Jan
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I was there early December, and gave a holiday gift certificate to my Mother who used in within days -- always a great meal -- always professional staff ---
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I host Christmas Eve (lunch) Christmas Eve dinner and an open House Christmas Day -- inbetween those events I host a holiday dinner for a group of senior citizens living in shared housing in Ridgewood and I have an obligation to homebound families living with HIV/AIDS. This year, health problems made this schedule a challenge which sent me looking for "short cuts" -- for the Christmas Eve lunch I decided to do a buffet and ordered from Kat Kat ( 201 Main Street Little Ferry)
This is only important to the story because I talked my Husband into doing the Fat Katz pick up on Wednesday Evening after dinner (they were closed on Christmas Eve Day) and it only made sense that we should make a dinner reservation since we would be there anyway -- smartest thing I did all season.
Oh the weather outside was frightful -- inside was an amuse : Salmon over a potato latke -- we skipped appetizers and went right to the generous entree
trout with lump meat crab for me, lemon, garlic, and Tilapia, tomato, capers, olives, and crabmeat for the Grinch's husband. (Both entrees $23 each)
Dessert : warm chococlate fuge cake with candy cane icecream..................
the take home platters by the way - crispy spring rolls (vegetable) w/ peanut dressing and a spicy chinese mustard / fresh mozzarella over baby greens, roasted vegetables, tomato with an extra olive oil and balsamic syrup / chicken and brie wraps, applewood smoked turkey wraps, maple cured ham w/ wisconsin cheddar - dips/dressings/sauces to the side.
every bit of this order was individually packed and the integrity of freshness was well prepared - Christmas Eve day, I plated, served and survived a very long day of family...
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sorry for the delay - yes 800 River is correct -- at the end of the strip mall is a tiny, closet size bakery (Garlfied Bakery) also Polish -- on the day I was there it was pretty much picked over (A wed. at 2:00) but I hear the lne Christmas week was out the door. I was told about Potonia Makery on Monroe Street near the intersection of Hope, just off Route 21 -- I was coming from Hackensack by a driver who "knew the back roads" I was so car sick by the time we arrived from every side street south of route 4 -- but it was worth it -- Babka's - I bought cheese and never had a bite of it, but did try a friend's chocolate - butter and chocolate to die for! They also had homemade pieroggies ($12.00 dozen) variety of flavors, I picked up a popyseed like struddle, of course it has a real name, once again a Polish interpreter would be ideal!
Again sorry for the delay,
Jan
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I never thought of Petaks...damn that would have been so close! I did try Teaneck-no luck...-matjes herring and potatoes is exactly what I am making - I was looking for fresh herring with the intention of soaking it in buttermilk etc... I ordered it from German.deli.com and got killed with shipping cost - last week discovered Piast - tiny store / market / butcher in Garfield - small strip mall along the Passaic River with an amazing selection of Polish sausage, ham(s), any pork product - please if anyone has insight on polish sausage - give details! This place must have had 30 types of sausage, hot meals ready to go -- you walk in and breath deep. They had matjes at a fraction of the price I paid.
The line was out the door!
Thanks all for the suggestions!
Jan
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Although Herring is not hard to find in northern NJ, Matjes Herring seems to be avoiding me...I found an on line source (Germandeli.com) however, does anyone know of a local source?
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Nectar it was!
I marked my calendar and on the 18th day before our reservation, I was on the telephone! Ahhhhhhhhhhh
So I began (post bread course...when that basket assortment was carried off I knew I had just lost a good friend) with the crab and my husband had the tuna we agreed to switch half way and I think I actually have black and blues from the nudges reminding me to switch...I didn't care I was sipping a delightful fruity Schmitt Kinder from the sparkling list... Hans had ordered the longest white wine name he could find just to prove he could still speak the language...ahh but switch provided me with the most tender vibrant quads of fresh tuna ...
OK Main course I had the Char, a mild fish filet perched high above a combination that included a thin baccon, Hans had the Halibut and now that I think of it... hmm there was no switching...there were no complaints and those of you who recommended Nectar over Dish are not surprised!
Of course we stuffed in dessert and then waddled over to see On Golden Pond without Leslie Uggams, who cared... Hans was still licking his lips from warm fruit and pound cake and me, the pecan pie -- there was more wine chosen with help and the show, the Night, a delicious blurr and I honestly wonder why did I ever leave DC....
Thank you all again!
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I am marking my calendar now, Nectar takes reservations 28 days in advance!
Thanks for the insight!
Jan
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I am marking my calendar now, Nectar takes reservations 28 days in advance!
Thanks for the insight!
Jan
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We will be in DC for a Show at the Kennedy Center - On this site I have read great reviews about Nectar- the show starts at 8:00 - (a Friday night) We will be staying at the River Inn, so DISH is easy, but which is better for an early dinner?
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I still dream about the mussles, clams ...and as I have said before, when the bread basket left our table (in time for dessert!) it was like a close friend was being yanked away...........
Good job Lou! Now if you would only move to Ridgewood!
Jan
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I finally made it to Trattoria Fresco! Met my sister last night and my goodness, what a meal!
I began with the Wood Fire Roasted Peppers ($9.00) - two red wraps of roasted pepper stuffed, and I mean stuffed with a buttery creamy crabmeat filling, along side a spinach salad with a light vinaigrette.
My sister began with the "Spring Mix" ($7.00) a mix of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mountain high with a light moscato vinaigrette.
Arriving shortly before the first course was a basket of fresh bread with a skewar of rosted garlic through the slices and the most crisp, light, oilless homemde garlic bread sticks!
For dinner, I ordered the Salmon (20.00) , and was told by our server it was her favorite item on the menu--not a surprise...the lucious pink fish was topped with crabmeat and pencil thin cut strips of asparagus, three large packges were wrapped in Phyllo- crisp, warm, devine.
My sister had te Halibut (21.00) , a pan roasted steak in a lemon semolina crust...and I am forgetting what it was served with... too much crabmeat ont he brain!
We had every intention of ordering the Zeppole, but as dinner weighed on, we moved onto the concept of a gelato or sorbetto, but the reality was, there just relly was no room for dessert...and we women can do dessert!
The check arrived with 4 biscotti, which we of course devoured .....
Folks, you led me well! Thank you!
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Thanks Pan!
My husband and his first wife married while in college and just grew apart- I have the same story-- we became friends after she had a serious cancer scare, and I am a cancer survivor -- she and my husband have a child together (30's) and I thought it was crazy that she would be left out for "family" gatherings, she was family decades before me... so we call each other "Step-wives" it's not all a bed of roses between my husband and her, but it is a lot better then it was 30 yers ago!
Thanks for noticing.
Jan
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As a child, the tradition was, the birthday person picked a restaurant of their choice. Growing up in the NYC - Metro area that provided, The Russian Tea Room, Top of the World, Daniels, Umberto's in Little Italy, The old Carrage Club with singing wait staff somewhere in Northern NY, a number of Places in Fort Lee, - I moved to DC and places like the Watergate Hotel, and Nora's became an option, when I lived abroad and a certain amount of maturity, taught me, the smaller more local establishments were far more fulfilling then the places with the long waiting list... often the excitement of choice was better then the actual meal... I have one sister, so this was an outing for a party of 4.
In more recent years, Xavier's, a wonderful B-day for Mom 2 years ago was @ Babbo's, and last year I took my husband's former wife (she was going to be alone on her 50th b-day!) to American Grill (Randolph) Dad loved the seafood buffet at the Manor, he had a February birthday and I had a February wedding anniversary, both Dad and the marrge died so that's not on the list anymore...however ... I share a birthday with my new husband and we travel on our birthday, making a new restaurant part of that decision continues the tradition.
Funeral/Wake Food...
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
As a minister (whose passion is food) I have lots of experience in this arena ...and now going through the hospice stage for my Mom -- it really comes home.
When I visit with a family who are in the final days...I always bring something easy to access, cheese, quiche, foods that can be eaten at room temperature, can stand to be out, and if the ill person is within the scent of the food, odorless -- I've also been known to bring granolla bars, the family will be doing lots of errands, they provide protein and energy --
when doing a post death visit -- as other have already mentioned, casseroles etc find their way to the home, and also as menioned it is usually the 7-15 days later, when everyone has gone on their way with thir own life, that grief strikes and that is the time I like to bring comfort foods -- pot roast, brisket, soup in containers that can be eaten or frozen, rice pudding, turkey breast --
With my Mother, people have brought ice cream, and created ice cream parties with whipped cream, sprinkles, it is been spirit lifting and keeps people focussed on "enjoying these last days" instead of the uncomfortableness of the actual changes that happen to the body with terminal illnesses.
Until a few days ago -- breads were a special arrival -- because of all of the pain medication, bread helped keep the meds down -- and I whipped up fruit butters, light spreads -- brioche, french toast, etc...